guild wars manual

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2005 ArenaNet, Inc. All rights reserved.

N C s o f t , t h e i n t e r l o c k i n g N C l o g o ,ArenaNet, Guild Wars, and all associatedNCsoft and ArenaNet logos and designsare trademarks or registered trademarksof NCsoft Corporation. Copyright NCsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

Al l other trademarks are the property oftheir respective owners.


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6 The Nolani Academy

26 History of Tyria33 The Mouvelian Calendar

36 The Human Kingdoms36 The Kingdom of Ascalon38 The Kingdom of Orr41 The Kingdom of Kryta

46 The Old Gods46 Dwayna

46 Balthazar47 Grenth47 Lyssa48 Melandru

50 The Guild Wars Personalities50 King Adelbern

51 Prince Rurik52 King Jalis Ironhammer53 Devona54 Cynn55 Aidan56 Mhenlo

58 Enemy Armies58 The Charr59 The Stone Summit61 The Undead

64 Regions and Landscapes64 The Ruins of Ascalon

65 The Shiverpeak Mountains


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66 Kryta67 Maguuma Jungle68 The Crystal Desert69 The Ring of Fire Island Chain

70 The Underworld

74 Creatures of Tyria: an Introduction74 Hostiles74 Devourers74 Gargoyles75 Grawls

75 Elementals75 Drakes76 Tengu76 Skales76 Trolls77 Other Creatures

80 A Heros Life81 A Heros Career Path82 The Six Professions

86 Warrior88 Ranger90 Monk92 Elementalist94 Mesmer96 Necromancer98 Customize Your Appearance

101 Playing Guild Wars101 Explore Your World105 In Town107 Buy and Sell


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112 Combat: Basic Training112 Come Equipped113 The Skill Bar

114 Your Heros Status118 Fighting Creatures118 Player vs. Player119 Weapons and Armor

122 Skills122 Skill Basics

124 An Insiders Guide to Skills

132 Guilds

136 Missions and Quests136 Missions138 Quests138 Dont Go it Alone

140 Tournament Play140 Common Factors140 Other Factors141 Tournament Battles


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The following texts have only recently been unearthedand reveal but the barest hint of what adventurers willencounter in Tyria.

Book I: The Lore of Guild Warscontains a brief summaryof Tyrian history, along with an overview of the humankingdoms and a few of humanitys known enemies. These

manuscripts tell the story of the origins of magic, of theSearing and the Cataclysm, and other key events thatbrought our world to the state in which you find it today.

Book II: The Challengeintroduces adventurers to thebasics of life as a hero in Tyria. Here youll learn aboutthe Guild Warsprofessions and their attributes and skills,

and how they work together to create a unique gameplayexperience for each hero you create.

These manuscripts are incomplete at best, but scribesare busy compiling additional information, which will bemade available through other avenues. See the enclosedQuick Reference card for more information.


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Book I6

evona stepped out of the swirling circle of lightinto a small, roofless room and drew her sword.She didnt know exactly where she was, only that

it was somewhere in the ruins of Nolani. It didnt matter. Anywhere was better than being trapped inside the

Academy at Drascir with the Charr pounding down therotting wooden door.

Prince Rurik had been the first through the portal.He stood hunched over something now on the otherside of the room. The Flaming Scepter mages theyhad rescued crouched there as well. Just as they were

leaving Drascir, the group had stumbled upon thefabled horn Stormcaller. Devona had of course heard ofthe legendary weapon, but until she had seen it with herown eyes, she had assumedas most people didthatit was only a myth.

Erol, the first of the mages they had rescued from theCharr, had seemed fairly certain the horn was the answer

to all of Ascalons problems. Devona wasnt so sure, andshe was in good company: the prince had registered hisreservations as well. How could a horn hold the key torestoring a ruined kingdom to its former glory? Well, nomatter what role the horn played in the kingdoms future,it didnt hurt to have another weapon in the war againstthe beasts from the north.

The portal behind Devona flared as Cynn, Aidan, andMhenlo stepped out.

So this is what Nolani looks like now, said Cynn,materializing out of the swirling miasma. She kickedat the reddish dirt with the toe of her boot, uncovering


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Nolani Academy of the Arcane Arts 7

part of the ornate marble flooring buried in rubble. Animprovement, if you ask me.

Aidan chuckled, nocking an arrow to his bow andscanning the area. Still hold prejudices, do we?

In the best of times, Nolani was a third-rate city,replied the Elementalist, still pushing the dirt around.Now its as good as any other place: just as ruined as thenext city.

Mhenlo stepped around Cynn, letting his hand brushacross her hip as he did. This building was a holyplace, said the Monk. He crossed the small room andapproached a battered statue of Dwayna.

It was an academy, corrected Prince Rurik. The sisteracademy to the one we left in Drascir, He had finishedexamining the horn and now approached the group.

Dont venture too far, Devona warned Mhenlo. Wedont yet know who inhabits this place.

Mhenlo nodded as he bent down and picked up a brokenpiece of marble carved in the shape of a feathered wing.Lifting it from the ground, he tried to place it back on thestatue of the goddess. It fit where it was supposed to, butit wouldnt stay put.

Mhenlo held it in its place, admiring the temporarily


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Book I8

whole goddess. Then, after a moment, he respectfullyplaced the wing on the ground at Dwaynas feet.

My friends, the Wall is not far. We can get to Rin withinthe hour. Prince Rurik turned and headed out of thesmall room. Come. We need to bring the horn to myfather, the king.

Devona and the others followed the prince out to alarger courtyard. It was much like the last academy.Though the outside walls seemed to be mostly intact,the roof was gone, and the windows smashed. A pair of

defensive magical obelisks sat perched atop the frontwall. Devona assumed they were erected during the GuildWars. Academies were among the most popular targetsfor raiding guilds. Depriving a foreign nation of its mostpromising young heroes was a good way to avoid havingto fight them when they were fully ready for battle.

The doors of the gate were still shut, but from thisvantage point Devona could see the silhouette of the

Great Northern Wall through the academys ruinedfaade. The arches on the upper level caught the morninglight as they rose proudly into the sky as if to say, We willnever fall.

Home, said the Warrior.


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Aidan placed his hand on her shoulder. Well bethere soon.

Prince Rurik continued down a set of smashed stairs tothe base of the big wooden front gates. Is there a switchup there? he called back.

The mage Erol was the first to reply. Yes, my lord. Itsup here, just on the rampart. Ill get it.

Very good, replied Rurik.

Devona, Cynn, Aidan, and Mhenlo headed down theramp to the prince, and the rescued mages followed.Directly ahead of them, in the very place it landed aftersmashing through the academy roof, lay the remnants ofa huge, jagged magical crystal. Devona had seen this sortof debris all over Ascalon. There were several crystalslike this one still in the commons just south of the Wall.The sight of them always sent a chill down the Warriorsspine. They reminded her of the Searing, of the carnagethat battle brought and the people who had died in it.

She shook her head, trying to clear the images so shecould focus on the task at hand.

It was still early morning, and in the shadow of thefront gate it was quite dark. Cynn ran her hand along themetal frame of the gate. Might as well have been madeof parchment, she said.

Erol leaned over the rampart edge just above where thegroup was standing. I am ready, my prince.

As are we. Rurik waved his hand.

Erols face disappeared from view, and the neglectedmechanisms that operated the gate began to move. Thedecrepit metal and wood gave several loud creaks andcomplaints, but the gates swung wide.

Before the academy, the scene was mostly what Devona


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Book I10

expected. Dust and bits of debris covered the ground.Burnt trunks reached toward the sky like so many skeletalfingers, the haunting remnants of what was once a lush,tree-lined garden.

But as the gates swung fully open, Devona was grantedanother view.

Charr warband, shouted Mhenlo. Close the gates!

The plaza before the academy was crawling withCharrfurry upright beasts with huge fangs and evenbigger claws. In the center of their camp, built out oftree limbs and straw, sat a towering, three-legged, flamingeffigya tribute to their fiery gods.

When the gate opened, every one of the furry beastsstopped what they were doing and charged the now-exposed academy.

Cynn was closest to the gate. Closing her eyes and

crossing her arms, she rose into the air, incanting thewords to a spell.

The Charr were fast, and they reached the open gatein a flash. Devona broke into a run, sprinting to shieldthe Elementalist from the bestial onslaught. Bringing hersword up in a powerful arc, the Warrior caught the firstCharr Axe Fiend in the breastplate, knocking it backwardand leaving a huge gash in its chest.


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Devona stepped in front of Cynn and into the gap leftby the falling Charr, reversing her blade and slashing theother way. She struck steel, connecting with another Charrblade meant for her head. She cried out as she bashed

the attack aside. Running the length of her sword up theCharrs axe, she thrust the tip of her Rin Blade betweenthe seams of the creatures armor, puncturing fur andflesh and jabbing through to whereat least on a humanthere should be a lung. The beast howled and squirmed asit struggled to free itself from Devonas sword.

