Thinking about my very forgotten Firstborn boy Dairvaard, and largely thinking of doubling down on his 'going into places first' thing and straight up giving him a hobby of Cartography.
I've always had it his little squad went into Maguuma ahead of the pact, to mark out good places for camps, waypoints, I think doubling down on that makes sense
A forgotten firstborn warrior sitting himself down and getting his fingers stained with ink as he sketches out maps for himself, charts out his thoughts to hand to asura contacts for them to later set up Waypoints where he thinks will be useful places, places of interest he jots down because he likes the view, vistas he thinks are beautiful and worth remembering.
On a more serious note, I've seen some people worrying about it so I just want to say:
Even if the announcement on Friday is Guild Wars 3, Guild Wars 2 is not going anywhere. Anet has just pretty much revived the original Guild Wars and has future plans for it, so that game is not going anywhere and it's even older than GW2. Guild Wars 2 makes money and last I checked is doing good and steady.
I know it can feel stressful and like the future of the game is in peril but I am confident it'll all be fine <3
WIP of my long-dead-but-still-kicking foefire charr turned luminary, Grau Embertooth. Mostly just done to practice a bit more with colors pulled from samples.
Hey Pleur! I'm curious what you make of there being other seeds that grow trees like the Pale Tree, that could have their own versions of sylvari. Would you ever go looking for others, or wonder what the source of the seeds is?
@mystery-salad
" I talked to Trahearne about this! Malyck seems so much like us, even if he didn't have any connection to the dream, I'd love to see his tree! I wish I could've gone with him, but if my hunt is leading me to Zhaitan there's just, not time. Maybe after we deal with the dragon, I can see if I can find him again! I did ask Trahearne about how the Pale Tree came to be, and he told me apparently Ventari had planted it along with a human, but they don't have any idea where he got the seed from. Maybe the tree came from an even bigger tree?
Caithe seemed so strange about it all, Malyck and the idea of other trees. She thought it put Mother in danger, but surely more Sylvari would be a good thing - Zhaitan can't turn us, the more of us the better, and I know the Grove has more Sylvari than the Nightmare Court does, they'd never actually manage to hurt the tree. I know this sounds bad, but I think she might've been happy Malyck left. "
(Journal of Adelaide Montaine; 1339 AE - Season of the Phoenix)
'They sent a guardian after me. Oh Gods, the Priory thinks I'm possessed.'
'It's been an eventful few weeks. I'm trying to catch up as I sit here on the back of a supply wagon bound for the Fields of Ruin, but my head is still spinning. I suppose I should just start where I left off. After leaving Scholar Worfmir and the rest of the priory team monitoring Bria to their work, I spent a long time pondering why my escape early retirement from the Priory seemed to have gone so smoothly after I got clear of Lion's Arch, especially with the Whispers badge slipped into my bag making it clear that even the Order was aware of my departure. Maybe my letter to Gixx really was as convincing as I'd hoped it was.'
'Stopping to question a captive Inquest operative against my better judgement was really the first mistake I made in the Steppes. The shadow of Hanne's words had been hanging heavily over me for a while, and when I saw the opportunity to possibly confirm whether or not she was still following me, I couldn't help but take it.
I put up my hood and stormed into their hidden lab with less subtlety than the situation warranted, which was the second mistake. Or mistake 1.5, maybe? I shut off the alarm manually (hit it with a sword) and went right for the databases. My limited experience with Inquest technology isn't much more than other farm girls from Kessex have, but it's at least enough to know what a keyword search is.'
'I don't know if I was expecting her to jump out of the console and stab me, or what. The feeling of being watched had only gotten stronger as I traveled through the region and part of me had thoroughly convinced itself I was about to be jumped and dragged off to a vivisection table at any given moment.
The Inquest assignment databases told the opposite story. Biothaumist Hanne had been reassigned shortly after our encounter to a highly classified new krewe, and shipped off to...somewhere. I was so baffled that the shadow I'd been convinced was right behind me wasn't even on mainland Tyria anymore that I barely noticed the alarm reactivating until I had to hightail it away from the lab supervisor.'
'Even after learning that Hanne had been sent far away, I couldn't shake the feeling that someone was breathing down my neck, one step behind me. At this point, I decided that if my instincts weren't leading me completely astray, and Gixx kept his word about advocating for my innocence in Kryta, the unshakeable presence was most likely the Order of Whispers. But STILL, no matter how close I got to Pact encampments, no one made any attempts to capture, question, or really even talk to me. My hood is a serviceable disguise from a distance, but it isn't that good. I actually felt like I was being ignored, which, in hindsight, was probably true.'
'I started avoiding the Pact camps after that, staying with friendly ogres and camping out in the old Ascalonian ruins. Still, the feeling stayed, but I kept it at bay thinking about what the old wall must have looked like in its prime. An ancient feat of human dedication, and a symbol of old Ascalon's hostility and fear. Ghosts still mill around it, trying to keep outsiders at bay. I wish I could help them realize their war is over.
I was camped in a nook below those ruins (the third mistake was starting an uncovered fire) when she found me.'
'One moment, I was writing down my thoughts, and the next I had blue chains clamped around my neck, burning cold. At first I thought it was a ghost attack, but Vulpes' immediate panic felt different somehow. Then I saw the charr. I haven't encountered many guardians before, just a few among Priory and Vigil squads, but I was able to put two and two together. She was staring directly through me, like she could see the demon snarling behind my eyes.
I didn't recognize her armor, not at first. The only thoughts running through my head were the fight-flight-freeze kind, and I wasn't exactly examining what I would later realize was a modified Whispers brigantine bearing the Tyrian Alliance's crest on the back.'
