Canach

Canach

Race

Sylvari

Rank

Champion

Location

Dragon's Stand (Heart of Thorns)
(Heart of Maguuma)
Allied Encampment
(Domain of Kourna)
The Grotto
(Thunderhead Peaks)
Pact Command
(Dragonfall)
Dragon Response Mission: Caledon Forest
(Caledon Forest)
Arborstone
(Cantha)

Organization

Consortium
Shining Blade
Club Canach

Image(s)

Canach's appearance, shortly after awakening, during Meeting the Asura. Canach's appearance during The Lost Shores. Canach's appearance during Last Stand at Southsun. Canach's appearance during the story of Heart of Thorns. Canach's casual appearance during the story of End of Dragons.

“

It's high time I walk as my own sylvari for a while.

— Canach

Canach, born of the Cycle of Night, is a Secondborn sylvari who was initially a Consortium mercenary, arrested for his actions in Southsun Cove and imprisoned in Vigil Keep. More recently, he has served as an operative for the Shining Blade and as an occasional ally to Dragon's Watch.

Biography

Early years

As a newly awakened sylvari, Canach and a few other Secondborn were captured by an asuran research team lead by Vorpp around 1304 AE. He was cruelly experimented upon by the curious asura, and even used to power a golem with his life-force. Although Canach was rescued by Caithe and Faolain, he was greatly rattled by his experience.

Living World Season 1

Canach was hired by the Consortium in 1325 AE to map, explore, and begin construction of settlements and tourist facilities at the newly-discovered Southsun Cove. Although his contract prevented him from exploiting animal, mineral, or magical sources on the island, it did not mention local flora, and Canach ordered his team to collect samples of Passion Flowers as they explored.

The team's actions provoked the local karka, which followed the fleeing survivors of the expedition back to Lion's Arch, where they attacked and destroyed Lion's Gate. Blamed by the authorities for his role in the karka invasion, Canach was apprehended in Garenhoff by the Lionguard. To avoid punishment, he offered to help fight the Ancient Karka, but fled at the first opportunity.

Facing life as a fugitive and the freelance "decommissioning" team sent by the Consortium's Subdirector Noll, Canach made a concerted effort to change. He cast himself as a champion of the weak, and, to prove it, sought out and destroyed a Molten Alliance weapons facility.

Canach intended to get even with Noll and liberate the refugees from the Molten Alliance who had been tricked into Consortium settlement contracts on Southsun Cove. After learning of Noll's plans and taking Blimm's golem Subdirector NULL which he reprogrammed to help him with his scheme, Canach headed back to the island and spread a toxin that aggravated the local wildlife. The civil unrest induced there attracted the attention of a Lionguard inspector, Ellen Kiel, who tracked down the sylvari with the help of the Pact Commander, arrested him, and jailed him at Fort Marriner, before Canach could destroy any more evidence of Consortium wrongdoing.

During Scarlet Briar's attack on Lion's Arch, Canach was moved from his cell and incarcerated at Vigil Keep. Shortly afterward, an unnamed official from Divinity's Reach offered to buy his release, and the sylvari left the keep around the time that Mordrem invaded the Iron Marches.

Living World Season 2

By 1327 AE, Countess Anise bought Canach's billet and turned him into an agent of the Shining Blade to serve his sentence. Anise used him to distract guests from her mesmer clone during a party in Divinity's Reach, leaving her free to eavesdrop. She took Canach with her to the World Summit, teasing him mercilessly, much to his annoyance.

After the attack on the summit by the Shadow of the Dragon, Anise ordered Canach to join the Pact in Fort Trinity to learn more about their plans for the Elder Dragon Mordremoth whose Mordrem had been appearing in various locations throughout Central Tyria. Canach later accompanied Caithe on a scouting mission in the Silverwastes, but they were routed by Mordrem until the Pact Commander came to their rescue.

Heart of Thorns

Once the news of Mordremoth ambushing and crashing the Pact fleet spread to the Silverwastes, Canach traveled to the Heart of Maguuma where he joined the Pact Commander and their party in their search for missing Pact survivors including Marshal Trahearne and Destiny's Edge. Like all sylvari, he struggled with the Elder Dragon's call, but his strength of will kept his mind from succumbing. His curiosity about the Mordrem Guard made him test how exactly the dragon's call affected a sylvari's personality when the party encountered a wounded Mordrem Guard deep within the lost asuran city of Rata Novus, only to be forced to finish off the guard who succumbed to the dragon's call.

