#zhaitan disaster

[bigsnaff]

I've said this before on my old old deleted blog somewhere I think, but I personally think that (most) of the in-game renders of the elder dragons are not reflective of their actual sizes.

They're constantly likened to natural disasters in and of themselves. Heaps of old concept art of them depicting them dormant and indiscernible from mountains. Kralkatorrik described as a hurricane. Zhaitan literally shoving an entire nation to the surface of the ocean. You could argue that Mordremoth is technically the size the entirety of the Maguuma Jungle itself.

The in-game renders are considerably scaled back versions of the elder dragons -- both because of the limitations of the game itself and because depicting them as anything larger than they're shown isn't really conducive to, uh, lag-free gameplay. I think the only models that really accurately depict their sizes, or at least close to it, is the mostly concealed Primordus in LWS3 and the entire Dragonfall map of Kralkatorrik.

Not that this is something I see argued or anything. But if I'm trying to envision them accurately, then the creature blowing off the bow of the Glory of Tyria when the Pact flies into Arah isn't the modest version of Zhaitan we see in game, but it's a mountain hurling across the sky.

[ratasum]

Lore Post - Aerologist Praxxi, Unwilling Commander

Praxxi was never supposed to be commander. But that is a story for later in this winding tale.

Praxxi is the oldest of two infamous members of the Inquest, Asuran Resources Director Miyya of the Inquest Ethics Committee and Overseer Vroqq of the Liquidators. From a very young age, though, Praxxi showed very little interest in the work of either of her praents, preferring instead to focus on her own little projects.

Eventually, her work gained her entry to the College of Statics, where she excelled with her ideas on improving power couplings and energy transmission for the city's power needs. While she would never graduate with a high genius grade, her work was respectable enough to get her a place on a steady krewe after graduation, and it was here she met Lopp.

Lopp was a tall, lanky, funny young asura whose primary focus was on reducing draw on power sources, and they were immediately taken in by Praxxi's ideas on how to make any new city cubes more energy efficient using her couplings and energy transference devices. The two hit it off, and Lopp would go on to become Praxxi's first and only contract, helping her cut ties with the Inquest for good, save for a handful of her younger siblings.

Lopp was fully deaf, and they helped Praxxi learn asuran sign as their relationship progressed. This would come in handy in their lives moving forward.

It took several years into their shared career for them to have children, though when they were both in their mid 20s, Praxxi gave birth to their only child, a son they named Khaill. Like their other parent, Khaill also was fully deaf... not that this was a hurdle for either Lopp or Praxxi.

As time went on, Praxxi's work began to get noticed, and she began mentoring at the College of Statics. And for a while, things were all right. Lopp had their projects, Praxxi had hers while keeping in touch with what few of her siblings she wanted to and were still alive, and Khaill was growing up to be a fine young asura.

It was shortly after Khaill turned seventeen that Lopp, who had recently won the Snaff Savant prize for their new krewe, was approached by the famous apprentice of the late inventor Snaff. Zojja had a project, a proposition. But she needed help getting things off the ground. And so it was that Lopp and Praxxi got tangled up in the race to end Zhaitan.

In fact, Lopp was well on their way to becoming commander. At the first battle at Claw Island, however, disaster struck. As they were trying to leave the island, a Risen Abomination charged. Lopp knocked Praxxi out of the way but was unable to escape themselves, the impact knocking them back into one of the sturdy stone walls, where they fell limp after a horrible crack.

Praxxi raced to her spouse's side, but it was too late. The impact had broken Lopp's neck... they had died on impact.

Though she had to be half dragged off the island screaming and sobbing after Lopp, Praxxi did eventually come to a conclusion, wrapped in a blanket with her hair falling in thick coils all around her.

Lopp was gone, but someone would have to carry on in their place.

That someone would have to be her.

[wisp-enclosure]

@mistfallengw2

Lu prefers her wacky ranged weapons, be it her pistols or flamethrower or mortar (a girl has to be prepared). She's not exactly melee combat trained but could theoretically throw a hammer around and cause some damage. She refuses to touch swords because as much as she loves Kudo (platonically and...otherwise 👀) the last time he offered to teach her it was a goddamn disaster. He's very. Picky.

Kudo LOVES his swords. Obsessed. Literally collects and displays them on his walls. It wasn't always this way. In the Inquest he was trained on firearms but Kudo has GOD AWFUL aim and Lu refuses to let him handle one in the current day. He was taught swordplay by Lu's half brother Gaius during their time in the Priory and continued his lessons up until the fight with Zhaitan. But that doesn't mean he stopped practicing; for all his flaws Kudo IS a very diligent student, and started obsessively studying techniques on his own. He's a genuinely impressive swordsman now, and he's not afraid to get a little egotistical about it.

Food! Lu's a good cook and is willing to try anything but doesn't particularly like bugs (which is unfortunate since it tends to feature in a lot of Asuran meals). She loves meat as most charr would buy likes to get fancy with it if she can.

Kudo is the one that ate the poison-cured bacon (out of scientific curiosity) so I think that answers just about any questions about him.

The catrats are homebodies (yes, even Lu!) So their favorite places are like. Their home. Their shared workspace. Outside of that they both grew really fond of the Labyrinthine Cliffs so that's where they've. Parked their airship most of the time. So it's their home also.

SotO spoilers under the cut

SO, Kudo's basically got no family anymore. His grandfather's been Kralk'd, he killed his own dad, and his sister and him aren't on speaking terms to put it lightly (the Specimen Lab meta in Sandswept was incredibly awkward for him).

He's formed his own little family during the catrats' 10 year dragon jamboree but now seemingly they're starting to drift away too. Taimi's still in Cantha and now she's maybe dating?? Braham is still recovering. Kas and Jory are understandably busy. All he has is Lu. And he loves Lu, obviously! But now she's ALSO (temporarily, mind you) out doing stuff. (And tbf it's not long or major, she's just helping her brother prepare his campaign for the Khan-Ur election. She'll be gone maybe two weeks at most). He's got wifeguy brain you'll have to forgive him.

So the SotO plot starts and there's ZOJJA!!! His mentor that he hasn't seen in years!! Given her connection to Snaff he views her as his aunt in a roundabout way. This is one of the few family members he has left, he's ecstatic!

And then he learns about the whole ascension business. And Zojja starts considering it after Mabon dies.

Kudo's distraught at the prospect but tries to be supportive. He doesn't actually think she'll do it. Not without him there at least.

