#charrwall

I finally broke down and made a GW2 sideblog. I follow from @chezgeeksoaps

[wall-legion]

Lore Drop

I’m working on writing down the backstories for all my characters, so this will be updated as I get them all finished. Garrus: The Last of the First

Zanthe: From Darkness, A Light Rissia: Pressure Makes Diamonds Odetta: Finding Devotion

[pyreo]

playing gw2 is like. did you know many of the main characters have introductory short stories you can read online from ten years ago. did you know they make cute episode trailers for youtube and one of them is a mission impossible parody and one of them is the most heartwrenching scene acting in a video game, but it's. it's on youtube.

did you know there's short stories on their website about caithe finding herself after heartbreak, and zafirah coming to terms with misguided faith, and rytlock finally understanding his inferiority complex and the crutch he's used to overcome it at the expense of people he should've been there for. no it's not in the game it's on their website

there are official interviews with most of their voice actors discussing how they approach the character and the emotion they put into it and how they've developed over a decade

there's an alt goth version of the main sylvari theme that literally everyone swears by and it's really goddamn great but someone has to tell you where it is

don't even get me started on abaddon, one of the most important characters in their world, who isn't in the game and is barely mentioned

[pyreo]

this is now a Found Content post

Introductory Character Stories

Rox's Tale

Braham's Story

Welcome to Paradise (Kasmeer)

Canach's Story: An After-Hours Meeting

Marjory's Story: The Last Straw

The Trek of the Zephyrites

Delegation (Rox)

What Scarlet Saw

Unique Trailers

Bug in the System (heist movie parody)

War Eternal Season 4 Finale (single shot rendered scene)

EoD Expansion trailer with Joon, Mai Trin and Ankka

Animated EoD trailer with Rama and Yao

All or Nothing: Requiem

Three interactive short stories about Rytlock, Zarifah, and Caithe

Behind the Voice (Actor Interviews)

Kari Wahlgren // Lex Lang // Matt Mercer // Misty Lee // Steve Blum // Yuri Lowenthal // Debi Derryberry // Ike Amadi // Tommie Earl Jenkins // Jocelyn Blue // Nolan North // Courtenay Taylor // Sam Riegel // Mara Junot

Fear Not This Night Theme

Original (sylvari lullaby version)

2018 dark alt (or 'joko version' from Bug in the System trailer)

I can't point towards anything specific about Abaddon's role in the story except that I wrote a big post about it a little while ago

[the-proofreader]

Request for aid in my community

Hey all. This is close to home: a student in my son's school was hit by the school bus after he disembarked, and in spite of being LifeFlighted to the children's hospital in the southern part of the state he didn't survive the accident. The family is requesting help with funeral costs. If you're able to donate, please click here. Even sharing this post helps by getting more eyes on it. Thank you for reading.

[ratasum]

Oh my GOD lmao so @wall-legion made this, talking about Rhenn's dad, and I can't stop giggling about it.

[ratasum]

Tyria-432 - The Main Cast

One of the many collaborative efforts between me and @wall-legion, Tyria-432 is our main setting. Below the cut are several of the most important players on Tyria-432 and some short details about them.

Oaklinna, Knight of the Brother Tree Aroace, cisgender, she/her

A fifthborn of the Dawn, there's a sort of running joke among those who know her best that Oaklinna woke from the dream before the Pale Tree had the opportunity to give her a lick of sense. She had been given a Wyld Hunt that confused her, at least at first: "you will begin at the ending." While she didn't understand it at the time, she pursued everything that interested her to try to find it, winding up traveling with Trahearne and joining up with the three who would become the Commanders in this setting.

After Trahearne's death at the end of Heart of Thorns, she vanished for a while, too deep in her grief to face any of her friends, taking the remnants of Caladbolg with her. It wasn't until she felt a calling drawing her back to the Maguuma Jungle that she reemerged. Reforging Caladbolg into a greatsword she saw in her dreams, she eventually made her way to the place Trahearne fell, only to find a new tree growing high into the treetops. Ascending into the treetop, she found the Avatar of the Brother Tree: Trahearne himself.

Since then, she's served as his Knight, overseeing new saplings who awaken from the new Dream.

Keeper Vezz, the Blightcaller Bisexual, cisgender, he/him

A talented necromancer with a tumultuous checkered past, Vezz started out his journey to commander the hard way: by killing everyone in the Inquest facility he was working in and setting everything on fire before fleeing, returning a kidnapped girl from there to her mother before going into hiding. It was while ducking assassins that his old classmate Zojja found him and gave him a tantalizing choice: help her on a little "project" she was working on and she could find people who would help protect him from the Inquest.

He had nothing to lose and everything to gain, after all.

In the end, Vezz agreed, eventually crossing paths with the other three new Commanders and setting out on a journey to stop the threat the Elder Dragons posed to Tyria once and for all.

Along the way, he began to crawl out of the deep despair he'd been in, finding friendship and love and, eventually, coming into his own as a leader and companion. Post-Kralkatorrik, he and now wife Rissia opted to retire for his mental health and to raise their progeny together, moving to a cottage in Applenook.

Qirri of Pazz (or Qirri Tinkerfirst) Demisexual, cisgender, she/her

The youngest of four daughters and younger sister of one of the commanders, Rissia, Qirri had a pretty rough start in life. Born dangerously premature, which left her with a weakened immune system and underdeveloped lungs, she's had to struggle for most of her life to be taken seriously and to live as her own person outside of the watchful eye of her parents- especially her mother.

Exceptionally bright, she was taken as an apprentice by Zojja when she was eleven and entered college at only twelve.

It was while she was on a forced hiatus from college at age fifteen that her older sister provided her the opportunity to run away from home and finally have an adventure of her own.

During her travels, she would meet Garrus, one of the future commanders, with the charr taking her under his wing - in his mind to keep her safe - and eventually naming her an honorary member of his warband. He was her first real friend outside of her family and Taimi, who she met as Zojja's apprentice. And it was with him that she would unfortunately experience the real horrors Tyria had to offer, managing to keep her head up through all of it.

Eventually she and Taimi would found the Dragonwatch Krewe together, and the two of them are managing the krewe in Cantha helping with the energy crisis to this day.