Another Axe Fiend charged into view, coming up behindDevona. The Warrior struggled to pull her blade freeof her victim, but the creature convulsed and slumpedtoward the wound, closing its flesh down tight around thestuck weapon. The new attacker raised its axe, and Devonaspun away, leaving only one hand on her Rin Blade.

Despite her quick move, the creatures axe came down

on her arm. Devona hissed and braced for the impact.Her skin flushed with the blue-white glow of divine magic,and the Charrs weapon seemed to bounce off her flesh.

Nice catch, Mhenlo, said Devona through grittedteeth.

A pair of arrows whizzed past Devonas ear, catching

the Axe Fiend in the shoulder, knocking it back andpinning the furious creature to the wooden beam of theopen gate.

Clear of immediate threats, Devona lifted her bootand placed it on the wounded Charr still attached toher blade.

Get . . . off, she shouted as she kicked with all ofher might. Her Rin Blade came free with a sickening rip,and she whipped it to one side, clearing the steel of theCharrs black blood.

At that moment, Cynn lifted her head and extended her


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arms, shouting the last word of her spell. The sky abovelit up, and huge cones of sputtering flame rained down allaround. Those Charr within a few steps of the gate werepummeled with magical balls of fire. Their fur caught

quickly, and their flesh began to bubble. The beasts letout nerve-rattling squeals, and many fell dead wherethey stood.

Those who hadnt been caught in the flaming rainstopped in their tracks, waiting for the conflagrationto subside.

The gates began to close again, pushing the bodies ofdead Charr out of the academy entrance as they did.

Devona, get back! shouted Mhenlo.

The Warrior retreated to within the relative safety ofthe closing gates just as Cynns spell subsided. When the

flames stopped falling, the Charr rushed the door again.

Most of them were caught outside, left to pummel theirweapons against the heavy wooden door. But one madethe dash, squeezing through the gate just before it closed.


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The beast eyed each of the Ascalons, grunted once, thenturned toward a Flaming Scepter mage. With a boundingleap, it jumped on the weak, unarmored man.

The mage screamed as the Charr dug into his flesh.No! Devona closed on the beast, slashing down on

it from behind. Her blade hit the creature in the neck,severing the monsters head from its shoulders with just asingle blow, and it slumped to the ground.

Mhenlo rushed to push the creatures carcass from on

top of the mages body. The man was barely conscious.He had been badly mauled by the Charr. His face wasslashed, and he coughed blood. Dropping to his kneesbeside the man, the Monk laid his hands on the mageswounds. With a quick word, a flood of blue-white energycrossed over from the Monk to the wounded man.

From outside, the sounds of Charr at the gate echoedinto the desolate courtyard.

Great, said Cynn, we went from being trapped insideone academy to being trapped inside another.

At least this one has thicker walls, said Aidan.

There is another passage Prince Rurik pointed tothe east, in the same direction as the huge magical crystalin the middle of the academy that leads out andaround to the Wall.

Then what are we waiting for? said Cynn, starting offto the east. Lets get that little bugle of yours to the king

and be done with this.Mhenlo looked up from his ministrations to the

wounded mage. Cynn, please. You arent helping.

I dont think it is wise to take the mages outside of theacademy unless we are sure the way is clear, interjected


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Book I14

Aidan. They are weak from their long imprisonmentand are ill-prepared to fight. Outside the gate we cannotguarantee their safety. At least here they are not inimmediate danger.

Agreed, said Prince Rurik. What do you propose,Aidan?

The Ranger leaned on his bow. Let us four venture outand ambush the Charr from behind, he said indicatingCynn, Devona, Mhenlo and himself with a wave of hishand. Once weve cleared the beasts from the gate, thenwe can take the mages home.

Prince Ruriks face grew grim. What you propose isvery risky. Its not something I would ask of you. Helooked down at the wounded mage then around at eachof the other Ascalons with him. He nodded. But if youthink you can succeed, then I give you my blessing.

Bout time, said Cynn. Come on, lets go.

Devona made eye contact with Aidan. She shook herhead in disgust, but the Ranger just smiled and chuckled.The Elementalists antics always seemed to amuse him asmuch as they irritated Devona.

Mhenlo finished tending to the fallen Flaming Sceptermage then stood and joined the group as they marchedup and out the back passage to the academy.

We will man the defensive obelisks while you are away,the prince shouted after them as he helped the downedmage get back to his feet. We will watch for you. Once

the way is clear, we will open the gates and join you in thetrek back to the Wall. He stood up straight and, in hisbest military style, Prince Rurik, the heir to the throne ofAscalon, saluted the Warrior, the Monk, the Elementalist,and the Ranger.


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s the prince had said, a door in the eastern

corner led out of the academy. Unlike the one atthe front, this one was already open.

Guess this place isnt as safe as you thought, quippedCynn.

Then we should move swiftly, to make sure no harmcomes to the good prince, replied Aidan. Without us,

he has little help if the Charr get in.

Devona led the way through the door and up a winding,rocky path out the back of the academy to the northeast.

Several hundred yards up the path, Aidan grabbedDevona by the shoulder and stopped her, placing a fingerto his lips. Shhh. With a nod and a flick of his eyes, heindicated the hanging rocks overhead.

Devona craned her neck, listening. She could justmake out a slight sound . . . a scraping, like someonedragging something.

She looked at Aidan. Charr? she whispered.

Aidan shook his head. Devourers. The Rangerdropped to his knee and laid a pile of arrows out on theground. Pulling a small vial from a pouch at his belt, hepoured a few drops of a viscous green liquid on their tips,then he nocked one to his bow and, returning the othersto his quiver, headed up the path.

The others fell into step behind him. Cresting the rise,Devona could see the double stinger tail, hooked claws,and thick carapace of a Plague Devourer.

Only one, said Cynn. Walk in the park.


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Aidan sighted down the shaft of his poisoned arrow andlet it fly. It struck the creature, puncturing its chitinoushide with a crunching pop. Though it was on target, thearrow didnt kill the beast, and it turned toward the group,

its tails waving in the air.Devona raised her sword over her head and charged

in. As she came, the ground around the PlagueDevourer began to shift and move. Small rocks tumbledaway, and a pair of Carrion Devourers emerged fromthe baked earth.

Thats more like it, shouted Cynn.

That brought a smile to Devonas lips, and she grippedher sword tighter, advancing on the newly arrived verminand swinging her blade downward onto one creatureshead. The Carrion Devourer staggered backward underthe blow.

The Plague Devourers tails stopped waving, and itpointed them at the Warrior, casting something on herjust before it fell dead from Aidans poisoned arrow.

Devonas knees grew weak, and her legs struggledto keep her upright. Her sword grew heavy in herhands, and as she swung at the creature

again, her Rin Blade reboundedoff the creatures shell ,hardly making a dent. ThePlague Devourers hexhad sapped herstrength.


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The Carrion Devourers closed on the Warrior, batteringher from both sides. Devonas armor took some of theimpact, but the creatures mighty pinchers slashed heracross the forearm and down one leg. Devona pushed

herself to move more quickly, trying to parry the attacksof both creatures despite the hex that weakened her.

She wasnt fast enough. A pincher raked across Devonasshoulder, puncturing her armor and dropping her to herknees. Something hit her hard in the chest, knocking herto the ground.

Devona opened her eyes. A devourer sat perched atopher, its beady eyes peering down. The creatures massflattened her lungs, and breathing was almost impossible.

Great, she thought, squashed by a bug. Not the mostheroic way to go.

Devonas vision clouded, and her ears rang asconsciousness began to slip away. The sound of Cynnsvoice came to her distantly; the Elementalist spoke thewords of an incantation Devona recognized, and a surgeof adrenaline brought her fully back to consciousness.The ground around her lit up with flames. Spreadingout in a wave, the magical fire washed over the downed

Warrior, roasting the two devourers inside their shells,turning them into crispy little curled up balls.

Devona shoved the dead devourer off of her thenslumped back against the ground. She looked up at theElementalist. Well done.

Cynn shrugged. Naturally.May the goddess Dwayna protect you, said Mhenlo.

Devona could feel her strength returning as the Monklifted the Plague Devourers hex.


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18

When you are ready, said Aidan, watching the path,we should move on. Were not far from the front ofthe academy.

Devona took a few deep breaths as she regained all thatshe had lost, then got to her feet and again headed downthe path.

The group traveled for some time, until Devona heardwhat she thought was the sound of a crackling fire.

Must be their effigy, she said.

Aidan nodded his agreement.

The ground was torn and shifted here. Near the edgeof the path the earthfell away, droppingdown below whereDevona could easily

see. Moving closer tothe edge, the Warriorclimbed up on a largeboulder and peeredover. The other threefollowed suit.


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In the valley below them stood the plaza and the flamingeffigy they had seen in the middle of the Charr camp.The beasts were attacking the academy, shooting arrowsover the wall and smashing their weapons against the

wooden gate.Devona could just make out the Flaming Scepter mages

up on the wall, powering the defensive obelisks. Jags oflightning shot down from the wall, catching the nearestCharr and turning it into a burnt, smoldering pile. Fromthe looks of things, others too had fallen prey to themagical defenses. Their dead bodies lay on the ground atthe base of the wall, fur standing straight up.

