Something interesting on the Mursaat

Found this on Guild Wars website:

There are two types of humans in Kryta: those who worship the mysterious Unseen Ones and those who do not. The worshippers have become known as the White Mantle because of the long white robes many of them wear.

It is the responsibility of the White Mantle to oversee the other humans and impose upon them the rules and laws of the Unseen Ones. Those inside the organization receive special privileges (more food, better clothing, access to books) simply for abiding by the rules of the Unseen Ones and carrying out the orders handed down by the White Mantle high priest. To the Krytans the White Mantle are the root of law and order, the protectors or saviors, if you will, of their lands.

The White Mantle maintain a series of temples all over the continent. Members of this organization frequently, though not always, choose to reside in these temples to better perform their duties to the Mantle and to more effectively worship the Unseen Ones.

Since the end of the last Guild War and the repelling of the Charr invasion, the White Mantle have maintained a high level of military preparedness. They don’t ever want to be caught off guard again, and they often keep large stores of weapons inside their temples to use in case of emergency. It's also not uncommon for followers of the Mantle philosophy to be highly trained warriors. Fighting skills will come in handy if the day comes when they will need to once again defend Kryta from invasion.

Saul D'Alessio (founder of the White Mantle):
Saul D'Alessio was a fallen man. A gambler and a drunk, Saul reached the lowest point in his life when he lost a bet he could not repay. At the time, the local betting house was run by the Lucky Horseshoe, a gambling guild whose influence spanned almost the entire length of the continent. To avoid defaulting on his payment, Saul took to robbing merchants traveling on the road from Beetletun to Shaemoor. Though he successfully paid his debt to the Lucky Horseshoe, he was eventually fingered by one of his victims and tried as a thief. His punishment was exile from the Kingdom of Kryta. The local authorities blindfolded him and rode him out three full weeks before leaving him to fend for himself.

Alone, broke, and lost, Saul wandered through a dense forest for several days, surviving on only roots and berries. On the fourth day, delirious with hunger, Saul emerged from the trees to see what he thought was a hallucination—a city of massive towers reaching into the heavens. The architecture was astounding, and the creatures who lived here were unlike any he had ever seen. Walking down into their city, Saul got a closer look at the denizens of this place. They were tall and thin with skin the color of golden ore. When they walked, their feet seemed not to touch the ground, and when they spoke, it was the most melodious sound he had ever heard. Surely these creatures were the stuff of divinity. Hungry and exhausted, his clothes ragged and dirty, Saul dropped to his knees and touched his forehead to the ground. He had found his gods, and they in turn had found their most devoted disciple.

Saul D'Alessio returned to Kryta a changed man. His rags had been replaced with a sleeveless, pure-white robe embroidered with golden thread. His once sunken, sickly features were again full and healthy. He no longer craved the bottle, no longer wished to strike it rich gambling. His life had purpose. He had returned to spread the word, to deliver his finding to the humans of Kryta.

During this time, the Krytan Empire was in the midst of two wars—one against the guilds of the other human nations, and another against the beastlike Charr. Food was becoming scarce as the invaders burned the crops and salted the fields. It was then that Saul came to the people, offering help from his powerful, enigmatic gods.

Saul's new faith was so powerful that soon he had a small following. As a group, they traveled the land, recruiting more and more, offering salvation from trying times. Though no one ever saw the gold-skinned gods or their cities of massive towers, they took Saul at his word that they did truly exist. Saul was a shepherd, and his sheep followed his every step. Those who showed real conviction were given white robes, each embroidered with golden thread.

This was the beginning of the White Mantle.

Beaten, outnumbered, leaderless, and facing almost certain death, the people of Kryta looked to Saul to lead them out of their darkest hour. Saul D'Alessio was transformed from a messenger into the general of a great army. With their new faith and their new leader, Kryta and the White Mantle managed to push out the Charr, forcing them back over the mountains.

Though his efforts were successful, Saul eventually lost his life fighting the war that freed the humans of Kryta. In the last offensive of the war against the Charr, Saul led his troops deep into Charr territory. His network of spies, though normally quite effective, failed him on this day. The Charr were waiting in ambush, and the beastly creatures slaughtered Saul's unit to the man. Consequently, Saul became a martyr for the White Mantle. His teachings live on in the temples, and his name adorns a seacoast on the north edge of Kryta, a memorial to a man who brought peace and prosperity to the people of this tropical region.


Gives a few insites to the Mursaat and the White Mantle.

Mega Mouse

This is the story of Saul D'lessio from the Prophecies manuscripts. Not really much insight to the Mursaat other than the city they lived in. But all of that is the basic story of the White Mantle.

It gives us a bit of info on the Mursaat and how they became concidered as Gods by the White Mantle, that is what I was trying to get across, but it looks like I failed. Thanks for the input though greatly appreciated. If I find anything more relevent towards them I will post it.

Mega Mouse

em ok nice post but we already know this things so nothing new

Yea, I think anyone who owns Prophecies knew this already. No new insight, those are simply storyline facts that others expand upon.

That's why this lore forum sucks. :|

Not much of us here are really dedicated to it. Gwonline.net lore forum is a lot better than this but we're trying. Anet even made some of the dedicated lore members NPCs in GW:NF in the Halls of Chokin.

I got this from the gwonline.net forums,

Mursaat and Enchanted Armor "Great Link to read about the Mursaat"



Presearing Enchanted Hammer "Tower Golem"

Nice pics although I do not think they should be here. Although that does bring up an interesting question on what exactly are the enchanted armor?

