Character Creation Guide

By ShadowedSin of Ashenfold Cartel

Character Creation Guide

Here is a comprehensive guide to creating a character in Guild Wars 2.

Who is your character?

The first general step to creating a character is to come up with a general idea or "Character Concept". This can be a sort of archetype such as the lone hero, the dastardly villain, or the hopeless damsel. But the idea is to begin with a basic ideal that will drive the persona and overall outline of who your character is.

Some Helpful Questions to get a Character Concept:

  • Are they male or female?
  • What kind of person are they?
  • Any existing characters that are similar to who you are making? (Aka, Dastardly Villain = Snidely Whiplash, Hopeless Damsel = Sleeping Beauty).

You're Character's Race

What race you're character comes from and in turn which affiliation (aka Legion, God / Ancestry, College etc) helps to determine what kind of person they are. To get a better idea it is good to research the general culture and ideologies of each race.

The Charr

The Charr are the former and present rulers of the Lands of Ascalon. They are the mortal enemies of the humans of Ebonhawke and just recently as of GoA (Ghosts of Ascalon) have formed a truce with the Kingdom of Kryta.

The Charr are a brutal Roman influenced culture that had former Mongol overtones (their leader is called the Khan-Ur). Ever Charr is a member of a Warband from age when they form them in creche like bootcamps called Fahrar. The Warband in Charr society is a the family of a given Charr. The Warband name (such as Soul Warband, Blade Warband) creates part of the Charr's name.

Major Cultural Themes:

  • No Gods - The Charr believe that gods cause weakness. As Pyre said "No more gods!"
  • Personal Achievement - Like the Norn the Charr have a good emphasis on merit and achievement. They do not have a sense of honor but they do not like to rely upon Gods or other powers to get what they want.
  • Disgust for Humans - Charr seem to consider humans to be physically weak or misunderstand their own history.
  • War and Order - Charr Culture is militarily inclined, and brutal.

Charr Naming Convention

Charr gain their names from their warband or a lack thereof. The basic naming convention would be a personal name (such as Gorr) and then the warband's name combined with a term referring to the charr's profession or purpose in the warband.

For Example: Gorr is a member of the Blade Warband and he is a young Elementalist. As a shaman he is not well looked upon and yet strives to work harder, this means he is named Gorr Warstaff

Char who do not have a Warband have names such as "Gorlag the Savage". Sometimes a Charr will leave their Warband and become a Gladium or an outcast. Those in general who lack a Warband are generally considered Gladium. Warband names are also inherited as older bands retire and younger one's take up the previous name

Charr Leadership and Affiliation

All Charr are members of one of the four high legions. Each legion is in turn ruled by the Imperator and his personal Warband called the Primus. Each Primus Warband takes the name of the Legion (The Blood Warband is the Primus of the Blood Legion) and only members of that Warband may bear the name of the Legion in their name.

The Four Legions of the Charr are:

  • Iron Legion: The Iron Legion is known for it's siege works and inventions.
  • Blood Legion: The Blood Legion is known for it's skill in traditional combat.
  • Ash Legion: The Ash Legion is known for it's assassins and usage of spies.
  • Gold Legion: Once called the Flame Legion, the Gold Legion leads a blood insurrection against the other three legions. It was once the rulers of the Charr entirety before Kalla Scorchrazor.

The Charr have some distinct Ranks and aspects to their culture which differ from others.

  • Imperator - A ruler of a Charr High Legion
  • High Legion - A Charr semi-autonomous ruling military faction.
  • Gladium - A Charr without a warband.
  • Warband - A Charr's family and the basic Charr military unit.
  • Fahrar - Where all young Charr are raised and form warbands.
  • Centurion - A Charr in charge of several Warbands.
  • Legionaire - Standard Charr High Legion Rank
  • Tribune - High Ranking Charr, higher than centurion, lower than Imperator

Other Things of Note

The Charr are not all military fighters. Many are merchants, farmers and there is a hint from GoA that many who retire work the land to maintain the military. Charr also invented the printing press and guns. They are the most industrially advanced race of Tyria.

