User:Lysander/Norn
 Asura
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 Sylvari
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 Humans
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 Norn
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 Charr
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“Norn have no need of armies. We are Norn.
The Norn are an individualistic society, each member putting great value into their own accomplishments rather than into cooperation with their comrades. The concept of "Rugged Individualism" is valued in many places, and it can create both great strengths and great vulnerabilities. My Norn characters take two different approaches to fighting the dragons, either questing for individual power or working among allies to defeat foes.
Legal Disclaimer: I have also expanded on details of existing lore to flesh things out a bit. For legal purposes, everything on this page should be regarded as fan-fiction, intended in no way to infringe on ArenaNet's rights to sole control of the lore of their game. As they continue to develop the true lore of Guild Wars 2, any of their changes that overwrite what you see here will obviously take precedence.
One Against Many[edit]
Years ago, a lone Norn guardian arrived in Hoelbrak. Stopping first at a tavern, he sat down at the bar and asked for the stiffest drink available. When asked, he identified himself as Elias, and said that this was his first time in Hoelbrak. However, he refused to explain where he had come from.
Hearing laughter, he turned to see a group of adolescents sitting at a table behind him, sharing jokes over small mugs. Among them was a red-haired female that caught his attention immediately. He stared at her, drawing the ire of the bartender, who demanded that he take his eyes off the young students.
Elias responded to the term "students" skeptically. There was war beyond the city, and studies were not going to drive off the Icebrood. The bartender replied that perhaps they would destroy the Icebrood, if the students became powerful enough.
Elias turned back to the students, and his eyes found the red-haired one again. This time, she caught him looking at her. After a second or two of eye contact, she got up and left her colleagues at the table, making for the exit. Elias followed immediately.
He found her standing outside, casually flipping a basic green wood scepter. When he approached, she pointed the weapon at him and demanded to know who he was. He responded by asking if she had ever been in a real fight. He told her about the Icebrood that were forever threatening the city, and she responded that she could handle herself. He decided to take her up on that challenge, and gave her one night to prepare. She departed confidently.
He reentered the tavern, and asked the bartender about her. The bartender told him that she was called the Immolass, as she tended to scorch those who tried to get too close. The bartender was disappointed that she had not done so to Elias.
Elias was impressed. The student was clearly a fighter. Nevertheless, he was a little surprised to find her waiting for him the following morning, in the exact spot where they had their conversation the previous day. She was dressed in apprentice armor and holding her scepter and a green wood focus. He pointed out that she might be cold, but she said that she had her own ways of keeping warm. As she raised her weapons, fire danced around her wrists.
They traveled north to Snowden Drifts. Along the way, they properly introduced themselves. Her real name was Helna, and she disliked the nickname that her peers had given her, but she cared little. She was born and raised in Hoelbrak, but had trained herself as an elementalist against the various creatures in the valley that surrounded the Borealis Forest. She asserted that she was the strongest among her peers, and the real reason for the nickname was that they feared her.
When they reached Tromigar Valley, they found a battle raging, as the Lionguard attempted to defend their haven from an onslaught of Icebrood. Helna wasted no time in rushing to help, lashing out at the corrupted ice creatures with flames. She and Elias helped the Lionguard drive the creatures out of the fort.
In the calm following the fight, Elias helped the Lionguard tend to their wounded, using his guardian healing skills. Helna, meanwhile, found herself sitting beside an old Norn named Bulsa. She explained that her son had joined the Lionguard, and had been stationed there. He had sent for her to live there as well, certain that he could keep her safe. She enjoyed being close to him, and didn't mind being surrounded by the cold, stone walls of the haven rather than the warm lodges of Hoelbrak.
Her son came over and introduced himself, and Helna found herself impressed by him. He was a powerful, confident warrior, and clearly more mature than the silly males who saw fit to chase after her in Hoelbrak. He took her up onto the wall of the haven, and they sat their talking for a time. He told her stories of a life of war, protecting the innocent from the minions of Jormag and the other dragons. People would never be safe while the dragons lived, and he intended to see every one of them destroyed, starting with the ice dragon.
