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scourgeblooms · 4 months

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wanted to do a physical timeline for my commander and highlight how he’s changed through the years. this is mostly for my own entertainment BUT I do enjoy seeing the same thing from other folks so I’m posting it here in the hopes that other people share my sentiment.

(I was ALSO totally inspired by @/manasurge’s hair timeline. it kicks ass. go look at it.)

elaboration/rambling below the cut!

Personal Story, LW1-2: Popped out of the pod blunt, solicitous, and already maybe a little too paranoid for someone who was born yesterday, but all those traits made him uniquely qualified for a position in military leadership. Healthy and floral, soft aspen-bark-like skin, delicate petals. black anthers produce pollen. undergoes more fashion changes than physical transformations during this time. gets a little banged up here and there (and maybe has some lasting respiratory effects from the toxic alliance era) but overall feelin a-okay.

Heart of Thorns: it’s all gone to shit. took a spectacular headdive in both a physical and mental sense with breakneck speed. never “officially” answered mordremoth’s call, but anyone who spent time around him would notice a distinct lack of self control and logical thinking. took on a more sickly pallor, stress caused leaves to shrivel, rot, and decay. lost his lil flower top notch and ability to produce pollen. pupils narrowed to take on a more animalistic look, and enamel growth resulted in sharper, larger teeth. fingers also elongated into claws. never fully physically and mentally recovered from the hell jungle.

LW3: chopped off most of his leaves to encourage fresh growth. lots of physical healing during this time, though it takes quite a while for his complexion to fully recover. takes on the role of aurene’s champion with gusto. relatively unaffected by bloodstone, but feels the effects of mordremoth’s loose/uncontrolled magic deeply. continues to hear mordremoth’s “voice” and is diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia.

Path of Fire: still healing from HoT. continues to grow out his leaves. glow returns, as well as some of his eye color. likes the crystal desert, but finds the harsh, dry climate to be particularly challenging; he’s definitely more of a ‘temperate’ sylvari. does not handle dying well. death only adds to his paranoia and psychosis. has an increasingly hard time picking apart what is real and what is…. not.

LW4: let’s get ready to kill an undead lich!!!! absorbs even more magic after the death of joko and kralkatorrik, and it starts to show in a there-and-gone shimmery aura that takes on a similar appearance to ley lines. starts to suffer from migraine auras. flower top notch grows back, but stays closed and dormant. picks up a few nifty necromancy tricks from the elonians, and the tips of his fingers start to show signs of necrotic decay; all that death magic can’t be good for the complexion, can it?

Icebrood Saga: having another dragon in his head does not help his mental health in the slightest. braided leaves (courtesy of braham <3) to protect against frostbite. his ley “aura” gets more intense, hard to miss, and is a near constant. flower topnotch remains closed due to the cold weather conditions. after being shot by bangar, his wound is covered/healed by aurene’s brand. migraines increase in frequency, makes it difficult for him to focus. a bone deep exhaustion starts to set in, and more often than not, he catches himself thinking that a nice long nap underneath a blanket of snow doesn’t sound so terrible….

End of Dragons: back in a more agreeable climate, his topnotch finally blooms, but does not grow anthers or produce pollen. easily physically corrupted by void magic, and he feels soo-won’s pain and struggle deeply. the void corruption eventually shows up in the form of darkening leaves, and seeping out of his eyes/tearducts (it’s fine. don’t worry about it.). starts to incorporate chaos magic into his own necromancy practices. has a fucking terrible time in gyala delve. has a fucking terrible time saying goodbye to aurene.

Secrets of the Obscure: nothing feels entirely real to him anymore. still willing to help, to fight, but it’s done on autopilot at this point. this magical, floating palace in the sky looks and feels like a dream, with the kryptis acting as the encroaching, inevitable turn to a real, living nightmare. still uses a bit of leftover void in his magical practices, but most of the corruption has left his system. that respiratory illness he picked up back in kessex hills comes back to bite him in nayos. finally grows back his anthers, but instead of producing pollen, it's an outlet for void/magic energy.

#gw2 #guild wars 2 #sylvari #mine #scourgescribbles #hey tumblr compression please. please tumblr compression go easy on me. tumblr compression ple-#anyway enjoy my special son I think about a normal amount #art #also just know that I'm going to edit this at least 47 times before I'm one hundred percent happy with it #gw2 spoilers #gw2 soto spoilers #gw2 icebrood saga spoilers #gw2 heart of thorns spoilers #gw2 path of fire spoilers #gw2 end of dragons spoilers #gw2 eod spoilers #azilab

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ilona-art · 1 year

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𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐮𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐉𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐠 Sponsored by ArenaNet

#guild wars 2 #gw2 #icebrood saga #ice brood saga spoilers #guild wars #jormag #primordus #elder dragon

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milkratz · 11 months

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don't get me wrong I fucking love gw2 and the newest episode made me cry cuz how happy I was but

it feels like every time there's a plotline that deserves to get a little intense, like psychologically, it's immediately kinda thrown away.

