Living World Season 4
Living World Season 4, also called Rise of Kralkatorrik,[1] is the fourth season of the Living World, accessible to players who own Guild Wars 2: Path of Fire. It began on the 28th of November, 2017 with Daybreak. It is a direct continuation the story of Guild Wars 2: Path of Fire, picking up shortly after where the story instance Small Victory (Epilogue) left off.
This article assumes knowledge of the storyline up to and including Path of Fire.
Purchasing[edit]
Episodes can be purchased either individually for 200 
per episode, or as a cheaper bundle in 
Living World Season 4 Complete Pack.
Releases[edit]
- See also: Release#Living World Season 4
The storyline of Season 4 primarily comprises the following episodes:
Overview[edit]
- With the corresponding episodes unlocked, six new maps are available in the Crystal Desert and Shiverpeak Mountains regions:
- New mounts:
- The Roller Beetle — A giant beetle that curls into a ball to race downhill and smash through walls. It wears a floating magitech saddle fashioned from asuran technology. Unlocked via Long Live the Lich.
- The Skyscale — A Mists-born dragon adept at scaling cliffs and traversing through the air. Requires every episode of Season 4, partial completion of the first five episodes, and total completion of War Eternal.
- New armor sets — Elegy armor, Requiem armor, Mist Shard armor, Blossoming Mist Shard armor, Corsair armor
- New weapon sets — Living World Season 4 weapons
- New legendary trinket — Vision
- New attribute combinations — Plaguedoctor's
- New masteries — Roller Beetle, Skyscale, Crystal Champion
Setting[edit]
The energy released upon the death of Balthazar has been absorbed by both Kralkatorrik and Aurene. The Commander and their allies must contend with an empowered Elder Dragon threatening Elona, which remains under the thrall of Palawa Joko's Awakened army.
Zones[edit]
Open world zones[edit]
Domain of Istan on the Isle of Istan, southwestern Elona. (Episode: Daybreak)
Sandswept Isles in Dajkah, western Elona. (Episode: A Bug in the System)
Domain of Kourna in Kourna, southeastern Elona. (Episode: Long Live the Lich)
Jahai Bluffs in Kourna, southeastern Elona. (Episode: A Star to Guide Us)
Thunderhead Peaks in the Deldrimor Front, southern Shiverpeak Mountains. (Episode: All or Nothing)
Dragonfall in the Unending Ocean, off the coast of the Scavenger's Causeway. (Episode: War Eternal)
Side stories[edit]
Raids[edit]
Strike Missions[edit]
Fractals of the Mists[edit]
Currency[edit]
Main characters[edit]
Dragon's Watch[edit]
The Pact Commander's guild formed at Eir Stegalkin's funeral from their friends who helped fight Mordremoth and Scarlet.
- Aurene - Glint's second scion, she is a crystal dragon born of Kralkatorrik's lineage. She flew off after helping the Commander slay Balthazar.
- Canach - A former sylvari criminal who was vacationing in Amnoon after being released from a long-term imprisonment and later serving under Lady Anise. He had been hanging out in the Amnoon casino, and had placed a rather large wager on the Commander defeating Kralkatorrik.
- Kasmeer Meade - A human noble mesmer who helped stop Balthazar, Mordremoth and Scarlet. She reunited with her lover, Marjory, during the celebration of Balthazar's defeat.
- Marjory Delaqua - A Canthan necromancer. She was heavily injured by Balthazar when he dropped his Lazarus disguise, but recovered well enough to travel to Amnoon shortly after Balthazar's defeat.
- Rox - A charr ranger who had been accompanying Braham up north to fight Jormag. She is a gladium, as her former warband was killed in a mining accident.
- Rytlock Brimstone - A former member of Destiny's Edge, he accompanied the Commander to help defeat Balthazar in the Crystal Desert and Elona regions.
- Taimi - A young asura who uses a golem to move around due to her degenerative disease. Her trusty golem Scruffy was recently rebuilt, though it still has some bugs. She used to be a ward of Zojja's, but is currently independent as Zojja is still healing from her time in a Blighting Pod. She has planted a communicator in the Commander's backpack so she can always be in touch.
The Pact[edit]
- Logan Thackeray - Formerly a member of Destiny's Edge and Captain of the Seraph, Logan Thackeray has taken the mantle of Pact Marshal.
- General Almorra Soulkeeper - Leader and founder of the Vigil, she's traveled to Elona to confront her long-time nemesis, Kralkatorrik.
Other allies[edit]
- Blish - An asura of the Inquest, brother of Gorrik and old friend of Taimi, who knows something of Joko's plans.
- Braham Eirsson - The son of Eir Stegalkin, he formed a guild full of norn to fight Jormag up north and called this new guild "Destiny's Edge". He's always ready to argue with the Commander.
- Gorrik - An asura of the Inquest, brother of Blish and old friend of Taimi, who knows something of Joko's plans.
- Shadows Agent Kito - A member of the Order of Shadows, a splinter group from the Order of Whispers. He and his Order have been helping the members of Dragon's Watch fight against Balthazar and Palawa Joko.
- Sayida the Sly - A corsair pirate, captain of The Sly Crew, and descendant of Margrid the Sly. She's always after a way to make her legend and family name greater.
- Caithe - One of the Firstborn sylvari, after her questionable actions during the campaign against Mordremoth, she has devoted her life to caring for Aurene.
