GW2-Rollenspiel und ein Lore-Interview mit ArenaNet

Hello Mr. Fassino,

the german roleplay community has succesfully gathered and voted for the

12 questions that they are interested the most. Thank you again for giving

us this wonderful opportunity, we're very thankful for that and appreciate all

the work you and your team is doing. Special thanks also to Bobby Stein for

helping us out.

In case people aren't familiar with the term "roleplay", I'd like to give a brief

introduction about that term: Roleplaying in Guild Wars 2 means taking on the role

of a character and acting it out in-game through text chat and emotes. Telling

stories - big and small. Roleplaying has similarities to improv theater, with the

participants acting out characters in unscripted situations. Underlying this social

play style is the perspective players have on their characters, as fully-fledged

fictional beings that are more than just avatars of themselves. The character's

personality, goals, morals, and quirks may resemble that of the player or be

completely different. As roleplayers, we're preeeeeetty serious when it comes to

topics like lore, immersion ... and fashion wars! These help us feel more connected

to our characters and the world that they live in. The characters we portray are

most often made to fit the story of Guild Wars and the world of Tyria, thus we are

keenly interested in all the little bits and snippets, that tell us more about the

world. And it's from this perspective that we ask the following questions:

Preface from BOBBY: The answers below were given in the spirit of empowering

our passionate role-playing community to act out their commander in the ways

they see fit while providing enough guidelines for flexibility. In many cases, we

confirm what we can based on what’s already in the game, but more often than

not we’re simply providing food for thought about cases in which we haven’t

addressed something through story or lore content expressed by events or

inhabitants within the game world.

The reasons for this are simple: we typically can’t/won’t comment on anything

that’s not already expressed in the game, as we may plan on addressing it via

future update. It’s also possible that we purposely left something open for

interpretation, as the mystery allows for exciting theories to manifest. With that in

mind…spoilers ahead.

1. Does the Mist War function like some kind of fractal where 'alternate versions' (or

'echoes') of real Tyrians fight against each other or are most or all participants real

people who fight and die for their worlds?

BOBBY: Tyrians understand the Mist War as a constant battle at the shallowest edge

of the Mists, meaning it’s the easiest realm to access through ordinary portals. Since

it’s a case of corporeal beings traveling to a spiritual realm, most who travel there

don’t experience permanence. For example, if they “die” at the Edge of the Mists,

they can be revived at little risk to their Tyrian form. Also of note: the Mists are

vaguely understood, so Tyrian concepts of existence and chronology don’t

necessarily apply there.

So, while the Mist War (a.k.a. World vs. World) may physically resemble Tyria, the

same rules of life and death don’t strictly apply there, which allows adventurers to

travel there, fight their wars, and return relatively unharmed (physically, at least).

There’s no avoiding the mental and emotional tolls of war. Ankka showed us as

much in End of Dragons—experiencing traumatic events while in the Mists can

numb or otherwise change you in profound ways the longer you're there.

In other words, WvW locations such as the Edge of the Mists are not fractals.

They’re merely battlegrounds that have different rules than you’d find in the

physical realm, that are usually populated by “war tourists” from Tyria. What

happens deeper in the Mists is anyone’s guess.

2. What are the goals of the Tyrian orders (Durmand Priory, the Vigil, Order of Whispers)

now that threat posed by the Elder Dragons is gone?

BOBBY: It’s probably safe to assume that the orders have refocused their efforts

elsewhere in the absence of draconic threat: the collection and interpretation of

knowledge (Durmand Priory), military operations against new or existing threats

(Vigil), and intelligence gathering and subterfuge (Order of Whispers). Possibly for

hire, but mostly for their own gains.

INDIGO: Exactly as Bobby said, but I also imagine all of these groups are trying to

figure out what the world looks like without the threat of the Elder Dragons looming

on the horizon. Especially after the initial events of Secrets of the Obscure, the world

needs to recalibrate a bit (and also needs to react to the fact that we just suffered a

demon invasion, of sorts—I expect that, even though the Astral Ward tried to keep

things under wraps, the rest of the world was bound to notice that something was

amiss).

I also fully expect that the Order of Whispers is going to have a field day with our

secretive, wizardly organization. I’d love to see that confrontation.

3. In Amnytas we meet the sylvari 'Ithil', former member of the Nightmare Court. How did

he achieve to break free from the Court and what obstacles did he have to overcome?

INDIGO: One of my favorite things about working on the various Astral Ward

members was figuring out their backstories—given that this organization has

individuals from across Tyria, there was a plethora of opportunities to show differing

perspectives and worldviews. While they have like goals now, that wasn’t always the

case.

When I was writing on the Strength of the Unseen collection and exploring the

various characters whose lives were impacted by Mabon, I was drawn to flawed

individuals with complicated backstories. Ithil was one of them (Callon, as well).

