More lore has been released for Guild Wars: Eye of the North. This time the focus is on the changes to the lands of the north and the Norn, a race of mountain dwelling half-giants.
The North
The Dwarves have also fully explored along the entire length of the Shiverpeak mountain range, even into the Far Shiverpeaks north of civilized lands. King Jalis himself accompanied a small expedition into these lands to meet with leaders of the Norn--a race long-known to the Dwarves of old.
These towering half-giants look generally human in appearance but have limited interest in the affairs of races beyond the mountains. Fiercely independent, the Norn are not organized into a single nation. Instead, they place immense value on individual prowess and skill in battle. The most famous hunters among their race establish homesteads that become havens of safety, but no single Norn rules, nor seeks to rule. Both genders hunt and fight, and physical strength is, perhaps, the most highly regarded trait in a mate.
The Norn revere animal spirits. The great animals of the North--Wolf, Eagle, Owl, and Raven--each have an associated spirit, but the greatest of these is Bear--with whom all Norn share a special link. The Dwarves report that Norn are capable of "becoming the bear," shape-shifting into the towering aspect of a bear. This form grants them even greater combat prowess--if one can imagine that. Whether these reports are true or merely tall tales passed on to traveling explorers has yet to be confirmed.
The Cycle Turns
The human lands of Kryta and Ascalon have suffered major reversals over the past six years. At the same time, the appearance of new races and additional threats has further destabilized these war-torn lands. The dour Dwarves, in particular, view all of these troubles as signs and portents of a great conflict yet to come. They believe the cycle of the world is turning toward a final confrontation, and that neither Dwarf nor human will be spared as the cycle turns.
Questions remain unanswered by these reports, though, and new threats may yet be discovered in the years to come. Still, the fact remains that humanity, and all of Tyria, has been altered forever by the events of the Searing, and the world has yet to fully recover from that blow.
Time marches on.
Read more about Guild Wars: Eye of the North here.