Main villains[edit]
- Kralkatorrik - The Elder Crystal Dragon, who has become far more powerful after he consumed the magic from Balthazar's death; he's flown throughout Kourna, continuing the Dragonbrand and spreading his influence as far as Amnoon and Istan.
- Palawa Joko - The Scourge of Vabbi, and the Eternal King who conquered all the territory south of the Crystal Desert after the events of Nightfall. Was last seen left imprisoned in the Domain of the Lost by Balthazar's magic.
Story[edit]
Prelude: Shadow of the Mad King[edit]
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During the return of Mad King Thorn after the death of Balthazar, two strange occurrences appeared alongside the addition of new Lunatic Courtiers: Palawa Joko's Awakened could be seen in small groups along the coast of the Sea of Sorrows and the Mire Sea. According to Brigadier General Kernel, these forces were sent after someone "kicked up a fuss" in Elona and Joko sent them in retaliation, however Kernel also noted that Joko was refusing to send the bulk of his army in such an attack.
With Mad King's Day ending, strange Mysterious Skeletons began to appear near places close to the Underworld, and various priests of Grenth had heard callings from a red lady bringing them there. These priests were all found dead, killed by necromatic powers and axe wounds.
Episode 1: Daybreak[2][edit]
“Kralkatorrik is on the loose and Aurene is missing. But before you can deal with your dragon problems, Amnoon needs your help.
— In game description
Soon after Balthazar's defeat and the celebratory party afterwards, the Commander met up with Taimi and Rytlock at a small dolyak ranch a short distance away from Amnoon. After "borrowing" some of Joko's Awakened army to fight Balthazar, the Commander has tried to stay away from Elonian cities. Marjory and Kasmeer had gone off to monitor Kralkatorrik's actions, but he had just been sitting on a mountain cliff since his battle with the fallen god. However, the conversation is cut short as a Brandstorm erupts over Amnoon, despite Kralkatorrik's absence. Rytlock and the Commander rush towards Amnoon to help as many of its citizens as they can and slay as many Branded as they could. They were too late to save several citizens, including Deputy Qais. After the Brandstorm passed, Aurene - now an adolescent dragon - landed and gave the assembled allies a vision of a far away city and a huge army of Awakened. Agent Kito pointed out that the city seemed to be Fahranur, the First City, which was located in Istan. The Commander headed to the docks and boarded a ship to sail to the southern isle.
Once on Istan, the Commander headed to the Astralarium in search of Sunspear allies. The Astralarium is a sanctuary of knowledge, holding books from a time before Joko and his revisionist histories, but it is regularly assaulted by Awakened troops to disrupt their studies and toss the literature out onto the lawn. After demonstrating that they were no friend to Joko, the Commander was allowed into the secret base under the Astralarium, accessible only through a certain book that activates a portal down. Unfortunately, the Sunspears were unable to help as their leader, Spearmarshal Zaeim, was out trying to liberate Champion's Dawn from Awakened control.
At Champion's Dawn, two priests inform the Commander that Zaeim had been captured by corsairs. However, one of the former leaders of that corsair crew, Margrid the Sly, had lost an old coin. Returning it to the leader, Sayida the Sly, would probably earn a favor from her. It was being held by a particularly rebellious Awakened soldier in a cave to the south of the city, one that had always been nice to the children of the village.
The Commander defeated the Awakened Sunspear Champion, and headed to the corsair camp with coin in hand. Out there, the Commander ran into the same man who had arranged for travel to Istan back in Amnoon, and warned of the bounty on the Commander's head. He negotiated a parlay with the crew, in order to meet with the captain. Sayida was eager to turn the Commander in for the bounty, but reconsidered after seeing the coin. Sadly, Sayida had already turned Zaeim in for the bounty not an hour before. However, she had a plan to turn the Commander over for the bounty, but not before a special grog was prepared from ingredients found around the area. Agent Kito showed up, promising to provide his own help to the plan, along with Sayida. The Commander agreed, saying that the bounty up front would be a down payment, and the coin would only be turned over after the Commander successfully escapes.
At the Mordant Crescent hall, Agent Kito and his troops are nowhere to be seen, and Sayida's men were having trouble keeping the barrels of grog lifted, so they enacted the plan without the Order of Shadows. Just as the Commander is being surrendered, Taimi calls for the Commander through the communicator. The Warden of the hall knocks the Commander out, placing them in the cell next to Spearmarshal Zaeim. After the guard passes out, the Commander breaks out of the cell and frees Zaeim. The two of them sneak their way past all the Awakened guards until they reach a hidden bookcase. The Warden has the communicator, and Taimi is constantly calling out, clearly frightened of something. With Sayida and her men's help, the Warden is slain. The Commander learns that Taimi had been taken by Joko, who managed to escape from the Underworld, and is using her to exact revenge.
Sunspear recruits help the Commander and Zaeim escape the compound and head to the First City, with Rytlock and Canach joining shortly afterwards. The ancient city had lots of hazards, from the wildlife to Awakened soldiers and even old traps to prove as trials. Some of these pitfalls are surpassed with the aid of their mounts, and even Branded minions fighting the Awakened help the small party reach their destination. After a while, they find several asura corpses, all dressed in Inquest garb; it seems they had made a lab somewhere in Fahranur, despite the belief that all asura had been chased out ages ago. As soon as Canach tried to set an explosive to get past a bone wall, the Inquest corpses rose up, turned into Awakened servents, soon followed by a large Awakened Canid. After a lengthy battle, Canach's explosives go off, but it set off an avalanche. Luckily, the Commander and friends were shielded by Braham. He and Rox had been investigating the waves of undead that have started to attack Tyria, coming through asura gate portals with no gate on the other side.
