A long time ago I wrote this post on the Project Tyria blogger but I feel like maybe it’ll be interesting for anyone who hasn’t found out here to discover as well.
To get to the point: There are searing cauldrons in Orr. (the orange circles on the map point to their locations)
Many of you who know the lore might realize exactly why they are there but for those who might not or need a refresher, the Charr once marched to Orr to invade Orrian lands. With them they brought the Searing Cauldrons.
When Vizier Khilbron saw that the Charr were invading, he decided to read some forbidden texts that lead to the sinking of Orr. What I didn’t know before finding these cauldrons was how close to the Vizier’s tower they were. The Charr were literally outside his front door. I came to the realization that he may not have done this because he didn’t want Orr to fall to the Charr but instead because he panicked out of fear for what was outside of his door.
In Guild Wars we see that the Charr took Ascalon with a single searing cauldron (at least that’s what I’m lead to believe) but when the Charr marched on Orr, they had two.
I was ecstatic when I found this a several years ago and I’m still really excited about it now. I love how much detail and thought the Guild Wars 2 team has put into this game and it never ceases to amaze me.
Whoever decided to put those cauldrons there on the map, two Charr-sized thumbs up to you.
“Fantastic! The human gods not only sundered the seer’s bloodstone here—they increased its power. They pulled the energies of Zhaitan himself, even though they did not know of the sleeping Elder Dragon. They only knew that this was a place of great magical power, and built their godly city here.” -Randall Greyston, Durmand Priory Scholar
Hey everyone! With Living Story Season 3 FINALLY kicking off, I thought it might be a good idea to give some people who haven’t played the original Guild Wars a bit of lore surrounding the Bloodstones. Now, other than letting you know that the Bloodstone in the Maguuma Jungle plays a part in this chapter of the story there will be no spoilers for LS3, so feel free to read, even if you haven’t played it yet! Hope you enjoy!
The Elder Dragons Rise
About 10,000 years ago, the Elder Dragons last rose and devastated Tyria as they consumed magic, erasing entire civilizations and races as they went on. Finally, 5 of the elder races to survive during this time worked together to find a way to stop the Elder Dragons from consuming and corrupting all the magic in the world. These races were the Jotun, Dwarves, Forgotten, Mursaat, and the Seers, and they worked together, fighting to save their world. To this end the Seers came up with a plan to seal away all the uncorrupted magic in the world, to do this, they created the original Bloodstone. They would seal their ancient magics within it, protecting it from the Elder Dragons hunger, effectively starving them. Magic back in this time was untamed, wild and dangerous, those that could wield it, did so with no restrictions. When the time came, the elder races came together and begun to seal away their magic, but when it came time for the Mursaat to add theirs, they instead betrayed their former allies. The Mursaat had discovered a way to hide from the Elder Dragons, becoming ‘out of phase’ with the rest of Tyria. Using this new ability, the Mursaat fled, taking their magic with them, and abandoning the other Elder races to the Dragons. Thankfully for the remaining races, the Forgotten found a way to free Glaust, the Champion of the Elder Crystal Dragon Kralkatorrik, from its control. Renaming herself Glint, she used her new freedom to shield the remaining Races from the Elder Dragons, and were able to survive as the Dragons returned to their slumber.
The ‘Gift’ of Magic
About 9,800 years later, 205 B.E. (Before Exodus), the Human Gods arrive on Tyria, and they bring with them humans to the continent. They resided among their worshippers in their city Arah on the continent of Orr. They had also started collecting ancient artifacts that had survived the Elder Dragons, one of those being the Bloodstone. They had the Bloodstone brought to Arah, and kept it there. In 1 B.E. Abaddon, the God of Secrets, gifted magic to the sentient races of Tyria by using the magic sealed within the Bloodstone. This gift however, had almost immediate consequences as the mortals were not prepared for it. The gift of magic was given too freely, and uncontrolled, this lead to bloody wars all over the world. That was when King Doric, the only king to ever unite all the Human Kingdoms, traveled to Arah and threw himself at the feet of his Gods, begging them to help find a way to end the bloodshed. The Gods relented, and using King Doric’s blood, which is heavily implied to have killed him, they sealed the Bloodstone’s magic. They then shattered the Bloodstone into 5 pieces, 4 pieces represented the schools of magic, Preservation, Destruction, Denial, and Aggression, and the last was a Keystone, required if the Bloodstone was to ever be fully formed again. By separating the pieces, it limited how much magic mortals could tap into, and assured that no one person could fully utilize all forms of magic. The Gods then placed the pieces in the Mouth of Abaddon, the largest volcano in the Fire Island Chain. After this, the Gods left Tyria, determining it would be better to not directly interact with mortals. At some point after the God’s departure, the Mouth of Abaddon erupted, throwing the pieces of the Bloodstone all over Tyria.
The Flameseeker Prophecies
The Mursaat eventually returned to Tyria, and engaged in a war with their former allies, the seers. Using their devastating Specral Agony spell, the Mursaat defeated, and almost wiped out the seers. The Mursaat then turned their attention to preventing the Flameseeker Prophecies from coming true. The prophecy was written by Glint, now completely dedicated to preserving life from the Elder Dragons, and told of the end of the Mursaat. The prophecy told of a Chosen causing the destruction of the Mursaat by releasing the Titans, demonic constructs, all over Tyria. The Mursaat sought a way to prevent the Door of Komalie that held back the Titans closed, and also to destroy the Chosen, and the Bloodstone that landed in the Maguuma Jungle after the Mouth of Abaddon erupted provided an answer to both of those problems. After convincing a group of humans that they were Gods, the White Mantle was formed, and took over Kryta. The Mursaat became the Unseen Gods, as no one but their most devout followers had ever actually seen them. Once Kryta was under their control, the White Mantle created the test of the Chosen. They told the citizen’s of Kryta that they were using the test to identify those among them that had powerful hidden talents with magic, and that these Chosen, would be taken back to learn and hone their skills with the Unseen Ones. The truth was that the test singled out the Chosen that could carry out the prophecy and then marched them deep into the Maguuma Jungle, to the Bloodstone. The White Mantle then sacrificed the Chosen on top of the Bloodstone, which then trapped their souls and placed the souls into devices called Soul Batteries. These Soul Batteries were then shipped to the Fire Island Chain to keep the Titans sealed behind the Door of Komalie. This plan helped prevent two parts of the prophecy, it killed the Chosen who were predicted to carry it out, and also used the souls to keep the Titans sealed away. After the Mursaat and White Mantle were defeated with the completion of the Flameseeker Prophecies and the Krytan Civil War, not much was seen from the Bloodstone located in the Maguuma Jungle.
