Elona

Elona

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Map of Elona

Levels

80

Type

Continent

Within

Tyria

“

Always may your waters flow to quench the land and seeds you've sown.

— Old Elonian Blessing

Elona is the name of both a nation and a subcontinent, located southeast of Central Tyria and is named for the Elon River. Elona is part of the same supercontinent as Central Tyria, connected via the Crystal Desert; though before the Exodus of the Gods, the two areas were separated by the Crystal Sea. In the past, it was often called Land of the Golden Sun, and in times since Palawa Joko's reign began has been called the United Kingdom of Elona by his faithful followers and some of his opponents. Elona has long been inhabited by various races and beasts, ranging from the elemental djinn to territorial hydras with the harpies and heket migrating west from the wilderness of the Dzalana region. Elona eventually became a human kingdom under the Primeval Kings although it has since faced civil war and been divided among three provinces—Istan, Kourna, and Vabbi—before being united under the undead lich's banner. King Joko's leadership has turned Elona into a land of both living and Awakened undead, long without contact to the other nations.

Within the last century, the northern borders of Elona have been plagued by the Elder Dragon Zhaitan's Risen minions since the Rising of Orr, causing a war between the two undead nations. This combined with the Elder Dragon Kralkatorrik's presence in the Crystal Desert has prevented all communication between Tyria and Elona, except for the Order of Whispers, who have an unknown means of traveling between the two lands, and a few members of the Durmand Priory and other explorers braving the dangers of the desert region. Only Balthazar's return and subsequent Forged invasion of the Crystal Desert region has brought communication back with Elona, throwing the land in chaos once again, along with Kralkatorrik who has flown towards Elona expanding his Dragonbrand.

As many of the major threats to Elona have been dealt with and the Dragonbrand has been diminishing, the continent has begun rebuilding from the devastating wars and has named itself the Republic of Elona consisting of many living and undead factions. The republic has since joined the Tyrian Alliance, aiming to explore Dzalana and other uncharted regions of Elona to seek more allies to the growing international alliance.

History

See also: Guild Wars 2: Path of Fire—Road to the Desert

Primeval Dynasty (200 BE–452 AE / 0–652 DR)

Fahranur, the First City.

In 205 BE, humanity spread into the lands that would become Elona, landing on the island of Istan and valleys of Kourna. Within five years, the first of the Primeval Kings was crowned and Fahranur, the First City was established. Legends say that the Six Gods themselves crowned this first king, but the truth was forgotten even within the 600 years of the Primeval Kings' reign. This marked the beginning of the Primeval Dynasty.

The Primeval Dynasty marked the height of Elona. Before the Exodus of the Gods, it stretched across the lands of Istan, Kourna, and the southern coasts of the Crystal Sea. During this time, Elona shared its borders with the Margonites, a sea-faring human civilization that established itself in the Crystal Sea and Elona's coasts. Margonites went on to become followers of the rogue god Abaddon, who waged devastating war against other gods. Eventually, he was defeated at the Mouth of Torment and imprisoned in the Realm of Torment. The war brought cataclysmic events onto the country, with once plentiful land becoming the sulfurous Desolation and the Crystal Sea turning into the Crystal Desert.

Afterwards, the Primeval Kings spread their reign further north, settling Vabbi and reaching into the new land of Crystal Desert, establishing the Tomb of the Primeval Kings on its northern edge in 29 AE. They had even established Morah as a guard over the Mouth of Torment. In 300 AE, Elona colonized the lands of Kryta, previously established by Prince Mazdak of Orr, and expanded the colony's lands into centaur and tengu territories, though Kryta became independent in 358 AE.

Though considered by many to be the height of Elona's time, the Primeval Dynasty had its share of bloodshed. During the reigns of King Wasi and Queen Nadijeh, Elona was torn by civil war, and many of the Primeval rulers became famous for defending their people. Nadijeh brought an end to these wars upon establishing the Sunspear Guard to become Elona's independent protectors for centuries to come.

The Primeval Dynasty lasted for approximately 650 years, ending with the Scarab Plague that swept through Istan and killed the royal family.

Great Dynasty (456–583 AE / 656–783 DR)

Four years after the Scarab Plague began and Istan was abandoned, a man by the name Admun Kolos took the throne and began the second dynasty of Elona which became known as the Great Dynasty. Istan was isolated for eight years until settlers returned and blocked off the source of the plague: Fahranur. This new dynasty only lasted 31 years, however, and brought forth the bloodiest time in Elona's history.