Heart of Thorns did a good job kinda keeping that up, especially if u play as a sylvari.

But like the Icebrood Saga? Easily could've made that one of the most intense and messed up things the Commander had to go through and it fell off.

(I have other criticisms of Icebrood Saga, but ill digress. For now.)

And End of Dragons was fuckin brilliant too: But maybe it's a personal thing, but I would've loved to see more angst from the Commander. It was like the fastest a person's ever been to therapy and then promptly kicked out. The whole power of friendship made me cackle. I want to see tears!!! Pain!!!! AGONY!!!!

#gw2 #guild wars 2 #path of fire #heart of thorns #the commander #icebrood saga #end of dragons #what lies beneath spoilers #what lies beneath #im going insane

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tricos-here · 2 years

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something something obsessed with that one phase in that on IBS strike

#i'm SICK fighting for my life to make this look like what's in my head and i'm still not satisfied #but whatever 🚶‍♂️ had enough #also the fact that i went through the trouble of drawing the sigil on her shoulder and the cropped it out. ok #gw2 #guild wars 2 #gw2 commander #icebrood saga #it's not spoilers really #faryen obstart #my art #goodnight it's 7am o(-<

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senterya · 10 months

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Every now and then I rediscover my love for Forging Steel and I go temporarily insane.

The music. The characters. The voice acting!!!! Shoutout to Sonya Leslie, Dave Fennoy and Megan Hollingshead (Vishen, Nicabar and Ranoah respectively) especially for filling the already entertaining dialogue with so much life and character. It's one of the most tedious instances in the game and yet I kept going back to it because listening to these people was so damn entertaining. Top this with Stan LePard's absolute banger of a battle music ("TT6-B Devourer" and "Steel Team Six") that are, to this day, among my favourite tracks in the entire OST of the game and you know you are in for a good time.

I don't know how many people remember Almorra's battle theme at the end of this chapter. I wasn't. The good thing about it is that I got to reexperience it like when I heard it the first time and it's amazing. Brendon Williams understood the assignment.

#gw2 #guild wars 2 #forging steel #the reason why I'm writing out all these names is because there's a lot of talent in this game and we barely speak of them by name #and they deserve some more recognition #icebrood saga spoilers #SoundCloud

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brightwingedbat · 1 year

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Cinematic parallels

#gw2 #charr #guild wars 2 #Rytlock Brimstone #Bangar Ruinbringer #Simba #Scar #The Lion King #Icebrood Saga #gw2 spoilers

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i-mybrunettelady · 1 year

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Just one mistake (is all it will take)

Summary: Smodur the Unflinching and Alysannyra Ainsaph have a difference of opinion. Renira wants to know more about it. Content warnings: Mentions and allusions to shooting. Spoilers: General spoilers for Icebrood Saga’s episode No Quarter. Title taken from Centuries by Fall out Boy. Also this is a long one.

It’s cold in Drizzlewood. Renira almost envies the charr, who have all the fur on their bodies to keep them warm; she has no such luxury so she has to rely on other means to preserve bodily warmth. It’s less than satisfactory sometimes, though. Sharp wind blows hair into her eyes, and she has to risk getting her fingers out of the hot press of her legs to nudge the thick, woolen coat tighter around her body.

Yet today the Imperators have decided to convene and discuss strategy. As a Pact Commander, Renira has to attend. What gives her a little comfort is the fact that the rest of the humans find themselves in a similar predicament - Nyra’s pale cheeks are bright red from the cold, Kasmeer Meade sits stiffly on her chair and Logan Thackeray is the only one seemingly unfazed by the weather. Renira knows better, though. He’s shivering slightly as well.

She settles more into her seat and her oversized coat. Words reach her ears, a diplomatic response from Crecia Stoneglow, and she wills herself to forget the fucking cold and focus on what’s being said. She doesn’t know if her superiors at the Order will require reports, but she needs all the things she can reasonably get to even work here.

“Wise information to remember,” Malice Swordshadow whispers in Renira’s ear. “It’s about troop numbers. One of my agents gave his report to Crecia two hours ago.”

Renira feels her ears tingle hot under her hair. Her face betrays nothing. “They’ll be written down and given to us later as reports.”

“Us spymasters need to help each other out when we can,” Malice says smoothly. “Your all-charr Whispers unit has given the Legions a lot of usable information, so I wanted to return the favor.”

Renira smiles. That unit’s an idea she’s vaguely proud of, inspired by Laranthir’s Pale Reavers of the Maguuma campaign. “Much appreciated,” she replies. Malice certainly caught her drifting off for a minute, though, if the glint in her eye as she leans back is any indication.