Within Mordremoth's inner sanctum, Canach offered to join the Commander as they delved into the Elder Dragon's mind for a final battle. Mordremoth spawned a Blighted illusion of Canach to goad his being forced to be a servant one way or another, but Canach declared that he would redeem himself and be his own master. The party eventually slew Mordremoth's mind in the Dream of Dreams and finished the dragon off in the physical realm by killing the imprisoned Marshal Trahearne in whom Mordremoth had planted one last seed of its consciousness.

Living World Season 3

Even after Mordremoth's fall, Canach remained under Anise's command for a time. He led a Shining Blade operation in Bloodstone Fen in 1329 AE, tracking down Minister Caudecus who had fled Krytan custody. After being cornered, Caudecus revealed his true colors as the leader of the White Mantle and evaded capture much to Canach's dismay.

Caudecus and the White Mantle eventually laid siege to Divinity's Reach, and Canach was sent to infiltrate Caudecus's Manor. The sylvari was captured and held captive for a time, but was ultimately freed when the Pact Commander stormed the manor with Anise and Demmi Beetlestone. Together they were able to bring down Caudecus albeit at the cost of Demmi's life, and Anise made good on her promise to declare Canach's debt paid. Canach declined the Commander's invitation to a new guild, Dragon's Watch, because he wished to remain independent for a time. However, he mused that his and the Commander's paths would cross again.

Path of Fire

Along his travels, Canach headed to the Free City of Amnoon after a large number of Elonian refugees had fled to Lion's Arch from the rogue Balthazar's invading Forged army. He began enjoying gambling at Zalambur's casino, where he was reunited with some members of Dragon's Watch, including the Pact Commander, in 1330 AE. Having placed a bet that the Commander could fell the former god Balthazar whose Forged were terrorizing the desert, he joined the Commander, Kasmeer Meade, and Rytlock Brimstone in fighting the Forged.

During their campaign in the Crystal Desert, Canach developed a friendly rivalry with Rytlock, witnessed the sacrifice of Glint's first scion Vlast and explored Glint's lair with the party. Using Kasmeer's mesmer magic to masquerade as Awakened, they took control of the Awakened army to oppose the Forged and participated in the Battle of Kodash Bazaar in which the Commander killed Balthazar although the resulting explosion of magic was absorbed by the dragon Aurene and the Elder Dragon Kralkatorrik who flew off. After returning to a victory celebration in Amnoon, the party were reunited with recently arrived Dragon's Watch members Marjory Delaqua and Taimi although the festivities were cut short when a Brandstorm conjured by Kralkatorrik hit Amnoon.

Living World Season 4

After the Pact Commander's victory over Balthazar, Canach went all in with his winnings and bets that the Commander would defeat Kralkatorrik as well. When the Commander arrived to help Amnoon during the Brandstorm, Canach assisted in defeating the Branded and rescuing the civilians. After the battle, he witnessed a vision from Aurene along with other party members but remained in Amnoon for a time to help clean up while the Commander headed for the Domain of Istan to investigate Aurene's premonition of a threat to Tyria originating there.

Eventually, Canach and Rytlock traveled to Istan as well and fought alongside the Istani Sunspears as they stormed the Mordant Crescent Great Hall to rescue both the Spearmarshal Zaeim and the Commander who had been imprisoned there by the Awakened. The sylvari then joined the Commander in pursuit of Taimi into Fahranur where he planted explosives to destroy a bone wall that blocked their progress only to cause a cave-in if not for the timely intervention of Rox and Braham Eirsson who cast a barrier that protected the party. As the two parties exchanged information, they joined forces and eventually saved Taimi from a death trap. They learned that Palawa Joko, the undead tyrant of Elona, had seemingly returned to Elona and was planning an Awakened invasion of Tyria in retaliation for the Commander taking control of his army during the campaign against Balthazar.

Upon learning that Joko's Awakened invasion was a ruse and the lich king's real goal was to unleash a revived Scarab Plague upon Tyria, Canach joined the Commander's growing army of Elonian and Tyrian volunteers to take the battle to Joko in the Domain of Kourna. After the Commander had scouted Zelbahn Garrison and cleared it of hostiles, the sylvari helped grow bramble walls around the garrison to give the allied forces a well defended staging ground for their campaign against the Awakened.