Shattered Dynasty (456–583 AE / 656–783 DR)

The Shattered Dynasty was consumed by the Pretender Wars, which saw the birth of the dervish profession, before they ended in 640 AE, 37 years after the wars had begun. The Shattered Dynasty Era ended in 840 DR (640 AE) when the last of the "Pretender Kings" fell and the three provinces—Istan, Kourna, and Vabbi—were formed.

Era of three provinces (640–1135 AE / 840–1335 DR)

The union between the provinces of Istan, Kourna and Vabbi marked the birth of the modern nation of Elona. The confederation was named after the great Elon River that flowed through their shared kingdom.

In 860 AE, the first invasion by Palawa Joko and his Awakened armies began. He quickly conquered Vabbi, earning him the title as "The Scourge of Vabbi," and moved his forces south. At the Grand Cataract of Jahai, the forces of Kourna—along with the remnant forces of Vabbi and the Order of the Sunspears—stood against Joko's armies. The general of the allied forces, Turai Ossa, assaulted Joko directly and defeated him at the Battle of Jahai. However, because Joko could not be killed, Turai imprisoned the undead lord and established the Order of Whispers to ensure the lich remained captive. Due to his victory, Turai was crowned king of all Elona. In the following years, his obsession with prophecies led him to give his son Kunai Ossa the crown and led the Great Pilgrimage into the Crystal Desert.

In 1075 AE, the fallen god Abaddon attempted to break free of his prison and brought forth Nightfall. Utilizing the few still faithful to him, such as Warmarshal Varesh Ossa, he had portals opened throughout Elona and dark rituals performed to weaken the barrier between Tyria and the Mists. Abaddon was defeated and killed by heroes and members of the Order of Sunspears after they fought their way into the heart of the Realm of Torment to find him. Abaddon was then supplanted by Kormir who became the new goddess of knowledge. During this time, Joko was also freed from his prison due to Abaddon's own attempts at freedom.

In the years following Nightfall, the three provinces worked to recover. Istan became a tourist nation due to their aid in helping the Sunspears, and the Vabbian princes used their wealth to speed their nation's recovery. Kourna was plunged into a civil war, as the war had left them leaderless, though the Order of the Sunspears worked to bring peace as they spread throughout Elona once more, even traveling to other parts of the world.

United Kingdom of Elona (1135–1331 AE / 1335–1531 DR)

The banner of King Palawa Joko I.

In 1135 AE, sixty years after Nightfall, Palawa Joko once more invaded Elona. This time, he dammed the Elon River, sending it westward from its former southern course, and caused famine throughout Vabbi and northern Kourna. Vabbi quickly surrendered to ensure survival, and Kourna and Istan became vassal states shortly after that. Those who could, fled the nation now ruled by the undead, many becoming refugees in Kryta. The Order of the Sunspears were broken or corrupted, reforming into the Mordant Crescent. Joko had the descendants of the Ossa clan hunted down, and few of either still exist in Elona. Those who survived now live as wanderers. The Order of Whispers, which had established a presence in Central Tyria earlier, was divided into two in Elona after disagreements over whether to focus on the threat posed by Joko or bigger threats like Primordus and other rising Elder Dragons. The faction that chose to focus on Joko became known as the Order of Shadows and set up the Chantry of Shadows in the Desolation while the original Order of Whispers ultimately left the first Chantry of Secrets at Jahai Bluffs although it is not known whether they did it by choice or if they were killed.

In 1219 AE the Elder Dragon Zhaitan awakened and with the Rising of Orr began to plague the part of the northern border with his army of Risen, sparking a war between the two nations of living dead. Another wave of Elonian refugees arrived in Tyria around 1275 AE, while escaping the ravages of Palawa Joko. Circa 1320 AE, the Elder Dragon Kralkatorrik awakened, creating the Dragonbrand and settling in the Crystal Desert while making contact with the mainland inaccessible. Access to the Crystal Desert was barred off by way of the Desert Gate—the primary land route into the Crystal Desert—being sealed by Queen Jennah's order due to Kralkatorrik's rise and flight to the Crystal Desert. Only the Tyrian Order of Whispers had knowledge of how to travel to Elona in modern times. Despite this, some small groups as well as the Durmand Priory had managed excursions into the Crystal Desert, though whether this was before or after the Desert Gate was sealed is unknown as the maps procured by Lion's Arch proved to be out of date given the many changes on the continent.

