Discussion on Tyria (world)

[Briar]

Originally Posted by draxynnic

My copy isn't convenient to get to, but according to a secondary source, the Sun was the last fruit of the Golden Tree and the Moon the last flower of the Silver Tree before they died.

You are probably right... (That book was one hell of a confusing read)

[Gmr Leon]

Originally Posted by Muan

Notice what look like the ridges of mountains to Ascalon's east.

Prior to the Searing, however. The Searing did one hell of a job on Ascalon's terrain, that can't be argued, and I honestly view it as having turned the entire region into a crater more so than anything.

Originally Posted by Muan

Can't we just accept that sometimes, elements of fantasy don't make logical sense? I got over this a long time ago.

The moment we give an inch, a mile is formed. When doubt isn't maintained, you get absurdities as explanations that are far from reasonable. Technically, our sort of arguments are better had for the worlds of the Half-Life games, but, there's little fun to be had in trying to fit a world that's already scientific with science in comparison to a fantasy world.

[Konig Des Todes]

Originally Posted by Gmr Leon

Prior to the Searing, however. The Searing did one hell of a job on Ascalon's terrain, that can't be argued, and I honestly view it as having turned the entire region into a crater more so than anything.

I would have to partly agree with the crater theory. During Gwen's Story, in the first area, it is shown that the area has large hills (cliffs kind of), and the "arena" is in a green area - so the area does have cliffs and the like (also seen north of Wizard's Folly, there are a little cliff range).

The overall effects of the Searing does seem to have turned the area into the crater, but the area still had cliffs here and there. I.e., not mountain ranges after the foothills of the Shiverpeaks and Blazeridge Mountains, but, cliffs throughout.

Once GW2 is released, we can find out.

[Muan]

Originally Posted by Konig Des Todes

I would have to partly agree with the crater theory. During Gwen's Story, in the first area, it is shown that the area has large hills (cliffs kind of), and the "arena" is in a green area - so the area does have cliffs and the like (also seen north of Wizard's Folly, there are a little cliff range).

The overall effects of the Searing does seem to have turned the area into the crater, but the area still had cliffs here and there. I.e., not mountain ranges after the foothills of the Shiverpeaks and Blazeridge Mountains, but, cliffs throughout.

Once GW2 is released, we can find out.

That really doesn't explain Ascalon's apparent recovery.In fact, that should have doomed Ascalon permanently by preventing rainfall and turning all major bodies of water into salt lakes. Maybe Stormcaller had something to do with it? This might be starting to make sense, assuming those mountains weren't here before, but Stormcaller would have needed to somehow magically purify the rivers of tar and prevent the lakes from salting while also magically providing rainfall. It's possible, I suppose.

[Konig Des Todes]

All water needs an exit point - even a simply stream - or else it becomes deadly, as Ascalon's water wasn't deadly, it had to of had some exit. I think that the tar was washed out via this exit point and replaced with waterfall - whether this rain was caused by melting snow from the shiverpeaks, or the clouds, or just simply multiple uses of stormcaller, doesn't really matter.

Ascalon having various cliffs does not doom its state as water conjugated at the lower portions, and should still have an exit - and therefore so would the tar. The tar would still be able to be washed out. It is also possible the Charr moved it out by hand as well so Ascalon's recovery was hastened. All the cliffs - the amount of which is unknown (we can only see those surrounding western/southwestern Old Ascalon, and those in the Eastern Frontier, a few were water used to be in the Breach, and then Flight to the North really) - really do is direct the waterflow.

[Arghore]

Just liked to add that a vertical wabble of the sun could also cause seasons on a non tilted body encircling it..

[Sha Noran]

Frankly, the Charr would have probably found a use for the tar, as possibly a fuel source or something similar.