As they watched, a large, mean-looking Charr barkedsomething in their guttural language. A group of sixCharr lifted the trunk of a fallen tree from the groundand proceeded to charge the gate with it.

That must be their leader, said Aidan, pointing to theorder-barking Charr.

Then thats the one we should take out first, saidCynn, standing up from her hiding place.

Cynn, wait, said Mhenlo.

But it was too late.

The Elementalist shouted and threw her hands outbefore her. A fireball launched from the tips of herfingers, arcing out and smashing into the big Charr.

The Charr leader looked up at the ridge, then pointed.A volley of flaming arrows followed.

Now youve done it, said Aidan. Standing up, helaunched two arrows into the midst of the group, thendropped back into a crouch.

The Charrs volley went soaring over. Devona could hearthe flames flicker as they passed by her head.


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A large crash sounded from below, and everyone liftedtheir heads to see. The Charr were using the tree trunk asa battering ram.

That gate wont last long, said Aidan.

Devona stood up and backed away from the edge.Then wed best get down there.

As one, the four heroes dashed down the path into themiddle of the Charr camp.

Attack the Axe Fiend! shouted Devona, and she

charged in, ahead of the others.That which is taken shall be returned. That which hath

been broken shall be mended. That which hath displeasedme shall be struck down at the hands of mine army.Mhenlos words grew softer as the Warrior ran, but theeffects of his magic were far reaching, and she could feelher body tingle with divine power.

The first of Cynns fire spells impacted the creatureschest a step before Devona slashed the beast acrossits arm.

The Charr let out a howl then raked its axe across theWarriors face, cutting a deep wound into her flesh. But

as quickly as the wound was made, her skin knitted

itself together again.

G o t t a l o v e t h eMonk, she grunted,raising her sword upover her head andb r i n g i n g i t d o w nwith the force of herentire body. Her RinBlade cut deep, andthe creature spoutedblood.


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A pair of fiery arrows smashed into the Axe Fiendsface, and he went down.

Whos next? shouted Devona, her adrenalinepumping.

Arrows rained down on her as a pair of Charr Stalkersperched on a small hill ahead answered her inquiry. Oneglanced off the chainmail protecting her belly. Anotherclanged off her armored shin.

In three huge steps the Warrior closed on the two Charr

Stalkers. Spinning as she neared them, Devona gainedmomentum, then slashed at the closest. Her sword cutthrough the Charrs bow and dug into the beasts gullet.The creatures insides spilled out, and it dropped to theground, writhing and howling in pain.

The second Charr Stalker nocked an arrow to its bowand let it fly. At this close range, the head of the arrowpunched through Devonas armor, cutting into the frontof her leg and exiting out the back. Devona shrieked inpain and frustration, limping on the freshly woundedlimb. Turning her blade around, she shoved the tip intothe creatures face, lodging it in its mouth. Holding thehilt with both hands, she drove the sharpened pointstraight up into the Charrs skull and out the back of

his head.

Yanking her weapon back, she let the Charrs lifelesscorpse fall to the ground beside his companion.

The gate! Mhenlo shouted. Theyve breached thegate!

Devona looked up. The academy gate was smashed in,and the Charr warband leader was climbing over it.

To the prince! she shouted, and took off toward thegate with the others close behind.


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Running with all of her might, Devona drove herselfinto a frenzy. Her Rin Blade danced left and right. Wherea Charr stepped in front of her, it fell. They came at herfrom all sides, and she took wound after wound, but each

time, Mhenlo was there to patch her up.Arrows flew and fire rained down. The group of four

took on three times their number in Charr. They foughtlike cornered lynxes, the hope of their nation hanging inthe balance.

As Devona neared the gate she could hear the roar of a

Charr mixed with the shouts of the prince.You are a pox on Ascalon, yelled Rurik. And I am

the cure.

Flashes of light issued over the walls. Spells went offevery few seconds, lighting up the ruined plaza with aneerie magical glow.

Cutting down the last Charr in her way, Devona leapedthrough the smashed gate and hurried up into thecourtyard.

On the academy wall, Prince Rurik stood bravely infront of Erol and the other mages. His flaming swordheld the Charr leader at bay, but as a group the prince

and the Flaming Scepter mages were retreating andrunning out of room fast.

The fight to the gate had taken a lot out of Devona, butshe pressed on, climbing up the ruined steps in pursuitof the Charr warband leader. Right behind her, Devonacould hear the others climbing through the gate.

Four on one, she thought. I like those odds.

An arrow hit the big Charr in the back of the leg,causing the warband leader to turn around.

You lookin for me, fuzzy? shouted Devona, comingup behind the creature.


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Aidans well-placed shot had hobbled the beast. It triedto follow the prince and the mages as they dashed alongthe wall, but its movement was slowed, and Devona movedin closer. The Charr growled at her as she stalked around

it, staying just outside its reach.Hey, shouted Cynn, catch.

A huge ball of fire slammed into the Charrs side. Theresulting splash of magic consumed the creature, andDevona shielded her eyes from the blinding flash.

The creature came stumbling out of the blast, its furryhide ablaze. That ought to do it, she thought. But insteadof burning to a crisp, the warband leader seemed to drawstrength from the flames. It looked like some sort ofdemon, flaming and cackling as it came on. It raised itshuge axe in the air, bringing it down on the Warrior withboth hands.

Devona set her feet and stood her ground. As theflaming Charr advanced, the Warrior raised her blade andlunged forward, shouting For Ascalon!

Their blades passed in midair. The creatures axecleaved into her armor. The Warriors sword caught thegrowling beast just below the neck. The tip slipped past

its crude metal chest plate and into soft flesh.Devona lost her grip on her Rin Blade as she staggered

back, her shoulder wounded heavily from the beastspounding.

The Charr warband leader dropped its axe, clawing atits throat. It let out a strangled crya hoarse gurgling like

the last breath of a drowning dog. Another arrow struckthe beast, and it lost its balance. Falling to one side, itcaught itself on the edge of the academy wall.

The creature struggled for a moment longer as theflames slowly went out. Then, its chest heaved once,


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Book I24

and its body went slack. The Charrs huge head floppedbackward, causing it to topple over, twisting as it fell overthe edge of the academy into the ruined plaza below.

Cynn was the first to reach Devonas side.

You all right?

Devona smiled. Yeah, nothing a little of Mhenlosdivinity cant fix.

The two women walked down the battered stairs to thecourtyard where the prince and the mages stood talking

to the Ranger and the Monk.

The way is clear, my lord, said Aidan, bowing beforethe prince.

Rurik grabbed the Ranger by the shoulder and liftedhim to his feet. Come, my friends, he said, strappingthe legendary horn Stormcaller to his back. We arealmost home.

As a group, they headed out of the Nolani Academytoward the Great Northern Wall.


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t was almost three thousand years ago that a raceof serpents stepped out of the Rift onto the soilof Tyria. Unlike ordinary serpents, these moved

upright, used language, and adhered to an elaborateculture. They had been summoned by the old gods,brought to this world to be the custodians. Their task:shepherd the other creatures of the land through this

time of transition, while the gods continued to create theworld around them.

From the Tarnished Coast in the west to the Bay of Sirens(now called the Sea of Sorrows) in the south, from thefar eastern reaches of the Crystal Desert to the Giants

Basin on the northern coast of Kryta, Tyria flourishedunder the protection of these mystical creatures. Theserpents were the protectors of the land, the keepers ofknowledge, the teachers of all things, and during theirtime the world was in balance.

But then a new race of creatures was birthed upon the


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world. They were neither serpent nor beast. They were

neither plant nor stone. These creatures had no chitinoushide to protect themselves. They had no claws to tearflesh. They arrived naked and defenseless, except forone thing: their desire for control.

This new race of creatures was none other than ushumans, and in no time we began to take over. Citiesbloomed across the continent. Walls were erected, and

weapons forged. Those things that we humans lacked,we simply built. We didnt need tough hides nor rendingclaws when we could make metal armor and sharpenedspears. We discovered fire, wrote books of our own,passed knowledge to one another through song andverse. Soon humans had everything we required, and itwas then that we began to prey upon the other creatures.We hunted animals for sport, chased the druids fromthe jungle, and took up residence in lands that did notbelong to us. We became the masters of this world. Wetook all of the privilege and none of the responsibility.

In less than a century, the serpents who had protectedand nurtured Tyria were no longer needed. The balance


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they had achieved had been undone, and there was noway to bring it back. Seeing that the world had changed,and preferring not to fight a war over control of thecontinent, the serpents retreated from the world of men.They left the coasts and the jungles. They abandonedtheir settlements in the highlands and in the mountains.Leaving the newcomers be, the serpents went to live inthe only place where we humans did notor could not:the Crystal Desert.

The serpents never returned to the world of men, andslowly, their influence faded. To humans, they were just apart of the past, spoken about only in legends and myths.Eventually their memory all but passed from humanconsciousness. But they were not gone, only forgotten.

