Lor e in t erview with g ame designer: Je ff Grubb
Call of the Wolf Chapter 7 & 8
Tender W olf’ s
Winter Fa shion
On The Tube with Daelin Dwin ( Wi nters day)
Win t e r sda y
Grenth
Dea th and Ice

By the commu

nity, for the commu

nity

Mag Guild

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.
Frigid Times

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.. ..
This issue:
→ 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
Children of the Great Dwarf
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.
Children of the Great Dwarf
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
Religion Almost every dwarf believed in the Great Dwarf, their creator. Holy sites to the dwarves
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...)
Army Deldrimor’s army was one of strongest military force in the history of
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.
Children of the Great Dwarf
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.
Religion (continued) The Dwarven lore spoke of a malignant, apocalyptc being whose rise, according to the
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 .
Children of the Great Dwarf
GuildMag, the unofficial Gui ld Wars magazi ne
Lore | Page 9 /50
By Thalador Do omspeak er
Army As menyoned before, their army rivalled their 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.
Slavery Beside the enslaved beasts of war, the Stone Summit
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.
Children of the Great Dwarf
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.
o
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.
Children of the Great Dwarf
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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.
o
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 Parties involved GuildMag (Event host) Gamers World Entertainment Network Ingame: Dutch Sunshine Email: contact@guildmag.com Contact us
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.
Lore Interview with Jeff Grubb
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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.
Lore Interview with Jeff Grubb
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?. With a startled yelp, you jump back and bump into something very large and very so?. Turning around, a polar bear greets you with a playful nudge with his head. You have just found yourself a White Jingle Moa and a Jingle Bear. Luckily for you, they’re quite friendly!
You ?nd them in Gwen’ s
You ?nd them in Gwen’s garden but only if you (or someone in your party) have completed the Wintersday 2009 quests. The Jingle Bear will show up alone if the Wintersday 2008 quests were done. Can you get them any other way? 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 .
To Be A Master...
A Guild Master, Th at Is
GuildMag, the unofficial Guild Wars magazi ne
Interview | Page 17/5 0
By Izari
Alaris Mystique of The Order of Dii The Order of Dii is one of the oldest and largest guilds 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.
and relationships are born within guilds. To be the leader of one can bring with it a lot of joy and pride. Guild Wars is a game that focuses heavily on the 'guild' 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
To Be A Master...
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 Q: What was one of the hardest decisions you had to make as a Guild Leader? How did people react? Was it good or bad? Conflict between members is always really hard to handle, 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.
To Be A Master...
A Guild Master, Th at Is
GuildMag, the unofficial Gui ld Wars magazi ne
Interview | Page 19/5 0
By Izari
Tasha Darke
Q: How do you feel about getting emotionally attached to your guild and its members? Do you think it helps or makes things more difficult? Its a real mixed bag. On the one hand I’ve made some life
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 Q: Did you set up any goal for how you wanted to run things or what your focus was going to be? We knew we wanted a guild that focused on the people
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.
To Be A Master...
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