1. Guild Wars 2 Sylvari Armor
2. Sylvari Solidarity Gw2

1. Sylvari Name Generator - Guild Wars is free online tool for generating Sylvarinames randomly. It will help you to generate 1000's of cool Sylvarinames which you can use in books, novels, games, or whatever fantasy world you want to use it. For generating Sylvarinames simply scroll down and click on the Get Male Names, Get Female Names Button to randomly generate 10 Sylvarinames.
2. Sylvari characters seek out the vision they saw in their Dream (either a white stag, a green huntsman, or the Shield of the Moon), assisted by Caithe, and combat the Nightmare Court along the way.

Guild Wars 2 Wiki Guide. Sylvari Race Arc (L1 to 28) Top. Sylvari characters work with the orders to recover the legendary blade Caladbolg from the squire Waine and then confront Mazdak the. The Sylvari in Guild Wars 2 are a fascinating race that seem to draw upon several traditional fantasy races - elves, nymphs, dryads - but the Sylvari's design and situation are unique.

The Elder Dragon Mordremoth has risen, dominating the Maguuma Jungle and destroying the Pact fleet sent to confront it. Now Tyria's bravest heroes race to find the downed Pact flagship and determine the fates of Marshal Trahearne and Destiny's Edge before the dragon's minions completely colonize the jungle and swarm out to overwhelm all of Tyria.

— Story Journal before beginning this story

While the Pact is poised to launch its campaign against the jungle dragon Mordremoth, the Pact Commander unveils a terrible truth: The sylvari are creations of the Dragon. So begins the story of Guild Wars 2's first expansion pack: Heart of Thorns!

A note about spoilers: a brief summary aside, this article assumes a basic knowledge of the plot of Living World Season 1 and Living World Season 2. Since the story of Heart of Thorns begins in 1327 AE, and the personal story takes place in 1325 AE, it is likely that this article will contain personal story spoilers, as story threads that began in the personal story may be continued with the expansion.

Heart of Thorns was released on October 23rd, 2015.

• 2Main characters
• 3Story

Setting[edit]

The leaders of Tyria have heeded Marshal Trahearne's call to arms, and troops of all races gathered in Camp Resolve to bolster the Pact's reduced numbers, ready to advance into the Heart of Maguuma to slay the Elder Dragon Mordremoth. With Rytlock Brimstone lost in the Mists and Caithe having run off with Glint's Egg, the remaining members of Destiny's EdgeEir Stegalkin, Logan Thackeray, and Zojja accompany the assault.

Meanwhile, the Commander and their allies Braham, Rox, Marjory Delaqua, Kasmeer Meade and Taimi are deep below the Silverwastes, following the footsteps of Caithe to retrieve Glint's Egg. It is there that they learn of the sylvari's true origins as servants of Mordremoth, a secret previously known to only Caithe and the Pale Tree.

Despite all their preparations, the Pact Fleet is annihilated above Verdant Brink, as enormous vines tear apart the airships, and many sylvari heed the call of their creator, turning on their allies in a surprise attack. The survivors are scattered across the jungle, desperately trying to survive the continuing onslaught of Mordrem; the fates of Destiny's Edge and Trahearne are unknown.

Main characters[edit]

The Pact[edit]

The Pact, founded by Trahearne and the Pact Commander is a multi-racial group with the sole goal of eliminating the Elder Dragon threat. Just before the events of Heart of Thorns, Mordremoth had utterly destroyed the Pact's airship fleet, killing and stranding the vast majority of the Pact within the depths of the Heart of Maguuma.

• Laranthir of the Wild - A sylvari Secondborn and second-in-command of the Vigil. After the Pact Fleet's destruction, he has sent a message to the Pact Commander and has been attempting to regroup survivors.
• Trahearne - A sylvari Firstborn and Pact Marshal. He was captured by the Mordrem after the Pact Fleet's downfall.

Destiny's Edge

• Caithe - The secretive Firstborn who uncovered the terrible secret behind the Pale Tree and sylvari race's connections to Mordremoth. Her sudden theft of Glint's Egg away from the Pact Commander is ill tidings for the fight against the Elder Dragons, leaving her motives and state of being unknown.
• Eir Stegalkin - Hero of the norn, she is the leader and tactician of Destiny's Edge. She has gone missing with the destruction of the Pact Fleet.
• Logan Thackeray - Captain of the Seraph and loyal commander under Queen Jennah, Logan is a front-line fighter in Destiny's Edge, and Rytlock's brother-in-arms. He has gone missing with the destruction of the Pact Fleet.
• Rytlock Brimstone - Tribune of the Blood Legion, he was last seen leaping into the Mists after a failed attempt to cleanse Ascalon of the Foefire's ghosts. His fate was left unknown at the beginning of Heart of Thorns.
• Zojja - Snaff's successor and the short-tempered golemancer of Destiny's Edge. She has gone missing with the destruction of the Pact fleet.

