For many players in Guild Wars 2, it all started with what seemed like random acts of chaos. It wasn’t long before we were given a face to associate these acts with, yet would still be a wait before we saw any hint of a motive. We sought after the truth, but ended up with one we didn't want to accept. We, the heroes of Tyria, couldn't understand Scarlet Briar, and killed her. But did we kill her because it was the right thing to do, or was it because of fear - fear of what we don't understand?
The first story arc to the Living Story has now come to a close, with death of ArenaNet's villain, Scarlet Briar. This story has been going on for more than a full year, with some great installments, including the the most recent Battle for Lion’s Arch. Now we are here at the end, but there’s still so many unanswered questions! We know Scarlet was going after the ley lines of magic, and was seeking out a dragon named Mordremoth. We know she somehow came into contact with this slumbering dragon, and it drove her nuts! Just look at the great lengths she went through to awaken it! Now we just need to figure out if she was trying to kill it, or was she doing its bidding.
We still need so many answers, but the real question is what's next? With a new elder dragon awakened, what's coming up for Guild Wars 2? Will we see the events of a dragon resurfacing in the next story arc in the Living Story, or does an elder dragon require much more a attention, like an expansion? I know that once the screen faded out from the dragon's teeth I was hoping the title of the expansion would illuminate my monitor. Admit it, that would have been the perfect way to announce a big release.
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Scarlet is dead, but for some reason she’s the one smiling.
This is where I'm still a bit worried. The Living Story came together with this amazing ending, but I'm still not convinced this is a replacement for expansions. In the course of over a year, we have no new permanent dungeons, and only one small new playable zone. The story did offer some temporary great temporary content, but the amount of content is still not even close to what an expansion could pull off.
It would be amazing if a new elder dragon meant a whole new campaign. Perhaps that's the formula ArenaNet will use for Guild Wars 2. The original campaigns introduced new content by introducing new lands. Perhaps the second will release new campaigns through the dragons?
Lion's Arch took a pretty heavy beating from Scarlet's army. While we are fighting them off, at the end of the day it's still going to be a mess. Lion's Arch was a symbol in Guild Wars 2, which means this is a huge blow to the major races. With its powerful meaning as a meeting place for all races, will we rebuild it? If so, how? I have a feeling the next story arc will begin with the rebuilding of Lion's Arch. With how important the city is to the lore, I don't see it being abandoned, but I could be wrong.
If Lion’s Arch isn’t rebuilt, will the bonds between the major races weaken? There’s already some bloody history between the Charr and Humans. With the threat of yet another elder dragon, the races will need to find a new place to come together, otherwise they will never be able to overcome such a huge threat.
With the ley lines of magic now tampered with, we see a dragon awakening, but is that all? Surely there has to be other consequences for these actions, which Scarlet probably didn't care about. Are there more than just elder dragons slumbering beneath the surface, or are there other creatures lurking in the dark?
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It’s almost as if the dragon is feasting on the magical energy.
The interference with the ley lines should have a huge effect on Tyria as a whole. It would show how the Living Story could change the world. We’ve seen Lion’s Arch change dramatically, but that’s small considering what could have happened. This stream of magic is suppose to go all through Tyria, so surely something else would happen, right?
There are so many questions still to be answered, and we have to wait for the epilogue (coming to us tomorrow, March 18th). With the death of Scarlet, another elder dragon awakening, and the magical ley lines now disrupted, what’s next for Tyria? Will things improve now that Scarlet isn’t around, or is her death the beginning of something far worse, with us having no knowledge of how to stop it? We will just have to wait and see.
David North / David North is a freelance writer for MMORPG.com. David loves to play and makes games, but now he writes about them! If you want to creep on him and make fun of his ability to draw, follow him over on twitter @David_the_North.
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