http://www.guildwars2forum.com/ Guild Wars 2 Forum is a community dedicated to Guild Wars 2. For discussion involving news, gameplay, strategies, come visit Guild Wars 2 Forum. en Fri, 10 Sep 2010 09:36:28 GMT vBulletin 60 http://www.guildwars2forum.com/images/misc/rss.png http://www.guildwars2forum.com/ http://www.guildwars2forum.com/threads/264-will-there-be-collision?goto=newpost Thu, 09 Sep 2010 20:20:54 GMT Anyone knows if there will be collision in this game? Anyone knows if there will be collision in this game? ]]> Gameplay Alblaze http://www.guildwars2forum.com/threads/264-will-there-be-collision http://www.guildwars2forum.com/threads/262-Guild-Wars-Writer-s-Lounge?goto=newpost Thu, 09 Sep 2010 14:20:16 GMT This thread was suggested by forum talent, VoiceOfLyssa, as a sort of meet n' greet area for writers to talk about themselves, their work and future projects.

I thought it might be a good place to stir up the pot to get some creative discussion about collaborative activities as well. ]]> Stories/Fan Fiction Venn http://www.guildwars2forum.com/threads/262-Guild-Wars-Writer-s-Lounge http://www.guildwars2forum.com/threads/261-Chapter-1?goto=newpost Wed, 08 Sep 2010 00:39:39 GMT A single translated word spurred one of the greatest linguists out of the lecture halls of White Stronghold and into the research field. The word... A single translated word spurred one of the greatest linguists out of the lecture halls of White Stronghold and into the research field. The word came from an excavation from deep within the Magragun Jungle in recently found ruins. A book from the ancient Order of the Holy Mantle was found. In and of itself that was not surprising, they were found nearly everywhere. What spurred such a hasty action of such size, cost and secrecy was two fold. The author and the first word translated were of great importance. It was the original journal of Saul D'Alessio, the legendary defender of Ancient Kryta. The book was mostly translated containing information more like a diary than anything else. Historical scholars readily accepted what they thought was a full translation. A few pages were removed from the copy they received. They were delivered directly to the office of the Ascalonian Research and Development School’s Dean. Gersold The White, Dean and founder of the School, looked over the pages quietly double checking the translations. The fireplace crackled as the sun slowly set at the horizon. He found himself staring at just one word. Mursaat. Gersold looked up and waved in the man at the doorway. He opened up a drawer pulled out some of his special reserve and filled two bottom heavy glasses with some of the golden liquid. “You know this is a good opportunity”, Gersold said as he slid the glass to his guest. “We can send who you wanted down there to inspect all of this. But, are you sure this is who you want?” His guest nodded and sipped the drink, savoring the strong bitter flavor. “Well then we need to move quietly to get this all done quickly. I can’t give you much of a window to get things done on your end.” The two men finished their drinks; the quiet visitor placed his glass back on the desk. Gersold rose from his chair and escorted his guest to the door. “One last thing my old friend,” Gersold said as he placed his hand on the knob, “You were right this place has been of use to us.” The guest looked up at Gersold and smiled, “Yes, it has been and it will continue to be so my old friend.” With that the man departed into the maze of halls.

Shortly after Gersold visited eleven linguists and told them to meet at the gate room early the next morning and to pack to travel over land. All of the travelers wore the cloak of the traveler that any traveling scholar would wear, adorned with brilliant reds and blues intertwining in knot-work patterns around the hem of their white hooded-cloaks, rising in the back to form an arcane symbol for knowledge at the bottom of the back. Gersold handed two sealed envelopes to Dorian, the leader of the linguists this expedition and skilled if egotistical linguist and translation specialist. “Now, Dorian, the first is to be opened in Lion’s Gate that is for your eyes only.” Dorian started to glare at Gersold not enjoying being told how to run an expedition. Gersold smiled in turn, “The latter is for you and the mercenary group’s leader to read.” Dorian’s glare turned rapidly into surprise as color faded from his face, “Mercenary?! Wh… why do we need those people?” Gersold placed a reassuring hand on Dorian’s shoulder, “They are there to make sure the workers do not bother you and your work. Dorian, you’ve lead nearly fifty expeditions. This one is by far the most important. Against my better judgment I will share one extra thing with you. This expedition is about a language that was more based in legend and lore than in history. Should you perform as you have in the past, well the council will be forced to finally accept my request to have you finally made chair of the Research and Expedition department.” A smile crossed Dorian’s face,”Yes, that would be good of them to finally do. Lets go, we’ve wasted far too much time here blabbering about.”

They travelled quickly along the magical gate network the humans had constructed over the past few generations going from the far northern reaches to the shore line of Lion’s Gate in the matter of a few hours as opposed to months of hard travel. Upon arriving Dorian opened the letter and scoffed immediately. “I’m supposed to lead these vagabonds through some dense jungle instead of using the ROADS? What in the world was that old bat thinking? Ugh, well at least this is going to be to someplace new this time.”