Despite the serpents retreat, the gods never halted theirwork creating the world, and with the benevolence ofindulgent parents, they decided to create magic. It was tobe a gift to all the intelligent creaturesmeant to ease alife of toil and make survival a less arduous task. Whenthey had finished creating their gift, they presented it tothe humans and the Charr, the Tengu and the dwarves,the minotaurs and the imps, and all the races of the land.

But the gods had not counted upon one thinggreed.

Wars broke out immediately as the magical races foughtfor dominance. So much destruction was wrought that

humans found themselves at the edge of extinction. Whenall seemed lost, it was King Doric, the leader of the unitedhuman tribes himself, who made the long trek to Arah,the city of the gods, on the Orrian peninsula. He gainedan audience with the creators and begged them to help,to stop the wars and bring peace to the land once again.

The gods heard his pleas, and they intervened.

The forging of the world was complete. As their final act,the gods gathered back their gift of magic from all theraces and trapped it inside a tall stone. They smashed thestone into five partsfour equal but opposing stones ofmagic, and one keystone. Without the keystone, the otherfour couldnt be reassembled.


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Each of the first four stones was the embodiment ofa specific school of magic: preservation, destruction,aggression, and denial. Magic would still exist in theworld, but the devastating power of all four types

together would never again be at the command of onesingle creature. Those who accepted the gift would haveto cooperate if they intended to use it to its fullest.


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The gods told King Doric that since he had asked forpeace, he and his descendants must carry the burdenof protecting the stones. As an additional precaution,they used a drop of King Dorics blood to seal each of

the stones.Then the stones were dropped, one by one, into thevolcano off the southern shore of the Kingdom of Kryta,and the gods left this world forever, confident that theyhad balanced out their gift and circumvented greed.

Things were good for a time. No one race gaineddominance over any other, and the world was once againat peace.

Over the next hundred years, the human kingdomsprospered. Powerful groups grew up within each nation.These were known as guilds. It was these groups, theseguilds, that held the real power in Tyria. Though therewere kings and organizations that made the laws and

regulated the land, it was the guilds that enforced theselawsor didntas they saw fit. As these guilds grew,their influence began to overlap.

As is ever the case with peace, it once again came to anend when the volcano erupted, spitting out the fivestones and scattering them across Tyria. The magicthey embodied seeped out into the lands around them.Though the Bloodstones, as they are called, have neverbeen reunited, the power that they possess was enough tore-ignite the desire for power in the hearts of men.


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The struggle for power commenced, and again war brokeout. This time, though, the humans were not united. Theguilds of the three most-influential kingdoms on thecontinent battled each other for supremacy. The kings

of Ascalon, Kryta, and Orr were not powerful enough tostop the conflict, for the armies of the guilds were evenmore powerful than those of their own home nations.

The Guild Wars raged for decades, fueled by thedesire for power and the influence of the Bloodstones.Never did the peace accords last long. Never did thenegotiations take root. The conflict claimed the lives of

many hundreds of thousands. It uprooted families, madeneighbors into enemies, and soured the relations betweenthe human nationsperhaps irrevocably.

Though the battles continued, each with a winner andloser, no one nation ever gained enough power to fullydominate the other two. Slowly, over the course of years,the wealth of each nation diminished. Their people grew

weary, and their armies grew weaker as the constantfighting took its toll.

Eventually, as all things do, the wars did come to an end.But it was not the words of the silver-tongued peacenegotiators or even the rough hand of a conquering herothat ended the Guild Wars. The resolution was insteadbrought about by an even greater wara war brought by

the Charr. In unprecedented numbers, the beasts fromthe north swept down through all three human kingdoms.Ascalon, Orr, and Kryta, embroiled in conflict with oneanother for more than fifty years, dropped their grudgesand turned their attentions to defending their bordersagainst the new threat.

Each kingdom dealt with the invasion in a different way.Ascalon stood their ground, having no place else to turn.Though their forces were depleted, they managed torally behind the Great Northern Wall. But their defensewas short lived. In a magical battle that would eventuallybe looked upon as the turning point for Ascalon (nowreferred to as the Searing), the Charr brought down


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The dust from this conflict is beginning to settle. Perhapsin this next age we will glean knowledge from our pastmistakes. Perhaps we have learned when it is time to putaway our hatred and simply work together. Or perhaps we

will do what all nations in the history of the world havedonelook blindly away from our past, and proceed tounleash a new and more terrible plague upon our land.

Let us hope this is not the case. Let us hope that wehave learned our lesson.

Excerpt from The History of Tyria, Volume 1

Thadeus Lamount, Historian

The Mouvelian calendar (named after Grand PatriarchMouvel, the first high priest of the Church of Dwayna)

begins counting years from the moment the gods leftTyria. This event is known as the Exodus. Years beforethis date are labeled BE (Before the Exodus). Years afterthis date are AE (After the Exodus). Years prior to theyear 1 AE count down, getting smaller as they get closerto the time of the Exodus (just as they do in the Gregoriancalendar).

There are 4 seasons and 360 days in the Mouvelian year:

Season Alignment Days

Season of the Zephyr Air 1-90

Season of the Phoenix Flame 91-180

Season of the Scion Water 181-270

Season of the Colossus Earth 271-360


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TimelineThe calendar starts at year 1 AE, the first year after the Exodus.

1072 AE Present day

1071 AE Bay of Sirens is renamed Sea of Sorrows

1070 AE Guild Wars end

1070 AE Charr invade human kingdoms

1013 AE Guild Wars begin

898 AE Great Northern Wall is erected

851 AE Lord Odran enters the Rift

358 AE Kryta becomes an independent nation

300 AE Kryta becomes a colony

221 AE Cantha begins trading with Tyria

174 AE Serpents leave the world of men

2 AE Orr becomes an independent nation

1 BE Gods give magic to races of Tyria

100 BE High-planes human settlementsbecome known as Ascalon

205 BE Humans appear on Tyrian continent

1769 BE Serpents arrive in Tyria

10,000 BELast sign of Giganticus Lupicus (the great giants)walking on Tyrian continent (best guess)


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Once, Ascalon was a beautiful, fertile land of rollinggreen countryside and magnificent cities. Her peoplewere viewed as a bit grim by their neighbors, but thiswas perhaps to be expected, given their never-endingwar against the Charr. Indeed, it was their unfailingvigilance, their Great Northern Wall, and the blood they

shed each year to defend it that had protected not onlyAscalon, but also Kryta and Orr through the ages.

Then came the invasion, and with it, the Searing.

Anyone alive today will remember the day the lands ofAscalon were blasted and torn with magic fire. Wholecities and guilds were destroyed in the Searing, and themight of Ascalon was shattered. Now the Great NorthernWall lies broken, and the Charr have overrun much ofthe kingdom, defiling it with their unholy shrines, killing

those who stand in their way.

The survival of Ascalon hinges on but a single remainingcorner of the fallen kingdomthe capital city of Rin.In the final years of the last Guild War, the people ofRin looked to a soldier named Adelbern, a simple man


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of humble origins, who rallied the people with hiscourage and cunning and steeled them not only againstthe guilds of Orr and Kryta but also against the terrorsof the Charr.

The sudden destruction of most of the kingdom duringthe Searing has taken much of the fight out of the man nowknown as King Adelbern. He has become stubborn and setin his ways, afraid of losing what little he has left. But inhis son Rurik, the people see a leader with the courage toperhaps help them reclaim their fallen kingdom.

The survivors of Ascalon live in a state of constantwarfare, using hit-and-run tactics and the remnants ofthe Great Wall to prevent any significant advances bythe Charr into their territory. King Adelbern has circledthe wagons, so to speak, content to simply defend what

Ascalon has left and live to fight another day. PrinceRurik, on the other hand, is far more daring than hisfather thinks is wise, and has even suggested that thetime may be coming to launch an offensive againstthe Charr.


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Already the rumbling of the winds of change can be heardin the streets. People are frightened. They wonder whatwill become of them. Some even wonder aloud if Adelbernhas lost what it takes to steer Ascalon back from the brink.

They wish to see the prince step up and take command ofthe kingdom. Perhaps under his guidance, the people ofAscalon will live on to see another golden age.

Situated on a peninsula south of Ascalon and west of theCrystal Desert, Orr was a vibrant, proud, and prosperousnation. Its citizens were the favored of the gods, livingin the shadows of Arah, the deserted city once inhabitedby the likes of Melandru, Dwayna, and Balthazar.Deeply spiritual, the Orrians looked after the buildingsand structures left behind when the gods left Tyria,caring for them in the hopes that one day, the divinebeings who created magic and bestowed it upon the worldwould return.

The Orrians were a peaceful people, hoping only to dotheir duty toward their gods and content to be rewardedin either this life or the next. When the guilds began

feuding, Orr as a nation tried to stay out of the conflict.This was not the sort of struggle that entire kingdoms gotinvolved in. But when the strife overflowed into armedconflict, and guilds from the other human nations beganfighting in the streets of Arah, Orr rose to defend itselfand the city of the gods.

