index

Lor e in t erview with g ame designer: Je ff Grubb

Tender W olf’ s

Winter Fa shion

On The Tube with Daelin Dwin ( Wi nters day)

Win t e r sda y

Dea th and Ice

By the commu

nity, for the commu

nity

Decembe

r - Iss

ue #5

© 2003-2010 Ar enaNet, Inc. All righ ts r eserv ed. NCsoft, the in t erlocking NC log o , Ar enaNet, Ar ena.net, Guild W ar s, Guild W ar s 2, and all associa t ed log os and designs ar e tr ademarks or r egis t er ed tr ademark s of NCsoft Corpor a tion. All other tr ademark s ar e the pr operty of their r espectiv e owner s.

T

h

is issue’s theme:

In this issue: The Dw arv es - Childr en of the Gr eat Dw arf Title Hunt er s | Surviv or s of Leg end The Mystery Behind the Bak er s To Be A Mas t er ...A Guild Mas t er , Tha t Is Win t er sda y W ork sh op And mo

And mo r e.. ..

→ Meet the team A small introduction to the team be hind GuildMag. → Shiverpe aks These wintry times render much of the landscap e frigid, cold, and i cy. → On the tube with Daelin Dwin (Win ter sd ay spec ial)

A recap of some of the most entertaining Guild Wars videos on YouTube. → The Dwarves The history of the Dwarven race → Surviving the great drought No new information, what to do? → Lore Interview with Jeff Grubb

Jeff answers some interesting lore questions her e. → Jingle all the way Special Wintersday pets for your ranger , but where to get them? → To be a Master, a Guild Master th at is . A look into the minds of Tyria's Guild Leade rs. → Wi ntersd ay

What exactly is Wintersday, and where does it come from? → Winter Fas hion What are players wearing this winter - or what should the y be wearing?

→ Dutch's talk with... Daniel Frozenwind Behold the King of the Snowmen. → The Mystery Behind the Bakers Pie and Cider droping from the sky. → Grenth The god of ice and death. → Holiday Contest results

→ Holiday Contest resu lts The winne rs and their entries. GuildWars Fan Artist 'Kiya Koreena' An interview with a wel l-know crafty ar tist. Wintersday Worksh op Watch people’s creatio ns b lo om. Spirit ual Affinities

A study on the origin and types of spirits → Title Hunters | Survivors of Legend These sturdy players know no death. → The Team's Opinions On... Halloween Reviews of past Halloween events. → Call of the Wolf The story continues with chapter seven and eight. → Poems

→ Poems Community submited poe try → End of the Line The last tidbits.

Dutch's T alk with.... Daniel Froz enwi nd

Shiverin g Pea ks

Sp iri tua l Affinit y

Enter GuildMag

GuildMag, the unofficial Guild Wars magazi ne

Magazine | Page 1/50

I know, I know, it's hard coming up with a name I li ke for this outlet. As a not native Project-lead it would not make much sense for me to have this one called 'E ditor's Word' but really, I think 'Enter GuildMag' one suits the purpose for n ow. Wintersday is coming, a time to be with your fami ly, pr e

Wintersday is coming, a time to be with your fami ly, pr e- pare for the new year and make sure yo u get that o ne thing you want from Sant... ehh, Dwayna of course. One of those things you do in these few days will maybe also involve looking ahead to next year , be it because you' re turning older a year or for any other reason you can think of. That's pretty much what we of GuildMag will be doing as

That's pretty much what we of GuildMag will be doing as well. Next year we'll be celebrating our first aniv e rse rry and of course we're hoping it won't be ou r last. To ensu re that even more we're reviewing the usefullness of our site. Over the past few months we've found ourselves in the luxurious position to be read, heard and even viewed by over a couple of thousands of people . What started out as just a magazine by the community for the commu

out as just a magazine by the community for the commu- nity has now grown into a full-fledge d news and enter- tainment source for everyone that is interested in either the original Guild Wars or Guild Wars 2. But we 're not there yet, we know that, we want to bring you more, not more of the same, but more of a different kind. Over the next few weeks we'll be unleashing GuildMag Visi ons,

GuildMag Features and we'll be rebrandi ng our vide os to GuildMag Vide os (original eh?), more on that will soon be posted in a blogpost on our also-soon-to-be-new site .

I have kept you reading for too long, as our writers did their best to bring you our last issue for 2010, packed with interesting lore in the theme of 'Frigid Times' and the returning articles. Be sure to welcome the ne w wri t- ers, editors and de signers over at our site and while you're there, leave some feedback behind! Don't forge t to attend our own Wintersday event: Rudi's Quest on which you can find additional info in this very magazine .

which you can find additional info in this very magazine .

GuildMag, the unofficial Guild Wars magazi ne

Magazine | Page 2/50

A short intr oduction to t he t eam of GuildMag

MEET THE TEAM

Name: Ver ene IGN: F ar ai Sa vitri Task: Desi gner Wha t's up: R eality is a killer .

Name: BarGamer IGN: S o y Oil Task: Elit e Pr o ofr eader Wha t's up: W ork, ea t, g ame. Not enough sleep.

Name: Art ax erx es IGN: Art ax erx es K aede Task: Writ er Wha t's up: La t e-nigh t s tudying and sleep depri- v a :on.

Name: Nox IGN: Nox E ther eal Task: Designer Wha t's up: Ps yched f o r the ne w f orum/f ansit e I'm cr ea :ng at quagg an.com

Name: Time w arp IGN: Ver a M aldr oma Task: Desi gner Wha t's up: Gar den gnomes

Nickname: D ut ch S un shine IGN: D ut ch Sun shine Task: Pr oject -Lead Wha t's Up?: 'As a child I gr e w up in these lands.....'

Nickname: Asur an IGN: T he W or s t Mon k Task: Designer/Writ er Wha t's Up?: Disman tle the man tle.

Nickname: Jon n y10 IGN: Nigh tshade Special Task: Designer/W ebmas t er Wha t's Up?: Pink :u:y unic orns dancing on r ain- bo w s.

Nickname: Malchior De v enholm IGN: Malchior De v enholm Task: Head - Edit or/P odc as t er

Wha t's Up?: Hide y o' kids, hide y o' wif e!

Nickname: F r ee Run ner IGN: Fr ee Run ner Task: Writ er Wha t's Up?: WTB Ne w Sylv ari Imag e

Name: Valian t IGN: The Valian t Hun t er Task: Edit or Wha t's up: 'St a y a while and lis t en.. .'

Nickname: Daelin Dwi n IGN: Daelin Dwi n Task: Writ er Wha t's Up?: Win t er sda y .

Name: This tle Xand r a IGN: This tle Xand r a Task: Edit or Wha t's up: Mildly wiy c ommen t with subtle hu mor .

Name: Velen :ne IGN: Velen :ne Ha th Task: Writer Wha t's up: Enjo ying some Thank sgiving pie.

Name: K onig IGN: Konig Des T odes Task: Writ er Wha t's up: R es :ng m y :r ed mind a  er 2 mon ths of bus ybu s yb us y .

Nickname: Izzie IGN: Izari A ljen Task: Writ er/P odc as t er Wha t's Up?: Summer , I miss y o u.

Nickname: Ar ghor e IGN: *some thin g* Ar ghor e Task: Bar jok er/Writ er Wha t's Up?: Ge :ng r eady f or 2011.

Nickname: Dr axynnic IGN: Man fr ed Dr axynnu s Task: Writ er Wha t's Up? Clo ud s. W e t ones.

Shivering Peaks:The Icy Mountains of Tyria GuildMag, the unofficial Guild Wars magazine Lore | Page 3/50 By Artaxerxes Icy Tundra: The Northern Shiverpeaks “The Shiverpeaks are an inhospitable environment for The Northern Shiverpeaks are the first taste of icy terrain The Northern Shiverpeaks are the first taste of icy terrain experienced by young Ascalonian heroes. It is the first haven encountered after fleeing Ascalon and the first time we meet the dwarves. Needless to say, it is a very impor-tant place in the storyline of Prophecies. The Northern Shiverpeaks are a labyrinth of mountain peaks, riddled with Stone Summit dwarves, ettins, and cen-taurs. Travelling through this icy domain is no easy task. The Borlis Pass is the only traversable route through the mountains in this part of the Shiverpeaks - safe being a relative term of course. The only other known route across the Shiverpeaks is located in the distant Far Shiverpeaks. The Northern Shiverpeaks are also the home of Anvil Rock. The Northern Shiverpeaks are also the home of Anvil Rock. This is the legendary rock where the Great Dwarf is said to have forged the dwarven race. Political conflict and civil war have impaired the pilgrimage of dwarves to this his-toric landmark, and the area is now littered with mino-taurs, centaurs, and dryders. The Grand Arbitrator Social and political conflict has been abundant in the conti Social and political conflict has been abundant in the conti-nent of Tyria for as long as anyone can remember. When the guilds of Ascalon, Kryta, and Orr quarreled during the Guild Wars, the Shiverpeak Mountains acted as a mediator - a referee of sorts. Had the Shiverpeaks not been a divisor of these world powers, the bloodshed caused by the petty wars they carried out would have been much, much larger. The Shiverpeak Mountains have also acted as a divisor in The Shiverpeak Mountains have also acted as a divisor in the charr conflict with the human kingdoms. Ascalon, for example, is bounded to the north. For the charr to be able to mount a campaign against Ascalon, they would have had to travel through the Far and Northern Shiverpeaks, fight-ing their way through norn and dwarven territory in order to reach their target. The Shiverpeaks served as an obstacle and defense against charr invasion. Were it not for the and defense against charr invasion. Were it not for the Shiverpeak Mountains, the kingdom of Ascalon would have fallen much, much earlier. The Way of the Land The geography of the Shiverpeak Mountains is some of the most unique landscape design featured in the game: high mountain peaks, frozen lakes, and the occasional clearings with beautiful foothills reminiscent of Pre-Searing Ascalon. Interestingly enough, there is a noticeable difference be-tween the landscapes of the different sections in the Shiverpeaks. The Southern, Northern, and Far Shiverpeaks all have their unique touch, which adds variety and origi all have their unique touch, which adds variety and origi-nality to the landscape of the continent. These wintry times render much of the landscape frigid, cold, and icy. Not only in the real world are people able to revel in the seasonal frost; citizens of Tyria can also find their towns to have festive makeovers accommodating for this joyful time of year. Lion’s Arch, Ascalon City, and Droknar’s Forge are just some of the outposts that recieve new faces on a yearly basis. While the majority of players are out there enjoying the While the majority of players are out there enjoying the festivities and making the most of the season, some of the lore enthusiasts among us take inspiration from the climate and take to delving into the colder side of Tyrian history. What better example of frosty weather is there than the Shiverpeak Mountains? These lore-rich realms of snow are some of the most interesting locations to be explored in the game. the game. The Shiverpeak Mountains compose nearly a third of the continent of Tyria. Historically, they have served a multi-tude of significant functions: they have been home to the dwarves, norn, and a myriad other creatures; they divided the human kingdoms of Kryta and Ascalon and served as a natural barrier between them during the Guild Wars. There’s no doubt these mountains have played a large role in the history, geography, and politics of Tyria. in the history, geography, and politics of Tyria.

Shivering Peaks:The Icy Mountains of Tyria GuildMag, the unofficial Guild Wars magazine Lore | Page 4/50 By Artaxerxes Many creatures inhabit these remote lands along with the norn. Jotun, vaettir, and elementals are among the many groups that call these badlands home. A lot of these crea-tures can be found in the surroundings of Drakkar Lake. This mysterious frozen lake radiates a mystifying aura that robbed Jora of her power to become the bear and trans-formed her brother into the feral Nornbear. This is the first time players experience the vast power of the elder drag-ons, a bleak foreshadowing of the devastation to come in the future. A Land of Endless History Although remote and dangerous, the serene beauty, abun-dant within these snow-covered mountains, is ultimately comforting. Countless pages of history have been written throughout the icy blanket covering the Shiverpeaks, and a shrill wind between the cold crags invites adventurers to come and write their own. What will the future of these mountain peaks hold for Guild Wars 2? While we can't be sure of anything, it's a safe bet that the Shiverpeak Moun sure of anything, it's a safe bet that the Shiverpeak Moun-tains will continue to be one of the most eerily interesting places in the world of Tyria. Northern Aurora: The Far Shiverpeaks “[The Norn] are not organized into a single nation. In The Far Shiverpeaks are first encountered in the Eye of the The Far Shiverpeaks are first encountered in the Eye of the North expansion. It is a far-off land and the primary home of the norn. This section of the Shiverpeaks is desolate and far more uninviting than any other place in the mountain range. The norn have established towns and strongholds along The norn have established towns and strongholds along the Far Shiverpeaks, from the Charr Homelands to the Ver-dant Cascades. The norn are not united under a single banner, believing in the valiant power of the individual. When not out on a hunt, however, many norn inhabit the forts established by some of the more powerful and influ-ential norn. Outposts such as Sifhalla, Olafstead, Longeye’s Ledge, and Gunnar’s Hold, for example, serve as places for Ledge, and Gunnar’s Hold, for example, serve as places for norn to rest and share tales of their heroic deeds. - In-game description The Southern Shiverpeaks have some of the harshest The Southern Shiverpeaks have some of the harshest weather in the continent. This arctic, snow-covered tundra is the original capital of the Deldrimor dwarves, who share the mountains with tengu, dredge, trolls, and other ice-dwelling creatures. Human influence, however, was scarce before the Shining Blade took up camp here after fleeing Kryta. Marshalls Tasca and Whitman, two Ascalonian explorers, were one of the few humans to have traveled these peaks before that. More than a decade before the events of Prophecies, this team of explorers left Ascalon and set out to explore the world. Their legendary exploits are re-nowned throughout human society, though little is known of this adventurous duo. Tasca is believed to be dead, and Whitman is fighting rumors of his own demise. Their origi Whitman is fighting rumors of his own demise. Their origi-nal base of operations is currently under dwarven control and is now known as the Deldrimor War Camp. The Southern Shiverpeaks are also home of the largest (albeit only) town in the mountain range: Droknar's Forge. It was established and served as the throne for King Droknar, back in the time when the dwarves were united for a common goal and fought under a single banner. Now the official capital of the Deldrimor dwarves, this port city is the main centre of commerce in the frozen lands. You can read more about the dwarves and their society in the can read more about the dwarves and their society in the article "The Dwarves – Children of the Great Dwarf," found in this very edition of GuildMag.

We lc ome to t he ift h edition of ‘On t h e Tu be wit h Dae l in Dwin’, wher e I search high and low for t he be st Guild W ars YouT ube videos and ch anne l s.

On The Tube with Daelin D win: W int e rsday edi ti on

A cold chill has swept acr oss Tyria as Grenth and Dw a yna prepare to do battle. For no w though, I bring you four f esti ve videos for your enjoyment.

Well that is all f or now, f or this year in fact. Will 2011 bring mor e ine works of video/audio art? Probably. See y ou then, and merry Christmas/Wintersday/Kwanzaa/Hanukkah/Other-festival-in-the-month-of-December.

Let the staff at t he Gaming W orld Ent er- tainment Network, along with a load of other people, bring you a carol of great joy and delight in t h is music al p

present ation.

12 Days of Win tersday

by GamerGurlAngelika

A relaxing recap of last year's Wint ersday celeb ration.

Guild Wars - Wintersday 2009 (Happy Holida ys!)

by Mithandai lLotus

Br anshew returns to provide us with a g rea t piano arrangement, combining the  ive race themes from Guild Wars 2 with Carol of the Bells.

Guild Wars: "Wintersd ay 2010"

by BranShew7

Some f estive fes tive- n ess in t his f estive-full fest ive-fest.

12 Days of Guild W ars C hri stmas / I'm Get tin Nutt in For Ch ri stmas

by oggycheese

By Daelin Dwi n

On The Tube | Page 5 /50

GuildMag, the unofficial Guild Wars magazi ne

GuildMag, the unofficial Guild Wars magazi ne

Lore | Page 6/50

By Thalador Do omspeak er

A Dwarven shepherd tending a dolyak.

