The amazing “Human week” that Anet offered us these past days has spread some light on the most known -yet to be discovered- race of all Tyria; all Guild Wars players are very familiar with humans, some are even bored of playing them and look forward to pass to the “enemy lines” and try some furry fighting. To a humans enthusiast like myself though, the last week represented another reason to like even more this race and learn something new about it: mix that with my european origins and some writing inspiration and you’ll see where we are going here…I’ll do my best to guide you through some places in the human capital of Divinity’s Reach, being them real places in Italy, Europe, or just in my mind.
First stop: Divinity’s Reach
France, Mont Saint Michelle...or should I say Kryta?
Another day gone...will centaurs attack tomorrow as well?
The shape…the colours…this sight is breath-taking, something worth fighting for! It shines in the Krytan planes, spreading hope and warming hearts with courage…there’s never enough courage when it’s down to fighting centaurs
Let’s see what it might look like inside the walls…
The lower part of the town, as found in the Italian medieval village of Bessana
Not all the streets in Divinity’s Reach are large and triumphant, some of them are as narrow as this…the space inside the walls is very precious and since the high quarters take most of it, some part of the town have to do their best with the space left
Medieval town like Bessana in Italy were all about tiny streets and vertical houses: the walls were usually made to maximise the defensiveness of the town, therefore higher places like hills were preferred. When walking in those streets you would hardly find yourself not hiking up or down little passages like this, those “bridges” between two houses were structure enhancers, to improve solidity. (Never have enough when Charr’s siege machinery is on its way!!! ^_^)
York, UK in a great medieval shot
Walking towards the high city of Villafranca, Italy
From the lower part of the town, let’s walk our way up to the high city, where all the nobles, the Queen herself and the major buildings are located…it’s not hard to see nobles walking around these upper streets, young men sparring in the squares and, at the corners, bards singing their stories looking for tips
The pavement here is much flatter and better built, as well as the walls of these houses. The bridge is now bigger, with a corridor connecting two buildings and a roof for rany days. In those large passages a horse or even a coach can easily pass, as we all know, nobles don’t like to walk much…
Country view, South Italy...ehm...Kryta!!!!
Captain Thackeray seems always so worried about centaurs and bandits…but the country looks just fine to me! Those Seraph… always trying to get their hands on the military funds! Aren’t their armors shiny enough!?
Some of the nobles do not see Queen Jennah with good eyes and, with the Queen, her best guardian: the captain of the Seraph, Logan Thackeray. In an extract we read about him using his influence to get authority over some crime scene evidence, the three military orders fight for power, trying to take over but actually mantaining a certain balance otherwise impossible to obtain. Personally I’m a Queen supporter, I’ve even come to accept her “memsmerization” of Logan (EoD): being the most important human keeps her in costant danger, before getting close to anyone she must be sure about him; the infatuation between her and Logan that started at the arena in Lion’s Arch made her vulnerable, she had to be sure!
Same for Logan abandoning his friends to a defeat (and the death of Snaff) in order to save his love: to any soldier the lost of his head chief would be really hard to accept, if that chief is also his love, I don’t feel to attack him on this one, besides, EbonHawke would have been destroyed, signing a total defeat for the humans…no one would have accepted that. The other members of Destiniy’s Edge don’t seem to blame it all on Logan either, apart from Rytlock who felt betrayed by his new brother, the others have other personal matters.
Torino, Madama Palace...to me: the Seraph headquarter!
The Seraph, strong warriors in shiny armors…it’s not a mistery why they’ve chosen this place as their headquarter: when the sun shines at noon all the white walls look as shiny as the blades of the soldiers training nearby. It is a magnificent palace, its look inspires security and strenght
The particular look of this palace is perfect to be the headquarter of a martial order such as the Seraph: the front wall is as beautiful as a noble palace, while the back has a strong military feeling; the perfect balance between politics and battlefied.
Versailles, the magnificent palace of Luis XIII, emperor of France, here the Hall of Mirrors
The Queen’s palace…the heart of Divinity’s Reach, a true piece of art, crafted to instill a sense of astonishment in those who enter; here Queen Jennah entertains the nobility and other races’ ambassadors with dances and parties: the beauty of this room when decorated is amazing, but not as much as the Queen herself while starting the dances in her mesmeric perfection
Politics, a game where appearance is sometimes as important as content…Queen Jennah doesn’t have any problem in public occasions, her mesmer’s powers come in handy in many situations, on and off the battlefield. Surely a palace like this helps a lot to put arrogant ministers back in their place.
Versailles, the Queen's private bedroom
Some say that Queen Jennah’s private chambers are the most lavish rooms in all of Divinity’s Reach, decorated by every king and queen , they are full of artworks, a living tribute to the human race
To a public figure like a Queen, the private chambers might be the only personal space in the world, that one place where the Queen can just be Jennah…some swear to have seen a man getting in and out of those chambers by night, nobody dares to say it loud but Captain Thackery is the guess everyone is making. Personally, I’m a fan of true love stories and to me Logan and Jennah have some potential…will we see the fall of a dragon and the rise of a king next to Jennah? My bet is yes…
About the author: Ubi Maior is a student from Italy, long time GW player and fan. He found in TT a place where he can contribute to the community by sharing his ideas and opinions, and he hopes you enjoy his thoughts! He’d love to hear yours. He can also be found on twitter.