Reunited with old friends, Dragon's Watch and allies destroyed the Inquest gates and continued on through the ancient city until they reached a gate hub, guarded by an asuran wall. A security recording confirmed that both Taimi and Joko had been there, and Taimi had reluctantly help open the gate under threat of being turned into an Awakened herself. As soon as the gate opened, however, a large wave of Awakened assaulted the team; only the Commander and Braham continued to the central platform, where Taimi had been locked inside her golem, and Awakened Inquest informed the Commander that he had declared war on them and their allies. Scruffy 2.0 then started to attack on its own, as it removed all the air from the cockpit. The Commander and Braham manage to save Taimi and destroy all the gates in the room at the same time. However, the Inquest's unknown research and the threat of Joko loomed over them like a dark shadow.
Twilight Oasis Fractal[edit]
Dessa has unlocked a fractal focusing on Palawa Joko's conquering of the Elona region. You play from the perspective of the newly formed Mordant Crescent, with your character taking the form of an Elonian human and former Sunspear. You participate in the assault of a village defended by Sunspears. The Sunspears here are led by Warden Amala. After an initial confrontation, Amala "kills" the party and retreats into the temple. The players are then revived as strengthened Awakened and ordered by Palawa Joko to hunt down the remaining sandbinders protecting the village's temple on the rooftop. The players and Joko's minions then launch a joint assault on Amala and the remaining Sunspears in the temple. After a grueling battle, they succeed in defeating Amala. Joko tells Amala to join him. She refuses and he kills and Awakens her. Then he orders her to kill her former allies and the remaining survivors. The player can encounter her again in awakened form in the standard timeline within the Living World Season 4 story-line and while attacking the Mordant Crescent Great Hall.
Hall of Chains[edit]
“An influx of murderous undead relentlessly hunt innocent worshipers of Grenth. Infiltrate the Underworld and join the struggle for control over the fates of the living and the dead.
— In game description
Investigation into the priests of Grenth's deaths led to Scholar Glenna discovering a newly opened portal to the Underworld at Reaper's Gate. Entering through, she and a group of raiders had discovered the Ice Wastes undersiege by none other than Dhuum himself. The red lady which had called upon the mortal priests was Desmina, who was leading the defenses against the former god of death. More priests were found dead within the Underworld, having managed to pass through portals as well but unable to stand up to Dhuum's minions.
When found, Desmina had been separated from her body, which was now controlled by Dhuum's own forces to assault those she had fought to protect. With the raider's assistance, Desmina was able to recover her body and lead them to the Hall of Judgment, and directed them to slaying four of Dhuum's greatest minions in the area to empower three statues of Grenth. Among these chief minions was King Frozenwind, another loyal servant of Grenth who had been twisted into Dhuum's servitude. With the three statues activated, Desmina was able to break the barrier around the Hall of Judgment and called upon the aid of the Seven Reapers. The raiders, Reapers, and Desmina then attempted to perform the age-old ritual to reimprison Dhuum, however Desmina had altered the ritual unbeknownst to the Reapers, sacrificing them and making the raiders stand in their place. With the altered ritual completed, Desmina was confident that Dhuum was resealed forever, and implied that she would take over the Underworld, remaining faithful to Grenth.
Side Story: Awakening Threat[edit]
With the asura gates at Fahranur activated, Palawa Joko began to send his armies to invade Central Tyria. The Fahranur lab's quick destruction should have ended the threat, however portals continued to open outside the largest six cities in the region, and Awakened flooded through. Defended by local forces, and assisted by the Commander and adventurers, the invasion forces were pushed back. Famous individuals were present defending their homes, including Sigfast and Skarti Knutsson, Exemplar Kerida, Captain Magnus the Bloody-Handed, the Gear warband, Ridhais, and Peacemaker Ninn.
Upon the first invasions thwarted, Peacemaker Ninn requested the aid of the Pact Commander in creating a device to track the invasions. Utilizing a resonance tuner, an etheric tank, and a gate alchemeter, Ninn and the Commander created a Phasic Distortion Reader capable of predicting portal locations. The Commander kept the prototype, while Ninn sent the blueprints to the Peacemakers for mass production.
Episode 2: A Bug in the System[3][edit]
“A scientist in the mysterious Inquest facility known as Rata Primus appears to hold the key to stopping Palawa Joko's vengeful invasion of Tyria, but infiltrating the enemy's stronghold will prove challenging.
— In game description
Kito sent a letter to the Commander with news on a possible lead. Taimi confirms the lead, and found a scientist in the Inquest that might be able to figure out just what Joko is after. The Commander headed off to Lifeblood Waterhole to meet Kito, with Rox and Braham arriving shortly thereafter. There was apparently a hidden Inquest base behind a waterfall, and the Commander would intercept a Specimen Collector Golem in order to sneak in and find the scientist, Blish, who Taimi knew back in college. Rox and Braham posed as specimen, and thus had to go through a delousing and cleanliness process while the Commander sneaked past Inquest drones to avoid alerting the Inquest sentries. At the end of the lab, a large directory tied to an asura gate revealed that Blish was in Rata Primus. A portal couldn't be opened directly into Rata Primus, but a lab nearby.
