Flameseeker Chronicles: The end of the War in Kryta

It looks like we dismantled after all: the War in Kryta is over. Things came to a sudden end late last week with the addition of two new quests, and I have to admit that I was surprised. The NPCs involved in all of this have been hinting that the White Mantle were planning something big, but since Salma also mentioned that we still had more Inquisitors to take out, I assumed that we'd have quests for the rest of them first. Sneaky Inquisitors!

Click that handy little "read more" button to see how the War in Kryta ended, join me in some pondering of the future, and find out about the new direction Massively's Guild Wars guild will be taking this week!

Let's start with [MVOP] first. Massively Overpowered is Massively's Guild Wars guild, and we've been working our way through Prophecies for a while now. This Thursday we're going to take a bit of a left turn, so to speak, and head to Eye of the North. A little variety is a good thing, but we're going to make it even more interesting by making a race of it. It's an event for [MVOP], but anyone is welcome to join us. If you've got a character that needs to get to EotN, meet us in Lion's Arch, Asia/Japanese district 1 at 9 PM Eastern. We'll team up and start shortly after nine, traveling from Lion's Arch to Boreal Station, then on to the Eye of the North. The first team to arrive in the Eye will receive a prize for each team member. See you there!

Now, on to the War in Kryta! Things wrapped up pretty quickly last week, and the quests that have been getting progressively more difficult along the way ended with a pair of really difficult quests. The White Mantle gathered their forces and marched on Lion's Arch in an effort to take out Princess Salma once and for all. Mustering a Response and The Battle for Lion's Arch are the culmination of the months-long War in Kryta.

The aftermath of the battle leaves us very happy but wanting more, as is pretty typical of ArenaNet. Princess Salma wraps up the War in Kryta with a speech that is pretty long, but as of this writing is not transcribed on either wiki. It deserves to be read, both for its quality -- the writers have my applause for this one -- and because it hints at things to come.

People of Kryta. I stand before you at both the dawn of a new age of prosperity and a return to the traditions of our ancestors. Our enemies have been dismantled, and all our years of suffering and oppression are finally over. It will take continued vigilance and courage to restore peace to the whole of Kryta, but we shall face our challenges as a united people. Many have fought and bled and sacrificed so that we may see this day.

We thank the Lionguard for their unwavering support of the people of Kryta. They shall continue, under the command of Firstwatch Sergio, in service to the city of Lion's Arch. We thank the Shining Blade. They have been our truest companions and have proved themselves to be the true defenders of Kryta. Guided now by our loyal servant Livia, the Shining Blade will continue to serve Kryta, not as a rebel group nor as a militia, nor even as an army, but shall henceforth serve as the royal guard for all kings and queens of Kryta.

Most of all, we thank the people of Kryta, who have endured so much with such great dignity. All across Tyria, free people sing the praises of the common Krytan, and I join them in their chorus. The conflict has been a difficult one, pitting brother against brother, and neighbor against neighbor. Not all who fought against us were motivated by evil, for some were deceived by the lies or cowed by the threats of the White Mantle. In the spirit of the new, reborn Kryta, it is time to put those dark days behind us. Now is the time for rebuilding, not retribution. Now is the time for forgiveness, not vengeance. Let us all face this new era together, without hate in our hearts.

In that spirit, we hereby announce the formation of a new army for the defense of the whole of Kryta and for all humans who call Kryta their home. Honoring the winged goddess who protected us in our final battle against the fiends who had usurped our kingdom, this new group will be called the Seraph, and the valiant Bartholos shall be their commander. In this new army, common citizens and former members of the White Mantle and Shining Blade will serve side-by-side. You will know the Seraph by the wings that adorn their helms and shields, and by their resolute defense of our land. They shall be the protectors of Kryta.

Know this, my countrymen: never again will we stand by while another Krytan suffers. Never again shall we allow inhuman evil to fester and grow amongst us! Never again will the Krytans turn their back on their heritage and their gods! Let a new age dawn, an age of justice and peace for all Krytans!

Wow. The War in Kryta has been won, Princess Salma -- who I guess should be called Queen Salma now -- is urging us all to let bygones be bygones, Livia and Bartholos got a promotion, and all is well. Maybe not, though. I, for one, have so many questions.

Last we saw Evennia, she was hanging out in Old Ascalon ranting about Adelbern, and we never did hear from him. Evennia has since disappeared. Where is she? Did Adelbern finally grant her an audience? What about Gwen and Keiran? We know they eventually get together, but for the time being he's nowhere to be seen, and she's standing in the Hall of Monuments pretending nothing ever happened. Is poor Murro out of a job now?

What's going to happen with this new royal guard and new army? Will everyone really be willing to forgive and forget as Salma suggested? It doesn't seem that White Mantle loyalists would be willing to roll over quite so easily. I wouldn't be a bit surprised to see rogue Peacekeepers and underground White Mantle lurking around Kryta in the future. It's going to be very interesting to see if any more loose ends are tied up.

For now, though, we've got a nice overall ending to the War in Kryta, we finally know what the medals of honor are for (shoutout to the .dat miners!), and I never did get my mini Salma from the Royal Gifts.

Finally, I want to extend a huge thank you to everyone involved in the War in Kryta. From a couple of half-page flyers and a QR code came a campaign that kept us all interested for months. Here's to more in the future, and I'll see you all Thursday!