The Other Bloodstones
The location of all the other pieces of the Bloodstones are not known, but the ones that have been found have had influence on the story thus far. One Bloodstone can be found right in the Fire Island Chain, and is also the location that the main antagonist of Guild Wars: Prophecies meets his end. The Undead Lich was nigh immortal, but by killing him atop the Bloodstone, it bound his soul and finally put an end to his reign of terror. Another Bloodstone was found under the Shiverpeak Mountains, the entrance to this cave was found in Sparkfly Swamp. The players help an Asura, Gadd, to extract information from the Bloodstone, while at the same time helping the Shining Blade gain weapons to fight the White Mantle during the Krytan Civil War. The entrance to this cave may STILL be seen in Guild Wars 2. In the northeast corner of Sparkfly Fen is what appears to be a locked door or Asuran design, which presumably, leads to the Shiverpeak Bloodstone. The location of the other Bloodstones, as of this time, are not known.
The Bloodstones are extremely powerful magical artifacts, dating back to the Elder Dragon’s last rising, and have been used to seal magic, gift it, and limit it. The full power of these relics have most likely not been tapped yet, and have played a part in many terrible acts in Tyria’s history, but also had been originally been created as a way to survive against the Elder Dragons. What part they still have to play in the coming story of Tyria is just barely being scratched at, and whatever happens, Tyria and the nature of magic, are still changing.
Hope you all enjoyed the lore! Remember, if you ever have any lore questions just send us an ask, and I’ll do my best to answer! Until next time!
-Karn Vileclaw
RANDOM LORE POST! Hey everyone! So about a week ago, Arenanet added a new outfit called Gwen’s Attire.
It came to my attention that some of you don’t know who Gwen is! Well, wonder no more! This lore post will delve into the life of Gwen, from innocent girl caught in The Searing, to proud warrior and respected Leader.
A Girl and Her Flute
The Heroes of Guild Wars: Prophecies first meet Gwen, a little girl playing in the fields of Ascalon in 1070 AE, just hours before The Searing. She asks the player’s help in retrieving her flute, which she left by the river, but can’t get it to it with monsters crawling everywhere. The flute is recovered, but it is broken, she is nonetheless thankful that the player went to the trouble. The player can continue helping Gwen, giving her little gifts, such as a new flute, cape, and some of her favorite flowers, Red Irises. As a sign of friendship, she will eventually give the player a Tapestry Shred, part of her old cape. Eventually the player must stop playing with Gwen, and return to the war against the Charr, and while away, the event that spelled the end of the human kingdom of Ascalon occured, The Searing. Giant flaming purple crystals fell from the sky, burning and scorching the land, turning water to tar, and tearing down the Great Northern Wall, the barrier that kept the Charr out. Gwen was presumed dead, along with many other of Ascalon’s citizens, but this was not the case. She was captured by the Charr, and held for years as their prisoner. Little did they know this little ‘mouse’ would strike a blow against them they wouldn’t soon forget.
The Flight North
For 7 years Gwen toiled as a captive of the Charr, when the faithful day the Charr decided to feed her, and other captives, to a giant siege devourer for entertainment. After being told of secret tunnels that lead into ruins by Duke Gaban, another captive, Gwen formed a plan. Duke Gaban died trying to escape, but when it came time for Gwen to face the devourer, she was able to topple a broken pillar onto the beast and flee the arena. She sneaks through the ruins, past Charr, both alive and ghosts, and eventually she comes upon a camp of humans. These humans are part of an elite group of humans operating behind enemy lines, focused on taking down the Charr. They were originally called the Ascalonian Vanguard, but as they pushed north, they began picking up refugees and volunteers to fight the Charr. They renamed themselves the Ebon Vanguard, and from their base in the Far Shiverpeaks, they continue the fight to rid Ascalon of the Charr. Gwen is taken in by the Ebon Vanguard, and in just a year, she had risen to second-in-command. Her hatred of the Charr drove her forward, but it was also holding her back, the anger masked her true feelings, fear. She would learn to overcome this fear, but it would take more than just her tenacity, and also working with her worst nightmare.
Fall of The Flame Legion
The player meets Gwen as they arrive at the Eye Of The North, base of the Ebon Vanguard. If the player still has the tapestry shred with them, Gwen will even recognize them after their initial confrontation. The player comes to Gwen, seeking allies to fight the Great Destroyer. She agrees, but only if the player can help them in fighting the Charr. The heroes first must rescue the leader of the Ebon Vanguard, Captain Langmar, who disappeared on a mission weeks before. While searching for her the heroes discover an unlikely ally, a Charr named Pyre Fierceshot, imprisoned for speaking against the ruling Flame Legion shaman caste. He offers to help find Captain Langmar and her unit, in exchange for toppling the Flame Legion and their ‘False Gods’. Gwen is furious at the idea of working with a Charr, and Pyre’s goading does not help her deal with it any better. Gwen is surprised however, as the Charr keeps his word. He leads them to the camp where Langmar and her unit are being kept, about to be sacrificed to Destroyers, being presented by the Flame Legion Shamans as their new gods. After killing the Destroyers and Flame Legion in the stronghold, the Ebon Vanguard are rescued. Pyre addresses his people, telling them that there are no gods for the Charr, and that the Flame Legion must be destroyed. Gwen confronts Pyre once more, she tells him that she will never forgive him, or his people for The Searing, that she will always hate them, but most importantly, she does not fear them. Pyre seems content with this response, claiming that she is learning. With the missing Ebon Vanguard rescued, Gwen is able to convince them to join the player in taking down the Great Destroyer. They are successful, and unaware of the events they have helped take shape in the centuries to come. The assault on the Flame Legion helps start the spark that leads to the rebellion that sees the Flame Legion cast out from Charr society. The slaying of the Great Destroyer unknowingly pushed back the waking of Primordus, the Elder Dragon of Fire, by 2 generations, The Great Destroyer being one of its champions. Gwen got very little rest after this, as another threat loomed, this time in Kryta, as the people of the nation were in the shadow of a bloody civil war. But in the midst of this Gwen found someone who not only cared for her, but who she too found love for.