But she does.

And now Kudo's back to having no family.

[tinotika-arts]

[GW2] Random Fantasy AU aka tika's been reading a bit too many manhwa recently while i procrastinate Trahearne's meeting with Death

Sweet fluff for two idiots running a book cafe and leaving their past lives behind. Except not really because their guardians/grandparents are quite concerned for their wellbeing and occasionally pop in unannounced to check on them

AU Musings under cut

Trahearne's past: He was one of the many princes for the Grove Kingdom, but never really felt himself cut out for it when he had other siblings more suited for the role.

Mostly retired grandfather Mordremoth helps him get away and lets him wander the lands for a bit. He meets Alex as a book fair and they connected there before it became something more

Alex's past: Kralkatorrik scouted him for the Aetherius faction for progress and magic research, seeing how magic loved him. The Azure Massacre wiped out the faction save for him, and he initially pleaded for execution unable to live with the guilt of the accident, but Kralkatorrik ignored that plea and ordered him to live on if he really felt he needed to atone.

He wandered aimlessly helping others before he met Trahearne and they grew closer.

At first these two danced around their pasts a little bit, but Alex smacks his own head when he realizes that Trahearne looks a lot like the missing prince from the Grove, and Trahearne has heard of Alex's past nickname as the Ashen Disaster, but also doesn't really care. Like Kralky, he sees it was an accident. (The only one who doesn't view it as an accident was Alex himself but shh)

And of course, obligatory guardian shovel talking. Mordredmoth is pretty chill about it, but Kralkatorrik is just -staring noises-

For Kingdoms... Probably oversaw by benevolent elder dragons? All I have right now is Zhaitan's area, while not undead, is the area that focuses on respecting the dead and various funeral rites, and instead of the usual Duke of the North, we have Jormag of the North

[legendary-alliance-stance]

sometimes i ALSO think about the fact that when the zhaitan disaster happened, the canthan imperial family apparently had. kurzick ambassadors held as political prisoners. keep in mind that was like. 100 years after the kurzicks were basically wiped out. which meant there were barely any kurzicks left at that point, and two of the few remaining ones (who were zu heltzers!!!) were held as political prisoners.

i feel. extremely Normal And Not Murderous about this fact. :)

[queer-as-used-by-tolkien]

Thoughts on EoD, Part 2

Gorrik is adorably fierce. I'm slightly concerned about him, though. Is it his pride that was injured? Is it the betrayal of Ankka (whom he did seem to like a lot)? Was he or was he not "tortured for information"? (I feel like that was a white lie on Gorrik's part to make himself seem braver, and I'm fairly certain that's the Commander's interpretation, too, or she'd also be fiercer. We saw what she did back in IBS....) Or is he just trying to show he won't be bullied around, that he's fiercer than that?

I mean, he's always been fierce. He fought off five cavaliers in S4 to protect Blish.

But it also might be that he's overreacting because Blish isn't around anymore to help him. He always protected Blish because Blish's weakness was that he was inside a golem, and Blish always protected Gorrik because Gorrik's weakness is the fact that he's on the autism spectrum and easily misunderstood. Gorrik now feels like he has to protect himself from that and prove he isn't going to let himself be pushed around.

I don't know. But I look forward to watching Gorrik's character develop further.

Anyway. I enjoyed looking through the Aetherblades' records, learning what they've been up to since S1. I was quite curious at how... distressed Mai Trin seemed to be after learning of Scarlet's death. We also had two new characters introduced: I forget their names already but I'm fairly sure one is an asura (the pilot, though his name doesn't sound super asuran) and the other is a Flame charr. He sounds vaguely charr-ish and the asura called him a "former slaver," so there's not much else I can think up.

I suspect this charr might be the person Gorrik, Marjory, and the Commander interrogate afterward? Not sure. It probably would have been mentioned if he was, he seemed fairly important. Also it's hilarious how clearly foreign the non-humans are. "Pointy hands"?? Really?? I swear the other races didn't get this reception in Elona. Wait 'till somebody sees a norn. I'm suddenly regretting playing this on a human character, I wonder how many insane dialogues I'm missing.

I was insanely intrigued by Ankka's last message: she won't be a rounding error. I think I like her as a character. She's well-developed. Can't wait to see how things go.

ALSO, can we please talk about how apparently our comm frequency is highly compromised given Canthan tech?? I've already done some thoughts and compiled a comprehensive reference to almost all the times the comm is referred to (aka a wiki page that I can't publish because my account is locked) and it clearly operates similarly to a radio frequency, with channels and etc. Other comm systems exist throughout Tyria and Elona, but they usually work off of radio towers and access to Taimi's network is strictly limited.

But I don't put it beyond Canthan tech to have developed comms along the same lines as Taimi (she used Rata Novan ley-line information/tech, but since it's leylines I'm perfectly willing to believe anyone could use the leylines). Taimi insists on calling Detective Rama a hacker, though. I'm not surprised, I'd take it personally too.

Taimi put a lot of work into her comms. I think that's the canon explanation of our mini-maps and how she and Gorrik can just. "mark it on your map" without even being there. Also the comm can pick up and transmit physical samples? And Blish was considering using it as a receiver for his Kralk tracker??

Like, Taimi, this is some insanely accomplished stuff. To come to a continent where it's so easily 'hacked' that Rama blows her off like that - just ouch. No wonder she takes pride in being a dragon expert, they've already stolen her comms!

Now, I would like to point out to Taimi that she's talking to a guy in the Ministry of Security. It's his job to hack stuff. It's easy for him, but don't worry, Taimi, it's probably unthinkable for most people.

Also, can I say Akane behaves... like an RL teenager? Commander is not impressed with her at all. She hasn't had to deal with these people since she killed Zhaitan and became famous.

Ah. Oh yes, "Mother." Soo-Won. I am begging you PLEASE expound on what you mean by "balance"? If your affinity is for water how could you have created beings with affinity for the other elements?

THIS DOES SOLIDIFY MY THEORY, HOWEVER - that all the Elder Dragons are associated with an element. All of them. Even Zhaitan. Even Primordus. (I'll make that a separate post.) But so far, newly-revealed canon magic lore seems to line up with my magic theory pretty nicely. Amazing!