Canach joined the allied forces in the assault on Gandara where Joko was incubating the deadly third generation of Scarab Plague. The explosives provided by Lord Faren allowed Canach to blow up the sentry towers, which guarded the bridge leading to the fortress, as well as the main gate. However, the party soon realized that Joko had lured them into a trap: the third generation of Scarab Plague was already ready to be unleashed as human hosts incubating it were lying in wait on the other side of the gate. The timely intervention of the Primeval ghosts led by Queens Dahlah and Nahlah managed to contain the plague for a time, and Canach and most of the allied forces provided assistance to the ghosts while the Commander and Braham used a sewer entrance to sneak into the fortress to stop Joko once and for all.

Following Joko's demise in the jaws of Aurene and the end of the Scarab Plague, Canach was one of the allies who entered the fortress to check up on the Commander and Braham. Troubled by Aurene's violence, Canach wondered if absorbing some of Balthazar's magic had changed the dragon somehow or if it was simply her nature as the granddaughter of Kralkatorrik.

Canach participated in the assault on Kralkatorrik in the Thunderhead Peaks, heading a team which planted explosives in order to pin the dragon down with the side of a mountain.

Canach attended the wake for Aurene and witnessed her miraculous resurrection and subsequent departure into the Mists in order to flush out Kralkatorrik. He met the Pact Commander again in the newly created landmass called Dragonfall. Canach stayed with Almorra and Gorrik during the final assault.

The Icebrood Saga

Canach made an explosive reappearance during the attack on Caledon Forest by Icebrood. He aided in the evacuation of the survivors to Caledon Haven.

Canach joined the Pact Commander to aid the Dominion of the Winds after Kalidris Sparrowhawk asked for help. He assisted in both destroying the Corrupted Ice Wall as well as the Frost Colossus that appeared as a final attempt to conquer the Dominion of Winds.

Afterwards he revealed that he was there on a brief stopover for his own journey, spending the money he collected from the bets on the Pact Commander's victory over Kralkatorrik. This required him to stay out of world-ending events, but he promised to bet on the commander's victory.

End of Dragons

Canach is running a social club with Sayida the Sly in her Aetherblade style ship. The Commander attempts to solicit their assistance as part of the story.

Locations

Cantha

• Arborstone
  • Club Canach (After completing The Cycle, Reborn)

Crystal Desert

• Domain of Kourna
  • Allied Encampment
    • Zelbahn Garrison

• Dragonfall
  • Pact Command
    • Pact Outpost

Heart of Maguuma

• Dragon's Stand
  • Dragon's Stand (Heart of Thorns)

Maguuma Jungle

• Dragon Response Mission: Caledon Forest

Shiverpeak Mountains

• Thunderhead Peaks
  • The Grotto

Historical locations

Kryta

• Kessex Hills
  • Wizard's Fief
    • Garenhoff (during The Lost Shores, Act 1)
• Lion's Arch
  • Fort Marriner
    • Main Haven Headquarters (during Edge of the Mists)
• Gendarran Fields
  • Vigil Keep (during Battle for Lion's Arch, Battle for Lion's Arch: Aftermath, and Festival of the Four Winds)
• Southsun Cove
  • Southsun Shoals (during The Lost Shores, Act 2)
  • Scoured Plains
    • Canach's Folly (during The Lost Shores, Act 3)

Story involvement

Living World Season 1

• Episode 5: Battle for Lion's Arch
  • Connecting the Pieces
  • The Battle for Lion's Arch

Living World Season 1 (historical)

• Episode 6: Last Stand at Southsun
  • Canach's Lair (story)
• Episode 17: The Edge of the Mists
  • Edge of the Mists
• Episode 18: Escape from Lion's Arch
  • Lion's Arch (Under Attack!)

Living World Season 2

• Episode 4: The Dragon's Reach: Part 2
  • Party Politics
  • The World Summit
• Episode 5: Echoes of the Past
  • Caithe's Reconnaissance Squad
• Episode 6: Tangled Paths
  • Return to Camp Resolve
• Episode 7: Seeds of Truth
  • Meeting the Asura

Heart of Thorns story

• Act I
  • Prologue: Rally to Maguuma
  • Torn from the Sky
  • The Jungle Provides
  • Prisoners of the Dragon
• Act II
  • Prized Possessions
  • Strange Observations
• Act III
  • Roots of Terror
  • Buried Insight
• Act IV
  • Bitter Harvest
  • Hearts and Minds

