ISSUE
19
Who had the biggest influence
on the White Mantle? We
compare the two leaders.
S
AU
L VS
CAUD
ECUS
Why has Balthazar returned to
Tyria? Explore the possibilities
inside!
WHY
BA
LT
H
AZA
R?
We sit down with
that_shaman to talk data
-
mining and more.
INTERV
I
EW
WI
T
H
THAT_S
H
AM
A
N
FLAMES
OF
THE
MANTLE
2
GUILDMAG #19
|
In This Issue
IN THIS
ISSUE
EDITORI
ALS
60
THRIFTY THREADS
Grab your
self
a new out
fi
t
for
the summer,
i
nspired by
the White Mantle
and volcanoes.
LORE & HISTORY
TO HUMBLE A
GO
D
Balt
h
aza
r
h
a
s ret
urned to Tyria, se
eki
n
g
p
owe
r
for
an
u
nknown
cau
se - but
why?
12
04
26
THE COST OF SA
V
ING
TYRI
A
Recap the lat
est Living Worl
d episo
des in
prepa
ration
for
the u
pcoming fi
nale.
37
L
IGHT MY
FI
R
E
Berse
rke
r
s em
bo
dy
fi
re, but
t
h
eir
lore
is
decidedly
la
cking - so
h
e
re
we
a
re!
THE CENT
A
UR T
RIBES
W
atch
tower Cl
i
ff
s is hom
e
to
som
e
very an
gr
y
cent
aur
s, but
not
all cent
aur
s a
re
the sa
m
e...
51
56
ZIN
N: SUPER
G
ENIU
S
Who
is the ep
onymou
s Zinn, cre
ator of
M.O.X and golem
an
ce
r
extraor
di
na
ire?
FEA
TURED
THE ALPHA &
THE OMEGA
Showdown of the White Mantle
le
a
de
r
s!
We com
pa
re Sau
l and
Caudecu
s’ i
n
fl
uen
ces.
64
FAITHFUL
An Inqu
isi
tor
journeys to
u
nse
en
dept
hs in
t
h
is s
t
andalone
s
hor
t
s
tor
y.
20
T
HE WAR IN KRYT
A
Ne
ed a refresher on
the Mantle’s prev
iou
s
demise?
We’ve
got
you cove
red.
COMMUNITY
AN INTER
V
IE
W
W
ITH
THA
T
_
SHA
MAN
Ne
w
writer Vi
an
si
ts down
with t
h
at_shaman
to
t
alk dat
a-mining and why
h
e
does i
t.
42
We
t
ake
a p
e
ek i
nside
Relics of Or
r
, an
NA-
ba
sed
PvE
guild.
GUILD S
POTL
IGHT
46
AR
T & F
I
CTION
COMMUNITY AR
T
Delve
i
nto
t
h
is issue’s collec
tion of i
nspiring
a
r
t, curat
ed by
resident
cr
i
tic
Kent Benson.
74
WAR PRO
FITE
ER
S:
PARTS II &
III
The journey
conti
nues as the sol
diers fa
ce
t
h
re
ats fr
om bot
h
the ju
n
gle
and the Bla
ck
L
ion.
79
LEGACY
23 ye
a
r-ol
d Za
chariah’s worl
d is about
to
ch
an
ge
foreve
r
in t
h
is ne
w
series.
90
THE MAN BEHIN
D THE MASK
Ki
t
the Tra
vele
r
presents a u
n
ique
s
tor
y
wr
i
tt
en
excl
u
sively
for GuildM
a
g.
70
3
Ed
it
o
r’
s
Le
t
ter
|
GUILDMAG #19
E
D
I
T
O
R’S
L
ETT
E
R
I
Welco
me
t
o
Guild
Mag
I
ssu
e
19!
E
pis
o
d
e
6
o
f
Sea
s
o
n
3
is
j
ust
aroun
d
th
e
corn
er,
s
o we’r
e her
e
t
o mak
e
sur
e y
o
u’r
e ca
u
ght
u
p
o
n
ev
erything
you n
e
ed t
o
kno
w
b
efor
e
the
epi
c
fi
nale
.
the team
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Va
liant
MANAGING EDITOR
Miko
SENIOR WRITER Drax
ynnic
SENIOR
COPYEDITOR
Tauz
WRITER
S
Kent
Benson, NovaInfu
se,
Starconspirator, Via
n de Bod
COP
YEDITORS
Littleboat, Kalabajooie,
Talus
DESIGNER
S
Anthonz,
Xero
e
Join our awesome team
www.g
uildm
ag
.c
o
m/j
oin
t’s
a
lmost
time
for
th
e
fi
nale
of
Season
3
of
G
uild
Wars
2
’s
Living
World.
So
far,
we’ve
seen
a
resurgence
of
the
Whi
te
Mantle;
the
so-called
mursaat
Laza
rus
reveal
himself
as
Balthazar,
human
God
o
f
War;
and
not
to
mention
a
plethora
of
new
maps
to
explore
and
yet
another
season
with
out
much
of
Rytlock!
As
July
25th
approaches,
it’s
my
pleasure
to
present
to
you
GuildMa
g’s
19th
digital
magazine:
Flame
s
of the
Mantle.
In
this
issue,
we
explore
everything
you
need
to
prepare
for
whatever
may
come
in
the
fi
nale.
From
lore
on
Balthazar,
White
Mantle
leadership
and
the
War
in
Kryta
to
our
Season
3:
Episod
e
4
&
5
recap
and
a
n
exclusive
interview
with
community
legend
that_shaman,
there’s
plenty
to
keep
you
bu
sy
for
the
next
couple
of
weeks.
As
always,
we’ve
also
packed
this
ma
gazine
with
hand-
picked
community
a
rtwork
and
thrilling
pieces
o
f
fi
ction
produced
by
our
talented
team
of
wr
iters,
a
ll
centering
around
this
issu
e’s
theme.
In
“Faithful”,
a
White
Mantle
Inquisitor’s
nerve
is
tested
as
she
journeys
to
the
bloodstone.
Meanwhile,
Ken
t
Benson
continu
es
h
is
series
with
parts
two
and
three
of
“War
Pro
fi
teers”
-
if
you
missed
the
fi
rst
in
stalment,
make
sure
to
c
atch
up
in
GuildMag I
ssue 17
fi
rst!
To
close,
I’d
l
ike
to
r
emind
our
readers
that
we’re
alway
s
looking
for
new
volunteers
to
join
our
awesome
tea
m.
From
writers
and
copyeditor
s
to
designers
and
streamers,
there’s
a
position
for
any
skillset;
if
y
ou’re
looking
for
new
skills
t
o
add
to
your
resume,
GuildMag
is
the
perfect
place!
You
can
fi
nd
more
information
at
www.guildmag.com/join.
4
GUILDMAG #19
|
LORE - To Humble a God
To Humble a God
BY
DRAXYNN
IC
Like
it
or
hate
it,
the
reveal
that
“Lazarus”
was
Balthazar
al
l
a
long
has
dropped
a
bombshell
o
n
the
Guild
Wars
2
story.
While
it
would
not
be
true
to
say
that
the
twist
w
a
s
entirely
without
h
ints*,
few
expected
that
the
human
god
s
wou
ld
be
returnin
g
to
the
story
any
time
soon,
let
alone
that
one
already
had
in
the
guise
of
a
mursaat.
So,
how
is it that we come to find ourselves fighting again
st
a
god?
5
LORE - To Humbl
e
a God
|
GUILDMAG #19
6
GUILDMAG #19
|
LORE - To Hum
bl
e
a God
We
can
deduce
Baltha
zar’s
motivations
for
the
actions
w
e
see
from
the
dialogue
in
the
instances.
If
you
stick
aroun
d
after
the
fi
ghting
ends
in
the
Tai
mi’s
Pet
Pr
oject
instance
to
talk
to
NPC
s
such
as
Marjory
and
Taimi,
a
recurring
theme
is
tha
t
Balthaza
r
does
not
appear
to
be
as
strong
a
s
he
sh
ould
b
e
-
a
human
PC,
i
n
fact,
will
observe
that
viewing
Balthazar’s
true
form
should
have
blin
ded
all
onlookers.
I
n
the
Heart
of
the
Volcano
instance,
w
e
see
the
culmination
of
this
-
just
before
the
destruction
of
Taimi’s
machi
ne,
Ba
lthazar
states
“I
was
weak…
I’m
feeling
much
better
n
ow.”
