The Crown Pavilion
This article is about the area accessible all year round. For the zone accessible during Festival of the Four Winds, see The Crown Pavilion (zone). The Crown Pavilion
Map of The Crown Pavilion
Location within Divinity's Reach
- Type
- Area
- Zone
- Divinity's Reach
(Kryta) - Connects to
- District Promenade (E)
Plaza of Balthazar (N)
Balthazar Low Road (NE)
Plaza of Melandru (S)
Melandru Low Road (SE)
The Crown Pavilion (zone)
Loading screen
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The Crown Pavilion |
The Crown Pavilion within Divinity's Reach proper is the upper level of the Crown Pavilion arena that is located within the huge sinkhole that was once known as the Great Collapse. The Crown Pavilion is a large arena built to commemorate humanity's resilience despite their hardships, and the renovation of the district was the Queen's Jubilee that marked Queen Jennah's 10th year as queen of Kryta. The plans for these renovations were in place for a few years.[1]
There are portals to access the middle levels of the Crown Pavilion (which are within the area, not the zone).
History[edit]
The Canthan and Arts District in Divinity's Reach was established since the founding of the city in 1220 AE and had several Canthan immigrants moving in after access to Cantha had been cut off by the rising of Orr and the spreading influence of the Elder Dragon Zhaitan. As it grew, the district had theatres, craftsmen, and entertainment, including the Great Symphony Hall. It collapsed sometime between 1324 and early 1325 AE due to a rushed construction and being placed atop a cavernous sinkhole which local Krytans had used as tombs in the past.[2][3][4][5][6][7] Some of the residents who had escaped the collapse migrated to neighboring districts.
There are conflicting stories on what happened the night of the collapse. According to the Shining Blade the sewer system had collapsed and there had been warning signs a couple weeks before the disaster. Accordingly, they took steps to work with the Seraph to evacuate all residents from the district. Some citizens reported the collapse happening in multiple stages with cracks appearing first, and a main collapse happening later. However, many locals never mentioned that the Seraph were involved with protecting the citizens, and along with this, Riot Alice said that her father had died during the collapse. There were also rumors of strange noises coming from the depths of the Great Collapse, which were associated with pre-existing rumors of stories of drakes living in the city's sewer system.[2]
In 1326 AE, the district was rebuilt as the Crown Pavilion, an arena for duels and mass brawls which both commemorated humanity's resilience and celebrated Queen Jennah's tenth year as the monarch of Kryta. The festivities were interrupted by two surprise attacks led by the sylvari terrorist Scarlet Briar who set off several bombs which claimed many lives, activated tampered watchknights to attack surviving citizens and soldiers, and attempted to kidnap the queen.[8][9] Although Scarlet was ultimately driven off, the aftermath of the attack led to the watchknights being pulled back until they were reprogrammed and reinstated for the Siege of Divinity's Reach in 1330 AE with an official public return to the Crown Pavilion for the Festival of the Four Winds in 1331 AE.[10]
NPCs[edit]
Allies[edit]
Services[edit]
Ambient dialogue[edit]
- Child: I saw this hunter who had a doggie. It was bigger than me, and it said, "Woof!"
- Child: Hi!
- Child: Let's play a game!
- Child: When I grow up, I'm going to be a brave hero!
- Child: Is that your face? (boy with a sword)
- Child: Are you a stranger? (boy with a sword)
Historical ambient dialogue[edit]
- During The Great Collapse
- Gossiping Citizen (male): Did you ever stop to wonder if something caused that collapse intentionally? Scary thought.
- Gossiping Citizen (female): I was strolling along the promenade when the main collapse happened. It made quite a ruckus!
- Gossiping Citizen: I'll tell you what, looking at that sinkhole makes me mighty uncomfortable.
- Gossiping Citizen: Yeah. Imagine how many people would've been injured if the queen hadn't evacuated the area before it collapsed.
- Gossiping Citizen: It's not just that. I've heard strange noises coming from that place, and I doubt it's just the earth settling.
Gallery[edit]
- Lunar New Year screenshots
- Festival of the Four Winds and Queen's Jubilee screenshots
- Wintersday screenshots
- Historical screenshots
The original Canthan district during development.