[draxynnic]

Originally Posted by Muan

That really doesn't explain Ascalon's apparent recovery.In fact, that should have doomed Ascalon permanently by preventing rainfall and turning all major bodies of water into salt lakes. Maybe Stormcaller had something to do with it? This might be starting to make sense, assuming those mountains weren't here before, but Stormcaller would have needed to somehow magically purify the rivers of tar and prevent the lakes from salting while also magically providing rainfall. It's possible, I suppose.

That's an interesting observation - Stormcaller was apparently supposed to be the saving of Ascalon... but did anyone ever say who it was saving Ascalon for?

[Sha Noran]

Well I mean.... it would be a pretty weak ass artifact if all it did was rain on some cats. Once.

Either Rurik and the human Ascalonians are wrong about its properties, or it is acting in many ways that we are not shown.

[Muan]

I always wondered why the players seemed so satisfied at bringing a magical drizzle to Rin. It still doesn't make a whole lot of sense (how was that supposed to defeat the Charr?), but at least now it'll feel like the mission had some point to it.

Oh, wait, look at this (http://wiki.guildwars.com/wiki/Stormcaller_(skill)). It doesn't make sense either but oh well.

[draxynnic]

It also had the effect of putting out all the Charr's fires. I expect at least one effect was to thoroughly dampen Charr morale - which may well have been enough of an advantage (it's not just the fire - how happy do you think all those soggy cats are going to be) to justify the Horn's creation. And Rurik did admit to the possibility that finding it may have been too late...

Plus, when it comes to restoring Ascalon, being able to summon rain pretty much at will probably would have served as a powerful tool, had they had the opportunity to use it.

(It's also possible that it had other properties, but Rurik didn't know how to activate them.)

[Konig Des Todes]

Originally Posted by Muan

I always wondered why the players seemed so satisfied at bringing a magical drizzle to Rin. It still doesn't make a whole lot of sense (how was that supposed to defeat the Charr?), but at least now it'll feel like the mission had some point to it.

Oh, wait, look at this (http://wiki.guildwars.com/wiki/Stormcaller_(skill)). It doesn't make sense either but oh well.

Not sure what lore standings that skill has - but for why the heroes were satisfied with using Stormcaller was 1) it put out the fires in Rin and 2) ignorance, i.e., they believe legends.

I think that the legends of Stormcaller started out as "if Ascalon suffers from dought or famine, or a massive fire breaks loose" then the item can save it.

[Muan]

Not that it matters, but I'm not sure anyone would bother making a legend about that.

[Konig Des Todes]

Well, if there was a massive famine in the past, and the Stormcaller saved Ascalon from starvation, and it wasn't used for a thousand years, descriptions of its use will turn to stories which will turn to legends.

We don't even know how old the Stormcaller is, so we cannot be sure.

[4thVariety]

If the Shiverpeaks attract that much snow fall, it can't be dry on the other side really. Weather systems are hard to describe without looking at cloud patters over the whole continent. We should also remember the fact that crossing Tyria on foot tells us it's only 14 miles across, while the big map suggests it is at least 50 times that size.

The best indicator is the vegetation and crops in pre-searing. They tell us there is enough water to go around. Local evaporation would not suffice, rain of that magnitude will come in from the ocean.

[Sha Noran]

I'm pretty positive ANet didn't think for even one second about weather patterns on the planet, since they didn't even bother to make most of the bodies of water (rivers, lakes, etc.) logical or realistic at all.

[Muan]

That's what I'm saying, but Gmr was all "slippery slope" and stuff, so i just go with it. Besides, I'm really starting to like the idea that Stormcaller is somehow directly responsible for Ascalon's recovery. Makes me feel we didn't totally screw up in our efforts to save our homeland.

[Eanny]

Who said that we are on a planet ?

In my opinion Tyria is flat. This is a fantasy world after all, I don't think that we need a planet system. I prefer to think of the different areas as "planes" (line Renita).

[Lord Bazaah]

Then how do the oceans have tides?

[Feathermoore]

Originally Posted by Lord Bazaah

Then how do the oceans have tides?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charybdis

Problem solved.