So
it
appears
that
something
had
caused
Balthazar
to
lose
his
power,
and
his
reason
for
being
on
Tyria
wa
s
to
absorb
eno
ugh
power
t
o
renew
himself
-
fi
rst
from
a
bloodstone,
and
then
from
Primordus and
Jormag.
This
does
raise
the
question,
however
:
what
caused
Balthazar
to
lose
his
power,
and
what
ra
mifications
might
this
have
for
t
he
story going
forwards?
We
do
have
one
hint
to this:
earlier
in
the
final
batt
le,
Balthaza
r
states
that
a
mysterious
“they
”
was
responsible
for
“dimming
his
light”.
This
suggests
two
things.
First
,
it
indicates
that
Balthaza
r’s
depowerin
g
was
not
accidental,
or
wa
s
at
least
the
result
of
the
actions
of
a
third
party.
Secon
d,
unless
Balthaz
a
r
is
using
the
singula
r
“they”
for
an
ad
versary
whose
gender
is
indetermina
te,
i
t
suggests
that
Balthazar’s
depowering
was
cau
sed
by
a
group,
not
by
a
single
entity.
And
his
statement
th
at
“they
will
see
me
now”
su
ggests
that
Balthazar
will
be
looking
for
a
rematch
with
his
recentl
y
renewed
power.
Another
curious
thing
is
that
Balthazar
states,
“I
have
learned
there
is
no
h
onour
in
war.”
To
pu
t
this
in
context,
Balthaza
r
has
always
been
portrayed
as
a
god
that
feels
that
there
is
hon
our
and
glory
in
war,
and
that
wars
should
be
fou
ght
in
an
honourable
manner
(as
opposed
to
the
deception
and
trickery
employed
b
y
Menzies).
Something
must
have
happen
ed
to
cause
this
shift
in charact
er.
So,
what
caused
Ba
lthazar’s
depowering
in
th
e
fi
rst
place?
Who
are
th
e
mysterious
“they”?
In
the
rest
of
th
e
article,
I
will
consider
three
possible
scenarios,
and
th
e
possible
directions
the
stor
y
could go
in each.
The
first
possible
scenario
as
to
how
Balthazar
has
been
depowered
is
that
he
was
supplanted
by
a
challenger
w
ithin
the
Fissure
of
Woe,
in
a
similar
manner
to
h
ow
Grenth
deposed
Dhuum.
The
prime
suspect
for
this
is,
of
course,
Menzies,
wh
o
has
been
attempting
to
su
pplant
Balthaza
r
since
the
original
Guild
Wars.
However
,
it
is
possib
le
that
som
e
new
challenger
has
arisen
in
the
intervening
time,
one
w
ho
proved
more
successful
The Dhuum Scenario
7
LORE - To Humbl
e
a God
|
GUILDMAG #1
9
than
the
Lord
of
Destruction.
If
th
e
challenger
proved
victorious
through
the
use
of
some
trick,
pa
rticular
ly
one
that
exploited
Balthaza
r’s
sense
of
h
onour,
th
is
might
also
explain
his
changed
attitude.
One
fl
aw
in
this
scenar
io
is
that
Balthaza
r
states
that
“they
abated
me”
-
the
“they”
indicates
that
a
gr
oup
was
responsible,
not
a
single
entity
.
However,
the
precedent
o
f
Grenth
had
Dhuum
being
defeated
not
by
Grent
h
alo
n
e
,
but
by
Grenth
and
seven
companions,
who
wou
ld
become
the
seven
Reaper
s.
Similarly,
Balthazar
may
have
been
brought
low
by
a
group
-
possibly
M
enzies
and
a
group
of
Shadow
Army
commander
s
and/or
traitorous
Eternals,
or
possibly some
other group.
In
this
scenario,
there
are
at
least
two
possible
directions
the
story
could
go.
On
e
is
that
we
support
Balthazar’s
replacement
agai
nst
the
newly
re-energised
Balthazar.
The
alterna
tive,
however,
is
that
despite
the
PC’s
current
(and
quite
understandable)
opposition
to
the
former
God
of
War,
we
will
find
ourselves
supporting
Balthazar
to
retake
hi
s
throne;
as
distasteful
as
it
may
be,
Baltha
zar
may
be
better than the alternative.
A
second
possibility
is
that,
to
put
i
t
bluntly,
the
rest
of
the
pantheon
(or
a
substan
tial
majority,
anyway)
had
enoug
h
of
Balthazar’s
shenanigans
and
pulled
him
down
themselves.
Balthazar
has
a
lwa
ys
been
presented
as
on
e
of
the
most
morally
questionable
of
the
human
gods.
According
to
the
Or
rian
History
Scrolls,
it
was
Baltha
zar
that
encouraged
humanity
to
go
to
war
a
gainst
t
he
other
r
aces
-
a
gainst
the
explicit
wishes
of
Melandru
at
least.
The
story
of
Kaolai
gives
another
example:
to
spar
e
a
vil
lage
from
punishment
for
a
brea
ch
of
etiquette,
Kaolai
challenges
Balthazar to
a
game
o
f Nui.
What the breach
of etiquette
was,
what
the
punishment
w
a
s
going
to
be,
and
even
the
One
hint
to
Lazarus’
true
identity
was
his
usage
of
fi
re.
Previous
appearances
had
indicated
that
his
p
ower
lay
in
necromancy
(Saul’s
Story)
an
d
air
magic
(the
aspect
in
Justiciar
N
aveed),
so
his
widespread
use
of
fi
re
could
hav
e
been
a
clue.
However,
this
could
easily
be
overlooked
since
an
aspect
of
Lazarus
was
already
known
to
u
se
air
magic,
which
i
s
a
branch
of
elemental
magic
-
it
wou
ld
be
entirely
reasonable
that
a
lon
g-lived
being
such
as
a
mursaat
might
h
ave
mastered
both
necromancy
and
elemental
magic,
and
might
employ
fi
re
mag
ic
in
situations where
wide-scale destruction is called for.
*
The Abaddon Scen
ario
8
GUILDMAG #19
|
LORE - To Hum
bl
e
a God
nature
of
the
game
is
n
ot
know
n
-
however,
when
Balthazar
found
himself
defeated
by
a
mortal
seven
days
later,
he
slew
Kaolai
in
a
fi
t
of
rage.
While
h
e
later
repented
and
raised
Kaolai’s
spirit
to
a
place
of
honour
in
Tahnnakai
Temple,
these
acts
show
a
readiness
to
resort
to
violence
that
could
w
ell
be
viewed
as
a
liability
b
y
the
res
t
of the
pantheon.
It’s
possible
that,
at
some
stage
after
Kormi
r’s
ascension,
something
caused
the
other
gods
to
decide
that
the
liabili
ty
was
too
much.
Perhaps
it
was
a
single
act
that
was
so
outrageous
that
th
e
other
gods
simply
could
not
forgive
him,
or
perhaps
it
was
simply
the
cumulativ
e
effect
of
multiple
such
a
cts
that
made
the
other
gods
d
ecid
e
that
it
was
the
last
straw.
Regardless,
the
end
result
is
with
Balthazar
cast
down
and
the
pantheon
needing
a
replacement
-
perhaps
this
time,
unlike
Abaddon,
they
had
on
e
prepa
r
e
d
i
n
advance,
or
perhaps
they
are
still
looking.
Balthazar’s
lesson,
here,
might
be
an
ironic
repet
ition
of something
that
one
of
the
other
gods
might
have
said
to
him
as
they
were
administ
ering
his
depowering
-
one
could
easily
imagine
that
one
of
the
more
peaceful
goddesses
such
as
Dwayna
or
Melandru
might
express
such
an
opinion
,
especially
if
the
tr
igger
was
Balthazar
engaging
on
an
otherwise
unnecessary
war
over some point
of hon
our.
One
flaw
in
this
scenario
is,
of
course,
Lyssa’s
mirror
.
Interacting
with
the
mirro
r
with
a
human
mesmer
in
the
Taimi’s
Pet
Pr
oject
inst
ance
indicates
that
Lyssa
“must
have
helped
Balthazar
for
reasons
known
o
nly
to
her
”
-
however,
this
may
be
the
PC
jumping
to
c
onclusions.
The
mirror
might
have
been
stolen,
or
it
might
have
been
a
gif
t
given
before
Balthaza
r’s
fa
ll
from
gr
ace.
Alternativ
ely,
Lyssa
might
have
given
it
to
Balthazar
for
her
own
reasons
(to
taunt
Balthazar
with
his
d
epowered
state,
o
r
to
give
him
a
means
to
assume
a
new
id
entity
to
hide
from
any
enemies
that
might
take
the
opportunity
to
fi
nish
him
o
ff
)
withou
t
anticipating
the
use
that
Balthazar
would
put
it
to.