Soon after Orr mobilized its armies, Kryta and Ascalondid as well, and what had started as a dispute betweenlocalized groups became an all-out war. The Guild Warsraged for nearly fifty years. During that time, none ofthe three human empires was able to assert dominanceover either of the other two. While Ascalon, Orr, and


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farther south. The Charr had to make their way throughAscalon before they could reach the gates of Arah. Buteventually Ascalon fell, and the Charr arrived in Orr.

Hopes were high that the Charr would be defeatedquickly. The Orrian army was the equal of any in Tyria,and the invaders had already fought a long battle againstthe Ascalons. But those hopes were dashed in less thantwelve hours.

The invaders reached the gates of Arah without breakingstride. The Orrians failed to protect their charge. Withdefeat at the doorstep and the kingdom nearly in ruins,one man turned to a forbidden magic. The kings ownpersonal advisor in the matters of the arcane took itupon himself to destroy the invaders, no matter the cost.Unrolling one of the Lost Scrolls, kept inside a wardedvault deep within the catacombs below Arah, he spoke

the words of a litany that spelled the end of the Kingdomof Orr forever.

There are few who survived that day, now known as theCataclysm. While the Charr were never allowed to stepfoot in Arah, few count what the kings advisor did onthat day as a victory. The resulting explosion

felled the invading army where it stood, butso too did it sink the entire peninsula,leaving only a scattering of smallislands in its place. The beautiful cityof Arah was consumed. Whats leftabove water now lies in a pile of ruins,blackened by the Cataclysm and years

of neglect. All that remains in thewreckage of Orr are the wanderingdeadthose souls unable to rest inthe shadow of this great disaster.


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There a re t wo t y pes

of hum ans in Kry t a :those who worship themysterious Unseen Onesand those who do not.The worshippers havebecome known as theWhite Mantle because ofthe long white sleevelessrobes many of them wear.

It is the responsibilityof the White Mantle tooversee the other humansand impose upon them

the rules and laws of theUnseen Ones. Those inside the organization receivespecial privileges (more food, better clothing, accessto books) simply for abiding by the rules of the UnseenOnes and carrying out the orders handed down by theWhite Mantle high priest. To the Krytans the White

Mantle are the root of law and order, the protectors orsaviors, if you will, of their lands.

The White Mantle maintain a series of temples all overthe continent. Members of this organization frequently,though not always, choose to reside in these temples tobetter perform their duties to the Mantle and to moreeffectively worship the Unseen Ones.

Since the end of the last Guild War and the repelling ofthe Charr invasion, the White Mantle have maintaineda high level of military preparedness. They dont everwant to be caught off guard again, and they oftenkeep large stores of weapons inside their temples to


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use in case of emergency. Its also not uncommon forfollowers of the Mantle philosophy to be highly trainedwarriors. Fighting skills will come in handy if the daycomes when they will need to once again defend Kryta

from invasion.

Saul DAlessioFounder of the White MantleSaul DAlessio was a fallen man. A gambler and a drunk,Saul reached the lowest point in his life when he lost

a bet he could not repay. At the time, the local bettinghouse was run by the Lucky Horseshoe, a gamblingguild whose influence spanned almost the entire lengthof the continent. To avoid defaulting on his payment,Saul took to robbing merchants traveling on the roadfrom Beetletun to Shaemoor. Though he successfullypaid his debt to the Lucky Horseshoe, he was eventually

fingered by one of his victims and tried as a thief. Hispunishment was exile from the Kingdom of Kryta. Thelocal authorities blindfolded him and rode him out threefull weeks before leaving him to fend for himself.

Alone, broke, and lost, Saul wandered through a denseforest for several days, surviving on only roots and

berries. On the fourth day, delirious with hunger, Saulemerged from the trees to see what he thought was ahallucinationa city of massive towers reaching intothe heavens. The architecture was astounding, and thecreatures who lived here were unlike any he had everseen. Walking down into their city, Saul got a closer lookat the denizens of this place. They were tall and thin

with with strange wing-like appendages that waved aboutin the slightest breeze. When they walked, their feetseemed not to touch the ground, and when they spoke, itwas the most melodious sound he had ever heard. Surelythese creatures were the stuff of divinity. Hungry andexhausted, his clothes ragged and dirty, Saul dropped


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to his knees and touched his forehead to the ground.He had found his gods, and they in turn had found theirmost devoted disciple.

Saul DAlessio returned to Kryta a changed man. Hisrags had been replaced with a sleeveless, pure-whiterobe embroidered with golden thread. His once sunken,sickly features were again full and healthy. He nolonger craved the bottle, no longer wished to strike itrich gambling. His life had purpose. He had returnedto spread the word, to deliver his finding to the humans

of Kryta.

During this time, the Krytan Empire was in the midstof two warsone against the guilds of the other humannations, and another against the beastlike Charr. Foodwas becoming scarce as the invaders burned the crops andsalted the fields. It was then that Saul came to the people,

offering help from his powerful, enigmatic gods.Sauls new faith was so powerful that soon he had a smallfollowing. As a group, they traveled the land, recruitingmore and more, offering salvation from trying times.Though no one ever saw the winged gods or their citiesof massive towers, they took Saul at his word that they

did tru ly exist. Saul was a shepherd, and his sheepfollowed his every step. Those who showed realconviction were given white robes, each embroidered withgolden thread.

This was the beginning of the White Mantle.

Beaten, outnumbered, leaderless, and facing almost

certain death, the people of Kryta looked to Saul tolead them out of their darkest hour. Saul DAlessio wastransformed from a messenger into the general of agreat army. With their new faith and their new leader,Kryta and the White Mantle managed to push out theCharr, forcing them back over the mountains.


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Though his efforts were successful, Saul eventually losthis life fighting the war that freed the humans of Kryta.In the last offensive of the war against the Charr, Saulled his troops deep into Charr territory. His network

of spies, though normally quite effective, failed himon this day. The Charr were waiting in ambush, and thebeastly creatures slaughtered Sauls unit to the man.Consequently, Saul became a martyr for the WhiteMantle. His teachings live on in the temples, and hisname adorns a seacoast on the southern edge of Kryta, amemorial to a man who brought peace and prosperity to

the people of this tropical region.


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The goddess of life and air,Dwayna is the even-temperedleader of the old gods. Herfollowers are mainly healingMonks and E lementa l i s t s

special iz ing in a ir magic(though in times of war,there are few denizens ofTyria who have not let flya prayer to the WingedGoddess to spare themor their loved ones).Dwayna is often depictedas young, tall, and slenderrising over the ground onhuge feathered wings.

The god of war and fire, Balthazar isoften worshipped by Warriors andElementalists, though there are Monkswho have been known to follow his

scriptures as well. Army commandersand guild lords will often say a few

words to the Bastion of Martial Glorybefore leading their followers intobattle. Balthazar is frequently shownholding a greatsword, its tip lodged

in the ground, with a pair of battlehounds sitting at attention at his feet.


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Necromancers learn early that

the way to true power is by bowingdown at the foot of the god ofdeath and ice and pledgingtotal, undying allegiance.Statues of Grenth depictthe god with the body ofa man and the skeletal

head of a drawn-facedbeast. Often, there arefollowers at his feet,grasping toward hisopen, clawed hands,c l a m o r i n g f o r t h epowers the unforgivingdeity may feel so inclinedto heap upon his subjects.

The twin goddesses of beauty and illusion,Lyssa is the patron god of the Mesmerprofession. Many a spellcaster has fallenunder the charms of these two, making iteasy for them to choose to specialize in themesmeric arts. Lyssa is usually portrayedin her natural statea pair of twin,intertwined goddesses, back to back, noillusions or glamours involved. There

are stories of young men stoppingto gaze longingly at statues of thebeautiful goddesses, only to forgetthemselves and die of thirst whilesimply looking on.


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The goddess of earth and nature,Melandru is thefavored god of Rangers and earthElementalists. It issaid the Maguumadruids at one time

worshipped this deity,but there are nonea l i ve t oday who canconfirm the truth of thisrumor. Melandru is frequentlydepicted as a human female torsowhose lower body is the trunk,

branches, and roots of a living tree.Her statues attract weary travelers.Beneath her branches await plentyof fresh water and shelter fromthe elements.


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Born In: Drascir

Nation: Ascalon

Profession: Warrior

Age: 61

Descended from the great King Doric, King Adelbern iswell-liked by the citizens ofAscalon. His easy demeanorand battlefield heroics secured

his spot as one of the mostpopular kings in the history ofthe walled nation.

In his younger days, Adelbernwas the champion of his guild,Ascalons Chosen. Tales of his

feats during the Guild Wars aretold and retold todaythe enemies he fought growinglarger and fiercer as the stories are passed from onemouth to the next.

Hes older now, and though hes a well-liked king, hisinsistence that the army can hold back the beasts fromthe north has started the people whispering to each

other in the streets. Not everyone agrees with the kingon this matter. Making matters worse, Prince Rurik,the kings eldest son and heir to the throne, is amongthose who criticize Adelberns policies. And though he isclose to his son, the king and the prince often do not seeeye to eye.