Once in this new lab, The Commander, Rox and Braham threw off all pretense of stealth and began systematically searching the lab for signs of the brother. Gorrik, Blish's younger brother, had sent out a distress message that Awakened were attacking Rata Primus. Along the way, the group met a charr who was being experimented on by the Inquest. We later learn her name is Boticca, and she is from a nearby village. Her clan call themselves the Olmakhan, a group who split off from the charr shortly after Kalla led the rebellion against the Flame Legion. The Olmakhan live very differently from the charr of the Black Citadel, preferring to be peaceful, raising their children in families instead of fahrars, and specializing in nature magic and sand effigies. Not long after Boticca returned to the village, the Inquest led an assault. The Commander and Braham focused on protecting a group of cubs who were far from the main village before joining the fight in the village elders' chamber. A massive golem killed Elder Narn.
Assessing the situation on the Sandswept Isles, the Commander went to scout around Rata Primus while Braham and Rox helped to guard the village. A brief meeting with Aurene offered an aerial view around the massive cube, and even a communication dish. A panel in one of the side labs had a recording of Gorrik's emergency message out about the Awakened and how they are both trapped inside. The Commander asked Taimi to call Sayida to bring her airship in to assault the cube; Taimi would see if she could tag along on the ride. Some of the surrounding labs, however, were creating a protective shield, preventing Sayida from getting close. After sabotaging three labs, everything was ready to enter Rata Primus.
Rox and the Olmakhan soldiers led a distracting ground assault on Rata Primus while the Commander and Braham performed a strike assault from Sayida's airship. Boticca and four other stormcallers aided by conjuring a storm that took out the defensive turrets. Inside, the lab was in chaos. Only the golems remained, and they were behaving erratically. After exploring three labs and obtaining security codes, the Commander learned that Gorrik had most likely sabotaged an asura gate to hinder Joko's progress, and barricaded himself in his lab with Blish. Down below, Awakened were already swarming the facility, with some of the Inquest Awakened themselves. Reaching Gorrik's lab, we find him safe but his brother to, although he was a golem now. The Commander and Braham decide to keep this secret from Taimi for now, feeling it best for her to learn the truth in person. The reunion is short-lived, though, as Joko managed to break into a highly secure lab and steal all the research the Inquest had been doing on the Scarab Plague (which is really more of a pestilence...). The Commander managed to catch up to Joko in the gate hub. Joko has apparently changed his ways, and rather than taunting and torturing the Commander with this failure, decided to have Commander Lonai kill off the nuisances before they had a chance to interfere more. During the fight, the asura gate activates and sucks Lonai, Braham and the Commander through. The fighting continues as they reach Divinity's Reach outside the circus tent, Mount Maelstrom while a lava monster attacks, and Frostgorge Sound while the Claw of Jormag rages on. Just before Lonai can be killed, the portal sucks up the three one last time to send them to a desolate rock amid a starry sky, seemingly far from Tyria. There, Lonai is killed for good in a place where Joko cannot raise her again, and the two ponder life on this strange, barren rock. Luckily, Blish reestablishes contact and is able to pull the two back to the Sandswept Isles.
Side Story: Reawakening Threat[edit]
With the destruction of Rata Primus' gate network, the Awakened invasions had slowed to a crawl. Surprisingly, however, they did not stop. Peacemaker Ninn requested further assistance from the Pact Commander in investigating the matter, suspecting that the destruction of the gate network has caused a malfunction, and suggested looking for Awakened in new locations. The Commander eventually found these Awakened on the isles of Southsun Cove. Upon investigating rumors and reports of locals in the area, the Commander eventually found device wreckage from Rata Primus and brought it to Ninn. After studying the debris for a day, Ninn compiled and filed a report on his findings.
Based on his research, Ninn concluded that there were a number of Awakened in transit when the gate network's entry point was destroyed. With no entry point or stable exit point, everything in transit was obliterated, however, a phenomena caused their remnants to be trapped within an interstitial state. This, in turn, is creating fractal-like copies of the Awakened that were in transit and killed, and will continue to repeatedly appear over the course of a few years until the anomaly fades.
Meanwhile, a travelling krewe of holo-news journalists have appeared in Southsun Cove, covering the Awakened invasions as well as asking a survey about people's favorite pet.
Episode 3: Long Live the Lich[4][edit]
“As the Scarab Plague threatens the Free City of Amnoon, Joko's plans are revealed in all their horrific splendor. Put an end to them.
— In game description
Gorrik had done some experiments and learned that the Scarab Plague only affects humans. However, after he talks about his experiments in public, and injects himself with the pestilence to prove it, he got all his possessions confiscated and himself locked in quarantine. The Commander, at Taimi's urging, shows up to his trial and pleads on his behalf, getting him released. The Commander, Taimi and Gorrik head to the docks to retrieve all of Gorrik's gear, including Blish who had been deactivated. Near the gear, Lord Faren greets the Commander, saying how Logan, as the new Marshall of the Pact, is sending a boat full of supplies to Amnoon to help relief efforts in the city. However, Joko had already released the Plague on the boat. The Commander dispatches the Plague and its Awakened victims, only for Joko to mockingly invite the Commander to come to Gandara, the Moon Fortress for "part 2" of his production.