Dorian was the epitome of what the common man despised in scholars and aristocrats. A frail man who had a temper flared worse than the Norns of legend and a glare of despise towards his fellow man only hear of in the now extinct Charr. He scowled as he looked over the near dozen other linguists that he was forced to take with him. Grumbling as he looked over his orders from the Council. “Order, who do they THINK they are!” Dorian hissed at the document, “I alone am enough to figure it all out, I don’t need anyone else. Especially this group of intellectually stunted... stunted… stunted... NINCOMPOPS!” He crumpled up the paper and shoved it into his pack. Walking towards the group he examined them a bit closer, only one of them being worth of any note. A tall burly man wearing loose dark colored clothing seemingly fit for sailors or pirates who seemed more physically suited to day labor than to researching words and markings. However, he was an expert in cross cultural markings, with a frighteningly high amount of knowledge in ancient markings. Dorian stared at the group for some time wondering why the Council ordered this group to come. There were dozens of other, significantly more qualified individuals out there to help with the excavation and translation. This group is hardly fit for something this delicate and work intensive. “Well,” Dorian whispered to himself feeling the power of his ego rise, “perhaps it’s to show them how to do it. Yes, that must be the reason. They finally understand the brilliance that is Dorian Siconal. And they want me to impart my vast knowledge and experience in the field on these idiotic fools. Yes, that makes sense. It feels good to finally be appreciated”

The hustle and bustle of Lion’s Gate has been well on its way but held little interest with the group. They all gathered and waited by the exit to the west waiting for their escort. The curious looks from the townsperson and traveling merchants alike bothered most of the group. The constant and stern gaze from the local military the Gate Defenders did little to quell the unease in their stomachs. Thankfully their wait was short, from the crowed walked forward three individuals walking directly towards the group. Dorian played close attention as they grew closer. Two men and one woman walked quickly as they weaved in and out of the crowds. Their cloaks had no hoods on them and were different for each individual. The woman wore a black and red cloak partially opened revealing traditional leather armor. Her red hair, tied behind her head, showed off the sharp features and violet eyes. Dorian found himself impressed with her beauty, noting the only thing missing was a smile. One of the men wore a more common cloak and would be easily lost in the hustle and bustle. His head was shaven and skin was tanned like that of farmers he too wore a stern look his cold brown eyes seemed to measure up everyone around Dorian. The last man wore something far more noticeable than his companions. A bright white cloak seemed to shrug off the mud from the ground. A royal blue dye was obviously applied and very well all around the neck and shoulders. This man was the only one to smile, and warmly, at the group.

As they drew closer the woman walked off to the guards by the gate and started talking to them. The two men stepped in front of the group and waited for their undivided attention. The man in white spoke, “Please gather your things and be ready to head out in the next few minutes. My name is Jenkis, he is Perious, and the woman is Ruby. We are your guides and escorts.” Jenkis a man of average height and build, brown hair and blue eyes looked over at Dorian, “You are Dorian, I was told to hand you this signet ring to confirm that we are indeed your escorts.” Dorian accepted the signet and looked it over and compared it to the imprint of the wax, “Well, at least you aren’t a bunch of slackers, unlike some OTHER people I am forced to travel with”, he spat towards the group as he marched off to the gate. Jenkis sighed and looked at the group. “Well this will be enjoyable at the very least.” They passed through the gate, the guards now saluting the group as they passed through.

Days and many miles had passed with Jenkis leading the group quickly over land, showing them shortcuts and obscured pathways. The linguists were impressed with their knowledge of the landscape. Few even spoke aloud of the speed they traveled. Dorian found himself quietly agreeing with them, they were cutting a quick path through the land, while tiring he knew traveling by wagon would likely get them to the same place around the same time. The forests turned into plains as they avoided as much contact as possible, stopping overnight only twice to replenish some supplies or get information about how the weather has been. Soon they found themselves at the edge of the Magragun Jungle. Only a few more days of traveling and they would arrive. Dorian pulled out the crumpled paper and checked the date. He froze in a moment when he realized they were about to arrive a full week ahead of time, he looked upon the three mercenaries, who were talking to the other linguists, as if they were from not of this world. He collected himself after some time and walked over to the gathering.

“Now, I’m handing out some trinkets here I want all of you to wear,” Jenkis said as he handed out vine necklaces with silver trinkets to all of the linguists. “I’m certain many of you are wondering why. I guess I should answer that question and another that has been bubbling in your mind,” he noticed Dorian approach and moved to allow him in to the small gathering giving a respectful nod, “Master Dorian.” Dorian smiled with satisfaction and returned the nod. “Now, you have not doubt noticed that we have traveled a great distance in the matter of just under two weeks when it should take three weeks by carriage. The reason is because of me. I am a healer. Not the garden variety you find who uses bandages, rather I can use the divine arts of healing.” He made a few gestures with one hand and small motes of white and gold light came up from the necklaces he handed to them all. The linguists watched delighted at the talent this man had. “We stopped and ate food I prepared and infused with my magic to remove all stress, fatigue and everything else that could have slowed us down. We will not be stopping to rest in the jungle, as no one will be able to see us as opposed to the plains and forests. We are a few days out from reaching the site and we promised to get you there on time. If you would please wear the necklaces or at the very least keep it on your person I can keep all of us at peak shape. Thank you.” Dorian stepped forward a scowl on his face “And where is MINE? I’ve noticed you’ve given EVERYONE else one and yet not the leader of them.” Dorian crossed his arms and tapped his foot. Perious reached into his satchel and pulled out a dark wood box and speaking for the first time barely louder than a hushed whisper “That is simple, dear Dorian. We have something very, unique, for you to wear in our travel through this jungle. I do hope you find it to your taste.” He opened it and revealed a golden chain with an obsidian icon hanging off it. “It is… acceptable”, Dorian spat as he snatched it from the box and quickly placed it on his person. Perious let a small twisted smile break through to the surface as he turned to put away the box. The group checked their necklaces and secured their traveling packs, anxious about the last leg of their journey, but ready to start going.