A Budding Romance
Lt. Keiran Thackeray of the Ebon Vanguard was determined to make Gwen happy, realizing the horrors she had endured. He enlists the players help in making a Wintersday celebration for her. It goes over well, and the two become close. It turns sour when Keiran attempts to make a picnic for Gwen’s birthday, only for Gwen to reject it however. He tries to convince her to relax, saying he can tell she masks her pain with always fighting the Charr. They get into a fight, and Keiran leaves her alone, believing she will never be able to live her life without being absorbed in war. Shortly after this fight, Keiran is ordered to Kryta to help train soldiers in the war against the White Mantle. He leaves without saying anything to Gwen, convinced the best thing is to leave her alone. Gwen learns of Keiran’s departure, worrying to herself about his safety, and words left unsaid. She soon hears terrible news, Keiran’s unit diverted White Mantle from a settlement of Ascalonian refugees, allowing them time to reach the safety of the Krytan capital of Lion’s Arch. Captain Langmar is killed, but Keiran wasn’t found, listed as missing in action. Gwen, now the leader of the Ebon Vanguard, is devastated by the news, not only of her Captain, but of someone she truly did care deeply about, believing him to be dead. She is resolute in her conviction though, she quickly takes command of the Ebon Vanguard, determined to bring down the White Mantle.
The Krytan Civil War
The Shining Blade, a guerrilla force of Krytan’s loyal to the royal bloodline, was seeking to topple the White Mantle, a faction of humans that prayed to their ‘Unseen Gods’ that had siezed power when the Charr invaded Kryta years before. These Unseen Gods were in actuality the Mursaat, an ancient race of powerful spellcasters, bent on preserving their own lives by sacrificing innocent humans upon giant bloodstones. These bloodstones used the power inside living souls to power soul batteries, keeping demonic constructs called Titans, sealed in the Fire Island Chain. Prophecy foretold the end of the Mursaat once the Titans were released, and they were determined to keep the Titans sealed, by any means. The Titans were released, and defeated during the events of Guild Wars: Prophecies, and while not wiping them out, the Mursaat were on the brink of extinction. This lead them to tighten their grip on Kryta, which only helped to seed the coming war against them. The Ebon Vanguard sought King Adelbern’s approval in helping the Krytan’s in their war, but he refused, hostilities between Kryta and Ascalon during the Guild Wars still fresh in his mind. Instead of committing soldiers, Captain Langmar instead sends a detachment to help train Shining Blade recruits to fight. It is during this mission that Captain Langmar is killed and Keiran goes missing. As the War in Kryta rages, Keiran, who still lives and manages to slip away from the White Mantle, continues to fight. He joins an assassin from Cantha, Miku, as she attempts to hunt down a White Mantle member by the name of Danthor the Adamant, who killed her adopted Krtyan family after branding them as traitors. During the hunt they uncover a plot by the White Mantle to slaughter the people of Beetletun and blame it on the Shining Blade. Miku and Keiran arrive at Beetletun, with Keiran rallying the villagers to fight the White Mantle as they arrive. They are successful in driving back the attackers, Keiran finally realizing his abilities as a leader, becoming a paragon (he literally switches classes from a ranger, to a paragon). Gwen, back at the Eye of the North after helping to successfully defeat the White Mantle and free Kryta of their control, relives the events of Keiran’s journey by using the scrying pool. She then sets out to Anvil Rock to meet him as he returns, nervous about what to say to him.
What a Beautiful Wedding...
They reunite, and while stopping short of saying they love each other, it is obvious to both of them how much they mean to each other. Shortly after this reunion Keiran proposes to Gwen, asking her to marry him. She is flustered by this, but says yes, deciding that someone has to take care of Keiran, but demanding he never disappear like he did again. They are wed in Norn tradition, officiated by Olaf Olafson. They then begin their life together, leading the Ebon Vanguard together against the Charr.
Founding of Ebonhawke
In 1080 AE, 10 years after The Searing, Gwen and the rest of the Ebon Vanguard were recalled to Ascalon City. They were given a heroes welcome, and a new assignment. King Adelbern felt a great threat coming for Ascalon, he sought to deploy the Ebon Vanguard to the mountains that separated Ascalon from the Crystal Desert to stop this. The journey was brutal, many soldiers and civilians died to Charr along the way, but they eventually reached their destination, a small abandoned mining town just at the mouth of the mountain pass. They began building what would become Ebonhawke. When the Foefire finally put an end to the human kingdom of Ascalon, Ebonhawke became the only human settlement in Ascalon, all that remained of the human kingdom. Ebonhawke would remain independent as Kryta became the leader of humanity in Tyria, the citizens held onto their Ascalonian roots. Many do respect the Krytan monarchy, but choose to rule themselves.
Gwen’s Legacy
Nowadays Gwen spends most of her time in her grave
Gwen’s exact date and cause of death is not known, but her grave can be found in Ebonhawke, approaching it, players hear her flute being played, a reminder of the young girl who found herself thrust into a war. Her legacy stands as tall and proud as the Fortress of Ebonhawke, it remains the beacon of humanity in Ascalon, and with the recent treaty with the Charr, it seems to be there to stay. Part of the treaty even allows for humans to spread out from behind its walls free from the threat of the Charr advancing. Gwen is also, as it may have been guessed, the ancestor of Logan Thackeray, member of Destiny’s Edge. How Gwen would react to one of her ancestors counting a Charr as one of his closest friends is not known, but perhaps it is a symbol of how the world has moved since her time. Through him, the fight for humanity’s survival continues, and though humans now count Charr as allies, the fight continues against extinction, this time, Elder Dragons are the threat. Gwen helped shape humanity’s future in Tyria, and with those actions centuries ago, it helps bring the world where it is today.