'A bellowing shriek from above snapped me out of my panic (or maybe just made me panic more productively) and my flesh construct got a lucky hit on the bounty hunter. The magic sustaining the chains faltered and I threw the biggest concentration of terror magic I could in my attacker's direction before she could get a paw around the crossbow at her hip. I ran for the nearest Legion base as a Shatterer (an entire Torment-ridden Shatterer) passed overhead.
The bounty hunter wasn't dissuaded for long. We traded strikes as I clambered through the ruins and eventually decided to take my chances in the Brand itself. I don't know if you, imaginary reader, have ever had to out-sprint a charr who is actively trying to kill you, but it's not fun. I only have two legs to work with.'
'It was at about this point, sprinting full-tilt through the Dragonbrand, that I realized most of her shots were going embarrassingly wide. Then I realized she was missing on purpose, trying to herd me back out of the Brand rather than kill me outright. I put it together when I identified the Tyrian Alliance crest; this wasn't just any bounty hunter. She was here for Vulpes, not me.
From the Priory's perspective, I stumbled into their hall all those months ago in a delirium and denied their attempts to screen me for extraworldly entities, only to run off and immediately be accused of graverobbing and murder in Kryta. They know about the Accident, they know small-scale disasters tend to follow in my wake, and they know that once I finally managed to secure a place of safety in their underground library, I abruptly ran away again with little explanation. In their records, I've been nothing but erratic and flighty, a random Kessex orphan with magic too strong for my own good.'
'The Priory must think I'm a victim of demonic possession. (And they're not exactly wrong, either.) That would explain why the normal Pact forces haven't made any attempts to detain me; they must not know how strong or weak of a demon Vulpes is. They were waiting for a specialist to track me down.
The bounty hunter gave up the chase abruptly, just clear of Steeleye Span. I don't know why. It's possible her jurisdiction doesn't apply to places under the control of the United Legions, or that she'd rather not provoke whatever she thinks Vulpes is that close to a populated area - even if the population is made up of battle-hardened Sentinels. Either way, I took the lucky break and wound my way down towards the Fields of Ruin, much more careful to ensure I wasn't leaving a trail.'
'I haven't seen her since, but I can only assume she's still out there, probably regrouping and adapting her strategy now that we've actually exchanged blows. I wanted to drag my feet before investigating the address in Ebonhawke from Ma's book, but it looks like I won't get the luxury of traveling slowly.'
picking up johanneke's story again but she hasn't gotten much of a spotlight...
johanneke is a shaman of fir tree, who teaches patience, endurance, and adaptable strength. its adherents expect no loud voices or powerful transformations— often fading into the background themselves —but are blessed with heightened awareness and oneness with the world around them. johanneke descended from her forests to help fight zhaitan's corruption, easily inclined to join trahearne's wyld hunt. even after the events with mordremoth she considers the sylvari somewhat kindred spirits and feels protective of them.
she still thinks of herself just one of many equal folk helping in their own way— it was very slow sinking in that people were looking to her as an individual leader, a symbol, and she remains a little perplexed about it.
pretty young for a norn (in her fifties) and knew eir for some time preceding the personal story. she's trans in an uncomplicated way— saw all the big beautiful buxom norn women of legend and went ":0 that'll be me when i grow up!" and then she made it happen.
ultimate commanderly weapon in her arsenal: best at hugging.
Tarir already has, in game, mesoamerican influence within it's architecture. My character himself is also Mexican Indigenous, so I felt particularly emotional about the thought of leaning into that. So Here is Aurene inspired by Mexica art! In my mind, the exalted created this mural shortly after her birth, to commemorate it and soldify Leo as her champion... embedded into the walls of her sanctuary.
a big general thank you to the folks who've sent in task btw!! I am getting around to them I've just been busy today, but I've got replies for the next few written out I just wanna tidy them up tomorrow when I've got some more braincells for it
For Pleur!! :3 How has it been adjusting to being a member of the Vigil? Is there anything you don't like about how things are done? Anyone you especially get along with?
" I'm headed towards Lion's Arch to join properly, but I love how they do things! Whilst the other Orders are very clever, the Vigil sees what needs to be done and they do it! They see a fight to be fought, and they go and fight it - they see people to be helped and they help! Mother called them soldiers and caretakers, and I like that. That's exactly what I want to do, I don't see why we should try make it more complicated, we need to Fight Zhaitan, so let's go and fight it!
As for people I get along with, I've not met many people yet, but I liked Branthyn, the Vigil contact I worked with to recover Caladbolg. And during our fight against Mazdak and his forces I got to meet the biggest Charr I've ever seen, Warmaster Heartkeeper! She helped to lead the siege. I didn't get the chance to speak to her much because she was busy tending the wounded afterwards, but I hope I get to see her again. "
"Hello, I'm Pleur, a Valiant of the Wyld Hunt, and slayer of the Green Knight. I've fought against the Nightmare court and the Risen, recovered Caladbolg, thorn of the Pale Tree, and defeated the lich Mazdak the Accursed! I've been studying Necromancy under Firstborn Trahearne, and I'm just about to join to the Vigil as a new recruit, ask me anything!"
The Ask Box is OPEN!
Hi Hello, I've been working my way through the personal story on a copy of Pleur in an effort to replay the story from scratch, and thought I'd try throw open the ask box at different milestones and see if anyone would like to poke and prod my mushroom with questions! You can ask her directly, or ask me stuff about her version of the world and events etc too!
Anything pre-level 40 Personal Story is fair game, and Pleur's fought The Green Knight, Met Malyck, and as she said, has been learning Necromancy from Trahearne. Pleur largely follows the PS, there's just a little of my own headcanon sprinkled into things, and occasional extra OC's!
baratheonpilled
stormborns
turnnoffyourmind
yousharknotpass
pixelskylines
kaledo-art
gummygunk