Another
possibility
is
that
there
may
be
dissent
w
ithin
the
pantheon,
with
Lyssa
still
supporting
Balthazar,
possibl
y
without
the
knowledge
of
th
e
other gods.
If
the
decision
to
cast
Balthaza
r
down
was
unanimou
s
amo
ng
the
gods,
we’re
probably
looking
at
another
si
mple
“
fi
nish
o
ff
or
contain
the
fallen
god”
scenario,
similar
to
Abaddon
and
Dhuum.
Alternativ
ely,
we
may
be
looking
at
a
the
possibility
of
a
struggle
a
mong
the
gods,
where
the
fall
of
Balthazar
i
s
simply
the
fi
rst
sign
to
be
see
n
on
Tyria.
If
so,
it’s
l
ikely
that
we’ll
eventually
fi
nd
ourselves
in
the
position
of
supportin
g
one
sid
e
of
the
pantheo
n
against the other.
The
third
possibilit
y
is
that
it
isn’t
just
Balthaza
r
that
has
fall
en
-
the
entire
pantheon
is
in
trouble,
and
Balthaza
r
is
just
the first w
e’ve seen.
The Ragnar
ok Scenario
9
LORE - To Humbl
e
a God
|
GUILDMAG #1
9
I’ve
seen
theories
linking
the
depowering
of
the
gods
to
th
e
rise
of
the
dragons,
but
I’m
no
t
inclined
to
agree
with
those.
The
dragons,
while
powerful,
are
still
fundamentally
beings
of
Tyria,
while
the
gods
are…
not.
While
the
dragons
do
have
some
ability
t
o
in
fl
uence
the
Mists,
I
don’t
think
there’
s
any
direct
connection
that
would
allow
the
dragons
to
siphon
power from the
gods.
However,
there
are
hints
that
there
might
be
other
threats
in
the
Mists.
The
cause
of
th
e
destruction
of
th
e
human
homeworld
rem
ains
a
mystery,
that
perha
ps
even
the
gods
themselves
had
mostly
forgotten.
The
Orrian
History
Scrolls
state
that
“what
passed
beyond
in
the
M
ists,
only
(Abaddon)
remembers”
-
perhaps
this
information
was
passed
onto
Kormir,
but
even
if
it
was,
it
might
have
come
with
so
much
other
knowledge
that
it
would
take
time
for
her
to
sift
through.
The
Mists
also
constantly
create
demons
and
other
beings,
some
of
which
might
rival
the
gods,
or
there
might
be
other
pantheons
of
gods,
Elder
Dra
gons,
and
similar
beings
from
oth
er
worlds.
In
particular,
the
Forgotten
Virashek
in
the
Ga
t
e
of
An
guish
passed
on
the
rumour
that
the
Ravenhea
rt
Gloom
links
to
places
“worse
than
the
Realm
of
Torment”,
from
which
an
attack
might
come.
One
of
the
bat
tles
against
such
a
foe
might
have
caused
Balthazar’s
power
to
be
drained,
causing
him
to
seek
re-empowerment
b
y
whatever
means
necessary
in
order to re-enter the fray.
H
uman
legend
states
that
when
th
e
gods
left
Tyria,
they
left
in
order
to
shepherd
other
worlds.
This
may
simply
be
an
exaggeration
of
the
actual
r
esponsibilities
of
the
gods,
as
many
human
legends
have
shown
to
be
-
however,
this
might
lead
to
a
possible
justification
for
Balthaza
r’s
seeming
d
i
sregar
d
for
T
yria.
If
the
destruction
of
one
world
allows
for
the
ability
to
protec
t
many
mor
e,
that
may
well
be
a
sac
rifice
worth
making,
although
the
inhabitants
of
that
world
m
ay,
of
course,
think
differently.
In
this
context,
Balthaza
r
may
have
reached
the
rea
lisation
that
honour
in
war
is
something
you
can
often
only
afford
from
a
position
of
strength,
where
your
existence
is not
truly
on
the line.
If
th
e
situation
is
truly
desperate,
any
dirty
trick
or
sacri
fi
ce
becomes
justi
fi
e
d
if
it
means
that
you,
and
the
majority
(or
at
least
some)
of
those
you
protect,
survive
to
feel bad about it later.
This
scenario
is
probabl
y
the
most
interesting,
as
it
could
lead
to
an
entirely
new
direction
for
the
story.
The
concept
of
a
‘mist
war’
has
been
in
Guild
Wars
2
from
release,
but
it
has
largely
bee
n
portrayed
as
a
simple
bat
tle
for
the
resources
of
t
he
Mists.
Outside
that,
however,
there
may
be
a
second
Mist
War,
against
a
foe
which
might
trul
y
be
out
to
destroy
worlds…
a
n
d
we
may
find
ourselves
fighting
alongside
the
gods
and
their
servants
to
protect
Tyria
against
this
threat.
It’s
also
possible
t
h
at
this
scenar
io
can
be
combined
with
one
of
the
others
-
that
th
e
pressure
of
a
conflict
of
this
nature
caused
10
GUILDMAG #19
|
LORE -
To Humbl
e
a
God
Balthaza
r
to
do
something
that
his
peers
saw
a
s
crossing
a
moral
event
hori
zon,
causing
them
to
depose
him
or
to
allow
a
third
party
to
overthrow him.
I
should
note
that
there
is
als
o
a
theory
fl
oating
around
that
the
situation
may
b
e
so
bad
that
the
other
go
ds
may
also
be
hidin
g
in
disguise
among
the
people
of
Tyria
(including
Lyssa
being
Jennah,
or
Jennah
and
Anise).
While
this
theory
cannot
b
e
entirely
discounted
,
I
consider
it
do
ubtful,
at
least
without
the
additional
f
actor
of
Balthazar
having
gone
rogue.
If
the
other
gods
are
hiding
on
Tyria,
it
seems
unlikely
that
Balthazar
would
have
such
a
cavalier
attitude
towards
Tyri
a’s
destruction
as
he
shows
in
the
Heart
of
the
Volcano instance.
So,
all
up,
we
have
three
broad
possibilities
for
what
has
happen
ed:
Balthazar
w
a
s
cast
down
by
a
direct
challenger
;
by
his
fellow
gods
in
the
pantheon;
or
by
some
external
force
which
threatens
all
of
th
e
gods.
Whichever
i
t
is,
there
may
be
a
good
c
han
ce
w
e’l
l
see
a
revi
si
t
to
Orr
before
it’s
all
over,
as
the
Season
3
Episode
6
teaser
image
released
on
J
uly
12
suggests.
It’s
poss
i
b
l
y
the
bes
t
place
t
o
learn
more
about
the
gods,
even
if
it
probably
won’t
help
much
with
whatever
i
s
going
o
n with
the gods
now.
While
I
generally
try
to
be
non
-
judgemental
wh
en
discussing
the
lore,
I
d
o
have
concerns
that
a
situation
where
w
e
end
up
having
to
fi
nish
o
ff
Bal
tha
zar
o
nce
a
n
d
f
o
r
a
l
l
-
or
,
worse,
the
entire
pantheon
if
it
turns
out
that
they’re
fully
cooperating
with
Balthazar
-
will
feel
like
they’ve
sacri
fi
ced
a
key
piece
of
the
gam
e’s
lore
for
the
sake
of
a
boss
fight
(or
six).
What
I’d
prefer
to
see
is
a
situatio
n
where,
once
we
get
the
full
picture,
Balthaza
r’s
actions
and
his
willingness
to
sacrific
e
Tyria
become
at
least
understandable.
This
does
not
mean
that
we
won’t
end
u
p
bringing
him
down
noneth
eless
-
some
of
the
best
villains
are
people
w
ho
genuinely
think
they’re
do
in
g
what’s
necessary
-
but
it
woul
d
put
it
in
the
context
o
f
things
having
gone
so
badly
that
we
might
at
least
consider
that
the
r
isk
Balthaza
r
took
was
worth
it.
A
para
llel
could
be
drawn
to
h
ow
many
people
believe
that
the
mursaa
t
were
justi
fi
ed
in
sacri
fi
cin
g
the
Chosen
to
keep
the
Door
of
Komalie
closed
-
w
hile
cert
ainly
a
distasteful
a
ct,
it
may
well
be
justi
fi
ed
if
it
helps
to
hold
back
a
threat
wh
ich
might destroy so
much more.