When she woke up from her dream and didn’t find the answers that she needed,

she turned toward a darker path—but not necessarily because she was a nefarious

figure from birth. The Grove and the Pale Tree simply couldn’t help her in the way

that she needed, so she joined the Nightmare Court (she probably thought that this

was her only option; she didn’t have enough exposure to the world yet). She was

lured by promises and whispers that there were other answers out there, and not

ones “manufactured” by their “mother.”

Ithil learned very quickly that she’d been impulsive in joining the court and that her

entourage was quite villainous. But it also wasn’t something she could walk away

from immediately, so she went along with them for as long as she could stomach

(probably out of curiosity too; she may not have liked their actions but did

appreciate their search for answers that weren’t simply given by the Pale Tree).

While she hasn’t shared the circumstances of her departure, it was not a kind one.

Most importantly, it gave her and Mabon common ground. Our mursaat wizard

came from similar origins—origins that were even more paved in blood and

torment. But he grew and learned from those experiences and sought to use that

growth to help others who may be astray. Individuals like Ithil and Callon, both

having complicated and tragic personal histories. They needed him the most—they

were individuals that needed to be shown that, often, you can choose a different

path. Mabon got to Ithil when she needed that voice the most, and even after his

passing, she’ll likely carry those values with her.

4. Is the Horn of Maguuma - by virtue of its position high above the clouds - closer to the

mists than the rest of Tyria?

BOBBY: It’s not closer to the Mists due to its altitude, but more because the

metaphysical barrier that separates the Mists from physical Tyria had been breached

via portals. Bastion of the Penitent, for example, is located in the Woodland

Cascades north of Kryta. It’s essentially below ground yet just as close to the Mists

as the Horn of Maguuma due to the barrier between realms being compromised or

otherwise weakened.

5. What are the challenges the charr of the Black Citadel face today, now that various

threats (Kralkatorrik, Flame Legion, civil war etc.) have been dealt with?

BOBBY: It helps to look at the end of the Icebrood Saga for a hint at what’s likely

going on in charr politics. The Flame Legion are earning the trust of fellow legions

and slowly reintegrating back into society. With the legions reunited but still marred

by the discontent that was sowed in the Icebrood Saga, some are calling for the

instatement of a second Khan-Ur. What about the demon threat? Have Kryptis

knocked on the door of the charr home city? Have old grudges or habits returned

now that their society is free from the Elder Dragons?

6. How did Deimos come to rule the Bastion of the Penitent? Did he conquer it, was it

given to him, did he claim it once the Mursaat were already gone or did it happen some

other way?

BOBBY: The facts are murky, but we know several things. Deimos latched on to Saul’s

guilt, which bound him to the bastion and allowed him to travel between Nayos and

Tyria. Was it part of Saul’s punishment, or simply a possession of convenience?

We know that Isgarren built the bastions, but that this one—the Bastion of the

Penitent—was abandoned by the wizards and then commandeered by Tyrian

mursaat. It was eventually converted into a prison. Its foundation was built upon by

the incarcerated, who with their hands created the abomination we know today. They

placed political prisoners there for “reeducation” to break their spirits and make them

fall in line. So, while it’s unclear why, exactly, Deimos chose Saul as his host, it was

likely an opportunity between parties with mutual or overlapping interests.

INDIGO: As a small addition to Bobby’s observations, Deimos came to Tyria with a

mission: to help find ways for Eparch and the Kryptis to breach the Veil (which is what

the Kryptis call the ethereal wall between the various realms of the Mists, including

Tyria and Nayos). Some secrets may have yet to be told, but Eparch has looked to

some very…nefarious tactics to find his way back to Isgarren, even before the events

of Secrets of the Obscure. Saul just happened to be the perfect vessel for one of these

splinter attacks, although Deimos’s gluttony for suffering would prove dire.

7. There are many benevolent ghosts all across Cantha. Why haven't these ghosts moved

on to the Underworld and what does it take to become such a good-natured kind of

ghost?

BOBBY: Spirits of the departed (usually but not always human) will normally be

transported to the Underworld in the Mists upon death. But if their death was

traumatic or their life was unfulfilled or unresolved, they could end up in one of at

least two places: the Domain of the Lost (where we saw the commander go after an

untimely and violent death at the hands of Balthazar in Path of Fire) or “chained” to

a location on Tyria, such as we saw with the Bloodstone-freed ghosts of Spirit Vale in

the Forsaken Thicket.

It’s safe to say that the benevolent ghosts you see around Tyria—those who weren’t

murdered or whose lives weren’t taken prematurely by circumstance—may be

bound to the people they love, the land they own, or some other attachment like

unfinished business or a renewed mission. Perhaps they don’t know the way to the

Mists or refuse to go due to personal reasons. I don’t believe there’s a single reason

that can be applied to all ghosts who remain, other than to say they are compelled

to stay either to complete an unresolved mission or task, or they’re so emotionally

bound or otherwise tethered or chained that they can’t or don’t want to move on.