“That’s not going to work, Smodur!” Nyra’s voice booms, firm and unrelenting. Her face is tighter than usual, brows furrowed just that much more. “We’re lacking in proper manpower. If I’m seeing correctly, we’re lacking fifteen people for that little operation of yours. And how many people did you shoot last week?” The sound that leaves her is best described as an aborted breath of overflowing frustration. “Fift–”

“They were defectors, Ainsaph, not just any soldiers!” Smodur says lazily, tapping a claw against the table. “I’m sure even young commanders understand that we don’t need traitors on our operations.”

Nyra breathes deeply. Renira’s eyes are trained on her, on the tension in her neck. She isn’t blinking, staring Smodur down like he isn’t around three and a half times her age and height. “Do not speak over me, Smodur,” she says. Her voice is colder than the sharp wind around them. “Do not interrupt me when I’m speaking and do not, for fuck’s everloving sake, patronize me.”

She then straightens her back and lifts her chin. “You shot fifteen people last week, Smodur. Reconsider not wasting manpower when we need every fucking head in this war!”

“You’re not listening, Ainsaph. They turned their backs–”

“Stop it, both of you!” Crecia yells and everyone almost cricks their neck to look at her. Smodur huffs and growls and Nyra’s eyes are harder than steel. Rytlock Brimstone, who’s been blessedly quiet next to her, leans down to grumble something into Nyra’s ear. “If you have any issues with each other, I’ll have to ask you to sort them out elsewhere. Here, we are a unified front and you’ll have to act like it.”

“Nobody’s gonna hear us, Cre,” Rytlock says. “Especially not Ryland.”

“He’s too busy doing other things,” Nyra adds, voice strained. “He’s not gonna pay attention to us here. Bangar won’t either. We’re certainly not louder than his ego. I should know. My ego’s as big as his.”

Renira shakes her head. Nyra’s statement would’ve been slightly amusing if it wasn’t for her stiff posture and the unblinking stare she keeps pointed at Smodur. She looks like a predator ready to strike, one bad word away from giving him a fist to the face, and Renira knows her well enough to say with certainty she would attack.

She knows people like her. She’s sustained by ego, an idea of inherent self-importance that Renira’s seen in her since their first meeting back in Ebonhawke all those years ago. In another life, she may have been bitter about that fact, that Nyra could afford to have the sense of grandeur because of her high birth. To Renira, though, that’s a statement of fact. Alysannyra Ainsaph has brown hair and ego the size of Tyria and Elona combined.

In no life, however, would she call that idea a delusion on Nyra's part. She knows what she’s capable of, she knows what she must do to satisfy it, she holds herself to impossibly high standards in achieving her goals. She wields it like a weapon and as a driving force. It is a source of power.

It’s made her look a god in the eye, rise from the dead and pay him back double.

Renira’s still a little hung up on rising from the dead, actually. Death’s always felt a little strange. Regardless of any of that, Nyra’s ego is a big, glowing spot in every room she’s in and Smodur’s just stepped on it carelessly, like he’s frolicking on a meadow.

This is going to end in a murder attempt at some point.

“We were talking about the new report on troop numbers,” Renira says conversationally. Kasmeer shoots her a grateful look. There’s a feather-light feel of magic and Nyra’s face loses all tension and remains as impassive as it usually is.

“Yes,” she says, much calmer than a moment ago. “The new report on troop numbers. Crecia, the word is yours.”

***

There’s meatloaf in her hands. A good meatloaf, all things considered - Tybalt would enjoy it, if that’s any indication of its quality. Renira’s always maintained that she has better tastes in food than her friend does, to which Tybalt’s first response would always be that not everyone can look at Queen Jennah’s feet when working.

Renira likes shoes. It’s a weird luxury that Jennah can avoid them, but she’s not the one to judge such matters. In Drizzlewood, anyway, shoes are a must, as is strong, hearty food that can keep you fed for long watches and missions.

She looks at the meat in her hands. The slice is big enough for both her and Nyra to share, a perfect opportunity to discuss whatever the fuck came to be in the Impretarors’ pavillion a few hours ago.

She finds Nyra in her tent - a somewhat bigger than most, perks of being a commander on the field - seated on the bed. She’s rested her elbows on her knees and is rubbing her temples, hiding sighs of lingering frustration. Her hair, once in a tight braid, now falls messily over the furs on her shoulders. There are no torches, so the lingering source of light is the cool, icy shine from her crystalline weapon, Lightbringer, that she’s willed to form a lamp.

“I brought you food,” Renira says, certain Nyra’s heard her steps.

“Soon, we’ll be fighting the Dominion with meatloafs,” Nyra replies. Renira bites down a chuckle. “I’m not complaining. It’s good meatloaf. Once we kick Bangar’s ass, though, I never want to see it again.” Ever the optimist, their Commander.