Final Thoughts
12
GUILDMAG #19
|
LORE -
The Alpha &
The Omega
BY
DRAXYN
N
IC
The Alpha
The Omega
&
SA
UL
D’ALESSI
O
CAUDECUS
BEETLESTON
E
o
r
those
intereste
d
in
the
history
of
the
White
Mantle,
the
update
of
th
e
8th
of
Februa
ry,
despite
its
delays,
certainly
delivered.
In
Episode
4
of
the
third
Living
World
story
arc,
w
e
saw
the
culmination
for
Caudecus’
plots
to
seize
the
throne
of
Kryta,
leading
to
the
dow
nfall
of
th
e
present
Con
fessor
of
th
e
White
Mantle
and,
perhaps,
the
destruction
of
h
i
s
faction
of
the
White
Mantle
at
the
hands
of
the
Seraph
and
the S
hining Blade.
Meanwhile,
in
Bastion
of
the
Penitent,
raiders
hav
e
the
opportunity
to
learn
of
the
fate
of
the
fou
nder
of
the
White
Mantle,
Saul
d’Alessio…
and,
if
they
have
the
skill
and
valour,
to
r
escue
him
from
that fate, if only
t
o
his death.
It
says
something
a
bout
the
evolution
of
the
White
Mantle
that
these
two
men
almost
cou
ld
not
be
any
more
di
ff
erent.
As
much
as
the
Shining
Blade
w
ould
like
to
paint
things
otherwise,
the
White
Mantle
under
Saul
w
e
re
gen
u
ine
h
eroes,
a
militi
a
that
saved
Kryta
in
its
darkest
hour
when
its
standing
army
and
royal
line
had
failed.
If
the
mursaat
had
trul
y
been
F
13
LORE - The Alpha & The
Omega
|
GUILDM
AG #19
the
benevolent
beings
that
Saul
had
believed
them
to
b
e,
he
would
likely
now
be
liste
d
among
humanity’s
gr
eatest
heroes.
However,
that
was
n
o
t
the
case,
and
Saul’s
remova
l
allowed
the
mursaat
to
reshape
the
White
Mantle
int
o
fanatics
that
would
murder
in
their
name.
W
ith
the
defeat
of
the
mursaat
and
the
W
hite
Mantle
evicted
from
Kryta
(openly,
a
t
lea
st),
devotion
to
the
religion
o
f
the
Unseen
would
fade
and
steadily
b
e
replaced
by
a
determination
to seize Kryta
a
t any
cost.
In
this
context,
it
seems
worthwhile
to
look
b
ack
over
the
lives
of
the
two
men,
and
to
compar
e
and
contrast
t
o
see
how
this
re
fl
ects
on
the
White
Mantles
that
they
lead.
Three
areas
in
particular
stan
d
out
a
s
distinctions
between
the
two
men:
their
respective
social
standings
before
joinin
g
the
White
Mantle,
their
degre
e
of
faith,
and
how
much
they
actually care about Kryta
.
We
don’t
know
much
about
Saul
d’Alessio’s
soci
al
standing
before
his
disgrace.
It’s
possible
that,
prior
t
o
amassing
his
gambling
debts,
Saul
may
have
been
of
higher
standing,
making
his
fa
ll
analogous
to
that
of
Kasmeer’s
family
-
however,
one
might
suspect
that
if
Saul
had b
een
a
noble
or
otherwise
o
f
high
station,
this
wou
ld
be
mentioned
i
n
the
records
of
the W
hite Mantle’s fo
unding.
Whatever
he
might
hav
e
been,
Saul
arr
ived
a
t
the
city
of
the
mursaat
from
the
dregs
of
society.
G
ambling
debts
had
driven
him
to
commit
robbery
t
o
survive,
and
on
being
caught,
he
was
sentenced
t
o
banishmen
t
-
not
simply
b
y
sending
him
to
another
nation,
but
instead
his
sentence
was
carried
o
ut
b
y
abandoning
him
i
n
a
regio
n
of
hostile
wilderness
w
here
he
was
expected
to
die.
He
stumbled
upon
the
mursaat
as
a
convicted
criminal
on
the
verge of starvation.
Given
this
background,
it
is
surprising
that
a
man
who
ha
d
e
ff
ectively
been
sentenced
to
dea
th
was
accep
ted
so
rea
di
ly
by
the
people
of
Kryta
on
h
is
return.
Perhaps
it
speaks
of
the
transformation
worked
upon
Saul
by
the
mursaat
-
t
hey
had
taken
a
broken
man
and
rebuilt him as a charisma
tic
leader,
and
replaced
his
rags
with
the
white
mantle
that
wou
ld
give
th
e
name
to
the
organisation
he
wou
ld
found
.
Or
perhaps
it
simply
speaks
o
f
the
situation
of
Kryta
that
the
y
were
willing
to
accept
anyone
wh
o
might
be
able
to
lead
a
defence
a
gainst
the
charr
,
however
d
ubious
his
past
background might
be.
By
contrast,
Lord
Caudecus
Beetlestone
has
likely
n
ever
experienced
a
day
of
privatio
n
in
his
life.
He
joined
the
White
Mantle
as
the
holder
of
th
e
second
most
p
owerful
o
ffi
ce
in
Kryta,
and
that
only
after
his
term
of
regency
wa
s
ended
b
y
Jennah
reaching
her
age
of
majority.
His
‘p
rotectiv
e
custody’
in
Jennah’s
palace
wa
s
certainly
an
inconvenience
to
him,
but
little
comparison
to
what
Saul
likely
su
ff
ered
in
the
jungle.
Without
having
been
forma
lly
accused
of
anything,
h
is
privilege
among
Krytan
society
remained
until
he
openly
announced
h
imself
as
the
Confessor
of
the
W
hite
Mantle,
and
by
th
en
he
was
fi
rmly
ensconced
among
his
followers
that
l
ikely
conti
nu
e
d
to
serve
his
every
need.
In
the
Social Standing
Saul
arrived
at
the
city
of
the
mursaa
t
from
the
dregs
of
societ
y
[.
.
.]
a
s
a
convicted
crimina
l
on
the
verge
of
starvation
.
“
height
of
a
rrogance,
he
would
even
return
to
the
manor
he
had
been
forced
to
abandon
after
his
failed
a
ttempt
on
Jennah’s
life
-
and
i
t
was
there
,
in
his
expansive
mansion,
tha
t
justice
fi
nally
caught
up
with
him.
According
t
o
all
evidence,
Saul
genuinely
believed
that
the
mursaat
were
divine
beings
w
ho
w
ould
protect
and
care
for
the
people
of
Kryta
in
the
ab
sence
of
the
Five
Gods.
He
was
the
founde
r
and,
for
a
time,
the
strongest
spokesman
o
f
the
religion
of
the
Unseen.
However,
he
also
demonstrated
toler
ance
towards
the
old
religion
of
the
Fiv
e
Gods
-
his
decree
that
the
Temple
of
the
Ages
and
other
holy
sites
be
left
unmolested
was
r
espec
ted
by
his
successors,
and
ma
y
have
been
respon
sible
for
the
preservation
of
the
Krytan
royal
line,
a
lthough
he
could
not
have
kn
own
it
at
the
time.
While
his
faith
was
not
unshakeable,
su
ff
ering
a
critical
blow
when
confronted
with
eviden
ce
that
the
mursaa
t
were
not
the
b
enevolent
beings
h
e
had
believed
they
were,
according
to
all
evidence
he
genuinely
believed
in
the
mu
rsaat
as
divine
saviours
up
to
that
point.
For
Cau
decus,
on
the
other
hand,
th
e
beliefs
of
th
e
White
Mantle
were
just
one
more
tool
in
his
b
id
to
ascend
to
th
e
t
h
rone
of
Kryta.
Not
only
d
oe
s
he
fail
to
share
those
beliefs,
but
when
it
appeared
that
the
more
devout
members
of
the
White
Mantle
w
ere
close
to
returning
a
mursaat
to
life,
he
saw
this
as
a
threat
to
his
power,
actively
seeking
to
sabotage
Lazarus’
retur
n.
Fortunately
for
Caudecus,
it
seems
that
enough
members
of
the
White
Mantle
agreed
with
his
policy
that
he
retaine
d
a
signi
fi
cant
army
even
after
‘
Lazarus
the
Dire’
had
declare
d
him to
be apostate.
It
is,
perhaps,
in
their
attitude
towards
others
that
th
e
greatest
contrast
between
th
e
two
can
be
seen.