The night sky bled into a stunning morning sunrise over the mountains. The night mist acting like a prism adding more colors to the start of the morning. Travelers have called these rare events Lyssa’s Gaze, due to the entrancing and fleeting nature of it. No time was available to entertain such a sight however for this group of travelers. They were getting ready to continue their struggling through the jungle. Several days have passed as they worked their way through the jungle. Jenkis was true to his word no one in the party grew tired, hungry or thirsty for that matter. All was going well until the sudden female scream from ahead of the group, as everyone looked up Ruby had disappeared. The group quickly converged on the location where Ruby once was and found a massive hole, light mingled with dust obscuring the view of the bottom. Jenkis pushed in front of the group and leaned into the hole. “Ruby, are you there? Are you ok?” A few moments of silence tortured the group. “Yes, I’m here. I’m not all that great right now. You really might want to hurry up and get down here.” Ruby’s voice sounded breathless and softened the longer she talked. Perious had already fastened a knotted rope to the base of a particularly sturdy plant and tossed it over the edge. Jenkis nimbly went down the rope to tend to Ruby. Minutes passed by and slowly the dust settled giving the group a haze filled look at the Ruby and Jenkis. A white and light with amber tones reached their eyes. The sound of the jungle quieted down enough to hear a sonorous chant coming from Jenkis as the deep and painful looking wounds on Ruby mended quickly. “As soon as she is stable climb up and let us hurry on our way Jenkis. She was foolish enough to tumble like an IDIOT and cost us time.” The linguists, used to Dorian’s antics just hung their heads in shame. “It is only proper. AFTER, you get us to our destination. I may allow you to come back for her.” Dorian leaned over the hole and scowled at Jenkis oblivious to the wounded woman, “JENKIS! Are you even listening to me? Huh? ”, he stormed away from the hole muttering angrily to himself. Dorian’s internal tirade was cut off as the sound of ground falling mixed with shouts and screams of the linguists. Dorian rushed back to the hole and peered down. The linguists, his entourage, his companions laid sprawled across the floor.

The ground starts to shift again, slowly covering over the hole that was once there. Dorian froze as it seemed his fellow linguists were going to be eaten by the land. Pangs of regrets and panic coursed through his mind. He slowly stepped back step by step until he bumped into something. Moving with good speed and spinning quickly, Dorian was able to breathe an audible sigh of relief. “Oh, Its just you Perious. We need to find a way to get them out of there. We don’t know what happened to them.” Perious just smiled at him. “What. Why are you just standing there? PERIOUS, we must get them out. I order you to help me. You are here to serve at the leisure of the leader of the expedition!” Perious just shook his head and laughed coldly. “Is that so dear Dorian? Perhaps you should open up the other letter and read it.” Dorian looked confused at Perious as he reached into his pocket. Pulling out the other letter, Dorian’s hand start to shake and his body went cold as he started to read the letter. “I… I… I don’t understand. What does he mean by this?” Perious’ indifferent pose and expression quickly turned menacing. “You don’t know dear Dorian? Must I also explain that to you? You are no longer needed. You were a pawn to be used to get the pieces in place for what we need. But do not worry, for I have claimed a use for you.”

Dorian’s mind raced, he knew to flee. He needed to run. The road was less than a mile from where he was. If he ran he might be able to make it there before Perious caught him. Even though he wanted to run, knew he needed to run, he found his feet stuck in the ground. “My dear Dorian, perhaps you have been ill informed of just who we are. Yes, we are mercenaries. However our cause is our own. What we earn we use to further establish ourselves or members of ours around the world. The man you call Gersold The White is one of our oldest members. He heads up just one of our branches. Yes, Dorian, I do know what’s racing through your mind. You were just a piece that we toyed with,” Perious chuckled a bit, “Please, excuse me dear Dorian. It’s just that I love giving this speech to people. I unveil all of our plans and goals and ambitions for our group with great pride and gusto. Why? Well unlike the criminal masterminds in the poorly written novels in this day and age, I’m going to keep you as a minion.” A sick smile crossed his lips showing his white teeth. Perious drew a symbol in the air and started his spell “Xens Kivs Lus Nox Mimz. Dom Fuliz Co Xenz Kivs.” A green light sparkled in the air following his tracing in the air entrancing Dorian. Dorian breathed in slowly feeling nothing, no pain, no burning, nothing. “Was the spell a dud? Was this just a fake out? Why would Master Perious do such a thing?” He thought to himself. Dorian’s eyes went wide, “Master Perious? Why would I think of something like that? Why would I call him master? I have no reason to obey. No reason what so ever. I must never disobey him.” As Dorian felt his mind slowly slip from his control being twisted by the incantation, he saw an image from the deepest and darkest nightmares he ever felt. The image of Perious had drastically changed. He stood before him, paler than snow with blood red hair and blank white eyes staring at him. He felt his physical body start changes and he knew in his soul that he would not be who he was anymore.