The bann er of Deldri mor

The dwarves, one of Tyria’s oldest races, had inhabited the Shiverpeak Mountains long before the humans were brought to the world by their gods. Basically a humanoid race, they are short, stocky, and almost always have braided beards. According to Ogden Stonehealer, even female dwarves might have beards as well. The dwarves are remarkably resilient and endurable. Despite their

The dwarves are remarkably resilient and endurable. Despite thei r short appearance, underesrmarng a dwarf – especially a Sto ne Summit one, who are infamous for the ir aggressive nature - could be the very last mistake you make, as they are also known for thei r excepronal strength. Their reputaron is also great because of the ir outstanding abilires as craftsmen and blacksmiths. If you, dear traveler, wanted to equip yourself for dangerous adventures and expedirons, you should really visit one of the gre at Dwarven industrial centers. Trust me,

should really visit one of the gre at Dwarven industrial centers. Trus t me , you won’t rnd better armor or weapons in Tyria other than th e o nes crafted by Dwarven smiths. Despite their unexcepronal tale nts and skills, the rme of the dwarves is about to end. To understand the the imminent fate of this once proud race, one must delve deep into the structure and history of the dwarven race .

DWARVEN SOCIETY Before I speak about the history of the Dwarven race, I would like to introduce and describe their society. Deldrimor Since its foundaron, the naron of Deldrimor has stood rrm in the harsh mountains of the

Since its foundaron, the naron of Deldrimor has stood rrm in th e harsh mou ntains of the Shiverpeaks, spanning the length of the enrre Northern and Sou thern Shiverpeak regions during its golde n age. The kingdom of De ldrimor was likely to be founded by Droknar, who unite d the various Dwarven clans. To outsiders, it’s unknown whether all the Dwarven kings descended from Droknar, or whether the leader of one of the strongest clans assu med leadership through e lecrons after the death of the previous king. However, the fact that the naron survived for hu nd reds, if no t tho usand s

However, the fact that the naron survived for hu nd reds, if no t tho usand s of years, and srll retained its form as a kingdom, impli e s that the syste m of heredity or elecron works rather well. Even then, elecron se ems l ike the most probable form of succession, since parleys and discussions between Dwarven clan leaders were held at A nvi l Rock befor e the civ il

The king’s work was not an easy one. That was the reason why he had ministers who helped him in different relds of polircs. The only Deldrimor minister we have knowledge of is Orozar Highstone, King Jalis Ironhammer’s Minister of Affairs. The capital of the state was Droknar’s Forge, but during the last generaron, the seat shifted to Thunderhead Keep. Economy and Trade Deldrimor economy was mainly based on the mining of precious ore from the mountains

Deldrimor economy was mainly based on the mining of precious ore from the mountains and then forging high-quality weapons and armor from them. In some cases, like Budger Blackpowder’s enterprise, the ore was used in crearng explosives (side note: what really gave Blackpowder’s powder that extra kick was the griffin guano he mixed into the substance). Many dwarves chose the arrsan, merchant or craftsmen professions in rmes of peace, although there were those who chose to be shepherds of dolyak herds, or keep the lumbering creatures as farm animals. Deldrimor traded a lot with the humans (especially the Ascalonians). The products that

Deldrimor traded a lot with the humans (e specially the Ascalonians). The products that the naron needed were probably wheat and other things that we re not available in the mountainous areas. These trade contracts were possibly among the reasons for the St one Summit to start the civil war. For example, before the actual war, a Stone Summit war lord called Brag raided Orto Copperhammer’s mines when he learned that his cousin was trading with the human se ttlements in the foothills.

GuildMag, the unofficial Gui ld Wars magazi ne

Lore | Page 7 /50

By Thalador Do omspeak er

A Deldrimor ballista standing re ady for a sudden Stone Summit assault.

The underground S ton e Basilica.

A Dwarven sco ut

Almost every dwarf belie ved in the Great Dwarf, their creator. Holy sites to the dwarves were Anvil Rock (which they thought to be the place where they had been "forged" by their god) and the underground Stone Basilica, which housed the Tome of Rubicon (the Great Dwarf is also credited for the writing of this book). The head of the faith was th e High Priest and Chie f Keeper of the Deldrimor Rubicon. The last High Priest in Dwarven history was Alkar, who had written sanitized versions of the Tome and discovered the assigned destiny of the dwarves. (continued next page...)

Deldrimor’s army was one of strongest military force in the history of Tyria. Its scouts were rather skilled (to the point that the Stone Summit would've had a much harder time taking Thunde rhead Keep if the y hadn't killed the Deldrimor scouts before the sieg e), and the siege weapons the nation had were very efficient and precise. Dwarven militias held order in the kingdom and prote cted the towns and villages that were further away from the populate d areas. The Shiverpeaks were, and still are, home to many aggre ssive

areas. The Shiverpeaks were, and still are, home to many aggre ssive species, thus the army always had to be vigilant and prepared. It was disbanded afte r 1078 AE.

GuildMag, the unofficial Guild Wars m agazi ne

Lore | Page 8 /50

By Thalador Do omspeak er

Glint's shrine in Droknar' s Forge. A device with which t he Brotherhood ca n commun icat e with the Dragon Pro phet.

The Dwarven lore spoke of a malignant, apocalyptc being whose rise, according to the Tome and Alkar, would’ve meant the end of the world as the then-inhabitan ts of T yria knew it: it was the Great Destroyer. The exact opposite of the Great Dwarf, the Great Destroyer was the arch nemesis of the Dwarven god and his pe ople. High Priest Alkar’s descripton perfectly introduce s it: "The Great Destroyer is reputed to be everything the Great Dwarf is not... e vil, malicious, and greedy to the core." The Tome of Rubicon told the creature's tale: long ago, these two fought and at the end th e Great Dwarf too k t he Great Destroyer’ s name, thus stripping it of its power. He sealed the name within the

Great Destroyer’ s name, thus stripping it of its power. He sealed the name within the Tome untl the tme of the ir final battle, which eventually happened in 1078 AE.

The other group was the Brotherhood of the Dragon. The guild revered Glint, the Dragon

The other group was the Brotherhood of the Dragon. The guild revered Glint, the Dragon Prophet, and benefited themselves and the Dwarven community by learning more of prophecies. However, some dwarves, in return, called them blasphemers because of their connecton to the drago n. Addendum: A very interestng informaton was brought up not so lon g ago . A mysterio us oracle said that the Great Dwarf could be the collectve consciousness of the dwarves themselves and that the Great Dwarf might have never been met as a real be in g.

The Stone Summit The Stone Summit was a guild of xenophobic Dwarven radicals led by Dagnar Stonepate, King Ironhammer’s cousin. Formed in the last guild war with the sole purpose of becoming the only sovereigns of the world -enslaving the "lesser" races (especially the humans) in the process. They were cruel, calculatng, and

They were cruel, calculatng, and were not afraid of using aggression and enslavement against the hated humans and other species. Although they were a relatvely young formaton, their numbers before the civil war were very large, nearly on par with the Deldrimor army’s numbers. Before

par with the Deldrimor army’s numbe rs. Before the beginning of the war, they occupied staging grounds for their forces (Camp Rankor, Icedome, Grenth’s Footprint, Spearhead Peak and Tasca’s Demise) and shortly afterward they declared Sorrow’s Furnace, one of the greatest Dwarven mines, their own, and set their guil d’ s headquarters there.

Economy a nd Tra de

The Stone Summit be gan large mining operatons in both the Northern and Southern Shiverpeaks. It’s currently unknown whether the mines in Ice Caves of Sorrow, Iron Mines of Moladune and Iron Horse Mine were former De ldrim or establishments or Stone Summit additons. Because of their hatred towards oth er

Because of their hatred towards oth er cultures, they did not trade with anyone , except maybe with Deldrimor dwarve s (of whom they didn’t know to have any trade agreements with humans) be fore the war. However, they were so actve in the market of slavery, that they even bought slaves from human slavers, like Gale n Trask.

from human slavers, like Gale n Trask.

A Stone Summit mi ning operaton near the Ice Caves of Sorrow.

The Summit banner during the civi l war .

GuildMag, the unofficial Gui ld Wars magazi ne

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By Thalador Do omspeak er

As menyoned before, their army rivalled their cousins’ forces. The brutal Stone Summit conyngents travelled the Shiverpeaks to hunt their rivals, or prey on enslavable creatures. They also raided mines, villages and outposts – not bothering themselves if the inhabitants were dwarves or other beings. Higher-ranking Summit rode mounts: mainly

Higher-ranking Summit rode mounts: mainly armor-clad dolyaks, snow beasts and ice drakes restrained with crude chains an d o ther "disciplinary" device s. The Summit didn't bother to tame their mounts, as they preferred chaining and overpowering the beasts, so those wou ld bend to their masters’ will i nstead of g etting accustomed to th em.

accustomed to th em. The Summit were also fond of usi ng siege weapons. From ballistae to ice ships armed with nasty catapults, they were more than glad to put them into acyon against the ir foes.

A dredge slave having a short rest before con ynuing th e digging in Vlo xen Excavayons.

An ice warship preparing to unleash hell upon its masters' foes. However, the banners on its stern are similar to Deldrimor design. It's possible that the ships were either

the ships were e ithe r stolen from the Deldrimor docks, or a large par t of the Dwarven navy joined the Stone Summit's cause.

Beside the enslaved beasts of war, the Stone Summit subjugated the dredge, a mole-like race who liv e d in the Depths of Tyria. Then they started using the dredge as expendable tools within Sorrow’ s Furnace and Vlo xen Excavayons. The creatures toiled away unde r their taskmasters, being driven to work by the threats and pain of the Summit's whips. In the end, the dredge started a rebellion (while others escaped to Cantha by

started a rebellion (while others escaped to Cantha by unknown means) and fou gh t an u nd ergroun d war against their oppressors. The revolt also pl ayed a hand in the later downfall of t he Summit.

The Stone Summit were able to enslave fearsome creatures as well. In Slavers’ Exile they had a vast collecyon of slaves: mutated wolves, centaurs, undead, elementals, spirits, imps, a White Mantle officer, a centaur chieftain, a dryder and a djinn. It seems that they might have been able to enslave the whole word, after all. Religion

Re ligion While it’s not fully cle ar what the Stone Summit’s faith was, there were some among them who worshipped the Great Destroyer. The leaders were the Hieroph ants wh o knew quite a lot about sorcery and Dwarven lore. Stone Summit "priests" we re always interested in nnding ancient and dark powers; a group of Summit Gnashe rs once summoned an icy demon (imp) from the Underworld, while Taskmaster Bellok of Vl o xe n Excavayons tried to unleash a long-forgonen lich upon the unsuspecyng world.

The Great Destroyer, arch enemy to the dwarves. Some aberrated Sto ne Summit s y ll worshippe d it.

GuildMag, the unofficial Guild Wars magazi ne

Lore | Page 10/50

By Thalador Do omspeak er

Dwarven history Unfortunately, our knowledge of their full history is preyy scarce, due to the fact that most of their wriyen records were and are thought to be either lost or hidden in the Depths of Tyria (like in the case of Tome of the Rubicon). The Dwarven ymeline contains many undated events, and it is also spoyed with rather large gaps without any known happenings. Judging from this, the dwarves could keep their secrets very well. Unknown yme, presumably between 10,000 BE and 1796 BE:

Unknown yme, presumably between 10,000 BE and 1796 BE: According to Dwarven lore, the race was forged upon Anvil Rock by the ir mysterious god, the Great Dwarf, who later departed to the mythical Dwarven area of aerlife, the Great Forge (or Eternal Forge). The wriyng of the Tome of Rubicon is also said to have happened in this yme frame. Unknown yme: Deldrimor tribes were united under the banne r of Droknar. Kingdom of Deldrimor was founded. Droknar’s Forge became the seat of p ower. Unknown y me:

Unknown yme: Kathandrax Steelsoul, the mighty Dwarven hero, repelled the charr yme and again. 534 AE: Lornar single-handedly held off a Hill Giant invasion. Unknown date between 1013 and

Unknown date between 1013 and 1070 AE: During the last guild wars: Thunderhead Keep became the Dwarven capital. Formayon of the extremist Dwarven facyon called the Stone Summit. 1070 AE:

1070 AE: Civil war erupted between the radical Stone Summit and the Deldrimor nayon. Stone Summit conque red several areas, including the Frost Gate.

First siege of Thunderhe ad Keep.

1072 AE: Last year of the civil war. o Siege of Krok’s Hollow and Grooble’s Gulch. Result: Deldrimor victory. o Ascalonian refugees escaped through the Frost Gate. Prince Rurik died while protecyng his people. o The Shining Blade and their pursuers, the White Mantle and their unseen gods, the Mursaat, arrived in the middle of the war. Deldrimor and Summit losses. White Mantle – Mursaat advance began towards Droknar’s Forge and Thunderhead Keep.

Mantle – Mursaat advance began towards Droknar’s Forge and Thunderhead Keep. o Ascalonian heroes returned to fight against Deldrimor’s enemies. o Stone Summit besieged Thunderhead Keep. Result: Stone Summit victory. o Deldrimor – Ascalonian strike team led by King Jalis Ironhammer retook the Keep and defended it from Stone Summit and White Mantle – Mursaat assailants. Death of Dagnar Stonepate, Founder and Leader of the Stone Summit. The Stone Summit was pushed back to Sorrow’s Furnace. o Covert missions against the Summit of the Furnace. Burying of the Tome of

o Covert missions against the Summit of the Furnace. Burying of the Tome of Rubicon. o Ennis Granitestrider led a group of human heroes against the Iron Forgeman. Destrucyon of the Forgeman. Result: the Stone Summit was crippled. o A few months later, Deldrimor scored a decisive victory against their wicked cousins. The surviving

wicked cousins. The surviving Summit fled to the Far Shiverpeaks. Between 1072 and 1078 AE: High Priest Alkar dug out the Tome of Rubicon from the ruins of the Stone Basilica. Re-discovery of the dwarves’ desyny. 1078 AE:

1078 AE: Skirmish to the Far Shiver pe aks. The Great Destroyer cris is. Transformayon of the Dwarves. Death of the last Stone Summit Hierophant.

GuildMag, the unofficial Guild Wars magazi ne

Lore | Page 11/50

By Thalador Do omspeak er

Deldrimor arc o Ogden Stonehealer summoned King Ironhammer, his strongest and most loyal warriors and friends to the Bacledepths, near the Eye of the North. o Preparacons began against the rising Great Destroyer and its Destroyer hordes. o Stone Summit acack on Jalis’ encampment. Ural Highstone died in the bacle. Result: Deldrimor victory. o Counterstrike against the Summit of Drakkar Lake. Result: Deldrimor victory.

o Counterstrike against the Summit of Drakkar Lake. Result: Deldrimor victory. o Ogden's human allies helped Outrunner Remlok and Sage Bollnar in recovering the Anvil of Dragrimmar. The Anvil was an ancient relic of great importance to the dwarves. It was said that the Great Dwarf forged unbelievably strong weapons and unbreakable shields upon its face. o Search for allies. Ebon Vanguard, Asuran golemancers, mighty norn hunters, and a charr revoluconist joined the struggle

charr revoluconist joined the struggle against the apocalypcc creatures. o Retrieval of the Hammer of the Great Dwarf. Rite of the Great Dwarf: dwarves became immortal stone soldiers. o Bacle in the Depths. Heroes reached the Central Transfer Chamber. o Destruccon of the Great Destroyer.

o Destruccon of the Great Destroyer. Many more dwarves underwent the Rite of the Great Dwarf. They depart in to th e Depths to hunt the disorganize d Destroyers.

The Transformacon of the Dwarves

Stone Summit arc o Failure in Vloxen Excavacons and Darkrime Delves. The "Darkrime" task force failed to retrieve unknown but powerful arcfacts. Taskmasters of Vloxen Excavacons died before they could unleash Zoldark the Unholy.

Unholy. o Requested by a norn skaald, human heroes struck at Slavers’ Exile. The Summit’s strongest slaves were killed. Duncan the Black, last and probably the most powerful Stone Summit Hierophant, was also killed before he could harness the deceased Great Destroyer’s soul.

The cme of the dwarves is close to its e nd.

The cme of the dwarves is close to its e nd. Their place is being taken by the dredge , who conside r themselves to be the true heirs to the dwarves. While they left their k nowl edge, thei r invencons and the ir legacy for us, the locacons of these relics need to be uncovered. There wi ll be a cme , when all the race s will miss the dwarves. And those who knew the m

miss the dwarves. And those who knew the m and were their friends will alway s m iss the m. But there are two more things that do both er me. What about those who did n ot u ndergo the Rite? And what about the surviving S ton e Summit? What does the future hold fo r thm? - Thalador Doomspeake r

Day 336 of the Season of the Colossus, 1079 After the Exodus

Duncan the Black, the St one Summit Hierophant who plann ed to harness the soul of th e Great Destroyer.