Some major and important sources of Charr Lore are:

The Humans

Humanity has found itself cornered as nation after nation fell to outside influences. The Kingdom of Kryta is a melting pot as its capital, Divinity's Reach, is home to several subsections dedicated to the various Tyrian Human ethnicities. Humanity is still devoted to the six gods of Tyria, but has found their devotion returned with silence. In DR the queen rules in concert with a noble filled senate and uses her advanced guard, the Seraph, to help police the land.

Other major human ports include the lands of Ebonhawke, a place filled with bitterminded people who spent centuries fighting Charr "occupation". There is also the port pirate city of Lion's Arch which is filled with various races and acts as massive inter-racial home of commerce.

Human Cultural Themes

  • Devotion to the Six - All of humanity in some form worships the Six Gods of Tyria.
  • Racial Tension - The rise of other powerful races has left a few humans unsure about their race's place in the world.
  • One Nation - Humanity was once many nations across the world, all that remains is the Kingdom of Kryta.
  • Class - Humanity in Kryta is split into three classes. Those who live on the streets, the commoners, and then the nobility.

Human Naming Conventions

Humanity is varied in its ancestry and its influenced. Because humans in Tyria are now mostly Krytan by nature their, but also the influenced of immigrants from other continents. There is very likely to be a large diversity of names. However, some regions in the GW Universe did show a proficiency for specific name types. In this humanity can be divided into three major racial regions. The first being Tyria which is primarily European, Cantha which is Asian and then Elona with its African influences. Most humans have either a singular name and a title, or some kind of last name. This can be either a real surname or a descriptive title such as (Charrslayer).

Tyria

Both Ascalon and Kryta show a mixture of northern European and southern European naming. Orr however has a higher preference for Persian and or Middle Eastern naming conventions.

Basic Arabic / Persian naming conventions uses the words 'ibn' meaning son of and then 'bin' meaning daughter of. So if one is from Orr and is the son of Jalahk, they might be 'Firouz ibn Jalahk'. This would be more than appropriate for an Orrian Character.

Cantha

Canthans are the most diverse region culturally and ethnically. The Imperial Canthans of Kaineng show tend to have Japanese or Chinese influenced names. This could mean that surnames do precede the prsonal name (Li is a family name, Zhong is a person name, ex: Li Zhong). At the same time the Kurzicks are germanic in influenced and the Luxons are Greek. A thing to note, most Kurzicks seem to take their surname from their House. At the same time there is no proof that Luxons have last names. Most likely they might state their clan affiliation or reference towards a sort of descriptive title.

So for example:

  • Zhong is a member of the Li family of Shing Jea. So he is fully named, Li Zhong with his family name coming before his own name.
  • Gerald is a member of House Vasburg, this means his full name is simply Gerald Vasburg.
  • Adelphos is a strong warrior of the Crab. He might call himself "Adelphos of the Crab" or of the "Crab Clan". Others simply call him Adelphos Strongarm.
    •
Elona

Elona much like Orr is influenced by the Middle East. However, both Korna and Istan have larger influences in Eastern and Northern Africa. Naming for Istani and Kornan descended characters might fit best with more continental names from Africa rather than Middle Eastern names. Vabbi on the other hand would fit well with Arabic, Persian or even Syrian names for a good start.

Human Affiliation

Humans in Tyria are split along three major ancestral affiliations. These are the Tyrian, Elonan and Canthan peoples. Each in turn has three regions that tend to have their own unique culture and flavor.

