" A photo taken during an impromptu encounter with Commander Pleur Otus (center) and her personal guild Reverie's Vengeance.
The Guild was formed during the Pact's Orrian Campaign, and has persisted since, remaining under it's own banner even after the formation of Dragon's Watch, though the guild often work in tandem without clear seperation.
Captain Merianus Blacktide (Back Left), brought to the pact by the Order of Whispers, was a former security officer for the peace talks preceeding the signing of the Ebonhawke Treaty. A talented tempest and Ash Legion raised operative, Blacktide's primary role appears to be in an informative and support capacity.
Sruffi (front left) is an enigmatic figure, little is known about his past as no records of graduation from any asuran colleges can obtained. Appearing to have come from nowhere, there are rumours he was sought after by the Inquest and the Council themselves for his uniquely potent and debvestating chronomancy. Rarely seen away from the Commander's side, the mesmer's quiet presence is a curious one.
Warmaster Elan Heartkeeper (Back right) is a well decorated leading officer of the Pact, raised in the Blood Legion and cub of a high standing Brand Sentinal Heartkeeper was Legionnaire of her warband and served in the brand before signing up with the Vigil. The Warmaster has led operations to rescue soldiers deep in the Heart of Maguuma, as well as a slew of offenses and sieges during the various campaigns the Commander has been a part of, the guardian's towering frame is a well recognised one by Pact forces.
Connae (Right, middle) is a druid with sparse information regarding her. Accompanied by a extraordinarily large Sylvan Hound, it appears she has had previous connections with the Order of Whispers, as well as many Hyleck across Tyria. Connae largely seems recognised by Norn, and has made noted efforts at removing Jormag's corruption throughout the Shiverpeaks. A lesser known figure, Connae appears to have a largely supportive role.
Legionnaire Paara Ghostburn (front right) stands as the infamous Asuran Iron legionnaire, head of her ex-gladium filled 'Ghost Warband'. Graduate of the Rata Sum College of Dynamics, she went into Spectrology within the Durmand Priory and during a placement in the plains of Ashford saved countless legion lives when an outpost was overrun by foefire ghosts. Despite this event costing her eye, Ghostburn's imfamy as an unflinchingly capable force proceeds her, and her actions leading the tanks across Orr brought her into the Commander's fold. "
- A brief overview of the Reverie's Vengence Guild Members, author unknown.
I'm thinking about 17 year old Sruffi fresh out of Orr, wandering around some market with Pleur and staring longingly at a loveingly made plush toy and her telling him he should buy it if he wants it, it's his money right?
And he hasn't had a plush in years, not since he came home from training and found his parents had tossed them all out on the basis of him being 'too old for them'.
Sruffi being unable to stop himself giving the thing little pat's on the head and carefully finding a place for it in his quarters. Beaming every time he sees it because he finally gets to actually enjoy something he loves. He gets to be his own person and have the freedom for the first time in his life.
Yes it's just a silly little plush bunny with a blue plaid bowtie. But it means a lot more than that.
Thank you so much! Sruffi would be quite a fun boss fight in think!
I can imagine Sruffi's arena to be a large garden, covered in all sorts of flowers and clearly implied to be somewhere near Caledon Forest, it's this gorgeous vista with the coast in the distance and it's very peaceful - as a huge contrast to the fight. He'd even be gardening before you engage him, quiet and serene. During the fight the time of day and the season around you will skip around in response to some of the chronomancy Sruffi utilises.
In canon Sruffi is an incredibly powerful chronomancer, and that would feature hugely in his fight - He'd send waves of time across the arena constantly, freezing any of the party caught in the path of it or it's rebound. He'd periodically straight up time split, and spawn several illusionary continuum rift's to obscure the real one- they'd need to be destroyed quickly or else he'd recover his health, and repeat more of his pattern again (due to 'cooldowns' being reset.)
I think he'd also swap between short and close range at certain points - his long range would act very similar to regular mesmer greatsword, periodically forcing the group to split wide else all be impaled and take massive damage from being speared from beneath their feet. He'd lay down wells throughout the whole fight, and in particular use a similar skill to gs5 to try knock the party back into them or other portals.
In close range I think Sruffi would have a rotating fixate mechanic, he'd pick a party member at random to chase in particular and freeze into place and to teleport to. Like any good mesmer, he'd of course also have a whole bunch of clones running amok at various times across the fight just to make you second guess who to hit.
Some of his wells would be straight up boonstrip or boonsteals, and he'd attempt to drop them under the feet of a party member forcing them to leave it away from the party else wreck everyone's boons.
I also really enjoy the idea of his chronomancy possibly affecting the timer itself. If you can break his rifts in time, you actually win back time on the clock - however Sruffi gives himself boons constantly, and when under quickness and alacrity the time actually goes down faster / skips. Break his magical time distortions, and you gain the time on the clock you need to actually beat the fight. This would go from nice on the regular version to mandatory on challenge mode - you're fighting for time agains him.
There'd be a few achievements for a fight against him.
Time Out - Stun the chronomancer before he can warp the clock even once.
Seeker of the Sunrise - Defeat the challenge mode against Sruffi, awards a title of the same name - as once the fight is over the sun rises over the ocean in the distance, compared to the sunset that was there at the start.
I like to think he'd have a few unique drops too - He could drop a shoulder piece/infusion(?) perhaps which allows a pink butterfly to occasionally flitter around your character similar to how the otter infusion fuctions. Perhaps it's gathered in a similar way, by collecting echos from every fight until you've got enough to 'crystallise' into a proper infusion butterfly, a little memory made manifest.
Perhaps a unique shield, sword, or greatsword too to match this theme, though i'm not sure what they could look like really given in-game he uses the basic chrono shield, the key-sword from drizzlewood, and sunrise as GS - but i think some thematic pink, butterfly, chronomancy weapons could have fun designs!
