History of Guild Wars
​​Before the exodus
The oldest records on Tyria dates back to approximately 10,000 BE, the estimated date for the Giganticus Lupicus' extinction at the claws of the Elder Dragons during their last known time of awakening. The only known surviving sentient races of this time are the dwarves, forgotten, jotun, mursaat, and seers. Not much is known during this time, or the following 8,000 years, though it is known that the mursaat had betrayed the other four races and went into hiding from the Elder Dragons. The exact details of this betrayal are unknown, though implications show that this is when the mursaat and seers warred, with the seers being brought near extinction in the aftermath. Only dwarven legends and jotun stelae remain as records of this time. Jotun lore also make mention of an "Age of Giants" that occurred after the Elder Dragons began hibernating, where the various giant races (including jotun and norn) ruled over and guided Tyria - though the credibility of this is uncertain.
Sometime after the fall of the Elder Dragons, the charr race united under their new Khan-Ur and conquered the lands around them - said to travel north, then east along the Shiverpeak Mountains, and ending in the lands now known as Ascalon. During this time, they warred with the forgotten at the mountainous edge of the then Crystal Sea.
At some point prior to 786 BE, the Six Gods arrived on Tyria at the Artesian Waters in Orr from through the Mists, and later brought humanity to the world. It is said that the Six Gods brought the forgotten to the world as well, however this is now questionable given their dealings with the Elder Dragons. Regardless of their origins, the forgotten were tasked as being caretakers as the Six Gods built Arah and terraformed the land.
Though Dwayna and Melandru of the Six Gods encouraged for humanity to be peaceful, Balthazar sought to make the world the human's domain and with his guidance, humanity spread. Currently, 786 BE marks the oldest records of humanity, dating the time they arrived on the northern shores of Cantha and established the Empire of the Dragon in 510 BE. In 205 BE, humans arrived in Tyria and Elona, establishing two kingdoms - Orr and the Primeval Dynasty. Over the decades, humanity had continued to spread, pushing into Kryta and Ascalon and claiming them for their own.
In 1 BE, Abaddon utilized the seer-made Bloodstone to spread powerful magic to all races of Tyria. Though magic had existed prior to this, it was in a much weaker state. However, the ability to use magic brought races to war with each other and cause mass destruction and death. To bring an end to the suffering, the human king of Tyria, King Doric, traveled to the City of the Gods, Arah, and pleaded to the gods to take back their gift of magic. To do this, the gods took the Bloodstone and divided it into five large pieces in Arah, though smaller shards were made from this. Each large stone represented one of the four schools of magic - Aggression, Denial, Destruction, and Preservation - with the last being a keystone required should one ever want to reunite all five stones. To finish sealing magic, the gods used King Doric's blood and then threw the five stones into the largest volcano of the Ring of Fire, Abaddon's Mouth.
Abaddon, however, disagreed with limiting magic and rebelled against the other five gods. He transformed the Margonite civilization into ethereal demonic beings and waged war, assaulting the Gates of Heaven. However, Abaddon was defeated and cast down at the Mouth of Torment; the Crystal Sea's floor rose and created the Crystal Desert and the Desolation. The defeated god and his followers were imprisoned in the Realm of Torment, and they destroyed all records of him on Tyria, going so far as to sink his Orrian temple and pull the Temple of the Six into the Realm of Torment with him.
Having caused cataclysmic damage, the remaining Five Gods left for the Mists, legends saying they went to create new worlds. This event was called the Exodus of the Gods.
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​Reign of Humans
​ Historical records after the Exodus primarily focus upon humanity. Ever since 100 BE, the known world of Tyria, Elona, and Cantha were under the domain of the human nations: Ascalon, Orr, Kryta, Elona, and the Empire of the Dragon. Two years after the Exodus, Orr became an independent nation. Humanity continued to spread, eventually forcing the forgotten into the Crystal Desert in 174 AE where they became caretakers to Glint and guardians of the trials of Ascension.
Over the following century after the Exodus, human culture established guilds which became powerful groups in the nations. They began to hold more power, being the enforcers of laws and regulations in whatever means they desired. In time, their influence began to overlap bringing conflicts. But it was not until the volcano in the Ring of Fire erupted, sending the five Bloodstones across the the land; the magic they contained seeped into the land and air around them. With greed and the desire of power in mind, the guilds attempted to claim these Bloodstones.