Agaue Whiptail Demisexual, cisgender, she/her

The only surviving cub of a former enslaved female charr of the Flame Legion who escaped servitude to a charr logging camp where she had her litter, Agaue grew up with the specter of her sire - a Flame Legion shaman - and the horrors her mother endured hanging over her head. She let her anger and frustration at how others treated her as a result fuel her, and she quickly rose to a position of respect within the Ash Legion, becoming one of Malice's best scouts.

It was due to Malice's trust in her that she found herself assigned to a detail tailing fellow Ash Legionnaire Garrus Firstblood, keeping tabs on his actions as he rose to prominence as one of the commanders of the Pact. Her closeness to him through this eventually developed into a bond she was incredibly uneasy with, causing her to initially react to him with hostility whenever he approached her.

After several rocky meetings, however, they settled into a friendship that blossomed into something greater over time. And after she killed her sire at the All Legions Rally (it eventually being uncovered he was a spy sent to kill Efram besides), he helped clear her to go to her mother Medea with the Olmakhan. And after his retirement, he joined her there, where the two are now raising their first cubs together.

Lady Deshauna Tahir, Pact Marshal Lesbian, cisgender, she/her

The oldest daughter and second child of the noble Tahir family, a prominent bloodline out of the small refugee founded town of New Hope in Gendarran Fields, Deshauna would not have been in the position she currently stands in had it not been for the (supposed) death of Logan Thackeray in Arah and the later death of her older brother Jelani Tahir in the Maguuma Jungle during Heart of Thorns. Elegant, graceful, kind, and magnanimous to a fault, Deshauna is known for being quite sharp witted and good at handling diplomats and the common folk alike, making her uniquely skilled at handling the rigors of leadership she fell into.

Initially, following Jelani's death, she'd spent months despondent. The two had been incredibly close and his death hit her hard. Some time later, however, she swore she heard his voice in her head, telling her to "get up and walk." For a time after, she fought as a Revenant, channeling the Legendary Soldier Jelani Tahir. Having her brother in her mind was a comfort, even if it was only an echo of him, and helped her in the time to come.

Throughout the events of the story, she would come to meet and romance the norn skaald Eshara Ulvhit. The two were married after Path of Fire, and after the events of SotO left Odetta, Leyya, and Zojja too exhausted to even consider taking on the next disaster, she and Eshara left their adopted children with her parents and went to represent the Pact in the Janthir Wilds.

Leyya of Pruri Lesbian, trans woman, she/her

The oldest of thirteen total children and the only child born to her parents, Orann and Pruri, one would assume that Leyya had a pretty decent childhood... however that couldn't have been further from the truth. With her father abandoning them when she was still an infant, she was left with a mother who had no real support system but was doing her best. It was how she wound up learning in the progeny class her mother taught for "wards of the council," orphans who needed schooling, and meeting the angry little girl she'd grow up alongside as a best friend and long time crush: Zojja. And she stuck right by her for years.

In Heart of Thorns, however, while Zojja was missing, Leyya wound up possessed by a kryptis named Cepir, one she did her best to keep at bay.

Following the events of Heart of Thorns, Leyya and Zojja decided to leave Rata Sum, taking up residence with Vezz's former associate Odetta Swanheart in Lion's Arch, where they lived for several years until Zojja located some hidden letters Snaff had been writing with a mysterious asura named Uenno and vanished under the cover of night with no clue to where she'd gone.

Eventually, following the events of End of Dragons, Odetta and Leyya were the ones to enter the Horn of Maguuma to encounter the Astral Ward and the citizens of Nayos. Leyya tried to support Zojja, certain she was going to stay there forever, until she wound up getting fully possessed, nearly dying as Odetta, Zojja, and the Ward desperately tried to save her life. While she was saved, it wasn't without consequences, and she was badly injured. She was moved back to Lion's Arch after everything was said and done, with Zojja right by her side.

Important events to note:

All three Order mentors die at Claw Island, as each of the commanders worked with at least one of them.

Logan "dies" in Arah, only to have it later discovered that he'd been saved by a member of the Astral Ward who'd been spying. He accompanies Odetta and Leyya during SotO.

Eir survives HoT, though not without significant cost: she nearly dies to an infection and loses her entire left leg, and her brush with death is what drives Braham to leave in anger. She eventually recovers and carves herself a prosthetic leg.

Zojja does not run away in S3. Instead, she and Leyya leave Rata Sum for Lion's Arch, where they live with Odetta until right before the start of EoD, when Zojja finds Snaff and Uenno's letters.

While Blish does "die" to Kralkatorrik, Qirri decides to steal his backups from the Inquest lab to rebuild him, convinced that it's the best route forward. However, he remembers nothing from after the day he and Gorrik were evacuated from the Inquest and it creates a rift in the krewe until they sort things out.

Aurene's departure to hibernate happens before Gyala Delve. All of the former commanders show up to see her off, and sit right there with her until she leaves.

Zojja also does not stay with the Wizards. While tempted by what Logan has shown her and what she learned from Mabon before his death, she decides she doesn't want to give up who she is for a vague promise of "protecting the world."

[ratasum]

The Road to the Midnight King

Faced with the impossible task of ending Eparch's cruelty in Nayos, the party follows the guidance of the terrified kryptis Irja, identified by Leyya as Cepir's cousin (with Cepir's input). What they find may stop their rebellion in its tracks. Warnings: physical transformation, burning injuries, (undescribed) eye injury Note: This ficlet is basically Leyya's meta boss fight, which replaces the Eparch meta prior to what would be the last instance in SotO. Zojja remains with the group, unascended, still unsure of what path to take. And things are about to get a lot worse. Some changelog details listed here. (Divider by @soulbeastdragon)

Knaebelag had fallen.

For a moment, everyone stood staring at the massive wyvern where it lay, exchanging glances. Leyya moved up next to Zojja, letting out a breath as she did. “So this is where we open up the gate, right? Go take this fight to the big guy?”

Zojja glanced up at her, then gave a small nod, looking over at where Irja was nervously pacing near Peitha. “Yeah. I guess so. You gonna be okay doing this?”

“Oh yeah sure. And once we’re done, maybe I can get this little twerp out of my head, you know? But this is your time to shine, Zuzu.” Offering her a shaky smile, trying to play off the dark circles under her bright orange eyes, she gave her companion a nudge. “Do what you’re best at.”

Blinking, Zojja glanced around before stepping forward, Dagda moving up beside her. “Okay. We’ll use the wards to break through the mist to Eparch’s palace. But we’ll have to move fast; we don’t know if he’s realized we killed his wyvern yet.”