Where
one,
for
all
his
mistakes
and
fl
aws,
seems
to
have
been
genuinel
y
motivated
b
y
seeking
to
achieve
the
best
for
Kryta,
the
other
was
driven
only
by
naked ambition.
Despite
having
been
sentenced
to
be
left
to
die
by
the
judges
of
Kryta,
Saul
w
as
willing
t
o
put
his
life
on
the
line for its
people. Even the
small
front
ier
village
of
Demetra
was
worthy
of
his
personal
attention,
and
it
was
there
that
Saul’s
faith
in
the
mursa
at
was
put
into
con
fl
ict
with
his
desire
for
a
bright
future
for
Kryta…
and
lost.
Saul
recognised
that
in
founding
the
religion
of
the
Unseen,
h
e
had
not
b
een
the
saviour
of
Kryta
but
instead
brought
d
own
a
n
ew
doom.
When
the
mursaat
sensed
this
realisation,
they
took
him
to
b
e
tortured
until
he
agreed
to
become
their
puppet.
H
is
refusal
to
help
them
maintain
control
of
Kryta
led
to
his
torture
being
prolon
ged
for
hundreds
of
years,
until
deat
h
wou
ld
come
as
a
release.
Even
after
being
con
fi
ned
in
the
Bastion
of
the
Penitent,
it
appears
Saul
did
not
give
up
-
a
note
planning
an
escape
attempt
stresses
that
“t
hey
must
know
th
e
truth”
and
is
signed with the
initial
‘S’.
For
Caudecus,
by
contrast,
the
people
of
Kryta
were
merely
pawns
to
be
sacri
fi
ced
if
it
brought
him
closer
to
the
throne.
In
the
human
personal
story
we
see
his
machinations:
spawn
a
crime
Faith
Motivation
Saul
genuinely
believed
that
the
mursaat
were
divine beings who would protect and care for th
e
people of Kryta in the absence of the
Five Gods.
“
14
GUILDMAG #19
|
LORE - The Alpha & The Omega
15
LORE - The Alpha & The
Omega
|
GUILDM
AG #19
wave
in
Divinity’s
Reach
and
Queensdale;
sabotage
Kryta’s
water
infrast
ructure;
and
incite
a
centaur
invasion.
This
caused
signi
fi
cant
loss
to
the
people
of
Kryta
in
both
lives
and
property,
all
in
the
name
of
undermining
the
Q
ueen’s
reign
in
h
ope
of
having
h
er
declared
u
n
fi
t
to
rule.
His
disregard
for
the
welfare
of
the
people
h
e
would
rule
only
becomes
clea
rer
a
fter
he
is
unm
asked
as
the
Confessor
of
the
W
hite
Mantle
and
he
declares
that
h
e
would
rather
see
Kryta
destroyed
than
in
the
hands
of
anyone
else…
and
backs
up
that
declaration
with
a
full-scale
assaul
t
on
Divinity’s
Reach.
E
ven
his
own
family
was
not
immu
ne
-
when
his
wife
an
d
daughter
realised
what
sort
o
f
man
he
had
become,
he
arranged
for
each to pay
with their lives.
While
Saul
rose
from
a
convicted
cr
iminal
that
was
e
ff
ectively
s
e
n
tenced
to
d
e
a
t
h
to
become
the
de
facto
ruler
o
f
Kryta,
Caudecus
had
alr
eady
been
the
de
facto
ruler
of
Kryt
a
before,
and
his
life
ended
wit
h
execution
for
treason.
W
here
one
was
empowered
b
y
his
faith
on
ly
to
be
broken
anew
after
the
revelation
that
his
faith
had
been
misplaced,
the
other
acted
pur
ely
on
his
own
behalf,
even
to
the
p
oint
o
f
sabotaging
the
resur
rection
of
the
o
ne
to
wh
ose
religion
he
ga
ve
lip
service.
Where
one
su
ff
ered
a
fa
te
worse
than
death
on
behalf
of
Kryta,
never
knowing
if
his
sacri
fi
ce
was
in
vain,
the
other
was
willin
g
to
sacr
i
fi
ce
a
s
much
of
the
nation
as
it
took
if
it
meant
he
could
rule
over
the
ruins
of
what
was
left.
These
distinctions
echoed
the
changing
face
of
the
White
Mantle.
In
Saul’s
time,
it
was
a
militia
r
a
ise
d
from
the
peop
l
e
,
for
the
people,
at
a
time
when
Kryta’s
tr
aditional
leader
s
had
fa
iled
them.
The
White
Mantle
of
Caudecus,
on
the
other
hand,
was
dominated
by
corrupt
ministers
seeking
to
preserve
and
expand
their
power
and
wealth
at
any
cost,
deliber
ately
sabotaging
Kryta
in
order
to
wea
ken
the
established
(and,
to
a
ll
evidence,
q
uite
competent
wh
en
not
being
u
ndermined
from within) government.
In
one
ironic
fashion,
however
,
the
White
Mantle
seems
to
have
come
full
cir
cle.
While
Saul
was
a
true
believer
in
the
mursaat,
talking
with
some
of
his
followers
in
the
“Rise
of
the
W
hite
Mantle”
storybook
instance
y
ields
responses
tha
t
indicate
that
many
of
them
are
not
i
n
fact
true
believers,
but
join
ed
the
White
Mantle
as
that
was
their
best
way
o
f
contributin
g
to
the
defence
of
Kryta.
Even
in
th
e
time
of
Guild
Wars:
Prophecies
,
it’s
questionable
how
many
of
the
lower-ranking
member
s
of
the
W
hite
Mantle
truly
believed
o
r
whether
they
wer
e
just
serving
in
what
was
then
Kryta’s
de
facto
national
army.
However,
it
is
certain
tha
t,
with
Saul’
s
death,
devotion
to
the
Unseen
w
ould
become
an
increasing
par
t
of
the
White
Mantle’s
identity.
Over
the
centuries
where
La
zarus
remained
divided
into
aspect
s
and
all
other
mursaat
wer
e
believed
dead,
however,
this
religious
i
dentity
would
dwindle,
u
ntil
for
many
the
focus
shifted
from
the
service
of
the
mursaat
to
the
building
of
temporal
p
ower
for themselves.
Reflections
For Caudecus [.
.
.] the
people
of
Kryta
were
merely pawns.
“
THe war in
Kryta
20
GUILDMAG #19
|
RECAP - The War
in
K
ryta
A
RECAP
BY
VIAN DE BO
D
21
RECAP - The War
in Kryta
|
GUILDMAG #19
ryta
,
the
last
fr
ee
nation
of
humans,
has
been
plun
ged
into
civil
war
.
Minister
Caudecus,
recently
revealed
to
be
the
cur
rent
Confessor
of
the
W
hite
Mantle,
has
rallied
his
forces
against
the
crown.
Once
again
,
the
White
Mantle
has
p
ulled
Kryta
in
to
a
b
loody
con
fl
ict.
Once
again,
the
human
natio
n
stands divided
.
“Once
again?”
you
ask?
Indeed
,
for
Kryta
was
involved
in
an
inner
con
fl
ict
once
before.
Nearly
two
hun
dred
and
fi
fty
years
ago,
the
fi
r
st
Krytan
civil
war
ended;
a
civil
wa
r
that
was,
in
fact,
instigated
by
th
e
White
Mantle as well.
It
is
important
to
understand
the
events
that
transpired
all
those
year
s
a
go.
For
those
unfamiliar
with
the
tales,
it
is
valuable
to
under
stand
history.
When
we
un
derstand
history,
it
c
an
be
ea
sier
to
assess
the
present
and
the
future.
For
those
w
ho
kn
ow
the
old
stories,
it
is
important
to
refresh
one’s
mem
or
y.
A
gem,
no
matter
how
brilliant,
can
always
bene
fi
t
from
a
thorough
polishing
every
now
and th
en.
So
then,
what
exactly
happened
i
n
the
war?
Wh
at
was
it
that
transpired
during
this
bloody
time
i
n
history?
It
is
a
tale
of
fanaticism,
betrayal
,
sacri
fi
ce,
and
loss.
But
it
is
not
without
hope.
I
t
is
both
complex
and
elementary.
It
is
a
cornerstone
in
the
history
of
the
human
race.
It
is,
as
the
old
tomes
ca
ll
it,
the
War
in
Kryta.
In
order
to
u
nderstand
the
war
itself,
one
must
fi
rst
understand
the
reasons
for
its
occurrence.