“At least this one feeds you,” Renira shrugs. “I know many people who could not stand the bread they ate during the Zhaitan campaign.”

“We don’t have a choice during a war,” Nyra lifts her head. Her eyes are muted and unreadable, yet her voice gives away the tiredness. “So they better get used to standing both the meatloaf and the bread. I’m a little hungry.”

Renia sits beside her on the bed and puts the plate between them. Nyra divides it and bites into her slice. “If you tell me we can’t choose allies either, I’m going to smack you.”

“What you told Smodur–”

“Was deserved. He needs to get called out more and if I need to be the one to do it, I will.” Nyra purses her lips. “I just don’t understand him. He’s wasteful. He doesn’t offer second chances. Nobody with a head for strategy will make them squad leaders or officers, or even leave them unsupervised, but he’s being.. Wasteful.” She lets out a long breath. “I said that already.”

“So you support defectors, then?” Renira daintily bites into her own meal, licking her lips clean. It’s salty. “Traitors?”

“Gods, no. We just disagree on what a defector is.”

“Definition of a defector is very clear,” Renira says slowly. Without judgment. “Not all people are worth saving, Nyra.”

Nyra frowns. Her lower lip pales with how harshly she’s biting into it. “I’m tired of losing people, Ren. They may be monsters and traitors and whatever else, but who’s to say we’re not, to them?” She kicks her foot. “War is ugly and unfair and brutal. They may have defected, but I don’t think they should have their personhood denied for it. We should be inspiring them to stay with us rather than scaring them into joining the other side!”

Other, rather than the enemy side. Renira would call them the enemy side, but Nyra’s always been the more sentimental one of the two. “So you agree with the shooting, as long as Smodur accepts them as people?”

“I don’t know,” Nyra says after a long pause. “I guess I’m just.. Upset about it. It distresses me, seeing prisoners and traitors killed. How do you look at that and still say you’re a good guy in the end?” Her eyes water slightly and she blinks it away. “He asked me to drop a bomb down a stuffed bunker. I chose to not say fuck you, no and did it anyway. I can say without a shadow of a doubt I am not a good guy. But guess what? Neither is he.”

You’re better than most, Renira wants to say. She knows it won’t go anywhere. Nyra’s walls of guilt are too strong and impenetrable right now.

“I’m afraid I’ll hear the rifles go off when I lay down, and think why I didn’t do anything,” Nyra continues. Her voice is wobbly. “I should’ve yelled, ordered, argued, anything, but instead, I just walked past like I’m some sort of powerless mouse and not…” She laughs bitterly and points at her chest. “Whatever the fuck I am right now.”

“You couldn’t do anything,” Renira says gently and places a hand on Nyra’s. “They would have hurt you too.”

“One of them asked for mercy,” Nyra whispers. “One was unrepentant, but the other asked for mercy. The rifles were louder than both.” She wipes her hand and rubs the tears off her cheeks. “I’ll remember the rifles when I go to sleep.”

“Nyra–”

“Mercy, Renira, he asked for mercy and I didn’t do anything!” Nyra stands up and holds her hands near her face. They’re shaking. The burn marks on them are still harrowing to look at.

Renira’s on her feet as well, towering over Nyra in what she hopes is a comforting shadow. “You may not have saved him,” she says softly, putting a steadying hand on her shoulder. Nyra’s cheeks are wet. “But you can save many more. I know it’s distressing, I know it’s overwhelming, but you shouldn’t try to save everyone at your own expense. He made a mistake and he paid for it.” She wraps an arm around her. Nyra digs her face in Renira’s neck.

“He cried for mercy,” Nyra repeats. “He cried for mercy and was denied.”

Charr Legions are not well known for their mercy. But that’s their business. Renira knows better than to questions as firmly established as the Legions, especially as their ally. Besides, it’s not like the Whispers’ conditioning is any different in that regard. But Nyra’s a different kind of beast altogether, half-way heroic, half-way self-serving. There’s no way she could fully understand.

Renira doesn’t begrudge Smodur for doing this. But if she had to pick sides, she would immediately side with Nyra.

“Then you make sure as few people as possible have to plead like this,” Renira says into Nyra’s hair. Nyra’s hands tenderly wrap around her waist. “Then you make sure the Legions are victorious. You, Crecia, Efram, Rytlock. Hell, even Logan and Kasmeer. You’re not alone, remember?”

“I suppose I have to remember that,” Nyra whispers. There’s wetness on Renira’s neck. She presses a kiss to Nyra’s temple and doesn’t let go for a long time.

The rifles do not go off that night.

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moth-tea-merchant · 1 year

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Dragon Storm photobombing compilation:

#gw2 #guild wars 2 #icebrood saga spoilers #ibs spoilers #ice brood saga #shit post #jormag #primordus

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the-flower-lady · 3 months

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.: Hide :.