Tyrian
  • Ascalonian -GW1/ GW2: The Ascalonians are refugees from the fallen Kingdom of Ascalon now under Charr "occupation". Their last outpost is the walled city of Ebonhawke int he blazeridge. The District of Rurikton is supposedly their home in Divinity's Reach.
  • Krytan - GW1 / GW2: Krytans are the home citizens of the Kingdom of Kryta and are proud of their nation and Queen. Under the former rule of the White Mantle Kryta has settled after 250 years of rule from Salma's line. Devoted to the gods, the Kingdom itself is the last major bastion of Humanity on the continent.
  • Orrian - GW1 / GW2: The Orrian people are a fractured folk that cover their identity with the rise of the Undead of Zhaitan. Originally a devote people whose Kingdom was one of the oldest in Tyria and the home to the Holy City of Arah, in the modern age many would even dare to be proud of their ancestry for fear of retribution because of the Elder Dragons.
Canthan
  • Imperial Canthan - GW1 / GW2: The Empire of the Dragon was cut off from Tyria years ago with the rise of Zhaitan. Those who claim Imperial Descent are related to those that once called the Island of Shing Jea and the city of Kaineng their home. Imperial Canthans are not related to the former vassal nations of the Kurzicks or the Luxons.
  • Kurzick - GW1: Once a vassal nation of Cantha, the Kurzicks were absorbed into the Canthan Empire by Emperor Usoku. A people apart from other Canthans they wore dark clothes and renowned for their pious devotion to the Six Gods. Kurzicks also were organized into clan like Houses and had a deep connection to the Echovald Forest.
  • Luxon - GW1: The Luxon nation fell when Emperor Usoku absorbed it into the greater Canthan Empire. However, as a people the Luxons were a tought and hardy breed whose ingenuity with technology lead them to create such things as the Siege Turtle. A nomadic people they were split into the three Clans (Crab, Serpent and Turtle) and were said to worship three goddess like "Queens" along with the Six. They were also the bitter enemies of the Kurzicks of the Echovald.
Elonan
  • Istani - GW1: Two centuries ago, Istan stood as the naval power of the three provinces of Elona. Ruled by a meritocracy and a council of elders, Istan was a home of the Merchant city Kamadan and also strong supporters of the Order of the Sunspears. However, sixty years after the days of NightFall the province fell under the Undead desert King, Palawa Joko. Culturally Istani were known for their interest in knowledge and their naval ingenuity. They were the only ones capable to truly fight the corsairs of Elona and their navy was the main line of defense against the ruthless pirates.
  • Kournan - GW1: Kourna was a land of proud military history and a long standing clan dynasty descending from the powerful war leader Turai Ossa. Varesh Ossa the last scion of Turai went mad and unleashed the coming of Nightfall, later leading the entire Kournan army against the other provinces in the name of the fallen god, Abbadon. The Kournans were a people who prided themselves on military patriotism and sense of duty to the homeland. Kourna built many of its major projects with "pacified" centaur laborers. Kournan dedication to the military often lead to even normal citizens keeping a well oiled set of armor and sword close at hand in most occasions.
  • Vabbian - GW1: The Vabbian peoples revered Lhyssa, Goddess of the Arts, Illusion and Water. One of the most prosperous of the three provinces, Vabbi was a home to the three powerful Merchant princes and their wealthy estates. Though said to be an open democracy, Vabbi was in fact a place where the wealthy ruled and the beggar was left in the dust. Life was safe within the confine of the princely estates, but on the outside raiders and monsters prowled the land looking for weary travelers.

Human Leadership and Governments

Humanity has become a people apart. Isolated in a singular nation and cut off from other human contact all that remains of humanities once great Kingdoms is the lone Kingdom of Kryta. Ruled by the last of Doric's ancient line, Kryta has for the past two and a half centuries been ruled by a Queen. Though it does stand as a democratic monarchy, there is still much stratification within the society of the last human nation of Tyria.

Even within the Nation of Kryta, a tug of war exists between the Nobility and the Krytan Throne. With the three military Orders of the Seraph, the Ministry Guard, and the Shining Blade playing an important role.

