Guild Wars 2 news » Lore Interview with Ree Soesbee

French fansite GW2Shop recently conducted a lore interview with Narrative Designer Ree Soesbee. Read on for a translation!

Q: Some Tyrian races, such as quaggans, kodan, skritt, or even largos, have appeared in Guild Wars 2. These races have their own history, and their origins are maybe found before the original Guild Wars. Why didn’t humans find them before?

A: There were many races in Tyria that the humans hadn’t encountered yet in Guild Wars®, either because those races lived deep underground (such as the asura and skritt) or because they lived in very deep ocean waters (largos and quaggan). Only after the dragons woke up and created great tectonic changes did the humans encounter the kodan, who lived far to the north but had been pushed south by the upheaval.

Q: It seems when one of the Elder Dragons is killed, the others are powered up because they have more magic to consume. Would it be possible that the last of them is so powerful that the players would lose the last battle? We know that you like players’ actions to have consequences in the world we play in, so is that scenario possible?

A: There are many different possibilities; Tyrians are only now learning about the Elder Dragons, how to defeat them, and what happens when one is defeated. We can certainly speculate on what will happen if only one Elder Dragon is left, but nobody knows for sure.

Q: Is the Deverol Gardens arch in Lion’s Arch a clue about future marriages between players? Or is this place just here for the creativity of role-players?

A: It was designed to give players a place to hold weddings or other important events. We’ve also got a wedding attire outfit in the gem store to further support such role-playing. Guild Wars 2 fans are big role-players, and we love to give them the tools they need to have big, important events!

Q: During the Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns™ beta, an NPC said, “Look around you, there is no more Pact!” Is the Pact officially disbanded, or only very weakened?

A: The Pact has been weakened by the events in Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns, but it still exists. The mission of saving Tyria from the Elder Dragons is as important now as ever, and many people of all races still ardently believe in that goal. Therefore, the Pact still has recruits and is still around.

Q: We still don’t know how and why Tequatl has evolved after the death of its master. Are there any clues?

A: When an Elder Dragon dies, its magic isn’t just snuffed out. It doesn’t vanish. The creature itself is dead, but the magic that it put into the world through its creations is still there. Tequatl’s evolution is an aftereffect of the death of Zhaitan. The magic used to create Tequatl is no longer being controlled by Zhaitan, but it still exists within Tequatl. Therefore, like many uncontrolled magics, it is experiencing an evolution and it is shaping itself.

Q: Since the release of the game, we saw Trahearne the necromancer proudly wielding Caladbolg, a greatsword—just like the new reaper elite specialization! Is this a wink, or is Trahearne the first reaper? And what about Marjory and the Delaqua-family greatsword?

A: A lot of people use greatswords—these aren’t foreshadowing, nor are they hints toward the reaper specialization. Sorry!

Q: After all the achievements we made during these three years, why are the tengu still so hostile? After all, we killed Zhaitan, defeated Scarlet (who was close to them), and destroyed the Shadow of the Dragon.

A: The tengu are a very complicated race, filled with bureaucracy and warrior trials. It takes them a long time to trust other races—they were hunted in Cantha—and it would require a lot of discussion among their high masters before they could commit to any kind of treaty with the other races. Many individual tengu do believe in building a peace with the other races, but at this time they are still arguing their case before the leaders of the Dominion.

If you’re the leader of a Guild Wars 2 fansite and you’re interested in conducting an interview with a member of our development team, please contact us by sending an e-mail with your request to Community@Arena.Net. We’d love to hear your ideas for a future collaboration!