Biconics

• Braham Eirsson - The son of Eir Stegalkin and Borje the Sun Chaser, Braham is a brash and spirited guardian who has come a long way since his days fighting the Molten Alliance. Having just begun to rebuild his relationship with his mother, he rushes to Maguuma anxious to find the missing norn hero.
• Rox - The charrranger and gladium who gave up her entry into the Stone Warband to defend Braham and her friends. Alongside her devourerFrostbite, she helps to survey the Heart of Maguuma and the new dangers it holds.
• Lady Kasmeer Meade - The former noble who works tirelessly to clear her family's name. Her talent as a mesmer is invaluable to the party as they traverse Maguuma.
• Marjory Delaqua - The skilled detective and necromancer. Swearing vengeance for the death of her sister Belinda, she now wields her family sword against Mordremoth.
• Taimi - The asura progeny with an unsettling obsession with Scarlet Briar. Armed with her golemScruffy, she brings both brawn and a sharp mind to Maguuma's mysteries.
• Canach - A sarcastic and aloof sylvari. Still bound to Countess Anise's service, he aids the Commander as a liason to the Shining Blade. He struggles with Mordremoth's growing influence, but is determined to prove sylvari can reclaim their freedom from their maker.

Other allies[edit]

• Ibli - A lithe Itzel scout who provides the Pact with valuable intel on surviving and traversing the Heart of Maguuma.
• Tizlak - A mighty Nuhoch warrior who aids the Maguuma hylek, he lends his strength to the Pact Commander in fighting the Mordrem, and later the insectoid chak.
• Ruka the Wanderer - An Exalted who encounters the Pact Commander seeking out the legacy left by Glint and helps them harness the power of Glint's Egg.

Main villains[edit]

• Grand Duchess Faolain - Leader of the Nightmare Court, the sylvari who abandoned the teachings of Ventari and the Pale Tree. Seeking freedom from all masters, Faolain resists Mordremoth's calls to put all sylvari under his yoke.
• Mordremoth - The Elder Dragon with dominion over plant and mind. Awakened by Scarlet Briar, he has gathered immense power in the Heart of Maguuma and begun invading Tyria with his Mordrem minions. Just before the events of Heart of Thorns, he has converted a large number of sylvari to his side, turning them into the Mordrem Guard.

Story[edit]

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[edit]

In the wake of the destruction of the Pact fleet, Laranthir asked the Commander to come to their aid and save what is left of the Pact. Upon arriving at Red Rock Bastion, Tactician Elke informed them that Mordrem have been attacking Amber Sandfall in an attempt to cut off the troops' only route out of the Heart of Maguuma. Along with a handful of Pact soldiers, the Commander made their way to aid Lightbringer Osa. On the way, they met up with Braham and Rox, Kasmeer and Marjory, as well as Taimi and Canach, who were all bound for the jungle themselves. Canach informed the Commander that Countess Anise sent him as a representative of the Shining Blade.

After pushing back the Mordrem at Amber Sandfall, the Commander and their team entered the heart of the Maguuma Jungle.

[edit]

The reunited group traveled beyond the Silverwastes where they witnessed the gravity of the Pact Fleet's destruction firsthand; colossal vines entangling the burning remnants of airships against the night sky. Braham spotted an encampment further down the ledge and rushed toward it, anxious to learn about his mother's fate. In the camp, the Commander found Laranthir of the Wild at odds with the rest of the Pact survivors who distrusted their sylvari comrades, to no surprise to Marjory. Laranthir explained that both Destiny's Edge and Marshal Trahearne had survived the crash, but were been taken prisoner by the Mordrem and moved further into the jungle. Explorer Metella, openly hostile towards Laranthir and the sylvari, suggested fortifying their current position by scavenging turrets from the wreckage. On the other hand, Laranthir insisted on rescuing potential survivors from the Mordrem to bolster their troops. The Commander was asked to make a decision on behalf of the survivors.

If the Commander chose to salvage weapons, the group headed towards the Wreck of the Lethal Vantage with Explorer Metella and Agent Gunnard. On the way, they encounter a sylvari Pact soldier fighting against Mordemoth's influence and the remains of Zojja's golem Mr. Sparkles. It was a painful reminder of how the sylvari needed to stay strong and resist Mordremoth as weak-willed sylvari were easily turned against their friends.

When following Laranthir's suggestion to save the missing Pact soldiers, the group descended into the chasms below, accompanied by Laranthir and Crusader Gatt. Gatt mentioned that the Mordrem had been collecting prisoners and corpses for some unknown purpose. Following the trail, they stumbled upon Mordrem pods holding members of the Pale Reavers captive. After defeating the guards and destroying the pods, the Commander learned that other prisoners were ordered to be taken south to join Mordremoth's ranks.