Back
dur
ing
the
height
of
the
war
betwee
n
the
charr
and
the
humans,
th
e
Krytan
king
fl
ed
the
throne
in
order
to
escape
the
coming
charr
forces.
When
the
charr
fi
nally
arrived,
they
fou
nd
themselves
not
facing
the
Krytan
army,
but
the
forces
of
Saul
D
’Alessio:
th
e
W
hite
Mantle.
After
driving
the
charr
forces
back
with
the
h
elp
of
their
“Unseen
Gods”,
the
W
hite
Mantle
were
made
the
official
governing
body
of
K
ryta,
with
Confessor
Dorian
taking
charge
in
the
wake
of
Saul’s
disappearanc
e.
With
no
known
royal
candidate
to
take
the
throne,
the
Krytan
people
gladly
accepted
the
rule
of
their new saviours.
Unbekn
ownst
to
the
Krytans
and
the
Mantle,
the
former
king
had
sired
an
illegiti
mate
heir
to
the
throne.
Her
name
was
Salm
a.
The
discovery
of
Pr
incess
Salma
div
ided
Kryta
.
Many
people
believed
that
Salma
was
the
rightful
heir
and
that
the
White
Mantle
had
committed
atroc
ities
tha
t
were
entirely
unforgi
vable.
Others
believed
that
the
Mantle
were
justi
fi
ed
in
their
sacri
fi
ce
of
hum
an
lives
in
order
to
protect
the
inhabitants
of
Kryta,
and
that
the
Mantle
had
done
well
in
protecting
their
people.
Though
limited
to
those
who
knew
of
the
sacri
fi
ces,
si
nce
the
Mantle
did
well
t
o
h
id
e
these
deeds,
this
divide
made
some
inhabitants
of
Kry
ta
unruly
and
di
ffi
cult
for
the
Mantle
to
control.
In
response
,
the
Mantle
established
a
forc
e
dedicated
to
keeping
the
country
in
a
peaceful
sta
te.
This
force
was
kn
own
a
s
the
Peacekeeper
s.
The
Peacekeepers,
h
owever,
were
little
more
than
bandits
paid
for
and
sponsored
by
the
Mantle.
They
constantly
extorted
people
out
of
their
mon
ey
and
har
assed
locals
for
their
own
gain
or
amusement.
On
top
of
that,
t
ravel
bans
were
put
in
place,
al
lowing
only
those
with
permits
to
tra
vel
between
Krytan
provinces.
Unfortunately,
very
few
permits
were
given
to
those
who
need
ed
them,
effectively
placing
Kryta
in
a
self-imposed
siege.
The
White
Mantle
seemed
completely
indi
ff
erent
to
the
harassment
o
f
their
people
as
well
as
the
economic
K
T
he War: A Brief
Overview
22
GUILDMAG #19
|
RECAP - The War
in
K
ryta
impact
of
the
travel
ban,
thus
proving
themselves
corrupt
in
th
e
eyes
o
f
many.
O
nce-
faithful
members
abandon
ed
the
Mantle
and
joined
the
ever-growing
n
umber
of
supporters
un
der
Princess
Salma: the Shin
in
g Blade.
The
con
fl
ict
between
Man
tle
and
Blade
escal
ated
soon
after
,
resulting
in
one
of
Kryta’s
bloodiest
con
fl
icts
.
However,
many
do
not
exactly
understand
the
di
ff
erent
forces
involved
or
their
motivations.
Who
were
the
Shin
ing
Blade?
What
did
the
White
Mantle
fi
ght
for?
What,
or
who,
exactl
y
were
these
“Un
seen
Gods”
or
“mursaat”
that
the
Man
tle
followed,
and
what
exactly
di
d
they
want
from
the
humans?
Questions
such
as
these
must
be
answered.
We
begin,
then
,
with
the
most
praised
and
better
understood
of
these
factions, the Shin
ing Blade.
The
Shining
Blade
b
egan
as
a
movement
among
Krytans
wh
o
ha
d
dis
c
o
vered
w
ha
t
ha
d
been
really
happen
ing
to
the
Chosen.
The
ugly
truth
w
as
that
the
White
Mantle
were
sacri
fi
cing
the
lives
of
innocen
t
Krytans
upon
a
bloodstone
altar.
This
was,
howev
er,
unkn
own
by
the
general
public.
The
White
Mantle
had
convinced
them
that
these
people,
or
“Chosen”
a
s
they
were
called,
were
gathered
u
p
by
the
Mantle
in
order
to
lear
n
from
the
Grand
Masters
in
th
e
Temple
of
the
Unseen.
It’s
not
known
how
the
fi
rst
member
s
of
the
Shining
Blade
became
awar
e
of
this,
but
they
formed
a
n
insurgency
from
early
i
n
the
White
Mantle’s
reign,
ambushing
White
Mantle
convoys
to
rescue
th
e
Chosen
and
building
their
numbers
t
o
spread
the
word
and
launch
further
atta
cks.
Upon
the
discovery
of
Salma
’s
existence,
they
fl
ocked
to
her
side;
procla
iming
her
the
true
ruler
of
Kryta
and
opposed
anything
related
to
the
White
Mantle.
A
t
fi
rst
they
were
a
small
force,
nothin
g
more
than
a
minor
nuisance
for
the
White
Mantle.
That
soon
changed.
After
r
evealing
the
ugly
truth
of
the
W
hite
Mantle’s
operations
and
meeting
with
a
grou
p
of
Ascalonian
refugees,
their
numbers
grew
and
they
were
soon
a
threat
with
pow
er
to
rival the Mantle’s.
Though
the
Sh
ining
Blade’s
initial
size
made
them
little
more
than
a
nuisance
to
the
White
Mantle,
their
numbers
steadily
grew.
Soon
th
ey
were
strong
en
ough
t
o
pose
a
true
threat
and
eventual
ly
became
the
major
opposition
to
the
White
Mantle
and
their
Un
seen
Gods.
The
Shinin
g
Blade
had
less-than-
humble
beginn
ings,
but
their
deter
mination
to
save
the
inhabitants
of
Kryta
an
d
restor
e
the
Doric
bloodline
to
the
throne
helped
them
grow
into
Kryta’s
saving
grace.
Though
they
are
n
ow
only
a
small
force
o
f
personal
protectors
to
the
Kr
ytan
monarch,
they
boa
st
a
grea
t
history.
Had
it
n
ot
been
for
the
e
ff
orts
of
th
e
Shinin
g
Blade,
Kryta
may
well
still
hav
e
been
under
the
oppression
of
the
White
Mantle
and
their
deities.
The
Lionguard
was
originally
the
royal
army
and
police
force
of
Kryta.
With
the
White
Man
tle’s
assumption
of
power,
the
Lionguard
saw
its
jurisdiction
and
fund
ing
steadily
eroded
until
it
was
reduced
to
a
glori
fi
ed
city
watch
for
Lion’s
Arch
and
some
outlying
sett
lements
that
the
White
Mantle
lacked
concern for.
While
outwardly
loya
l
to
(if
somewhat
envious
o
f)
Kryta’s
new
over
lords,
it
was
the
Lionguard
w
ho
sou
ght
the
restoration
of
the
throne
,
after
discovering
the
lost
heir,
Princess
Salma,
with
the
aid
o
f
foreign
adventurers.
For
muc
h
of
the
con
fl
ict,
th
e
Lionguard
remained
outwardly
subservient
t
o
the
Mantle,
hiding
the
rediscovered
heir
The Shining Blade
The Lionguard
2
3
in
the
wilderness
west
of
Kryta.
However,
th
ey
turned
a
blind
eye
towards
en
emies
of
the
Mantle
operating
in
the
settlements
that
remained
under
their
jurisdi
ction,
including
Lion’s Arch.
The
moment
that
the
Lionguard
declared
for
Salma
was
the
beginning
of
th
e
end
for
the
White
Man
tle,
as
Kryta’s
most
important
city
was
turned
to
the
rebels
withou
t
a
fi
ght.
Within
the
year,
the
Whit
e
Mantle’s
strength
would
be
b
roken
by
the
city’s
defenders,
and
the
White
Mantle
were
forced
t
o
withdraw from Kryta.
However,
the
Lionguard
would
never
again
be
th
e
royal
army
of
Kryta. Qu
een
Salma’s
reform
s
instituted
the
Seraph
to
serve
that
role,
which
included
former
members
of
the
Lionguard
as
well
as
the
Shining
Blad
e
and
reformed
White
Mant
le.