After 1328 AE, Kralkatorrik was empowered by the deaths of Zhaitan and Mordremoth. He flew south to Vabbi, extending the Dragonbrand which both destroyed the environment and spread Branded minions with it. Local nobles retreated to their palaces and lush gardens while deliberately choosing to ignore the threat that was literally next door. Awakened and Mordant Crescent fought the Branded but their efforts to contain the Elder Dragon's forces proved to be a losing battle.

In 1330 AE, Elona witnessed the return of Balthazar, one of the human gods, who was followed by many acolytes from the Church of Balthazar and the Zaishen Order. Balthazar met privately with Joko and struck a mutually beneficial deal with the lich king, after which the pair departed to search for the lost city of Kesho and, eventually, a portal to the Underworld for reasons that remained unclear even to the spies of the Order of Shadows. Balthazar eventually returned with an army of Forged at his side, but Joko was no longer accompanying him, which left Elonians and other denizens of the Crystal Desert unsure what had happened to the lich king. The Forged began the invasion of the Crystal Desert and Elona in their hunt for Kralkatorrik shortly after and struck down anyone standing in their way, prompting both desert dwellers and Joko's subjects to fend for themselves. Several Elonians and denizens of the Crystal Desert were able to flee north to the Free City of Amnoon and found their way to Lion's Arch in increasing numbers, alerting Tyrians to the disaster which was ravaging Elona.

In Joko's absence, Elona was governed by the lich king's closest civil administrators and generals, including Grand Vizier Utumishi, Archon Iberu, and several Awakened marshals and commanders. Provincial decision-making fell to the jurisdiction of local clanmarshals and viziers who supported the kingdom's war effort in their own way by sending an increasing number of supplies and soldiers, Awakened or not, to the front to fight both the Forged and Branded while raising taxes and imprisoning defectors and insurgents in growing numbers. Lawbreakers who had not been killed, Awakened or imprisoned were exiled to farms outside the Bone Wall where they would work under harsh conditions to fill the kingdom's storages. At the same time Archon Iberu and other diplomats of Joko's empire approached neutral city-states and villages in the desert such as Amnoon in an attempt to annex these establishments into Elona and extend Joko's influence.

The war in the desert reduced the numbers of Amnoon's Cavaliers and Awakened forces, prompting desert bandits to become bolder and prey on unwary travelers in greater numbers. The notable desert-wide smuggling syndicate called the Hamaseen used the resulting chaos to extend its influence with the businessman Zalambur gaining political power in Amnoon while Amnoon's City Council led by Chief Councilor Imann was trying to decide whether to remain independent or side with Joko's forces or the remaining Sunspears in the conflict. Ley magic released from the two Elder Dragons' deaths hit several denizens of the desert and Elona and turned them crazed, violent and magically unstable, prompting the Order of Shadows to post bounties on their heads to make the region safer to traverse. Corsairs collaborated with Joko's government on Istan, taking bounties on people who had been deemed enemies of state such as Sunspears.

The conflict between the Awakened, Branded and Forged eventually culminated in the Battle of Kodash Bazaar in Vabbi where Balthazar was destroyed and his magic, taken from the Maguuma Bloodstone and the Elder Dragons Jormag and Primordus, was absorbed by Kralkatorrik and Glint's second scion Aurene. Now able to corrupt and raise the dead, spread the Brand via his champions and create Brandstorms far away, Kralkatorrik flew west to roost on the mountains north of Dajkah while slowly extending his influence. Following the Crystal Dragon's departure and using the distraction which the Forged invasion had caused among the Mordant Crescent, the surviving Sunspears of the Elonian mainland gradually regrouped and established a hidden sanctuary atop Yahnur Plateau in Vabbi with the blessing and wisdom of the still sentient, Awakened remains of Tahlkora who introduced them to local griffons with which they could strike back at Joko's forces and spread Sunspear teachings among Elonians.