She smiled faintly, then took in and let out a deep breath, letting her magic focus. For the moment, everyone moved back, watching as she and Dagda worked. Odetta let her hand come to rest on Leyya’s shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. “Won’t be long now. I know you’re anxious, but I’m sure everything will turn out okay. Even… even with Zojja. Okay?”

“If you say so, Oddy.”

After that, everyone fell quiet, watching and waiting. But just as the ritual completed, a booming voice echoed all around as a shadow seemed to stretch out over them. “So. You’ve defeated Ignaxious, defeated Heitor. You have bested my wyvern. And now, you dare to show your faces here? Insolence. Foolishness. Though I suppose it does save me the trouble of a hunt.”

Peitha frowned sharply, moving forward. “Eparch. We have come to end your tyranny. Your brutality over the people of Nayos ends today-”

She was cut off by Irja, shoving past them from where she’d been cowering near Ramses. Their guide was rushing to Eparch as he came to stand towering near the party, as if this had been her singular goal all along.

“I brought them!” The small group of determined faces turned to shock as Irja’s small voice piped up, scurrying forward from the clutch to grovel before the very monster they had come to end. “See? I made certain they knew nothing, my liege. I led them straight to you, as you commanded us! I’ve been loyal, I am loyal!”

Odetta took a step forward, eyes wide, shoulders drawing in tight. “Irja-?! What are you doing?! I thought you wanted to get away from him!”

She wasn’t listening anymore, clawing at the ground as she bowed deeply, moving forward in inches towards the towering kryptis lord. “I’ve done what you wanted, my king! The loyal swore to lead the traitors and their filthy Tyrians to you and I have delivered! I have and will always be loyal to you, and you only!”

Eparch seemed to consider her for a moment, tilting his head to the side. Then, he glanced at Peitha, gesturing vaguely towards her. “You see, niece. This is how subjects should behave to a rightful lord and master. Do you not think Irja has earned her just rewards…?”

No one seemed to notice Leyya shaking her head hard, squinting as she bared her teeth. Peitha was moving forward, hands clenched tightly into fists at her sides. “She is terrified of you, Eparch. That is the only reason she has betrayed anyone.”

“Mm. Perhaps. But fear is a powerful motivator.” Glancing over the group once more, he let out a dark chuckle, reaching down so he could tip Irja’s head up to look at him… and then drive his claws through her, ignoring the gasps and angry shouts around him. “Your reward. Your power, to me.”

Odetta bristled, taking a step forward. “You… you monster! Why did you kill her?!”

He only snorted, turning his back to them. “Peitha’s champion, are you not? No matter. She serves me in death. I need time yet to prepare my palace for you as my guests for your last supper. I believe you’ve more pressing matters to deal with.”

“Eparch! Get back here and face us, you coward!” Peitha was visibly furious, shoulders raised. “This fight is not yet over!”

“Oh it is, Peitha. For now. Or at least… your fight with me has yet to begin. You should see to your own.” Already he was moving away, vanishing into the mist as his last words lingered over the gathered party. “I do so enjoy a painful betrayal… don’t you?”

It was Zojja who noticed first. Leyya’s hands coming up to grip her head before she curled over, eyes wide and pupils pinpricks. She seemed to be muttering something to herself, shaking her head sharply, pale hair swinging wildly about her face as beads of sweat began to roll down from her forehead. She felt a horrified knot twist in her stomach, reaching out to touch her companion’s arm. “Lee? Lee, what’s wrong-”

She had to jump back to avoid the swipe of claws as Leyya staggered back and away, something vicious and frightened flashing in her eyes. “Don’t touch me! Get- get back! Stay away!”

Odetta stepped forward, ignoring the eyes of the Astral Ward members standing nearby. “Leyya, what’s the matter? It’s okay, we’re here to help…”

“No!” Something bled into Leyya’s voice, an unfamiliar growl. A voice that was not hers, layered over, tearing from her throat. “No I can’t- I don’t see I can’t see there aren’t any friends you’re my friends I can’t- why would she do that?! She was my cousin- Cepir’s cousin- she’s a friend our friend my friend no no no there’s no friends here-!”

As Arina and Frode moved forward, Peitha straightened, her eyes narrowing. “She is being consumed from within. The cretin has apparently grown more powerful than either assumed, and it is clear Irja’s betrayal has consumed him. Be cautious- she may not act of her own free will.”

Everyone’s eyes turned back to Leyya, who’d sunk to her knees, still gripping her head and muttering to herself. Ramses bristled, finally moving towards her himself. “We must restrain her before she harms herself. If we act quickly, we can purge the corruption before that little fool kills them both-”

“Ramses, wait-!”

Odetta’s warning very nearly came too late as Leyya, moving faster than anyone could have anticipated, lashed out with her daggers, crouched low as her gaze swept wildly around those crowding her, breathing heavily as her eyes squinted, almost pained. She moved back, gave her head a shake, and then jumped back as Arina lunged to try to grab her.

“Leyya, please!” Zojja’s hand was hovering over her dagger and sword, hesitant to grab either. “We don’t want to hurt you!”

Leyya shook her head sharply, staggering back, raising her daggers in defense. “No nonono no I can’t I can’t hurt you I need to hurt I hurt I hurt-!”

Anxious looks passed through the gathering until Dagda finally nodded, slowly, clenching her fists. “We don’t have a choice. It’s taking over her.” Her gaze turned to Odetta. “Wayfinder, we will subdue her. Be ready with the Heart. If we don’t purge that thing from her quickly, we won’t have a choice but to kill her-”

“No!” The fervor in Zojja’s voice startled everyone, and all eyes turned to the little elementalist. She was staring down Leyya, hands clenched on her weapons, jaw tight and tears shimmering in her eyes, a couple escaping to roll down her flushed cheeks. “We are not letting her go. I have done nothing but watch people I love die, over and over again, and I have never been able to do anything. I am not losing anyone else. I am not losing Leyya too!”

Beside her, Logan swallowed hard, glancing back at where Leyya was swaying uneasily, weapons abandoned and hands pressed tight over her face. “Okay. We’ll do our best, Zojja.” Looking towards the other members of the Astral Ward, he let himself straighten. “Remember, we just need to subdue her. Weaken her to the point Miss Swanheart can use the Heart on her and then back off. We’ve had enough losses already- this time, we’re going to get a win.”