There you have it everyone! The history of Gwen! Hope you enjoyed this lore post! Not sure how regular I can get more lore posts, but with Heart of Thorns and raids, more lore is being revealed, so got some more topics to touch on! Don’t be shy to suggest topics you wanna see posted! See you all in game, Later!
“Sad, sad people of Tyria, clearly you have missed my influence. But fear not, for I, the mighty and benevolent King Thorn of Kryta, have returned!”- Mad King Oswald Thorn
Well everyone it’s finally here, Heart of Thorns has dropped! Along with it a very different type of Thorn has decided to make his annual appearance in Tyria. Yes as with every year, our Mad King Thorn has come to assault us with pranks and jokes abound! Now I think would be a fine time to discuss him, and the history of Halloween in Tyria!
The Madness Begins
Oswald Thorn was the second son of an as of now unnamed king of Kryta. As the second son, he was not expected to ascend the throne, but he of course, had his own ambitions. As a young boy he was well known for his pranks and mischief, while his older brother, Ewan Thorn, heir to the throne, was well liked and loved by the people for his kindness. Ewan loved his younger brother and couldn’t believe he was responsible for all the terrible things people said he had done. This kindness and trust in his brother would be his undoing, for one day, Oswald tricked his brother into the web of a giant spider, killing him. Shortly after his brother’s death at his hand, Oswald then killed their father the king and with that, the reign of the Mad King began. Oswald took Ewan’s betrothed, Lady Lyrica as his first of eight wives. The marriage had nothing to do with love, but jealously, because she had loved his brother, Oswald had to have her. Oswald had her assassinated shortly afterwards once she started to realize his promises of love were false.
Oswald’s Brutish Reign
King Thorn started his rule off with a bang, during his coronation a noble, Lorn Humphrey Faren, (correctly) accused Oswald of killing his father to ascend the throne. Oswald had him shackled and forced to watch him be crowned king, then made his first proclamation, all traitors would be punished without delay. With that, now King Thorn, named Faren a traitor to the crown and beheaded him on the spot. The other ‘highlights’ of his reign included a failed attempt at a treaty with the centaurs, cutting off the hands of citizens found, or just suspected, of stealing during a famine, and a war with Istan. Mad King Thorn had ransomed off a King of Istan for the hand of his daughter Princess Zola. She was said to have been his favorite wife, but nevertheless, once he was bored of her, she was burned at the stake at his command, sparking the war with Istan that Kryta was ultimately victorious in.
The Mad King Falls
The Mad King had only one child, ‘Bloody’ Prince Edrick Thorn, who up until a few years ago, was unknown to historians. This was, once again, the work of Mad King Thorn. Edrick inherited his father’s tendency for murder and mayhem, but not his sense of humor, and it was this that spelled the end for them both. In 825 AE, Mad King Thorn had his son thrown into the dungeon, the reason is still unknown. Edrick was able to escape though, biting off the tongues of the guards to keep them silent. He proceeded to the village of Pelchalice, burning it to the ground, killing 600 villagers. This was Edrick’s 5th act of destruction that season, and was rumored to be because of a woman, but was also a way to incite the populace against his father. It seemed to work, as a mob of angry villagers quickly surrounded Castle Thorn. At first the Mad King thought it was villagers angered by the famine, since his last plan of growing sandwich trees had failed. Oswald found out that the mob was his son’s doing however, and as a way to teach him a lesson, he had Edrick sealed inside the Shell of Insanity, a torture vessel used by Thorn on various subjects in the past. He filled his son’s mouth with candy corn, leaving him to starve inside the box. He then had the scribes purge Edrick’s name from the Royal Archives, effectively erasing him from history. He wasn’t mad at Edrick for his destruction, the Mad King had his fair share, but it was what he saw as a lack of humor. He saw Edrick’s acts as nothing more than the boy wanting to bloody his blade, while the Mad King Thorn always had a joke in mind. An example would be when he catapulted flaming debris at villages, to keep his subjects warm during the worst snow storm in a century. Then, after 3 days of rioting, and most of his staff fleeing, the mob breached the castle and killed the Mad King, stabbing him with a carving knife. His former subjects still feared the Mad King even in death, fearing he could come back through magical means, they cut his body into different pieces and buried them across Tyria, obscuring their location with magical seals, ensuring he could not renter the mortal realm. Even with this safeguard however, Mad King Thorn’s penchant for murder and puns could not be stopped, even in death.
The Spirit of Halloween
Mad King Thorn’s spirit arrived in The Underworld, and he immediately made himself at home. He soon began to rule over his own sub-realm, giving it the creative title of the Mad King’s Realm. Although he was prevented from permanently returning, Halloween in Tyria is a time when the barrier between the mortal and spirit realms thin. With this weakening of the walls between worlds, Mad King Thorn is able to enter the world during this time. He mainly uses that time to tell jokes and prank the populace. However, he still seeks a way back. When Queen Salma ascended the throne after the Krytan Civil War in 1079 AE, it had the unintended consequence of breaking one of the seals on Mad King Thorn’s body. The Lunatic Court, the court of the Mad King, have the goal of releasing their Mad King so that hey can terrorize Tyria all year long, saw their chance. With a seal broken, they asked for assistance in breaking the others and releasing Thorn. To free Thorn, the Lunatic Court created a ritual that involved gathering personal things from Thorn’s life, finding a vessel for his soul, and even defeating the only being able to ever tell a joke equal to the Mad King, Qwytzylkak.