The
Lionguard
itself
w
ould
continue
to
remain
the
city
guard of Lion
’s Arch alone.
The
origin
of
the
White
Mantl
e
is
quite
the
str
ange
tale.
An
organisation
that
ruled
Kryta
started
out
with
just
one
man
;
a
m
an
exiled
for
his
crimes
against
the
people.
This
man
was
Saul
D
’Alessio.
Though
h
e
was
n
ot
a
w
holly
good
man,
he
was
not
entirely
evil.
Saul
was
a
man
prone
to
his
vices,
one
of
which
was
gambling.
With
a
mountain
of
debt
facing
him,
he
took
to
stealing
from
merchant
s
in
order
to
pay
it
o
ff
.
Unfortunately
for
him,
he
was
arrested
and
exiled.
In
his
wanderings
within
the
forest,
Saul
found
st
range
creatur
es
that
he
ca
lled
his
“Unseen
Gods”.
They
asked
him
to
r
eturn
to
Kryta
and
spread
their
teachings.
He
did
just
that,
but
when
he
returned,
he
found
Kryta
in
ruin.
The
king
had
fled
and
the
charr
were
i
n
the
middle
of
their
invasion.
The
p
eople
were
broken
and
scared.
N
aturally,
they
fl
ocked
to
Saul,
w
ho
taught
them
of
these
gods
wh
o
would
save
them.
His
following
grew
as
h
e
defeated
more
and
more
of
the
invading
charr.
However,
after
one
of
the
greatest
victories
against
the
invaders,
these
gods
took
Saul
to
their
homeland,
and
he
w
as
never
seen alive again.
From
that
point
on
th
e
White
Mantle,
now
under
the
rule
of
Confessor
Dorian,
gr
ew.
In
the
peaceful
yea
rs
after
the
invasion
of
the
charr
,
they
became
the
leaders
and
peaceful
overseers
of
Kryta.
This
soon
changed,
as
th
eir
fanatic
ism
drove
them
t
o
sacri
fi
cing
innocent
civilians
upo
n
a
bloodston
e
for
their
gods.
When
the
heir
to
the
throne
was
discovered,
thei
r
claim
to
power
weakened
even
more.
Since
then,
these
once-peaceful
Krytan
hero
es
became
one
of
the
greatest
enemies
of
the
p
eople
since
the charr invasion.
The
White
Mantle’s
beginning
s
are
of
a
noble
nature.
Saul
merely
wanted
to
help
h
is
people.
He
was
a
good
man
,
despite
his
fl
aws.
Even
the
original
leaders
of
the
White
Mantle
at
fi
rst
tried
t
o
keep
the
peace
and
help
their
countrymen
grow.
This,
of
course,
changed
due
t
o
the
in
fl
uence
of
their
go
ds.
Th
ese
unseen
deities
were
powerful
beings
we
now
kno
w
a
s
mursaat,
but
not
m
uch
is
The White Mantle
RECAP - The War
in Kryta
|
GUILDMAG #19
24
known
of
their
r
ace
or
their
intentions.
The
mursa
at
were
some
of
the
l
ast
r
emnants
of
the
ancient
races
of
Tyria.
Unlike
the
jotun,
who
had
fallen
fro
m
a
great
empire
into
savagery,
the
mursaa
t
rem
ained
a
powerful
race.
The
prev
ious
rising
of
the
Elder
Dr
agons
had
worn
awa
y
at
their
numbers
immensely.
Th
ey
were
a
race
on
the
verge
of
extinction,
and
th
us
were
desperate
to
do
what
they
had
to
in
order
to
survive.
Thi
s
instinctual
drive
for
survival
pushed
them
to
the
extreme
when
a
prophecy
foretold
their annihilation.
The
Flameseeker
Pr
ophecies
were
written
by
an
ancient
dragon
known
as
Glint.
Withi
n
these
prophetic
writings,
it
was
foretold
that
the
mursaat
would
be
destroyed
by
the
T
itans
(great
beasts
immune
to
the
mursaat’s
powerful
magic).
Out
of
fear
,
the
mursaat
used
Saul
D
’Alessio
t
o
gather
up
a
s
many
humans
a
s
possible.
These
human
s
were
called
the
“Chosen”
and
were
sacri
fi
ced
upon
a
blood
stone
within
the
Maguuma
Jungle.
The
purpo
se
of
this
was
twofold.
First,
the
mursaat
wanted
to
rid
themselves
of
the
“chosen
ones”
predicted
t
o
bring
about
their
ruin
within
the
prophecies.
Secon
d,
the
mursaat
used
the
sacri
fi
c
e
of
these
humans
to
power
large
c
rystals
known
as
soul
batter
ies.
Soul
batteries
were
sour
ces
of
power
meant
to
seal
sh
ut
a
doorway
that
kept
their
destruction,
the
T
itans,
at
bay
.
This
doorway
was
a
portal
called
the
“Door
o
f
Komalie”
and
led
to
a
place
called
the
“Foundry
o
f
Failed
Creations”.
Within
this
realm,
the
T
itans
roamed.
Their
powerful
magic,
along
with
their
resistanc
e
to
the
mursa
at’s
greatest
attacks,
made
them
impossible
for
the
m
ur
saat
to
defeat.
Though
much
can
be
said
against
the
mursaa
t
and
their
arrogant,
self-serving
nature,
one
must
remember
tha
t
they
did
w
ha
t
they
t
hought
necessary.
Though
their
actions
were
cruel
and
monstrous
towards
humans,
they
did
not
do
it
out
of
any
hatred
for
the
human
r
ace.
The
mursaa
t
were
m
erely
doing
whatever
they
possibly
could
to
ensure
their
survival.
They
were
fi
ghting
for
their
lives
against
a
seemingly
unchangeable
fate
.
To
them,
the
ends
ju
sti
fi
ed
the means.
Four
factions
fough
t
in
the
Krytan
civil
war,
and
ea
ch
fought
for
what
th
ey
thou
ght
was
right.
The
Shining
Blade
fought
to
protect
the
Chosen
and
p
reve
n
t
the
Whi
t
e
Mantl
e
from
perfor
ming
additional
sacri
fi
ces.
The
Li
onguard
fought
to
empower
the
true
heir
of
Kryta
in
order
to
keep
the
b
loodline
of
Kin
g
Doric
on
the
throne.
The
W
hite
Mantle
fought
to
rema
in
in
control
and
to
appease
their
gods,
w
ho
they
believed
sincerely
cared
for
them.
The
mursaat
fought
in
order
to
survive
their
The Mursaat
The End
GUILDMAG #19
|
RECAP - Th
e War
in Kryta
25
RECAP - The War
in Kryta
|
GUILDMAG #19
inevitable
destruction,
doing
whatever
they
believed
necessary to do
so.
In
the
end,
it
was
the
Sh
ining
Blade
and
Lionguard
that
were
victorious
over
all.
The
mursaat
wer
e
destroyed
as
prophesied
and
th
e
White
Mantle
faded
into
obscurity.
Princess
Salm
a
became
the
Queen
o
f
Kryta
and
the
Shining
Blade
b
ecame
the
guard
of
the
royal
line
from
that day on
.
History
i
s
not
something
that
can
be
loo
ked
at
through
a
single
lens.
History
is
a
prism
tha
t
must
be
admired
from
all
angles
in
order
to
appreciate
the
entire
picture.
Though
there
are
dispu
tes
about
which
side
was
righ
t
in
doing
what
was
d
one,
and
though
some
claim
that
these
facti
on
s
wer
en’t
a
ppr
opria
tely
portrayed
within
the
old
tales,
one
must
not
forget
that
each
side
of
a
con
fl
ict
has
its
reasons.
Not
every
party
is
two-dimensional.
There
are
technically
three
sides
to
a
coin.
The Cost of
Saving Tyria
S3 Recap: Episodes 4 & 5
BY
MIKO
26
GUILDMAG #19
|
RECAP - The Cost of Saving Tyria
27
RECAP - The Cost of Saving Tyria
|
GUILDMAG #19
The Head of the Snake
eason
Three
of
the
Living
World
continu
es
to
pull
on
more
plot
threads
with
two
of
its
most
recent
episodes:
4
-
“The
Head
of
the
Snake”
and
5
-
“Flashpoint”.
Both
these
episodes
make
the
fate
of
the
human
stor
y
a
centra
l
concern.
Episode
4,
and
the
raid
wing
that
released
with
this
episode,
focuses
on
th
e
two
characters
responsible
fo
r
the
rise
and
fall
of
the
White
Mantle,
while
Episode
5
bring
s
one
of
the
human
gods
back
to
Tyria.