Eventually, they fell into a comfortable silence, and he looked out over the snowy plains flanking the Lion Road. As he did so, a chill wind blew across his face, and a tiny speck of ice landed on his cheek. He didn't notice it at first, but it quickly began to take hold of him.
When he looked back at Helna, she was horrified to see corrupted ice quickly spreading across his face. He made an unnatural sound, and knocked her away. Scrambling to her feet, she drew her weapons, hoping that she wouldn't have to strike him.
The ice continued to spread around his body. He rose, stalking towards her. Then her attention was drawn by a commotion in the courtyard below.
Rain and ice swirled around the soldiers, not coming from any visible clouds. Ice formed on the ground beneath their feet. The Lionguard did their best to protect themselves from the corruption.
Suddenly, Helna was knocked aside once more, and this time she tumbled from the battlements. Getting up from the ground, she quickly dodged out of the way as corrupted ice surged toward her feet, then tried to melt it away with her fire.
The Lionguard were flailing around her, unable to fight against the swirling corruption. Elias grabbed her arm, and they fled. She made sure that Bulsa followed her out, knowing that her son was already lost. Before leaving the haven, she cast one last glance up to the wall, where the hulking figure of the corrupted Norn watched her.
As survivors fled to the nearby Highpass Haven, Elias turned to guard their retreat, and Helna joined him. She cast walls of flame against the assault of those who had been corrupted, keeping them away. Eventually, the new Icebrood fell back to the fallen haven.
When the skirmish was over, Elias fell back onto the snow, weary. Helna looked over and saw an icy wound crossing his face. Looking down at herself, she noticed that she too had a shallow wound on her shoulder, in which some ice was visible. She quickly scorched the wound, melting away the ice, but she felt a tingling that let her know she might not have cleared away the corruption completely. Turning to Elias, she brought her hand to his face and burned the wound, melting away that ice. It hurt him greatly, and left his face badly scarred, but the ice was no longer visible.
They traveled to Highpass Haven, which was barricaded behind them. There, they climbed up onto the wall and looked back the way they had come. Great pillars of corrupted ice formed over the haven that had been lost. Elias told her that he could still feel some corruption in his wound, but for the moment, it wasn't spreading. She could feel the same.
Once they were certain that the survivors were safe, they returned to Hoelbrak. Elias was given lodging in Hunter's Hearth, and the healers tried to tend to his face. Helna, meanwhile, returned to her studies, more determined than ever to destroy Jormag and the corruption that it spread. She made sure that the wound on her shoulder was carefully concealed, refusing to let anyone see it.
Years later, she joined the Vigil in its quest to defeat Zhaitan. She was approached by a Charr named Majid about joining a guild he was establishing, and agreed, though she kept herself largely aloof from the group. After Forgal was lost, she realized that she needed to boost her own power to prevent so many from dying in the war. If she became powerful enough, she could avoid so many having to fight and die around her against the dragons.
She soon left the guild and began studying the elemental arts more ardently than ever. The ever-present tingling in her shoulder was very slowly starting to grow, but she controlled it as best she could. Discovering a dangerous ritual, she traveled down to the fiery Mount Maelstrom and stood in the heat of the fire, using her elemental abilities to keep the flames at bay. Then she allowed the energy to completely overtake her body, hoping that it would give her complete control over the elements.
The ritual had a dramatic effect. Her old appearance was left behind, as the energy flowed through her body and radiated through her skin, changing it. Her form became demonic and fearsome. Flames surged and roared around her, gathering onto new armor over her arms and face. The corruption in her shoulder, however, remained, continuing to spread ever-so-slowly.
The immense influx of power also changed her personality, befitting the change in her appearance. She has become a pure fighter, focused solely on destroying the dragons and their minions. She is not interested in alliances, knowing that friends can quickly become liabilities. She will do whatever it takes to destroy her enemies, and she will never stop.