The ritual finally complete, the Lunatic Court 3prepared to welcome their Mad King.... only to find they had accidentally broken the seals on the royal pony pen instead. So instead of releasing Mad King Thorn into the mortal realm, instead they released his invisible pony Gum Drops, the Noble Steed. Their plans failed, they left, determined to continue searching for a way to release the Mad King. For centuries afterwards Mad King Thorn and the Lunatic Court faded out of memory, becoming a folk tale, told to unruly children. Then, in 1325 AE the spirits seemed unusually active around Halloween. The Lion Statue in the Grand Piazza started to deteriorate and seep with Halloween energy. Then, as Halloween day arrived, Mad King Thorn himself reappeared in Tyria after more than 2 centuries. Destroying the statue, he opened a portal into his Mad Realm below it, appearing in a grand fashion. Heroes answered the call, and fought the Mad King in his own realm, stopping his full arrival back in Tyria. Defeated, the Mad King could only laugh, even a joke at his own expense was still a joke.
For now it seems the Mad King is content on arriving for Halloween to tell terrible jokes and bark orders at those in his presence. Tyria should be wary though, for The Mad King still schemes, and he is still searching for a way to fully return and continue his mad reign.
Well I hope you all are having fun with the new expansion, AND with Halloween! Next month is swiftly coming, and need to remind you guys I am running out of ideas for lore posts! If you wanna keep seeing them, please help me out by sending us asks with subjects you will like expanded in future posts! See you all in game, now, your Mad King says, COWER!!!!!
“Scarlet is on the attack! After months of preparation, the arch-villain descends on Lion’s Arch with all of her deadly forces. Now is the time to rally together and defend the besieged city.”
Hey everyone! Time for the last post in my Living World Season 1 recap! If you missed any of my posts, just click the links to find the posts on Flame and Frost, Sky Pirates of Tyria, Clockwork Chaos, and Tower of Nightmares. We now come to the grand finale of Scarlet’s schemes, as she attacks Lion’s Arch with all her forces! All of Tyria rallies against her, but will they be in time to stop her plans?
Origin’s of Madness
The Pact Commander (player character) doesn’t get much time to rest, as they receive word that mysterious energy probes have been discovered all around Tyria. Investigations seems to point towards them being connected to Scarlet, she is searching for something, but it isn’t clear what. The good news keeps coming, as a giant Twisted Marionette is seen in Lonar’s Pass, a weapon test of Scarlet’s latest creation. The Commander and many other heroes rally to the site, to strike it down.
During the battle, Logan Thackeray of the Seraph discovers a young asura on the battlefield. She introduces herself as Taimi, and that she is here trying to study Scarlet’s designs. Logan will hear none of it, and takes Taimi, and her GOLEM Scruffy, to Lion’s Arch.
While in Lion’s Arch, Logan and Taimi run into Braham Eirsson, Taimi immediately runs to him for ‘help’. Even though she knows him by name, Braham claims to have never met her before. Her persistence pays off however, and Braham becomes her guardian, getting her away from Logan. Through investigating Scarlet, a shocking discovery is found, her secret lair right below the Durmand Priory! After finding the mechanism to unlock the door, the Commander is able to enter, and they discover a treasure trove of information. Scarlet is searching for something, that much is certain, with a map showing all the probes in Tyria, even one in Lion’s Arch. A chart even shows the different alliances she tried to forge between different races and factions. The ones that worked out, such as the Molten and Toxic Alliance are depicted, also ones that failed, such as an alliance between largos and Kodan. Designs for different weapons and a giant ship are also discovered on her giant monitor. She is ready to go after whatever it is she is searching for, so now it is only a guess when she will strike.
Edge of The Mists
Ellen Kiel sends a message to the Commander, Mai Trin has escaped prison at Fort Marinner, she asks for help in investigating the matter. Talking to Sheriff Siriam reveals two things, first, that Mai Trin and the Aetherblades have fled into a previously unknown portal into the Mists, and Taimi has followed them in. Second, there is an energy probe in the bay of Lion’s Arch, and upon inspecting it, the Commander has seen that it has changed from glowing red, to green. Braham is found in the Edge of The Mists having chased after Taimi, but Scruffy has suffered damage and stranded her. While waiting with her to fix Scruffy, the Commander learns a bit more about not only Scarlet’s plans, but also Taimi herself. Taimi believes that Scarlet is mapping out Leylines, channels of magical energy that crisscross the globe. The Commander also learns some of Taimi’s past, starting with the fact that she is ward of Rata Sum, an orphan. She admires Scarlet’s genius, not her morals, as Scarlet’s ability to build anything, and having studied all over Tyria is something Taimi wishes for. Her desire for freedom comes from a mysterious degenerative disease that has affected her ability to walk. The disease has no cure as of yet, and while it is only impairing her walking, there is worry that it could spread to the rest of her body. She uses Scruffy to get around and other heavy lifting, but she does not want pity, preferring that her own genius speak for her.
A Study in Scarlet
The Commander meets with their allies back at The Dead End bar, to discuss Scarlet and the evidence they have on her. Through careful discussion and examination of the evidence several things become clear. Scarlet was not always named so, or as murderous and insane. Her journal entries show that when she emerged from the Pale Tree, she was called Ceara. She worked with an Asura named Omadd, who used her in an experiment to ‘open one’s mind to the Eternal Alchemy’. She was plagued with nightmares and voices up to this point, and she hoped this would fix it. She entered the machine, and she saw something in there, walled off in her own mind, and whatever she saw, stared back. The only thing in the machine was Ceara, so whatever it was she saw, she brought with her. Ceara may have entered Omadd’s Machine, but Scarlet Briar was who emerged, embracing what she had seen. All her plans now made sense, she was studying Leylines, which she found one in Lion’s Arch with her probes. The Molten Alliance had helped her develop a new sonic device useful in digging underground. The Toxic Alliance had produced a poison that not even Marjory’s antitoxin could stop, useful against an army... or city. The Watch Knights built by Queen Jennah were inspired by the Steam Creatures seen in the Shiverpeaks, and it appears that these Steam Creatures may have been created by Scarlet. With their designs being similar, it was easy for Scarlet to highjack and take control of them. Finally, the Aetherblades are amassing in the Edge of The Mists for a huge attack, and the portal leads straight to Lion’s Arch. The revelation is horrifying, all of Scarlet’s plans have lead to this, she means to attack Lion’s Arch, seeking the Leyline in the bay. The heroes rush to tell Ellen Kiel so that she can warn the Captain’s Council. Ellen tries to warn the Council of the impending attack, but it falls on deaf ears. Ellen and the Commander will not have much time to lament this, as Scarlet finally makes her move.