And what WAS that? I understand Aurene and Soo-Won may have been speaking through the Mists before now, but what was THAT we were just drawn into? Off the top of my head, given all the bubbles and the weird surroundings, I'm going to say it's a mindscape of Soo-Won's, like we saw with Mordremoth, or else it's a vision, like the time Aurene drew us into seeing through her eyes to scout out Rata Primus. Of course, Aurene's given us a bazillion different sorts of visions, no two the same, so this could just be a new type. So, since Soo-Won is Aurene's great-grandmother, perhaps she has the same power to give people visions? Or at least to give Aurene visions, and Aurene can in turn share the visions with us.

I'm still stuck on how Soo-Won could have created beings aligned to the other elements when she's not? ??

To be fair I haven't done a single thing after that instance so I may be missing something.

Oooh, also, the constant references to the "Zhaitan Disaster." This is brilliant, since it gives precedence for me referring to the Mordremoth Disaster. I was already doing that but this way there's a sort of harmony there.

[mystery-salad]

Marjory Looking Back: Part 1

Arborstone: Marjory: Commander! Don't you look rested. I see the lack of Elder Dragon threats is treating you well. I've been thinking. Kas is pretty wrapped up with organizing Jennah and the empress's meeting… Thought I'd take a little bit of…me time. For once. Belinda, she…she told me a thousand stories about our family. Here. Where they lived, what they did. I'd like to see Cantha through her eyes. Starting with Old Kaineng; the Sumalees' ancestral home. Our family. …And Taimi said a little meditation and personal reflection would be "healthy."

Kaineng Ruins: Marjory: They lived here, a long time ago. PC: Your family? Marjory: The Sumalees, yes. Long before the Zhaitan disaster. Belinda said that they were traders… Good ones, too. They worked with the Luxons to establish trade routes all throughout Cantha.

Cobble Ward: Marjory: I can't imagine growing up in Cantha. It's so different from Kryta, but…there's also something very comforting about being here. Serene. If my family had never left, who knows where we'd be today. PC: Ever see yourself moving here? Marjory: O-oh! I couldn't… We couldn't. Kas is just starting her days as a Krytan ambassador, our families are back in Divinity's Reach… I… I don't know. PC: Something to think about.

Jade Monument: Marjory: Belinda would have loved learning about Soo-Won… She would have loved ALL of this. I can just imagine seeing her face, walking through the streets of New Kaineng… Seeing all the jade tech. Taking it in. PC: I couldn't blame her– it's a pretty amazing sight. Marjory: Dad gave her one of our great-great-great-great-nan's journals. Jamie. She was only five when they made the trip over to Kryta. Belinda read it over and over again… She could recite every page. PC: Oh yeah? Did you ever read it? Marjory: Belinda read it to me. Stories about how the city stretched for miles, packed in tight with millions of people from all over. To think that all of that is…gone, and to see what it became. PC: The world has suffered enough.

Intermission: Marjory: I didn't really care about this stuff when we were kids– Cantha, our family history. It didn't feel relevant. Belinda did. Dug up every story she could. Asked every question. Annoyed the hell out of Mireille. If she knew we were here now… She'd punch a hole through a wall! I loved her stories, but I never really showed her that. Not enough, at least. Next stop: Shingle Jea. The Sumalees started their new lives there– after Kaineng.

[krewe-yukii]

18, 20, and 28!

@mystery-salad

18. How old do people of various races get? Humans are boring and normal so I think mid-70s on average (barring any major disaster, which is a caveat I'll apply to all of this question I think). Norn, with all their focus on legacy, I think they'd have slightly shorter lives, mid-60s? I don't think sylvari age traditionally, so that'd just be "alive until not," really. Charr are live fast, die young. They probably could get into their 50s and 60s if they're lucky? Asura are probably closer to 80-100 because there's just so much stuff to learn before you die, that kind of society couldn't really exist with short lives imo.

20. How far has Orr been restored at this point? It's been, what, 10 years? (I checked, it's been 9 since Zhaitan and 6 since LWS3E6.) That's not a ton of time to make sweeping progress on an area so thoroughly destroyed, but I think there are a few towns with proper infrastructure built up for Priory/other research on, well, everything in Orr.

28. Norn Transformations. Can they choose which animal they transform into? How long does it stay. Does it change their behaviour and perception? Is it only the four great spirits or could we get bunny Norn? Oh I hardly ever think about the Norn, this is interesting. I'd guess it's based on their patron Spirit, with other spirits being options in extenuating circumstances. No limit on time, but being an animal shape has plenty of drawbacks enough. Their behavior would stay the same, they're still the same person, but they'd get all the benefits and pitfalls of their new senses.

Thank you so much for the ask, @mystery-salad 💖

[where-is-caithe]

I keep thinking about sylvari!Rhowan and how she and my other sylvari, Charleigh, would be direct opposites, personality and qualifications.

Rhowan would awake at the break of dawn, a secondborn, with a wyld hunt to defend Tyria at any cost, including, but not limited to, fighting and destroying the dragons. She would have woken with a heavy burden already, and then she is taken with dozens of other secondborn and traumatized to the point of hating being alive, on top of being born with this insurmountable destiny. She has already been beaten down, she doesn't believe in herself, she doesn't believe in the pale tree's vision of a peaceful Tyria. She sees the rise of the nightmare court. She sees many of her siblings die horribly. She has no hope. She is thrust into a role she doesn't understand. It takes over 20 years before the world is ready to take on Zhaitan, and Rhowan is still not ready. She has no motivation. She's already seen too much.

Enter Charleigh. Born as Glint breathed her last breath and with a wyld hunt to defend Tyria, a dragon's voice in her mind. She knew her purpose when she awoke. She knew who she was meant to be. She trained in the Grove as a warden for a few years before signing onto the Vigil and making her way through the ranks quickly. She is a natural leader. Someone people will follow into the darkest night and trust that they will live to the end. She is everything that Rhowan should have been.

But she was not at the right place, at the right time. Meeting Trahearne on Claw Island. Defending the survivors to flee. Watching her friend sacrifice herself to give them a chance. She was not the one the Pact rallied behind to retake the fortress. And she didn't become Trahearne's second-in-command.

Complete disaster Rhowan, who was barely a crusader, who had continuously failed in the Vigil and had been put on probation prior to Claw Island, she was the one to become the Commander of the Pact. By chance.

It's not something Charleigh would think about. She has a job to do, but watching Rhowan become the leader and hope of the world. It did not inspire confidence.