One Among Many[edit]
Not long after her return from the battle in Tromigar Valley, Helna was approached by one of her peers, Yoric. While Yoric was lacking in the personal or magical strength of their other colleagues, he made up for it by inventing powerful machines to aid him in combat. His technology, as well as the fiery Charr weapons that he used, were unusual among the Norn, and made some uncomfortable, but he generally got along with others better than Helna did.
After the battle, however, Helna had withdrawn even more than usual, and Yoric was concerned about her. After she rebuffed his attempt at conversation, he went to Eir Stegalkin for advice. Eir was a powerful and respected fighter, but had been in a funk of her own. She had recently returned from abroad, and would not disclose where she had gone or what had happened, but it was clear that she had suffered a defeat. However, Yoric liked Eir mainly because she was a sculptor in addition to a fighter, and a dramatic defeat did not diminish his respect for her at all. He frequently marveled at the statues she created of great Norn heroes of the past.
When he arrived at her homestead, he found her working on a new statue, this one of an old Asura. Upon his interruption, she quickly tried to turn him away from the work, taking him inside. It was a bizarre reaction, but the topic of Helna seemed more pressing.
They talked for a long time about the nature of their race, and how so many turned away from their comrades to seek individual glory. Eir herself had done so, but had realized that she could not defeat the dragons through strength alone. It seemed clear that Helna would similarly try to fight on her own, and Eir hoped that she came to that same realization before it was too late.
They then turned to the topic of alliances, and Yoric asked Eir about her experiences. She was reluctant to say much at first, but he persuaded her, telling her that he already knew she had suffered some dramatic defeat, and details could hardly compound her embarrassment that much more. He asked about the statue of the old Asura, and she told him that it was based on Snaff, a genius who had fallen because of her poor decision. Strong alliances need strong leadership, or else they are doomed, and a team capable of defeating the dragons would need stronger leadership than Eir could provide. Yoric knew that allies would be needed, but she cautioned him to be wary of whom he chose to follow.
Yoric took these words to heart, and learned to balance his respect for teamwork with a consciousness of the abilities of his comrades and their capacities to help or hurt him. Eventually, he attracted the attention of Ifwyn, a recruiter for the secretive Order of Whispers. Agreeing to join the order, he traveled to Lion's Arch and began contributing to the campaign against Zhaitan.
He was soon approached by Majid and the human Alexei Hart, and agreed to join their guild as a liaison for his order. He observed Alexei closely, and determined that he could be a leader capable of defeating the dragons. However, remembering Eir's failure, he remained cautious.
Throughout this time, he refused to give up on encouraging Helna to more actively support her allies. She grew progressively more aloof, however, and ultimately left the guild altogether. Yoric and Eir had long known this would happen, but it saddened the engineer nonetheless to see her vanish in the fashion that she did. It was a long time before he would hear any word of her again.
The successful defeat of the dragon vanquished Yoric's reservations about his companions. They had more than proven themselves, and he continued to fight alongside them at the vanguard of the Pact. However, after helping to eliminate the crazy Sylvari Scarlet Briar and her mechanical monstrosities, he returned to Hoelbrak, missing his home and the more peaceful life he had once known. He knew it was only a matter of time before he would have to take up arms once more, but in the meantime he would reacquaint himself with his fellows and restore old friendships.
Among his old acquaintances was Vala, who was a year younger than he and Helna were. Vala had always envied Helna for the attention she received. Once Helna was gone, however, she found herself receiving that attention, and didn't like it. She learned to hide, developing a talent for stealth that was rare among Norn. When Yoric returned, he found her thieving, and took it upon himself to help her put her new skills to better use, fighting the minions of Jormag and defending her home.
Yoric found himself content in returning to his old life among his kin. He had forged his legend, and affirmed his belief in the importance of allies and teamwork. For the time being, he would devote his inventions and abilities to defending Hoelbrak and training young Norn, at least until Tyria needed him again.
Two Parts of a Whole[edit]
As the threat of Mordremoth spread across Tyria, the dichotomy between these two Norn philosophies played out again between a new pair of heroes.