Below the ground Jenkis had already set up and lit a set of torches. He set them carefully in the strewn debris around the room working quickly to pull everyone to safety. “Well, I really am glad I made those necklaces sturdy”, Jenkis said with a laugh. The linguists looked at him with awe, “You saved us” “Oh thank you!” The linguists poured out the compliments to a smiling Jenkis who just waved them off. “Now, now everyone lets contain our joy pick up the torches and get ready to move, the ceiling is far too high and the rope is gone.” With that the linguists took in the place that surrounded them. Rubble covered what looked to be steps leading away, covered in the rocks and dirt from their recent fall. Beyond that the look of hewn stone blocks covered the steps. The chamber was quite large, giving them all more than enough room to be seated, even if it was uncomfortable. Two of the walls had heavily blocked passageways leaving only one option. The youngest linguists perked up and looked around the room frantically for a few seconds and scrambled over to the rubble, “Is Miss Ruby… is… is she?” A hand was placed on her shoulder, “Oh me? I’m fine. Stuff like that happens all the time to me. Thankfully I’ve got good back up.” She playfully waved at Jenkis who shook his head. “I hate to get serious right now, but we’re underground in a series of tunnels that no one has been in for an unknown period of time.” He gave the group a stern look. “The necklaces will continue to protect you so don’t worry about that. Please stay between the people with the torches, this is so that we can keep track of everyone.” The Luxon looked around “Eh, what about Dorian and Perious? Dey aren’t down here with us. Dey gonna be fine?” Ruby grabbed two torches, handed one to the Luxon as she spoke, “Perious is probably more skilled at survival than any one we could’ve brought. There is little that can happen that he can’t survive, or any number of people who he can’t take care of.” She flashed a smile to the group, who sighed with relief. Jenkis locked eyes with hers and motioned for her to lead. “Ok, we can chat while we start on our way out. Make sure to leave nothing here. Ruby will be in the lead, half of the group follows her. Mr. Luxon please be the torch bearer in the middle. Everyone else go next. I’ll be in the rear.” Everyone followed Jenkis’ commands and walked down the wide hallway watching the torchlight dance off the dark stone.

After the group left, from the blocked hallways stepped half a dozen apparitions who looked at one another. They turned their attention to one who emerged from the rubble by the stairs. With a few gestures the transparent figures walked into the walls to watch and follow the group. The ghost at the stairs remained and clasped his hands on a medallion around its neck for a few moments before following as well. ]]> Stories/Fan Fiction VoiceOfLyssa http://www.guildwars2forum.com/threads/261-Chapter-1 http://www.guildwars2forum.com/threads/260-paintball?goto=newpost Tue, 07 Sep 2010 04:20:43 GMT anyone play Paintball? if so post a Pic or what gun and gear you got? im getting a invert Mini today its all Black, not really sure what its like... anyone play Paintball? if so post a Pic or what gun and gear you got?

im getting a invert Mini today its all Black, not really sure what its like cuz i dont get it till later today, and im getting a new hopper cuz my last one failed on me, idk but did you know if you drop it on the floor it might crack? odd right :D ]]> Off Topic Mrfoot http://www.guildwars2forum.com/threads/260-paintball http://www.guildwars2forum.com/threads/259-hi-all?goto=newpost Tue, 07 Sep 2010 00:26:24 GMT Hi guys I m new to gw2 community. I was playing gw 1 for a while and now im just wondering around and waiting for a great mmo to be released. I ve... Hi guys I m new to gw2 community.
I was playing gw 1 for a while and now im just wondering around and waiting for a great mmo to be released.
I ve played about 80% of mmos outhere and about tons and tons of rpgs

For the mmo industry everything looks so boring and repeatative. ]]> Member Introductions Alblaze http://www.guildwars2forum.com/threads/259-hi-all http://www.guildwars2forum.com/threads/258-Open-world-or-no?goto=newpost Tue, 07 Sep 2010 00:20:38 GMT Does this game is in open world or it would be the same as Gw1? Does this game is in open world or it would be the same as Gw1? ]]> Gameplay Alblaze http://www.guildwars2forum.com/threads/258-Open-world-or-no http://www.guildwars2forum.com/threads/256-Dynamic-Events?goto=newpost Mon, 06 Sep 2010 11:45:22 GMT I am really, REALLY looking forward to GW2. I read and watch the videos quite a bit. This morning I found myself asking how exactly will Dynamic... I am really, REALLY looking forward to GW2. I read and watch the videos quite a bit. This morning I found myself asking how exactly will Dynamic Events work. I rewatched the Manifesto video and Ree Soesbee said "...you will rescue a village that will stay rescued...". In the DE overview by Colin Johanson there is an entire section written about replayability but it didn't clear up the questions. So my questions are :

I think Ree either mistated or misunderstood what she was trying to convey.

