Guild Wars 2 Norn Week, Day 2

Another day, another update to the Norn Week for ArenaNet’s upcoming MMORPG Guild Wars 2. Today brings us voice clips.

My name is David Wilson. I’m an editor and writer on the Guild Wars 2 design team. We’re putting a lot of effort into bringing Tyria to life, making it feel like someplace people actually live. With each race taking a prominent role in Tyria now, making sure that they feel true to their roots while still feeling alive and unique has taken a lot of care and consideration. Of all the races, it may seem easiest to keep the norn intact, but like the others, their culture has grown and advanced over time.

It’s been two hundred fifty years since the days of Guild Wars: Eye of the North, and while the norn may not have been been hit as hard as humanity, they’ve still had their fair share of problems. Jormag, the Elder Ice Dragon, drove the norn from their lands in the Far Shiverpeaks one hundred sixty years ago.

Their greatest heroes attempted to slay Jormag, but none were its match. The norn would have continued their battle against Jormag until none were left if the Spirits of the Wild hadn’t guided them south, down into the Northern Shiverpeaks. It was there that the hero Asgeir built the great hunting lodge Hoelbrak, placing Jormag’s tooth in the center. Hoelbrak became both a respite from and a reminder of the foe they faced.