Not that Leyya was making it easy for them. If anyone tried to get close, she lashed out immediately, claws raking dangerously close to those she normally would be horrified if she’d hurt. But with Cepir losing his own grip within her mind, it was harder for both of them to discern friend from foe. Magic swirled as those who had no choice but to move closer moved quickly around the afflicted asura.

Leyya normally would not have been surrounded so easily. She was quick on her feet, sly and agile, and always ready to move. But here she swung wildly, striking out with dagger and claw, hissing and growling at anyone who didn’t move fast enough.

Arina cursed when the dagger caught an exposed part of her arm, moving back. Even so, she didn’t seem any less determined, watching as Leyya swayed hard. “I think it’s working. She’s slowing down.”

“Then let’s try something.” Logan moved forward again, focusing for a moment before a bubble of light surrounded Leyya. “Sanctuary. If it keeps her immobile long enough-”

The sudden force of Leyya slamming herself into the bubble’s interior caused him to wince, and he shifted to turn and look at her, eyes wide. The look on her face was beyond recognition, pain mixed with something else entirely. She was panting hard, weapons abandoned as her claws scrabbled for purchase against the magical shield, until all at once her back arched.

The sound was horrific, a distinct crack followed by the asura within the shield letting out a blood curdling wail. Her whole frame seemed to shift, the leather armor straining as her body pressed out against it. Shoulders curled forward as the back of the tunic pulled apart, bony protrusions of her spine visible as her lithe frame seemed to expand, sinking to her hands and knees.

No one moved. The air felt heavy and stale, making it hard to breathe, everyone watching on in horror as Leyya’s frame twisted and contorted, groans and piercing shrieks of pain punctuating each new horrible pulse of the terrible transformation.

“LEYYA!” Zojja rushed forward immediately, all but slamming into the magical shield Logan had created, her fists bouncing off like nothing. “Logan, drop the damn bubble! We have to help her!”

It was Dagda who moved forward to pull her back, as gently as she could manage. “Get back! We can’t get close to her like this. I haven’t seen anything like this in… a very long time. The physical transformations aren’t common, but…”

“But they happen. We try to put down hunters before they get to this point.” Frode ignored the icy look Zojja shot him, adjusting his grip on his weapon as one of Leyya’s shoulders jerked upwards, a painful scream wrenching from her throat as that arm seemed to lengthen. “I know you don’t want to hear it, but we may not have a choice. This type of Kryptis possession is brutal. Violent. I have never seen anyone survive it.”

Zojja visibly paled at that, pulling away from Dagda as Leyya collapsed to her side. The bubble was gone, but no one dared get close. Her clothes destroyed, whole body seeming to grow as she huffed and growled and clawed at the ground, pulling herself up into a crouch. She easily stood at eye height with Dagda even crouched like this, and her ears turned back as she shifted to look back at them.

They were the eyes of a Kryptis. There was no recognition, no determination of friend versus foe. Her lips curled back to bare her fangs, growling low as she paced.

Odetta finally stepped forward, hands shaking as she gripped her dagger and her sword tight, swallowing hard against a tightness in her throat. “I… I have an idea. It’s not going to be pretty. Leyya might get hurt, bad. But if we can knock her down. Disorient her to where she can’t fight back. We can try to use the heart to separate them. We aren’t out of options yet, and…” Her gaze drifted to where Zojja stood, her ears pulled back tight as she watched Leyya pace. “..and I don’t want to lose my friend. Or make Zojja watch her die. Frode…”

The norn glanced back at her, then nodded, squaring his shoulders. “We have one shot. But after that…”

“I understand.” Shaking back her hair, she let out a breath. “If we have one shot, then we just have to make it count.”

They didn’t have more time to strategize. With a horrific shriek, Leyya reared back. Her now massive hands slammed into the ground, shockwaves pulsing out. Odetta staggered. Zojja reached for a nearby root to steady herself, eyes wide. This was not Leyya. And yet it was. They barely had time to regain their footing before she charged. The snap of her jaws just barely missed Logan as he rolled to one side. Her fangs clipping the edge of his robes.

She moved quick, but not as fast as when herself. Where Leyya allowed claw and fang to lash out, the others hesitated. Odetta’s eyes never left Leyya’s tormented form, using magic to her advantage. Zojja seemed to focus on earth magic, trying to block in Leyya’s movements. Tears remained visible on her cheeks. Leyya lunged at speed, nearly barreling over Peitha. Arina moved quickly after, pulling her out of the way of long claws lashing out.

Frode took a chance when she turned her back, preparing to slam himself into her side. Before he could react, Leyya swung her head around hard. It collided Frode’s chest, sending him crashing into Dagda, leaving them both dazed on the ground.

As they were trying to get up, Odetta squared her shoulders, holding out her hands. Several translucent clones, summoned to surround the overwhelmed pair, burst into glistening shards of light. Leyya hissed, pawing at her eyes as she moved back, swinging her head back and forth.

A stumble, a swipe. A hand hitting the ground, the dark, sticky substance produced by many kryptis spreading from where her claws dug trenches in the ground.

But it did present an opening.

The distraction gave Ramses a chance to move, rushing forward. With speed enough, he launched himself, landing directly on Leyya’s back. Winding himself as much around her as he could, he got his arms around her neck, pulling back hard as she screeched and snapped. She was trying to bite down on anything she could reach.

“We can’t keep this up!” he hissed, managing to dig his claws into Leyya’s shoulder, causing her to let out a deafening shriek. “We must purge the little beast from her mind or kill them both; we have no choice!”

Swallowing hard, Odetta’s eyes darted to Zojja, frozen in place, before back to Ramses and Leyya. They needed to knock her down, and holding back was giving them no real ground. She gave herself a quick shake, rushing over to drop to her knees next to Zojja, gripping her arm tightly. “Zojja! Zojja snap out of it we don’t have time for this!”

The elementalist blinked hard, giving her head a shake before her eyes shot up to Odetta’s face. “O-Odetta! I- I can’t- what are we supposed to do?!”

“I… I know you don’t want to hurt her, I swear, but… none of this is working. We have to do something to keep her from getting back up. I have an idea, but it might… it might really hurt her. We can heal her after, though, we just have to get Cepir out of her head!”