[bigsnaff]

btw Dokks is VERY much a doting grandfather to Koorn. I would say almost overbearingly so, if not for the fact that, despite Koorn's denial, he very much needs and wants the attention. His father died in the Thaumanova Reactor disaster when he was roughly 11 years old, and he has essentially been solely at the whim of his emotionally negligent mother up until the point that he left Rata Primus with Dokks and the rest of Dragon's Watch.

Dokks lost his wife (presumably) before his two kids became adults. He lost his son (Koorn's father), as said, in the reactor disaster. He lost his daughter during the campaign against Zhaitan. He hasn't seen his brother in decades and has no clue where he is or if he's even alive. Koorn is all he has left. He will not let anything happen to him. Dokks is all Koorn has left. He will not let anything happen to him.

[pact-mom-kyrie]

Hey after a year I wrote a thing. I called it “Brooding nerds“ because is about Alesso (sniper, priest of Grenth) being broody after the event of Hall of Chains. He got some weird powers because hey, he had been dead once before, in Queensdale. He feels alienated. Fron his brothers, from the guild, from everything. So his brother Enzo (mesmer, nerd) goes to talk to him.

Shout out to @disaster-bi-canach for always being there. I mention her main Sinéad here. Go and read all her stuff. Is really good.

Also HAPPY FANFIC DAY!!!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

The nights on Istan were cold, or at least the wind blowing up Champion’s Dawn made him feel like it. The little town was gleaming under the moonlight, pretty like a painting with Churrhir cliffs beyond. 

This was the ancient homeland, thought Alesso. Or at least part of it. He was not knowledgeable enough about the story of Zephaniah, he has bearely heard the story of his ancestor, the man he had only known as Zephare. The only thing he knew for sure was what Koss had said to him: “Another touched by the gods?! By Dwayna, never knew a child of Zephaniah could get this pale, huh?”

Somehow it hurt. But he didn’t say anything. Koss seemed like the kind of nosy grandpa he had never known. Salva noticed though and glared at the old man. Somehow the judgmental gaze of sweet, kind Salvatore made him feel guilty, or at least act like it.

It felt nice, but it was not enough to make him feel better.

That was the reason behind him being sit down, brooding on his own in a cliff, reaper-forged rifle by his side. He had given the excuse of going up just to shoot any awakened that dared come close to the town. But there were none, otherwise, he would have seen them walking through the plains or the breach… that was kilometers away.

Such accuracy was unnatural.

“The eyes of a god” Maesta said while they were in the Priory. He only thought it was about the fact that now they shone like embers, but he realized soon enough that it was something more terrible than that.

When he shot an awakened soldier.

From the cliffs.

With his eyes closed.

“Now you’re just fuckin’ cheatin’ partner” Exclaimed Johnny, his voice a mixture of anger and excitement. 

Alesso knew that yeah, he was cheating. But he couldn’t stop it. He had been dead twice, and that allowed him to gain some weird boon, and it felt extremely weird. After all, who else could say they had held a tiny bit of that kind of power?

All of sudden, a portal appeared by his side, and from its glimmering depths, a figure appeared. Tall and aristocratic.

“Good evening, little brother, nice weather for alienated brooding isn’t it?” Lorenzo has managed, after all their years as adventurers, perfected the art of princely sneer. Alesso glared at him, but could only mumble a weak curse. Years ago, he would have said “Yeah, fuck you”, and close himself up. But not now. Not like before.

“Don’t you have an entire observatory to read? Or did you run out of paper for interviewing zombie grandpa?”

The mesmer almost laughed, but he just gasped as if scandalized “Don’t call Koss Dejarin like that, young man” he faked the intonation of a scolding mother “he is not your grandpa!”

Alesso snorted, his devilish laughter barely escaping his lips “So you’re accepting he is a zombie, right?”

“Well, to be honest...” Enzo got lost in thought for a second, half-joking, half-serious “Awakened have peculiar characteristics, and have different needs from other types of risen-type creature, so they belong to their own category in Howard’s classification of unde-”

“You fucking nerd” The sniper rolled his eyes, huffing slightly “Whatever, tell everyone I’m ok, just thinking of stuff and… stuff”

The redhead sighed deeply and sat down, looking slightly distraught. “Oh no, I came here because I am worried, you little twerp. You’ve been way too quiet and sullen. That is not normal”

“What is normal then?” Claimed Alesso, wiggling a bit far from his brother. He was slightly scared, not ready to face any of his siblings, and tried to mask his fear with annoyance.

It wasn’t working.

“You being with us, smiling when no one looks, competing with Johnny over shots, praying for the fallen of Elona, just...” Enzo looked down, into the town “not like this, not as if we still were the same idiots running around Queensdale”

Alesso winced. Queensdale. It had been five years, it used to feel like a month ago, and now it felt like yesterday.

“Gyro behaved the same when I came back this time. He checked my pulse, he looked at my pupils, almost asked me for a blood test, as if he believed I was… as if I am-”

“You are not dead, Alessandro Zeppeli” The voice of Enzo broke a bit as if he was trying not to sob “You re here, with us. Still the same fool that tried to wrestle a spider queen, still the same child that broke into the home of Thomas Silvertogue to learn how to be a spy”

Those words felt like a knife stabbing his heart. Lorenzo was not the kind of man who broke easily, even if his emotions were there for everyone to see. It was not simple nostalgia, but a sort of awed reminiscence, and Alesso could not help to feel it too. 

“I’m scared” He murmured. It would have been better if he didn’t remember the last time he had said that. The sight of the ashes of Commander Steinbrecher in an urn, the greatest hero of all Tyria, had sunken his heart into the abyss of terror.

“I know” Enzo replied softly “The letter you gave me. Maesta… she wrote about everything”

Alesso lowered his head, feeling smaller. Silent in his own uncertainty. He had a snarky comment ready, but he felt too tired to say it. He was tired of hiding his thoughts behind the words of an asshole.

His brother sighed “You didn’t read it” It was not a question “You had a letter from a noble of Kryta, an agent of the Shining Blade, and didn’t even peek under the seal, knowing it may have some valuable intel. Thank you”

“What? She is my friend. Besides I don’t know if she had enchanted it or something” the thief tried to explain, not ready to show how much he cared about their relationship “Also I don’t wanna read the correspondence of someone whom actually thinks you are hot enough to fuck”

Lorenzo scoffed, no doubt rolling his eyes. “There were no details of that kind if you are interested, dear brother. Actually...” His tone changed to a more solemn one “She was asking for an explanation about… the way I said goodbye in Lion’s Arch”

The sniper raised his gaze. That was not a good memory, if anything, it was extremely awkward to remember Enzo being a jerk towards anyone, more so the woman he loved. “Did she break up with you via letter? I mean you mocked her for being emotional...”