The story so far ... The days are getting colder and colder; the wind outside gusts in a cold breeze. Lands are getting bedded by snow, and in the air... in the air, there's a red spot, marking the coming of something special. This year, when Reindeer Rudi visits Lion's Arch, he will have a quest: find [Santa]! Everywhere around, you can nd clues that something that we know as [Santa] is actu

Everywhere around, you can nd clues that something that we know as [Santa] is actu- ally around in Tyria. Rudi once knew [Santa], but when he traveled from the artic seas in the north to Tyria one day, [Santa] disappe ared. Many say [Santa] has be en sighted in the Northern Shiverpeaks; others speak of shady gures hanging arou nd in Kryta. Is there something bigger at stake? It's Rudi's Quest to nd Santa back and prevent whatever is about to happ en in Tyria!

Where? Lion's Arch International District 1 When?26th December What time? between 7.00pm (19.00) GMT and 1.00am (1.00) GMT Requirement: Finishing Eye of the North is required to join in on all the fun, though a good chunk will take place in Lion's Arch. Parties involved

GuildMag, the unofficial Guild Wars magazi ne

Category | Page 12/50

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GuildMag, the unofficial Gui ld Wars magazi ne

Comedy | Page 13/50

By Art ax erx es

Ever since the beginning of summer , ArenaNet has bombarded us with a constant flow of information. He aling and death, the Ranger, the Necromancer; hell, some of us even got to play the demo. However, the news locomotive has nearly groun d to a halt. The Hall of Monume nts Reward Calculator has been the only (albeit massive) pie ce of in- formation we have gotten this month. How ever will the Guild Wars 2 community survive this biblical shortage of information? Today I’ ve got some tips to help you out.

1.Go to the official Guild Wars 2 site and refresh the page every five to ten seconds. The more you do this, the faster the news will come. This has been scientifically tested and confirmed by the researchers over at the Leading Institute of Announcement and Reveal Systems (the L.I.A.R.S) 2.Start multiple threads on Guild Wars 2 Guru regarding the next profession reveal. Be

2.Start multiple threads on Guild Wars 2 Guru regarding the next profession reveal. Be sure to post them in the Announcements section (because you want annou ncement s, right?) and use misle ading titles such as “N ew profession revealed…….whe n?” This way, the title shortens to “New Profession Revealed…” and you fool the system into re vealing a profession. Trust me , this always works. I’ve done it li ke 4 times.

GuildMag, the unofficial Guild Wars magazi ne

Interview | Page 14/5 0

By Dut ch Sunsh in e

It’ s true that there has been some sort of a drought as one of new writers stated in the ar- ticle before, but that does not hold us back from asking new que stions! So we send an e-mail to ArenaNet in the hope that they could answe r them. Because gameplay-wise there is no concrete topic to ask questions for without resulting in a ‘We cann ot tal k abou t that just yet.’ we decided to ask them a few lore-related questions which will sure ly give the Guild Wars 2 community something to talk about until the next stream of information wil be released somewhere next ye ar. For now though, enjoy the read!

GuildMag: On the Ghosts of Ascalon map, the Maguuma Jun gle se ems to be c alled t he Maguuma Wastes. Is it no longer called the Maguuma Jungle or is it just th e t op, d ry p or- tions seen in GW1 that are now called Maguuma Wa stes ? Jeff Grubb: The northern parts of the Maguuma Jungle have dried out, creating the wastes (the southern regions, where the asura and sylvari have set up their nations, ar e consi dered part of the Tarnished Coast). This change has been attributed to the rise of the Elde r Drag- ons, but that has not been confirmed, and there may be oth er nefarious agents at wo rk.

GuildMag: What can you tell us of the Mists that is not already explained in the Pro phe- cies and Nightfall Manuscript s? Is it best to comp are it to ou ter spa ce in real life, or is it something vastly different, that you wil l continue to s ubtly deve lop in side quests wit h races like th e asu ra?

Jeff Grubb: The Mists are the building blocks of reality, the proto-reality that exists between the worlds. It is where we find afterlifes and the homes of the various gods and other pow-erful entities. The Mists also resonate from the worlds around them, such that they form bits of their own reality – islands of existence that reflect the histories of their worlds. In GW2, our PVP will take place in the Mists. GuildMag: What happened to King Jadon of Kryta? He abandoned his throne, but where

GuildMag: What happened to King Jadon of Kryta? He aban doned his th rone , but where did he go? Is he still alive during Guild Wars Beyond, in exi le somewhere? Might he try to reclaim the throne, or might some later child of his -- born in exile -- assert some claim to it? This could tie in to the various conflicts that Salma has to face over th e n ex t few yea rs. Je ff Grubb: The ti des of history have closed over King Jadon and the rest of the royal family . While it is possible that his family may have survived, no word of it has come down into the present ti me.

GuildMag: Can you give us more information on the Great Dwarf, is he really a god or more like a powerful spirit (like the spirits of the wild)? Jeff Grubb: The Great Dwarf can best be thought of as collective consciousness of the dwarves themselves (indeed, in making the prophesy of the Great Dwarf defeating the Great Destroyer coming true). Has anyone MET the Great Dwarf, and found him to be a real being? Well, that has not happened. The whole question of gods is based upon culture. The humans have tangible, powerful

The whole question of gods is based upon culture. The humans have tangible, powerful beings that they can interact with – hence, gods. The spirits of the norn also fit that descrip-tion, so humans would call these beings “gods” as well. Norn would disagree. And describe the human gods as being “Spirits of Action” of the humans – Balthazar is obviously War, and should be spoken of as such. Kormir is Knowledge, and calling her Kormir is a quaint human thing. Similarly, the humans would say that asura have no gods, or that they worship some con

Similarly, the humans would say that asura have no gods, or that they worship some con- cept. The asura would say that the Eternal Alchemy is obviously a true way of looking at the universe, and that that human gods were merely functions in that equation (really BIG func- tions, but functions nonetheless). And while the Charr recognize the humans gods as powe rful patrons, they reject those pa- trons as being all-powe rful or worthy of ve neration. Inde ed, such worship makes the wor- shippers weak.

GuildMag, the unofficial Gui ld Wars magazi ne

Interview | Page 15/5 0

By Dut ch Su nsh in e

GuildMag: Are there any tidbits about the Nightmare Court you could toss our way? Jeff Grubb: The Nightmare Court is shaping up nicely. More is revealed about them, and their relationship to Caithe, in the Edge of Destiny novel (plug, plug). GuildMag: Primordus was the first one to awake. While (most of) the other dragons moved places (be it raising a continent or flying south), Primordus decided to stay in the Depths of Tyria. Why did it decide to stay there? Jeff Grubb: Primordus has remained beneath the surface, but that doesn’t mean he hasn’t

Jeff Grubb: Primordus has remained beneath the surface, but that doesn’t mean he hasn’t moved around. He has been clearing huge tracks of the underground regions of the world, and his activities have sent a number of other races to the surface, including one that the asura are all-too-familiar with – the rodential skritt. As a result of his activities, the minions of Primordus can be found almost anywhere on the surface. GuildMag: In a previous interview that we did with Colin Johanson he mentioned that

GuildMag: In a previous interview that we did with Colin Johanson he mentio ned that you were able to tell us more about the Dominion of Winds as seen on the map that went with Ghosts of Ascalon. Even though it will not be accessible from the start, can yo u tell us wha t’s so specia l about t his l andm ark? Jeff Grubb: Two words – Tengu City.

GuildMag: There were many unexplained features of the landsc ape of Tyri a tha t le d to the formation of a subgroup of fans interested in lore. We kno w this is par tly being tack- led with translatable signs, but will we see more examples of places wit hou t mu ch de- scription or with lots of mystery , like Wizard' s Tower in Kessex Pe ak, the T alm ark Pil lar s in the Wilderness, and so fo rth, in GW2?

Jeff Grubb: Yes. While we are regularly going through the world, there are always cool addi-tions which in turn create new stories. Some of them will have translatable signs, and others will be easter eggs or plans for the future. And oh yes, the Wizard’s Tower in Kessex Peak is still around, but has been towed to a new location by its current owner. GuildMag: In the original Guild Wars we’ve already seen three of the five bloodstones, will we be able to find the other two and could you tell us some more about them? Jeff Grubb: We are not revealing what has become of the Bloodstones yet, but they may

Jeff Grubb: We are not revealing what has become of the Bloodstones yet, but they may have an influence in future expansions. GuildMag: Why did only the inhabitants of Ebonhawke survive the Foefire, which has killed every other human in Ascalon and turned them into ghosts? Jeff Grubb: Ebonhawke was not part of Ascalon at the point, though it was an outpost. It was beyond the effects of the spell. GuildMag: In the Ghosts of Ascalon book, an unnamed imperator of the Flame Legion is

GuildMag: In the Ghosts of Asca lon book, an u nnam ed imp er ato r of the Flame Legion is mentioned to have had the Claw of the Khan-Ur. Where did he find the Claw and wh at was the imperat or’s nam e? Jeff Grubb: The Flame Legion Impe rator who lost the Claw has had his name struck from the records and carved from the monuments. His story has not bee n revealed.

GuildMag, the unofficial Gui ld Wars magazi ne

Game | Page 16/50

By This tle Xand r a

As you leave the Eye of the North, you make a right and wander over to Gwen’s garden. You take a moment to admire the hard work of Gwen and then kneel to gather in the scent of a Red Iris. Suddenly, you get the eerie feeling someone is watching you. Slowly, you stand, straining to hear any threats. You turn around, weapon ready. You see nothing, only hearing the strange chime from some unseen source. You scan the area before you, star?ng to suspect your imagina?on was just going wild. You relax, turn back to the flower, and ?nd yourself face-to-face with a blue-eyed, snowy-feathered moa. With a startled yelp, you jump back and bump into something very large and very so?.

You ?nd them in Gwen’ s

Can you get them any other way? You can unlock them using Zaishen coins or Balthazar Fac?on at the Zaishen Menagerie. Are we going to get a new Jingle animal for Wintersday 2010? The Jingle Bear was introduced in 2008... the White Jingle Moa in 2009. Hopefully, we can look forward to another Jingle animal for 2010! Jingle animal fun facts:

Jingle animal fu n fa cts: - There aren’t any Jingle cubs or chicks in the Zaishe n Menage rie . - Jingle creatures will not a:ack you whe n trying to charm it, which means you can’t death-le v el them. - Jingle animals have a re d coll ar with bells on them that actually… jingle .

A Guild Master, Th at Is

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Interview | Page 17/5 0

By Izari

The Order of Dii is one of the oldest and largest guilds in the history of the game, thanks to their strong presence on popular community site IncGamers. While the reins have switched hands since its inception, the most recent leader, Alaris Mystique, shares how heading up Dii has been over the past two years! Q: So how long have you been heading up your guild? The guild was formed just before Prophecies was

The guild was formed just before Prophecies was released, but I only joined Guild Wars when Nightfall was released. I was promoted to Guild Leader on November 18, 2008, so 2 years ago. Q: What is your primary focus? (PvE, PvP, Social, whatever happens, happens?) Whatever happens, really. We tend to be more PvE /

Whatever happens, really. We tend to be more PvE / social, but sometimes we get enough people interested in GvG or elite areas, so those intereste d in those things can do that. We really want to be a place that people feel comfortable doing what they wan t.

Q: How did you decide you wanted to lead your own guild? Did it happen right away or was it a gradual thing? Definitely gradual. I started as a recruitment officer and generally got more involved in trying to settle issues between members of the Guild and Alliance. Q: Did you set up any goal for how you wanted to run

Q: Did you set up any goal fo r how you wanted to run things or what your focu s wa s goin g to be ? Democracy and friendship. We have a long tradition of relying on polls for important decisions, and of considering other's opini ons. I wante d to keep that going, especially the part about listening to diffe rent opinions and seeing if a compromise was possible.

Guild Wars is a game that focuses heavily on the 'guild' part, and we can only hope and expect the same to be true for Guild Wars 2. And when ArenaNet introduced Alliances with the Factions campaign, the leadership role took on a whole other level. Managing a single guild was hard enough, but an alliance of 10? Now that's something. In order to shed some light and hopefully bring about a

In order to shed some light and ho pefully b ring ab out a new appreciation for what it takes to lead a strong an d successful guild and alliance, I asked some of these brave individuals to share their experie nces over the past few years, both good and bad .

A look into the minds of Tyria's Guild Leaders The role of the Guild Master, or Guild Leader, is as

The role of the Guild Master, or Guild Leade r, is as varied and ambiguous as the types of guilds that exist across the RPG gaming unive rse. But regar dle ss of what kind of crew you call home -- from 5-man table top dice-rolling to 300-m ember cross game clans-- there will always exist the ne e d for a central figurehead who calls the shots. The y go by many names: Dungeon Master, Clan Leader, Guild Master,

names: Dungeon Master, Clan Leader, Guild Master, and, of course, Guild Le ader.

The involvement that a leader has with his or he r guild can vary greatly. Some guilds run socially , both in terms of member relationships and ove rall management, while others rule with an iron-fist in order to ensure top-notch perf orman ce and progression. Many players wi ll se e guild le ade rs as almost on another level; they can be idolized as a matriarch or fiercely resented, but their position, for

matriarch or fiercely resented, but their position, for better or for worse, is always recognized. The re is no clear-cut way to decide what system to use or how involved to get; it all de pends on the goal that e very fearless leader makes the moment they decide to take up the challenge.

There is one thing, though, that every guild leader past and present knows is true: the position is sometimes a thankless job and carries with it a lot of responsibility and frustration. The decisions that have to be made are often difficult ones and it's rare to find no opposition from their members. But on the same token, it can be one of the most fulfilling

But on the same token, it can be one of the most fulfillin g aspects of gaming. Guilds can easily become as close as family and the memories will ofte n trump the hardshi ps. Many lives have been saved in one way or anothe r because of a supportive gaming clan, and many lasting frie ndships

Order of Dii

A Guild Master, Th at Is

GuildMag, the unofficial Guild Wars magazi ne

Interview | Page 18/5 0

By Izari

Q: For Guild Wars 2, do you and your guild plan on migrating over to the new game? Yes, absolutely. We have a thread (or more) about that topic, and I'm sure that as we know more about GW2, we'll start planning in more details how we'll build Dii in GW2. Q: Do you have any goals or plans for how you'll run things in GW2? Will it be different or similar? It will be the same, except that with the influx of new

It will be the same, except that with the influx of new players, we'll have to be more strict on the recruitment rules. We've relaxed the rules a bit to make the recruitment less painful during the drought. But over 6 years, we've figured out rules and attitudes that work pretty well, why change the formula? Q: Now for some wisdom: if you could go back to that day

Q: Now for some wisdom: if you could go back to that day you decided to start your own guild, and give yourself one piece of advice (or even a warning!) what would it be? Get to know your members, and appreciate them for what they can bring to your guild. This is something I still don't do enough. Q: Any final pieces of advice for aspiring guild masters? Be an officer for as long as you can, and really try to learn

Be an officer for as long as you can, and re ally try to learn the job from that position. Some people become guild leaders just because they want to an d so they s tart their own guild by themselves, or because they want things do ne their way (that's always a bad reason). But what they don 't realize is everything needed to make it work. By being an active officer, you learn a lot about what makes a guild. Your guild might be different from the one you were officer

Your guild might be different from the one you were officer in, but at least you'll alre ady have tons of e xperience on what to do and what to avoid... and how to be good to your members. The early times of a guild are hard because you need a critical mass so that pe ople who join actually stay. If in addition you lose me mbers because you make mistakes... it can make leadership a frustrating expe rience. I've learned a lot about le adership first as a recr uitment

I've learned a lot about le adership fi rst a s a recrui tme nt o ffi cer (I was not a full o ffi cer un ti l late r), then as o ffi cer helping out with diplomacy.

Q: Do you think it's a good or bad thing to get emotionally attached to your guild and its members? Good. You need to stay objective in

Good. You need to stay objective in your decisions, but you should also care about them and their well-being. One does not preclude the other if you're careful not to become biased. Q: Do you think it helps or makes things more difficult? It's difficult if you can't do both. But if you can be attached

It's difficult if you can't do both. But if you can be attached as well as objective, then it's much better than being either more exclusively. Q: Do you ever feel people don't appreciate what you do? I feel they appreciate me more than my real worth! lol. I'd

I feel they appreciate me more than my real worth! lol. I'd like to say thanks to Lensor for all the co-leadership help, as well as all the extra help officers have put in over the years to help make Dii what it is today. Q: What's one of the best memories you've had with your guild? Doing elite missions together with several members who

Doing elite missions together with several members who had never been in an elite mission (often, that included me), using BYOB (slightly modified so we'd have a fair chance at a win, but not PvX builds). There's nothing more fun than a bunch of casual players doing elite content together (and completing it, even if not on first try). My second best memory would be activities we organized

My second best memory would be activities we organized that turned out well, like our 6th Anniversary (thanks Lensor for all the good work on that).