Zojja looked back over at Leyya, her brow furrowing as what was her childhood best friend bucked hard to throw Ramses off, pinning him to the ground with a massive hand on his chest. That awful black tar was dripping from her fangs as she growled, and Zojja straightened, clenching her jaw. “Okay. What do you want me to do?”

Nodding faintly, Odetta stood, hands held out as she conjured something new: what looked like a hollow tube of hardlight magic. She was trying not to look at what was happening. Logan had moved forward again, his sword finding purchase in Leyya’s side. Frode had lunged again, slamming hard into her other side. They needed to act, now. “Whatever you can put into it, do it now!”

For a brief moment, Zojja hesitated. But with the shouts of her friends just reaching over the roaring in her ears, voices she recognized but couldn’t parse yelling to end it now, she made a choice.

All the magic Mabon had taught her to unlock. All the fear and desperation to get Leyya back. Everything pulsing in flames around her arms, hissing sparks through her teeth as she focused all her energy into this one moment.

“Everyone get out of the way!”

A powerful gout of flame funneled through the conjured tube, spraying out onto the field as the others scattered, shouting in surprise. The initial heat startled her, causing her to let up Ramses. And as Logan scrambled to pull him out of the way, the overwhelming fire struck its target.

An ear piercing, terrible wail tore itself from Leyya’s throat as the flames slammed into the side of her head and face, crawling down her arm as she flung herself back, falling to her side and writhing on the hard ground. She was shrieking, pawing desperately at her face, seemingly unable to get herself back to her feet.

It was a moment Zojja took, rushing forward to skid to her knees next to Leyya’s head, pulling it close to her chest, water magic conjured to her hands to stroke and soothe the injuries. Odetta was moving forward too, the tube dispelled as she instead summoned the Heart of the Obscure. Peitha moved next to the Wayfinder, watching with a faint frown.

Zojja ignored them both, ignored the awful stench of charred flesh, ignored the hollow where Leyya’s eye had been. She curled over her, trying to keep her still and calm, the keening and painful whines like daggers in her ears.

Had she been looking, she would have seen the clearly limp form of Cepir, seeming to materialize as Peitha scruffed him, holding him up with a frown. She was saying something to him, but that didn’t matter right now.

When the sounds stopped, she finally allowed herself to lift her head, looking down to find Leyya just as she always had been… though significantly worse for wear. She’d taken more injuries than it had looked like on the surface, and the physical transformation had done a number on her. Her arm was badly scorched, as was one side of her face, that eye completely gone.

But it was her.

“Lee?” Zojja frowned, sniffling hard. She’d had enough losses already. They couldn’t have lost her now. “Leyya?”

“She’s breathing.” Logan had made his way over, taking off his robe to cover Leyya’s otherwise nude frame. The transformation had ruined her gear, and it was clear he was trying to help maintain her dignity. “We need to get her back to Narcisse. She’ll need medical attention, though what you’re doing is likely helping. I’m so sorry, Zojja.”

Odetta knelt on her other side, clearly a bit shell shocked. “Cepir’s unconscious, but Peitha’s dealing with him. He doesn’t look… anything like I expected, honestly, but… not important. We need to get Leyya help and then we can make Eparch pay for hurting our friends.”

Curling her shoulders inward, Zojja looked around. Everyone was starting to pick themselves up, looking over towards them. She spotted Peitha moving towards them, a round little kryptis held under her arm like a sack of flour. Everyone seemed to be waiting.

Letting out a breath, she touched her forehead to Leyya’s, listening to her labored breathing, ignoring the blood and horrible burns. “...okay. Let’s go back to Skywatch, then. And after that…” She lifted her head, flickers of electricity dancing up her arms and down her back. “...after that. We end Eparch for good.”

“You got it, Zojja.” Odetta smiled faintly at her, shifting to the side to let Logan pick up Leyya from where Zojja had been holding her. “Glad to have you at our backs. Whatever happens now… we’ll all finish this. Together.”

“I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

[ratasum]

Watching KPDH content with @wall-legion to try to stop the buzzing in my head from yesterday's stress, we get to the end of the Cinema Wins video and we get to talking about the whole bit at the end with the soul going into her sword, letting her disrupt the big attack at the end, and all at once the convo went like:

me: So she CC'd him. Gwi-ma has a break bar! Jenn: Okay so he has an AoE where lesser demons will pour out, make sure you stay clear of that. Then he'll summon five minions that we'll need to stack on… me: [laughing] You sound like an experienced raid leader! Jenn: And here I've never raided!

[ratasum]

Okay GW2blr, riddle me this. I'm excluding mesmer because they're the obvious answer, and I want the funniest answer.

FUNNIEST class to receive a bard spec?

Guardian

Revenant

Warrior

Engineer

Thief

Ranger

Necromancer

Elementalist

Voting ended onJul 8, 2025

[wall-legion]

Okay but how objectively funny would it be if it was Ranger and your pet can sing with you a la some Disney Princess shit. Picture some massive norn or charr all

[antariies]

Come one, come all! Have you ever seen so many merfolk in one place? Win big, and you could take home a rare specimen of your own! Why, just look at how... hale and hearty they all are!

[GORK] is proud to present our first ever MerMay art collaboration! We've spent this past month trawling all of Tyria's oceans and waterways for only the finest, freshest catch! As you can see, most of them survived the journey home, and some of them are even sort of happy to be here! (ㅅ´ ˘ `)♡

All featured OC's and their respective artists under the cut! How many friends do you recognize? :D

Cardamomo, Crow - @starlightsuncrow

Nisa - @dalennaugw | Eon, Haven - @where-is-caithe

Prunéan - @magistersieran | Harley - @antariies | Solomon - @gooseplumes

Uda - @jaded-cactus | Aahrtur & Achilles - @nurllius | Kara - @just-norn-things

Pepiya - @hawkepockets | Alba, Auruim - @sylvaridreams

Makko - @ratasum | Odetta - @wall-legion | Kippa - @ratasum

Eldrid - @commander-wame | Mourynn - @manasurge | Wame - @commander-wame

Harukehn - @harukehn | Saibh, Pliorre - @lackluster-draws

Wolfgang, Beckon, Ratthew - @twilightdomain

[wall-legion]

Give us 5 things about Rissia that nobody but Vezz is allowed to know?