Living World Season 3

• Episode 1: Out of the Shadows
  • Research in Rata Novus
  • Confessor's Stronghold
• Episode 4: The Head of the Snake
  • Confessor's End

Path of Fire story

• Act I
  • Blazing a Trail
  • Night of Fires
• Act II
  • Crystalline Memories
  • Hallowed Ground
  • Facing the Truth
• Act III
  • The Departing
  • Enemy of My Enemy
  • Beast of War
  • To Kill a God
  • Small Victory (Epilogue)

Living World Season 4

• Episode 1: Daybreak
  • Eye of the Brandstorm
  • The Hero of Istan
  • The First City
• Episode 3: Long Live the Lich
  • Forearmed Is Forewarned
  • Tactical Triage
  • Be My Guest
• Episode 5: All or Nothing
  • The Crystal Blooms
  • The Crystal Dragon
• Episode 6: War Eternal
  • The End

The Icebrood Saga

• Episode 5: Champions
  • Chapter 3: Balance
    • Jormag's Madness

End of Dragons story

• Act III
  • To Catch a Spider
  • Empty
• Act V
  • Extraction Point (voice only)
  • The Only One
  • The Cycle, Reborn
  • What Lies Within
    • Full Circle

Event involvement

Help Logan, Canach, and Rytlock train Corsairs (80)

[Group Event] Repel invading Branded, and kill them near the charging crystals to fill the resonance crystal (80)

[Group Event] Defeat the Wrathbringer (80)

Combat abilities

In Canach's Lair

Abilities

• Controls Mines

Behavior

• Immune to all conditions.

Effects

•  Painkillers - Immunity to damage from incoming attacks.

Skills

• Slash - Basic melee attack.
• Fiery Block - Canach blocks with his shield, dealing 1,000 damage to attackers when blocking, and reflects projectiles.
• Shield Charge -  Leaps to target, afflicting  launches.
• Detonate Mines - Detonates all mines in Canach's Lair.
• Rearm Mines - Rearms all detonated or deactivated mines in Canach's Lair.

Stolen skills

•   Blinding Tuft
•   Bone Crack
•   Throw Gunk
•   Tooth Stab

In story instances

Skills

• Slash - Basic melee attack.
• Shield Stance - Canach blocks with his shield, dealing 1,000 damage to attackers when blocking, and reflects projectiles.
• Shield Charge - Leaps to target,  launching nearby creatures away.
• Rearm Mines - Places mines.
  • Detonate Mines - Detonates placed mines.

Skills (Path of Fire)

•   Sever Artery - Chain. Bleed your foe with a slash.
  •   Gash - Chain. Bleed your foe with a gash.
•   Shield of Judgment - Create a shielding wave in front of you that damages foes while giving protection and aegis to you and up to five allies.
•   Raptor - Summon and mount your raptor. (When the player begins riding their mount)
  •   Tail Spin - Engage. Leap toward the target location, damaging nearby foes. (When there are nearby foes)

Dialogue

For previous dialogue: Canach/dialogue

Dragon's Stand (Heart of Thorns)

Before completing Hearts and Minds

I've spent much of my life hating the firstborn, always being compared to them. In our mother's eyes, Trahearne was perfect and none of us could live up to him. But now...

Your opinion has changed?

With Mordremoth pounding against my willpower, I'm barely holding on. And yet, Trahearne...he flew his airship straight at it. I can only admire him now. We must find him.

Don't worry. We won't abandon him.

I worry that it's already too late. Mordremoth will have its hooks in Trahearne's body and mind much deeper than it will in Zojja and Logan. Its what we sylvari were designed for.

We'll find a way. We...have to.

After completing Hearts and Minds

Mordremoth is gone. I no longer hear its summons. I no longer feel the scratch of its will against my mind.

(If sylvari)

We sylvari have grown beyond what we were created for.

(If not sylvari)

It would seem you sylvari have grown beyond what you were created for.

So it would appear. The Pale Tree endowed us with the willpower to choose our own fates. This victory will bring on a great change for the sylvari...for me.

What will you do now?

(sigh) I must return to Countess Anise and report our victory. She'll be pleased, and I'll take advantage of her goodwill to broach the topic of releasing my billet. I yearn to be completely free.

Good luck, my friend. I wish it for you.

Domain of Kourna

Before completing Be My Guest

Canach: The bramble walls were a stroke of genius. If I do say so myself.

After completing Be My Guest

Canach: Change is in the air, Commander. Can you smell it? Smells like dead Joko. I like it.