Because so much power were in the hands of guilds, the kings of Ascalon, Kryta, and Orr were unable to prevent conflict and the first Guild War began, raging for decades. In time, Ascalon and Kryta were embroiled into the war, only Orr remained outside the Guild War, preferring to remain neutral and peaceful. In whole, there were three Guild Wars, though when the first two began and ended are unknown.
221 AE marks the beginning of what Canthans call the Age of the Hedgehog; it was when Canthans made official contact and trade with the northern continents of Tyria and Elona. In 300 AE, Kryta became an official colony of Elona, though humans lived on Kryta since the time of King Doric. This time marked the beginning of the human-centaur conflict, as humans had spread further out and into centaur lands. Kryta gained its independence 58 years later.
452 AE Saw the first fall of a human nation. The Scarab Plague began, sweeping through Istan and wiping out the Primeval Kings. After the Scarab Plague subsided,
the Great Dynasty was established until its fall after 127 years. The Great
Dynasty was followed by Elona's darkest times, the Shattered Dynasty Era.
Though wars raged on, and leaderships changed, the human nations saw
little historical effects until 851 AE. Lord Odran, through sacrifices and
powerful rituals, became the first mortal to open portals into the Mists.
Though the portals laid hidden in dangerous lands, his eventual death
brought new sport to both man and spirit - tournaments of glory held
within the Hall of Heroes.
Two decades after Odran first opened portals to the Mists, Abaddon began
his plot to return and bring forth Nightfall. In 870 AE, the Flame Legion of
the charr discovered the titans, agents of Abaddon, at Hrangmer, worshiping them as gods of their own. Bathea Havocbringer rebelled against this new worship, raising an underground army to disrupt the Shaman caste and their new faith. But she was defeated, and sacrificed to the new gods. In turn, the Flame Legion banned all females from fighting in battle, forcing them to domesticated tasks at homes and on farms.
Two years later, Shiro Tagachi slew his own emperor under the influence of the words of a Fortune Teller, who also was an agent of Abaddon. Through dark rituals, Shiro absorbed magic granted to Emperor Angsiyan from Dwayna and twisted it. Upon being slain by Viktor, Archemorus, and Vizu, Shiro released this magic in a death wail, causing the Jade Wind.
Abaddon's plots were not heard of again until the end of the Third Guild War, which began in 1013 AE. When the nation of Orr was eventually forced into battle, though they intended to end the conflict under King Reza's orders, the casualties rose exponentially compared to the past two. This third war did not end due to Orr's influence, however, but by a blitzkrieg attack from the charr. In 1070 AE, the charr assaulted Ascalon while they were distracted with Kryta and Orr, and quickly made it to the Northern Wall, where they performed the Ritual of the Searing. Ascalon was devastated, and the charr armies marched through with ease, bringing more Searing Cauldrons with them towards Orr and to Kryta.
With the Orrian armies away, the charr swept through Orr with ease despite their magical affinity. They quickly made it through to the western edge of Orr, now known as the Cursed Shore, though never had the chance to reach the actual city of Arah. This was due to Vizier Khilbron, a possible follower of Abaddon, unleashing a powerful spell that sank the peninsula of Orr in the Cataclysm - though there is conflicting information upon whether the destruction of the nation were intentional or done out of desperation. Either way, the only survivors of this event were those who were away from their home at the time; all those who were in Orr during the Cataclysm became the walking dead, Khilbron himself becoming a Lich Lord.
Kryta shared a different fate. When the charr forces arrived, King Jadon fled the throne, leaving his people at the mercy of the feline race. However, a newly formed order stepped up to defend their land - the White Mantle, led by Saul D'Alessio. The White Mantle, backed by the mursaat whom they called the Unseen Ones, successfully defeated the charr, though at the price of the lives of the unfaithful who witnessed the Unseen Ones' true form - including Saul himself. With the royal family gone and Kryta leaderless, the White Mantle rose to power as the new government, savior of the lands.