Escape from Lion’s Arch
Lion’s Arch, has fallen... Scarlet and her forces take the city, killing all they come across, and filling the air with a deadly miasma. The Commander and heroes can only help evacuate the survivors for now. Her forces had surprise, numbers, and air superiority. With the city now hers, she moves her massive ship, the Breachmaker, into the bay, and begins drilling towards the Leyline. The Commander and their allies evacuate not only citizens, but the Captain’s Council as well, finally having to admit that they were wrong to ignore the warnings of Scarlet’s impending attack. After battling their way out of the city, the survivors can now begin the task of mounting a response to Scarlet’s invasion. The word is put out to all heroes of Tyria, Lion’s Arch needs their help, and many answer this call, joining together on the outside of town. Finally, the order is given, take back the city, and finish Scarlet Briar, for good.
Battle for Lion’s Arch
The heroes race across the razed city, fighting off Scarlet’s forces, avoiding deadly Miasma, and slowly retaking the city. Finally, they arrive at The Breachmaker, but before they can take down Scarlet, she has one more defense. Her Twisted Marionettes are finally ready and go on the attack. The heroes must defeat 3 of these mechanical horrors in order to get an avenue of attack. It takes coordinated efforts on all sides but eventually the Marionettes are defeated, and the Commander and allies arrive inside the Breachmaker, meeting Scarlet one more time. She is busy with keep the drill going, and sends her holograms after the heroes. The fight against her, and her holograms takes many heroes, but they are eventually destroyed, and Scarlet limps away, wounded, back to the control room of her ship. She is injured, but even in defeat she goes on to tell the Commander that Tyria will soon bow to a new master. Scarlet’s last trick has her unleashing a wave of energy as the heroes approach her to finish the job. Braham is injured, and Rox stays behind to tend to him, thereby losing her chance to kill Scarlet and join Rytlock Brimstone’s warband. Marjory is unconscious, and feared dead. This leaves the Commander, and an enraged Kasmeer to take on Scarlet alone. Dodging her grenades, the Commander finally delivers the killing blow. With Scarlet dead, the Commander and Kasmeer check on their wounded allies. Thanks to Rox, Braham’s broken leg is patched up, and Marjory regains consciousness. Kasmeer and Marjory share a kiss freaking finally, and the heroes ready themselves to return to Lion’s Arch with good news. Scarlet Briar is dead, but soon Tyria will learn that she was only the beginning of a very dark future for Tyria. As Scarlet dies on The Breachmaker, the drill finally hits its mark, the Leyline in Lion’s Arch bay. This results in a jolt of magical energy racing across the Leyline, racing deep into the Maguuma Jungle. Finally, the magical energy hits its mark, and with a deafening roar, heard even in Lion’s Arch a new era dawns in Tyria. A new threat stirs, new dangers awaken, and secrets long hidden are soon to be revealed. Tyria, and all its inhabitants are now headed towards a point, of no return.
Alright everyone! This concludes the Living World Season 1 recap! I hope you all enjoyed it, and I hope everyone is a little more caught up with what is happening currently in game! 5 MORE DAYS REMAIN!!!!
-Karn Vileclaw
“A toxic seed has been sown, guarded by magic, fed with evil, it grows.”
Hello again everyone, time again for the weekly lore post! Continuing our review of Living World Season 1 we come to the Tower of Nightmares, as Scarlet continues causing chaos in Tyria, this time aided by an alliance of Krait and splinter faction of Nightmare Court. If you missed the previous posts covering Flame and Frost, Sky Pirates of Tyria, and Clockwork Chaos, simply click the links to get caught up! And with that we head to Kessex Hills, where disturbing reports have started to emerge...
Twilight Assault
The Pact Commander (the player character) receives word after the defeat of Scarlet in Divinity’s reach (Clockwork Chaos) that she has been sighted within Twilight Arbor, the stronghold of the Nightmare Court. The Nightmare Court still appear to be pursing their own nefarious ends, but Scarlet and her Aetherblades have captured part of the dungeon for their own devices. It appears that the Nightmare Court do not really mind Scarlet’s incursion however, this indifference has worried the Lionguard and the Sylvari hero Caithe much. Scarlet is conducting all manner of experiments deep within the dungeon, but no one could expect what she had grown...
The Nightmare Unveiled
Shortly afterwards, the Commander is contacted my Marjory Delaqua about disturbing news in Kessex Hills. A mysterious and poisonous fog has settled in the area, causing madness and hallucinations among many exposed to it. More troubling is that the source is in the center of Viathan Lake, but it seems to be cloaked in magic, as there is nothing visible with the naked eye, but an invisible wall is keeping out those trying to discover the mystery. Marjory believes it is mesmer magic, so she is going along with Kasmeer Meade to try and dispel the magic. The Commander arrives in Kessex Hills and moves to assist Sergeant Walters as she heads to Marjory and Kasmeer’s location. Along the way they fight a new alliance of Krait and Nightmare Court, called the Toxic Alliance. They all appear to be infused with some new power, causing them to glow, and they have access to powerful toxins and poisons. One of these Toxic Alliance members poisons Sgt. Walters, and she begins to hallucinate, attacking the Commander who she believes to be an attacking centaur. The Commander is able to subdue Walters without seriously harming her and she is able to come to her senses. The Commander leaves Walters and eventually finds Marjory and Kasmeer, who has cloaked them to try and sneak past the Toxic Alliance forces. After meeting up, the truth is revealed. A giant tower, situated right above the lair of the Krait Seawitch had been hidden from view. Thanks to Kasmeer’s magic, the veil hiding it was dropped, but simply being able to see the tower did little to help their situation. To get inside they would have to find a way past the toxic spores that covered the area. Marjory decides to develop an antitoxin, asking the Commander to collect spore samples for her to use.