Ohhh good question! 1) She has a birthmark that's shaped like a charr's head in an... intimate spot. It's not very big, but the first time he found it he did make jokes about it to the point that he completely nuked the mood. 2) She wasn't sure that she wanted kids, even up until they realized she was pregnant with the twins. She adores her kids but the twins are enough. 3) She found out the hard way that she's allergic to passion fruit after Vezz ate some and she then omnom'ed his berries and bar. 4) Her mom frequently sends gifts for the twins that she "puts away" because they are either inappropriate for their current age or just... inappropriate in general. 5) She tops Vezz all the time.

[rpmemesiwanttosee]

Send me character development questions!

Anon or not, send in anything you'd like elaborated on, anything you're interested in, anything that's been left vague, or anything that strikes your fancy. For multimuses, be sure to specify the muse!

[lady-quen]

He has the most lips ever @ratasum

[ratasum]

I'M WHEEZING look at him lmao. Menelaus: the victim of the strong bracing breezes. Incredible, thank you!

[massivechildshark]

Fuck it. I don't care if anyone else said this. I love how asura bounce when they jump or when they stop running.

[saclarclay]

I love when they run sideways and stops and go

[ratasum]

Peak character design.

[massivechildshark]

You're all so fucking right and you should say it even louder.

[gw2heritageposts]

Guild Wars 2 Heritage Post

[ratasum]

Sink or Swim

As a semblance of peace begins to return to the Horn of Maguuma, Zojja has a difficult choice to make... Takes place in mine and @wall-legion's setting Tyria-432 after the final fight against Eparch. Feat: Zojja, Logan Thackeray, Odetta Swanheart, Leyya

It felt strange to see Amnytas so quiet.

When Zojja had first arrived, it hadn’t been long before things had gone sideways, with Garrus’s excursions into Cantha resulting in the near explosion of the void and the death of Soo Won, the last of the Elder Dragons, the resulting burst of magic dramatically thinning the veil between their Tyria and the Mists. That, though, came later… first had been Logan. Logan had been thrilled to see her, though she had been surprised to see him. Like everyone else, she’d thought he had died in Arah, but no. A member of the Astral Ward that had infiltrated the Pact had saved him, and he had been here ever since.

And there were many more things here that were surprising, perhaps more than she could ever hope to count.

An even bigger surprise than Logan, at the time, had been Uenno. Meeting someone who knew who she was without ever meeting, the same woman mentioned in the letters she’d found in Snaff’s lab. She’d been the one to immediately show her around, introduce her to Mabon.

Dear Mabon, so much like Snaff. Uenno said as much herself.

His life was in a more precarious place now than Leyya’s was, and she was doing her best not to dwell on it. He’d taught her so much in the year she’d been here, though it was true that she’d been thrust into the brink rather unexpectedly. The Void had seen to that. She’d unlocked incredibly powerful depths of her own magic, learned so much… and Dagda had said she was special, hadn’t she? She could stay here. Ascend. Tap into the very core magic of Tyria itself, learn to protect everything she loved.

There was the cost, of course. She could protect them, but she would likely never remember their faces again. The uncertainty of how worthwhile that choice would be compared to the cost weighed heavy in her mind, settling in her gut like a ball of icy lead.

Meanwhile, as she was wracked with indecision, Odetta was sitting with Leyya in the infirmary, checking her status. Leyya had tried so damn hard to have Zojja’s back the whole time she was here, but it was obvious how badly it weighed on her. Perhaps this would be better for both of them? For years Leyya’s self worth had hung on her usefulness, and she had admittedly taken advantage of that. It was as much a defense mechanism as anything else.

If everyone was just another tool, then those could be discarded before they hurt her.

Groaning, she rubbed her hands over her face, brow furrowed. It was an impossible choice to make, but she knew she had to make it.

She lost track of how long she sat at the edge of the Bastion of the Celestial beneath the waypoint, looking out over the floating islands surrounding them, until she heard the familiar sound of someone teleporting in. Lifting her head, she glanced back to find Odetta standing there, hands folded in front of her. Zojja was on her feet almost immediately. “Odetta-! Leyya, is she-”

“She’s okay. Sleeping still.” Odetta smoothed her hands over the front of the robes she’d changed into, looking a little uncomfortable in them. “Narcisse said they sedated her so she wasn’t so restless. Even with magic, it’s… hard for her body to heal. The healers said they think it’s because whatever happened when she was possessed changed her body somehow, so she doesn’t react to magic the same anymore.”

Zojja’s brow furrowed further and she glanced back out towards the horizon, folding her hands tightly in front of her. “I see. I’m glad she’s resting, even if it’s not… necessarily the way she might want to. But I know her well enough… she’d try to get up, if we let her.”

Odetta gave a wan smile at that, her gaze turning to follow Zojja’s. “And… what about you? Mister- Logan. Logan said that you’d talked to him, then said you needed to think and hurried off.”

She hesitated at that, frowning as she worried her hands together. “...that’s right. I… I don’t know how I feel yet. I know that I have a huge opportunity here. I could stay, I could… I could use my intellect to protect Tyria, to protect everyone I love, but…”

“But…?”

“But why would I want to, if I didn’t remember anyone?” She let out a sigh, dropping her hands to the side as she walked towards the edge, hand trailing along a nearby pillar. “It’s beautiful here. They’ve got all the knowledge and resources I could ever want. But I remember being so worried about everyone as the Void was spreading, but Isgarren, the other Ward members, they just… waved it off. It wasn’t as terrible and huge as the kryptis. They can’t see the trees for the forest. If I stayed… if I ascended, like them. I would become just like them. But… alone. Even if I didn’t know it.”

Frowning slightly, Odetta moved to stand next to her. “You don’t know what to do.”

“...no. I think I do know. I want to help protect Tyria. Protect the people I care about. I wasn’t sure if it was the right choice, but… no. Mabon said, when he was first starting to teach me, that he felt like I kept… running from things. However right he was or wasn’t… I think I want to stop running.”

Odetta shifted, watching as Zojja stood straight, squaring her shoulders. It took a moment, but Odetta finally spoke. “And… what does that mean?”

Zojja paused before turning, glancing up at the young woman beside her. “...let’s go back to Skywatch. I’ve made my decision. It’s time to act on that.”