#guild wars 2 #guildwars2 #gw2 #guild wars 2 screenshots #gw2 screenshots #the icebrood saga spoilers #living world spoilers

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ringofwarding · 1 year

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ᴀᴜʀᴇɴᴇ ; ᴇʟᴅᴇʀ ᴘʀɪsᴍᴀᴛɪᴄ ᴅʀᴀɢᴏɴ

#guild wars 2 #gw2 #gw2 edit #gw2 gif #gaming edit #gaming gif #elder dragon #aurene #icebrood saga #idk if this needs a spoiler tag but ill add one if asked #im so behind i just got to this and i gasped upon seeing her #look at her!!! shes so big and pretty!!! our daughter!!!!!#and in the eye of the north of all places! i screamed #just noticed i put my main blog as the watermark but its fine

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octerminal · 11 months

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my dragon daughter!!!! is all grown up!!!! and hyuge!!!!

#guild wars 2 #aurene #ch: heidi brightheart #these edits are so half-assed i was orig going to post them on my (unlisted) main #but all my gw2 edits so far have been half-assed so. fits right in #i'm playing a max height female norn. this scene has to be so funny with asura #anyway just to be safe since i am playing thru the main story for the first time still myself:#gw2 spoilers #icebrood saga spoilers

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legendary-alliance-stance · 2 years

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OKAY BUT RELATED TO THE POST I JUST REBLOGGED

I noticed at some point that a lot of the areas corrupted by the Elder Dragons have a weird shadowy effect coming from the ground that looks really similar to the Void in Dragon’s End

I distinctly remember it in Branded, Icebrood, and Risen areas. I don’t remember if it’s in Destroyer areas, or Mordrem ones.. but the same effect/a similar effect often shows up in Nightmare Court areas, and we know that originally the plan was that the Nightmare was tied to Mordremoth

#is this wildly old foreshadowing? or just a coincidence?#WHO KNOWS but I find it really interesting!!#i need to properly go lurk around some areas affected by primordus and mordremoth to see if the effect is present there #but I know it’s def present for the areas affected by the others #it’s especially noticeable in icebrood areas #guild wars 2 #gw2 spoilers #juuuust slapping the spoiler tag on there just in case

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berrisweetsiren · 7 months

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“...Is this what it felt like…when you rose…as a phoenix…?”

With the dust cleared, I had stood in the middle of what was once the two dragons of ice and fire. I was breathless, hands trembling as I put a hand to my wrist- checking what I could to indicate that- truly…I was still alive. Somehow.

Somehow.

What strength remained in my legs had all but fallen apart, sinking into the ice and snow as my stare cast out along the now empty field. All around me, I heard cheers and uproar, celebration…and yet, I felt…

Nothing. Nothing at all.

“Is…is it over?” My mouth moved before I could even think to ask, still in shock over the events that had just occurred. Everything I worked towards led to all of this…everything I’ve done, and the culmination of my work, and suddenly it was all…over.

“It…It looks so, Commander,” Over the communications line, Taimi spoke up, “But…it’s not completely over, you know. With both Jormag and Primordus gone… We may just have a doomsday crisis on our hands.”

I blinked, the information not registering. Everything felt so…hazy…And oddly warm. Even kneeled in the snow, with my armor shredded and my skin touching the ice…I felt warm. A burning sensation crawled up my arm, and I gave a nervous little laugh.

“Of course…Of course I remember.” I mumbled into the intercom, “It’s never really over, is it Taimi?”

“W…what do you mean? Commander?” I could hear the vague sound of Taimi typing rapidly on her computer, “Is everything alright?”

How honest could I be at this point? If I lied, and said I was fine… Sure, I’d maintain some sense of dignity over my comrades. I’d remain the strong, bold leader that they needed of me… But I just couldn’t keep it together.

If I gave the truth though…

“I’m…I’m always fine, Taimi.” I eventually mutter, “I’ve…always gotta be fine, you know?”

Another laugh escapes my lips, not even believing my own lie, “Thorns, it’s warm.”

“Warm? Hold on.”

Taimi’s typing escalated, and she gave a notable little gasp at…whatever it was she found.

“Commander- Elias. I need you to just…calm down. Your readings are very…unstable right now, and by the looks of it all the magic you’ve consumed over our time together could simply erupt out of you at any moment. You have to just…breathe, okay? Did you consume any other magic you didn’t mean to?”

“Taimi, you don’t understand,” I whisper, deflecting the last question with trembling hands as I held the com close to my face, “You don’t even…know half of it…”

Taimi was silent for a moment, before signing, “Then let us in…please. I don’t know about that meathead of a champion, but all of us at Dragon’s Watch, we-”

“I can’t.” I immediately interjected. Out of all of our friends, it was Taimi I had confided the most in… which, honestly, was…probably shitty of me. I was a good bit older than her, and it wasn’t quite right to confide my burdens onto…onto a teenager.