Book I: Chapter 450


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Born In: DrascirNation: Ascalon

Profession: Warrior

Age: 32

Firstborn son of King Adelbern

a n d h e i r t o t h e t h r o n e o f Ascalon, Prince Rurik is a brave,bold man who often takes actionon the spur of the moment. Heleads by example, never coweringor shirking a challenge. Somesay he has no fear. Others claimhis brash bravery is merely reckless. Regardless, the princeis liked by almost everyone inAscalon, and he spends muchof his time among the citizens, preferr ing the company of

commoners to that of Ascalonsrich upper crust.

As a boy, Prince Rurik trained at the Ascalon Academyand did a stint as an officer in the army. Today, hemaintains a fighting force of his own, known as the Ascalon Vanguard. These soldiers are completely

independent of the kings financing and influence.Ruriks father, King Adelbern, takes a certain amountof offense to this, though he keeps it to himself andhis closest advisors. Though the prince is loyal to hisfather, he doesnt always agree with the mans methodsor ideology.

The Guild Wars Personalities 51


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Born In: Groobles Gulch

Nation: Deldrimor

Profession: Warrior

Age: 127

The w i se k ing of t he

D e l d r i m o r d w a r v e s ,King Jalis Ironhammerrules his people from thepeaks of the Shiverpeakmountains. He is a smart,strong, patient man whomakes decisions based

solely on how they willaffect the well-being of allthe dwarves in Deldrimor.He l i ve s t o se rve h i speople, and they love andrespect him for it.

There are those, however, who wish to see the good kingtaken out of power. Namely, the Stone Summit, a groupof xenophobic dwarves who have broken their ties withDeldrimor and are trying to take control of the dwarvennation. Over the past several years, the Summit havebeen growing their power, and a civil war is brewing.

King Jal is Ironhammer does not want to fight otherdwarves, but he will do what he must to keep his peoplesafe. Along with his loyal brother, Brechnar Ironhammer,the king has rallied his forces, and they stand ready todefend their home. The question on the kings mindthough is this: Can he win?

Book I: Chapter 452


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Born In: Rin

Nation: Ascalon

Profession: Warrior

Age: 24

Devona is quite serious and direct in her dealings with

others. She aspires to be a great Warrior, just like herfather. At times this aspiration turns into a tremendousinternal pressure to succeed. Devonas father was one ofthe leaders of Ascalons Chosen, a prestigious andwell-respected guild. He died defending thecity walls against a raid by an Orriangui ld during the last Guild War.Devona was only a little girl at the

time, but since that day, she hasdedicated her life to masteringthe martial arts of sword andhammer.

Devona is the level-headed leaderof the party. She always assesses asituation before rushing in, which

sometimes puts her at odds with thebrash Cynn. Despite her restraint andcontrol, Devona has a temper, andit can get the best of her. She wouldsacrifice her own life to save the lifeof a friend, and she frequently putsherself in harms way to protectthose who travel with her. Devonahas a deep sense of loyalty andduty. To her, there would be nogreater honor than to follow inthe footsteps of her father andgive her life defending thatwhich is most dear to her.



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Born In: Surmia

Nation: Ascalon

Profession: Elementalist

Age: 20

A former child prodigy, Cynn always had people cateringto her every whim. Her family was among the nobility

in the city of Surmiauntil the Charr invasion and theSearing. When Ascalon was destroyed, Cynn got caughtoutside the Wall (Surmia was one of the first places tofall during the initial assault). A magical projectile felldirectly upon her palatial home, killing her parents andtrapping her under a broken table for several days. ACharr warband discovered her while looting the city. They

dug her out, thinking to make a meal of her, but Cynnhad other ideas. She single-handedly wiped out the entirewarband, turning them and the remains of her home intolittle more than a smoldering pile of ash.

Cynn is a bit of a princess butwith a decidedly dark streak.Shes often cynical and flippant

when dealing with authorities orsituations that seem hopeless.Shes highly intelligent, andmagic comes easy to her.Because of her experiencesduring the Searing, Cynn hasdeveloped a rather cavalier

attitude toward her own death.Consequently, she tends to biteoff more than she can chew,and often gets herself and herfriends into trouble.

Book I: Chapter 454


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Born In: Kree Foothills

Nation: Ascalon

Profession: Ranger

Age: 32

The son of a huntsman, Aidan grew up with a quiver ofarrows on his back. His mother died giving birth to him

while his family was on a wagon train from Kryta toAscalon. As soon as the boy was old enough to hold a bowin one hand, Aidans father packed up just the good steelheads of their tools and the two men headed off into thewild. They found a spot in the middle of a forest clearing,refitted their tools with hand-carved handles, and builttheir own home from scratch.

Aidan is a survivor. Nothing is out of the question if it meanshe and his companions will live for another day. He thinksfast and acts even faster. His inner calma sort of simpleconfidencehas a way of infecting everyone around him.Being the oldest member of the party, he has the wisdomof years his younger counterparts lack, though he neverfeels the need to lord it over them. He does feel a certainamount of responsibility to keep the group informed

a n d o u t o f trouble if atall possible.From timeto time, hetakes on therole of grouppatriarch, but

only if thereis a meltdownand he sees theneed for his coolerhead to prevail.



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Born In: Serenity Temple

Nation: Ascalon

Profession: Monk

Age: 22

Born in Serenity Temple to a priest of Dwayna andpriestess of Balthazar, Mhenlo has been steeped in the

teachings of healing and smiting magic. A devoted servantof both Dwayna and Balthazar, he has studied hard hisentire life, and has been rewarded by both the gods of hisprovenance. But paying allegiance to two gods has not beenwithout its consequences; without aclear path to follow, Mhenlo has atendency to over-analyze situationsand possible consequences, notsure whether to take the pathof aggressive strength or thatof defensive grace.

Mhenlo has spent most of his life insideS e r e n i t y T e m p l e , paying homage tothe old gods andstudying the Path,which will lead himto enlightenment.He is rather timid asthe story begins, notcompletely trusting of

his magical prowess,but with Cynns helphe gains confidenceand becomes morecomfortable with hisconsiderable power.

Book I: Chapter 456


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The land north of Ascalons protective Great NorthernWall is occupied by a savage race of beasts known asthe Charr.

To the Charr, flame is the physical representation of their

gods. In order to keep the gods happy, they must first fulfilltheir obligation to the flame. To that end, the Charr haveconstructed a series of sacred buildings know as FlameTemples. On raised platforms, these bestial creatures haveinscribed huge circular runes, which define and magicallyfeed the sacred fires. Further defining the ring are pillarsof pure obsidian or carved sandstone, sculpted to depict

the faces of the mysterious creatures the Charr worship.Between these pillars, in the very center of each of thesetemples, are the ever-burning Sacred Flames. The Charrbelieve that as long as the flames are burning, the gods arepleased. If the flames go out, then the Charr have failedin their duties and will be punished by the gods.


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Each temple has its own fire, whichis tended at all times by four CharrFlame Keepers. The Flame Keepershave only one jobto keep the

Sacred Flame burning. This is themost prestigious position a Charrcan occupy; only the strongest,most capable Charr can take thishonor, and all other Charr bow tothe Flame Keepers.

In addit ion to the temples,whenever a large Charr warband travels anywhere, theytake with them a bronze brazier, lit at a Flame Templeby the Sacred Flame. These braziers are placed uponpalanquins, which are then carried from location tolocation by four Charr Flame Carriers. Each night whenthey make camp, the Flame Carriers erect a flammableeffigy in the shape of one of their gods, then ignite it andlet it burn till daylight.

Humans learned quickly how to read the flame sign: if theflame is lit, the Charr camp is occupied. If the flame isout, the Charr have moved on.

The Stone Summit are a guildof xenophobic dwarves wholive high up in the ShiverpeakMountains. Their hatred ofother cultures (particularlyhumans) runs so deep

that they wont evendeal with other dwarfclans who have tradingrelationships with thehuman nations.


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The Stone Summit pride themselves on their fanaticism.To them, there is only one right way to do thingstheirway. There is only one group worthy of ruling the worldthe Stone Summit. All other life is meaningless. They are

cruel, brutal, calculating, and cold hearted to a degreerarely seen in civilized nations. A Stone Summit dwarfcould split a mans head without a thought and feel aslittle concern as if he had just stepped on an earthworm.

The Stone Summit leader, Dagnar Stonesplitter, is said toaspire to one day rule all of Tyria. His methods are messybut effective. The price he extracts for failure is death,which tends to put a hard edge on everything.

Those dwarves who have managed to survive inside theguild for any significant period of time are as tough asstone and just as cold. They execute their orders with abrutal efficiency, knowing that they must succeed or die.

