Tyria, Then and Now Trivia Quiz

Answer: Sanctum Harbour

In "Guild Wars", the port city Lion's Arch was Kryta's capital and seat of the Krytan royal family. For adventurers making their way west from Ascalon, Lion's Arch was the first major outpost and economic hub, bringing together travellers from all over the world.

After Zhaitan's awakening beneath Orr, the resulting flood waters engulfed Lion's Arch, leaving southern Kryta in an unstable state of disrepair. The Lion's Arch we know today in "Guild Wars 2" was originally a refuge for pirates and seafarers, seeking safety from the dangerous waters of the Sea of Sorrows (formerly the Bay of Sirens). With the flood waters subsiding, it was transformed into a neutral free city, acting as a hub for all major Tyrian races.

Some remnants of the original Lion's Arch can still be seen in Sanctum Harbour, though the destruction caused by Scarlet Briar's Breachmaker has somewhat ruined this glimpse of the past and left them a little more worse for wear.

Answer: Iron Marches

Back in the days when humans and charr were locked in a bitter war with one another, the catastrophic event known as the Searing dealt a massive blow to the Ascalonians. Using devastating magical power given to them by the titans, the charr turned the idyllic countryside of Ascalon into a smouldering wasteland rife with destruction and death.

The Cauldron of Cataclysm was accessible in pre-Searing Ascalon, in the Northlands. It was guarded by a small army of powerful charr, including four shamans.

After the Searing, the site of the cauldron was still accessible, though it was located off the beaten track in the Great Northern Wall mission. Mysteriously, the cauldron itself was not there; only the plinth remained. Fast forward 250 years to "Guild Wars 2" and the Cauldron of Searing is a point of interest in the Iron Marches.

The cautious charr of the Iron Legion think it's best to prevent another potential Searing-like situation and destroy the cauldron before the Flame Legion get their hands on it, but the Durmand Priory are keen on studying the cauldron as a site of significant historical importance.

Answer: Mount Maelstrom

Often reached earlier in the game for armour-hungry players, Droknar's Forge was, chronologically, the last major place of refuge for Ascended players, prior to their journey to the Ring of Fire Islands. The city is named for one of dwarf history's most famous kings, Droknar, a character instrumental in uniting the dwarven factions.

Much like Lion's Arch, the rising of the Sea of Sorrows, coupled with the activation of a nearby volcano, caused Droknar's Forge to become engulfed by water. The forge's foundations can now be visited in Mount Maelstrom. Perhaps as a result of mistranslation through the years (from the old languages of Tyria into New Krytan), the location of the city's place of rest is called Sunken Droknah.

Answer: Henge of Denravi

During the events of "Guild Wars", the only way for players to access the Henge of Denravi was to activate a Henge Portal, defended by an army of White Mantle. Tucked away in the jungle, 250 years on, the site of the Henge is slightly more accessible. Nowadays, it is the stomping ground of Durmand Priory researchers and Inquest alike, both keen to investigate the strange druid magic resonating from the old henge for different purposes.

The great plant fountain, a central feature of the original settlement, can be seen in Brisban Wildlands' Shattered Henge area.

Answer: Isgarren

In the past, the Wizard's Tower floated high above the southwestern coast of Kessex Peak. Not much was known about the tower, but that didn't stop a power-hungry man named Galrath from attempting to enter the tower to learn of its secrets. Later, a White Mantle Justiciar also sought access to this magical, mysterious place.

In the 250 years between games, the same tower still exists, watching over the village of Garenhoff. Locals say a wizard named Isgarren lives inside, who protects the town by creating elemental creatures to help and guard the people. Very little else is known about the tower and, indeed, Isgarren, but it's certainly clear that the tower is in use and that it is very much one of Tyria's longest unsolved mysteries.

Answer: Dwayna and Melandru

In "Guild Wars", the Serenity Temple was a sort of Ascalonian equivalent of the Krytan Temple of the Ages, acting as a place to worship the gods of Tyria. The Searing ravaged the temple, leaving it in a state of ruin. Despite this, this holy place was still frequented by those devoted to their gods.

When the dragons began to awaken, the Serenity Temple was overcome by Kralkatorrik's influence. The Elder Dragon seared a corrupted, crystalline path straight through the middle of the Serenity Temple. Now no more than a crumbling pile of rocks, it still retains some of its old power and statues of Dwayna and Melandru have miraculously remained. Consequently, the site is of interest to the Durmand Priory, who have set up a small base of operations nearby to study the ruins.

They still hum with power in the area now known as the Deserter Flats in Blazeridge Steppes, and crazed ghosts of the past still wander around, attacking anyone who comes near, regardless of race.

Answer: Snowden Drifts and Timberline Falls

For players of the original "Guild Wars", Lornar's Pass was a particularly dangerous area to encounter so early in the game. Completion of the Anvil Rock mission dropped them at Beacon's Perch, with exits to Deldrimor Bowl (west) and Lornar's Pass (south). Named for one of dwarven history's most famous heroes, Lornar's Pass was the first of four explorable areas standing between Beacon's Perch and Droknar's Forge.

Heading south, players would also need to battle through the densely-packed Dreadnought's Drift, the winding Snake Dance and the alpine forests of Talus Chute. Notably, a Temple of Grenth could be found in Lornar's Pass, providing access to the Underworld.

In "Guild Wars 2", Lornar's Pass is one of the largest areas and acts in the same way it did previously - as a major thoroughfare connecting the northern and southern sections of the Shiverpeak Mountains.

Answer: Godslost Swamp

The Temple of the Ages was a site of significant importance to the people of Tyria, providing them with a place to worship their gods. Every so often, avatars of the gods would appear, granting their favour to the world and temporarily allowing access to their other-worldly domains, namely Grenth's Underworld and Balthazar's Fissure of Woe. Though the foundations of the temple are now virtually unrecognisable, some of the giant statues of the gods can still be seen.

These include statues of Dwayna, Grenth, Melandru and Kormir, the latter having been constructed after the events of "Guild Wars" (after Kormir's apotheosis in "Nightfall"). Rather appropriately, the area in which the ruins sit, Godslost Swamp, seems to refer to the loss of this sacred site.

Answer: Fields of Ruin

The Great Northern Wall had very few crossing points, in order to minimise the chances of charr getting across into human territory. One such point was between Lakeside Province and the Northlands in pre-Searing Ascalon, which required two people to cross: one to use the gate lever and the other to pass through the gate.

Despite this great fortification, it was powerless against the magical power of the Searing which laid waste to much of the wall. Of course, years onwards, the charr forced the humans into Kryta and reclaimed their homelands in Ascalon, leaving the wall to crumble. What's left of the wall runs along the northern edge of the Plains of Ashford (which used to be Old Ascalon), with sections visible (and traversable in some places) in Diessa Plateau, Iron Marches and Blazeridge Steppes.

Answer: Eye of the North

Shortly after arriving in the Far Shiverpeaks in the "Guild Wars: Eye of the North" expansion, players would have found themselves at the Eye of the North, home to the Ebon Vanguard and the mystical Scrying Pool. This pool played an important role in the fight against the destroyers, showing players visions and pointing them in the right direction.

The Hall of Monuments, which housed the pool, also displayed the heroic accomplishments of players, allowing them to cement themselves in the annals of Tyrian history.

Many years on, descendants of these heroes can obtain a special portal stone to transport them to the ruins of the Eye of the North.