The Elonian government's increasingly harsher methods to raise productivity for the war effort against the Branded and the Forged, as well as the nobility's and Joko Loyalists' blatant disregard over the well-being of commoners and rural folk, eventually incited the Istani people into a revolt led by self-titled Spearmarshal Zaeim and his autonomous branch of Istani Sunspears who conducted their operations from a hidden base beneath the Astralarium. The revolt culminated in the liberation of Champion's Dawn and raids on Palawadan, Jewel of Istan and the Mordant Crescent Great Hall for supplies that would aid the Sunspears' campaign.

The diminished Forged were gradually routed following Balthazar's demise, and Awakened regrouped and increased their presence in Istan with rumors that Joko had returned after his long absence although the lich king had not made public appearances to confirm these rumors. However, Joko declared war on Central Tyria at the end of 1330 AE in response to the Pact Commander's interference in Elona and sent Awakened invasion forces led by the Mordant Crescent through portals to probe the defenses of the five notable nations' heartlands. Joko finally revealed himself to have truly returned when he personally assaulted Rata Primus on Sandswept Isles in southern Dajkah and successfully acquired samples of the Scarab Plague from the Inquest there by 1331 AE. The improved Scarab Plague was unleashed on Amnoon, costing a few lives until the outbreak was ended before it could spread.

In response to Joko's actions, the Commander rallied both Elonian and Tyrian allies and led them to establish a foothold in the heartlands of Kourna where Joko was preparing to unleash the third, deadliest generation of scarabs. The allied army, assisted by local heket recruited for the campaign, launched an assault on Gandara, the Moon Fortress. The Commander and the norn Braham broke into the fortress to face Joko while the Primeval ghost army led by Queens Dahlah and Nahlah kept the third generation of Scarab Plague from spreading. With the help of their dragon ally Aurene, the allied forces were able to kill Joko and finally end the lich king's reign.

Republic of Elona (1331 AE– / 1531 DR– )

Living World Season 4

Summit at the Fortress of Jahai.

Palawa Joko's demise left Elona's political landscape shaky with various living and undead factions either trying to keep order or strengthening their position in opposition to other factions. To end the crisis and help direct Elona towards stability, Spearmarshal Zaeim sent invitations to various factions to attend a summit at the Fortress of Jahai where they would discuss the terms of a treaty for a post-Joko interregnum government. The factions that entered the negotiations included the Free Awakened, Joko Loyalists, the Order of Shadows, the Mordant Crescent, and the Sunspears. However, the rival factions could not initially find common ground due to old hatreds and suspicions, including the presence of Aurene who had killed Joko. The growing suspicions led to an attempted coup by Archon Iberu, who intended to assassinate the delegates, until he was killed by Awakened Koss Dejarin who subsequently coerced the delegates to agree to Zaeim's treaty. The summit came to a halt due to the assault by the Death-Branded Shatterer, however, and facing a common enemy in Kralkatorrik's Branded made the delegates cooperate so that they could escape the fortress and seek shelter in the Sun's Refuge which the Sunspears had put to use as their latest base of operations.

Various Elonian factions began having dialog to understand their former opponents' viewpoints, and the factions in Sun's Refuge slowly came to terms although some distrust remained between those who still showed signs of loyalty to Joko and those who were happy to be freed from the lich king's influence. Meanwhile, opportunists such as an Awakened mesmer, who posed as Joko, appeared to the hopeful and confused Awakened in an effort to sway the Awakened to follow them, justifying these actions with the belief that Elonians were sheep who needed a wolf, Palawa Joko, to both lead them and keep order in the lich king's crumbling empire which was suffering from increased raids by Kralkatorrik's Branded. During this time Zaeim received a blessing from Tahlkora to become her true successor as the latest Spearmarshal of the Sunspears to fully unite the Istani and Vabbian Sunspears into one effective organization.

After many lives had been lost to finally slay Kralkatorrik later that year to allow Aurene to take the Crystal Dragon's place among the Elder Dragons, Elona's political system was in shambles. Still believing in the idea of an interregnum council that he had proposed during the summit in Jahai, Spearmarshal Zaeim set out to find statesmen who would live out the Sunspears' eight virtues and act as guardians of peace while Elona began to rebuild itself in the aftermath of the wars waged against Balthazar, Joko, and Kralkatorrik.