Taimi recommends going to the Tomb of the Primeval Kings to get advice from the old Kings, since they had lived through the Scarab Plague themselves. After learning that Joko finally had the genuine article in his possession and was ready to release it on the world, Nahlah and Dahlah agree to lend their ghost army to fighting against the tyrant. They also reveal that they can smell the death on the Commander, meaning that the Scarabs will not find a suitable host in one who was once dead. Taimi and Blish prepare a small portal outside the Primeval Tomb, using the tech taken from Rata Primus, but Blish's golem arm accidentally falls through the portal.
On the other side of the portal, the Commander used Blish's severed arm to cloak and sneakily clear out all the Awakened in the nearby town to turn it into a new base in Kourna. Scouting out further, the main threats seem to be from the south and west, so Canach joins the Commander and brings with him both portable explosives and seeds that will quickly grow to make a giant vine wall. Once the base is secured, the army is sent through the rift, one group at a time. The entire army consists of Primeval ghosts, Olmakhan charr, Amnoon volunteers, Sunspear warriors and sylvari Thorn-Wall Shapers, along with Blish, Gorrik, Taimi, Braham and the Commander.
There are various tasks in Kourna that need to be completed before the Commander can assault the Moon Fortress. The insect Gorrik had been growing under his skin grew into a fairly large roller beetle that could be used as a new type of mount. A village north of the base had scarab eggs growing over the crops, and needed to be burned to prevent it from spreading further; it seems a loyalist in the village was following Joko's orders to spread the Scarab Plague. A heket tribe - Elonian hylek - to the east of the camp offer to help if their hunters could be returned, so that they can continue to feed themselves. Far to the south, a corsair ship crashed on the shore, but they are still able to send supplies to the main camp via catapults, backed up by non-humans and ghosts. After all that, Lord Faren got some crucial information to the front lines, risking being infected and getting seriously injured in the process.
Canach went on ahead to blow up the guard towers by Gendara's main entrance, while the Commander and the troops push across the bridge. Canach places an explosive on the door while the rest of the troops fight Awakened assaulting them from behind. When the door is finally blown open, third-generation troops start filing out from the breech. The door breech is barred briefly while the ghosts get ready to fight against the horde. Meanwhile, Braham leaps down and finds another way into the fortress: an entryway through the sewers. Progressing on this route, there are various traps lining the path. Braham finds a corpse that looks exactly like the Commander, then a few more. A signet ring, however, reveals this to merely be an illusion. Pushing back up the path, the Commander has to leap through various traps until reaching the Contaminarium. Near the end, Beastmarshall Oluwa Eranko protects the last room, thanking the Commander for the great victory fighting at the Grand Bazaar against Balthazar, but since Joko wills her to kill the Commander, she must obey.
As the Beastmarshall falls, the Commander heads into the Contaminarium, but falls into a trap. Joko taunts the Commander for a while, but Braham pushes the Commander out, getting trapped instead. Joko continues to mock the Commander for needing a friend to sacrifice himself to go on before fighting the Commander. He even offers the compliment that the Commander is a worthy rival. After a long battle, including vanishing for a while, summoning various protectors, activating traps, and flooding the room with the plague, Joko finally falls. When he does, the Awakened nearby seem stunned, unable to act without Joko's constant commands. However, this excitement is a bit too early, as Joko rises from where he fell and traps both the Commander and Braham. He proceeds to monologue, mocking the Commander about how easy it was to claim credit for the other's victory, and how the world will celebrate after Joko finally ends the menace. However, at the climax of the speech, Aurene lunges upon Joko and proceeds to eat its body. Palawa Joko is finally defeated, releasing a surge of energy, but nearly every ally except Gorrik is repulsed by the scene; Gorrik is merely interested in the new plague specimens.
Deepstone Fractal[edit]
Dessa gained access to a new fractal: the Deepstone Fractal.
The Fractal Explorers join a pair of tomb raiders, Kay and Torin, as they explore the lost treasure vault of the Deldrimor, Deepstone. However, as the party delved deeper into the vault, they've come to realize that the dwarven traps weren't designed to keep thieves out, but to keep something inside from leaving. The Explorers soon uncover the Light of Deldrimor by activating a crystal ward. The Light proved to not only be the key to disabling the rest of the dwarven wards, but also a powerful tool against the increasing numbers of shadow creatures harrying the party the deeper into the vault they went. At the very bottom of the vault, Torin's impatience leads him to be possessed by an ancient malignant entity, known as the Voice. Fending off the unnatural darkness with the Light of Deldrimor, the Fractal Explorers managed to defeat the entity, but only by killing Torin's body. The Fractal soon ends, leaving Kay grieving in the depths of Deepstone.
Episode 4: A Star to Guide Us[5][edit]
“Palawa Joko is gone for good, and Elona can finally begin to rebuild. But when a leadership summit in Jahai is unexpectedly interrupted, Elona finds itself at the center of yet another crisis.