“Fuck,” I whispered, hunching over myself. In the revelry, I found myself just beating myself up even more. I couldn’t have prevented any of this, could I? I couldn’t have stopped the world from going into an apocalyptic state… and I couldn’t even protect those I cared the most about.

“Deep breaths, Elias,” Taimi rarely called me by name, “You can get through this…”

“Just like I’ve had to get through everything else, Taimi?!” I exclaimed, frustration beginning to boil over. I felt the magic in my veins begin to burn, and my arms trembled at its strength.

By now, the celebration had dimmed- seemingly due to the scene I was…no doubt making of myself.

“Look, why don’t we just get in the helicopter and head back to the Eye of North, and discuss things there?” Taimi asked, her voice uncertain as if she was trying to diffuse a ticking time bomb. Hell, in a way I probably was, and I choked through my own laughter.

“Fuck me, Taimi, I’ve had to do all of this in the matter of a year or two! I don’t even recall anymore who I am outside of all of this!” I cried out into the com, not even listening to her as my hand tightened around the device, “I’ve been fighting, and fighting, and causing more and more and more problems for everyone around me! What is the fucking point?! I gave my everything to stop the world from ending, and what has happened in return!? I only lose, more and more of both myself- and everyone I ever knew!”

I hiss through my teeth, pain laced as I felt something drip off my cheek. Reaching an unsteady hand to touch my face, I wince further and see bright red liquid at my fingertips… not blood, not by a long shot… but tears. Liquid fire. It burned my cheeks, causing my head to start to fade into a fuzziness I couldn’t describe. Delirium? I don’t know. The deafening silence was growing so loud in my ears, however, that I could only turn around, standing and trying to get my bearings as I stared the crowd down.

“What?! Is this like some type of show to all of you?! Yes, this is who I really am! This is who your beloved Fatebreaker is! A fucking coward!” I exclaim, fingertips burning as I clenched the handle of my hammer, “Come on now, say it! You all know that I’m like a fucking jinx wherever I go!”

“Commander…” Caithe went to reassure me, and I swatted her hand away.

“No! I don’t want to hear it from you, of all people!” I hiss at her, brushing the bangs out of my face, “I’m so fucking tired of everyone either hating me, or wanting my help! I gave my everything for the safety of this world- I killed the love of my life so she would be free of Mordremoth’s voice, I even fucking DIED trying to protect my own mentor from dying to the hands of a God- and yet all I hear is how I’m a plight and that I’m the reason all of this happens!”

I cackle even more amidst my sobs, sparks lighting in my hands flickering on and off like a broken lighter, “You know…Joko, he was right about me. All I’ve ever done is make things worse, and now look where we are…” My knees trembled, and I fell back into the ice and snow, a sob starting to bubble out of my throat unwillingly.

“Elias, please, your readings-” Taimi tried to intercept, but my hand gripped…too tight, the device shattering immediately in my palm. I just…felt nothing. And yet everything at the same time. Like every scar was about to burst open, like my mind was about to melt and all I’d be reduced to was just the pain and anguish of it all. I couldn’t even stop it. The buildup of the year and a half of everything being ripped away from me- my sense of self, my loves, my dignity and my sense of moral justice- it all came crashing down at once like a house of cards, curling into myself to try and recontain all that pain. Some part of me knew, though, it was for naught… Though, something caught my eye. A familiar red color, that caused my outburst to pause…for the briefest moments. I turned, and saw her… Ashe.

And it almost felt real… Gods, it almost felt real. I just desperately whispered to her. “...Is this what it felt like…when you rose…as a phoenix…?”

“Everybody, clear out, now!” I could faintly hear someone else exclaim, as I felt everything start to burn- burn more and more until there was nothing else.

…And all I could remember, was the scream that tipped off my lips before everything had gone black.

#;;soren's art #;;elias rainbloom #gw2 spoilers #guild wars 2 #gw2 commander #guild wars sylvari #Ahaha! He has trauma! :D #Between losing the one he loves during Heart of Thorns #Dying and coming back to life in Path of Fire #Accidentally absorbing all sorts of dragon and god magic #and all the BULLSHIT political stress during Icebrood Saga #Yeahhh...Both the trauma and magic sort've just. Explodes.#...Metaphorically and Literally.#And this is why no one heard from Elias from the end of Icebrood Saga until End of Dragons! :)))#Oh yeah and lets not forget all the trauma of ALMOST DYING SO MANY FUCKING TIMES #The trauma revolving around his survivors guilt #Almost losing his mind twice due to dragons (Mordremoth & Jormag)#Being humiliated throughout the WHOLE THING multiple times #He also fucking lost all sense of who he is outside of being a warrior. Especially considering he already awoke being 'different' then most #-other sylvari. And eventually becoming something else entirely from absorbing multiple different primal magics.#LIKE. POOR ELIAS HAS BEEN LITERALLY MENTALLY WRUNG DRY SO MANY TIMES.#How commander canonically didn't decide to go on a villian arc I simply cannot fathom.#Anyway!#This'll be the last post I use my main account for! :3 #All my other Gw2 stuff is over on my sideblog! @wanderersoftyria