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​Humanity's Decline
​With Orr sunk beneath the waves, and Ascalon in ruins still fighting the charr High Legions, only Kryta remained among the human nations of continental Tyria. In 1072 AE, Ascalon was further weakened. With the charr pushing ever further, Prince Rurik began to believe that they should retreat to another land and regain their strength to take back Ascalon in the future. His father, King Adelbern, was outraged at this. After the fall of Rin, the second capital of Ascalon, Prince Rurik was exiled from the land. Rurik did not leave alone, however. He offered the people a chance of a new life in Kryta, and began the Ascalonian migration west.
Crossing the Shiverpeak Mountains, the Ascalonians met resistance in the form of the Stone Summit dwarves, a splinter faction of Deldrimor. In crossing the Shiverpeaks, to protect his people Prince Rurik sacrificed his life to hold back the Stone Summit. At this time, Kryta itself was attacked by undead under Khilbron's command, in hopes of finding the Scepter of Orr and fulfilling the Flameseeker Prophecies, which foretold the extinction of the mursaat and the White Mantle's fall, and the release of the titans from behind the Door of Komalie. Though originally saviors, the White Mantle fell to corruption and under the orders of their Unseen Ones, they sacrificed innocents to power soul batteries to prevent the Flameseeker Prophecies from coming to pass. This in turn sparked a rebellion within the land, a war between White Mantle and Shining Blade. Through the help of Ascalonian heroes and the Shining Blade, the Flameseeker Prophecies were completed - the mursaat killed or fled, the White Mantle's leadership destroyed, and the heir of King Jadon, Salma, found. The titans themselves were locked away once more after Khilbron's death.
Tyria was not the only continent besieged with problems however. Across the Unending Ocean, in Cantha, Shiro Tagachi returned as an Envoy and brought forth the Affliction, decimating the Empire of the Dragon and their population. However, Shiro was eventually defeated, and the Afflicted were wiped out over the next eight years by the newly formed Ministry of Purity. Cantha saw a peaceful time once more, though still affected by the events that occurred. Of all human nations, Cantha remained the strongest.
In 1075 AE, Elona saw the fruits of Abaddon's plot in the form of Nightfall. Demons from the Mists entered the land, and through Abaddon's power the land itself was slowly transformed into a nightmarish version of its true self. Through the united efforts of the Order of the Sunspears and the Order of Whispers, Abaddon was eventually defeated. But a god's power cannot be destroyed. To prevent Abaddon's rampant energies from annihilating Tyria, Kormir rushed into the colliding energies uncertain of what would happen, and she came out as the new goddess of truth.
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​​Young Heroes of Tyria
​ History is a continuous stream, and events in Tyria did not cease simply because momentous happenings occurred in Cantha and Elona. It didn't take long before worship of Kormir had spread to the human lands of the Tyrian continent. And they needed any relief that their renewed faith in their gods could bring.
[edit] Stirrings Within the Earth
A series of earthquakes heralded the beginning of a new threat. Within their subterranean tunnels, the asura took notice. Their researchers determined that something was deeply wrong. While some were assigned to explore the matter further, the asuran government decided on a safer, more conservative approach. They moved the asuran populace to the surface, to the new city of Rata Sum. They brought with them technology never before seen on Tyria: the ability to travel quickly between distant areas. These were known as the Asura Gates, and they revolutionized movement within and between the countries of the world.
In the dwarven realms, the Deldrimor dwarves also felt the earthquakes. To some, these movements in the earth were a sign of ancient prophecies coming to fruition. Their stories tell of the patron deity, the Great Dwarf. In the ancient days, the Great Dwarf used his strength and power to create all the other dwarves; he also forged great weapons and armor for them. With these items, the Great Dwarf battled against the Great Destroyer. To defeat this foe, he stole its name and sealed it within the Tome of Rubicon. When he left Tyria, the Great Dwarf traveled into the Rift, where he now resides in the Great Forge. No living dwarf had ever seen the Great Dwarf, but they still believed in his existence. And some believed in the Great Destroyer, as well.
[edit] Civil War in Kryta and the Rule of Queen Salma
Lion's Arch, the capital of the nation of Kryta, was still held by the remnants of the White Mantle. When the charr invaded, the ruling house, led by King Jadon, fled the city, and the White Mantle assumed control. The king left behind an illegitimate daughter; the child he had with a priestess of the Temple of Ages. Her name was Salma, and she had a strong claim to the throne of Kryta.