Valkor was a young necromancer who admired Helna. Just as she had pushed the boundaries of the elemental arts, so was he determined to broaden his knowledge and mastery of necromancy beyond that of any present necromancers. Yoric warned him against such ambitions, but he ignored the hero's advice, and traveled to Snowden Drifts, just as Helna had done.
There, he met the Kodan at Song of Final Exile. Befriending them, he developed an admiration for the powerful and resolute creatures, who were preparing for a tournament to decide who their new Claw would be. Among the participants was the warrior Ice Raking, who told Valkor of an ancient Kodan necromancer known as the Reaper. Rejecting the traditional ranged magic of other necromancers, the Reaper had wielded a large, black greatsword known as Dark Harvest, and infused it with necromantic magic to decimate enemies. However, both warrior and weapon had vanished, as the Reaper had left the mountains and traveled west into the forests north of Kryta, where other Kodan found it too warm.
Inspired by the tale, Valkor thanked Ice Raking by dueling with him, helping him prepare for the tournament. After Ice Raking successfully became the Claw, Valkor helped him fend off the mysterious creature that had killed his predecessor. In return, Ice Raking ordered that Valkor receive a Kodan Greatsword, with which he might begin training in the way of the Reaper.
Returning to Hoelbrak, Valkor encountered Yoric, who was surprised by the sight of the necromancer with the greatsword. Once again, Yoric warned Valkor not to try to push his abilities too far, fearing that he would be transformed as Helna had been. Yoric urged him to find allies to help him, but Valkor rejected the idea. Instead, he set out towards the west, deciding to find the lost greatsword Dark Harvest and perfect his abilities as a Reaper against the rising threat of Mordremoth.
Valkor's peer, Gerun, was far less inclined towards combat than the vast majority of his kin. He preferred healing to fighting, a philosophy which was soundly rejected by individualistic Norn youths. Further, he was fascinated by the stars, and often spent time at night studying them.
The greatest nuisance among his peers was Mikkel Toivosson, who had become even more of a bully after suffering an embarrassment at Helna's hands. Referring to Gerun as "Starcrawler," he became so aggressive that Gerun was forced to retreat to a corner of Hoelbrak. There, he was found by Eir Stegalkin.
While the old heroine had little patience for adolescent squabbles, she decided to train Gerun as a ranger, giving him a bow and helping him learn to charm pets. He was never able to match her proficiency with the bow, and came to rely on pets heavily in combat, but with her help, he was eventually able to defeat Toivosson in a tournament, getting the bully off his back and finally gaining some respect from his peers.
| When news reached Hoelbrak that Eir had fallen in the Maguuma Jungle, Gerun was devastated. He set out immediately, and found Eir's son Braham in Verdant Brink. After paying his respects to his mentor, he helped Braham lash out against the Mordrem, clearing out an encampment near where the prisoners had been held. There, they found the distinctive weapons of Eir, Logan Thackeray, and Zojja, as well as several other weapons that had undoubtably been taken from prisoners. Braham gave Gerun his mother's bow, which the ranger accepted with the promise of vengeance. However, Gerun's attention was also drawn to a Staff, which felt right in his hands. Ignoring Braham's comment about how rangers didn't use staves, he decided to take it with him.