------------------------------------------------------------

The mood in the infirmary was somber, as it had been largely since Mabon’s injuries during his possession, made even worse since Leyya was brought in. Logan was sitting on the edge of Leyya’s bed, talking with her quietly, though she seemed a little dazed as she listened to him. The former Seraph turned his head when Zojja and Odetta came walking up the stairs, standing up to offer his seat to Zojja, nodding politely to Odetta. “You two were gone a while. Everything okay?”

Zojja nodded as she pulled herself up to sit down next to Leyya, patting her hand gently. “Yeah. I needed to take some time to think things over. How’s Leyya doing?”

“She can talk for herself,” Leyya mumbled, her words half slurred. “Kinda.”

Odetta frowned slightly, sitting down on the bed a little further down from Zojja. “Are you… sure she should be awake?”

“Narcisse said the sedation may wear off because of how magic is affecting her now. She’ll reapply it if we need to.” Folding his arms across his chest, he leaned against the wall. “So you said you needed some time to think…?”

Reaching up to brush Leyya’s hair out of her eyes, Zojja nodded, pursing her lips for a moment. “I did. And… I’ve made a decision. I’m… I’m not staying. I’m going to go back to Tyria. This is a good place for you, Logan, I can tell, but I… want to help people. And I know what you said, what Dagda said, everyone. That I can help people from here. Use my intellect for good. But… I mean. My people… many of our greatest minds were lost during the Exodus all those years ago. It’s knowledge we’ll never get back. What does it say about me if I do the same, taking what I know to stay forever in a place where I may never remember what they meant to me?”

Logan watched as she spoke, then sighed, giving a half smile. “Somehow I’m not really surprised that’s where you landed. And you’re sure…?”

“I am. It’s tempting! It really is! The knowledge here, the access to so much history… so much research. There’s so much I could do here, so many discoveries I could make…” Her tone turned wistful for a moment, but then she shook her head. “But… I watched things here during the threat of the Void, and… I think I know what I want. And what I want is to help people. Not just the world without paying any mind to those who live in it.”

Leyya made something like an agreeable sound as Odetta smiled a little. “I’m sure that now that you know about them, they won’t keep you away if you want to visit.”

Immediately, Logan nodded. “Miss Swanheart’s right. Isgarren saw your worth. And you have friends here, in me, in Lyhr, in Dagda… in all of us. And Leyya too, honestly. I think Frode and Lyhr really took a shine to her. To say nothing about your friend Peitha and Miss Swanheart.”

Odetta blinked, cheeks flushing. “She was just being polite. Anyway… if that’s your decision, Zojja, we’re all with you. One hundred percent. And the soap shop’s open to you, both of you, as long as you need.”

Smiling a little, Zojja glanced up at Leyya. “Did you catch that, Lee?”

“Hm?” Blearily, she blinked her remaining eye. “Mmh. Yeah. With you all the way, Zuzu…”

That set Odetta to giggling. “I don’t know that she’s going to remember any of this.”

Logan couldn’t help but grin. “True enough. But I think she’ll be happy regardless.” Pausing, he pushed up from the wall. “Zojja… before we all get back to work, can I speak with you for a moment?”

She blinked at him, looking between Leyya and Odetta before sliding to her feet. “Oh. Yeah, sure. Of course. Lead the way.”

It was hard not to think too hard on the conversation that might come as they walked, but Logan didn’t speak again until they were on the walkway outside the heavy door, turning to kneel in front of the asura. “...you’re positive this is what you want?”

“...it is. I know you’re happy here. And you honestly look better than you had in years before… everything in Arah. But I think I’ll do a lot more good back home than here.” She glanced up at his face, resting a hand over his. “I think you know that too.”

Chuckling, Logan shook his head, giving a half smile. “Snaff always did say you were headstrong.” He noticed how her eyes darted away, his hand turning over to wrap around hers. “Hey. Look at me. Please.” He didn’t speak again until her eyes turned back to him, and he tipped his head forward slightly. “Snaff would be so proud of you. He always was proud of you. He talked about you all the time, when he knew you weren’t listening. I’m not… proud. Of leaving when I did. Looking back, I know that what I did may have very well been what doomed him, and I will never be sorry enough for that. But you’ve become every bit the genius he knew you could be. You’re going to do amazing things, Zojja. And we’ll all be cheering for you, the whole way.”

It took every bit of Zojja’s willpower to hold back a choked sound in her throat, blinking back hot tears before moving forward, her arms going around her old guildmate’s neck, perhaps a little tighter than she’d meant. “Thank you, Logan. I mean that. I know I’ve called you all manner of things before but… you know something? Snaff would be proud of you too.”

The pair stood like that for a moment, Logan laughing a little as he let is arms go around Zojja to return the hug. “I hope so.” Once he sat back, he rested his hands on her shoulders. “By the way, Narcisse and I spoke with Isgarren. We’ve all agreed that, if Odetta’s all right with it, it may be best for Mabon to recover away from the Ward. Isgarren knows he’s snuck out in the past, and besides… the Ward likely won’t be able to stay hidden forever now that all this has happened. Narcisse thinks it’ll be best around people he knows and trusts while things get sorted out, where he won’t try to work. It took some time to convince Isgarren, of course, but I think we made a pretty sound argument.”

Zojja snorted, wiping her eyes with a palm. “Sounds familiar… and to think he scolded me for overworking myself.”

“It’s what friends do, right?”

Again, she snorted, taking a step back to fold her arms over her chest as Logan got to his feet. “It is.” She paused for a moment, glancing back at the door. “It’ll be a few more days before we can move Leyya. I’m probably going to see if Wavering Heart needs any help in the library, and then I want to take some time to sit down with Uenno before we leave. I don’t want to lose contact with her.”

Logan glanced at her, leaning against the banister. “You’ll be able to write. Snaff was writing her, right?”

“He was. I still have the letters.” Zojja smoothed out her robes, then let out a soft sigh. “That’s something I’ll have to figure out too. But one step at a time. I’ve never been good at not making rash decisions. I’d like to think I’m going to start getting better at that.”

He nodded. “And what about Leyya?”

Zojja pursed her lips in response. “I’d like to think we’re going to start getting better too. We have… a lot to work through, considering all we’ve been through the last eighteen years. But I care a lot about her, and I know she cares about me too or she wouldn’t have stayed. We’ll have time to figure it out. And hopefully we’ll figure it out together.”