Another independent state that stands is the city of Lion's Arch. Once the capital of Kryta it has become an independent citystate ruled by the Captains Council. The only remaining city outside of Kryta that remains free is the outpost fortress city of Ebonhawke, home to one of the last vestiges of Ascalonian pride in a now unified humanity.

Other Things of Note

Humans are the forgone heroes of the Guild Wars universe. The other races read the stories of human heroes and wish to stride in their foot steps. Though they are a beleaguered peopled, humanity still stands tall and the whispers of prayer to the Six Gods is still on the lips of some.

Some terms to be aware of:

  • Seraph - The Primary Police Force (dealing with Commoners) and armed forces of Kryta.
  • Minister - A member of the Krytan representative legalistic body and are in partial opposition of the queen. Many ministers are also nobles.
  • Ministry Guard - Military Order charged with all crimes dealing with and general protection of the Ministry.
  • Shining Blade - The personal guard of the Ruler of Kryta and their information service.
  • Senator - A government representative to the Krytan Senate.

Some Major and Important sources of Human Lore are:

The Norn

One hundred and sixty years ago the Ice Elder Dragon, Jormag, arose in the Far Shiverpeaks. Fracturing the norn hunting grounds the great monster was struck hard by the hero, Aesgir, from that day the Norn fled south and with the fang of Jormag and the leadership of Aesgir they settled into the Northern Shiverpeaks. The Norn are heroic and stoic folk of hardy drinking and an always living desire.

When the norn are invoked the ideas of great Nordic heroes such as the god Thor, Sigurd of the Volsung, and Beowulf come to mind. The Norn are warriors, artists, and singers. They are a people of stories and skill. A people that ones legacy is immortalized in song and thus all goals must go for glory. Like the ancient vikings and Valhalla, the Norn seek to be remembered for their actions and will recount them every day till they die to be remembered in song.

Norn Cultural Themes

  • Living a Legend - All norn hope to become a legend, through the acts of a warrior or as an artist whatever they do best in.
  • Skill over Blood - Norn have no leaders persay, they have great heroes that they follow. All norn must prove themselves somehow before claiming anything.
  • Tolerance - They tolerate the radical Sons of Svanir and the simpering humans, they are strong and for this they only deal with those that are a true thread.
  • Respect for the Wilds - The norn do not call upon their spirits as gods, but as guides. They do not demand only seek aide when it can be given.

Norn Name

Norns are a people who strive to be remembered in song and legend. Be as a merchant, a warrior, or as a sculptor. Their names reflect this ideal of molding fate and it is the Vikings and Norse that name wise the Norn share the most relation. So names such as Sven, Olie, and Ulf are perfect names for a norn. Names that are Germanic or Norse in nature are a good starting point to name a Norn Character.

Another thing to consider is that Norn usually have a form of secondary or aftername. These names can be to state their lineage or father such as in the ending -sson (meaning "son of") or -dottir (meaning "daughter of) attached to the name of their father. So Sven Olafsson is "Sven son of Olaf". Other forms of aftername are simple descriptive names such as "Sven Proudfist" or Sven the Maul! When thinking of a norn, think heroic, think glory.

"We are Norn!"

Norn Affiliation

The Norn do not believe in gods, they do not have a real faith., What they do have is a shamanistic belief in what they call the Spirits of the Wild. Each spirit epitomizes a given lesson and in turn Norn identify with a respected Spirit. When Jormag awoke he forced the Norn out of their Heartsteads in the Far Shiverpeaks. When this happened several Spirits were consumed as others fought back to aide the Norn. Four powerful Spirits: Wolf, Snow Leopard, Bear and Raven guided the Norn to where the great Hero, Aeisgir, would found the great Lodge Hold of Hoelbrak.

In Hoelbrak there are Four Great Lodges set aside for the Spirits. Shrines also exist across the Norn lands and are usually head by a Shaman.