The Shining Blade discovered Salma's existence and rallied to her cause. With their efforts, Salma, Evennia, and the forces of the Shining Blade took Lion's Arch and overthrew the White Mantle. Queen Salma was crowned to the applause (and relief) of the Krytan people.
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The Ebon Vanguard
​ In Ascalon, King Adelbern still ruled over what was left of the human nation. He called upon the nations best soldiers to form a new military unit, versed in guerilla and fighting behind enemy lines. This unit was called Ebon Vanguard, and they made their base at the Eye of the North. From there they took the fight to the charr homelands, and also aided Queen Salma against the White Mantle during the Krytan Civil War.
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A Gathering of Allies
​ In the Shiverpeaks, the dwarf Ogden Stonehealer and the asuran Vekk were constructing an Asura Gate through the underground depths. They were forced to flee through it by a destroyer attack. (Destroyers were something only spoken of in legend and were said to be the heralds and minions of the Great Destroyer itself.) The unlikely pair of heroes arrived at Boreal Station in the Shiverpeaks, where they encountered Jora, a norn, and later Gwen, a member of the Vanguard. The Ebon Vanguard was based out of the Eye of the North, a tower fortification overlooking the snowy peaks. However the bulk of the Vanguard force had gone missing during a recent mission. This included it's leader, Captain Langmar.
The group was agreed that action was needed to stop the immediate threat of the Destroyers, but they disagreed upon the different paths.
Ogden, confident that the Norn were the allies they required, convinced the group that they should enlist Jora and gather the Norn. Jora was focused on her calling, to cleanse her family's sin by dealing with the nornbear. She'd lost her reputation as a warrior and could no longer "become the bear." Jora and her brother, Svanir, were hunting along the Drakkar Lake. Svanir felt a dark presence, which he embraced, while Jora rejected this force. Time would reveal the presence was that of Jormag, one of the Elder Dragons, who was beginning to wake from his hibernation. The event transformed Svanir into a monstrous corrupted bear, henceforth known as the Nornbear. Jora was seriously injured during this event, and it cut her off from the spiritual energies of her people. The Heroes helped Jora find her brother, and, when he could not be healed, they killed him. The heros then aided Jora in restoring her connection to Bear, and in turn Jora helped them find great Norn heroes that were eager to face the threat of the Destroyers.
With Gwen's assistance, the group made their way through the Shiverpeaks and into the charr lands. It was there that the humans had their first glimpse of hope in their war against the charr: the legions weren't united any more. The Fire Legion, led by the shamans, had been a decisive force driving the war effort. They worshipped the Titans as gods, but with the defeat of the Titans, the other charr rebelled against them. During their efforts to rescue the captured Vanguard soldiers, they met a charr named Pyre Fierceshot. Pyre had been imprisoned by the Flame Legion for starting an uprising against the rule of the shamans. Over the strenuous objections of Gwen, the group freed Pyre with the agreement that they would gather his warband and his warband would free the Vanguard. Pyre lived up to his word, and the events started there planted the seed that saw the Flame Legion ousted from power. Gender equality, previously a taboo, was introduced to Charr society.
The group then turned to the ingenious Asura for aid in the upcoming battle by tracking down some of the greatest Asuran minds; Gadd, Oola, and Renk. Together they put together a krewe to bring Golems to the front in the war against the Destroyers.
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The Last Battle Against the Great Destroyer
​ With the Great Destroyer awakening, the dwarves were faced with a battle against their ancient foe. Using a powerful artifact, King Jalis Ironhammer performed a ritual. At the end of his rite, the majority of the dwarves were transformed into stone through the power of the Great Dwarf. Now stronger than before, the dwarves made their way into the darkness to battle the Great Destroyer.
They were aided in their effort by norn warriors, asuran mages and golems, and the Ebon Vanguard. Although the Great Destroyer had powerful abilities and could summon lesser destroyers, it was eventually defeated. His loss signaled the end of the destroyer threat. Ogden was left to carry on the final legacy of his people.
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​Original Article Found here