The Great Collapse.
The tent hiding construction in the Great Collapse during Cutthroat Politics.
- Concept art
Great Collapse concept art by Levi Hopkins.
Notes[edit]
- As of the July 23rd, 2013 update, a large tent was placed over the Great Collapse, indicating that construction is progressing. The vista was changed as well to showcase the tent.
- It is possible to get on top of the eagle design and jump into the hole. When the Crown Pavilion map is open, doing so will portal you into the zone from above. Without access, it simply sends you to the balconies within the hole.
Trivia[edit]
- At one point during development, this area was originally a completed Canthan district and included a blend of Asian architectures. Shortly before release, developers were told to remove it, and no official reason has ever been given. Due to time constraints the district was replaced by the Great Collapse.[11] However, there have also been developer comments stating that the originally planned existence of the Canthan district should not be considered canonical.[12]
- Both "crown" and "pavilion" are terms used in diamond cutting, and the shape of the area itself may be meant to resemble a brilliant cut diamond with the pavilion leveled off and the elaborate glass-winged eagle representing the crown.
References[edit]
- ^ LoreSpecial: Scarlet Briar, TowerTalk
- ^ a b Gossiping Citizen
- ^ Suspicious Activity
- <Character name>: Tell me more about Yeng Isen.
- Valenze: He was born and raised in the Canthan areas of Divinity's Reach. He worked in the gladiatorial arena until he was injured.
- ^ TowerTalk LoreSpecial: Menschen, TowerTalk:
- al'Ellisande: You just mentioned the different districts in Divinity's Reach. What about the district for Cantha? What I see on the map is the Great Collapse. What is it?
- Ree Soesbee: It's true. When they built Divinity's Reach, they built it rather quickly. Lion's Arch had just been flooded by the rise of Orr. A lot of the land all along the coast line was ruined. The villages had to move. There was no where to build. So they built on a site that seemed to have a strong foundation when the built the city of Divinity's Reach. But because they didn't have a lot of time they didn't have a lot of choice. They didn't realize that part of that foundation wasn't stable. The mountain that Divinity's Reach is built on, the Rise is, it's got caverns in it. It's got holes in it. It was used as tombs by some humans in the area before the rise of Orr. And that area became unstable and has collapsed. You can still find a lot of the Canthan district. It didn't destroy every single thing that's Canthan in the city. And one of the tour guides of Divinity's Reach has a lot of text on it where it talks about Cantha and the last people to talk to Cantha. And what little we have of Cantha. And what we know of Cantha. So that culture is still invested in Guild Wars 2.
- ^ "Chapter 6", Ghosts of Ascalon by Matt Forbeck and Jeff Grubb:
- The city of Divinity's Reach was laid out like a great six-spoked wheel, with each spoke being a great high road that arched from the outer walls of white stone to the uppermost reaches of the city. The upper city, with its palace and senate and domed gardens, was at the hub, and the lower reaches between the arched high roads were where most people lived. Over the years, the divided sectors took on a regional flavor. The original Krytans predominated in one sector of the city, while the descendants of the Ascalonians, their homelands blasted by the charr centuries earlier, gathered in another. Other spaces between the bridges were dominated by Elonian and Canthan immigrants, their distant homelands now unreachable, thanks to the rise of the Elder Dragons.
- ^ "Chapter 7", Ghosts of Ascalon by Matt Forbeck and Jeff Grubb:
- All he had to do was slip out the front gates, or even hide elsewhere in the city, perhaps go to ground in the Canthan district, where she didn't know anyone.
- ^ The Ghosts of Ascalon novel takes place in 1324 AE while personal story begins in early 1325 AE, suggesting that the collapse happened between the two stories.
- ^ Opening Ceremony
- ^ Closing Ceremony
- ^ Royal Engineer Siroa
- ^ A Lincolncast interview with Josh Foreman (Episode 34), at ~1:44:17., The Lincolncast
- ^ Post by Anthony Ordon in "New thing in Great Collapse", Old Guild Wars 2 Forums (Archived)