The Nightmare Within
After a few weeks, the Commander receives word that Marjory has finally developed an antitoxin, and that the time to breach the tower was now. Heading back to Kessex Hills, the heroes enter the tower, unaware of the horror within. Once inside the tower they realize that it is actually a giant toxic stalk growing in the lake, surrounded by protective walls. Within the tower, even with the lethal spores dispersed, the toxins left over cause hallucinations in the heroes, enemies that aren’t really there, voices in their head, and even, the appearance of dead allies TYBALT, NOT AGAIN, WHY!?!?! all plague the group. But the creator of this Toxic Alliance is revealed to be none other than Scarlet Briar, another part of her plans. Fighting through the enemies, and their own mind, the heroes find what the Toxic Alliance had been trying to do. Using Scarlet’s knowledge, and the experiences of the Krait and Nightmare Court, the Krait are creating what they believe to be growing and giving birth to one of their Prophets, foretold by their race to be the bringer of destruction to those on the surface world. In exchange for the Toxic Alliance building the tower to sow the toxic pollen, Scarlet Briar promised them an audience with their Prophet. At the top of the Tower, the heroes confront Scarlet Briar, after defeating her forces. She taunts the player and reveals some things about her connections in Tyria. Specifically, she confirms that she is behind the Molten Alliance, helping bring Flame Legion and Dredge forces together, and although pretty much known, she does confirm that she was responsible for assembling the Aetherblades. As she leaves, the Toxic Alliance reveal their creation, born from a pod growing within the tower, their ‘Prophet’ is born.
The giant Toxic Hybrid attacks the heroes, intent on carrying out the wishes of the Krait and their religious beliefs. Fighting against foes real and imagined, the Hybrid is finally defeated. With this Marjory is able to inject her Antitoxin into the tower itself, killing it. After escaping the tower, the Toxic Alliance scatters, but remain a threat, even to this day.
Things continue to get more confusing, as most of the recent troubles in Tyria can all be traced back to Scarlet Briar, but what she plans to do with the alliances she has forged, and what discoveries she has made still remain a mystery. What does appear evident though, is that whatever goal she has is fast approaching, as she seems keen to ramp up the pressure on the heroes of Tyria
Alright guys that’s the post for today! See you next week as we cap off another round of Season 1 recap! TWO MORE WEEKS!!!
“What surprises and excitement await you among Queen Jennah’s most esteemed guests at the Crown Pavilion? The Krytan Queen is preparing to address the celebrants and emissaries attending her royal jubilee, but someone else has plans for the Queen’s speech!!”
Hello everyone, and welcome to this week’s lore post! Continuing on from the previous posts covering the Flame and Frost, and Skypirates of Tyria Living World Season 1 updates, this week we cover Clockwork Chaos. Here we see the reveal of a sylvari known all to well around Tyria at this point, Scarlet Briar! Hope you guys enjoy!
The Queen’s Jubilee
Queen Jennah is all set to celebrate her 10th year as ruler of Kryta, and to celebrate she has invited one and all to Divinity’s Reach to the unveiling of the newly completed Crown Pavilion. The Crown Pavilion was constructed on top of the site of the Great Collapse.
The result of a sinkhole (so say the Seraph) the former arts and theater district of Divinity’s Reach was one day swallowed up by a massive hole. It took many years, but it was finally rebuilt in time for the Queen’s Jubilee, and turned into a new outdoor stadium for the citizen’s to enjoy.
The opening ceremonies begin with the introduction of the watchknights, mechanized guardians the Queen had commissioned to help protect Divinity’s Reach. Logan Thackeray tested himself against one in a show of their strengths. Using mesmer magic the watchknights could transform into different foes. The demonstration took a turn when the watchknight began to not respond to commands, transforming into Rytlock Brimnstone and began taunting Logan. That was when Aetherblades attacked Divinity’s Reach, presumably behind the rouge watchknights. The Pact Commander (player character) joined the fray to protect the Queen and citizens. The aetherblades are defeated, and the watchknights are shutdown, but Countess Anise, head of the Shining Blade, remarks that she saw a mysterious figure in the crowd before the attack. Sneaking in an operative to hijack the watchknights seems to have been their plan, but the identity of this person was unknown. That answer would not take long to be answered.
Scarlet Revealed
It finally came time for the closing ceremonies of the Jubilee, and as the Queen Jennah gave her closing speech the benefactor behind the previous attacks finally appeared. A sylvari calling herself Scarlet Briar appeared, announcing her plans to destroy Divinity’s Reach and all inside.
She attempts to capture the Queen, but it is shown that the Jennah present at the ceremony was nothing more than a mesmer illusion, the real Queen had been hidden away. Undeterred, Scarlet sent the Pact Commander scrambling, revealing that she had hidden bombs all around Divinity’s Reach, as well as taking control of the watchknights, twisting them into twisted watchwork monstrosities.
The Pact Commander is able to defuse the 4 bombs Scarlet had said were scattered around the city, before mentioning she ‘forgot’ to say she had 5 bombs, not 4. At that moment the bomb explodes, right in the area the seraph had set up as an evacuation point, killing all the civilians and seraph gathered there. Scarlet, her mayhem finished, retreats inside the Crown Pavilion, sealing it up, and although she was unable to capture Queen Jennah she does manage to scoop up Lord Faren... for reasons?
Invasion
Scarlet was not simply content with crashing a party (and killing a few civilians), after escaping, she sent her forces, aetherblades and twisted watchworks, to several areas in Tyria. The heroes of Tyria united, whenever word of another incursion by Scarlet’s forces was detected, heroes entered the fray. The enemies would appear from Steam Portals, which appeared to be the same type of technology seen in the Steam Creatures encountered in the Shiverpeaks. Another curious factor were the appearance of Molten Alliance forces among the invaders, suggesting a link. Using information gleaned from these attacks, Emissary Vorpp, an asura, helps to break into the Crown Pavilion, where Scarlet has holed herself up. With her hideout breached, the Pact Commander rallies their allies and heads off to put an end to Scarlet... and maybe pick up Lord Faren on the way...