After returning to the camp, it was attacked by waves of Mordrem as dawn approached. In the heat of the battle, Rytlock Brimstone suddenly appeared from the Mists, blindfolded and wielding a new form of magic. He helped the team disperse the enemy attack, but offered no explanation for his presence or his new-found powers. Laranthir requested permission to stay in Verdant Brink with the Pale Reavers, keeping the sylvari corps separate from the rest of the Pact. The commander agreed to his request, and left to speak with Pact scouts and gather intel on this dangerous new environment.

Verdant Brink was blazing with activity as Pact and Mordrem skirmished throughout the area. Within the jungle's dizzying heights and depths, the Commander began training themselves in gliding to keep safe and help navigate the area. They eventually reached the center of Verdant Brink where a large Pact Encampment had been set up. The soldiers there reported their sightings of Caithe who was heading west with Glint's Egg in tow. To help break through Mordrem lines, the soldiers recommended for the Commander to talk with a local hylek tribe called the Itzel.

Heading towards the village of Jaka Itzel, the Commander and their allies came across a skirmish between Mordem and the hylek. The forces defeated the Mordrem, and met a pair of hylek named Ibli and Tizlak. Ibli expressed his thanks and offered to take them to the Itzel chieftain and his mother, Kaana Miatli. To earn the hylek's trust, the Commander either helped Ibli to defend Jaka Itzel from a Mordrem force, or attacked their war camp directly with Tizlak. They also encountered a Mordrem Guard champion, Stavemaster Adryn. With the hylek safe for now, Kanna Miatli promised her alliance with the Pact and offered her scouts to help the party find their missing companions.

With the scouts' directions the Commander found their way to the outskirts of a Mordrem prison camp; with his newfound powers, Rytlock sensed that someone of Destiny's Edge was being held inside. The party broke in with force, defeating Mordrem and rescuing members of the Pact Ordnance Corps along the way.

They eventually found a Mordrem prison cell containing an unlikely pair: Eir Stegalkin, and Grand Duchess Faolain of the Nightmare Court. Faolain declared that she would be free of all masters, and that neither the Pale Tree nor Mordremoth would control her. The prison cell was broken, but a Mordrem Vinetooth approached the released pair. Faolain slipped and fell during the escape, prompting Eir to help her up. But Faolain, noticing the approaching Vinetooth, returned her aid by betraying Eir, stabbing her with a thorn and fleeing for her life. Her flight would be short-lived, as Eir threw the thorn at Faolain and left her to be entangled by Mordrem vines, her body swept into the undergrowth. However, Eir's injuries left her helpless to the Vinetooth and she too was impaled and cast aside, to a despairing Braham's cries.

The Commander and their squad rushed to Eir's side and killed the Vinetooth, but the norn hero had already passed on. Broken with grief, Braham requested that the Commander give him time to pay his respects and dispose of his mother's body with dignity. Garm, Eir's wolf companion, was also nowhere to be found. Rox elected to stay by Braham's side, worried about her friend and how he might take this loss.

[edit]

Pushing onward into Maguuma, the Commander and their allies found themselves in a lush, beautiful forest. Encountering a camp of Pact survivors, scouts reported that Caithe had been seen further east. Along the way, the party saw a strange, glowing figure watching them from a distance. They reached a large golden structure, a pylon emitting strange energies. Members of the Durmand Priory had set up a camp, but had left themselves vulnerable to Mordrem attack. After the Mordrem assault force was defeated, the glowing figure appeared before the soldiers, calling itself Ruka and asking of the newcomers' purpose in Maguuma. Ruka revealed that he had been tracking energy sources similar to Glint's energy, further east.

The Commander found Caithe once again, sprawled on the ground with Glint's Egg lying nearby. She was facing a bizarre monster similar to a Mordrem Vinetooth, but with Faolain's face and voice, now proclaiming her servitude to Mordremoth. Fleeing with the egg, the Commander was infused with part of its energy and used new abilities to escape Faolain, with guidance from Ruka. Once safe, Ruka invited the Commander to take the egg south to the city of Tarir, where they could find refuge.

With Glint's Egg in their possession once more, the Commander took some time to explore Auric Basin. The Priory had set up several camps around the area's mysterious pylons, working and studying with the Exalted on their origins. The Commander learned about Exalted Markings, allowing them to use obelisks to transport themselves around Auric Basin.

At the center of the region, the party found themselves in a massive city constructed of gold. At its entrance, the Exalted Luminate welcomed them to Tarir, the Forgotten City, and explained about their race's charge by the Forgotten to protect Glint's legacy. The Exalted brought the Commander to Tarir's depths, where they underwent a series of trials to ensure their capability in fighting the Elder Dragons. The Commander fought illusions of dragon minions, navigated a maze to find magical glyphs, and led Pact soldiers against Mordrem while in a helpless rabbit form. Succeeding in these trials, the Commander found themselves in a vast chamber constructed to hold Glint's Egg. While there, the egg sent a prophetic vision to the Commander which showed Mordremoth using Trahearne, Logan and Zojja as templates for a batch of new, improved Mordrem which the dragon intended to unleash on Tyria. With the Egg safely under watch by the Exalted, the Commander left Tarir to continue their offense against Mordremoth.

