Practically 500 years in the past, a person named Shiro Tagachi introduced the distant land of Cantha to its knees. Pushed mad by the fallen god Abaddon, he turned to forbidden magic, slaughtering the emperor and consuming his soul. His defeat in that far-flung period was a pyrrhic victory, triggering a devastating magical disaster that reworked every part from birds to bushes to the ocean itself to jade.
Tagachi would return a number of hundred years later to behave because the antagonist of 2006’s Guild Wars Factions, the second story chapter of the unique recreation. All through the occasions of Factions, the participant and their comrades labored to foil Tagachi’s efforts to resurrect himself and convey havoc to the world. Finally, they succeeded.
A couple of quick years later, Cantha closed its borders to the world. A lot has occurred since then.
The Charr gained their independence, slaying their darkish gods and triggering an industrial revolution. The Norn and Asura have been each pushed from their ancestral properties by the horrible may of the elder dragons. The Sylvari got here into being, born amongst the boughs of The Pale Tree. And at last, the Pact Commander — the participant character of Guild Wars 2 — was born.
The jury continues to be out on whether or not or not that is a superb factor.
A World Sundered By Magic
“Absolutely nobody can be so monumentally STUPID as to destroy a dragon, the life power of this world.”
Prior to now, the magic of Tyria was finely balanced between six large, primordial beings often called elder dragons. Some imagine they have been all the time forces of pure destruction, wiping out total civilizations and consuming the world in an limitless cycle of dying and rebirth. Others imagine what they’ve change into is a perversion of what they have been meant to be.
Regardless of the case, these dragons inevitably got here into battle with the folks of Tyria — and by affiliation, the Pact Commander. Zhaitan, the elder dragon of dying and shadow, was first to fall, introduced down within the skies of Orr on the climax of the core recreation. Then, within the Coronary heart of Thorns growth, the Commander and their allies introduced down Mordremoth, slaying the elder dragon of plant and thoughts in a psychological realm often called The Dream.
Kralkatorrik, the elder dragon of crystal and fury, died subsequent, introduced low in Dwelling World Season 4. Then, in The Icebrood Saga, Primordus and Jormag — hearth and conflagration and ice and persuasion, respectively — have been pitted in opposition to each other. Every anathema to their twin, they’d in the end meet their finish collectively.
It appears like an inspiring story to date, proper?
There’s only one tiny downside. As revealed by analysis from one of many Commander’s companions, Taimi, killing off the elder dragons might nicely break Tyria. With every dragon slain, the world might inch ever nearer to its finish.
In the present day, just one stays of the unique six — a furtive and mysterious being identified solely as The Deep Sea Dragon.
But hope isn’t misplaced. From this ongoing battle, a brand new elder dragon was born. Kralkatorrik’s granddaughter, and the Pact Commander’s adoptive little one.
The elder dragon of Crystal and Mild, Aurene.
Raised from a hatchling throughout Dwelling World Season 3, Path of Hearth, and Dwelling World Season 4, Aurene was instrumental in lots of the recreation’s most climactic showdowns. She stood bravely by the Commander’s aspect in opposition to the god of warfare, and struck the deathblow in opposition to her grandfather — fulfilling his final request
With Kralkatorrik’s dying, Aurene turned a real elder dragon, absorbing the magic launched by her kin. This energy will see her play a pivotal function within the days to return. As a result of with the autumn of Primordus and Jormag, one thing unprecedented has occurred.
Cantha has reopened its gates.
Cantha Calls
Two centuries of isolation have modified Cantha virtually past recognition.
Within the early years of its seclusion, Cantha established numerous mines and quarries all through the Jade Sea. These operations existed each to unearth beneficial supplies and to reclaim lands misplaced to The Jade Wind. The invention of jade’s true potential is credited to a girl often called Girl Joon, founding father of the Xunlai Jade Company.
She realized that even the smallest piece of jade contained immense shops of a mysterious vitality, which she shortly set to work harnessing. The results of her efforts, often called dragonjade, turned the muse of a nationwide technological renaissance. Sensing a chance, Joon established her personal company, which she merged with the distinguished Xunlai banking guild.