Scarlet’s Playhouse
Scarlet had transformed the Pavilion’s arena into her own personal paradise of mayhem. As the forces of Tyria advanced they were able to rescue Faren and the civilians from Scarlet, fighting their way through her watchwork horrors. Facing Scarlet several times along the way, each time she manages to teleport herself away to safety the Pact Commander and their allies tried their best to take down Scarlet. The final encounter is just the same, as she is defeated, she teleports away to an unknown location just before she can be captured. Before leaving however, she lets the heroes know how insignificant they are, and promises to bring them all to tears soon. With that, the day is won, at least for the time being, Scarlet and her forces leave, but the world is very aware that she will strike again. Her motives are still a mystery, although she seems to revel in causing destruction, there seems to be intent behind it. Whatever she is planning would stay in the shadows for a bit longer, as the world hurdled closer to a point of no return.
Sorry for the late post guys (kind of forgot!) Hope you all are enjoying this recap of Season 1 of the Living World! Next week will be another chapter in Season 1 so don’t miss it as we get closer and closer to Heart of Thorns!
“Rumor's now a fact. Dredge in Wayfarer Foothills and Flame Legion in Diessa Plateau have allied. Together they're attacking our people up north and norn to the west.” -Rytlock Brimstone
Hello everyone! With Heart of Thorns on the horizon, I thought I would take the weeks leading up to it going over Living World! Now Living World Season 2 is more available to everyone, so instead I want to discuss Season 1. Season 1 was released as limited time events that happened in real time. This created a sense of urgency to the events, and helped create actual changes to the world. The problem was that once these events ended, there was no way to revisit them if you missed them, or weren’t playing at the time. Season 1 saw Scarlet Briar’s introduction, and the destruction of Lion’s Arch. Hopefully these next weeks will help catch everyone who missed these events to get caught up! Enjoy!
Prelude
Fresh off the victory against Zhaitan, the Commander of the Pact (the player character) receives troubling news from the charr and norn lands. Refugees have started appearing in the Black Citadel, Hoelbrak, and the Diessa Plateau. The Commander does their best to help the refugees find safety, and get comfortable, all the while piecing together what was happening. The Norn were reporting dredge assaults, but now they were receiving magical assistance from some unknown source. The Charr report an increase in Flame Legion assaults on their northern settlements at the same time. These assaults seem coordinated, and are driving people from their homes. Before long, the stakes are raised.
The Gathering Storm
The alliance of Flame Legion and Dredge finally begin fighting openly, calling themselves The Molten Alliance. As the Black Citadel, Hoelbrak, and even Destiny’s Edge call on heroes to help, the refugees move onto Lion’s Arch, hoping to get to safety. A new organization, The Consortium, arrives and promises to build settlements for the refugees on Southsun Isle, a tropical paradise to the south of Lion’s Arch. Meanwhile, the Commander works to help the refugees the best that they can, but time is running out to save them. If innocents are to be saved, action must be taken, and the fight must be brought to the Molten Alliance.
The Razing
The Molten Alliance steps up their assaults, combining the dredge technology with Flame Legion magic, they create portals all over the Shiverpeaks, assaulting and massacring any resistance they find. The Commander meets a young norn, Braham Eirsson, as he asks both Hoelbrak and the Black Citadel for help in fighting the Molten Alliance. Braham is revealed to be Eir Stegalkin’s son, but the two are not on good terms. After the talks to send help to Braham’s home of Cragstead yield no results, he asks the Commander to help them retake it themselves. After a hard fight, the Molten Alliance is driven out of Cragstead, and while some of the inhabitants are saved, many more were kidnapped. Braham vows that he won’t stop fighting, and that he will rescue everyone. Meanwhile in the Black Citadel Rytlock Brimstone is talking to a young solider, Rox, about reports from Diessa Plateau. It seems the Molten Alliance has started attacking the Nolani Hatchery, where the Legions raise devourers. The Commander join’s Rox on her mission, and when they arrive they find the Hatchery under assault. Several Flame Legion portals open and Molten Alliance forces pour through. Fighting through waves of enemies, the Commander and Rox reach the main hatchery room. Several sonic emitters are stunning the devourers in the hatchery, and there are no signs of any of the workers that should be stationed there. Once again Molten Alliance forces appear, and after they are defeated, a survivor is found. Sithio Quicklash was the only one left in the hatchery, and he reveals that the others were captured or killed by the Molten Alliance. Questions still remained as to why the Molten Alliance were taking prisoners, and what was their goal in teaming up...
Retribution
The heart of the Molten Alliance is finally found, a huge underground complex called the Molten Facility. The terrible truth of why prisoners are being collected is also discovered. The Molten Facility is a weapons testing facility, working to combine the iron workings of the dredge with the magical might of the Flame Legion. The Molten Alliance are using the prisoners they have captured to test their weapons on. Braham and Rox both join the Commander in infiltrating the facility in order to take down the Molten Alliance. After drilling their way into the facility, a weapon testing room is found. After getting locked in, the team stops the testing by destroying the thermal core and slaying the dredge running the tests. Eventually the team are confronted by two bosses, both equipped with the best the Molten Alliance could produce. The Molten Firestorm and Molten Berserker attack the team with a combination of firestorms and rapid melee damage. When either falls, the survivor would take the tech of their partner, greatly augmenting their own abilities. Eventually the two were defeated and the Molten Alliance is broken. The remaining prisoners are ushered out of the facility, and the whole complex is collapsed with explosives. Braham and Rox go their separate ways, but feel that it will not be the last time they work together. The captured members of the Molten Alliance offer no substantial reasons for why they suddenly teamed up, and the idea of suddenly invading for more territory doesn’t seem to fit. Questions lingered, but for the time being, Tyria was safe from another threat.
Alright everyone, that’s it for today’s lore post! I would also like to point out, that while most of this release is no longer in game, the Molten Facility can be seen in Fractals of The Mists. It is broken up into two Fractals, the first is the weapon testing, and then a boss fractal for the Molten Berserker and Molten Firestorm. I’ll see you next week for another entry in the Living World Season 1 series! See you in game!