Around this time, Tyrian raiders entered the Key of Ahdashim, a fortified Vabbian city governed by four djinn cardinals since Joko's takeover of Elona, where they defeated the maddened rogue djinn Qadim the Peerless who had intended to claim the power of Ahdashim's well of magic for himself and use it to transform Elona and the rest of the world in his image. The cardinals died during the clash, leading to the city's steward, the elemental Key of Ahdashim, to no longer select only a few candidates as djinn leaders but spread the well's magic evenly to every djinn in the world so they could find a better form of government with less corruption among their ranks. As a result of this wave of magic and djinn empowerment, the Brandstorm around Vabbi began to dissipate, contributing to the Dragonbrand's weakening throughout Elona.

Guild Wars 2: End of Dragons

The nation eventually renamed itself as the Republic of Elona. When the Empire of Cantha opened its borders to the outside world in 1335 AE, Zaeim sent Ambassador Sianna, leader of the Free Awakened who had made a name herself for managing the talks at Jahai, as the republic's official representative to the empire along with Central Tyrian envoys. Despite Kralkatorrik's demise, conflict still plagued parts of Elona, and the work begun at the Jahai Summit would continue to the unforeseeable future. The Dragonvoid sending its Void horde to attack all of the world of Tyria later that year caused many casualties across the globe. Notified of this new threat, several Elonians accompanied Tyrians on airships to the Jade Sea to assist Canthan defenders against the Void horde while a strike team led by the Pact Commander managed to defeat the Dragonvoid with Aurene's help and contain the Void threat.

Guild Wars 2: Janthir Wilds

Elona, along with the rest of the world, faced a sudden new threat shortly after the Void crisis when demonic Kryptis invaders from the Mists began worldwide invasion. When these invasions stopped suddenly, Elona and the other nations realized that they could not face multiple Void and Kryptis type threats in succession by themselves. The republic's delegation, led by Chief Councilor Imann, was invited to Lion's Arch in 1337 AE to attend the inaugural meeting of the newly formed Tyrian Alliance where they met with several Tyrian and Canthan representatives. While there, they learned how the Pact Commander had helped contain the Kryptis with the help of the enigmatic Astral Ward who made themselves known to the delegates and informed them that more threats from the Mists might now be attracted to Tyria with the Elder Dragons' passing. The Tyrian Alliance's goal was to prepare for this eventuality and begin recruiting as many civilizations and factions to the alliance as possible. Elona had already made some effort to explore the uncharted region of Dzalana, hoping to find suitable allies there.

Geography and climate

Elona is a continent southeast of Central Tyria, and is also a part of the same supercontinent. The two subcontinents have historically been separated by the Crystal Sea until its transformation into the Crystal Desert. In modern geography the Crystal Desert is considered a part of the Elonian continent.

Most of Elona is made up of a large savannah desert, mountainous areas, in which there is a large river called the Elon River, which thanks to it, life in the region is more prosperous. However, with the awakening of the Elder Dragon Kralkatorrik and the flight he made expanding his brand towards Elona, some regions have been affected and corrupted, in the case of the Desert of Crystal, Dzalana, Vabbi and Kourna that their landscape has been transformed into a lifeless and crystallized area with some Brandstorms.

The Crystal Desert is a region located north of the Elona continent, previously a mostly desert region. Thanks to the diversion of the Elon River, life in the desert has prospered. However, with the diversion of the river, areas of quicksand have been created, which have made some parts unstable. The Sulfurous Wastelands is a region that was previously part of the Crystal Desert, now it is a desolate place with sulfurous sands where plant and animal life does not exist and is an inhospitable place for living beings, to the west of the region is the Scavenger's Causeway, which appears to be a desert region and connects to the Orr.

Kourna is mostly desert, arid, has a swamp, with cliffs and some green areas with vegetation, through which the Elon River passes, although the southern part of Kourna is more gloomy due to the great bones that can be seen in the area.

Meanwhile Vabbi is a much more prosperous region and much of it has vegetation, compared to the other regions of the continent, since the Elon River crosses the place, giving life to the place. To the north of Vabbi is Dzalana a desert region and unexplored by humans.

The Isle of Istan has lush jungles, wetlands and certain parts somewhat desert and with some cliffs, while Dajkah is another island in the northwest coast of Elona full of vegetation and mountainous, both islands surround them the Unending Ocean.

Demographics

Language

The Guild Wars Wiki has an article on Elonian dialect.

See also: Elonian dialect

Religion

The ancient temple of the Six Gods.