As
we
look
forward
t
o
episode
6
and
the
conclusion
of
Season
Three,
we’re
left
with
many
more
question
s
than
w
e have answers.
The
hunt
for
Caudecus
Beetlestone
began
w
hen
I
received
an
invitation
from
Queen
Jenn
ah
to
join
her
in
the
Upper
City
of
Divinity’s
Reach.
Before
setting
o
ff
,
I
checked
in
with
Taimi
t
o
see
if
she’s
heard
from
Braham,
his
stinging
r
emarks
in
Bit
terfrost
Frontier
still
fresh
i
n
my
mind.
It
seems
R
ox
was
able
to
talk
some
sen
se
into
him
which
is
a
relief.
He’s
formed
an
“exploratory
commit
tee”
of
sorts
and
i
s
headed
towards
Jormag.
Knowing
that
he
isn’t
heading
to
face
the
Dragon
alone
is
some
relief;
that
h
e’s
calling
his
grou
p
“Destiny’s
Edge”
though
doesn
’t
seem
like
he’s
thinking
c
learly
yet.
Taimi’s
worried
about
losing
him
to
the
Dragon
and
is
determined
to
fi
nish
her
Dragon
minion
resea
rch
to
con
fi
rm
a
“brilliant
idea”
she’s
had
to
deal
with
the
next
primeval for
ce
o
n our list.
Jennah’s
praise
on
welcoming
me
was
fl
attering
but
a
lso
felt
unwar
ranted
given
the
mess
our
fl
edgling
gu
ild
is
in.
I’m
not
feeling
like
much
of
a
leader
having
gotten
a
piece
of
Jory’s
mind
after
we
saved
A
urene
and
borne
the
brunt
o
f
Braham’s
peevishness
about
not
h
onoring
Eir.
The
qu
een,
on
the
other
hand,
seems
to
deal
with
her
challenges
with
ease
and
grace.
She
disagree
d
though
and
said
she
envies
my
ability
to
“smash
things”
that
stand
in
my
way.
I
guess
someone
else’s
gr
ass
reall
y
does
look
greener.
Needing
my
h
elp
to
smash
through
something
else
for
her,
she
con
fi
d
ed
that
she
expected
a
White
Mantle
attack
on
the
city
a
t
any
moment.
Her
plan:
to
su
spend
the
Ministry
until
the
White
Mantle’s
threat
an
d
i
n
fl
uence
could
be
eradicated
.
To
do
th
is,
sh
e
gathered
the
Ministers
together
in
the
Upper
City
hoping
to
bait
S
A Meeting of
Ministers
28
GUILDMAG #19
|
RECAP - The Cost of Saving Tyria
the
Mantle
into
revealing
themselves;
my
presence
was
meant
to
r
eassure
the
Ministers,
but
w
hat
I
really
did
was
some
informat
ion
gathering,
hopin
g
to
fi
nd
evidence
of
their
contin
ued
interference
and
give
the
queen
a
public
rationale
fo
r
her actions.
Many
Ministers
with
connections
t
o
Caud
ecu
s
and
the
W
hite
Mantle
were
present,
including
Min
ister
Arton
whom
Caudecus
had
se
t
up
to
look
like
the
mastermin
d
behind
the
loss
of
Falcon
Company,
an
elite
Ser
aph
squad
that
a
c
h
i
l
d
hood
friend
,
Deborah,
had
been
a
part
of
and
which
was
taken
out
by
centaurs.
Arton
doesn’t
know
that
Caudecus
was
actua
lly
behind
this.
Minister
and
Lad
y
Wi
were
also
present,
tho
ugh
many
of
their
friends
now
sa
w
them
a
s
tra
itorous
as
their
daughter
Va
lette,
since
word
reached
the
Reach
that
she
was
in
league
with
Caudecus
and
had
helped
him
escap
e
when
Lazarus
reappeared.
T
o
my
surprise,
Minister
Estelle,
whom
Kasmeer
and
I
h
ad
exposed
a
s
trying
to
blacken
the
queen’s
nam
e
b
y
saying
she
was
in
league
with
Sc
arlet
Briar,
was
also
present.
Keep
your
friends
close
and
your
enemies
closer,
after
all.
The
guests
were
unnerved
b
y
the
presence
of
so
many
Shin
in
g
Blade
and
Ministry
Guar
ds
which
makes
sense
w
hen
you’ve
got
a
mix
of
people
with
something
t
o
hide
and
those
w
ho
get
jumpy
at
the
show
of
force.
A
fter
dealing
with
an
asura
gate
golem
malfunction,
I
found
a
transmitter
tha
t
resembled
the
communicator
Taimi
had
given
me.
With
Taimi’s
help,
I
used
my
communicator
to
ping
and
locate
several
other
of
these
suspiciou
s
listening
bugs
guarded
by
Security
Sparks,
and
reported
back
to
the
queen.
The
Man
tle
were
eavesdropping
and
i
t
was
tim
e
for
Jennah to make
her move.
During
the
queen
’s
speech
annou
ncing
the
Ministry’s
suspen
sion,
the
city
was
suddenly
attacke
d
by
the
White
Mantle!
Jade
Cannons
fi
red
bloodstone
projectiles
fr
om
outside
the
city,
attempting
to
br
ea
ch
its
walls.
Meanwhile
,
from
within
the
city,
White
Mantle
mesmers
began
porting
in
Mantle
troops
including
Jade
Constructs
and,
with
the
assistance
of
many
tra
itor
Ministers,
they
began
attacking
the
Shining
Blade,
citizens,
the
qu
een
and
me.
Our
monarch
is
a
gifted
and
powerful
mesmer
herself
so
she
easily
c
onju
red
a
barrier
dome
to
prot
ec
t
the
city.
Inside,
I
protec
ted
the
queen
(not
that
she
needs
much
protection)
as
sh
e
set
up
defensive
barriers
at
th
e
east
and
west
entries
to
the
Chamber
o
f
Ministers.
We
fought
o
ff
many
White
Mantle
soldiers,
making
our
way
to
the
throne
room
so
Queen
Jennah
could
construct
her
fi
nal
barrier.
As
we
reached
the
throne
room
door,
the
White
Mantle’s
assa
ssin
fi
nally
showed
herself:
Minister
Est
elle,
to
n
o
one’s
surprise.
Tasked
with
the
“honor”
of
regicide,
Estell
e
found
herself
slain
by
m
e,
th
e
queen,
and
Seraph
Captain
Logan
Thackeray,
limping
his
way
into
battl
e,
still
visibly
recovering
from
his
d
etention
in
Mordremoth’s
blighting
pod.
The
queen
’s
battle
prowess
is
impressive
and
I’d
be
proud
to
have
her
join
Dragon’s
Watch
shoul
d
she
ever
give
up
her
royal
seat.
For
the
time
being,
however,
She
confided
in
me
that
she
expected
a
White
Mantle
attack
on
the city at any moment.
“
we
turned
our
atten
tion
t
o
Lake
Doric,
now
besieged
by
White
Mantle
forces.
I
t
seems
Logan
wasted
n
o
time
in
rallying
the
Seraph
before
making
his
way
to
th
e
Upp
er
City
to
assist
the
queen.
He’d
seen
t
o
the
setup
of
a
command
post
and
instructe
d
me
to
speak
to
a
Lieutenant
Fores
to
gain
access
to
Lake
Doric;
the
citizens
there
needed
help.
Once
there,
I
rendezvoused
with
Logan
a
t
the
Seraph
command
post
in
D
oric’s
Landing.
He
introduced
me
to
Legi
o
nnaire
N
ylia
Steelpaw
,
a
charr
bent
on
protecting
the
a
lliance
humans
and
charr
have
worked
so
hard
to
forge
,
no
thanks
to
Caudecus
and
his
campaigns
to
stir
up
the
Separatists
a
nd
their
discord,
built
on
the
lies
h
e
fed
them.
With
charr
support
,
we
turned
to
the
three
areas
Logan
needed
sco
uting
in
order
to
help
the
Seraph
’s
mounting
forces
to
defeat
and
drive
the
W
hite
Mantle
back:
Harvest
Ca
scades
to
the
north;
Saidra’s
Haven
to
the
east
and
New
Loamhurst
to
the
south.
He
also
wanted
to
know
how
Seraph
su
pplies
and
ally
forces
were
looking
a
t
Lakeside
Bazaar.
Since
spies
had
in
fi
ltrated
their
ranks,
h
e
needed
someone
he