If village A is rescued and stays rescued does that mean that specific event can only occur once and the first group that completes it gets to experience the event?

Will village A be in a constant state of tug of war between being resuced and being overrun and someone has to save them every time?

How often will a specific event occur?

I saw were events would scale based on the number of players attempting it. Does that mean 1 player could complete an event or would events have a minimum player requirement?

Will Guild Wars 2 use a phasing system?

How will you be able to replay an event on a different toon or same toon?

Thanks so much for your answers and insight. I look forward to playing Guild Wars 2 with you!

Shawn:cool: ]]> Gameplay Dylarian http://www.guildwars2forum.com/threads/256-Dynamic-Events http://www.guildwars2forum.com/threads/250-Stories-From-The-Fringe-(by-a-newb-writer)?goto=newpost Sun, 05 Sep 2010 22:36:40 GMT Yup that's me, the noobie writer! It originally started with just wanting to write a few paragraphs to explain how my character survives 250 years into Guild Wars 2 but soon a few paragraphs turned into more :). It's ripe with grammatical errors I'm sure but I thought I would share it anyway hehe. The whole thing will be about ten chapters, more or less. Stay tuned! (lol)

Preface

In the advent of the end of the era a girl was born, her name was Izzy.

She lived a relatively peaceful life until one day her and her parents were captured while traveling to Lions Arch from Ascalon. They were all held in captivity by a gang of low life bandits who stole their belongings and eventually killed Izzy's parents in cold blood. One night they decided to finish the job. They came at Izzy with a knife hoping to kill her in her sleep. What they didn't realize is that she was laying awake thinking about her parents deaths. She rolled off her sleeping matt right before they ran the knife through her, she grabbed a broken bottle and smacked it hard against the first guys temple. He rolled to the ground holding his head and moaning, the other bandit tried to grab her but she had already grabbed the knife from the first guy. Right as the second bandit was trying to grab her Izzy ran the knife through his chest as hard as she could, with fire in her eyes she finished off the first guy and then ran into the wild.

She learned how to craft her own bow and arrows, how to cook whatever happened to be around, how to make a shelter, and how to survive in the wild. She was a natural with the bow and soon became an expert shot. She destroyed enemies with vengeance but always kept her mercy and honor, rarely attacking first.

She soon met her best friend in the wild, a tiger who she named Susumu. She met Susumu in a dragons lair where they were both outmatched by the overwhelming strength of a bone dragon, but together they used their combined whit and might to destroy the dragon. Normally the tiger would have tried to attack and kill Izzy but this was different, they both had a common enemy and their only choice for survival was to work together to kill it. Susumu and Izzy have been together ever since and hopefully will be into the foreseeable future.

[edit] Chapter 1: Sliver of Fight

I awake, like many times before only this time I felt different. I couldn't feel my legs or any other part of my body. Looking down I could not see my feet but I knew they were there. There was something off and I was not in control of my movements. The feeling of cold and darkness was overwhelming, closing in on me and towering above like twisted monoliths of evil. I had only a sense, of what I was and memories of the past that seemed intensely vague now, as if my mind was in a fog. My heart was numb but thankfully I could feel it beating. Then, instant struck! Realization and consciousness took over my body as if it was never lost. Like my soul was now back inside my being, I could feel my own warmth again. I sat up, I was in pitch black and there was nothing above or below me, like I was drifting off into space alone. But there, I saw something! A reflection of light perhaps, off in the distance twinkling like a star. The light was not white, in fact the colour of the light can not really be described. But it was there, alone in the dark like me. Just a reflection, as if something was casting light on to it from nowhere. Suddenly it was closer, and closer, and closer until it was right on top of me. Hovering in front of my eyes very closely, but it wouldn't let me touch it. There were a million of the lights, everywhere, swarming around me twirling around. Then they started joining one another as they formed a figure right in front of my eyes. It became brighter and brighter until it enveloped my entire body, then all I saw was blackness as I passed out.

"Wake up human!" came a voice that woke me up. Things were in clear view and nothing was in a fog. Had I just had a bad dream? But then again there was a being staring down at me and it had just spoken something, and I'm sure I would have remembered a creature this ugly. "Follow me." The creature said. "Who, who are you?" I replied. "Do no speak!" it said in a drawn out tone that sounded like a machine grinding. "We are being watched." It lunged out from the dark and jumped into the sky as if it defied gravity. I could see it's shadow above me and then zooming off into the distance. I didn't see many other options so I hauled myself up and started walking towards where the creature was waiting. As I got closer to the being I noticed things were getting lighter and lighter around me. Even my own body seemed to be less transparent looking. I finally caught up with the being and by that time everything was pretty much in normal lighting. I was in a swamp forest and there was fog all around us, hiding the ground. I could see the being for what it was now. It stood towering above me, it must have been at least twenty feet high. It had no arms but instead six tentacles that shot out from it's back. They were pitch black and they seemed to expand to great lengths at will. It's head was inside it's chest area and it had no eyes, only a sliver where light came out. It's mouth looked like metallic fangs and pointed painfully upward straight through it's own body. All other features would require a closer look and I decided against that. "We can speak now human, for a short time." it said. "Where am I and where is my tiger, Susumu? He was with me a few moments ago" I said. "Human, this place exists in another time, there are no 'moments' ago and I do not know where your tiger is." "Why should I trust you?" I responded. "If you want to wander the swamps, be my guest but I think you'll find the wildlife less than friendly." At that the being lunged into the air and zoomed into the distance again. This thing sure isn't much for conversation I thought to myself.