The Four Great Spirits of the Norn are:

  • Bear - The spirit of Strength and Body. Bear teaches the mighty and lead the Norn along with the other four main spirits to Hoelbrak.
  • Raven - Raven is the Wisdom and Trickery. Learning to fight via wisdom is Raven's way and Raven is the most knowledgeable about the Underworld.
  • Snow Leopard - The Spirit of Cunning and of the Hunt, Snow Leopard exemplifies stealth and the stalking nature of the predator.
  • Wolf - The power of the pack and the thrill of combat is the lesson taught by Wolf. Tracking their prey and taking it down with others is the major aspect of Wolf's nature.

Other Spirits that are not included among the Major include:

  • Eagle - One of the lesser spirits that could not render aide during the rise of Jormag. Contact has been lost supposedly with this Spirit.
  • Owl - During the awakening of Jormag, Owl was lost to the great Dragon. This was confirmed by Owl's Havroun or defending Shaman Champion.
  • Ox - Ox or Dolyak like Wolvereine sacrificed in Jormag's rise, it is one of the Lost Spirits.
  • Wurm - One of the Lesser Spirits, Wurm, grants Norn the ability to summon its animal kind in battle.
  • Wolvereine - One of the Lost Spirits of the Wild.
  • Minotaur - A Lesser Spirit of the Wild

The Lost Spirits are those who bravely rose up and sacrificed themselves when Jormag awoke in the North. A Havroun and Shaman of the Lost Spirits has not been seen in Generations. One is confirmed to have died (Owl) in its move to save the Norn People.

Norn Leadership and Government

The Norn do not have Leaders, they have Heroes and Skilled Legends that are followed. Even in the days before Hoelbrak the great Legends of the Norn like Sif Shadowhunter, or Gunnar Proudfist. Years ago, the leadership of Hearthsteads (norn major settlements) was decided by combat. This day the only major settlement of the Norn Nation that still stands in the Hunting Grounds is Hoelbrak. No true government leads the Norn, but it is legends Knut Whitebear is the master of the Great Lodge of Hoelbrak.

The Leading Shaman of each Lodge is lead by a Speaker. Contention does exist between the followers of each Spirit, but they are judged on an individualistic basis. Shrines and Shamans can be found throughout the Norn lands to a given Spirit. However, only a singular defender, or Havroun exists for each spirit. These Havrouns are powerful shaman who are able to travel to the Hall of Spirits where the honored dead of the Brave reside.

Other Things of Note

The Norn are a people of Individuality, even more so than Humans. When a Norn commits an action they are judged as an individual. If a Son of Svanir were to attack a Shrine of Wolf or a woman he would be punished, no other Sons. This means that even though a lineage may have a horrible ancestor they are not penalized for his actions. Norn strive to be remembered in legend, to not have a story sung by the Skaalds is a great insult or a great loss.

Norn do exist outside of the Hunting Grounds and have taken up other occupations. Norn are found as corsairs and sailors in Lions Arch and their individualistic ethic easily applies outside of their cold northern Homeland.

Some Norn terms to be aware of:

  • Spirit of the Wild - A deity like animistic spirit that exemplies the type of animal or landscape feature that then relates to given values and lessons.
  • Shaman - A Norn who takes up the mantle of communing and teaches the lessons of a given Spirit of the Wild.
  • Hearthstead - A Standard Norn settlement, usually with a large hearth at the center.
  • Moot - A gathering of Norn, ale and other drink is usually served.
  • Havroun - A Singular Shaman who exists as the defender and major communer of their Spirit, only one exists for each spirit at a time.
  • Speaker - The leading Shaman of the Great Lodges of the Spirits in Hoelbrak.
  • Lodge - A large meeting or hall of the Norn.
  • Wolfborn - Lead by the Sons of Knut Whitebear, the Wolfborn police and keep the peace in Hoelbrak.

Some major and important sources of Norn Lore are: