What I want to do in Cantha - The Safety Calzone
The following post was chosen as one of the winning entries for our Return to Cantha contest.
You can find the author of this piece on Twitter: @Safety_Calzone
Besides investigating the potential threat of a newly awakened Deep-Sea Dragon—potentially fuelled by some runoff magic energy leaked into Tyria after Primordus and Jormag’s clash—my main character has other interests in the new End of Dragons locations. As a sylvari necromancer, Wotendyl wants to go to Cantha mainly to investigate and attempt to aid in the restoration of the Echovald Forest. As a member of the Durmand Priory (and no doubt backed up by Taimi’s deep well of knowledge and passing knowledge gained through the collective conscious state of ‘the Dream’), Wotendyl would be well-informed about the Jade Winds and the petrification of Echovald and the Jade Sea, despite the Jade Winds event taking place around 430 years before the emergence of the sylvari (872 AE and 1302 AE respectively).
As a sylvari, Wotendyl would at least have a weak connection to the flora of Cantha and the Echovald Forest if it can still be considered ‘alive’ despite being petrified due to the link the Pale Mother has with all sylvari and to an extent plant life. Hopefully, the Pale Mother would be back to her previous strength by the point of End of Dragons’ story too, after being weakened during the events of season 2.
From now released trailers for the Echovald Wilds location, it seems like the location is less petrified than in GW1 but is now a land of ‘Growth AND DECAY’. This could be because Urgoz, the forest spirit of Echovald was defeated after becoming corrupted. Wardens still seem to be present in the region (Urgoz’s servants / followers) implying that Urgoz might not be entirely gone (How do you fully kill a forest spirit anyway?) or someone else is ‘in charge’ now. The spreading ‘decay’ could be the result of afflicted taking over in Urgoz’s absence.
My character would be interested in trying to restore or ‘regrow’ Urgoz somehow, by first establishing if Urgoz is entirely defeated or just weakened but alive in some form, or failing that, by replacing him somehow (perhaps by planting a new seed in Cantha to awaken a second pure ‘Blighting tree’ like the Pale tree, essentially creating the first Canthan sylvari or perhaps even creating an offshoot hybrid species with the Wardens). Any solution found for the forest could also be adapted to the Jade Sea in future if things work out.
Marjory could play a crucial role in returning Echovald to its pre-Jade Winds glory, as a powerful necromancer (Who seems to be featured extensively in End of Dragons marketing). If the decay is caused by afflicted, because of Shiro’s spirit hanging around, it would also help to get rid of him somehow.
Another reason for my Commander to go to Cantha, would be to see if they have advanced medical science / golem tech (thanks to utilisation of jade) that could benefit Taimi in ways asuran tech cannot (also just seeing her reaction to all the jade-punk stuff would be really wholesome and nice). Wotendyl himself has little need or use for high tech instruments and ‘doo-dads,’ but he would do anything and go anywhere to help his friends.
My character is very much open to experiencing new cultures and locales, so the draw of Cantha as a location that has been so isolated for such a long time would greatly interest him. Any new potential allies he could make to aid in future problems would also be a bonus. (Lastly . . . Fishing and turtles and skiffs)
Here’s a visual guide as a tl;dr
