Not much is known about the Sylvari in Guild Wars 2 for a big reason. It is the only playable race not featured anywhere in the original Guild Wars outside of one cutscene at the end of Guild Wars: Eye of the North. That doesn’t mean there isn’t some information available though. We’ve scoured Tyria to find out what we could, so let’s dig in.

The Birth of a New Race

A Shining Blade warrior named Ronan found a cavern with various strange seeds hidden within it. He managed to snag one from the plant-like guardians who were defending their treasure. He began to head home to show his family the seed he acquired but upon arrival found his village had been burned to the ground by the Mursaat. He went to the graves of his family and it is there that he planted the seed he found. This seed would eventually grow into what became known as the Pale Tree.

Ronan was eventually joined by a centaur named Ventari who wanted to stop the war like tendencies of his brethren. They formed a small settlement known as Ventari’s Sanctuary where Ventari remained until his death. Before dying he left behind the Ventari Tablet which was a recording of his morals and ethics which was placed at the foot of the Pale Tree.

It wasn’t until 23 years before the start of Guild Wars 2 that the tree produced fruit. Indeed it produced a brand new race known as the Sylvari. They are a race born of purity and as such do not know sorrow, suspicion, or hatred. Their birth was in response to the awakening of the dragons and as such they feel that they were born to hunt the dragons while following the teachings of the Ventari Tablet.

The Sylvari are connected to something known as the “Dream of Dreams” which is a bond that all Sylvari possess. This “Dream of Dreams” is somehow leading the Sylvari toward their collective destiny which is completely unknown at this point. However, if one were to guess, it could perhaps be the same destiny that the Dwarves themselves faced.

Sinister Plants

 The movement of the world forgot mostly about the Sylvari as they did not exist long into Tyria’s past like the other great races. Yet, 23 years is plenty of time for something negative to happen, and happen it did. The Dream of Dreams has been infected with a Nightmare and a group of Sylvari known as the Nightmare Court embraces that nightmare in all its fearsome glory. Their goal is to infect the Pale Tree with the Nightmare and bring about their way of thought which is the direct opposite of the teachings etched upon the Ventari Tablet.

Of course, there is more to the world than just nightmares. The Sylvari are a new race without much established in the realm of politics. Their affiliation with the other races is completely unknown which results in a big question as to what their relationship with other races will be. Since nothing is known we can only guess that the Asura and Humans will be more than friendly while the Norn and Charr may not be so happy about their ideals and way of life. 

The time of the day that a Sylvari is born in determines its season in regards to personal story. See the below nifty chart for information on the times: 

Dawn Spring
Day Summer
Twilight Autumn
Night Winter

That’s about all there is known about this plant like race. As more information becomes available we’ll be sure to share it, but for now we’re only left with a few other tidbits of information. The “Firstborn” are considered the smartest and eldest Sylvari even though they were born only 23 years ago. Caithe, the Sylvari shown in the official wallpaper, does not fear looking into the darkness although she is born of the light. She may also possess the power to turn stone into life.

So what do you think about this green thumb approved race? Can’t wait to be one or will you be looking for something with a bit more rage, like say the Charr or Norn? Come to the Ten Ton Hammer community forums and share your opinion.


To read the latest guides, news, and features you can visit our Guild Wars 2 Game Page.

Last Updated: Mar 13, 2016

About The Author

Get in the bush with David "Xerin" Piner as he leverages his spectacular insanity to ask the serious questions such as is Master Yi and Illidan the same person? What's for dinner? What are ways to elevate your gaming experience? David's column, Respawn, is updated near daily with some of the coolest things you'll read online, while David tackles ways to improve the game experience across the board with various hype guides to cool games.

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