Bjora Marches/Vigil patrol

Vigil patrols, consisting of three soldiers per patrol, travel between East and West Bjora Marches to scout the areas, clear the roads and fight any hostiles they come across. Patrol variants include a group of three norn (Vigil Crusader, Vigil Marksman, Vigil Recruit), and a group with an asuran Vigil Tactician, a human Vigil Marksman, and a sylvari Vigil Crusader.

Ambient dialogue

Patrol 1

Vigil Marksman: These whispers are driving me crazy.

Vigil Crusader: Actually, as I understand it, the whispers are a kind of siege mechanism.

Vigil Tactician: I have many issues with that analogy.

Vigil Crusader: Well, think about it: Jormag whispers to everyone, breaks them down over time. And you can't escape them.

Vigil Tactician: We absolutely could escape them. We would just need to go very, very far away.

Vigil Marksman: Which we will not do, because that would be fleeing. And fleeing is cowardly.

Vigil Marksman: I would rather listen to a dragon whisper in my ear than be labeled a coward.

Vigil Crusader: It is nice to have priorities.

Vigil Marksman: You think Drakkar would come out here?

Vigil Crusader: Unlikely. The last reports I heard, it was keeping beneath the ice.

Vigil Tactician: It's not just beneath the ice. It's in the ice.

Vigil Marksman: In the ice? You mean frozen? Like it was in Svanir's time? If it's defenseless, we should strike now.

Vigil Tactician: No, see, Drakkar can swim through solid ice like it's water.

Vigil Crusader: Ice is water.

Vigil Tactician: Solid water. Which one does not normally swim through. Don't talk to me about states of matter.

Vigil Marksman: She made a good point. Ice is water. There's no need to get angry about it.

Vigil Tactician: Okay, we're done talking. Talking time is over.

Vigil Tactician: This place is pretty nice. You know—the snow, the mountains, that crisp, clean air.

Vigil Crusader: That crisp air is freezing my limbs together. Your pretty scenery is actually killing me.

Vigil Marksman: These are prime hunting grounds. I envy the kodan. The creatures here put up a proper fight.

Vigil Crusader: The whispers here...they remind me of something I read about sylvari Wyld Hunts.

Vigil Tactician: As opposed to the hundreds of creatures we've had to fight literally everywhere else?

Vigil Crusader: It's not so much a voice, but a calling.

Vigil Marksman: Yes. They were all weak.

Vigil Crusader: Describe, if you will, the ideal norn hunt.

Vigil Marksman: A creature so large it blocks out the sun. And so deadly it could kill me in one blow. Someday we will find it.

Vigil Crusader: This is a fun conversation. I'm glad I'm here.

Vigil Crusader: Any chance of those reinforcements?

Vigil Tactician: Jhavi doesn't like the idea of serving up a whole army for Drakkar.

Vigil Marksman: Jormag. Serving up an army for Jormag.

Vigil Tactician: Drakkar, Jormag, either-or.

Vigil Marksman: Those are two very different hunts. You should not be so dismissive.

Vigil Crusader: So, what is the difference between Jormag and Drakkar? The briefing made it sound like Drakkar was a mouth.

Vigil Marksman: Like the Mouth of Zhaitan? Or the Mouth of Mordremoth?

Vigil Tactician: Neither. All these whispers are Jormag's. An actual Elder Dragon speaking to you. To me. To all of us.

Vigil Tactician: But Jormag is very far away. So it needs a kind of...transmission tower for us to hear it. That's Drakkar.

Vigil Marksman: Drakkar isn't a tower. Drakkar is a monster.

Vigil Tactician: Ugh. I know that; it's not literally a tower.

Vigil Marksman: It's a monster.

Vigil Crusader: Yes, she knows. I know. We all know.

Vigil Crusader: Anyone here have a chance to explore that old kodan ship?

Vigil Tactician: Not yet, but I've considered sending a small expeditionary group.

Vigil Marksman: The kodan might take offense to that.

Vigil Tactician: Why? The kodan here have plenty of things to worry about besides some old wreck.

Vigil Marksman: I don't mean the kodan in Still Waters Speaking. I mean the kodan in the ship. What's left of them, anyway.

Vigil Crusader: Ah, yes. I overheard one of the kodan in the village mention there might be spirits occupying the wreck.

Vigil Crusader: Spirits can mean many things. Unfinished business. A spell gone wrong. We should ask them.

Vigil Marksman: Yes, that could be a worthwhile journey. We go to the kodan ship and confront the ghosts.

Vigil Tactician: I don't want to talk to ghosts. If I wanted to do that, I'd move to Ascalon.

Vigil Marksman: Kodan ghosts. That's different. Exciting.