The Stone Summit have a penchant for slavery. Theycan often be found riding giants and


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other beasts bound with al l manner of manacles andrestraining devices. They dont bother to tame theirmounts, rather preferring to simply chain the beasts andoverpower them, making them bend to their will rather

than becoming accustomed to their new role. If giventhe opportunity, they would enslave humans and other,non-pure dwarves as well.

Except for the obvious differences (lack of skin, hair, aworking circulatory system, and so on) the undead armyare very much like any living human army. They havemilitary ranks, a chain of command, and a set of marchingorders. The bulk of the army is made up of once-livinghumans, though there are tales that when this forcemarches into battle, the animated skeleton of a once-granddragon marches with it.

There is much speculation about the undead of Tyria andwhat their goals might be. Many believe that they are the


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remnants of Orr, those lost souls who were so disturbedby the destruction of their home in the Cataclysm thatthey refuse to pass into the next life. Others believe thereis a more sinister force motivating these creatures, a

malevolent being who has raised the resting dead to do hisbidding. Some even say this mysterious leader is a powerfullich lord who rules them all from behind the front lines.But most of this is just campfire tales and barroom gossip,for there is no one who lives today who can claim to haveseen this creature in the flesh (so to speak).


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Blasted and battered, the current landscape of Ascalonholds only the ghost of its former glory. Skeletons ofgrand cathedrals and remnants of whole cities lie brokenon the shifted, displaced ground. The protective GreatNorthern Wall is perhaps the most intact structure inthe entire kingdom, but the destruction that surroundsit lies in testament to its ultimate failure.

Before the Charr invasionand the Searing, Ascalon

was a fertile land, fullo f w h e a t f i e l d s a n dblossoming flowers. Nowthough, little grows here inthis wasteland. The once-loamy earth is now dryand arid. The riverbeds

have dried up, and themudflats have turned intoa patchwork of crackedplates and jagged scars inthe ground.


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For hundreds of years,all the dwarves in thismounta in range wereu n i t e d u n d e r o n eflag: the nation of theDeldrimor dwarves. Mostof the architecture in theShiverpeaks was built during this time, and itreflects a time of peaceand prosperitybut thattime is over now. Today,the mountains ring withthe sounds of civil war,and new architecture hassprung up: slabs of stonelashed together with huge iron chains mark the areas

where a new guildthose who have broken from the oldwayshave made new settlements.

The Shiverpeaks are an inhospitable environment for theill-prepared. There are only two known passes through themountains, and any wishing to cross them must endurefreezing wind, flash snow storms, and unstable terrainthat shifts with the change in temperature.


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Years ago, many tribes

of human druids l ivedamong the Maguumas lushgreenery and wildlife. Butit has been a long timesince anyone has heard

word from them, and manybelieve that they were eaten

by hostile jungle creaturesor simply swallowed wholeby the man-eating plantsnow rampant in the jungle.

The higher elevations aremostly devoid of water. Only

the largest and hardiest ofplants can live here. But down farther, closer to the watertable, the Maguuma grows thick. The vegetation canbecome so dense that there are areas of the jungle floorthat have never been touched by the suns light.


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Legends tell of a time, thousands of years ago, whenthe Crystal Desert was covered in water. These legendsclaim that it was the gods who raised the land, leavingit bare and empty in order to give the solitary creaturesof the world a place to call their own. If the legends aretrue, humans were not among those for whom this landwas made. There have been attempts by humans to settlein the desert, but they have, without exception, failedmiserably, leaving behind only the grand monumentsthey built here proclaiming their short-lived triumphover this harsh land.

The weather in the CrystalDesert is hot and unforgiving.T h e w i n d s b l o w h a r d ,making and unmaking dunes,covering up the present anduncovering the past. Anexamination of the sandwill reveal that each grain

is actually a tiny, pointedcrystal. In isolated locations,larger crystal formationshave been revealed by theconstant, unforgiving wind.


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Just south of the TarnishedCoast lie the volcanic islandsthat together make up the Ringof Fire. The large volcano atthe center of the ring is wherethe gods reportedly droppedthe Bloodstones before leavingTyria for good. Of the islandsthat surround this one, many arestill active. Ships that pass by theRing report hearing the tell-talehiss of scalding hot lava hittingthe ocean, instantly vaporizingthe saltwater into steam.

The reefs off the islands are formed of black pumicestone. There are very few natural ports, and those thatmight be suitable for docking would bring the crew

of the ship within danger of being caught by a sudden,unexpected eruption.

There are no known settlements in the Ring of Fire.


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The Rift

Before there were humans or dwarves, before therewere even worlds or the stars that light the night sky,there was but one thing in the universethe Mists. TheMists touch all things. They are what binds the universetogether, past present, and future. They are the sourceof all good and evil, of all matter and knowledge. Itis said that all forms of life, no matter how simple or

complex, can trace their origins back to this one place.In the middle of the Mists is a spot where time movesneither forward nor back. It is a tear in the fabric of thecosmos, the point of perfect balance between all forces ofthe universe. This place is known as the Rift, and there isnothing to which it does not connect, nothing that cannotbe reached from inside it. Those who have the know-how

to travel across the universe through the Mists must passthrough the Rift on their way to all other places. It is thecenter of all things.


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The Hall of HeroesIn the center of the Rift, deep inside the Mists,stands the imposing walled fortress known across themultiverse as the Hall of Heroes. This structure is the

pinnacle of the afterlife. When a hero dies, his spiritgoes to one of two places: either it is buried with thedeceased body, forever trapped inside the rottingflesh and rancid bones of the corpse, or it is releasedinto the Rift. This latter honor goes to only thosefew whose deeds in life were legendary enough to beknown across multiple worlds, and fewer still earn a

place among the souls ensconced inside the Hall itself.

For a long while, the Rift and the Hall of Heroes wereaccessible only by those who had passed from the mortalworld into the immaterial. It was the Land of the Dead,an exclusive club whose membership cost the bloodof ones own life. But within the last century all thathas changed.

Lord Odrans FollyUsing a spell of his own devising and the sacrifice ofmany souls, Lord Odran, a powerful arcanist whospecialized in the study of temporal distortions,opened a portal that offered him access to the Mists

and eventually into the Rift itself. The spirits whohad given their lives to earn access to the hallowedafterlife were outraged. They turned their fury uponthe intruder, attacking Lord Odran with all of theirlegendary, collective might. But it had been hundredsof years since most of the spirits had interacted withthe physical world, and none of them had ever done so

in their shadow form. As powerful as they had been inlife, they could not harm the physical manifestation ofthe wizard lordnot yet. He was untouchable here inthe land of the dead, and he traveled freely through theHall of Heroes.


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Over the years, Lord Odran learned to use the Rift totravel across the multiverse. He opened portals on nearlyall of the different worlds, turning the Rift into his ownpersonal gateway. But though he was clever, the wizard

lord was himself only mortal, and eventually the spirits ofthe Hall discovered a way to interact with the corporealworld. Odrans last physical journey through the Rift costhim his mortal life. The wizard lord was torn to shredsby hundreds of angry souls seeking retribution forhis trespasses.

When Odrans mortal body died, the wards and

enchantments that kept his portals hidden failed, andthe gates to the Hall of Heroes were laid open to allwho were able to find them. The wizard lord had beencanny though; Odran knew that one day he too might beensconced in the Hall of Heroes, so he hid the portals inthe most treacherous locations he could find. The fear ofdeath, he surmised, would keep the meek at bay.

But a long time has passed, and it is clear now that thewizard lord, like the gods before him, underestimated thegreed of men. Over time, the whereabouts of the portalshave been revealed. Though they remain difficult to getto, there are those with enough skill and enough braveryto reach them, and every day the numbers of intruders tothe Hall of Heroes rises.

An unending battle for supremacy rages inside the Hall.The spirit inhabitants have taken to playing groups ofmortals against each other for sport, placing bets on

which will make it farthest and giving special aid to thosethey favor. Control of the Hall itself has its rewardsandits costs as well.


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73Creatures of Tyria 73


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In addition to enemy armies youll encounter, such asthe Charr and Undead, youll find that Tyria is crawlingwith hostile creatures that will attack you and your partyon sight. Here are but a few of the hostiles you mayencounter, along with such information as we have on

each of them.

Sightings Old Ascalon, Nolani Academy, Regent Valley

Breeds

Thorn Devourer, Whiptail

Devourer,Plague Devourer

KnownBroodLeaders

Skuzz Sudgereaper,Gnash Underfoot, FleckGrokspit, Stank Reekfoul

SightingsOften seen scavenging near ruins inAscalon or along the beaches of Kryta.

TypesFlash Gargoyles, Shatter Gargoyles,

Mergoyles

KnownClutchLeaders

Spazmo Thunderbolt, Claw Fleshfixer,Plook Wavebreaker, Muga Riptide.


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SightingsRegent Valley; also reportedly seen

in the Southern Shiverpeaks.