Thunderhead Peaks

Commander.

I hear you're running a tournament.

Just a friendly competition to help bolster the troops' morale and keep them sharp for the battle to come. Also—I enjoy watching Logan and Rytlock yell at each other. Care to place a bet?

And how do I do that?

Simple. Talk to my friend here and make your selection: Logan or Rytlock. Winners achieve the satisfaction of knowing they have an eye for talent. Losers are shamed relentlessly.

I wanted to ask about something else.

I don't lose.

I must be going.

How's the training for the Corsairs going?

Well enough. Logan is leading that assignement. Rytlock and I are assisting where we can. We'll leave shortly to do another exercise—perhaps you should join us. We could use an extra pair of hands.

Something else I wanted to ask...

I see if I can swing by.

I need to go, actually.

Arborstone

Commander! I trust you're enjoying the club.

Life as a club owner seems to be treating you well.

Indeed. What began as a wager between Sayida and I turned into an interesting challenge. Though I find that now that it's well established, my interest is...waning.

Does a "social club" feel like a good fit for the area?

But of course! We've been busy ever since we opened the doors. People need distractions, Commander, especially in dire times. You should know that better than anyone.

You're getting bored with it already, though? (same as "Life as a club owner seems to be treating you well.")

I suppose you're right.

Bored already?

Perhaps a little. There's an excitement in the challenge of a creation of a thing that doesn't exist in its maintenance. On the other hand, money is nice.

It seems life as a business owner is treating you well. (same as "Life as a club owner seems to be treating you well.")

Does a "social club" feel like a good fit for the area? (same as "Does a "social club" feel like a good fit for the area?")

It does solve a lot of problems.

I see.

Are you sure a social club is really a fit for this place? (same as "Does a "social club" feel like a good fit for the area?")

Absolutely.

Quotes

Greets

Hello again. It's good to see a familiar face. Got time to talk?

State your business and let me get on with mine.

I'm sorry, but I don't do small talk.

Don't bother me. I'm thinking

My fighting skills are for hire, but I'm selective about my employers.

What is it? Oh, I see. Greetings.

Yes?

Gallery

Concept art

• 

  A wanted poster for Canach from during Last Stand at Southsun.

• 

  Concept art by Jamie Ro.

Related achievements

• Secret of Southsun: Canach Trapper — Defeat the fugitive Canach in his Southsun Lair. (5) (Historical)
• Echoes of the Past: No Thanks to Canach — Complete Caithe's Reconnaissance Squad without planting any of Canach's mines. (5)
• Heart of Thorns: Act 4: Dream Warrior — Complete all 3 possible ally fights. (5)
• Long Live the Lich: Glory Hog — Plant seeds at all the locations before Canach has a chance to help. (1)
• Long Live the Lich: Whistling in the Dark — Successfully defend Canach while he arms the bomb in under six minutes. (1)
• Visions of the Past: Steel and Fire: Visions of the Past: Confronting Canach — Defeat the fugitive Canach in his island hideaway. [Living World Season 1 vision: Canach's Lair. Accessed via the Scrying Pool in Eye of the North.] (5)
• Visions of the Past: Steel and Fire: Visions of the Past: Lair Light-Foot — Defeat Canach's Lair without getting caught in any traps. [Living World Season 1: Canach's Lair vision. Accessed via the Scrying Pool in Eye of the North.] (5)
• What Lies Within: The More the Merrier — Partner with Ayumi, Canach, and Yao. (0)

Notes

• Canach has had numerous armor changes throughout the story:
  • During The Lost Shores he is seen having a mixture of various pieces of the sylvari Cultural armor and wielding a Pirate Cutlass and Kryta's Embrace.
  • After Last Stand at Southsun he is wearing the Oaken armor (without the helmet) and a pair of Heavy Fused Gauntlets while wielding the same weapons.
  • During Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns, Canach loses the gauntlets, and wields a Chain-Whip Sword and a Shield of the Moon (it is not mentioned on how he acquired them).
  • Past Living World Season 3, and up until current events, Canach wears the Verdant Executor Outfit while wielding the same weapons.
  • In Guild Wars 2: End of Dragons, he wears the Exemplar Attire Outfit.

Trivia

• Canach was originally voiced by John DiMaggio. Since the release of Champions he is voiced by Matthew Mercer.

See also

• Blighted Canach
• Canach's Story: An After-Hours Meeting

Associated items

• Canach's Backpack
• Mini Captive Canach