Q: How have things changed since then? We've managed to maintain a good atmosphere despite our fairly large member list and sometimes diverging interests. Q: Were you successful? Did you ever reach those first goals? Of course we were, because I am the best leader ever,

Of course we were, because I am the best leader ever, right? lol... I'd rather let my Guild mates tell me if I was successful, they would be less biased than me. We've had a few bugs to work through, but I think that we managed to work them out satisfactorily most of the times. Q: Did you have to change your game-plan to fit your members at all? My game plan comes from Dii members, so I guess the

My game plan comes from Dii members, so I guess the answer to this question is "never". It requires the leadership a lot of flexibility and open-mindedness though... at one point I was defending the interests of GvGers even though I have yet to even try GvGing. Q: What was one of the hardest decisions you had to

Conflict between members is always really hard to handle, especially if you get to know them. Some members are just trouble and it's easy to kick them out, but when you have to deal with a member that has both great qualities and a bad temper, it can get really difficult to manage. It seems every guild has some members like that, though it

It seems every guild has some members like that, though it might not be a bad temper but something else. I trie d to control his temper, but looking back, I should have be en more supportive instead (or at least in addition). I think we all recovered from that event, but the moo d was down fo r a while during and afte r that event. I admit that I could have handled the situation better... I think some of the negative feelings could have bee n avoided if I had handl e d

negative feelings could have bee n avoided if I had handle d it bette r.

A Guild Master, Th at Is

GuildMag, the unofficial Gui ld Wars magazi ne

Interview | Page 19/5 0

By Izari

Tasha Darke

Its a real mixed bag. On the one hand I’ve made some life long friends playing Guild Wars and that’ s something I wouldn’t have got if I hadn’t gotten attached . The flip side is that you can get too involve d and over analyze things. If someone leaves, it's very easy to blame yourself or the way the guild currently is, but it just may be that you are n’t catering to what they need - and you do n’t need to cater for everything. As long as you can take a step back from

for everything. As l ong as you can take a step back from the personal relationships and re main impartial whe n its needed then I think only positive things can be gaine d.

A lot of PvE guilds are focused on a spe cific aspect of the game, like speed clears and that's what people expecte d when they saw PvE in adverts. But that's not really what we offered, and it made recruitment challenging for a while. While a lot of us are title ori entated, it wil l take us a long time to get there because we do so many o ther things along the route. So people joining to gain a spe cific title would get frustrated, because it would tak e a lot longer to

would get frustrated, because it would tak e a lot longer to achieve than they wanted it to.

Once we changed that to emphasize the social side of what we were doing we saw a much better success rate wi th recruitment. A side effect of this was having to limi t the quantity of people we invite d to k eep the same atmosphere. Its also quite a challe nge to cater to the variety of inte rests that a social guild covers while k eepi ng the numbers low enough to keep it friendl y - we have members who are RA experts, ex-top 200 GvGers, speed

members who are RA experts, ex-top 200 GvGers, speed clear nuts, traders, experimenters as well as people who just like to chill out! Q: What was one of the hardest deci sions you had to make as a leader? How did people react? Was it goo d or ba d?

I think the hardest decision I had to make was that to leave our previous alliance. There were a lot of people there we had some very good times with, but we were headed in different directions and I wasn’t happy there as a player. Luckily our guild members were supportive of the move. Q: What's one of the best memories you've had with your guild? So so many but if I have to pick...in game I think it has to be

So so many but if I have to pick...in game I think it has to be one of our general knowledge quizzes be cause nearly everyone got involved. It didn’t matter if they knew the answers or were aiming for a prize or not, as those who didn’t just shouted out random answers which made the evening hilarious. Out of game , probably this August when a few of us went to Gamescom to play Guild Wars 2. It was the first time many of us had met in real life but y ou

the first time many of us had met in real life but y ou couldn’t have told. Good time s!

Tasha Darke of Mystic Spiral Q: So how long have you been heading up your guild? 4 ½ years now, give or take a few months here and there

4 ½ years now, give or take a few months here and there where its been necessary to have a break. Mystic Spiral is primarily a social guild, and as a result the focus changes depending on what people want to do. Mostly that's various forms of PvE but we’ve also dipped our toes into GvG and HA in the past. Q: How did you decide you wanted to lead your own

Q: How did you decide you wanted to lead your own guild? Did it happen right away or was it a gradual thing? The decision was made in Spring 2006 after leaving my previous guild for personal reasons. Over the course of a week on my own and being frustrated at what was being offered in local chat, a couple of friends and I banded together to try and create something a bit different. Q: Did you set up any goal for how you wanted to run

We knew we wanted a guild that focused on the people behind the characters and that took the time to get to know its members. Also I didn’t want the title of “l e ader” to mean much. I contemplated setting a mule account to be leader at the very start but decided against it as pe ople regard an active leader as a sign of a he althy guild. I still only regard myself as leader because someone has to be. The main short term aims were just to get some more

The main short term aims were just to get some more members and see how easy or hard recruitment woul d be. At the time we were very much thinking ab out things in a PvE vs PvP standpoint and side d very heavi ly on the P vE.

Q: How have things changed since then? Were you successful? Did you ever reach those first goals? Did y ou have to change your game-plan to fit your m em bers at al l? Well we went from 2 members t o our current numbers of 85! It took us a long ti me to realise that PvE wasn’t really an accurate descrip ti on o f what we had to o ff er pe ople.

A Guild Master, Th at Is

GuildMag, the unofficial Guild Wars m agazi ne

Interview | Page 20/5 0

By Izari

'Abbots can't go changing their minds all the time. You'll find this o ut. T he important thing about be ing a leader is not being right or wrong, but being certain. Othe rwise people wouldn't know what to think. Of co urse, it he lp s to be right as well', the Abb ot conceded."

conceded."

Remember that the words you use and how you say them will be the first impression strange rs get of you. Take the time to use correct spelling and grammar, and you’l l present yourself in the best light. Learn the balance between stifling a group with rules and allowing bad behaviour to run riot. Its OK to be wrong on occasion as long as you’re honest about it. My final though ts to any aspiring leade r come from Truckers by Terry Pratchett:

aspiring leade r come from Truckers by Terry Pratche tt:

Q: Do you ever feel people don't appreciate what you do? I think it's easy for people who haven’t been in charge of a guild to misunderstand what's involved in making something lasting. Generally it involves a lot of talking to a lot of people, both

Generally it involves a lot of talking to a lot of people, both inside and outside the guild. There’s recruiting, organizing events, keeping an eye on things and nipping problems before they become noticeable, keeping good relations with the alliance... and that's all before you get to go out of the guild hall! All that being said, I do feel appreciated for the effort that

All that being said, I do feel appreciated for the effort that gets put in, the same way I appreciate everyone who helps me out. Q: For Guild Wars 2, do you and your guild plan on migrating over to the new game? Do you have any goals or plans for how you'll run things in GW2? Will it be different or similar? Yes, we plan on establishing ourselves in Guild Wars 2 as

Yes, we plan on establishing ourselves in Guild Wars 2 as quickly as possible. Migration will be nearly impossible as some members won’t have the means or the will to move to the sequel but we’ll do our best to support both groups going forward. We already cope with a community inside Guild Wars and another based on Steam chat containing members that play a variety of different games together. The goals for MYST in Guild Wars 2 will be the same - make

The goals for MYST in Guild Wars 2 wil l be the same - make friends, have fun, get the job done. I plan on de legating more and better spreading control of the guild with 2 other people, as well as redeveloping our web presence. Other than that we’ll see what become s popular and run with that! I think we’re all look ing forward to being ne wbies again.

GuildMag, the unofficial Gui ld Wars magazi ne

Game | Page 21/50

By Fr ee Runn er

Long ago, Wintersday was constantly won by Dwayna, a winning streak that is said to have lasted fifty years. No matter what they did, Grenths supporters were beaten as Kryta was filled with Dwayna supporters causing Grenth to lose his icy grasp on Tyria each time. Grenth's followers became sick of this winning streak and began to devise a plan - the coming Wintersday would be Grenth's for sure this time!

this time!

The supporters of Grenth began creating gifts and set out to the temples where Dwayna's clergy gathered. They claimed that Dwayna was destined to win the coming Win-tersday and so they would join her side, presenting the gifts to them. The clergy who were known to always be-lieve the best in everyone were delighted that the enemies they had battled each winter were now allies. They each began ripping into the gifts.

The celebration of Winte rsday is known to primarily take place in Tyria, however the land of the golden sun, Elona is also known to celebrate it, even going as far as to mirror the snowfall of Tyria by having hydromance rs decorate the city of Kamadan with snow. On both continents, the sup- porters of the two gods descend upon the towns, each spreading the word of their chosen deity. Supporte rs of Dwayna will do whatever the y can to bring spring to Tyr ia,

Dwayna will do whatever they can to bring spring to Tyr ia, spreading cheer, singing carols and giving gifts. Howev er the supporters of Grenth are also ready to p ull out all the stops to keep Tyria under the snow using mischie vous tricks and sabotaging Dwayna's supporters. Due to this, Dwayna has been known to constantly beat Grenth at Wintersday...though this was not the case one Wintersday.

Dwaynas followers will do whate ver they can to bring in Spring, while Grenths followers will pul l out al l the stop s to stop Dwayna, and plunge Tyria into an extende d winter. Dwayna is known to constantly be at Grenth each year however that changed one Wintersd ay.

"Wintersday approaches, can you all see the signs? The grentchies and the snowmen will soon all align. For a battle in the end is what we shall face; To determine the wintery fate of the whole human race. Dwayna and Grenth will vie for our favor; Through threats and presents of a wintergreen flavor. In the end one shall win, one shall surely prevail;

In the end one shall win, one shall surely prevail; And the length of the winter is the final detail. So stock up on snowballs and clear all your packs; For gifts of all sorts will rain down on your backs. And if you should see a small urchin or three; Remember the spirit of the season — 'Tis better to give than receive." - ArenaNet

At the end of the year during the season of the Colossus, Tyria begins to feel the cold harshness of winter as snow begins to fall on the cities of Lions Arch and Ascalon. As the days count down to coming of spring, forces begin to move throughout Tyria, each with intent to serve their masters. For at the end of Colossus, a battle between life and death begins in order to decide the fate of the coming year -whether the next season should feel the warmth of spring

whether the next season should feel the warmth of sp ring or b e consumed by the cold grip of winter all ye ar around. That This ba tt le i s known as Wintersday.

On Wintersday, two of the six gods - the goddess of life and air, Dwayna, and Grenth, god of ice and death - compete for the coming season. Should Dwayna win, the cold winter of Colossus will e nd and the season of the Zephr, com- monly known as spring, would begin bringing light and warmth to Tyria. Though should Gre nth win, then the winter would continue into the Zephr causing Tyria to be shrouded by the cold darkness for the coming year.

shrouded by the cold darkness for the coming year.

GuildMag, the unofficial Guild Wars magazi ne

Event | Page 23/50

We will be partying it up throughout the hol ida ys! Santa will be roaming around all of Tyria durin g t he even t, so make sure that you are tuned in to find out where h is exact location is! You won't want to mis s out when he starts to hand out goodies! This can be any tim e of the day and he will show up at least 10 tim es....or MORE each da y!

12 days of wintersday schedule 20th - Lion's Arch Internaeonal 1 21st - Eye of the North Internaeonal 1 22nd - Droknar's Forge Internaeonal 1 23rd - Kamadan Internaeonal 1 24th - Eye of the North Internaeonal 1 25th - Ascalon City Internaeonal 1

25th - Ascalon City Internaeonal 1 26th - Lion's Arch Internaeonal 1, 2, 3 ( With Rudi's Quest) 27th - Droknar's Forge Internaeonal 1 28th - Kamadan Internaeonal 1 29th - Eye Of the North Internaeonal 1 30th - Ascalon City Internaeonal 1 31st/1st - Lion's Arch Tradieonal Chinese 1, 2 (Depending on

31st/1st - Lion's Arch Tradieonal Chinese 1, 2 (Depending on Hat/Mask ) * We will have a special Dj Schedule Update on De cember 1 9th, to reflect which Djs will be djing throughout the holiday. Please check out the Dj Schedule seceon of our website during that eme*

For the finale of 12 Days of Wintersday and announcing the Singing Compeeeon winners! More Details to Come as the dates get closer...so check back often! and... Happy Holidays from the Gaming World Enter

Happy Holidays from the Gaming World Enter- tainment N etwork!

GuildMag, the unofficial Guild Wars magazi ne

Fashio n | Page 24/50

By Izari

For travel, Norn Woads, bandanas, and hats will keep heads warm and protected from harsh weather. Sunglas ses aren't a bad idea either to shield your ey es from br ight, re - flecdve snow. She lve the Destroyer gloves in favor of Chaos for winter. High boots are a must when travel ing as is modest clothin g. Mon ks shou ld try to avoid san dals!

Check out our Holiday Costume special secdon for images from this past Halloween. But don't fret! As always, we have a "Who wore it best" challenge for you guys: Winter Companions! Take a shot in a snowy area (or major cides during the holidays) with your favorite pet or minipet by your side. Send screenshots to

Who beser to look to for the warmest threads for the deep winter than our mountain-dwe lling neighbors to the north? The Norn and Dwarves know cold, and fash io n can have funcdon when crafted by these expert armorers. With th eir soft furs and thick material, just about anything from Gu n- nar's Hold will work we ll for the season, par dcular ly for monks, dervishes, and mesmers. As an alte rnadv e, The Granite Citadel offers great winte r-ready elite sets for rang

Granite Citadel offers great winte r-ready elite sets for rang - ers and elementalists, and Droks provides a good se t for warr iors. Steer clear of thin materials and re vealing outfi ts (Ye s Eli te Luxon / Sunspear, we're looking at you!).

For those willing to spend some e xtra bucks, more formal attire is available thanks to the love ly designers responsi bl e for Gwen and Keiran's wedding. Loose , flowy dresses are a must for those fancy affairs. Dwayna's lovely go wn from last year will have its place at the banquets as a classi c, and the white mantle regalia will also be trendy during this season. Avoid loud and garish Hallowee n costumes unless you want to spook th e in -laws.

you want to spook th e in -laws.

As if the excitement of Halloween wasn't enough, the holi- day season is in full swing now, and we sdll have much more to look forward to. The event that defines the snowy season is Wintersday, where the historical basle be tween light and darkne ss has a world-wide influence: from food to fesdvides and, of course, fashion! regional palettes

All the warm and bright hues have now bee n fully dis- placed by cool colors. Snowy blues, icy purples, and lus- trous metals take the center stage and keep things in ter- esdng to b oo t.

Tyria's paleses are influenced by creadve Asuran technol-ogy: lightning blue, silver-white, and a hint of gold are the tones to look for in your armor this season. Closer to the holidays, bright red and green make a come-back during the Wintersday celebradon. Canthans may not celebrate the Tyrian holidays as fever

Canthans may not celebrate the Tyrian holidays as fe ver- ishly as their northern brethren, but they have their own special dme to look forward to not long afte r. Canthan New year is right around the corner, and as such, the colors to look out for are soft glowy yellow, deep crimson, and, sur- prisingly, light pi nk s.

Elona celebrates the winte r fesdvals with enthusiasm as well, mixing their local flavor with the holiday the m e by ringing in dark velvety blue, deep forest gree ns, and am- ethyst purple.

GuildMag, the unofficial Guild Wars magazi ne

Interview | Page 25/50

By Dut ch Su nsh in e

Dutch: From our interview with Mad Queen Malafide we learned that you teamed up to do the King's and Queen's Horrorween, and we know quite a bit about that already, but what did you do before that event came to be? Daniel: Many years ago when I was still a mortal walking amongst mere newbies, Tyria was still very young and was about to experience its very first Wintersday as a result of the Goddess of light and air Dwayna and the God of Death and Ice, Grenth having a bit of a domestic disagreement. Needless to say, it was a very magical time for all of us who were present in Lion’s Arch. I

Needless to say, it was a very magical time for all of us who we re present in Lion’s Arch. I will always remember how the snowball started rolling for my community w ork. How I shall reveal exclusively to GuildMag re ade rs... It started with exactly 100 gold coins. ..

Dutch Sunshine: Look who we got here, it's Daniel Frozenwind! What's up? Daniel Frozenwind: Why hello there! I do believe it's the sky! But kidding aside, I'm feeling frankly frivolous! Dutch: Sounds chilly, though I'm sure our readers would like to know more about you! Give us an introduction! Daniel: Certainly! Ladies and Gentlemen, Mesmers and God's walking

I am what I like to believe a sort of e nvoy for the holiday spirit, a Community Organizer/Supporter so to speak. I have made many dear friends in my agele ss time in Tyria, without whom I could have ne ver achieved some of the more spectacular events and activities that have been enjoyed by the masses. Of course there is the Mad Que en Malafide, whom helps me concoct many marvelous sights a nd spectacles! And so many others to list here, you know who you are. I love the Guild Wars community’s vibe when they all come together;

love the Guild Wars community’s vibe when they all come togethe r; it’ s why I do what I d o. Dutch: So, you say you're king of the snowmen, is it hard, living as one?

Daniel: Much harder than I ever let on, other than training everyday to master the art of ventriloquism to speak to mortals (I dare you to see my mouth move!) I’m in nigh constant demand from my subjects...Oh and I have to babysit Death. Other than that, it’s pretty “ice”. Dutch: Babysit Death? That must be a difficult task! Daniel: I keep The Emperor of Oblivion, Dhuum, whom seeks every waking minute to

Daniel: I keep The Emperor of Oblivion, Dhuum, whom seeks e ver y wak ing minute to break free of his bonds and reign the Underworld once more, sealed in the Hall of Judgment. It is no easy task, but someone has got to do it. It’s a grim th ankless task I must undertake, of which a ce rtain king has no right to call me a fruitcake for! Then again he IS mad.

GuildMag, the unofficial Gui ld Wars magazi ne

Interview | Page 26/5 0

By Dut ch Su nsh in e

Dutch: I heard you like rabbits, care to explain? Daniel: Other than the immediate compulsion to return to the Underworld my response is: Follow the white rabbit near Drakkar Lake, and then ask me that. Alterna?vely if you value your sanity, you could read “The Rabbit Conspiracy” found in the Odd Book on my wiki page. Dutch: Okay, so you have a great passion for them..... Moving on, well, we asked

Daniel: By world you mean Tyria right? Because I don't think people should know about the an?cs I play on people in real life , if they ever get too close for the Snowman’s comfort. Remind me to tell you some ?me about two guys in a web-cafe. This “Fame ” is not all it’s cracked up to be. Sadly in e very community there will always be the trolls, although they haven’t had an e?ect on my gameplay or my events, my works are visual and can act as a beacon to them. I learnt to not stoop to their level, even if they can be a hassle to others I work with, there is a quick and easy solu?on of a mass /report or a friendly GM attending the event to swiftly dispatch Dhuum. Also another drawback is the

friendly GM attending the event to swiftly dispatch Dhuum. Also anothe r drawback is the barrage of personal messages I get in-game, it could quite possibly be li kene d to Spamadan, at about half the speed.

I saw everyone having such fun interac?ng with everyone else at Wintersday that I de cided that I would provide free gold out of my ve ry small at the ?me co? ers, to any one who could answer some basic riddles about Wintersday. I soon had a some what large crowd around me, and people started to

crowd around me, and people started to give me money and items of their own accord to con?nue with the ac?vity . Thi s soon became an annual occurrence, as more and more people would be wai?ng for me to show up, much like they do fo r Thorn. I started to gather more ac?vi ?es and event ideas under my belt, as well as

and event ideas under my b elt, as well as new friends to expand the scope of these humble beginnings. My ?rst true recognized “community eve nt” was King Frost’s Winte rsday Extravaganza, while Mala?de had the then unnamed Halloween event, which would the n lead to the Horrorween Grand Even t Arc whe n

to the Horrorween Grand Event Arc when we ?nally teamed up. King Frost’s Wintersday Extravaganza was my ?rst true foray into community work. As last note on this ques?on, Rahja’s Masquerade Ball was a great influence for me; both me and him had di?erent event styles that I feel I hybridized over ?me when I took over for him for the Balls thereafter. I have nothing but respect for that man.

Dutch: That does sum up your past quite well, any hints or ideas you got for the future which you want to divulge? Daniel: I have a term I like to use called: it’s a Snowman Secret using Snowman Science. But alas, I would hate to disappoint your readers so I shall leave them on a cli? to hang with a bunch of skree instead! It involves ?nding a Top Hat to last me 250 years. A dragon proof Carrot and a

It involves ?nding a Top Hat to last me 250 years. A dragon proof Carrot and a yet-to-be-built Band Stand in a place that does not exist, yet I am told is reachable to people after a divine purpose. Make of that what you will.

GuildMag, the unofficial Gui ld Wars magazi ne

Interview | Page 27/5 0

By Dut ch Su nsh in e

In regards to gameplay, it can be a double-edged sword. Sometimes it can produce extremely humorous situations and other times I wish I had just gone with my friends/guildies. Take a trip to the Underworld one time with me and see what happens when a player makes the connection between the player and the puppet. Hilarity usually ensues. Whereas Malafide gets a lot of marriage proposals

Whereas Malafide gets a lot of marriage proposals (even better now of the new costumes!) I get a fair share of the weird experiences too, such as what color are my undergarments or would I be able to produce said person with an heir, in much cruder terms of course. I tend to play away from the populated districts as I’m

I tend to play away from the populated districts as I’m often caught by a passerby. All in all, I have alternate accounts I play on to hide away from The Snowman King, although I have left clues on how to contact me in various places. Dutch: Any tips on how our readers should spend

Daniel: In game, with your guildies and friends. Consuming as much booze, party and sweet items as possible, while having fun doing seasonal or random adventures, an added bonus is if you mirror that in real life at the same time! I dare any of you to do Frostmaw’s Burrows drunk

I dare any of you to do Frostmaw’s Burrows drunk in-game and in real life and tell me you didn’t find it insane in a good way. Outside of the game, to me, family is the most important thing at Wintersday, spending time with them using as many booze, party and sweet items as possible is one of the best things ever! ...Oh and of course....

.. .Oh and of co urse. ... Building Snowme n

Dutch: Well, that's it, anything else you might want to add as a last note? Daniel: Firstly, a big THANK YOU for donating so much at the recent Pink Day in LA. The candy floss colored Snowman, would like to extend his appreciation to Gw-en.com, its staff, and EVERYONE who was involved. I would also like to leave a message here for the many

I would also like to leave a message here for the many thousands of playe rs I have had the pleasure of meeting. For the support from the community and a good amount of frie nds, all your varied outlooks have helped me keep things running how they should, never to have a dull moment. Without you, these e vents would never have been so well received. In essence I did not make these events but you did, each and e very

did not make these events but you did, each and e very one of you. Dutch: Yeah, it was a great event and really showe d some awesome dedicated comm unit y w or k. Tha nks for your ti m e! Daniel: Thank you for the interest, best of luck to GuildMag for the future!

GuildMag, the unofficial Gui ld Wars magazi ne

Fan-Fiction | Page 28/50

By Velen tine

I tried to sneak past the drunken buffoons, bu t was noti ced when the Jotun we re able to smell the cider in my pack . Thinking quickly, and wishing not to be eaten alive, I ran into a nearby cave, with an entrance ju st small eno ugh fo r a human to crawl into. Fortunately, I found some more ice imps in the cave and quickly dispatche d of them while the y were sleeping. Off in the corner I saw something miracu- lous, a mountain of delicious pumpkin pie . Kormir and

lous, a mountain of delicious pumpkin pie . Kormir and Dwayna smiled upon me as I gorged on this moun tain of happine ss.

With a resurgence of energy I packed my tr avel k it and began north from my humble home in Fisherman's Haven . The trek East was dangerous, as it always has b een, bu t I found my spirits warmed by the apple cider I managed to scavenge. A few days into my adventure I had my fo od stolen by some nasty ice imps, and what's wor se , I notice d a tribe of Jotun had made their way south; now normally I would have dispatched them, but I had been a day without

would have dispatched them, but I had been a day without food and these Jotun seemed drunk and b lo odth irsty.

Seasonal Fare Autumn winds blow through the lands and shorter nights herald the coming of a special holiday. Often during this seasonal lull between the long, sweet days of summer and the short, bitter days of winter, my thoughts turn to my childhood and to fond memories of my grandmother's baked goods and the pungent odors wafting from grandfather's barn as he turned apples into cider. What brings this to mind is some interesting news I learned while traveling through

What may interest you, gentle readers, is that in the past, the participants of these surreptitious banquets have often left for home not fully in control of all of their faculties (much like my grandfather after a day of making cider), and have been known to unwittingly leave some of their wares along the roadside as their carts bump and carom along the cobbles, where they have been picked up by various denizens of the area. So, be on the alert in all three lands during the next several days, for you may find

So, be on the alert in all three lands during the next several days, for you may find means to acquire samples of the latest FOBB confections or beverages. If past harvest convention fare is any indicator, these tasty treats are sure to please. -The Scribe

Keiran Thackeray makes his trek home after his disappear-ance in the war for Kryta. Salma sits comfortably in her coastal throne, preparing for the chilly holiday that lurks around the corner. Cantha feels strange winds blowing this season; something lies in wait. All the while, whilst the world of Tyria revolves, the Guildmaster and Head Baker plans for one of Tyria's most mysterious holidays. Sweet Treat Weekend rears its delicious self on the third

Sweet Treat Weekend rears its delicious self on the th ird Wednesday in November and sticks—pun intended- around until the following Monday. During the se four days Tyrians, Canthans, Elonians, and even T engu find the m- selves surrounded by delicious pies and and endl ess sup- plie s of amazing apple cider. This delicious holiday, how- ever, is surrounded in a ve il of riddle s and lies. Scholars

around the world have tried to crack the case, b ut n ot many have succeeded.

I was looking through some old scrolls the other day, and I found something that caught my eye. This obje ct was an old dusty le tter whose wa x seal was still in place. “The Scribe” was all it read; one can only assume that this person was the author of this le tter. Intrigued, I began to lift the seal but only succeeded in ripping the de licate milky parchment. After a bit of careful maneuveri ng , I was able to pry out a folde d piece of parchment from the fragile en

to pry out a folde d piece of parchment from the fragile en- velope and delicate ly unfold it. Luckily the print was leg- ible .

After studying the letter and comparing it to a few other of The Scribe's letters I had come across in my travels, I con- firmed its legitimacy and began my studies. For nights I sac- rificed sleep for study and pore d over many olden tomes—which flared up my alle rgies—and made no prog- ress. One night, after what seemed like ages, sl ee p began to take hold, but in the instant—you know, that moment before your senses dull and your mind is lulle d into rest, I

before your senses dull and your mind is lulle d into rest, I had an idea.

GuildMag, the unofficial Guild Wars magazi ne

Fan-Fiction | Page 29/50

By Velen tine

Leaving the lab empty-handed and with the word “imbe- cile” ringing through my ears I returned back to my home in Fisherman's Haven and sat down to enjoy my colle ction of pie and cider. The pie s and cider began to grow thin the next day, and completely stopped appearing the day afte r that. It seems the mystery still remains, but perhap s I'll solve it ne xt year. The Fraternal Order can't hide forever, and the Tyrian scholar, Mel Hoppenheim, will bring l ig ht to

and the Tyrian scholar, Mel Hoppenheim, will bring l ight to this mystery. For now, I can revel in the comfort offered by this delicious pumpkin pie and pleasant, warm apple cider and prepare for the coming Wintersday. -Mel Hoppenh ei m

My mind wandered and I began to ponder the origins of such a machine. It seemed too ingenious for the Stone Summit to have worked up, and the dredge slaves in their custody probably couldn't construct something of that manner. I figured I would try and catch a word with Oola-she's generally the aficionado when it comes to golems and constructs. So, naturally, I made my way to Oola's lab. It was an easy

So, naturally, I made my way to Oola's lab. It was an e asy trek getting myself to the lab and an even easier stroll through he r lab—it seemed as if some adventurers had taken out the sentinels before I arrived. On the second level of her lab I found some thing shocking, smal le r repli- cas of the large golem I had witnessed in Sorrow's Fu rnace. Perhaps Oola had created the golem found in Sorro w's F ur-

nace. With this tho ught in mind I pressed on .

I confronted Oola and promptly asked her abou t the golem. She shot me down quick ly and began calling me a slough of names, adding every negative adjective in front of the word, “bookah” she cou ld fin d in h er vocabu lary- which is rather e xtensive, I must say. I was then scolded for helping in its demolishi ng for she wished to get in more re - search on it, for it appeared her replicas weren't in working order. After a bit of scolding I aske d her what she knew of

order. After a bit of scolding I aske d her what she knew of the Fraternal Order of Bakers and Brewers but received only more harsh words in re turn.

I was able to sneak out the next morning, noticing the Jotun were passed out from too much drinking the night before, and trekked onward. Finally I made my way to Grenth's Footprint; a disastrous

Finally I made my way to Grenth's Footprint; a disastrou s place it was. The oppressive Stone Summit surround ed the entrance to my research; I must press on for the sake of truth and discover. I wove in and out of hiding, cleverly making my way to the entrance of Sorrow's Furnace, and after a few clever maneuvers I had made it. I stood at th e entrance, my heart p oun ding in my ears an d my stomach in my throat, dreading what I was about to do when, fortu

my throat, dreading what I was about to do when, fortu- nately, a group of adventure rs came along.

We exchanged a few quick words, and I learned they were trying to unlock the secret of some mysterious stone egg; so we all had a reason to go. I joined them in their journey. The descent into the heart of the furnace was horrifying, but the seasoned adventurers and I made it through all right. The party finally made it into the heart of the forge. A giant

The party finally made it into the heart of the forge. A gian t mechanical golem sat stationary in the mi dd le of the room doing Dwayna knows what. Three Stone Su mmit stoo d upon large pedestals eating pie and enjoying apple cider. It seems the guild members of [FOBB] don't discriminate . Luckily we caught them unawares, dispatched the Sto ne Summit Clerics quickly and re leased the Djinn powe ring the gole m.

gole m.

The adventurers' eggs all hatched into a black moa chi cks, which was rather interesting and I had wished I could h ave studied them further, and they left happy and successful . I opted to stay behind and search the remains, h oping to find some insight into the matter of the Bakers. I examined the golem, expecting he was perhaps taking part in the mass-production of these pie s. After some quick searching, I found nothing pointing to the guild of bakers and brew

I found nothing pointing to the guild of bakers and brew- er s.

GuildMag, the unofficial Guild Wars magazi ne

Lore | Page 30/50

By dr axynnic

tion, as shown in his scriptures above . Combined with the darkness associated with his powe rs, this has perhaps con- tributed to Grenth’s followers showing a greater tendency to become villains or at least follow paths of dubio us mo- rality, with examples including Oberon, V erata, and possi- bly even the liches Khilbron and Palawa Joko. Howe ver, it must be remembered that there are heroes as well as vil

lains among those who follow Gre nth’s teachings.

Another contributing factor is, of course, the nature of Grenth’s domains. Death is something feared by many; and with his animal-skull mask (or is it a mask) and w raithlik e representatives, Grenth does little to pre sent a friendly image. His toleration and even spon sorship of un dead h as likely done little to ende ar him to the populace given the recent invasion of undead in Kryta and the less recen t inva- sion by Palawa’s forces of V abbi. It’s not just in the meta

sion by Palawa’s forces of V abbi. It’s not just in the meta- physical that Grenth is feared, however, as he also claims dominion over the dark nights and freezing snows that suck the life and warmth from those caught in adequ ately pre- pared during the winter months in coole r climates.

However, the largest factor may be Grenth’ s role as the judge of the gods – apart from those souls claimed in ad- vance by other forces or deities, those that die must even- tually submit to Gre nth’s judgement. While those that are judged worthy may pass on to Etern al Paradise or some other reward in the afterlife, for others those judgements can be quite harsh. Well-known examples include the two brothers who were transformed into serpents for att emp t

brothers who were transformed into serpents for att emp t- ing to take Grenth’s place, and the fiery torture visited to the invaders that murdered Hai Jii’s family, although the existence of the Envoys demonstrates that Grenth can offer a chance for redemption as well as pu nishment. The most infamous of his judgements coming to light since the events leading to Kormir’ s ascension, however, had been the casting of souls tainted by Abaddon’s touch in to th e

the casting of souls tainted by Abaddon’s touch in to th e Realm of Torment – a fate that could await t he virtuou s and valorous as well as the villainous. With the possibility of such harsh judgements, it is unsurprising that Gre nth

From the viewpoint of many, Grenth is perhaps the most sinister of the six gods in the current pantheon. Part of this is that while other deities seek qualities such as honour, courage, compassion, altruism, and conse rvation in their chosen followers, Grenth ope nly values power and ambi

GuildMag, the unofficial Gui ld Wars magazi ne

Lore | Page 31/50

By dr axynnic

As would be expected from a god of death, Grenth is a popular deity among professions that deal with the dead on a regular basis. N ecromancers are the most visible pro- fession associated with Grenth, often acting as undertakers and chroniclers of the dead when not engaged in comb at, experimentation, or religious obse rvations. Ritualists, w ith their focus on calling the spirits of the dead, also have a tendency towards following the deity who take s the most

tendency towards following the deity who take s the most responsibility over those spirits, although since other dei- ties (especially Dwayna) also take responsibil ity for the ir own chosen, this may not be unive rsal.

Members of professions that deal, or risk, death on a re gu- lar basis are also like ly to pay homage to Gre nth. Whil e this applies for all of the adventuring profe ssi ons, man y of the Canthan guilds of assassins, while primarily drawing from Lyssa’s principles of dual ity and deception, seek the bless- ing of Grenth before taking new assignations. Grenth’ s focus on cold an d ice also draws his attentio n towards the patronage of water elementalists, although the fall of

patronage of water elementalists, although the fall of Abaddon and rise of Kormir has sent ripples through the pantheon that some say may lead to change in this area. Like all the deities, Grenth is also se rved by holy der vishe s, who draw upon his teachings to freeze, cripple, and coun- ter the enchantments of their foes.

This aspect of cold and ice has spread into Gre nth’s super- natural servants. While Wintersday snowme n in the mortal world are normally associated with Dwayna, withi n the Un- derworld (for a description of which re aders are referred to my previous manuscript) an afterlife as a creature of ice is the reward for Grenth’s oldest and most devoted follo w- ers, serving as Grenth’s honour guard un der K ing Frozen

wind. His primary lieute nants, however, are the wr aithlik e Reapers, of whom each is granted responsibility ov er their own por ti o n of the Underworld .

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Lore | Page 32/50

By dr axynnic

Those simply passing by will have only vie wed the entrance – a wall constructed across a gap in the mountains contain- ing a gate, ramp, and platform arrangement in simi lar styl e to the jungle temple of Balthaz ar, flanked by two columns rising over the wall. Those stopping to enter – whe ther out of curiosity or to take refuge from the elements or the in- habitants of the pass – are greeted by a long, walled pas

sage, rows of columns rising on e ither side.

Continuing along the passage and over a gentle ridge re- veals a hidden dell surrounded by rocky cliffs, a lon e pine standing in defiance of the chill and snow. Only by pee ring around the crook in this blending of architec ture an d geog- raphy can a statue of Grenth be observed, reve aling to whom this place is dedicated. Cable s leading from three columns rising ove r the far cliff to a single column over the inside cliff serve some unknown architectural, artistic, or

inside cliff serve some unknown architectural, artistic, or ceremonial purpose .

While Grenth is viewed as a dark figure in our pantheon, his role is a necessary one. It’s n ot ju st that he stand s be- tween us and the much harsher ju dgemen ts that wo uld be given out to us by his predecessor, although in do in g so he grants us a life after death for as long as he maintains hi s power. However, there must be someon e to stand for those things that mortals gene rally prefer not to consider. Furthermore, while his judgements may be stern, such

Furthermore, while his judgements may be stern, such sternness is required – for what incentive would it provide to behave properly in this world if the judge of the next was not one to be feared by the guilty?

ing the records are typically writers of play s and poems, with death and honouring of the dead b ein g co mmo n themes. Located on the southern edge of Moro stav Trail, the Durheim Archives are often the first Kurzick h ouse to fall when the Luxon nation is asce ndant – it is perhaps for- tunate, then, that the Luxons have not despoiled the re - cords, whether out of respect or of fear for Grenth’s wrath .

Off the shores of Cantha, the best-known of co nstru ctions dedicated to Grenth were the catacombs of Ashford Abbey, home to multiple shrines of Grenth winding unde r- neath much of Ascalon. Like most of Ascalon, the abbey was devastated during the Searing, and if any of the ne t- work survived intact, none of the known entrances su r- vived the bombardment – Gwen reported passing thro ugh

a set of catacombs in her escape from the charr, but given the distance it is unlike ly that these were linked. Unfortu- nately, while the ghosts and re stless spirits that had inhab- ited the catacombs we re sealed within, the gar goyles somehow escaped and now infest the ruins of Ascalon’ s abandoned ci ties an d t owns.

Like the temple to Balthaz ar (se e my previous wor k on tha t deity) en route to the Falls, there is also a large and myste- rious structure dedicated to Grenth with which travellers crossing the notorious Lornar’s Pass may be famili ar. Those

dead is granted to the Envoys. While it is unclear wh et her they are trul y servants of Grenth or whether they are em- ployed by the gods as a group, the Envoys are powerful souls who committed gre at crimes in life, but whom the gods deemed worthy of the oppo rt unity for redemp tion . It is unknown what term of service may be required, but Shiro had presumably se rved for at least two centuries before making his bid to return to life, nearl y destroying

before making his bid to return to life, nearl y destroying Cantha in the process and resultin g in his sou l b eing cast into the Realm of Torment… where, in an apparent failure of judgement by the other Envoys, Shiro was made one of the generals of the fallen god Abadd on .

The creation of Grentches, Grenth’s minions in see king to ruin the joy of the Winte rsday festival, is one of the darker elements of Grenth’s service. A potion is brewe d from ter- mites, swamp gunk, garlic, and unwashe d socks and em- powered with the words “Stink! Stank! Stunk!” befo re being given to an unsuspecting victim. On consumption, the potion shrinks the victim’s heart three sizes, transform- ing them into a Grentch to spread mischie f, misery, and if

ing them into a Grentch to spread mischie f, misery, and if Grenth wins the Wintersday contest, temporary death. While Grenth’s position that winte rtime should be a time of sombre reflection rather than merrymaking has some merit, the permanent transformation of unwilling victi ms into Grentches is certainly distasteful. The origin of the scarablike Humbugs that aid the Grentches and Grenth’s other followers in the e fforts to destroy Wintersday cheer

other followers in the e fforts to destroy Wintersday cheer is, however, yet to be identified.

While there are many cultures that i nvok e Grenth (including the Deldrimor Dwarves), there is only one, out- side of the necromantic orders, that is devoted to him. Again, this is one of the Kurzick Houses – specifically, House Durheim. Maintaining the histories and genealogies of the Kurzick people within the ir archives, members of this house claim that Grenth grants them knowledge of the lives of Kurzicks that have gone before – possibly through

lives of Kurzicks that have gone before – possibly through their ritualists summoning the spirits of dead K urzicks w ith whom to discuss details of their lives. Those not maintain-

GuildMag, the unofficial Guild Wars magazi ne

Contest | Page 33/50

By Izari

1s t Prize: Pallaeon Fel

2nd Prize: Rolin Mo ri

Runner s Up: Alena Windsong & Kadin As trid

Honor able Men tions: Funky Munky , Blue Fiend, Illusion of Sylv ari, Flip side Par allel

We received tons of great submissions; choosing our finalists was no easy feat. However, after days of delays, deliberation, and violent disagreements, we finally came to our conclu-sions and had our finalists posted on the site for voting! We'd like to offer a huge congratulations to our grand prize winner Pallaeon Fel for their awesome Halloween screenshot. They'll be getting the snazzy Rytlock T-shirt, just in time for the holidays! Our second prize winner,

Our second prize winner, R olin Mori (erroneously listed os Muse Me che), scored e xcl usi ve convention swag in the form of fo ur trading cards an d a GW2 ban dan na! Thanks to everybody who participated, and as for our runners up... fe ar not; we'll have more awesome chances to win prizes in the future. Keep checking out GuildMag.com, our Magazine, and Podcast for announcements!

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Fan art | Page 34/50

Ars t Kiy a K o r ee na

GuildMag: When did you join Guild Wars? KiyaKoreena: I started playing about a week aer Proph-ecies was released. A friend bought it for my husband. I tried it when he was away at work and that following weekend he had to go buy himself a new copy. GuildMag:

GuildMag: When did you start making Guild Wars related art? KiyaKoreena: The :rst GW related thing I can recall was the monk armor costume in 2006 that I made for my daughter and used in the Halloween Art Contest. GuildMag:

KiyaKoreena: I like making plushies but somemes I get an idea and I just need to do it no maer the material. That is how I ended up with a 5 foot tall foam Golem in my ac. For Guild Wars, I have won three art contests with costumes, one contest with digital manipulaon and drawing, and two contests with plushies/decoraons. GuildMag: Do you have a favorite work of art? KiyaKoreena:

KiyaKoreena:The Mad King Thorn costume ranks right up at the top because of how much fun my husband and I had with taking the pictures and making the video for the entry. My next favorite GW one would be the Zinn puppet. Who wouldn't want a life sized asura sing around in their living room? GuildMag: Do you have a favorite medium for your art? KiyaKoreena:

KiyaKoreena: My favorite medium is really whatever I can get my hands on and works with the idea oang in my head. I prefer to make physical objects and right now I am on a polymer clay dragon and beaded jewelry kick. I haven't found one thing I really like enough to focus solely on yet.

This issue’s featured arst is KiyaKoreena. If you are an en-thusiast of the Nolani Academy on GuildWarsGuru, then you will most likely be familiar with her. However, even if you don’t visit there oen, you might be familiar with some of her creaons, as she has won various prizes in official Guild Wars art compeons. We at GuildMag had a small interview with her to get to know her a lile beer, and we picked some of her creaons to be displayed throughout

picked some of her creaons to be displayed throughout this Issue. We hope you will enjoy the words and works of this great Guild Wars fan arst. GuildMag: Can you tell us a lile about yourself?

KiyaKoreena: I reached my 30th birthday in November this year and my current job is stay at home mom. I was born in northern Canada but moved down to the south-ern United States to marry my husband, whom I met online. We have been married 8 years now and have two young children. Creave outlets like my craing help :ll what’s le of my me and keep me sane.

Ars t Kiy a K o r ee na

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Fan art | Page 35/50

KiyaKoreena: I am unable to make Guild Wars items for commissions as ArenaNet will not allow use of their intel-lectual property for commercial use. I have tried geng permission but was rejected. I will most likely connue making them for my contest entries if I feel like doing one, as well as gis for friends. And they always nd a good home seeing my kids have already adopted most them.

them. GuildMag: Will we be seeing you in Guild Wars 2 ? KiyaKoreena: The current plan is yes. We have a guild to bring across to Guild Wars 2, and I also have had too much fun with Guild Wars to not give it a go. GuildMag: Anything you would like to share with our readers/your fans?

KiyaKoreena: If you see a piece of art and like it, please let the arst know that you do and why. Compliments and recognion really make our day. When you can, please support the home cra and coage industry. There are thousands of wonderful arsts out there with incredible products that you would never nd in a chain store. And for those living in the USA, please inform your-self about the Consumer Products Safety Improvement

self about the Consumer Products Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) and how it is hurng small industry (hand craers), and in turn, taking away your choices in what products you can buy for children. GuildMag: Thank you for your me and permission to pub-lish your art works.

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Event | Page 36/50

come get lucky with gw-en.com in 2011 Come Celebrate Canthan New Year with GW-EN.com, GuildMag and several guilds from the Guild Wars community! We will be partying in the Asian Districts (Tradi1onal Chinese and Japanese) of Shing Jea all weekend long...... and...YES! The Lunar Collectors will be

and...YES! The Lunar Collectors will be returning once again, where you can collect items ( to be announced that day) to test your luck at getting some amazing prizes! More details to be announced at a later date so keep your eyes and ears on GuildWarsGuru, GW-EN forums, and on-air at http://www.gw-en.com/ Woo hoo...Yay for Year Of the Rabbit (All you bunnies better hide your feet :O)

GuildMag, the unofficial Guild Wars magazi ne

Community | Page 37/50

By Ar ghor e

The Workshop closes (has its deadline ) one day after the official ArenaNet Wintersday Contest deadline . The offi cial deadline is on 12:00 Noon PST, December 31, 2010! Mean- ing the deadline for the Workshop is January 1st 2011! So, by the time you are reading this, there is still about a we e k to get your pencils ou t and start drawing…

This year’s Wintersday Workshop started on t he 12th of November. If you’ve never heard of the Wintersday W or k- shop, it is a wo rksho p h osted on http://www.guildwarsguru.com in the 'N olani Academy' section of their message board. The Workshop is a place for artists of all levels to share the ir progr ess and gi ve and receive constructive criticism in order to improve thei r offi- cial Wintersday Art Conte st submissi ons.

cial Wintersday Art Conte st submissi ons.

The Wintersday Workshop started off with a blast, as we reported in our GuildMag blo g p ost (link: http://www.guildmag.com/gmblitz-winte r sday- workshop) on November the 15th, with eighteen ar tists and a few early sketches. At the time of writing th is ar- ticle, the thread spans over 25 pages with 'work in progress' artwork, progress discussions, and of cou rse the occasional friendly banter. A total of 36 artists have

the occasional friendly banter. A total of 36 artists hav e joined the competition. Because that’s the oth er side of the Wintersday Workshop, in the end there will be vari-ous prizes handed out in 7 differe nt categories.

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Lore | Page 38/50

By K o nig Des T o des

The biggest mystery in all of this is what happens to the spirit if it is killed in the spirit realm. Vizier Khilbron and Shiro Tagachi are perfect examples of this. After the heroes killed them as spirits here in the Depths of Madness, what happens to them? This is where facts seem to end, even for me. However,

This is where facts seem to end, even for me. However, there seems to be muleple ways to kill a spirit, which may be aeeceng what happens to them. I, personally, have three theories on what happens: Outcome 1 When a spirit is killed in the Rift, it disappears forever. This

When a spirit is killed in the Rift, it disappears forever. This currently has little to no support and is j ust a co mmo n belief of what happens to a spirit. If this outcome ever hap- pens, I believe it would be a rare outcome and would only happen in unusual emes (as this h appenin g a lot wo uld throw the universe out of balance if this ever occurs). Outcome 2

they get killed. This would me an there is reincarnaeon to a degree; however, it is possi ble that the “spirit energy” can mix, resuleng in the next spirit (and in eeect a living being) being a die erent enety.

Because energy cannot be created or destroyed, a so ul cannot be created ou t of nothing, and therefore th e Mists must gain some thing or else all ne w life wil l e ventuall y stop. The be st source of this “something” would be the

“something” would be the energy from spi rits when

As evidence by Shiro Tagachi, it is possible to return to this stage through the use of powerful magic. Because Shiro was able to return to his mortal body, something I now wonder is "Will we meet others who will return from the later stages to the 'Mortal Life?'" stage 2: ghostly life In this stage, souls roam the world, waieng to be taken to

In this stage, souls roam the world, waieng to be taken to their afterlife desenaeon (usually the Underworld, some-emes other realms). It is this stage that all of the spirits in the world are in (e.g., the spirits in the Crystal Desert, Desolaeon, Ascalon, etc.). This stage can also be considered the stage for "spirits who

This stage can also be considered the stage for "spirits who cannot end rest," as this is the same idea. Spirits here are simply waieng to move on or are unable to move on due to some regret or mistake regarding their "Mortal Life ." For instance, the spirits in the Crystal Desert and the Desola- eon are unable to move on due to one of two things: erstly, waneng to enish the journe y or be reunited with their loved ones; second, wishing to se e Turai Ossa go

their loved ones; second, wishing to se e Turai Ossa go through Ascen sion.

When under the order of the gods, it seems that spirits are allowed to travel freely between thi s stage and the next stage. This is most evident by the avatar of the gods (most of which re semble spirits, Lyssa’s Muse being the exce p- eon), who grant special people access to their god’s re alm and in some cases guide a spirit themselve s, and the envoys (as they are the spirits of past criminals), who have to shepherd th e dead.

to shepherd th e dead. stage 3: afterworld lif e First, I will start oe by saying tha t there se em s to be two ways into this stage. The erst being obvious: an envoy takes the spirit to the Underworld – or a spirit is taken by an avatar to the respeceve realm. The second is that when a ghost is killed, it is sent to the spirit realm.