Faith was spreading through Elona, just as it was throughout the world. Two professions unique to this continent were known for their devotion to their deities. The Paragons, guardian angels of humanity, believed that they had been chosen by the gods. They attributed their actions to the will of superior powers, accepting that their destinies were predetermined.

The Dervishes served all the gods of the Elonian pantheon, praying to each of them when circumstances required it. The most powerful of these holy warriors were transformed into living representations of the true gods, adopting their "forms" to represent their divine will. Even the lowest of initiates knew that without the reverence due to the five true gods all of civilization would collapse.

• Dwayna - used to be depicted as a tall, slender woman soaring above the sky on bird's wings. Elonian artists sometimes depicted her rising above land ravaged by drought, disease, or plague. A Dervish, assuming the form of Dwayna, towered over the other mortals surrounded by beautifully proportioned wings.

• Balthazar - Shown holding a greatsword, sometimes with a pair of faithful war hounds sitting at his feet. Some Elonian works of art showed him with majestic lions or other fierce animals next to him. A Dervish taking the form of Balthazar was a fierce presence, storming the world with armor as tough as heavy sheet metal and a weapon as deadly as the greatsword.

• Grenth - portrayed him with the body of a man and the narrow skull of a beast. Many of his statues could be seen piles of bones and ivory at his feet, left as offerings by anonymous fear-filled commoners. When life got tough, the most fiery worshipers left offerings of meat and sinew, showing their devotion with fantastic displays of sacrifice. In the Dervish who assumes the form of Grenth glars at the world through a bestial skull, estimating the value of each fallen body.

• Lyssa - often portrayed as god goddesses: twin figures of exquisite beauty entwined in an eternal dance. In Elona, the masks could change, and the dance could change, but her dual nature could not. She is beautiful to some and terrifying to others. A Dervish who assumes the form of Lyssa wears multiple masks, channeling blessings for chaos and magic.

• Melandru - Showed her as a dryad rising from a tree-shaped support. Many temples used magic to shape the shrine into a living tree: for example, Elonian sculptures often rose from the base of a mebahiah, or rooted dream flower. A Dervish assuming the Form of Melandru was arboreal in appearance, acting with the same determination as a tree whose roots are deeply buried in the earth.

• In 1075 AE, Kormir, the Spearmarshal of the Sunspears and hero of all Elona, was drawn into the darkness surrounding the God of Secrets. And though her sight had been stolen from her, her body torn from her, and her spirit flayed from her, she remained determined. And also Kormir and her allies faced the dark god in a titanic battle. And through their might, skill, combined bravery, and the blessings of the Five True Gods, Abaddon finally faced final defeat. However, the power of a god cannot be destroyed, and Kormir, making a decision that only a mortal could make, took upon herself the mantle of the Goddess of Truth, with all its power and responsibility, all its domain and duties, as she ascended. Since her ascension, Kormir briefly received widespread support across Elona until Joko's takeover and hunt for the Sunspears diminished the faith. However, some Sunspears lingered on as did a few faithful to keep the religion alive away from Joko's prying eyes, and the Church of Kormir would strengthen its influence once Joko's power began waning.

The Temple of Joko, representing his domain as the God King of Elona.

"God King" - With the reign of Palawa Joko the religion of the Six Human Gods came to an end. And to bolster his great ego and consolidate his position in Elona in order to rise above the Sunspears and the former rulers of the three provinces, King Joko commissioned the architects to build several statues in his honor throughout. his realm, the greatest being the Palawadan Colossus in Istan, the Great Palawa Joko Monument in Vabbi and The Triumph of Palawa Joko in the lands of Elon Riverlands. The ancient monument that the Order of Whispers had once dedicated to Joko's defeat and burial was renamed Monument to the Return of Palawa Joko to show the Eternal King's triumph over his enemies. And with his conquest of Elona complete, Joko began to rewrite history books, declaring that he had gifted magic to the races (including the sylvari, when they were discovered), defeated Turai Ossa instead of backwards, and even killed Abaddon and carried away the fallen. In recent years the spread of propaganda promoting Joko as a godking had been rampant during the last years of his reign, expanding on Joko as the source of not only Zhaitan's death, but also Mordremoth.