“I am perfectly aware of what I did and I am ready to face punishment for my actions” Once more, the princely manners return “but that is not the point, as a matter of fact, the letter made me realize that we have something in common”

“That we deserve a slap for being assholes in serious moments?” Alesso raised an eyebrow, cringe clawing his heart. Enzo looked surprised, not ready for such a display of painful self-awareness.

“No, not that. Maybe a bit of that, but this is something completely different. Something we cannot… solve, so to speak” Enzo looked above them, gazing at the starry sky, “She wrote you were given a portion of Grenth’s power. As well as she did, but since you’ve been to his realm twice, your abilities got… stronger”

The eyes of a god. The reason for his accuracy, his eyes changing, now gleaming in the darkness. 

“Here is the question, Alesso: do you think you’re the only one who has felt the power of a god running through his blood?” It was a serious question. Way too precise. He would have expected it from Salva, or from Commander Sirhasi, but not Lorenzo. Then again, he had the bad habit of underestimating Lorenzo.

“I think so. I am the only one who has been so close to the gods...” he stated with unnerving confidence “Damn now I feel like an arrogant little shit”

“Well you arrogant little shit!” the mesmer exclaimed joyfully, opening his arms “You are SO wrong I could write a whole treatise on how wrong you are. But since I love you so much, I will give you a short version: I have felt the power of a god too, and it was fucking awful”

And so, Alessandro Zeppeli, a descendant of the house of Zephaniah, Lightbringer of the Order of Whispers, opened his mouth and gasped like a fish out of water. Because he had no idea what his brother was talking about.

“W- what? When? Why?!” He almost yelled, more confused than ever. He looked all around him, somehow waiting for someone to appear, to confirm it was all a joke at his expense.

“Do you remember the battle in Lion’s Arch against the minions of Zhaitan?” 

How would he forget that? He had spent days with Ihan and Joseph cleaning the city, trying to heal his sadness with risen’s blood. Until Commander Sirhasi asked if he was alright and he ended up crying like the child he was into the norn woman’s bosom.

“Yes, that face tells me that you do” Enzo whispered. Maybe lost in his own memories of those awful times. “Steward Gixx told Magisters Irene and Gialinn to help him with a relic of Balthazar. He thought that someone had to wield its power and since it was a human god...”

“It had to be a human, and there were no other nerds close to you” he muttered.

“Yes. I had to carry a part of the spirit of a god of fire, fury, and mass murder. As powerful as I felt, it was not a good experience. I thought nothing of it later, just a weird experience in an extremely hard time. Until Balthazar returned..” he lowered his head, while Alesso put the pieces together in his head.

“Whatever remained of the fucker within you, resonated with him, then” The sniper stated, only understanding the implications a second later “So your behavior, the fire that sometimes escaped from your illusions… that was Balthazar...”

Enzo nodded “Yes. One time I spat molten embers, one night I cried fire, and sometimes I just wanted to kill someone. Anyone. And I hid it all from everyone but my colleagues of the Priory”

“Well shit, even I didn’t saw that coming, except the part when you almost scared Cesare to death, of course,” Alesso looked at his brother, making him recoil slightly “Did you use your illusions to hide? Because you are good, but not that good”

“You rude prick. I happen to be that good” Lorenzo sneered “I was scared of any of you realizing it, I didn’t want you t think I was going to join the Zaishen or something like that”

Alesso moved closer to his brother “I get it... but if there was anyone of us who would have joined that prick, it would have been anyone but you” he saw the mesmer smiling, moved by his trust “After all, the stick in your ass wouldn’t let you bend the knee towards that monster”

“Fuck off” the strange laughter of Enzo pierced the night, sounding like a weird harpy in the cliffs “The point is: you are not alone, dumbass. Your god loved you. Maybe all that happened is sad, and I cannot imagine how you feel about it but...” He sighed and hugged Alesso from the side “You are still out little brother. The one who creeps us out because he looks a lot like dad. You’re part of the best and strongest guild in Tyria. The weirdest guy of the whole Pact...”

Now it was the turn of Alesso to laugh, like a tiny devil mocking Champion’s Dawn “I get it, you old cheesy geezer” He returned the hug, and felt his loneliness fading away “Thank you, really”

“I know, I am amazing. You are welcome” The fake pride of Lorenzo was even worse than his stupid smile, and he knew it “No, but in all seriousness, it is alright. You can tell me every time you feel bad about your existential crisis, at least regarding your godly issues. You’re my brother, and we are very similar....”

“Ew. Don’t remind me that. Makes me wanna hide under a rock” Alesso broke the hug, stood up, and took his rifle before looking up to the sky, smiling “Maybe Grenth is gone but... I feel I can still carry his will as long as I am with you, my family... bunch of losers” 

Lorenzo also stood up, stretching his back “You better. Without you, we wouldn’t be as good as we are. Also, I wouldn’t be able to fulfill my main familial obligation without you”

Knowing what kind of obligation he was talking about, Alesso sneered and said a single sentence. “To keep Cesare humble? Alright. Seems all this ‘Hero of Three Nations’ thing has started to go to his head, do you have a plan?”

The redhead smiled, malice covering his face “Oh yes, it includes portals. Lots of portals” he stated while opening one by their side.

“I may have an idea, but you lead the way”

The two brothers entered the shimmering pond of light, and for a moment there was nothing but peaceful silence in Istan.

Until the shriek of a heroic guardian pierced the night.

[detective-with-one-arm]

What Pokémon Would Your Muse Have?

Main Team:

#1: Zoroark - Cedric (M)

The Illusion Fox Pokémon - Dark-Type - Despite its monstrous appearance, it’s actually a very lonely and sensitive Pokémon that cares deeply about its family and about others. Much like Rachel, there’s more to these Pokémon than what is shown at first glance.

#2: Gardevoir - Jeanne (F)

The Embrace Pokémon - Psychic/Fairy-Type - Gardevoir are Pokémon that have intense bonds with their trainers. Their psychic power is strongest when protecting their trainers. They can see the future and if their trainer is in danger, Gardevoir will give their lives to protect them. Just like how if Rachel knows there’s danger to someone, she will not hesitate to fight with all her strength and risk her life to protect them.