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milkratz · 1 year

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what I would give to experience gw2 for the first time all over again. I want to explore maps again, without a mount, where every new region is New and mysterious. I want the wonder of watching vistas fully for the first time. I want the fear of exploring Orr again, or the terror at how Heart of Thorns starts out. I want the feeling when I first rode a mount. I want to mourn Trahearne and Eir again. I want to feel the pain at the Commander's death, I want to cheer when I beat Balthazar, I want to cry when Aurene "dies". I want the satisfaction of getting Skyscale again, I want the joy of getting achievements, of getting my first mastery. I want to fight that horrifying shadow behemoth for the first time again. I want to see a bunch of players exploring, do events and meta, regularly again. I want to become obsessed again.

#gw2 #guild wars 2 #heart of thorns #path of fire #icebrood saga #end of dragons #sylvari #gw2 spoilers #??? i guess?

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pruning-the-minds-garden · 1 year

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Reasons Nerdy Hypnokinksters Should Play Guild Wars 2

Are you a nerdy hypnokinkster, specifically of the variety who likes to play MMORPGs? Do you have a bit of spare time this holiday season to try out a new one? Well, I have an entirely self-serving list of reasons for you to try out this one! Lets get on with the list! I'm going to put it under a cut because I'm polite like that.

By the way, this list WILL contain spoilers for "Heart of Thorns," "Path of Fire," and somewhat for the Living World and Icebrood Saga. That is just not avoidable at this point, if I want to talk about the selling points I want to cover. If that matters to you a lot a lot, then you'll just have to take my sales pitch on faith and try the free-to-play base game without reading the rest.

Lets start with the reasons most particular to hypnokinksters, and then work outward to reasons that are more general, ending with the things that just make this a really good game. Also, there's a bonus one at the end that's just a reminder of their Black Friday sale which is thinly-veiled FOMO that I'm lampshading now so that you can ignore it when it comes up if you're not already bought in. Aaaaaaaanyway!

1. The Mesmer Profession

In GW2 Character Classes are Professions, and the Mesmer is something halfway between an Enchanter and an Illusionist. They summon illusory clones of themselves, phantasms, and they also confuse and ensorcell their enemies to various effects. So, basically, they are the dream class for a hypnokinkster. They are also a light armor-wearing class that can wield a Greatsword (shown in the picture) and Staff (not pictured but also cool), as well as other weapons with really pretty versions (like the Sword known as The Shining Blade), and as a result can have some of the snazziest looks in all of Fashion Wars 2 - er, Guild Wars 2. It also happens that the Mesmer is one of the more unique and well-liked Professions in GW2 and so it tends to get the nice end of the nerf stick, most of the time, though on the whole GW2's balance actually stays remarkably tight.

2. Mordremoth and the Sylvari

This dude is one of the Big Baddies (called Elder Dragons) of Guild Wars 2. The are the existential threats of the world, and there's only a handful of them in the world. Each of them is themed around two things - one aesthetic, and one function. Mordremoth's aesthetic is plainly obvious, he's the planty/viney dragon, and so there's a lot of plant vibes that go on with everything to do with him, his servants, and so on. His function, though, is Mind. He inadvertently gave rise to one of the playable races of Guild Wars 2, the Sylvari (pictured below). He did that because he sort of exudes mental energy, and he can capture and control minds that are compatible and in his vicinity.

In fact, one of the sub-plots of one of the expacs is that some Sylvari become corrupted by Mordremoth when they get too close to him, and turn against their own friends and allies - that is, get mind controlled - and have to work to break free and gain back their own minds. The player never has to go through that, but they are present for others who have to go through that.

3. Jormag

Another of the Elder Dragons, this one is themed around Ice and Snow. You might think that has nothing to do with mind stuff, but you'd be wrong. Jormag's function is "Persuasion" and so the long section of story where you are tracking him down and making ready to defeat him, you are going through ice caves and trekking through tundra, and all the while you can hear increasingly loud whispers in your mind telling you all about why you should work with him instead of against him. And, at the same time, he's recruiting an army of weaker-willed but stronger-armed minions to fight for him. I KNOW, RIGHT?!? Anyway, I'll be in my bunk. This is really just a repeat of reason #2, but in a new packaging, and is yet more evidence that ArenaNet (the company that makes GW2) hired some hypnokinky people to write their story.

