Kodan

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“

No race weaves the thread of life. We are all strands in it, seeds upon the earth, inheritors of nature's balance.

— Many Stars, Kodan Voice

The kodan are a race of intelligent bear-like beings from the distant northern lands and seas. They are a highly spiritual race that for centuries have lived in cities built upon, and carved into, icebergs in the arctic seas known as Sanctuaries. Their society is divided into tribes, each one having their own iceberg and leaders.

After the Elder Ice Dragon Jormag awoke, the kodan Sanctuaries were scattered in all directions, if not capsized by the dragon.

Physiology[edit]

The kodan are ten feet tall and are bipedal. Resembling various bear species like polar bears for the Shiverpeak kodan and brown, glacier, or grizzly bears for the lowland kodan. The lifespan of the kodan is not fully known, but some can live for centuries. There is considerable debate among scholars and kodan Voices over whether the kodan are distant cousins of the norn.

Culture[edit]

The kodan live in close communities upon their Sanctuaries, acting in concert and living in peace. The kodan are not without disputes and disagreements, but they consider themselves "above" most interpersonal conflict. To them, balance is more important than an individual's needs and the will of their god, Koda, supersedes any single kodan's wishes. Each member of the tribe contributes and works to maintain peace, encouraging the sharing of resources, and provide support for others within the Sanctuary.

Their Sanctuaries both act as shelters and as spiritual havens. Within the core of the Sanctuaries lie shrines to Koda and the Voice of the tribe and iceberg city. The kodan are a highly religious race, with their beliefs of balance and Koda at the core of their culture and society.

Kodan young are said to be weak and easily susceptible to outside influence. As such, they are heavily guarded and rarely—if ever—seen by outsiders.

Spoiler alert: The hidden text contains spoilers relating to Guild Wars 2: Janthir Wilds.

Lowland kodan, the bond between master and disciple, a mature and a cub.

The lowland kodan see themselves as stewards of the land and their environment, maintaining necessary balance in an area where survival can be hard. Centering their livelihoods on agriculture, fishing, honey-gathering, and hunting. Fishing holds special significance, connecting them to their guiding star, The Fisher, symbolizing their bond to nature’s sustenance, the land and sea. A constant reminder of what they owe the natural world and the sustenance it provides.^[1]

In their free time, they do have a variety of activities for enjoyment, such as reading a book, dancing together near a bonfire, playing an instruments, hanging out in a tavern, bathing together in a hot spring, and watching a derby or a sparring match.

The lowland Kodan Cubs are the prey of choice for valravns, so the mature kodans, the masters train them spear combat since young for their own survival and their future. They have three combatant professions: the Landspeaker, who manipulates four attunements of Fire, Water, Air, and Earth; the Stoutheart, who focuses on close combat and protecting others with the sun channeling inspiration;^[2] and the Wildstalker, who wields the power of nature and endures combat with their wilderness survival skills.

For the lowland kodan, the journeykins play a crucial role in the lives, functioning as trusted companions, mounts, and assistants in their daily routines. This symbiotic relationship further reflects the lowland kodan respect for all life and the interrelation they feel with their surroundings.

Religion[edit]

Kodan burial at sea.

The kodan believe that their god, Koda, is the creator of the world, and teaches the importance of balance. For example, each individual's actions must be in balance with nature. However, this does not mean that they are pacifists; they view hunting and killing as a natural order of life, as long as it is done in order to serve the balance. The Voice of each sanctuary communicates with Koda directly, linking their mind to the Mists in order to hear his word. This, in turn, is interpreted by each Sanctuary's Claw. The constant exposure of the Voice's mind to the Mists can, in rare cases, cause the Rage of Koda. The Voice is tended to by shamans and before death passes on his role to one of his caretakers.

The kodan also believe that everyone will always be reborn as their own race until they reach a higher stage of enlightenment, after which they reincarnate a step up in the spiritual ladder. Of course, in their view they have reached the top of this ladder and are therefore responsible for maintaining balance, and they are not afraid to use force to do so.

Although the kodan will not hold an individual responsible for the actions of their race, they do tend to judge races as a whole, often based upon the actions of a few of their members. When they meet a new race, the kodan will take time to evaluate the race and determine how best to bring them into balance—this is how they treat the norn. However, for races that are openly hostile, such as the dredge, the kodan will make their judgement quickly and violently.^[3]

The interpretation of the awakening of the Elder Dragons is split; some kodan believe that they have awakened to redress a terrible imbalance in the world, whereas others view the Elder Dragons themselves as an imbalance.

Spoiler alert: The hidden text contains spoilers relating to Guild Wars 2: Janthir Wilds.

The lowland kodan doesn't have the Voice for the historic reason. However, this does not mean that they don't believe in their god, Koda; its deeper meaning is a vestige of their past connection to their people's namesake. They do more believe in nature and the constellations than the Shiverpeaks kodan.^[1]

Government[edit]

Shiverpeaks Kodan[edit]

The kodan are divided into tribes, with each tribe having two equally important leaders: the Voice and the Claw. The Voice is the spiritual leader of a tribe, passing on messages of Koda and giving guidance to the Claw. They are capable of sensing the balance of the Sanctuary and the world around it. The Claw is the physical leader of the tribe, protecting the Sanctuary and the Voice, and turns the Voice's words into actions. Outside a small group of shamans, who tend to the Voice's needs to keep him alive, only the Claw may speak to the Voice. The Claw also leads the hunters and warriors of the Sanctuary. Neither of the two leaders has the power to overturn the others' decisions.

The Claw and Voice are often chosen at the same time, and end their rule together. If one dies, it is tradition for the other to retire. Between these two kodan, the Sanctuary of the tribe is very organized.