Spirits, souls, ghosts, wraiths… all of these are names for a very intereseng being. As a ritualist, I have long studied into bringing spirits from the afterlife, often referred to as the spirit realm by those of my profession, into the mortal realm. And now, I write about spirits as a whole. Firstly, about the

And now, I write about spirits as a whole. Firstly, about the various lives beings go through, and secondly, the kinds of spirits there are out in the worlds. There are three stages of "life," which is how the erst part of this topic is split up. Each stage deals with a dieerent type of body or locaeon. I have named these stages the “Mortal Life,” “Ghostly Life,” and “Afterworld Life.” stage 1: mortal life

stage 1: mortal life This stage is the life of corporeal beings with physical bodies. Basically, it is the original life of creatures. How I view this stage of life is that there is a physical body

How I view this stage of life is that the re is a physical body that traps (for lack of a be tter word) the soul and keeps it in the physical world. While it traps the soul, it also pro- tects the soul, preveneng any damage to it. The re ason why I say "trap" is because the soul cannot freely leav e the physical body, not like many would want it to. The “Mortal Life” can take place on any plane of existence, whether it is Tyria, or somewhere within the Rift whe re the spiri ts seem

Tyria, or somewhere within the Rift whe re the spir its seem to go .

GuildMag, the unofficial Guild Wars magazi ne

Lore | Page 39/50

By K o nig Des T o des

Souls. These look like your typical childish depictions of a ghost: a white creature with a head, hands, torso, and looks like it’s wearing a sheet over it. At first, I thought that these spirits are those who had little power in life. How-ever, the ghosts in the Crystal Desert, Desolation, Realm of Torment, and Underworld disprove that. Another kind of formless spirits are seen in many places

Another kind of formle ss spirits are se en in many places throughout the world and the realms of the gods. So me such places are in Lion's Arch and Tombs of the Primeval Kings during Halloween and within the Foundry of Faile d Creations. The se spirits are similar to the previously m en- tioned formless spirits; however, they appear to hav e horns on their heads and seem to be a little slimme r. As such, I've temporarily dubbed these "demoni c for mle ss

such, I've temporarily dubbed the se "demoni c for mless spirits" and the previous kind "normal formless spirits."

My current theory about these two formless spirit s is th at the demonic formless spirits are the spi rits of those who were evil in life or perhaps are those spirits which are be ing tormented (a prerequisite, it would seem, to create a titan), and the normal formless spirits were good in life or at peace. I say this be cause many cases where the demonic formless spirits are seen are locations of agony and pain to the souls - within bloodstone s and within the Realm of Tor

the souls - within bloodstone s and within the Realm of Tor- ment being two prime locations of this example.

I believe that their form is the tr ue form of spirits. Seeing how de nial and disorientation are “c ommo n among the newly dead” (as stated by the envoys), those who d on’t sub - consciously tak e on the form of their body when they die are in denial of the fact that they died an d subcon

the fact that they died an d subcon - sciously took a form, while those who know the mselves to be dead could choose to take on their true form.

similar to that of the envoys although this is a le sser pun- ish ment.

From death, the spirit is taken to Grenth to be judged by the envoys, except in rare cases. Aser being judged by Grenth, they are put in the River of Souls, and the river takes the spirit to its correct resting place. As such, it passes through all the realms (and nearby the Hall of Heroes) until it comes back to the Underworld. The River of Souls never “dries up” because there are the

The River of Souls ne ver “dries up” because there are the spirits who are meant to be the “inter-re alm g ui des” for other spirits. The se punished spirits could very we ll be the ones that helped break the dam during Ab add on's at- tempted escape. formless spiri ts

Many of these formless spirits are seen duri ng Hal lowe e n in Lion’s Arch (and possibly other towns) and in the River of

Outcome 3 A third possible outcome would share that like what hap- pens with the spirits created by the Foe fi re – they mere ly lose their shape, become an ectoplasmi c mist, and sl ow ly rege nerate over ti me. A Unique Death

There is a fourth outcome that is due to being eaten by a demon or something demonic, such as a Margonite, and sometimes even a scarab has bee n seen devouring spirits. Along with what happens to a spirit when they die nor- mally, we do not know what actually happens to a spirit when they are eate n.

What I see as the most likely thing to happen would be the same as the above outcome 1: the complete destruction of the soul. However, the difference between here and out-come 1 is that while outcome 1 has no export for the energy of the soul, being eaten does have an export of energy. This outcome would support why Dhuum’s and Menzies’

This outcome would support why Dhuum’s and Menzies’ forces attacked the Hall of Heroes, to gain a food supply for the upcoming attempt to release Abaddon. This would also be why the Fury attacked Shing Jea during the Dragon Fes-tival, to gather the Celestial Essences as a food supply – as Celestial Essences appear to be the same substance as a spirit. river of souls

river of souls A lovely topic with the Ris and spirits is the River of Souls. There are many thoughts about this going all over. It is a rarely visited aspect of the Realm of Torment. Simply put: the River of Souls’ purpose is unknown. However, I have a theory of its purpose. One belief is that it

However, I have a theory of its purpose. One belief is that it goes through all the realms of the Six Gods; I would agre e to this. But I will expand on this ide a. I believe that the River of Souls goes in a circular path - ne ver ending, never beginning. Some spirits are stuck in this river, a punishment

GuildMag, the unofficial Gui ld Wars magazi ne

Lore | Page 40/50

By K o nig Des T o des

As for the hosdle spirits, it seems that the norn just link an aspect of nature to have a hosdle spirit, because the se as- pects of nature prove as challe nges to the norn, which they might not be interested in (the y are more interested in fighdng than trying to survive blizz ards and the like). Each of the hosdle spirits that we know of can be related to something in the Far Shive rpeaks that, while has been proven to be troublesome for the norn, they do not give a

proven to be troublesome for the norn, they do not give a challenging fight to them.

It has been brought to me that these hosdle spirits could be spirits that hide within, or affiliate themselves, to as- pects of nature. One such e xample being the V aettir, pri- marily Nulfastu Earthbound wh o is said to have o nce been a "great, northern nature spirit" that descended into dark arts in an attempt to destroy his brethren and take their powers, but was struck down, having h is b ody b oun d to this world and his powers to the spirit realm. His story,

this world and his powers to the spirit realm. His story, except for the end, osen reminds me of Ab add on's - yet another link between the spirits around th e n orn an d th e god s.

While they hunt and slay those creatures, they praise their

There are several traits that each animal spirit has, and each seems to have its own personality. For instance, the Raven Spirit is a cunning and wise trickste r, and it is con- nected to the Underworld and the spirits of th e dead (it is very similar to Gr enth in man y ways), whil e the Wolf Spir it is a savage tracker, and represents the thril l of battle. These spirits are much like avatars of the gods in terms of power and some representadon. However, overall, the

power and some representadon. However, overall, th e connecdons fail due to far too much criss-crossing of re pre- sentadons. Due to this, for the dme being, it is too h ard to tell of the origin or nature of these spi rits.

While punished into a force d “community service” by Grenth, they are also given very strong powers, such as controlling spirits and the ability to kill and resur re ct people easily. The later abil ity has led man y to be l iev e that the "spirit lord" Mad King Thorn is also an e nvoy.

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Fan art | Page 41/50

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Players | Page 42 /50

By Izari

Q: What method of XP farming did you wind up prefer-ring? I'm going to get a lot of flak for this, but I really, REALLY enjoy farming Fonris Irontoe's Lair with my good pal Kilroy. I enjoy it not because it makes the title trivial, but because it is so fun (and who doesn't want free booze?).

Q: When you ended up finally getting your title, what was that like? How did it feel? The first time I finished the title, I had a huge swell of pride in my chest. Not so much that I could now display the title, but because I proved to myself that with enough time, devotion, and care I could do something that is pretty damn cool. Q:

Q: You've done this more than once. What made you decide to go for it again? My first time doing the title was on an alt, and I was in the process of remaking my main, so I figured that Leg-endary Survivor would be a fun title to pursue. I also wanted to see how much I could improve in terms of time. I think I beat my old record with flying colors. Q:

Q: What do you think of the Irontoe Extravaganza being added? Do you think it's cheap or welcome? In terms of the XP gain, I'd say it's a little cheap. I'd be a hypocrite if I said I didn't enjoy it though. It's a valid method of farming XP and isn't the only way that you can get the title, so I can't really get too mad at it now, can I? Q:

Q: Do you think a Survival-like title or achievement should be implemented in GW2? If so, would you do it? I don't really know at this point, but knowing ArenaNet I think we'll be pleasantly surprised with something similar to the Legendary Survivor title. I'll be on the front lines trying to go for that title, as well.

Interview 1 | Zalroth Of Drogbar Q: In terms of raw time played, about how long did it take you to go all the way to Legendary? I did my first survivor before Eye of the North came out,

I did my first survivor before Eye of the North came out, and it was a time consuming process (although I loved every minute). I don't recall how long it took in terms of playtime, but the title took me around 3 months of play-ing religiously to get. On my second survivor, I completed the title in around 20 hours. Q:

Q: Did you do it in a short period or spend a longer time on getting the title? As I mentioned in my last answer, the first time around took a couple months. I think I managed to finish my second survivor in under a week. Q:

Q: How many budding survivors did you go through and end up having to re-make do to some unfortunate circum-stances? I went through about 3 or 4 elementalists my first time around, mostly because of poor pulling and lag spikes. I got the title in one try on my second survivor; I still don't know how I managed to do that!

The first time I lost a survivor I think I might h ave gone into shock. I had just achieved rank 2, and was really ex- cited. In this excitement, I was not paying attention to a patrol of unruly Mandragors and got spiked down with in seconds! I was a little angry after the fact, but t ook the passing of the rest of my survivor attempts in stride . Keeping a level head is a huge he lp when you'r e going after a title that gives you one chance.

after a title that gives you one chance.

One of the most difficult (and sometimes controve rsial) tracks in Guild Wars is Survivor, considered one of the more prestigious titles. The premise is getting through 3 often nerve-racking ranks of invincibil ity: getting to lev e l 20 without dying once, and then contin uing that trad iti on up to 1,337,500 XP for Legendary Survivor. There are se veral options for doing so, all centered around making big XP as fast and safely as possible. Traditionally, players simply put

fast and safely as possible. Traditionally, players simply put together a serious defensive build, often choosing a charac- ter whose profession is known for its survivability (R/Mo was popular for a while ), and farm areas known to be rela- tively safe, whilst taking advantage of doubl e XP e l ite cap - ture weekends. Since then, many options have popped up, including the popular K ilroy Stonekin's Punch-Out Extrava

gan z a!

The downside to the title is that there is a little b it of fate involved. Even the most safe -guarded methods are subject to snipes from lag, disconnects, and plain-old bad luck . Be- cause of this, title hunters serious about succe ss often plan their playing time according to outside factors, lik e avoid- ing holiday weekends and prime hours where population and latency is h igh.

We've got a few Survivors to share their thought s, experi- ences, an d wisdom with u s!

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Players | Page 43 /50

By Izari

Well I started in Cantha before GWEN came o ut so for the first level I didn’t need to farm. On double cap XP week- ends, I made sure to get some capping done and pretty much just slowly playe d through the games. It was after GWEN came out that I realized wurm farming would be ultra safe, if a littl e boring, so when I wanted to go farm XP, that’ s what I ended up doing wh en I wanted to just farm. The nice, calming scenery for the area w as a big

farm. The nice, calming scenery for the area was a big plus. If you’re going to spend X amount of hours farming, you might as well pick a place you’ll enjoy looking at. Q: When you ended up finally getting your title, what was that like? How did it feel?

Relief that I had done it and it was finally over, and a bit of accomplishment for meeting my goals for getting survi-vor. Q: You've done this more than once. What made you decide to go for it again? I forgot about how much of a chore it felt like and all the

I forgot about how much of a chore it felt like and all the close scrapes. After I realized what I was doing again I ran away screaming. :O I may try it again at some date, but since I can’t get it for my main (made her 3 weeks after proph came out; no LS titles back then), my interest in doing it again kinda waned. Q:

Q: What do you think of the Irontoe Extravaganza being added? Do you think it's cheap or welcome? I don’t feel one way or the other about it. I appreciate the cleverness involved in putting the connection together that you can get survivor with it and the dedication to go through with it all, but spamming the get up button for 1.3 million xp really isn’t my sort of thing. To each his own.

Interview 2 | Linna Excel Q: In terms of raw time played, about how long did it take you to go all the way to Legendary? It’s been awhile so I can’t remember, and I tend to

It’s been awhile so I can’t remember, and I tend to dawdle at times so that doesn’t help either. : ) I guess I’d say anywhere between 20-40 hours in game taking a more laid back approach. Q: Did you do it in a short period or spend a longer time on getting the title? Longer period. I started my first survivor when Nightfall

Longer period. I started my first survivor when Nightfall came out, and it was 7 or so months later when I finally got around to finishing it. Basically when it started to seem like a chore, I quit trying for the day. Q: How many budding survivors did you go through and end up having to re-make do to some unfortunate circum-stances?

Two with the unfortunate circumstance being a lack of will to do it again… so I deleted and made a new charac-ter with no survivor progress each time. Q: What was it the like the first time (or few times) you ended up dying while going for the title? Was it frustrat-ing / angering or did you take it in stride?

It didn’t happen for the one survivor ch aract er I did finish. One of the primary goals I had when I made her was that I was going to try it exactly once and that failure wasn’t an option: i.e ., no remakes. So I adapted my playstyle to be more conservative and was lucky enough to fin ish my goal, but I did have some pretty tense close calls… e ven though I didn’t die, t hose made me s top p laying my LS for the day.

the day.

Sure! The first and most important thing to remember is to keep a cool head; don't panic. Take a secon dary that has skills that will complement your armor and pri mary profession's defe nsive skills. If you're an Ele menta list, conside r taking Mesmer to compliment Stone Strike r with Mantra of Earth. If you're a Warrior, consider taking Mesmer (again) to compliment your naturally high armor with a quick heal and add iti onal +40 armor vs. Physical

with a quick heal and add i tional +40 armor vs . Physical damage or +40 armor vs. Elemental damage. Take the time to make a skillbar with a fair amount of defensive skills, but don't go overkill.

Regardless of which method you choose , you should also conside r bringing Lightbringe r Scrolls or something to augment experience gain. If you're capping, remember to have the appropriate class as your se condary of the skill that you're capping. I've meticulously pulle d and kille d mobs to get to a particularly tough boss, only to re alize after I kill it that I conve niently forgot to change my sec- on dary profession.

on dary profession. Last and most importantly, HAVE FUN! While this might be a serious goal you're working towards, having fun will make the process towards getting the title much, much more bearabl e.

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Players | Page 44 /50

By Izari

I guess the best thing I can say is figure out the right method of getting there for you: either Kilroy’s, wurm farming, simply playing through the game… whatever. Re-member Guild Wars is a game and is supposed to be fun, so choose whatever method feels the most fun to you. For me, the thought of continually remaking a character didn’t seem like fun at all and saying that I got LS on the 17th try would have watered down the accomplishment

17th try would have watered down the accomplishme nt for me; so I chose a more purist approach to survivin g. Personally being able to set a goal and finding out a way to achieve it means more to me than the title does. I know someone else who wanted to get LS on every class without re sorting to any farming techniques.

So I guess what I’ll say is this for my advic e : ask y ourself what are you really trying to accomplish and ho w can you make it fun?

Q: Do you think a Survival-like title or achievement should be implemented in GW2? If so, would you do it? Nah. From what I’ve read, GW2 is going to be a beast of a different nature… you’ll have fewer options for your bar, no heroes, using defensive skills on your bar is being dis-couraged… I’m really not sure a survivor title will be ap-propriate.