With the aid of Taimi and some holograph recordings, the Commander caught up to their allies in the southeast of the region. Taimi was investigating a ruin with strange devices bearing a blend of Exalted and asuran technology. Repowering the devices, they were revealed to be a map of ley-line energy, showing its flows and concentrations throughout the Maguuma Jungle. One hub of ley-line energy, however, was unknown. The Exalted explained to the party that the hub was Rata Novus, an asuran city which had stood with them against the Elder Dragons in the past. Taimi was elated to hear of the lost rata, and asked that the Commander travel there and uncover their research or possible help for the upcoming battle with Mordremoth. Rox and Braham also returned to the party, and Braham had shaved his head and displayed a vengeful eagerness to kill Faolain, blaming her for Eir's death.

[edit]

Maguuma's next region was a sprawling maze of caverns, its passages winding through roots and underground waterways. The Commander found a Pact camp near the entrance, and Lieutenant Morrison explained that they had been imprisoned alongside Trahearne, Logan and Zojja, but the heroes had distracted the Mordrem to allow the Pact soldiers to escape. Scouts tracking the prison caravan informed the Commander that they were heading south. While part of the party split off to track the caravan, the Commander, Taimi, Canach and Braham set off to find Rata Novus.

The Tangled Depths were home to a vicious insectoid race, the chak, who displayed a strange affinity with ley-line magic and could channel it against their prey. Reuniting with Tizlak at the hylek settlement of Teku Nuhoch, the Nuhoch warrior helped fashion a solvent to break through chak acid based off enzymes taken from their bodies. With this new tool, the Commander bypassed the chak and dormant asura defenses to finally reach Rata Novus.

The asuran city was deathly quiet, confirming Taimi's fear that her fellows had not survived due to the chak attacks. Nevertheless, the party pushed into the city to find anything that could help them fight Mordremoth. While progressing, Taimi expressed her frustration that her allies treated her more of a child to be protected rather than a fellow fighter and part of the team. She also proved her maturity tenfold, first by saving Braham from a falling pillar, and then using Scruffy to re-power a blast door which left her golem disabled. The Commander reassured Taimi that she was integral to her friends' success.

After fighting their way through the chak infestation, the party found what they were looking for: a secret laboratory filled with Rata Novus research on the Elder Dragons. The research confirmed that each Elder Dragon would possess some unique weakness, a fact that the Commander found comforting but Braham considered a waste of time to uncover. However, the data provided no further information on Mordremoth's specific weakness. Taimi decided to stay behind in Rata Novus as she would be unable to actively fight without Scruffy, although she was still excited at the prospect of uncovering more of the lost rata's mysteries.

[edit]

The Commander reached Dragon's Stand, Mordremoth's stronghold which was swarming with Mordrem. The Pact, regrouped thanks to the Commander's efforts, had established a base camp from which they intended to directly engage the dragon and its forces. With the Pact's assistance, the Commander and their team were transported into Mordrem territory in search of those still missing.

Deep behind enemy lines, they eventually found Logan Thackeray and Zojja being hooked up to Mordrem Blighting Pods. Fighting their way to their friends, the party was forced to behold what the pods were doing: creating Mordrem facsimiles of their heroes, twisted clones who thought only of serving Mordremoth. Both members of Destiny's Edge were freed, but their ordeal in the pods had left them greatly weakened and nearly dead. The Vinetooth Faolain then re-appeared, mocking the heroes for choosing to be free of the Elder Dragon. Leaving Kasmeer to portal the injured to safety, the remaining allies chased Faolain into the Heart of Thorns, Mordremoth's inner sanctum.

The party encountered Caithe who swore she was not on Mordremoth's side and pleaded to help them kill the Elder Dragon. Although they were still distrustful after her actions, the Commander agreed to bring Caithe along. The allies ascended the Heart of Thorns and finally glimpsed Trahearne, unconscious and bound to Mordremoth, before he was swept into the undergrowth's depths. Faolain intercepted the party, and had to be slain. Braham relished that he had taken down his mother's murderer, while Caithe mourned the loss of her one-time friend and love.

While the Pact forces and their allies launched their final assault on the Mouth of Mordremoth, the Pact Commander and their allies cleared out the Heart of Thorns and prepared to follow Trahearne into its depths.

Making their way deeper into the tangle, they found Trahearne fused to the vines and barely conscious. Trahearne suggested utilizing his link to the dragon to enter the Dream of Dreams, allowing the Commander to strike directly at Mordremoth's very mind. The group agreed that two allies would accompany the Commander, choosing from Braham, Caithe and Canach, while the rest of the team would stay behind to hold off the Mordrem attackers.

Inside the dragon's mind, the allies were confronted with with their fears: a twisted version of Eir Stegalkin blaming Braham for her death, a corrupted Pale Tree fully under Mordremoth's thrall, or a blighted Canach goading the original to submit to Mordemoth. During these fights, reality rifts appeared, allowing the Commander to take control of the mindscape by breaking Mordremoth's illusions. After saving both companions, the group finally faced the Avatar of Mordremoth. In the course of the fight, the Elder Dragon tried to break the Commander's will by summoning similar illusions of Rytlock, Marjory and their old mentor: Warmaster Forgal Kernsson, Magister Sieran, Lightbringer Tybalt Leftpaw, or Trahearne. Turning these illusions back on their creator through use of the reality rifts, the Commander eventually defeated Mordremoth's mind.

Back outside of the hellish mindscape, Trahearne had one final request for the Commander: to use the broken remains of the sword Caladbolg to slay him, and the last remnants of the Elder Dragon residing within him for good. As Trahearne made his sacrifice, a massive amount of Mordremoth's dragon magic exploded into the ley-lines and across Tyria. Back north in Tarir, one quarter of the magic from the ley-lines streaked towards Glint's Egg, imbuing it with unknown influences, before continuing northward.

Mordremoth had finally been slain, but it had come with terrible costs and loss. And there were still further consequences to come...

Guild Wars 2 Sylvari Armor

Sylvari are not born. They awaken beneath the Pale Tree with knowledge gleaned in their pre-life Dream. These noble beings travel, seeking adventure and pursuing quests. They struggle to balance curiosity with duty, eagerness with chivalry, and warfare with honor. Magic and mystery entwine to shape the future of this race that has so recently appeared.

— In-game description

The sylvari are a young, inquisitive race of botanical humanoids. The first sylvari sprouted from the Pale Tree in Arbor Bay, emerging in 1302 AE. The tree was planted by Ronan and raised by Ventari, who were attempting to escape the violence that engulfed Tyria.

Sylvari are one of the five playable races in Guild Wars 2.

• 3Culture
• 4History

Character creation[edit]

Selecting a sylvari character will start players off in the tutorial Fighting the Nightmare where players fight the corruption within the Dream of Dreams before awakening.

During character creation, a player can customize a sylvari's physical appearance and answer three race specific biography questions which affect their personal story:

• which quest they dreamed of.
• most important of Ventari's teachings.
• what day time cycle they were born in.

The sylvari home instance is in the Dreamer's Terrace in the Grove.

Sylvari racial skills focus on support with themes of plant manipulation.

Physiology[edit]

The sylvari are omnivorous humanoid plants. Some sylvari closely resemble humans but with a fey cast to their features such as tilted eyes and pointed ear tips; most display plantlike features such as hard wood for bone structure, have foliage and petals for hair, and bark acting as flesh. They glow during the night. Sylvari don't have hearts;^[1] golden sap moves through their veins instead of blood and pollen falls off of them as they move. They are much more slender than the average human and about a head shorter. Sylvari utilise photosynthesis as a 'meditative supplement',^[1] but most of their nutrition comes from food just like any other race.^[2] They have fully functioning digestive systems and their excrement is something like mulch.^[1] Sylvari have thermoreceptors, as referenced by a sylvari explorer in the Grove who states that she dislikes Hoelbrak as it is too cold. However, Explorer Syllia states that the cold does not affect sylvari, and says that she feels more comfortable in the cold than indoors.

Sylvari emerge fully formed from golden or cyan fruit pods which grow on the branches of the Pale Tree. While many scholars now speculate on the sylvari's humanoid appearance, the original explanation was that the Pale Tree based it on her knowledge of Ronan, creating an abstract image of human biology.^[2]Malyck, who was born from a different tree, cast doubt upon the accuracy of this explanation, and the matter is considered unresolved. Sylvari gender is selected by the Pale Tree prior to each individual's emergence, and is distinguished by the same general features as human genders,^[3] and although they can mate they cannot reproduce.^[1] It is unknown if the sylvari die of old age, as so far they have only died through violence, poison, or disease and show no signs of aging. Wounded Sylvari can regrow parts of themselves, though never to the strength of the original part. Whether this applies to limbs or just petals, is uncertain. They heal at the same general rate as humans; and Sylvari who suffer extensive wounds, like those of Malomedies, may scar forever.^[4] All sylvari have luminescent cells in their skin, causing them to glow in the dark.

Prior to emergence they share a bond through the Pale Tree which they call the Dream of Dreams. In this dream, a growing sylvari is exposed to the consciousness of the Pale Tree and the vast pool of knowledge accumulated by all previous sylvari. When a new one emerges, a portion of this knowledge remains with them, including basic wisdom and understanding from the Pale Tree and a small fraction of what other sylvari have seen and experienced, though this rarely includes specific memories. After emergence, the bond with the Pale Tree is weaker but it links all sylvari and, to an extent, other plants. On rare occasion, twins can emerge from the same pod and they exhibit a greater empathy toward one another.

The sylvari are immune to Zhaitan's magic in Orr. This was first thought to be because they were protected by the Pale Tree or the Dream, but in fact it was because they are already technically servants of Mordremoth, and dragon minions cannot be corrupted by other dragons.^[5]

During the events of All or Nothing, some Sylvari participated in the assault on Gandara and were subsequently Awakened. Although protected from dragon corruption, Sylvari were still vulnerable to Palawa Joko's necromantic magic, and the Awakened Sylvari described that Joko's control overtook their Wild Hunt^[6].

Culture[edit]

Sylvari are usually honest, direct and focused, taking most things at face value. With the dream ensuring there is so much in common with the other sylvari, experience is cherished for creating uniqueness between them. They are eager to learn, experience and understand.

Sylvari morality and ethics are based on those of the Pale Tree. These were formed by following the lives of Ronan and Ventari, during the early growth of the Pale Tree and later written on Ventari's Tablet situated at the base of the tree. After emergence a sylvari is guided by older sylvari to understand what they have dreamed and ensure they have a clear understanding of the tablet, their history and the world.

Despite the kick start of knowledge from the dream they still seem naive as there are some matters which seem beyond their comprehension. Emotions and tact, in particular, are difficult for them to grasp, so often a sylvari will state out loud something which would normally be politely avoided by other races. Death too is not fully understood but viewed as something to be embraced and, as with many things in a sylvari's life, is viewed with a great degree of curiosity. These views serve to form an acceptance of and fascination with death that other races may find disturbing.

As they are all born from the Pale Tree they could be considered all of the same family; however, their family bond is not as strong as most families, with many sylvari considering others more like distant relatives with few exceptions, such as twins born from the same pod or those who shared dreams, though the latter may also result in lovers. Romance is practiced among the sylvari, disregarding gender between those involved. To a sylvari, love is spiritual and eternal, regardless of physical form and contact, and sexuality is simply a natural part of life. So long as it is entered into with good will and joy, the gender doesn't make a difference.

Sylvari craft their armor and weapons from organic material, such as roots, leaves or leather, and sometimes grow their armor out of their own bodies in the form of leafy padding, spines or bark.

Religion[edit]

The sylvari have an agnostic view of the Human Gods, wishing to see proof of the gods' existence and work.^[7] They venerate the Ventari Tablet as their most sacred artifact and testament.The Pale Tree is also much revered, though more as a wise parent than as a deity. If the sylvari need counseling, they often travel to the Omphalos Chamber and commune with her there.

Government[edit]

The Pale Tree leads the sylvari; she manifests a spectral being in a chamber at the base of the tree to communicate with others easily and give her guidance and instructions. Various sylvari act as ambassadors to the other races and will send reports to her so that she may judge what to do. On difficult decisions, the Pale Tree will call upon the Firstborn and any sylvari who may be a specialist in the situation(s). The Firstborn, being the oldest and having the most experience of the world, act as leaders to the sylvari, being respected for their wisdom and in turn they lead the sylvari underneath the Pale Tree. Four of them in particular (one of each cycle) have taken on positions of leadership, organization, teaching, and guidance for the sylvari people.

Names[edit]

Sylvari names, as well as place names in their starting zone Caledon Forest, are generally inspired by Celtic (Irish, Scots Gaelic and Welsh) names. Sylvari do not have surnames, as they're all part of the same 'family,' though to each other they are more like distant relatives except in special cases.

Sylvari do not 'choose' their names nor are they outright given by the Pale Tree or other sylvari. Instead, the sylvari simply 'know' their names upon awakening, though why is never explored and the sylvari do not question why this is.

History[edit]

While humans explored the Far Shiverpeaks and the dwarves fought the Destroyers, a new race began to grow in the southern lands of Tyria. A single seed as big as a man's fist, planted in the ground of a ruined village along the southern tip of the Maguuma Jungle, began a centuries-long gestation—and heralded a new age.

Firstborn[edit]

This story began with a human soldier named Ronan whom, when separated from his patrol, discovered a cavern filled with strange seed-pods. This cavern was protected by terrible plant creatures, so he fled, clinging to a single seed to show his daughter when he returned home from war. But, upon his arrival, Ronan discovered the mursaat had destroyed his village and murdered his family, leaving only ruined houses and mass graves. In agony, he planted the seed on their graves and swore never to return to battle.

Ronan was joined by an ageing centaur named Ventari, who had also begun to lose hope in peace. The human and the centaur, against all odds, formed a friendship that surpassed the bounds of race. Together, they decided to begin their lives anew and create a refuge for human and centaur alike. They built their safe haven near the ocean and the budding tree for all those who sought peace and the shelter of friendship.

The pale oak grew under the watchful and gentle eye of Ventari, becoming strong and healthy, and giving the old centaur great joy. Yet with this bliss came sorrow. The centaur tribes of the north and west, crushed and driven out by Krytans fleeing from their flooding coastline, grew more and more savage and brutal. As more tribes joined the war, fewer were willing to listen to Ventari's words, and his new outpost became smaller and smaller.

At last, old and grey, Ventari carved his life's lessons upon a marble tablet, which he placed at the base of the pale tree so that future travelers might read it and, perhaps, learn the ways of peace and harmony. Then, many years after his human companion had passed on, Ventari laid down beside the tree Ronan had planted, and died. The year was 1165 AE.

The tree, white and sparkling, continued to grow. Over a hundred years later, small cocoons appeared among its branches. These cocoons spun out, shifting and eventually ripping open, birthing a new race of people into the world—fully grown, as if they had awakened from some magical dream. They called themselves the sylvari, and these 'firstborn' were only the beginning of a widespread emergence, all born from the same massive tree.

The marble tablet still bears Ventari's last words, and the sylvari who emerged from the tree found themselves strangely guided by these ancient lessons. Whether the tree, tended by Ventari, somehow became imprinted with the noble centaur's morals and ethics, or whether it absorbed both the remains of the centaur's flesh as well as his compassionate soul upon his death, no one knows for certain. But it is certain that his influence over the sylvari is strong, even so many decades after his death. Their race venerates the Ventari Tablet as their most sacred artifact and testament.

Secondborn[edit]

In 1304 AE, two years after the emergence of the firstborn, the Pale Tree stirred again. These new sylvari were called secondborn, and their coming marked a turbulent new chapter in sylvari history. Among them was Cadeyrn, who was disturbed that the Pale Mother appeared to favour the firstborn, and Ceara, who would become the harbinger of Mordremoth. By this time, Riannoc, the first of the sylvari to die, had already passed from the world.

After the emergence of the secondborn, sylvari continued to sprout from the Pale Tree at an increasing rate. They had becomes one of the established races of Tyria.

Cadeyrn was sceptical of the tenets of the Ventari tablet, finding them idealistic and naïve. He and the firstborn Faolain led a group of dissenters who met to discuss alternative philosophies. When the firstborn Malomedies was abducted by the curious, amoral asura, the firstborn refused to take revenge, in keeping with the tenets of the Ventari tablet. After these incidents, Cadeyrn founded a faction named the Nightmare Court, dedicated to freeing the sylvari from the yoke of the Ventari tablet.

After more asura captured three more secondborn (among them Canach), Faolain and the firstborn Caithe led the rescue effort. After rescuing the saplings, Faolain and Caithe headed out to the Silverwastes in pursuit of the firstborn Wynne, whom Faolain had become convinced was keeping a secret from the rest of the sylvari. Accompanied by the nascent Nightmare Court, they tracked Wynne down and found her consorting with the peaceful Maguuma centaur tribe. Faolain and Caithe pressed the centaurs to release Wynne into their custody, and after the tensions spilled over into violence Wynne fled and many of the centaurs were killed. Caithe and Faolain eventually tracked Wynne down to a sealed cavern, where they cornered her. While Faolain went to secure materials to torture her secret out of her, Wynne begged Caithe to kill her to protect her secret, revealed to her in her Dream: that the sylvari come from Mordremoth, that they belong to it, and that they are meant to serve it. Caithe took it upon herself to protect the secret, and with it the sylvari race. Faolain left to join the Nightmare Court, and would later lead it.

In the years to follow, another secondborn, Ceara, had found great academic success studying with the asura. She delved deep into the Eternal Alchemy, and on entering an isolation chamber she delved deep into the sylvari psyche, beyond the protection of the Pale Mother and opened herself up to the dragon's call. Under Mordremoth's influence she began a campaign to properly awaken the jungle dragon.

Recent developments[edit]

In 1325 AE, a sylvari named Malyck was discovered who did not emerge from the Pale Tree or share in the Dream. His pod was discovered on the western edge of a river that runs through Brisban Wildlands, suggesting his tree lies somewhere in the Heart of Maguuma. Called 'the harbinger' by the Nightmare Court, he traveled west, promising to return with a host with which to fight the dragons. To this day, he has not returned, and his ultimate fate is unknown. That same year, the Nightmare Court in the Twilight Arbor tried to cultivate their own twisted version of the Pale Tree called the Nightmare Tree, but their plans were foiled.