The led me to a camp with ghostly humans. They had shelters and the camp was surrounded by steel walls that were glowing with some sort of protective magic. There were about twenty-five to thirty ghostly humans in the camp, I couldn't tell for sure because some would come and go, bringing back supplies in baskets from outside the walls. They called the camp and it's surrounding area Rhodorok. The ground was black because of bad magic and everything there looked like it had been burned. They gave me a shelter of my own and some food that was hard and stale. Yummy, this will make a good weapon I thought to myself.

I was laying inside my tent when I began to hear whispers coming from outside. I leaned in closer to the thin torn walls to better make out what they were saying. "You brought a human here? You fool! The human is not a ghostly, this is a clear breach of rules!" Said an unknown voice. "Quite I will deal with it. She will never make it out alive." The familiar metallic sound hissed. Make it out of my shelter? The camp? I thought to myself. Where is Susumu? It hit me then. I had no idea what I was doing before I woke up in the darkness. I must have some kind of amnesia or be under some kind of spell. Well at least I had some sense of myself, I knew who I was and that I needed to find Susumu and get out of here. "A mortal even! She will never be able to make it out of the The Rift. She will be trapped here forever. You better be sure though, kill her quickly while she sleeps." At that I whirled around and kicked the side of the shelter that was opposite from the ghostly and the creature. I sneaked around the side of the shelter and looked around. There were about fifteen shelters in all, scattered about. I jackknifed it to the nearest one and crept my way along the edges being careful not to be seen. "She's escaped!" The unknown voice said as it lifted the flap to my shelter. "She must have heard us, find her! Now!" Okay, I've got to figure a way out of this camp to start with I thought. The ghostlies take supplies in and out of an exit to the east end, that's probably my best bet. I ran to the next shelter and repeated until I had gotten close enough to see the exit. It was closed, damn! "Over there!" The metallic creature lunged into the sky and started twirling downward probably hoping to kill me in one pounce. Okay I've got to play this right I thought. I waited for what seemed like forever, then the instant before the being landed I lunged to the right and somersaulted onto my feet running. Some sort of explosion launched me into the air and into the dirt. The being was stunned but not for long, how am I going to outrun this thing? Who knows when that door was going to open. Shit, I'm going to have to open it manually. I had to plan this exactly or I was going to be dead. I ran over to the door and shouted, "I'm over here ugly!" As planned it lunged into the air and I could see the shadow move over me and become larger and larger. Inhale, exhale, the world seemed to be in slow motion and the shadow was nearly on top of me. With springs in my feet I lunged again and hit the tainted dirt full force, grinding my hands into it to slow my fall. I turned my head around, my plan had worked! The door was blown out of it's robotic like hinges and fell right on the being. I could see a few crushes tentacles laying around the door. Time to go I thought! "What have you done!" Yelled the unknown voice that I could now see as being a ghostly figure. "You've just killed a guardian of The Rift!" He fell on his knees and he screamed in a terrible voice as something huge appeared before him and ran him through. I started running and didn't look back. I ran like there was no tomorrow, using my hands to grab everything I could push myself off of, leaping over dank swamp ponds and streams. By now my adrenaline was peaking and had no idea the extent of any injuries I had.