#3: Lycanroc (Midnight) - Edme (F)

The Wolf Pokemon - Rock-Type - This form of Lycanroc are reckless and will attack and goad opponents into attacking with no regard for their own safety. It will ignore orders it doesn’t like and doesn’t mind getting injured so long as it can finish off an opponent. It’s invigorated by stronger opponents and will only listen to a trainer who can draw out its true power. A strong, stubborn, and prideful independent spirit like Rachel who is also headstrong and will attack and defend with no regard for her own life or safety.

#4: Floatzel - Tsunami (F)

The Sea Weasel Pokémon - Water-Type - Floatzel are known to use their floatation sacs to float and they use this both to catch prey at docks and rescue people from drowning. Rachel is an aquatically adept person and has an internal instinct to help and rescue people wherever she sees that they need help.

#5: Luxray (Shiny) - Levana (F)

The Gleam Eyes Pokémon - Electric-Type - Luxray are capable of seeing through walls and objects to search for danger, prey, and even its own young. When its eyes start to glow, it’s using it electric power to see through walls. A valuable ally for someone such as Rachel who feels as though thousands of eyes are watching her at every opportunity.

#6: Haxorus - Zhaitan (M)

The Axe Jaw Pokémon - Dragon-Type - Haxorus are generally very kindhearted and gentle, but they can be terrifying and frightening when angered. They defend their territory and their families with terrifying ferocity. Like Rachel herself, loyal and kind and compassionate, but more than capable of being fierce and frightening when angered and defending the things and the people she cares about.

+: Duskull - Grimm (M) [She doesn’t fight with him but he’s always with her]

The Requiem Pokémon - Ghost-Type - Duskull are capable of passing through any wall and can turn invisible. They are nocturnal creatures and are known to doggedly pursue their targets until the break of dawn. It’s said to spirit away disobedient children and is described to enjoy the crying of children. While Rachel does not enjoy the tears of children, she has an intense maternal instinct. If she hears a child cry, she instinctively wants to protect and console that child. And if a parent mistreats their child, Rachel will not hesitate to defend that child.

Backup/Alternate Team:

#1: Absol - Cassandra (F)

The Disaster Pokémon - Dark-Type - Absol is capable of sensing natural disasters before they happen and is often seen before one occurs. This leads to it being wrongfully demonized and seen as a bad omen and as the cause for the disasters when in truth, this Pokémon tries to warn others and protect them from it. Much like Rachel, she sees disasters before they happen just from her own experiences of constantly being proven right and is often not believed or even shamed for trying to warn and explain to others.

#2: Gallade - Engarde (M)

The Blade Pokémon - Psychic/Fighting-Type - Gallade seek out Pokémon and people in need of help and will only extend their elbow blades when protecting them. They fight fiercely as noble swordsmen to protect those who cannot defend themselves. Like Rachel, they constantly search for those that need help and will fight savagely to protect others.

#3: Ampharos - Emilia (F)

The Light Pokémon - Electric-Type - Ampharos act as a beacon for those that are lost by using their glowing tails to guide sailors away from the shore in lighthouses. Some people even used Ampharos to send signals back and forth using their tail lights. While not someone who guides sailors, Rachel often acts as a beacon to guide those who are lost, such as androids who stumble into her backyard who need repairs and a place to stay until they move on.

#4: Dragapult - Missile Launcher (Missy, for short) (F)

The Stealth Pokémon - Dragon/Ghost-Type - Dragapult often hold Dreepy in the holes in their horns when it isn’t battling. However, once it does, it launches them like missiles at Mach speed. The Dreepy apparently enjoy being launched out of Dragapult’s horns. Rachel’s prosthetic arm is very important to her, but she uses it as a weapon in many forms, including a thrown weapons.

#5: Aggron - Irwell (M)

The Iron Armour Pokémon - Steel/Rock-Type - Aggron claims an entire mountain as its territory and will protect it fiercely. It mercilessly destroys anything that trespasses on its environment and diligently patrols its territory at all times. However, it’s a surprisingly sensitive Pokémon, as it will haul topsoil and the like to restore and garden its own territory. Rachel is fiercely protective of her home and is constantly patrolling her “territory” to protect it from those that trespass its boundaries.

#6: Sceptile - Briar (F)

The Forest Pokémon - Grass-Type - Sceptile is an incredibly agile Pokémon that is unparalleled in jungle combat. It has sharp leaf-like appendages and a sharp leafy tail that can cut through fully grown trees. Like Rachel, its greatest physical strength is its dexterity.

Miscellaneous:

- Riolu - Estelle (F)

- Drifloon (Shiny) - Lucky (M)

- Umbreon - Severus (M)

- Rowlet - Elric (M)

- Blitzle - Haywire (F)

- Jangmo-o - Fang (F)

- Salandit - Toffee (M)

- Alolan Vulpix - Aleu (F)

If They Had A Legendary:

- Lugia (Shiny) - Andromeda

The Diving Pokémon - Psychic/Flying-Type - It is said to be the guardian of the seas. Its wings hold the power to blow apart houses, so it spends its days beneath the sea. It sleeps to control its power because it is too strong. Rachel has a deep connection to the sea, despite her spiritual element being that of fire, and like the legendary Pokémon, she sees herself as a guardian of her home.

Tagged by: I did this, so yeah.

Tagging: If y’all got the time and patience to put in the effort for this, go right the fuck ahead.

[beetrootpatch]

A timeline with Cesaria’s outfits through the years, most of which are based on in-game looks. It seems black and red are his go-to colors, also gold if only he could get his hands on any.

Some more info on each more or less major point in his life lies under the cut:

Sapling 1313: 

Awakened in the cycle of night and soon proved to be quite a handful for a sapling. He had a typical fondness for shadows and dark places and would rather pickpocket guards for his own amusement or attempt to sneak out instead of sitting around listening to some mentor. It was around a year later that he eventually left the Caledon, driven by his dream of far away lands.

Burglar 1315-1321: 

Having been taught by a gang of bandits he joined on his travels, a life of crime was a natural thing to settle into as Cesaria found his way to Divinity’s Reach. Though rather than for wealth, his interest in being a career thief lie more in the job itself as well as causing trouble. Any excess gold he would give away to the poorer folk of the city and he eventually made a name for himself.

Vigil 1321-1325: 

After getting in serious trouble with a Vigil officer, he found himself at an unexpected crossroads and given the choice, enlisted to join the fight against dragons. The start was bumpy since being ordered around didn’t come naturally to him, but once he started to fit in it seemed that he had both the skill and a tactical mind to actually make something of himself. In three year’s time he made it up the ranks all the way to Warmaster.