— In game description
With its former leader defeated, Elona has 4 major groups interested in driving the fate of Elona from here on out. At the Fortress of Jahai, a conference is held with the Sunspears, the Order of Shadows, the Mordant Crescent, and the Free Awakened (Awakened freed from Joko's control and leading their own path). Talks were going well until Aurene crashed the conference literally by falling asleep in the main hall. Taimi calls for the Commander, who is Aurene's champion, to come and comfort her enough to leave the conference. Braham leads the way south into the Jahai Bluffs through a secret passage. Once Aurene is escorted away, the conference is about to resume until Archon Iberu plots a double-cross, having various Mordant Crescent cut off the exits from the room. Luckily, Koss appears and defeats Iberu. Then another disturbance arrives: the Shatterer has come back, and is attacking all those nearby. The Commander helps escort the various delegations out, then goes through the Fortress to rescue as many Free Awakened as possible from being killed again or Branded. On the other side of the Fortress, the Shatterer flies through a giant rift, a tear in reality leading into the Mists. Kralkatorrik has moved into the Mists, and has even knocked down General Almorra's airship.
Scattered around the Jahai Bluffs, a number of disturbances has changed the landscape. There was a replica Tower of Orr, with an eternal battle between Orrians and Flame Legion soldiers; a large field straight out of the Maguuma Jungle, complete with chak; and a strange cave with otherworldly mushrooms, that give strange visions from those who breathe in the spores too deeply. These disturbances are related to Kralkatorrik's meddling, and linked to creatures like the Branded Riftstalker. A nearby village had been the victim of the Brand just moments after the conference was disrupted, but then Braham managed to find survivors of this event. They had managed to hide in a stable carved out of solid rock, thick enough to prevent the Brand from penetrating it. This causes Koss to remember about a location nearby that the Sunspears used to use that was also deep underground.
Koss and his distant descendant, Kossan, lead Braham and the Commander deep into the former Sunspear sanctuary. The bad news is that the place had been overtaken by spiders, but the good news is that they are not Branded, despite the base being squarely in the Brand. The central flame is lit, intending to bring light and safety back to the cave, but the sticky webs have prevented Kormir's fire from reaching the other sconces. The spiders and their broodmother are killed after a fierce battle, just as refugees start to file into the cave. However, a rift had just opened up outside of the newly redubbed Sun's Refuge, threatening all within. The Commander and Braham go off to fight off the Branded invaders, and are shortly aided by Eir Stegalkin, Braham's mother, and Snaff, former member of Destiny's Edge who died after Kralkatorrik's first flight. They had come bearing a message for Aurene: it is time for her to kill Kralkatorrik and take his place as an Elder Dragon. However, Aurene receives her own vision: multiple visions of various allies fighting with her against the Elder Dragon in various locations. And yet, they all end the same: with Aurene dying. Upset by this, the dragon flies off and out into the open skies.
Watching the allied dragon fly off worries many of the refugees, but Blish assures them all that he has a plan. He thinks that he could build a tracker that he could use to track Kralkatorrik's movements through the rifts, if only he had a huge magical item, like perhaps Balthazar's Sword. Various Priory members have already been searching for it and plotted a flight path for where it should have landed after the god's defeat. However, a sniper had beaten the Priory scouts in finding it and stole it away to a nearby fort. The Commander goes in to retrieve it, and finds that the sniper priestess seems very familiar, but could not remember from where. Eventually, the priestess accepts defeat and throws herself at the Commander's feet, prepared to be kill. The Commander, however, shows remarkable kindness and spares her, only looking to retrieve the sword. The priestess, Zafirah, is humbled by this gesture. However, Blish notes that the sword seems to be unpowered. Rytlock is asked to use Sohothin to reignite the sword, which acts as if it had a mind of its own. However, everything was now in place for a journey into the Mists, to feed Kralkatorrik the laced bait.
Within the Mists, a mighty battle rages on, as Glint helps lead soldiers against the Branded there. Blish sets to work on putting the tracking device on the sword, while the Commander protects him. After several minutes of work, though, Blish tells the Commander to leave, as he still needs to make some final adjustments. This, however, was a lie. Blish instead sacrificed his golem body to be the power source for the tracker. He says his goodbyes to the Commander, and asks that Dragon's Watch no longer kept any secrets from each other. He says this, because Taimi had neglected to tell that her condition has come back, affecting her worse than ever, and she has an expiry date coming up soon.
But in the final moments of grieving, who should appear but Caithe, having much to tell the Commander.
Mythwright Gambit[edit]
“Zommoros has invited you to participate in the very first private tour of the Mystic Forge. Witness the incredible inner workings of the djinn's magical domain, and uncover the dark secret that lurks at its center.
— In game description
Scholar Glenna alerts the raiders to once-in-a-lifetime invitation from Zommoros to tour the fabled Mystic Forge. However the raiders soon find themselves caught in the middle of a wager made between Zommoros and the fire djinn, Qadim. Inundated by his gambling debts, Zommoros had bet the contents of his entire Mystic Forge against three challenges set by Qadim: a massive golem made from the piles of items in the Mystic Forge Acquisition Piles, a dreg shark set loose into Sorting and Appraisal, and twin largoses the fire djinn had trapped inside his menagerie, Nikare and Kenut. While the raiders managed to overcome all three challenges, especially a grueling battle with the largoses, Qadim refuses to admit defeat. They soon reveal Qadim's own gambit: the Mythwright Cauldron, a powerful artifact Zommoros had hidden under the Mystic Forge itself. After an intense battle against Qadim and his powerful pets summoned from his menagerie over the Cauldron with the help of Zommoros, the raiders managed to finally defeat the fire djinn. Unfortunately, the djinn's body had slipped off the edge, falling into the Cauldron. Qadim rose from the Mythwright Cauldron, infused with its new power, and fled.