Sylvari Solidarity Gw2

In 1327 AE, the machinations of Ceara (now known as Scarlet Briar) came to a head as she attacked Lion's Arch to access the ley line nexus beneath it, creating a surge of magical energy that awakened Mordremoth. Her actions caused the sylvari to be widely distrusted among the other races, but her true motivations and the sylvari's wider connection to the Elder Dragons was not yet known. As Mordremoth's power grew, soundless sylvari such as Aerin began to fall under its influence, and eventually its lieutenant the Shadow of the Dragon staged an attack on the Pale Tree herself, seriously weakening her and inhibiting her ability to protect the rest of the sylvari.

In 1328 AE, the Pact launched a full-scale assault on the dragon. However, as their airships flew over the jungle and came in closer proximity to the dragon, the sylvari aboard them (who made up a large proportion of the Pact forces) felt Mordremoth's call, and many of them succumbed and turned against their comrades. The airships crashed and burned on the outskirts of the jungle, and those sylvari who had fallen to the dragon's influence reorganised themselves as the Mordrem Guard, dedicated to spreading the dragon's influence and creating new minions.

Following Mordremoth's demise in the Pact's campaign, some Mordrem became unhinged without the Elder Dragon's voice to guide them and continued being a threatening presence in the Heart of Maguuma in 1329 AE and beyond.^[8]Others returned to Central Tyria, free from the dragon's influence but forever changed by the experience.

During the events of Living World Season 3, Firstborn Dagonet and other Sylvari volunteers travelled to Siren's Landing in Orr to continue Trahearne's work of cleansing the recovering land from Zhaitan's lingering corruption. The Botanists, who worked on reclaiming the soil and introducing new plants, used a ship named The Buoyant Bough as a floating plant nursery.

Gallery[edit]

Concept art

• Concept art by Kekai Kotaki.

• Concept art by Jason Juan.

• Concept art by Kekai Kotaki.

Renders

• Sylvari prototype by Hai Phan.

Screenshots

• Pods as seen in Caledon Forest. Sylvari embryos are visible inside.

Notes[edit]

• The term sylvari is used in the plural, possessive and singular forms.
• The sylvari race underwent a redesign early on, the results of which were revealed on August 8, 2011.
• The sylvari race was playable for the first time during the 3rd Beta Weekend Event.
• Though '25 years ago' is often used to describe the age of the sylvari race, they first awakened in 1302 AE, per the novels' timeline.

Trivia[edit]

• The sylvari are based on arthurian legends, and their personal story has strong ties to them.^[9]
• Silva is Latin for 'forest', 'wood' or 'grove'. The suffix -ari corresponds to a form of the Latin suffix -ārius 'belonging to'.
• The unimplemented Guild Wars Utopia included the sidhe, a race based upon the Irish mythological aos sí, also known as as sídhe. Sylvari also have some similarities to Irish and Celtic folklore.
• Ogden's Benediction from Guild Wars: Eye of the North hinted at the existence of sylvari by showing the Pale Tree moving with the line 'new creatures would stir.'
• From release to around mid-2016, most sylvari NPCs had an orange or white luminescence glow. The known exceptions were: Toxic Alliance NPCs (lime green), Scarlet Briar (red), Trahearne (darker orange), and Amaranda the Lonesome (green). The reason for this was because the glow was difficult to set on NPCs. Those who had an orange glow (including Trahearne) had a white glow during most cinematics during the Personal Story. As of mid-2016, sylvari NPCs can now have a wide variety of glows.

See also[edit]

External links[edit]

• Official page, GuildWars2.com
• Designing and Redesigning the Sylvari, KristenPerryArt.com
• Interview with Martin Kerstein, CDAction.pl
• Interview: Guild War 2's Ree Soesbee On Sylvari, GayGamer.net (Archived)
• Background information, GuildWars2Guru.com (Archived)
• The Sylvari Soul – Angel McCoy on Writing the Sylvari, Arena.net (Archived)
• TowerTalk LoreSpecial: Sylvari, TowerTalk.de (Archived)

References[edit]

1. ^ ^abcdI attended the GW2 China Beta Festival! Here's some pics I took of the event, as well as some lore/update info I asked from the Devs! : Guildwars2
2. ^ ^abSylvari Lore Interview with Ree Soesbee & Kristen Perry, TalkTyria.net (Archived)
3. ^Post by Martin Kerstein, GuildWars2Guru.com (Archived)
4. ^Dream and Nightmare
5. ^Dragon corruption — Guild Wars 2 Forums
6. ^The Crystal Dragon#Dialogue
7. ^Wiispace Interview With Ree Soesbee, World Designer and Writer For Guild Wars 2, Wiispace.com
8. ^Eir's Memorial in Hoelbrak

   <Character Name>: I still can't believe it. How did you find Garm?

   Rox: Tracked him from the crash site. Wasn't easy—the jungle's still crawling with Mordrem.

   Rox: Some of them have come unhinged without their master's voice. Poor Garm followed Eir's scent into the middle of it all.

9. ^Guild Wars 2 EuroGamer Expo 2011 Colin Johanson Interview, YouTube.com