Pact Commander 1325- present time: 

When the discussions of the major orders uniting were underway, Cesaria was quick to volunteer himself to join the new coalition. The idea was attractive not only because of the advantage cooperation would bring, but also because a well-respected firstborn was taking the lead. His view on the war had changed and was bordering on idealistic at this point and later the hard earned victory against Zhaitan that turned them all into heroes didn’t diminish that spirit.

Heart of Thorns: 

With the Pact having set it’s sights on Kralkatorrik, a change of targets came as a surprise but it made no difference to Cesaria which dragon they would conquer next. Though flying into Maguuma with high hopes and too much confidence proved to be a mistake. After the ships crashed, many lost their trust in a sylvari leader so with only a handful of soldiers he pressed on into the jungle to find the lost marshal who could pull the army back together. That mission was ultimately a failure, which he took very personally, and the whole experience is still a sore subject.

LWS3: 

Taking time off was recommended after the Maguuma campaign and a brief chase of bandit kidnappers, but it proved difficult. Since sitting around in the Grove trying to relax wasn’t really doing much for him, Cesaria soon went back to active duty and took his squad to accompany a colleague on an excursion to Bitterfrost Frontier as protection. Without a war to fight or a clear plan of action, the best he could do was help those who had the smarts to figure out what to do next.

Path of Fire: 

The arrival of a new threat to Tyria with four dragons still around couldn’t have been less welcome, but once Balthazar started a war, it was impossible to ignore. Frustrated by the insufficient action of the Pact on the matter, especially since it involved Kralkatorrik, Cesaria and his squad took on an independent role in Elona. No longer tied to a chain of command, they did as they pleased to help the local humans and hunt the rogue god until he was brought to justice.

LWS4: 

With both Kralkatorrik and Joko causing trouble, challenges were mounting up and even after the lich king’s defeat, peace didn’t last for long. The Shatterer’s attack in Jahai forced Cesaria to cancel a long awaited vacation and stay put instead to help contain the damage in the area. Easier said than done with portals popping up left and right and the looming fight against another elder dragon has him on edge, especially after the last disaster.

[procession-of-blades]

Tagged by @commander-thiernaen​

― your muse’s name:  

Magister Pukh/Prosthetist Pukh

―  a favorite picture/face claim of your muse:

― two headcanons you have for your muse:

- Since the story choice I ran with for my initial run just trying out the game was Synergetics, I decided to keep this for Pukh going forward. This led to the concept of Pukh becoming friends with Zojja during their time with the college, and as such, their entire view of Destiny’s Edge is originally filtered via the lens of the group’s Elementalist. Pukh goes into the meetup at level 40 with a lot of very tainted ideas about how these people actually work. Since the dungeons focus on the members of DE making up, and not us personally bonding with them? Pukh KEEPS a lot of these tainted views well into LW1, LW2, and hell, even into Heart of Thorns. Catch them not bonding with Rytlock until PoF as a result and even now bordering on antagonistic with Logan

- When Pukh went through Omadd’s Machine, it retroactively messed with a few things for them. For one, both in the present, the past, and the future, they became tangentially aware of their own AUs. Via dreams, hunches, gut feelings, deja vu, you name it, Pukh has probably had some awareness of an AU via it. Be it the version of the story where Trahearne somehow survives as a giant centipede monster, or the version of the story where they’re actually an eight-foot-tall Roegadyn woman in Eorzea, or even things with something just slightly to the left. As uncomfortable as it is, it tends to blend in with PTSD symptoms? and is easily ignored during times of great stress. Usually. Maybe

― three things that your muse likes doing in their free time:

- Cooking, baking, and just about anything in the kitchen! Pukh was never fantastic with things like chemistry, but cooking is a hobby that benefits EVERYONE

- Sending letters to old friends who aren’t otherwise kept in touch with. Think people like their old krewemates (shoutout to Pol, hey Anet put him back in the game please?) or people from the Pact who aren’t really in active front-lines stuff anymore

- Pet pampering. Pukh did start as a ranger, and as a result, has a friggin menagerie of collected companions that deserve to be spoiled rotten

― seven people your muse loves/likes:

- TRAHEARNE, to a problematic degree, in fact! Like many commanders, Pukh’s time with the Pact made a big impact, and even if they hadn’t become romantically involved, he’d at the very least be a dear friend. Their start was rocky enough to quite literally count as violent, with Pukh outright injuring him directly once, but fortunately, the two are decent communicators and worked their way up from there

- Aithne, a sylvari demolitionist of @nekhs​‘ with a history in the Whispers. Holder of the figurative baby leash in terms of keeping Pukh from acting on anything too rash or inflicting any lasting harm on themselves or others. (Unless necessary or deserved, Phlunt)

- Phari, @tired-gay-and-a-dj​‘s norn soulbeast with a thick accent and a heart nearly as big as her snow leopards are. They met during the events of LW2, and while their friendship started incredibly rocky, they had their trauma bonding and would both literally and figuratively kill for each other

- Taliesane, @thelittlestnorn​‘s once-ranger, now revenant. Metamour and dear friend, the two met during the campaign against Zhaitan and despite starting as someone Pukh despised, they ended up pillars of each other’s support systems. Though, if they ever find out the extent of exactly WHO Tali’s channeling a lot of the time, blood may be spilled

- Technically in an AU, at the moment at least (who knows about rift shenanigans,) but @addakax​‘s Dross and Pukh have a storyline where they’re co-commanders, essentially, much in the same way Pukh is co-commanders with Phari and Aithne in the more ‘mainline’ canon they’ve got. Pukh may see him as an absolute disaster but loves him all the same. Also all of his cats

- @a-blue-tree-man​‘s Willamenah is somewhat of a cross-dimensional adopted son to Pukh, despite the fact that he’s approximately....uh... probably many hundreds of years older than they are. Due to the situation with Omadd’s Machine, and the developing...symptoms that Pukh has had from it, it gives the two more in common than either would like

(honorable mentions to the many AUs I have with friends, you know who you are, it just made me pick seven)

― a phobia your muse has:

Pukh is actually fairly afraid of the dark. Not NORMAL darkness, mind you. I’m talking pitch black, not low-light. I headcanon that asura probably have decent low-light vision, but it’s unlikely that they can see in actual pitch-black darkness. The first time Sieran took Pukh into a ruin, she got to experience her new partner stranding themselves on a rocky outcropping and crying until she came back.