Shadow of the Mad King[edit]
Mad King Thorn returns and challenges visitors to once again take part in his army training as well as offers a new race around that arena. However, with his rival dead, to avoid his king's wrath Brigadier General Kernel tasks the Pact Commander with collecting trophies to fool the Mad King into thinking that Kernel's forces had merely fought Joko and forced the lich king to retreat.
Secret Lair of the Snowmen[edit]
Bereft of Dwayna's guidance, the hearts of the snowmen have frozen over, turning snowy joy into cruel ice. Fearing the return of Grentches and Humbugs to threaten Wintersday with the absence of its guardians, the snowman Cob recruited brave adventurers from The Crown Pavilion in Divinity's Reach to venture into the Secret Lair of the Snowmen, in hopes that they will be able to save his friends. Within the lair, the adventures help Jolly Donny return the warmth of joy back into hearts of the disillusioned snowmen. Deep within the lair, the adventurers encounter Freezie, the Greatest Snowman Ever Made, the ancient leader of the snowmen whose broken heart had turned him into frigid monstrosity. In an epic battle of ice, frost, and snowballs, the adventurers succeeded in returning Wintersday joy to Freezie's heart, saving the snowmen and Wintersday in the process.
Episode 5: All or Nothing[6][edit]
“When the details of Glints legacy are revealed, the commander and Aurene must prove their trust for one another and prepare their allies for the battle of their lives: bringing down the Crystal Dragon.
— In game description
Caithe arrives in Vabbi and tells the Commander that it's time to discuss plans with Ogden. Shortly after meeting the stone dwarf, he instantly tells them both that they are heading to Thunderhead Keep, the location where the spear that was meant to kill Kralkatorrik was first forged. But first, the Commander and Aurene must undergo yet another trial in Glint's lair, with Caithe accompanying them to keep watch. In the lair, the Commander learns how to use use the resonance crystals and gets to try out the crystal spear. Aurene gets a vision of herself Branded, but the Commander assures her that that will not happen. With the trial complete, Glint teaches Aurene about Ascension and tells the Commander much about Kralkatorrik, like how he saw a vision of a world where he did not exist. After leaving the lair, Caithe mentions that it had been 2 days since they had both entered the lair, and they all head off to the Keep.
At the keep, nearly every allied force has gathered there to prepare for the assault on Kralkatorrik, from Awakened and Olmakhan to the members of the Pact. An Exalted stands by the forge, prepared to forge a new spear, but she needs oil that the dredge harvest to the south of the forge. The dredge's settlement has been attacked by Kralkatorrik, with Branded crystals choking various parts of their machinery. Then, a new mold is taken out of an old dwarven tomb in order to craft the new spears. Sadly, the new spears are far more fragile than the original spears, but many more can be crafted, so they can be distributed among the troops.
Moving into the inner chamber, a ghost sent by Glint informs the Commander about the situation in the Mists. Rifts start opening in the large chamber, but shortly thereafter, Aurene Brands the ground, but in a positive way. Caithe herself gets Aurene-Branded, and is able to speak on behalf of the dragon spawn, communicating: "I am not him." Unfortunately, Aurene's visions of the battle turn out to be accurate, and she is killed by Kralkatorrik.
Side Story: Rift Stalkers[edit]
As Kralkatorrik's influence within the Mists grew, Mists Rifts began appearing throughout Tyria, each emitting Brand crystals into the surrounding areas. Adventurers dove into the rifts to kill the riftstalker within, thereby sealing the portals.
Episode 6: War Eternal[edit]
“Following their catastrophic loss in Thunderhead Keep, the commander's allies gather to honor the fallen. For them, a single question lingers: What now?
— In game description
Quite a while after Aurene got encased in crystal, Caithe contacted the Commander, asking that everyone gather around for a final moment. Upon arriving at the site, Caithe decides to remove part of the crystal shell, and Aurene's body started to glow. The Commander blasts the body a couple times, and Aurene is freed, speaking for the first time. It seems having eaten Joko's magic allowed her to come back from the dead. Everyone's resolve is renewed, and Gorrik gives the Commander the location of Kralkatorrik. The Commander mounts onto Aurene's back, and she opens a rift to chase after her grandfather. After flying through three of the gods' realms, Melandru, Grenth and Balthazar, and failing to force Kralkatorrik out with just opening a portal in front of him, Aurene manages to blast off one of his wings, and Aurene manages to open a portal back to Tyria. He crashes into the ocean southeast of Orr, buried up islands that had been torn out of the Mists. This new region is dubbed "Dragonfall".