Culture

When Elona scholars wrote about history, they used their own conventions for writing about time. Each country used a different system: Tyria uses the Mouvelian calendar, while Cantha has the Canthan calendar. The Elonians began their calendar two hundred years earlier, when the first of the Primeval Kings began his reign over Elona. In Elonian history, all years include the letters “DR”, measuring the years according to the Dynastic Reckoning.

Despite the fact that each province was independent, the Order of the Sunspears protected and safeguarded the nation from any threat that existed and were led by a marshal. With Joko's rule, the Mordant Crescent was created an elite unit made up of former members of the Order of the Sunspears and led by Archon Iberu.

Before Joko's reign, Elona was divided into three provinces, each with its own identity: the Istanis were and still are an island province littered with the ruins of a former Elonian empire. They were known for their formidable sea fleet that patrolled the western coast of Elona and was the headquarters of the Sunspears. With Joko's reign, Istan became the main headquarters of the Steely Crescent and on which the Temple of Joko.

The Kournians were known for their fiercely loyal soldiers, dedicated army, extensive holdings, and agriculture. Gandara, the Moon Fortress was and still is the main port and city of Kourna. And it's another seat of power for Joko away from The Bone Palace.

The Vabbians a northern province was home to wealthy merchant princes, a land where successful Elonians believed their security and wealth allowed them to patronize many of their nation's greatest achievements. It was said to be possibly the richest nation in all of Tyria. Lyssa was held in high honor, with a great fountain and an altar dedicated to her. They also held the annual Lyss Festival in her name. After the reign of Joko, little has changed in Vabbi, it still maintains the Garden of Seborhin where it has floating gardens with waterfalls. In the place, what would become the Necropolis was built, where those considered worthy receive the gift of eternal life and are Awakened to serve King Joko. And it is also where the Vehtendi Academy is located where students are indoctrinated from an early age and taught a different and reinvented history to adore Palawa Joko.

Apart from the other regions, there is also the Desolation, which is where Palawa Joko has his Palace of Bones and all of Elona reigns, it is an inhospitable place for living beings, however, further north there is a village and where Joko sent to raise The Bone Wall that marks the border between the Crystal Desert and Elona.

Tribes

Apart from humans, different tribes inhabited the continent, of which are:

The centaurs, one called the Veldrunner, resembled swift gazelles and were deferential to the other centaurs of Tyria, displaying social behaviors, and congregating around huge "ancestral trees" where they believed the spirits of their ancestors were watching. However the Kournians had decimated and pushed them to the west and had even been allowed to recruit them to work as slaves. The second tribe of centaurs was called Losaru who lived in the north of Elona, in the Crystal Desert they had a certain appearance with the Field Runners, it was said that some fed on human flesh and were wild. With Joko's reign, these two tribes were enslaved using them in bone manipulation experiments, eventually using the remains as construction material in the expansion of the Palace of Bones, just as other constructions throughout the continent have used these bones. . It is unknown if any members of these tribes have survived Joko's reign.

There is a tribe of Hylek called the Heket that have been seen settling in the Apizmic Grounds in Kourna, it is unknown if they have more settlements apart from this site. Previously they were aggressive to anyone, with Joko's reign they have been in danger of extinction and now they seek help from whoever shows them their worth and try to survive.

There is a secluded region to the west of the mainland and north of Istan, home to the island of Dajkah, which was formerly used by Corsairs, however in more recent years a tribe of charr called the Olmakhan settled in the south of the island, where they founded the town of Atholma, having fled from the Flame Legion before the charr rebellion. Although the Island is shared with the Inquest and the Awakened who built the Rata Primus giant floating cube, where they conduct a variety of experiments and develop new technologies, among them involving samples of the Scarab Plague.

Government

The Bone Palace, the seat of power of Palawa Joko, where he rules all of Elona.

Elona has had various types of governments throughout time, beginning with the Primeval Dynasty in 200 BE to 452 AE, the time period in which the Primeval Kings ruled all of Elona which lasted for 652 years. With that came the second Great Dynasty beginning in 456 AE. Admun Kolos seized the throne at the end of the Scarab Plague, and this era ended in 583 AE, which ushered in the third Shattered Dynasty Era which began in 583 AE and ended in 640 AE, when the last of the "Pretender Kings" fell and the three provinces were formed: Istan, Kourna, and Vabbi.