Vigil Tactician: Ghosts are not exciting. They always want you to do things. Bury their bones, find their treasures. Blah, blah, blah.

Vigil Crusader: Then what was it you were hoping to find there?

Vigil Tactician: I collect mold. You know, as a hobby. Probably some good stuff in there.

Patrol 2

Vigil Recruit: I didn't actually grow up in Hoelbrak, y'know. Spent ten years in Lion's Arch.

Vigil Marksman: It's different in the Shiverpeaks, having that history around you all the time. How'd you wind up here?

Vigil Recruit: Spent some time in the arena, fell in with a bad crowd. You've heard the story a thousand times, I'm sure.

Vigil Crusader: At least you cleaned up your act. The Vigil's a good way to start fresh.

Vigil Recruit: Yeah. I mean, I thought so. Until the whispers started.

Vigil Marksman: They have a habit of finding the things you wish you'd forget. They like to remind you.

Vigil Crusader: It's a way to get your attention, so you'll listen. Don't.

Vigil Marksman: Hey, is that norn from Dragon's Watch the same one who cracked the Fang of the Serpent?

Vigil Crusader: Braham Eirsson. Yes. Can't say that I'm confident that'll actually happen.

Vigil Recruit: Right. Remember, he's already tried it once. Didn't work out so well.

Vigil Crusader: He's missing the bow, too. The bow was kind of the key to the whole thing.

Vigil Marksman: Right, the bow cracked the Fang of the Serpent. Braham's just the norn who fired it. I don't know. What do you think?

Vigil Recruit: If Jhavi thinks he can do it, I'm not gonna argue with her.

Vigil Crusader: Surprised the kodan out here haven't ripped each other apart. They say they've been hearing whispers for years.

Vigil Recruit: They weren't always this loud. Drakkar was asleep under the ice for centuries.

Vigil Marksman: Then it just woke up? That can't be a coincidence.

Vigil Crusader: They said the whispers got worse a few months back. Think about what else happened right around the same time.

Vigil Marksman: Kralkatorrik?

Vigil Recruit: And Aurene becoming some new kind of Elder Dragon. World's changing. Jormag isn't very happy about that.

Vigil Crusader: You ever think we'll make it back up here?

Vigil Recruit: Once Jormag is gone, maybe.

Vigil Crusader: I'd like to think that. Our ancestors hunted in these mountains. Became the norn we know.

Vigil Marksman: Can't go back.

Vigil Crusader: What?

Vigil Marksman: Think about it: Jormag woke up, and the entire geography of the Shiverpeaks changed overnight.

Vigil Crusader: Right. We kill Jormag, who knows what happens to the Shiverpeaks.

Vigil Marksman: For all we know, we'll kill Jormag and all the snow melts. Maybe the ground opens up and Hoelbrak gets swallowed.

Vigil Crusader: Or nothing. Maybe Jormag dies and everything stays exactly the same.

Vigil Recruit: I want Jormag gone just as much as the next norn. But even I'm not foolish enough to believe that.

Vigil Recruit: Whispers near the keep are bad enough. Closer we are to that kodan village, the worse they get.

Vigil Marksman: Same orders here as before: don't listen to 'em, and don't try talking back.

Vigil Crusader: Yeah, and travel in groups of three or more. Also, don't go too long without talking.

Vigil Marksman: That last one is very annoying. Makes it hard to get the drop on enemies.

Vigil Recruit: And makes it easier for them to get the drop on us.

Vigil Marksman: Heard from the soldiers near Still Waters Speaking—Jhavi's been leading the charge against Drakkar.

Vigil Recruit: I'd expect nothing less. She is a formidable warrior. A gifted necromancer.

Vigil Crusader: She's been hard to read since...Almorra. Still not sure how I feel about her taking over.

Vigil Recruit: You don't think she's ready?

Vigil Crusader: I think even if she is, this is one hell of a problem to be dealing with right out of the gate.

Vigil Marksman: The one thing I can say with certainty is, she has the best interests of the Vigil at heart.

Vigil Marksman: Jhavi's been keeping Drakkar busy. To be that close to the source of the whispers... I don't know how she does it.

Vigil Recruit: Rage. She desires revenge. You know what Drakkar did to Svanir.

Vigil Crusader: Yes, the legends of Svanir have only grown more relevant these past weeks.

Vigil Marksman: They're not legends. They are a history we cannot repeat.

Vigil Crusader: Well, I know one thing at least: Jhavi's the last norn I'd want as a blood enemy.

Vigil Recruit: Ha! Yeah, never thought I'd say this, but I almost feel bad for Drakkar.

Vigil Marksman: Almost. Come on, let's stay focused.