[edit] Chapter 2: The Raven

The trees in the forest were dead and the limbs of the trees twisted down, grabbing you. They were low to the ground and scattered about like they were searching for a spot to survive. This barren land was hardly inhabitable. I came to the top of a hill and stood still for a few minutes to looked around me. I noticed giant black spires to the east of me and they looked very man made. There were six of them, each one curved toward the center. They looked like skeleton fingers pointing to something. I cocked my head sideways and wondered what could be in the middle. Well, I have no where else to go I thought. Might as well take a look, maybe I can find something down there that will help me. I took a step forward, "Ahh!" I shrieked and fell to the ground. I looked down at the back of my leg and saw a charred burnt section of flesh, "Well that certainly doesn't look healthy" I said out loud. Best patch that up the best I can until I find some way to clean it, I thought to myself. I tore off the bottom part of my shirt and wrapped it around my leg, making sure to cover the burnt parts. "C'mon Izzy it could be worse." I thought and laughed through pain, trying to make light of the gruesome situation. Trecking down the slope that led toward the spires was slow, sometimes very painful. Once I got down towards the flat terrain the dead trees became thicker and eventually they started becoming fuller and some of them even had leaves, dead and brown though they were. *Caw... Caw!* I head overheard. Startled I looked up to see a raven flying above me, It seemed to be circling me. "At least I'm not the only thing in these woods." I said as I tried to smile. "Though I imagine one must be in pretty bad shape to find a raven circling your head comforting." Still, at least I wasn't the only living thing in this wretched forest. On I went, as the woods got thicker I had to move the limbs out of the way to keep going. I wasn't even sure I was going to right way now, I was following an old trail where the ground was less black but now everything was overgrown. Then I saw something, I brushed the branch out of my way to get a better look and there it was. The base of the giant pitch black twisting spire! I got closer and the trees suddenly ended, I looked up and there they all were. Four spires staring upwards, curved toward the middle, I wondered who built them and why. There was nothing in the middle except dirt, "Wait a second... dirt?!" I involuntarily spewed. Up until now the ground was damned and black but in the middle of these spires the ground was light brown. That must mean something was living here... Or these pillars are keeping out the magic. As I walked toward the center I felt a cool breeze pick up and vanish then pick up again. The wind became so strong I had to hold onto one of the pillars. I watched in awe as the wind picked up some dirt and started to shape it into a figure. It was a ghostly! "Not again..." I thought. Then as suddenly as the wind had arrived it had left. "Hello Izzy." Said the ghost comfortably. "How do you know my name?" I asked daringly. "Oh where are my manners, I am Erand and I know your name because we've been watching you." Said the ghost. "Now why would you want to watch me?" I replied. "Because... well this is a little hard to explain." The ghost said. "Try! I'm not exactly in the mood for games." I snapped. "Okay, I suppose I better start from the beginning." He said sighing. "I am part of a council. A council that oversees and keeps order inside The Rift. We make all of the decisions here. What we will to be done, is done. Just like how I formed in front of you, this is only part of the magical capabilities that we possess." "Okay, but why am I here?" I interjected. The ghostly sighed again. "I'm getting to that. See, with all of this magical power comes corruption. Some of us have reason to believe there have been abuses of power within the council. However, we are powerless to do anything, even if we had evidence. It would break the rules set by the gods of the rift. We are no more capable of breaking their laws anymore than you are of breaking the rule of gravity." "How can there be corruption in the council, wouldn't the gods have made a rule against that?" I asked. "Though The Rifts may seem harsh and unforgiving, the gods made sure that everyone here have free will. Even if they choose evil, that is their choice that must be dealt with. That's where you come in." The ghost said. "A ghost can never harm another ghost, so we needed a loophole. You are a human being that exists outside the rules." Said the ghost. "I won't be living for much longer at the rate I'm going." I said, sighing. "Okay... say I take this little quest up, what would I have to do?" I asked inquisitively. "We need you to kill the corrupt members, there is no other way to get them off the council." He said, pausing. "Since you can't kill them with physical objects, you have to go to the temple on the hills over there." He pointed towards a tall golden pyramid shaped structure I hadn't noticed until now. "Inside you will find an ancient arcane staff. It is specially crafted and can destroy beings in the afterlife." Wait a second, I said. "Not to sound rude or anything, I mean you obviously have issues here in err, The Rift but I just want to get out of here. I can't go on some crazy quest right now just because of some corrupt politicians." "I understand." Said the ghost. "However, there is no way out. You will die of old age and then be trapped here as a ghost under control of a corrupt council. The first camp you came to was just a taste of how bad it can get. Those guardians you met were evil doers controlled by the politicians thoughts." He said, sighing like he finished a long speech. "So let me get this straight, you brought me here on a one way ticket to deaths ville with no way back just to go on a luney quest?" I said. "There was no one else that could get to The Rift, it had to be you. You were broken..." His last words droned out, the wind swept by and blew him away into the wind and I was left alone again in silence. What did you mean by broken? My thoughts echoed inside my own head. ]]> Stories/Fan Fiction Izzy http://www.guildwars2forum.com/threads/250-Stories-From-The-Fringe-(by-a-newb-writer) http://www.guildwars2forum.com/threads/249-PS3-not-working?goto=newpost Sun, 05 Sep 2010 13:33:15 GMT Hey can some one help i been tryn to go on my ps3 since last ight a 9 o clock.. i can go on it and all but whn i wanna play mw2 my ranks and stuff... Hey can some one help i been tryn to go on my ps3 since last ight a 9 o clock.. i can go on it and all but whn i wanna play mw2 my ranks and stuff wont load so i cant play whats wrong with it>?? helpp ]]> Off Topic Elmos-a-Ninja http://www.guildwars2forum.com/threads/249-PS3-not-working http://www.guildwars2forum.com/threads/248-Anybody-working-on-Guardian-titles?goto=newpost Sun, 05 Sep 2010 02:10:28 GMT I still need to finish Nightfall and Prophecies...think I've reached my limits of hero-henching, so the ones I have left I need help with. I have pugged some for the Z-quest stuff (nice way to decide what mission to work on) but I typically find hammering nails into my face more fun.