Flash ahead to at this time, and the Xunlai Jade Company has revolutionized the empire. Its cities and cities are powered virtually completely by jade know-how, which now performs a pivotal function in day-to-day life. Xunlai Jade has additionally created a military of elaborate mechs, bots, and machines to guard each Cantha and its folks.
Trendy Cantha is an unlimited empire of verdant coastlines, twisted forests, and mountain temples arrayed across the neon–lit streets of New Kaineng Metropolis, a metropolis that incorporates each the seat of the Canthan authorities and the center of Girl Joon’s company empire.
As you’ll have guessed, all isn’t nicely right here. The rival factions that make up Canthan society are in fixed battle with each other, every vying for domination. The Jade Brotherhood is among the many most noteworthy — and arguably essentially the most harmful.
Initially a strong gang that ran the streets of Kaineng, it is at this time helmed by Girl Joon’s former enterprise accomplice Chul-Moo. Early within the lifetime of Xunlai Jade, Joon realized that Chul-Moo was far too keen to chop corners within the curiosity of upper margins. She made the choice to chop ties, at which level Chul-Moo discovered his manner into the Jade Brotherhood.
There, he used his enterprise prowess and experience to shortly take management of the gang. Bringing in his personal engineers, Chul-Moo reshaped the Brotherhood into one among Xunlai Jade’s biggest opponents — albeit one which trafficked in modified secondhand know-how and maintained a far riskier enterprise mannequin.
Though not acknowledged as an official producer of jade tech, the Jade Brotherhood has however managed to ascertain a robust foothold, increasing their enterprise past the streets and alleyways of Kaineng and into the Echovald Wilds.
Worse nonetheless, the aetherblades — a faction of sky pirates that when served the notorious Scarlet Briar — have returned. Nobody is but sure what they’re planning in Cantha. Solely that, if they are not stopped, they might plunge Tyria right into a warfare from which it would by no means get well.
Because the cycle that has sustained Tyria for millennia collapses round you, you need to collect your allies and return to the traditional Empire of the Dragon, a land of intrigue, turmoil, and triumph.
Each battle for the reason that warfare in opposition to Zhaitan has led to this. The fruits of a millennia-long warfare in opposition to the elder dragons. A climax which can lastly reveal the secrets and techniques of the elder dragon cycle.
As soon as once more, the way forward for Tyria is in your fingers. As soon as once more, the alternatives you make could have far-reaching penalties that echo throughout historical past. As soon as once more, it is time to take up arms — hopefully you do not inadvertently burn down Cantha within the course of.
(Hey, we have been all pondering it. )
The Dragon Legacy Sweepstakes
We have saved the very best for final. Shortly after the official launch date for Finish of Dragons, three fortunate commanders could have the opportunity to win some downright incredible prizes. Supplied you are over 18 and a resident of the US, Canada, Germany, France, or the UK, all it is advisable do is preorder Finish of Dragons via the Official Guild Wars 2 Retailer earlier than 11:59 PM Pacific Time February 27, and opt in to receive email newsletters previous to the draw, which can happen on March 4, 2022.
The three prize packs are as follows:
- The chance to call your individual commemorative NPC, a visit to ArenaNet’s headquarters in Bellevue, WA for your self and a single visitor, a premium Aurene statuette, and a branded HyperX Cloud II headset.
- A 20×20” canvas portrait of your character accomplished by an ArenaNet artist and signed by the event group, a yr’s provide of Butterfinger sweet, an Finish of Dragons DXRacer gaming chair; and a HyperX keyboard, mouse, and headset.
- A 2-3 hour gaming session with at the least 3 members of the Guild Wars 2 improvement group, an HP OMEN 16 Gaming Laptop computer, and a premium Aurene statuette.
All three prize packs additionally embrace a set of Guild Wars 2 memorabilia from For Followers By Followers, Funko Pop! and Darkish Horse. You may view the official rules for the promotion here.
Guild Wars 2: Finish of Dragons Releases on February 28, 2022. Preorders start at $30.