“Well, if you ever need anything, you know where to find me. You got us all looped in on those comms, so you can call at any time. Though I guess we could always send Zizel…”

The look Zojja shot him caused Logan to laugh, watching as she planted her fists on her hips. “Look, no offense to Zizel, but… I’m not sure Lion’s Arch is ready for his… energy.”

Shaking his head, Logan pushed himself straight. “I suppose that’s true. That Ellen Kiel that rebuilt the city… she probably wouldn’t appreciate him getting into everything. I suppose you’ll have to just tolerate me instead.”

Sighing dramatically, Zojja shook her head as she walked back towards the door. “I suppose. ...by the way, can we… are we able to tell anyone? Eir, Caithe, Rytlock… the queen?”

Logan paused at that, staring at the floor for a moment before looking back at her. “...Eir and Caithe yes. Rytlock I’m pretty sure wouldn’t take it well and… Queen Jennah probably shouldn’t know. Right now there’s still a lot of talk about the Ward being revealed to the world at large, and that information will come out in time if they do. So for now… just them. And… maybe try to keep talk of the Ward to a minimum.”

“Okay. I don’t… necessarily like it, but… I understand.” Falling into step again beside him, she let herself look around, as if taking it all in one last time. “You sure you won’t come back with us?”

Chuckling as he held the door open to the infirmary, Logan shook his head. “I helped get the commanders to Arah and to Zhaitan, and it’s pretty clear they – and Kryta – have managed well without me there. No, my place is here now. But until the time comes for me to make my own tough choice… you’ll still have me if you need me.”

She smiled up at him, stepping through the door to head open to their small group of friends. “I know. And I appreciate it more than you know.”

Zojja certainly wasn’t foolish enough to think that this was going to be easy. But as she pulled herself back up to sit down next to Leyya again, smiling up at Narcisse as she lifted her hand from Leyya’s eyes, having enchanted her again with sleep magic to help her rest, listening to Odetta talk about the stone Peitha had given her to keep in contact should she have need of her, watching as Logan leaned casually against a nearby wall… she knew she’d made the right choice.

And tomorrow would be a whole new day. Nothing in Tyria would ever be the same, but for the first time in years, she felt ready to start.

[ratasum]

One of my favorite things about Makko is that while utterly ruthless, clever as the devil, and devious to a fault? She's protective of those she decides are her people. There aren't many of them, but loyalty to her - or a willingness to work with her and not stab her in the back - are qualities in people she considers a luxury.

This came out first with Pheazza and her daughter Yixxi, but the most important one to her character-wise was on meeting @wall-legion's Odetta. It was largely to buy perfume oils at her shop, and later the Hammerhead Salon became a legitimate investor.

Even the elaborate front for a high cost item smuggling ring needs soaps and snacks for its guests.

But she saw Odetta as naive but an otherwise good kid, making sure that her guards kept an eye on the soap shop so that they wouldn't be bothered by the "lesser" criminal element of Lion's Arch.

So later, when she discovered that Odetta was trying to end a relationship with someone being abusive towards her, it was a rare moment that Makko let her protectiveness overrule her carefully crafted exterior. The individual in question was a frequenter of the salon, not one of her best clients but a client nonetheless.

She invited her to the salon under the pretense of a showing of new delicacies from Cantha, and that was the last time she was ever seen alive. When Odetta asked later, all Makko had to say was "Well, it is Lion's Arch. Even with all the marble and glass, it's still a city of brigands and thieves. Wine?"

[ratasum]

@mistfallengw2, IF YOU INSIST-!

So! Starting with Frode, since he's where it kicks off. Leyya's unique relationships with Frode and Lyhr.

When Odetta and Leyya first arrive in Wizlandia, they basically got caught because Cerus sensed Cepir's "stench" on Leyya, remembering him as his brother's Little Lapdog before he was banished from Nayos. When they're pulled the rest of the way through by Frode, nearly falling right on top of Zojja, it's Frode who realizes he recognizes the energy on Leyya.

She, like him, has something crawling in her mind... but unlike him, she doesn't know how to control it. Assuring Zojja that he understands and it'll be fine when she starts worrying,

Once they're back in Skywatch, while Zojja gives Odetta a rundown of what's going on and how to use the Heart of the Obscure, Frode takes Leyya over to meet his Rift Hunters. He sits her down, offers her a drink. They do need to find his daughter, but Leyya's disoriented and shaken, her head hurts.

He knows what that can lead to. So he takes her under his wing.

It takes some time, but he coaches her on how better to manage Cepir's presence in her mind, especially now that the veil between Nayos and Tyria has been thinned so significantly. Of course, he also warns her of the dangers of overusing the ability or pushing Cepir too hard, even if he is more agreeable to the "usage" than other Kryptis might be since he doesn't like his old employer.

This does lead him to take her to Lyhr!

Lyhr can also see the stress and the struggle... but he can also see the fondness and affection she has for Zojja, and it stirs something distant inside him. He offers to make her a special set of gauntlets, but he needs very specific ingredients. A ward of protection of sorts, from the people that love her.

A bottle of lilac and bergamot oil from Odetta. A piece from Mr. Sparkles from Zojja.

The gauntlets help her limit Cepir's control. She has to spend a lot of time with Lyhr while he's making them, and he has all kinds of questions for her: he wants to know about Zojja, what their childhood was like growing up, their relationship. He's the first one to tell her that they've got something special. Something that, regardless the outcome, he thinks will survive.

Both he and Lyhr have an almost fatherly relationship with her, reminding her a great deal of what Snaff was like with her when they were kids and he was raising Zojja.

It actually keeps her sane through a lot of the story as they progress into Nayos, as she will sit in silence just spending time with Lyhr watching him at the forge, or she'll go to Frode when the pressure of what's happened becomes too much for her to bear, especially when Cepir gets restless.

Post-SotO, they maintain a good relationship, and Leyya keeps them filled in on how Zojja's doing both in Cantha and later when she takes on a council role.

[brightwingedbat]

Me seeing that Eir vs Rytlock being bad parents go around again. When I know for a fact the both of them get damned for not being present parents.

It's not only Eir. Rytlock gets it too, Rytlock's son goes and starts an entire world crisis so he 100% gets demonised by people for it.

Eir probably stands out more cause we're friends with her son who hated her for not being there until mid lws2.

The discussion should instead be the fact they both shouldn't be demonised for it because of their cultures, not dragging down one character to raise another on a pedestal.