4. Kralkatorrik and Aurene

Okay these last two are purely for the aesthetic value, but I think that still has value for a lot of you. The first picture is Aurene, an ally you meet later on in the story. She has a veeeeeeeery shimmery-shiny aesthetic to her that you can model your character after eventually. Those rainbows in the lens flares aren't just rendering artifacts, either; they show up all the time around her and in graphics to do with her, so if you want rainbow crystals, she's your go-to gal.

On the other hand, if darker and more angry crystals are your thing, Kralkatorrik is your Dragon Daddy. His breath weapon is to turn everything into crystal and make crystals grow from the ground, and wherever he flies purple crystals grow in his wake. He is the Dragon of Anger, though, so he's kinda powered by being eternally pissed off and unpleasant. So, y'know, ups and downs.

5. It's LGBTQIA+ AF

See the two pictured above? Yeah they are two of the core NPCs that you work with through the whole post-base game storyline. Also, they are in love with one another, and in a textually sexual (no nothing NSFW but it is made textually clear) relationship. And, that's not the only instance. There are gay characters and trans characters and ace characters, and I can't really think of a game that I've played that has gone to the same lengths while at the same time not feeling "token-y" about it. For instance: I'm disabled, and I personally appreciate the way they included a disabled character in the aforementioned list of core NPCs, both in her strengths and in her flaws. She is not made to be morally pure or perfect (she's annoying AF sometimes), but she's also highly competent and it's your ass if you condescend to her. Both Marjory and Kasmeer have their flaws, but they also clearly love each other and you can see how their relationship organically grows over the course of the story in a way that is very... human. It's nice. I like it a lot.

From here the reasons are not focused on hypnokinky folks, but on reasons why it's a good game in general -

6. An End to the Gear Grind

In GW2, there is an actual end-point to the gear grind. Once you get a set of Ascended or Legendary gear (the former of which is doable with a few months of time, and the latter of which will take considerably longer but only needs to be done once as it can be used for all of your characters who are eligible to use a given piece of equipment), then that gear stays as the top-tier gear forever. I got my first piece of Ascended gear on my Elementalist eight years ago, and it is still top-tier gear today. It doesn't do the thing that a lot of MMORPGs do where the iLVL goes up every time a patch or expac is released and that makes all of the current BiS gear obsolete. It might happen that a mechanics reshuffling might slightly alter what stat combination is best in slot, but changing one Ascended piece into another is pretty trivial and changing the stats on a Legendary piece of gear is literally just a matter of clicking a button.

7. The Mounts are Fucking RAD, Y'all

See those 8 guys up there? Those are your mounts. Four of them are relatively easy to get, another two take a modest investment of time, and the last two are a GD grind (I want to be honest with you so you aren't shocked later). However, even just the base 4 are fun as HELL to ride around the world in and they make traversing the world SO MUCH MORE FUN. One of them (the Raptor) makes horizontal leaps and runs fairly fast. One of them (the Springer) makes big vertical leaps. One of them (the Jackal) teleports short distances and turns on a relative dime. The last (the Skimmer) floats above water and ground hazards and can hover higher over obstacles for a bit if needed. The combination of the four can get you through 99% of the terrain in the game.

The experience of flying on the two flying mounts (the Griffon and the Skyscale) is also AWESOME, although they take a real investment of time and resources to get. In exchange, though, you get something that is legitimately entertaining all on its own. Something similar can be said for the beetle, which is basically "Guilds Wars 2.5: Tokyo Drift." World of Warcraft is said to have borrowed the Skyscale and Griffon mechanics for their latest expansion, and regardless of the truth of that I completely understand. If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then this is a mechanic that is highly deserving of that flattery because it's awesome. I wouldn't fault them if they did. If they didn't, then reinventing that wheel was a brilliant move on their part.

8. No subscription fees and the base game is free

This one speaks for itself. If you want to try it, then there's nothing financially standing in your way. the base game is free, and there is no subscription required to play. Just download it and get started.

9. The game respects your time

This one is intangible and I understand if you don't follow me here, but having played the game for years I feel like GW2 respects my time far more than WoW ever did. If I'm not able to play WoW for a few months, then when I come back my character is woefully out of date, my equipment is miles behind, and I have no idea what's going on. I stopped playing for two or three years in GW2, and when I came back I started up again with almost no issues. My gear was still as good as when I left, and although I later had to shuffle some things, I was still in a perfectly fit state to get around and do what I needed to do. The game also went to pains to tell me what I needed to do, to give me guidance on what the next steps were for whatever was going on in game at the moment, meaning that I didn't have anything like the lag time I might have had in WoW.

10. Bonus: Black Friday Sale!

And here's the sales pitch! The expansions are bundled for this weekend going through to Tuesday, and the bundle is on sale, so if you wanted to download the base game, give it a try, and then if you decided you wanted to buy the expansions... now would be a good time to do it!

If any of that interests you, here's a link to the GW2 website and you can make an account and/or download the game:

#Guild Wars 2 #hypnokink community

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