Known ClanNames

Lorimung, Siamung

Known ClanLeaders

Makani Ookook, Anani Mokmok,Palila Uggugg

Sightings Old Ascalon, Pockmark Flats

Breeds Stone Elementals, Ice Elementals

KnownClutchLeaders

Pulv Rubblegrinder,Cobble Poundstone,Mallet Runecolumn

Sightings Twin Serpent Lakes, Stingray Strand

Types Lightning Drake, Grand Drake

KnownElders

Scale Fleshrend


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SightingsNorth Kryta Province, DAlessioSeaboard, Forest of True Sight

Breeds Bog Skale, Fiendish Skale

KnownBroodLeaders

Geck the Coldblooded, Laristhe Meateater, Cella theHooded, Skigg the Tongue

SightingsRaiding the settlements outside of Lions Ar

ch,

also menacing caravans in Divinity Coast

Clans Caromi, Avicara

Known ClanLeaders

Glyd Swiftwing, Squaw Nimblecrest,Chuff Quickbeak, Pello Agileclaw

SightingsNorth Kryta Province, DAlessioSeaboard, Forest of True Sight

Breeds Bog Skale, Fiendish Skale

KnownBroodLeaders

Geck the Coldblooded, Laristhe Meateater, Cella theHooded, Skigg the Tongue

SightingsThe Wilds, Silverwood, Forest ofTrue Sight

Breeds Jungle Troll, Mountain Troll, Fen Troll

Known

WarchiefsGrook Plugalug


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Below are just a few of the more docile creatures one

might encounter in Tyria. If one has the skill, someof these can be tamed and will fight to defend theirhuman masters.

Lynx

EnvironmentWarmer climes, seen often in thetemperate areas of Kryta

Warthog

EnvironmentDry arid areas like those near the

Great Northern Wall of Ascalon

Snow Wolf

EnvironmentSeen exclusively in thecolder, snowy regions ofthe Shiverpeak Mountains


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he humans of Tyria are at the brink of extinction,and only their heroes can save them. The manywho have chosen to train in the six professions,

and the mighty guilds they comprise, are the only hope

against the armies of undead, Charr, and other creaturesbent on total world domination and the destruction of thehuman race.

The choice to train in a primary and secondary profession,to learn the skills of those professions and use them tovanquish the enemies of humanity, is not to be taken

lightly. Choose a name worthy of great deeds, and followthe calling that best utilizes your natural style.

The challenge is this: Follow the heros path. Take upthe weapons and skills your heart chooses and wieldthem against those who would take your freedom,and the freedom of those you love. Save your people

or die trying.


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Heroes come in all flavors: male and female, large andsmall, and in any of 30 combinations of the 6 professions:Warrior, Ranger, Monk, Elementalist, Mesmer, andNecromancer. Add to that more than 150 unique skillsper character, which can be combined for any number ofeffects. . . . The possibilities are mind boggling.

The heroes you create begin life at level 1, fresh from

home and ready to learn. The most important choiceyou must make for them is that of primary (and later,secondary) profession, which determines not onlyarmor, skills, and fighting style, but your overallgameplay experience.

You can create four heroes per unique Guild Warsaccount. You can delete and create new heroes at

any time, so have fun experimenting with professioncombinations, skills, and attributes until you create thehero that suits you best.


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Gaining Levels

As you travel through Tyria joining adventuring parties,completing missions, or recruiting henchmen for morecasual exploration, your hero will earn experiencepoints and gain experience levels. With each level comesan increase in maximum Health, which makes youharder to kill.

Improving AttributesEach level awards you attribute points to spend improvingyour attributes, l ike the Warr iors Swordsmanship,which increases sword damage; the Monks HealingPrayers, which makes healing skills more powerful;the Elementalists Energy Storage, which permanentlyincreases maximum Energy, allowing you to use moreskills more often.

Skill Points

With experience, youll gain skill points, which entitleyou to train new skills from your primary and secondaryprofessions. With each skill you learn, your skill arsenalbecomes more versatile, more powerful in a wider rangeof situations, against enemies of various types.

Note: Rumor has it there may be ways to acquireskills temporarily, even those from otherprofessions!


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The choice is yours: Warrior, Ranger, Monk, Elementalist,Mesmer, or Necromancer. Every profession has its ownstrengths and attributes, a weapon or magic specialty,and a unique set of skills with which to deal damage,manipulate the enemy or environment, or protect andheal allies.

For each hero you create, youll choose a primary

profession, and later, if you choose, a secondaryprofession.

PrimaryProfession

Your primary profession determines your heros basicappearance, including the type of armor youll wear.It is your heros outward identity. It also providesseveral attributes that improve skills over time,including a primary attribute that is not availablewhen the profession is chosen as a secondary.

SecondaryProfession

Your secondary profession provides your hero witha second set of attributes and skills to complimentthe first. (Your secondary profession does not haveaccess to the primary attribute for that profession.)

AttributesEvery profession has a set of attributes you can build toimprove the effectiveness of related skil ls (includingweapon mastery) over time. Each professions attributesare geared for a distinctive fighting style, and by choosingattributes for improvement you create a specializedstyle all your own. Your heros attribute pool is derivedfrom the combination of your primary and optionalsecondary professions. Your Warrior/Rangers attributeset contains only those attributes that affect Warrior/Ranger weapons and skills, so you cant go wrong when


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building up attributes. And attribute refunds allow youto adjust attributes later if you wish, taking points fromone and allocating them to another.

Note: Attributes appear next to skills in the Skillsmenu. Mouse over icons in the Skill Bar tosee the attribute in the skill description. Formore on skills, see page 122.

Primary AttributeEach profession has a powerful primary attributeavailable only to characters who have chosen thatprofession as their primary profession. For example,when chosen as a primary profession, the Elementalisthas Energy Storage, which provides a larger Energypool with which to use skills; the Mesmer has FastCasting, which increases spell cast ing speed. Thesecondary profession you choose will not have accessto this primary attribute, so its important to note eachprofessions primary attribute when considering whichprofession will be your primary.


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Attribute PointsFor each level you gain, you receive attribute points toimprove the effectiveness of your skills. Allocating pointsto an attribute increases the power of skills and weaponstied to that attribute. Increase the attributes tied to theskills and weapons you think youll use most often.

Attribute RefundsAttribute refund points allow you to reallocate points

from one attribute to another. Points subtracted from anattribute return to your attribute point pool so you canuse them to improve another attribute.

You Can Have it AllYou can create four very different characters, each takingadvantage of a unique set of resources, including skills,attributes, weapons, fighting styles, and strategies. YourWarrior/Elementalist can set enemies up with distancespells, then knock them down with a hammer blow. YourMonk/Mesmer can subvert enemies Energy and use itto defend and heal allies. Your Ranger/Necromancer

can charm animals and raise the dead to aid you inbattle. Each combination has hundreds of skill s thatwork together so you can create an arsenal that suitsyour playing style (or styles).

The combination you choose, along with the skills andattributes you choose to learn and improve over time,

results in a unique Guild Warsexperience for each heroyou create.


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Attribute Level Point Cost Total Cost

1 1 1

2 2 3

3 3 6

4 4 10

5 5 15

6 6 21

7 7 28

8 9 37

9 11 48

10 13 61

11 16 77

12 20 97


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Warriors rely on stout hearts, brute strength, and melee

weapons to subdue their enemies and protect their allies.They generally disdain long-range warfare, preferringinstead to charge directly into the fray swinging theirweapon of choice. They can take a beating unlike anyoneelse. Warriors are equally comfortable wielding axe,hammer, or sword, though many choose to master oneweapon over all others. Many Warrior skills require

adrenaline, which builds up during combat to enablethose skills, and usually results in major damage.Defensive tactics help the Warrior to avoid damage andprotect allies, but Strength is the Warriors biggest asset,allowing this hero to do more damage with every attack.

Warrior Attributes

Strength*

Strength increases the armor penetration of yourattack skills by 1% per attribute level. Strength alsoimproves the effectiveness of skills that keep youalive, and those that inflict damage on your opponents.

Swordsmanship Swordsmanship increases basic sword damageas well as damage dealt by sword skills.

Axe MasteryImprove Axe Mastery to increase basic axedamage and damage dealt by axe skills.

HammerMastery

Hammer Mastery increases basic hammerdamage and damage dealt by hammer skills.

Tactics Tactics improves Shouts and Stances that giveyou and your party an advantage in battle.

*Available only to Warrior primaries.


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Rangers are unique in their ability to succeed with the

help of, or even in spite of, their environment. Naturerituals al low them to manipulate the environment tohinder their enemies, or borrow the very power ofcreation to heal and aid their allies. They favor long-range combat, the bow being their weapon of choice,and can be especially effective from elevated locationssuch as bridges and cliffs. They are the only profession

with the ability to charm animals, which then accompanythem on their travels and assist them in battle, gainingexperience and levels over time. Rangers are alsoblessed with survival skills that help keep them alive.

Ranger Attributes

Expertise*Points into Expertise decrease the Energy costof your attack skills, Preparations, and Traps.

Beast MasteryBeast Mastery improves your animal companionsbasic attack damage, as well as skills thathelp to keep your companion from harm.

MarksmanshipImproving Marksmanship increases basic bowdamage, and increases damage dealt by bow skills.

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