If I could find a couple of people (I usually play daytimes EST) to work with a little more regularly that'd be awesome. I'm currently unguilded and my HM buddy doesn't seem to log in anymore =/

I am just coming back so I might be a tad noobish but I can run pretty much whatever build on my ele, and her heroes are solid. ]]> Gameplay Ruse http://www.guildwars2forum.com/threads/248-Anybody-working-on-Guardian-titles http://www.guildwars2forum.com/threads/247-Hello-forum-newbi-here!?goto=newpost Sun, 05 Sep 2010 01:48:31 GMT My names Armond, I'm 26 and live in NY. I've been playing MMO's for over eight years now I think:tresconfused: and can't wait for GW2 too come out! Right now I play Warhammer free trial to get my mmo fix. Please bear with me if my spelling is off, I cnat sepll to svae my lfie, lol.
We'll I'll list some MMOs I've played at the end of this and I look foreword to blablablaing with everyone! ;)

Eq2, wow, Tabula Rasa, AoC, War, Aion, Rune of magic, Perfect World, and Rohan ]]> Member Introductions Armond http://www.guildwars2forum.com/threads/247-Hello-forum-newbi-here! http://www.guildwars2forum.com/threads/246-Thoughts-on-naming?goto=newpost Sat, 04 Sep 2010 23:13:25 GMT Did you/do you like Guild Wars 2-name system?

I'd prefer not to be forced into two names...though for some characters I'd keep both. Ruse Torrent would still be Ruse Torrent...but maybe I just want someone to be named a single name, too.

What do you prefer/what do you anticipate they'll do? Considering they've said you can reserve names we know there'll definitely be a two-name option. I'm not holding out much hope for single names, but I'm still crossing my fingers. =/ ]]> Gameplay Ruse http://www.guildwars2forum.com/threads/246-Thoughts-on-naming http://www.guildwars2forum.com/threads/244-Highlander-here-hello-everyone?goto=newpost Fri, 03 Sep 2010 20:13:52 GMT well what should i say?

maybe hi, nah already used.
what about hey, nah used too.
aloha, dammit is there anything to use?

ok let's make it very simple.

the great and mighty imortal warrior highlander, with his mighty magic and skills, says to every human, charr, norn, asuran and the recently invited sylvari a very loud:mad:, scary:mad:, fearsome:mad: and maybe a little too long: hi:cool:. ]]> Member Introductions Highlander http://www.guildwars2forum.com/threads/244-Highlander-here-hello-everyone http://www.guildwars2forum.com/threads/243-Guild-Wars-2-Revolutionary-or-Evolutionary?goto=newpost Fri, 03 Sep 2010 16:20:11 GMT Ok guys. Here's a sneak peek into the upcoming release of the Guild Wars 2 Forum Blog. I wrote this article earlier today, and figured it would make a good discussion topic for the forum.

If you'd like to learn more about the blog, you may do so here: http://www.guildwars2forum.com/threa...(Coming-Soon)?.

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Guild Wars 2: Revolutionary or Evolutionary?

There's a long running topic in the gaming journalism community concerning games being either revolutionary or evolutionary. When a game releases, does it provide brand new concepts or is it simply improving on systems which came before it? It can be difficult to peg which category a game can fit into. Many times a game will be revolutionary in some areas while evolving in others.

Which leads us to today's topic: From what we've seen so far, is Guild Wars 2 revolutionary or evolutionary?

This article might be a smidge early, as there are many features which have yet to be announced (so stay tuned for updates!). However, we have seen enough of the game to form opinions towards many critical gameplay, story, and graphical elements. The blurry picture is starting to come into focus, and we are beginning to see how many important elements will take shape.

Before proceeding I feel it imperative to tell you that the argument between revolutionary and evolutionary isn't necessarily 'good vs bad'. Many times when something is revolutionary, all sorts of negative consequences can spawn. One need only look at World of Warcraft. There were aspects to that game which completely turned the MMO genre on its head, and sparked a revolution in the genre. By introducing elements to MMO games which provided greater simplicity, and accessibility to newcomers it allowed the game to rule atop the mountain. However, it sparked a formula which led many games to adopting way too similar elements and flood the market with clones.

It's put up or shut up time, so I'll simply say that everything we've seen from Guild Wars 2 looks to be evolutionary.

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There's more to the article, and if you'd like to read it in its entirety you may do so here: http://www.guildwars2forum.com/blog/?p=9 ]]> Gameplay JohnnyV http://www.guildwars2forum.com/threads/243-Guild-Wars-2-Revolutionary-or-Evolutionary http://www.guildwars2forum.com/threads/242-The-Guild-Wars-2-Forum-Blog-(Coming-Soon)?goto=newpost Fri, 03 Sep 2010 16:19:23 GMT Ok everyone. I wanted to make you all aware of a new feature coming soon to the site. The official Guild Wars 2 Forum Blog (and the crowd goes wild!)... Ok everyone. I wanted to make you all aware of a new feature coming soon to the site. The official Guild Wars 2 Forum Blog (and the crowd goes wild!)

Basically, the blog will act as a companion piece to the forum. And will provide potential authors to expand on thoughts, and opinions which are more detailed than what is generally posted in a thread.

I'm looking for a wide assortment of writers, so if you're interested let me know.

When a writing team is established, the feature will go live with a link on the site.

Here's a sneak peek at what a Guild Wars 2 Forum Blog post might look like: http://www.guildwars2forum.com/blog/?p=9 ]]> JohnnyV http://www.guildwars2forum.com/threads/242-The-Guild-Wars-2-Forum-Blog-(Coming-Soon)