Tagging:  

uhhh almost everyone has already been tagged oh no....

@addakax​, @thelittlestnorn, @esteracussoressi​, @resonatingfern​?? And whoever else hasn’t been tagged who wants to! That means YOU even if you think I don’t mean you! Yes you!

[caim-the-godstomper]

Tagged by @likemesomesalads

______

― your muse’s name:  Caiméilia

―  a favorite picture/face claim of your muse:

A baby pic! She’s between 2-6 month old. Don’t pay attention to the serious face she probably got reprimanded for a prank

― two headcanons you have for your muse:

 1- She tends to bloom mostly at the shoulders (she produce camellia flowers when she does) but her whole body can bloom. Special note, her foliage produce very small white bell flowers but only when she love and is loved back and is quite confident in the relationship.

2- Due to her (terrible) mental health, Caimie only bloomed twice in her canon: 

-After Zhaitan fall, loosing her flowers steadily since Scarlett attack on Lion’s Arch and the very last one (a red camellia that had grown over her heart) fell as she killed Trahearne

-Since the death of Kralkatorrik, she started blooming again and intend to keep on blooming nerver mind the FACHISTS HATERS INTENT ON RUINNING HER VACATIONS BY JORMAG

― three things that your muse likes doing in their free time:

“What’s free time?”

1- Sculpting

2- Gardening

3- Reading Romance novels (Thanks Kas)

― seven people your muse loves/likes:

1- Aurene

2- Trahearne

3- Zheag

4- Canach

5- Taimi

6- Dragon’s Watch

7- Destiny’s Edge 

(I know I’m cheating but she got so much love damn it and I can’t even put the mentors in there gnnnhh, Forgal was her father figure damn iiiitttt)

― a phobia your muse has:

She is slowly getting over it but she is terrorized that she’s actually (under Mordremoth’s control) destroying the world. People treating her like a potential threat are not helping

Thanks for tagging me! ❤

Tagging: @likemesomesalads @commanders-sole-braincell @resonatingfern @andromedanomaly @commander-twig​ @lesbiancharr​ @disaster-bi-canach​

[queer-as-used-by-tolkien]

Headcanon Time: Ranger Pets feat. Tiffany Commander

Now that new ranger spec is out, I want to talk about my ranger main, Tiffany Commander!

Growing up she never really had much magic of her own, but her companion, a brown bear named Beorn, does, and I headcanon that the shout skill "We Heal As One!" can be fueled by the magic of either the ranger or the animal companion.

I also believe that ranger/animal bonds are magical; it's a two-way mental/spiritual bond. It does have a boundary, though; if you get too far away, you can't sense your companion anymore, but the connection re-activates once you get in range. Through the bond there is limited mental communication (the three ranger hotkeys, for example; attack, return, defend, etc.) and you can get a sense of the other's physical state; are they injured, etc. If your companion has been killed, though, you'll only know because of the signals through the bond that they were injured and then dying and then dead. After that, though, you only get a jumbled, confused signal - no matter how out of range you are. Your connection's been broken, but you're not attuned to anything else. Maybe you'll get glimpses of other ranger signals, but not enough to know really who it is - so if you didn't know your companion was dead you might not know it until you found their body.

Anyway, this hasn't happened to Commander yet, but if it did, she'd be without any magical source of healing. She'd have to carry engi elixirs or something.

For a long time, Tiffany only wielded a greatsword, but she didn't really use the ranger's greatsword skills; in fact, if she were an NPC, the only way you'd be able to tell she was a ranger would be Beorn, because she just uses basic, generic NPC-with-a-sword skills. After her sister, Deborah, died (for realz; not the lost-sister storyline dead, but after that) Tiffany Solestrider began wielding her sister's sword.

When she met Trahearne and changed her last name to Commander, though, she started wielding a longbow, and it quickly became her favored weapon.

After Zhaitan's defeat, Trahearne gave her a Pact longbow and told her it was a symbol of their partnership; Commander wielded it loyally all through Maguuma.

There she encountered druid magic, but Commander couldn't wield it because she had almost no magic of her own. Something within her was responsive to the druid magic, but it wasn't anything she could use or channel.

After the Mordremoth Disaster, Commander couldn't stand the sight of the bow Trahearne had given her and she left it in Fort Trinity. She returned to wielding Deborah's sword until Ridhais approached her about healing Caladbolg.

As a weapon, Caladbolg was more than simply a greatsword; with it came the ranger's more magical greatsword skills; Tiffany Commander, with an affinity for sylvari magic, was capable of limitedly harnessing some of Caladbolg's magic in a fight. Since the bond with Caladbolg was also linked to the Commander's mind/spirit, it was also bonded to Beorn. Same for the bond with Aurene. This triple-bond is what allowed them, after the proper training, to assume Beastmode and merge with each other, despite the Commander's lack of native magic.

But the triple bond was useful for more than just becoming a practicing Soulbeast; Balthazar also didn't just kill the Commander; he also killed Beorn, because why wouldn't he? But it was the companion bond, plus the Caladbolg bond, plus the bond with Aurene that allowed the Commander to bring Beorn back, too. (I've believe that, after the Commander killed the Eater of Souls, she held more than enough magic to revive just herself.)

The bond with Beorn - and the practice Commander had had differentiating herself from Beorn all her life - is also part of what helped her resist Mordremoth. She was more easily able to differentiate between Mordremoth and herself, and of course, later on, the same was true of Jormag. And also, Aurene: we know Aurene can project herself at the Commander and also show the Commander what she's seeing, and probably a few other things besides.

After Balthazar was defeated and Taimi was on her way up to Elona, the Commander told Taimi to please and thank you stop by Fort Trinity and pick up her old bow.

Commander now has her two full weapon sets, greatsword/longbow, and there's no room for more. If she switches to Untamed when the expac drops, that doesn't mean she'll use a hammer (though she might try it out to see what it's like). More than likely, if she switches, it'll mean more lore-thoughts about how she wields Untamed magic. Possibly even a retcon of her Soulbeast status, but I kinda doubt it.

But I like making magic headcanons, so that'll be fun! And please can it have more ranger/pet lore. (But also, I've built up a pretty solid and extensive headcanon - more than what you see here, per the meme - about rangers and I don't want to have to rethink half of that for no reason XD.) I really want more info on Untamed, because it sounds genuinely interesting. We have a healing/support spec and a DPS spec, I'm interested to find out more about this new one.