Gerun soon discovered that he could in fact make use of the staff, channeling the power of nature and of the stars he loved to advance his healing abilities, which he had always had more of a proclivity for. Charming a juvenile fire wyvern, which he named Skyfire as a nod to the stars that were the source of his new abilities, he learned to combine powers with the creature in more effective ways than ever before, fighting off Mordrem and any other foes they encountered. Eventually, he learned to become a temporary avatar of the stars themselves, becoming even more powerful for short periods. Traveling deeper into the jungle, he was reunited with Valkor, and was shocked to see the changes the necromancer had undergone. Valkor was now cloaked head-to-toe in black armor, including a black hood that fully concealed his face in shadow. He was using his greatsword to devastating effect in combat, and Gerun made sure to stay clear whenever it was drawn. Valkor soon made clear that he preferred to fight alone, and when Gerun suggested that it would be helpful to have allies this deep in Mordremoth's territory, Valkor pointed him towards "Yoric's friends," the Pact Commander Alexei Hart and his allies. Gerun decided to join them, and encouraged Valkor to do the same, but the necromancer refused. Eventually, they all wound up arriving at the heart of Mordremoth's domain, and both Norn played a part in helping Alexei and the Sylvari Corilen defeat the dragon. Afterwords, true to form, Valkor would not be swayed to join the Pact or Alexei's guild, and set out once again, renewing his quest for Dark Harvest. After finally acquiring it, he continued on in exactly the same manner, seeking a new obstacle against which to throw his considerable might. |
Jormag[edit]
Gerun took his time returning to Hoelbrak. His mentor's death had been avenged, but the pain lingered, and he knew that it would intensify once he was back among his people, who were also feeling the loss. Eventually, however, he finally arrived back in his home city.
Arriving at Hunter's Hearth, he sat down heavily on one of the beds, laying down his staff. Sikke came and joined him, eyeing Skyfire warily. After Gerun assured him that the young wyvern would do no harm to the lodge, nor its occupants, they discussed everything that had occurred over the past few months. Upon learning that Gerun had enhanced his healing abilities, Sikke brought him over to Elias, whose face was still badly scarred.
Gerun began trying to heal Elias, and over time the two Norn began to connect over their shared experiences against the dragons. Gerun soon came to realize that there was dragon corruption in the guardian's wound, but Elias made him keep it a secret, assuring Gerun that he was able to keep it under control using his own magic. Gerun agreed to keep the secret, despite his reservations.
After Eir's Memorial, Gerun returned to the lodge to find Elias out of bed, attempting to practice with his weapons. When the druid expressed concern, Elias declared that he was ready to rejoin the fight against the Icebrood. He then asked Gerun to bring him a helmet that would conceal his face, keeping his wound hidden. Gerun complied with some reluctance, and retrieved for Elias a large Ascalonian helm that covered almost the entire face, leaving slits only for the eyes and mouth. With new helm and weapons, Elias began once again to look and feel like a proper guardian, prepared to fight the dragon.
Yoric, meanwhile, had spent much of the memorial discussing matters with Knut Whitebear, the leader of Hoelbrak. He felt that it was time for a change among the Norn, as too many were losing their lives to dragon minions whom they attempted to battle on their own. This led to a series of private meetings between the two, to determine how they might begin to subtly shift the culture of their people without drawing too much ire.
It was during one of these meetings that Braham appeared in the Great Lodge, and fired a flaming arrow at Jormag's tooth, cracking it. Immediately, almost all of Hoelbrak prepared to march north. Yoric hoped the Norn would work together against the dragon, but he knew the individualistic spirit was too strong.
Elias, of course, was among the first to strike out northwards, intent on finally having his revenge against the ice dragon. Leading the way alongside Braham, they managed to reach and surround the dragon before it suddenly returned to slumber beneath the ice.
While Braham furiously wrote to Taimi, Elias rounded on Yoric, demanding to know what had happened. Yoric was at a loss, but, fortunately, most of the Norn were willing to accept Jormag's sudden disappearance as a win, as it meant the Icebrood would no longer threaten them. Leaving Braham, Elias, and some others to rage against the empty mountains, they returned to Hoelbrak.
Yoric knew that Alexei could probably give him answers, and decided to track down his guildmates. Before he could depart, however, he saw a surprising and disturbing sight: Helna.
She no longer looked like a demon, but Yoric was immediately on guard. How could she have suddenly returned to her old skin? What was she doing back in Hoelbrak? What threat did she pose to her fellow Norn?
Determined to keep an eye on Helna, he contacted Vala. She had thus far stuck close to Norn territory in the Shiverpeaks, but now she felt that she was ready for an adventure. When he asked if she could track down Alexei for him, she happily agreed, ready to explore new regions of Tyria.