GuildMag, the unofficial Gui ld Wars magazi ne

Review | Page 45/5 0

By the GuildMag T eam

Daelin Dwin - Writ er

I've always been a bit "meh" about Halloween and only ever reall y tak en pa rt in the finale for the fesrval hat, but this year I was suprised by the pretty fun new quests that ap- peared in both Lion's Arch and Kamadan. None of them were too hard for a decent enough group and the rewards were pretty generous. The new costumes however didn 't take my fancy, the mulrple headpieces were a pretty nice deal but the costumes th em- selves look a little silly, from nipple rings (Male Lich) to fille d di ape rs (F e male Lunarc Court). The new fesrval hats also didn't appeal much to me. The goggles are okay, but very loosely connected to Halloween, and don't get me started on the cat ears. It came

Konig Des Todes - Write r

Halloween has always been my favorite holiday - both in and out of Guild Wars - b ut I have always felt it was a bit lackluste r. Last year's quests addirons were nice , but with the thought of them being one rme, it was just "meh" outside of the new lore. The addiro ns to this year's quests, and the return of last year's, along with an expanding map se lecron on Costume Brawl was a huge plus in every way. I personally enjoyed the re-randomiz a- ron of Costume Brawl as well, and quite enjoyed the jokes placed in the ne w quests (who wouldn't enjoy annoying Joko?). There were only two things which stuck out to me as being annoying: firstly, the immensely negarve response Costume Brawl g ot from the

being annoying: firstly, the immensely negarve response Costume Brawl g ot from the community that I obse rved - along with how people playe d in a rather hosrle manner (from my own personal experience, at least). Secondly, would be the sayings whi ch the female Lunarc Court costume was a "diaper" - this is incorrect. The costume is quite obvi- ously modeled after old noble outfits which emphasized (to an unrealisrc amount) the size of one's buttock. Done for various reasons - physical appe al being one. I'll ignore com-

Oh, Halloween. This was only my second as a Guild Wars playe r, thanks to technological mishaps, and as a result I only have 2009's fesrval to compare to. Hallowee n is one of my favorite holidays (who doesn't love to dre ss up and get candy?) in gene ral, so I'm always looking forward to fun in-game to celebrate. This year definitely had it's ups and downs, but in general I feel like it didn't quite have the 'bang' that 2009 did. The ne w quests were definitely to be preferred (even though I spent quite a long rme farming skeletons last year, I didn't once at all this year), even though they didn't feel connected; perhaps they were more enjoyable because of that, and because they were largely just silly fun. A ny

were more enjoyable because of that, and because they were largely just silly fun. A ny appearance by Joko is a welcome one, as well. I personally adore the costu mes; the Lich one is just plain sexy on fe male characters, and I love the tattered noble look to the Luna- rc Court costumes, including the old-fashione d bustle on the female costume. Many people didn't like the fesrval hats much, but personally? I'd rather have cat e ars than a silly Charr mask that I'll neve r wear. Despite all of this, though, it just didn't fe el as big; there wasn't as much of an impact as last year with Dhuum's appearance. But just who is that Nameless L ich ...?

that Nameless L ich ...? V erene's Rarng - 8.5/10 Artaxerxes - Writer While I pe rsonally e njoyed this year's Halloween event, I didn't really have much to com- pare it to. The last rme I partook in a Halloween event was way back in 2007.

However, I really e njoyed myself this year. The new quests were a nice addiron to the event, and I loved the opportunity to venture into the Underworld and explore an area I would usually be too afraid to ente r. I'm not going to l ie, the Underworld is too threaten- ing for my taste.

While I wasn't able to get past the second quest in the event due to my amazing lack of skill, I actually enjoyed myself each rme I tried (and failed). While I made quite a pre tty penny repearng that quest on all of my characters, I honestly just wanted to experience

GuildMag, the unofficial Guild Wars magazi ne

Review | Page 46/5 0

By the GuildMag T eam

While I wasn't able to get past the second quest in the event due to my amazing lack of skill, I actually enjoyed myself each time I tried (and failed). While I made quite a pretty penny repeating that quest on all of my characters, I honestly just wanted to experience that quest as many times as I could. ArenaNet really outdid themselves with the quests this year. I only wish I could have done more of them. ArenaNet might have outdone themselves with the quests this year, but unfortunately the

ArenaNet might have outdone themselves with the quests this year, but unfortunately the festival hats did not do it for me. Seriously, cat ears? What is this, some kind of kinky anime? Sure, they might have made some amazing costumes to go with the event, but that's no excuse to neglect one of the most precious traditions in of the game. I mean, how is this at all Halloween related? Strapping together some cat ears and labeling them "Furrocious" seems a lot less than what I have come to expect from ArenaNet. The only use I found for this year's festival hats was wearing the Spectacles on my mesmer

Halloween 2010... in retrospect, probably one of my more favourite Halloweens. The n again, I do only have two others to compare it to - '09 and '08 - but wh at's that to stop me? Usually, I'm addicted to Guild Wars seasonal events, and this ye ar's dark festivities were no exception. Although it was a shame I couldn't participate in some of the quests due to completing them last year, the addition of the n ew q uest chains in both Elona an d Tyria were a welcome surprise; though it has to be said that I did find the one where you had to search for 'a sarcophagus worthy of a king' quite a challe nge - all fifty painful min- utes of it. However, this year it wasn't the usual quests that inte rested me: it was the Cos

utes of it. However, this year it wasn't the usual quests that inte rested me: it was the Cos- tume Brawl. The Costume Brawl is not only a great way in which to farm those tricky Gamer points, which I'm pleased to announce I've almost achieved the third rank in after many years of anguish, but, in my opinion, it's also a great way to earn yourself some e xtra holiday gold: before the quest chains were released, one stack of Trick-or-Treat bags w as worth a massive 50 platinum, and when you consider how quickly you can attain stacks of these (usually within 3 days for an 'average' player), then I challenge you to find a quick er,

and more enjoyable, way to farm.

C all of the Wolf

Tender Wolf’s biogr aphy, chapter 7& 8

GuildMag, the unofficial Guild Wars magazi ne

Fan-Fiction | Page 47/50

By Tender W olf

Upon hearing this name, the infant awoke and made go o- goo noises as if to say “th ank you. ” Roston and Connivia laughe d and they each placed a kiss on top of their child’s head. They each took turns h old in g their daughte r before placing her into the cradle tha t Roston had carved. Then, the Wolfsong family drifted off to sleep togethe r.

Taking care of an infant was no simple task. Rost on an d Connivia foun d th at ou t right away. But even in the mos t frustrating situations, the y were very gr ateful to have had their prayers to the go ds answered aft er ten ye ars.

answered aft er ten ye ars. Keiondra grew qui ckly . Roston was glad that he ’d made the cradle l arger than most. That way, as Keiond ra grew, she could remain in the

same cradle without being uncomfortable or outgrowing it. But Roston knew that as his daughter grew older, he would eventually have to let her have a bed of her own. He ’d al- ready begun carving it. *****

Eight years later, Keiondra was playing outside when she saw a bow protruding from the ground. Curious, she went over and picked it up. There was an arrow next to it. She placed the arrow on the bowstring and took aim. She was aiming for a nearby tree trunk. She managed to graze the side of it and chip off some bark, but she didn’t actually hit the tree tru nk in the center.

On September 11, Connivia felt both pain and relief. “Roston,” she said gasping, “it’s time.” Roston knew nothing about delivering an infant, but his wife had assured him that when the time came, she’d know what to do. So Roston grabbed some extra blankets and placed them

So Roston grabbed some extra blankets and place d them on the bed beside Connivia. After a fe w more hours, the sound of a newborn crying could be heard throu ghou t Wiz ard’s Folly. “Roston,” Connivia said happily, “come look at our daugh- ter.” Roston smiled and fe lt tears gather in his eyes.

“She’s so beautiful,” he said. “What should we call her?” “I’ve always been partial to the name Teia.” “Well, that is an interesting name, but I’ve always liked Ceyra.” “Perhaps we could give her a name that combines the two?” “I like that idea. Hmm…” The two pondered for a while, but they couldn’t seem to

The two pondered for a while, but the y couldn’t seem to find the perfect name that combined their two ideas. But at last, Roston came up with the perfect name. “I have it! What about Keiondra?” “Oh, that’s a beautiful name! It fits her very well .” “Keiondra it is. Ke iondra Wol fsong.”

Everyone was thrilled to hear the ne ws of Connivia’s pre g- nancy. A baby showe r was held and several gifts were given. Several people asked the couple if they hoped for a boy or a girl, but neither of the m had a preference. All they wanted was for their child to be healthy.

King Adelbern attended the baby shower as well. His wife had died earlier in the year, so he brought young Prince Rurik with him. The king suggested to his old friend that he give his child something meaningful like he did with his son. “What do you mean?” “I know that you admire my sword, Roston. And you know

“I know that you admire my sword, Roston. And you know that there is a similar sword to it, but no one knows of it. That will change when Rurik here is old enough to wield a sword.” “I’m afraid I don’t understand.” “My sword has a twin, if you will. My sword is called the

“My sword has a twin, if you will. My sword is called the Magdaer, but there is a second sword that shares its ap- pearance and powers. It is known as the Sohothin, and it will be Rurik’s someday. Perhaps you should do the same with your f uture child.”

Roston pondered this idea, but in his heart he didn’t like it. He felt that Adelbern was forcing his young child to fight when he may not want to. Even though Rurik was to be the king someday, he shouldn’t be forced into combat if he didn’t desire to. But Roston didn’t say this aloud. Instead, he nodded and

But Roston didn’t say this aloud. Instead, he nodded an d thanked Adelbern for his suggestion. He glanced at Con- nivia and could te ll that she was thinking the same thing. But inside, both Roston and Connivia knew that all th ey wanted for their future child was for it to be hap py and safe. Other than that, it ma tt ered no t.

Ca ll of the Wolf

Tender Wolf’s biogr aphy, chapter 7& 8

GuildMag, the unofficial Gui ld Wars magazi ne

Fan-Fiction | Page 48/50

By Tender W olf

ranger would be perfect for her. It would combine the melee fighting of her father with the distant fighting of her mother. Still, she didn’t understand why her mother worried so. Her

Still, she didn’t understand why her mother worried so. Her parents were both very overprotective of her, but her mother was even more concerned for her safety than her father. Keiondra didn’t understand this, but she was afraid to ask her mother about it. She glanced down at the bow again before placing it under

She glanced down at the bow again before placing it u nder her bed and just lounging, gazing up at the ceiling. A few moments later, she heard her door creak o pen. “Keiondra,” her father said as he poked his he ad in, “it’s time for dinne r.” “I’m not very hungry, Dadd y. ” Roston came in and closed the door behind him befo re sit

Roston came in and closed the door behind him befo re sit- ting down next to h is d aught er. “Wan t to tal k abou t it?” “I’m just afraid .” “Afraid? Of what?” “Of disappointin g you and Mommy.”

Roston took his daughter in his arms and cradle d her as though she were an infant again . “No, Keiondra, you would never disappoint us. We both love you very much. We only want what’s best for yo u.” “But why does Mommy get mad at things and you don ’t? ”

saw her daughter holding a bow in her hand. “Keiondra, what are you doing with that?” “Daddy said I could practice to be a ranger as long as one of you watches me. I found this and an arrow, and I hit a tree! I want to be a ranger when I grow up!” “I see. Your daddy said you could practice now, did he?

“I see. Your daddy said you could practice now, did he ? Darling, it’s going to be a while before you grow up. P er- haps you should just wait until you’re 13, when you can of- ficially begin prope r training.” “But Mommy! That’s n ot fair! D add y said…” “I know what your daddy said, but he should have talked to me first.”

Roston set Keiondra down and put his hands up. “Now, now, Connivia, don’t worry. Many children are starting to know what they want to study as they get older. I see no problem with this. Besides, the sooner she starts, the more knowledgeable she’ll be.” “I just wish you would have talked it over with me first.” “Why? Would you have refused the idea?” “Of course I would have! Keiondra is only eight years old!”

“Of course I would have! Keiondra is only eight years old!” And so began another quarrel between Keiondra’s parents. Keiondra went into her bedroom, carrying the bow with her. She sat on the bed that her father had carved for her and gazed down at the bow in her hand. There was a reason other than the bow that Keiondra

There was a reason other than the bow that Keiondra wanted to become a ranger when she was old eno ugh to do so. She love d animals very deeply, and she knew that the only profession that allowed her to have an animal by her side was the ranger. But Keiondra also felt that being a

“Keiondra, what are you doing?” her father asked from behind her. Keiondra turned and smiled as she pointed to the tree. “I just found this bow with an arrow and I shot at the tree. I hit it, too!” “That’s great! But be careful, I don’t want you to get hurt. How did you know how to use a bow?” “I’ve seen people using them. Daddy, I want to be a ranger

“I’ve seen people using them. Daddy, I want to be a ranger when I grow up.” “I think that would be great for you! But you can’t begin your training until you’re 13.” Keiondra’s face fell. “Could you teach me, Daddy? Or could Mommy?” “Well we’d both love to, but we don’t know anything about

“Well we’d both love to, but we don’t know anything about being a ranger. You’d have to talk to a professional for that.” “Can I still practice every day?” “As long as you’re careful and one of us is watching you, I don’t see why not.” “Thank you, Daddy!” Keiondra happily threw her arms around her father’s legs.

Keiondra happily threw her arms around he r father’s legs. Roston picked up his daughter and swung he r around. “Wee!” she cried. Then, Roston put Keiondra on his shoulders an d carried h er back inside. All the while, Keiondra clutche d the bow. When they got back inside, Connivia was preparing a lunch consisting of worm husks. She did a double take when she

Ca ll of the Wolf

Tender Wolf’s biogr aphy, chapter 7& 8

GuildMag, the unofficial Gui ld Wars magazi ne

Fan-Fiction | Page 49/50

By Tender W olf

“Oh, you’d never disappoint me. I promise you that. I only wish for your happiness and safety. But you can’t begin training until you’re 13, and that’s five years away. Perhaps we should just focus on today.” “All right.” The family finished eating and engaged in casual conversa

The family finished eating and engaged in casual conversa-tion. Keiondra found her mind wandering often, imagining herself five years down the road, holding a bow in her hand and having a trusty animal fighting by her side. She’d given much thought already to the kind of animal

She’d given much thought already to the kind of animal she’d like to have. Melandru’s stalkers were par ticular ly special, being that they were a part of Melandru, the god- dess of nature and earth, herself. Black bear s could be quite cute and playful. But Keiondra had quickly discarde d these ideas when she had laid e yes on a wolf near Ashford Ab bey.

She knew the moment she saw it that she wan ted a wolf as a pet. It was such a perfect creature for h er. Many people believed that wolves were deadly and blood-thirsty mon- sters. But Keiondra knew be tter. She knew that wolves were tender and gentle creatures who only wanted to be loved like anyone else . Not only that, but her l ast name held the name of ‘wolf’ in it. Having a wolf by he r side would only be right.

would only be right. That night, Keiondra lay in bed thinking and fantasizing about her future. She looked forward to the day she became 13, when she could join the Ascal on Academy and learn to become a ranger. And of course, to have a wolf by her side. She fell asle ep and dreamed of becoming a heroic ranger with statues and stories de dicated to her.

“Well honey, I don’t know, but I suspect it’s because of the way she was raised. Sometimes, parents raise their chil-dren based on how they were raised themselves.” “I want to be a ranger but Mommy doesn’t want me to be. I don’t want to hurt her, but that would make me very sad.” “Well, I promise we’ll talk with her about it. But right now,

“Well, I promise we’ll talk with her about it. But right now, let’s go eat dinner.” “Okay.” Then, father and daughter got up and walked to the kitchen. Connivia was just placing the skale fin soup on the table. “Here you are, Keiondra,” Connivia said with a smile. “I

“Here you are, Keiondra,” Connivia said with a smile. “I know how much you love skale fin soup!” “Thank you, Mommy,” Keiondra said as she took a seat. Connivia smiled at her daughter before sitting down at her place. Roston sat down too and made a gesture to his wife. She nodded and turned to their daughter. “Keiondra,” she began, “I’m sorry for being angry with you

“Keiondra,” she began, “I’m sorry for being angry with you earlier. It’s just, you’re our only daughter. Our only child. We love you dearly, and if anything were to ever happen to you…” Connivia trailed off, but Keiondra knew what her mother

Connivia trailed off, but Keiondra knew what her mother was trying to say. She’d been told many times how her par-ents had prayed to the gods for 10 years before they were finally blessed with their only child. She understood why her mother was overprotected, but she still wanted to live her own life. Perhaps not today, but someday. “It’s okay, Mommy. I don’t want to disappoint you, but I

“It’s okay, Mommy. I don’t want to disappoint yo u, bu t I really want to be a rang er when I grow up.”

GuildMag, the unofficial Guild Wars magazi ne

Poetry | Page 50/50

All across the vine-covered stones of the ramparts, the breath of a thousand loving soldiers, so cold and quiet, freeze my core, my heart. All along

All along the wheat-covered fields of our beloved Ascalon, run rampant the legions of writhing, wretched charr. So sick and hateful, my stomach churns. The call of a mighty warhorn only a warrior could let loose,

of a mighty warhorn only a warrior could let loose, echoes in my pink, hollow ears; only screams will follow. The sound of a thousand warriors brandishing their beloved blades, brings about my tears. Singing my name the screams far off, so faint.

the screams far off, so faint. Charr waiting to die, hoping for salutations with Grenth, our conspirator; show no mercy. A lyric, so soft, as blood trickles down the vein of my blade. Silver, the charr's bane. A sonnet,

A sonnet , written in bo dies, as my armor clanks and groans wherever my instinct, lik e wind, tilts my single, shining blade, of grass.

Join Sabre W olf, Malchior and Izari in th e Guild- Mag podcast as they bring the news of both Guild Wars 1 and Guild Wars 2, and expre ss their personal speculation on v arious topics. Visit the GuildMag websit e for episodes and subscription methods .

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