Lowland Kodan[edit]

Primary article: Lowland Kodan Council

The lowland kodan communities are led by a solitary Claw, who is advised by a council consisting of several heads of established disciplines, or masters, while also being a member of the council himself.^[4]

Names[edit]

The kodan choose their own names, basing it off of their personality, past, actions, occupations, or something that they find suitable. In essence, they chose a name which they feel describes them best. As such, their names are usually descriptions or nouns of some form. For example, Still Waters chose his name to remind himself of a past event and Farthest Shore took that name because he felt distant from his people. Kodan will also change their names to suit their evolving personalities or changed circumstances, for example, Watchful Moon changed his name from "Laughs at the Dawn" after his wife died. It is unknown how newborn kodan names are treated.

History[edit]

Early years[edit]

According to the histories of the kodan, the world was created long ago by Koda, and with it, the spirits of the world. Over time, these spirits began to take form, becoming the beasts of the world we see today. One day, the bear stood up and took notice of the restlessness and chaos, of the endless cycles of creation and destruction. And Koda took notice, and offered the bear guardianship of the world, tasking them with guiding the lesser spirits to enlightenment. Those that accepted his offer, became the kodan.

The kodan are one of the few races that lived during the time of the previous Elder Dragon awakening.^[5] Before then, the kodan are said to have spread across the land, bringing balance to the spirits they encountered wherever they went, and were hindered only by the seas.^[6] When the Elder Dragons awoke, they fled to the shores of the northern seas and waited out when the Dragonstorm occurred. Over the generations they waited, eventually a tribe of kodan, led by a Claw without a Voice, traveled south to find food, and never returned. It is speculated by scholars and Voices that the norn are descended from this tribe, and those Voices therefore view the norn as spiritual failures who are regressing to a more primal state. They warn that if the norn do not seek balance, they may soon follow the fate of the dwarves. Despite this, the two races are not hostile to one another.^[3]

In 1165 AE, Jormag’s awakening unleashed a years-long dragonstorm that scattered or destroyed the kodan's sanctuaries. Some fled south into the inland sea of the Far Shiverpeaks created by the Elder Ice Dragon and reached as far south as Snowden Drifts. When the dragonstorm finally passed, the Kodan found great frozen chunks of sea, which they saw as gifts from Koda, and established floating cities on the icebergs. Nowadays, they strive to restore balance to the world, though they remain uncertain whether the Elder Dragons are forces of balance or disruption.

Spoiler alert: The hidden text contains spoilers relating to Guild Wars 2: Janthir Wilds.

Another group who fled from the dragonstorm, led by Southward Claw and his mate, the Voice, journeyed southward. Along the way, the Voice, affected by the Rage of Koda, eventually left them. At the end, the Claw had ended up on settled on Lowland Shore, becoming the ancestors of the lowland kodan who would move from place to place around the Janthir region while maintaining distance from their northern bearkin.

Known Sanctuaries[edit]

A kodan sanctuary.

Other settlements[edit]

Lowland kodan architecture.

Janthir (Lowland Kodan)

Lowland Shore

Ascalon

Fireheart Rise
- Haymal Gore

Shiverpeak Mountains

Bjora Marches
- Still Waters Speaking

Frostgorge Sound

Snowden Drifts
- Lost Child's Sorrow
- Song of Final Exile

Ruins of Orr (mentioned) ^[7]

Types[edit]

See also: Category:Kodan

Gallery[edit]

Screenshots

Concept art

Further concept art
Kodan Attack
Kodan Claw concept art
Kodan armors
Structures 1
Structures 2

Render

Trivia[edit]

A race of armored polar bears also appears in the form of the panserbjørne in Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy.
The kodan did not appear in the original Guild Wars. The developers said when they saw the concept images related to the kodan they were so cool that they had to find some way to include them in Guild Wars 2.

External links[edit]

The Bear Necessities: A Peek at the Lowland Kodan and the Story of Janthir Wilds, GuildWars2.com

References[edit]

^ ^a ^b A Bearkin Guide to Celestial Bodies — The four constellations of the lowland kodan
^ Spearheading a New Weapon: Guardian, Ranger, and Necromancer, GuildWars2.com
^ ^a ^b Post by Martin, Martin Kerstein, Guild Wars 2 Guru
^ The Bear Necessities: A Peek at the Lowland Kodan and the Story of Janthir Wilds, GuildWars2.com
^ Kodan Snowcaller
^ The Wisdom and Power of the Kodan
^ Harvest Den Ambient dialogue

[Constellations-1] A Bearkin Guide to Celestial Bodies — The four constellations of the lowland kodan

[Sun-2] Spearheading a New Weapon: Guardian, Ranger, and Necromancer, GuildWars2.com

[Martin-3] Post by Martin, Martin Kerstein, Guild Wars 2 Guru

[4] The Bear Necessities: A Peek at the Lowland Kodan and the Story of Janthir Wilds, GuildWars2.com

[5] Kodan Snowcaller

[6] The Wisdom and Power of the Kodan

[7] Harvest Den Ambient dialogue

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Kodan

Contents

Physiology[edit]

Culture[edit]

Religion[edit]

Government[edit]

Shiverpeaks Kodan[edit]

Lowland Kodan[edit]

Names[edit]

History[edit]

Early years[edit]

Recent developments[edit]

Honor of the Waves[edit]

The Icebrood Saga[edit]

Janthir Wilds[edit]

Known Sanctuaries[edit]

Other settlements[edit]

Types[edit]

Gallery[edit]

Trivia[edit]

See also[edit]

External links[edit]

References[edit]

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