Before Joko's reign, Elona was divided into three provinces which were administered in different ways. The Isle of Istan was ruled by the "meritocracy" that formed the Council of Elders. The province of Kourna had had a military government and its leaders they had been direct descendants of the warmarshal Turai Ossa. Vabbi was ruled by the clanmarshals, also known as the Princes of Vabbi.

During the reign of Palawa Joko which lasted from the year 1135 to 1331 AE, Joko was the absolute ruler of Elona, forcibly uniting the separate autonomous provinces under his banner and naming the conquered nations as domains belonging to his united kingdom. He enforced obedience mainly by brainwashing Elonian citizens, twisting their view of history with rewriting books and by having his loyalists teach in academies, and making his subjects praise him as a beloved and almighty ruler. This influence was especially apparent in Vabbi and Istan, where the Awakened Affirmation System and Public Service Announcement Skull broadcasted messages of obedience and other announcements to the living and Awakened of the respective domains, and Kourna, where Joko used statues of himself in homes and public squares to project messages with which he personally taunted his subjugated Kournan subjects.

In 1331 AE with the end of Joko's reign, the Republic of Elona was formed.

List of regions

Mechanically these are considered to be part of the Crystal Desert, and therefore part of Tyria.

Accessible regions

Crystal Desert

Vast desert on the boundary with the nation of Elona. The Elon River currently flows through it, sustaining the growing population of the Free City of Amnoon which acts as a gateway to the desert proper. The Dragonbrand originally ended here, at the lair of the dragon Glint, but has since spread after the Elder Dragon Kralkatorrik's flight south.

Dajkah

Mechanical region: Crystal Desert

Mountainous shoreline in the western Elona. Originally a haven of corsairs who raided the Elonian coastline, now home to the Olmakhan charr tribe and the Inquest city of Rata Primus.

Elon River

Mechanical region: Crystal Desert

Large river flowing from the nation of Elona. Diverted from the original flow through the kingdoms of Vabbi and Kourna by a dam built by Palawa Joko, the river now floods large areas in the Crystal Desert.

Isle of Istan

Mechanical region: Crystal Desert

The island lies in the southwestern portion of Elona and was among the first places humans colonized. The first human rulers, the Primeval Dynasty, once inhabited a city there called Fahranur. The western half of Istan grows lush jungles and wetlands, while white sand beaches, tall cliffs, and plains comprise the eastern half. The island is now a vassal to Palawa Joko's Awakened kingdom.

Kourna

Mechanical region: Crystal Desert

Once a thriving savannah, in the past two centuries under Palawa Joko's reign it has suffered the most out of the three former provinces of Elona. With the Elon's diversion towards the Crystal Desert, much of Kourna has become a dried wasteland. The native centaur tribes have been hunted to extinction, and the heket tribes nearly follow suit. Its people are left starving even in the best of times, and unlike in Istan and Vabbi, the living and Awakened do not appear to live together.

Sulfurous Wastelands

Mechanical region: Crystal Desert

Containing the dreaded Desolation, the region has been warped by the fall of the evil god Abaddon centuries prior. Its toxic areas can be fatal to traverse for anyone who is not an undead or a demon—although the bravest of adventurers may try exploring the hazardous terrain with the help of the resilient junundu and skimmers.

Unending Ocean

Mechanical region: Crystal Desert

The main body of water in world, located to the south and west of the Tyrian continent.

Vabbi

Mechanical region: Crystal Desert

A land of wealth and bounty, now under rule by Palawa Joko.

Inaccessible regions

Dzalana

A mysterious wilderness east of Vabbi, little is known about it except that it is supposedly the homeland of the harpies and the heket.

Scavenger's Causeway

Region located between the Elon River and the Ruins of Orr, forming the only passage by land to the latter.

Interactive map

For every explorable map, see also: Tyria (world)#Interactive map

Gallery

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  Concept art by Lena Richards.

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  Concept art by Lena Richards.

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  Concept art by Lena Richards.

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  Concept art by Lena Richards.

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  Tower in an Awakened architecture.

Notes

The Guild Wars Wiki has an article on Elona.

• Northern Elona is accessible in Guild Wars 2's second expansion, Guild Wars 2: Path of Fire. Areas in Istan, Dajkah, and Kourna became available with Daybreak, A Bug in the System, Long Live the Lich, and A Star to Guide Us releases in Living World Season 4.

References

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The World of Tyria