Or that something is keeping them here against their will.

8. We have seen multiple times how Kryptis possession affects the possessed Tyrians, but

how does the possessing Kryptis experience the process?

BOBBY: I believe we’ve gotten a glimpse of this from how the Kryptis talk about the

sensations they experience when tracking a Tyrian host. They can smell emotions

like fear, confidence, joy, and sorrow. They can get glimpses of memories but might

not understand how they fit together or what they ultimately mean.

Kryptis don’t think and feel the same way as Tyrians, so when they make their first

possession, they don’t know how to process it. Higher Kryptis such as Cerus, Peitha,

and Deimos had possessed many Tyrians by the time the wayfinder/commander

encountered them, thus their inquisitive observations.

INDIGO: It’s a lot like watching a movie with a flimsy blindfold and sound-canceling

headphones. While they’re possessing a host, they can see glimpses of that

individual’s history—blurry scenes, potent memories—and the longer they’re with

that host, the clearer those images get. They’ve also got some pretty fantastic noses,

like Bobby alluded to. Not only can they smell emotion, but they can smell certain

experiences. A trip to the Underworld probably leaves an ethereal stench; they can

smell that (just as Cerus was able to paint a pretty elaborate image of the

commander during their first meeting).

9. How does the Durmand Priory raise funds for its continued operation? Are its members

paid (and if so, paid well)?

BOBBY: I don’t believe the Priory discloses their financials, so we can only guess. If

they’re run like many educational institutions, it’s possible that they are funded by

generous donors (who likely want a say in what the Priory is researching—possibly

for their own means), sale of whatever artifacts they find that they don’t need for

their archive, publication and sale of their research materials, and consultation fees

should a government or private army want access to their library.

Is that funding passed down to the folks doing the work? Not sure. It’s possible that

more experienced or higher-ranking Priory members might have access to funds to

secure themselves finer lodging while out on assignment, or better meals, or

sturdier equipment. But they may not be paid directly as you or I might be through a

job. I often think of the Priory almost as a religious order or private educational

institution rather than something funded by public taxation. But since we haven’t

delved into this in the game proper, I can’t say definitively if the field scholars are

paid a salary, or just given a stipend to cover any amenities or supplies not taken

care of by the Priory itself.

10. How is the education system structured in the different human societies (Lion's Arch,

Kryta, Elona, Cantha)? Is there compulsory education/schooling, how common are

private schools, military academies and private tutors and is there even accessible public

education everywhere?

BOBBY: We know from history that during Joko’s 200-year reign in Elona, he

essentially rewrote history to indoctrinate citizens to view him as a benevolent

leader (at the cost of giving their lives to him in life and death). In Path of Fire we

visited modern Vehtendi Academy and witnessed this firsthand. This is just one

example of formalized schooling in a single region of a single country.

When you travel around Tyria, from Central to Cantha to Elona, you may witness

students studying (or talking about their studies outside of class). In order to remain

competitive on the world stage and stay relevant, human societies undoubtedly

have educational systems in place, but they vary from place to place. In some cases,

formal schooling is unfortunately a luxury of the wealthy. In other cases, local

government or communities will institute and fund their own version. Suffice to say,

humans embrace a variety of educational structures and there isn’t a single one that

encompasses every society.

11. How has the Ritualist profession evolved over the last 250 years? Do they still use ashes,

can they still enchant weapons and armor or has the profession moved away from these

practices? Do they have some new spells at their disposal?

BOBBY: This question is better answered by a skills and balance person, especially

since players don’t have access to a proper ritualist profession or elite specialization

in GW2. I wouldn’t want to speculate too much about that since we haven’t

explored it meaningfully in GW2 as of yet, and speculating here wouldn’t accomplish

anything of value. Feel free to roleplay as you wish!

12. What happens to a Sylvari in the Underworld? Do they move on to the Dream of Dreams

(can they maybe even be reborn from there?), do they move on to an afterlife specific

to their race or is this dependend on the beliefs they held in life?

BOBBY: Interesting question. In the Departing story chapter in Path of Fire (where

the commander descends into the Domain of the Lost—a section of the Underworld

where spirits who met traumatic ends go to find their purpose), sylvari players—like

all playable species in Guild Wars 2—end up here. Each society has its own specific

view of the afterlife, as informed by thousands of years of belief systems (religious

and scientific) and analysis.

The truth is, we don’t really know if they have their neat, separate little corners of

the afterlife by choice or by cosmic engineering. Or if they all meet the same fate but

call it different things. We do know that the Underworld is in the Mists, which is not

only where human spirits have been but other species as well. My gut says that the

fate that awaits all living beings happens in the Mists, but perhaps their own

concepts can form pockets or realms where they congregate out of comfort or

safety.

It would be interesting for folks to explore those types of questions in the future, but

for now we can only guess.

We wish you a wonderful start into the new week!

- Fabijan Forster, administrator for the german roleplay community