Three distinct groups set up camps on this new landmass. Rytlock and Logan join up with the Mist Raiders, led by Gwen Thackery herself. The Olmakhan ride off to the southwest. A group of soldiers call themselves the Crystal Bloom, and head off to the west. Aurene keeps up assaults on Kralkatorrik to keep him down. Taimi joins Sayida on the latter's airship, circling the islands to watch the battle unfold. After scouting the island, Braham gives the Commander surveillance probes to place all about the islands. There are islands flowing under the island which feeds and heals Kralkatorrik. After placing the three probes, Caithe and Aurene call the Commander to a rocky outcropping in the southwestern island. There, Aurene had found the skyscales, a new type of dragon not ever witnessed before. The Commander approached and befriended one, feeding it unbound magic to better befriend it and then flies up onto the severed wing. The skyscale blasts open a crystal scab, then allows the Commander to gather some of Kralkatorrik's blood. With the help of Zafirah and two Zephyrites, the Commander manages to forge a True Crystal Spear to use against the elder dragon.
After some tests of the spear, including attacking a sore spot on Kralkatorrik's claw, the Commander enters a cave leading under the islands to shut off some subterranean leylines. Zafirah, Caithe and Rytlock aid the Commander, as does Aurene, while Logan and the other armies assault the body above. However, even though the body is dead, something still stirs inside the corpse. Aurene flies the Commander into Kralkatorrik's mouth, straight to his heart. Inside, Kralkatorrik is warring with his own Torment, including the invasive magic it had already absorbed from Zhaitan, Mordremoth and Balthazar. After much fighting with each invasive magics, these magical spires inside are sealed by Aurene, before the heart is finally vulnerable to the Crystal Spear. Despite Aurene's animosity, Kralkatorrik in his final words was glad to see Aurene again for the last time.
With Kralkatorrik defeated, Aurene manages to ascend to become an Elder Dragon and flies off, as the rest of the crew flies back to Lion's Arch, having successfully defeating another Elder Dragon while leaving aside "new problem" for now.
The Key of Ahdashim[edit]
“After the events in the Mystic Forge, Qadim has returned home to the Hidden City of Ahdashim to usurp a great power. Seek the Key and the cardinals for guidance into the hallowed city walls and stop Qadim from destroying not only the djinn, but also the natural balance of the world.
— In-game description
After Qadim's escape following the events in the Mythwright Gambit, Scholar Glenna and "the esteemed champions of the Forge" are told by Zommoros to follow his trail to the city of Adashim and seek the Key of Ahdashim. They find the Key has been shattered across the courtyard packed with branded monsters. After fighting through the courtyard and assisting in retrieving the pieces restoring the Key in the fountain, the Key explains the status of the city: Qadim killed the cardinals of water and fire, coearced air and earth into joining him, and currently sits in the center draining the ley line. While the raiders are defeating both cardinals, Scholar Glenna tried to pursue the Key into sharing further information regarding about a powerful pylon. Only after the raiders manage to defeat the last cardinals that Scholar Glenna gave up and took the matter into her own hand by tempering with the pylon using flux disruptors to test her theories about ley line flow towards Qadim. Though annoyed, the Key agrees to aid the raiders and absorbs their power to prevent it flowing to Qadim. After a grueling battle with Qadim the Peerless, he explodes into unbound magic which the Key gathers and then suddenly releases, saying all djinn will together share the burden.
Dates of free access[edit]
Logging into the game between the two dates listed would unlock the related episode for free (as opposed to buying it in the Gem Store). You can unlock the episodes even if you do not own Path of Fire, but you must have the expansion in order to play them. The dates are as follows:
| Episode | Dates |
|---|---|
| Daybreak | November 28, 2017 - March 6, 2018 March 26, 2019 - April 1, 2019[7] August 24, 2021 - August 31, 2021[8] |
| A Bug in the System | March 6, 2018 - June 26, 2018 April 02, 2019 - April 08, 2019[9] August 31, 2021 - September 7, 2021[8] |
| Long Live the Lich | June 26, 2018 - September 18, 2018 November 27, 2018 - January 7, 2019[10] April 9, 2019 - April 15, 2019[11] September 7, 2021 - September 14, 2021[8] |
| A Star to Guide Us | September 18, 2018 - January 7, 2019 April 16, 2019 - April 22, 2019[12] September 14, 2021 - September 21, 2021[8] |
| All or Nothing | January 8, 2019 - May 14, 2019 September 21, 2021 - September 28, 2021[8] |
| War Eternal | May 14, 2019 - September 16, 2019[13] September 28, 2021 - October 5, 2021[8] |
Voice acting[edit]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ Complete the Cycle: Guild Wars 2 Living World Season 4 Return trailer, YouTube.com
- ^ Guild Wars 2 Living World Season 4 Episode 1 Daybreak Trailer - YouTube
- ^ Guild Wars 2 Living World Season 4 Episode 2 A Bug in the System Trailer - YouTube
- ^ Guild Wars 2 Living World Season 4 Episode 3 Long Live the Lich Trailer - YouTube
- ^ Guild Wars 2 Living World Season 4 Episode 4 A Star To Guide Us Trailer - YouTube
- ^ Guild Wars 2 Living World Season 4 Episode 5 All or Nothing - YouTube
- ^ Welcome Back to Guild Wars 2: Week One
- ^ a b c d e f Guild Wars 2 Live: Fall and Winter 2021, GuildWars2.com
- ^ Welcome Back to Guild Wars 2: Week Two
- ^ Guild Wars 2 Roller Beetle Racing Sweepstakes - YouTube
- ^ Welcome Back to Guild Wars 2: Week Three
- ^ Welcome Back to Guild Wars 2: Week Four
- ^ The Living World Season 4 finale, “War Eternal”, arrives on May 14!