Mega Mouse

Mursaat armors that the Forgotten obtained, I personally think they communicated long before. The one in pre probably was just lying around or they somehow obtained it. The Crystal Desert isn't that far from Ascalon you know.

Thanks for posting that, Mega Mouse. it is in the prophecies manual, but it is nice t get e refresher once in a while. can anyone give me more info on this Tower Golem? is it really enchanted armor in Pre-searing Ascalon? if so, can anyone post it's location. this is a great find.
-Illithen

It actually only appears during one of the ele quests (forgotton the name). During the quest it walks around the tower.

The Tower Golem appears in the quest obtained from the Geomancer in Foible's Fair. The Golem itself is located at the Ice Castle in the middle of Wizard's Folly.

Actually, she's an Aeromancer

It would really be interesting if Anet decided to include the "City of the Mursaat" in some future update. What better place to find a fabulous city filled with mystical alien beings than the heart of the Maguuma Jungle?

Tanith

I'd hit it.

And kill them all.

And take their stuff.

If you read the description of Beetletun, it implies that there are beings beyond the Giants Basn (or whatever those lakes are called). I think it's very possible that the Maguuma Jungle extends northward above those lakes, and that the City of the Mursaat is hiding there.

Ok, so this may have already been considered...but The Mursaat... Were they actually good? I mean deep down...maybe they didn't know how to show it? Perhaps they didn't realise that if they came and told the other races about why they wanted to keep the Door of Komalie closed everyone else would want it kept closed too? I guess it was a bit harsh murdering innocent people on the Bloodstones...but...

And so onto the Seers...they kinda look like Mursaat...but evil Mursaat. Perhaps they were agents of Abaddon also? They were only too pleased to infuse people's armor so that they can kill all the Mursaat and set the titans free. I was thinking maybe the Seers were Mursaat, corrupted by a dark force.

I'm just speculating...I hoped to find something in the manuscripts but there didn't seem to be much there. I'm sure people will correct me if there's something I've missed.

The Tower golem... most consider it just a reuse of a skin. there's no other significant link to the enchanted other than body form, and that counts for very little in a game who's makers are known to reuse skins.

The Mursaat's "goodness"... no, they most probably weren't good. they were most likely only keeping the Titans at bay because it had been prophecised that the titans would destroy them.

The Mursaat city... if you read the dialogue of the ferryman Old Joness, he implies the mursaat city is on the banks of the river Ullen.

"Insights", not "insites".

Has anyone else noticed that fact the armor looks suspiciously like luxon armor, we know the dessert was once a sea and we know luxons were once a seafaring people and occuring to wiki there is evidence the luxons visited the Crystal Dessert. So could that mean the enchanted are ancient animated luxon armors?

Well we dont know the mursaats ultimate intentions but note that by keeping the Titans looked up they were doing a service for the rest of Tryia and note the chosen also went voluntarily to there deaths. We also know how powerful the Mursaat are especially on the non infused if they had been really evil they could have easily wiped out the other races in Tryia. Also The Titans slaughtered them for an unknown reason, No soul killed by a Mursaat was taken to the demonic realms like anyone killed by anyone tainted by Abaddons touch and They also helped protected the lands of Kryta from the Charr invasion.

So although i cant prove they are good or evil either way (due to all the misdirrection we get) but the evidence seems to point towards them being good. Think of them as Angels of sorts (they even have halo's and wings)

the Mursaat's intentions were to usurp power from the Krytans, and to keep the door of khomalie closed, because it had been prophecised that whatever was behind the door would destroy their race. The chosen did not go voluntarily to their deaths; they believed they were being taken to the grandmasters' temple to study. The titans slaughtered the mursaat because the mursaat would have tried to fight them, because it had been prophecised that the titans would destroy all mursaat.

finally, about the mursaat power thing: power in lore terms is a lot different from power in game mechanics terms. as a race, they would have been unavailable to take over tyria (and besides, this was not their intention)

I agree they wanted to Keep the Door Closed but they did not usurp power from the krytans, The White Mantle were the ones to restore order to a failing nation in Fear of the Charr and total defeat.

The Mursaat who live nearby must have realized that either the Charr would find there city in kryta/Magumma causing potential problems to them as enemys of the Titans or because without them the Humans would have been wiped out in the whole of Tryia, Orr had already Fallen, Ascalon was a defeated Nation who would be easily finished off by The Charr once Kryta was eliminated.(which would have happened Had the Mursaat not interfered)

It is worth to note that if The Charr had Succeeded Tryia would have been Human- less and as such no Chosen would have been around to allow for the Opening of Door. Although the it is unknown how this would effect the Soul Batteries presumably the Souls Batteries must have been kept charged since The Exodus and it is unknown if there were other ways to keep them charged. It is also worth noting that the chosen have only been Sacrificed twice, since it is a yearly event and the Searing aka Rise of the Mantle occurred just 2 years previous.

So the Big Question is what or Who kept the Soul Batteries Charged before then, or did they only need charging after the Searing because of Abaddons straining against the Barrier and the Corrupted Souls of the Charr etc. (due to the taint of Abaddon) who Abaddon was trying to Draw into the RoT inorder to use these corrupted Souls to Turn them into Titans.

It is possible Abaddon sent these Titans through before any Margonites since they could be used as effective Cannon fodder or because the Margonites and Demons were no Match against the Mursaat.

The Mursaat would not fight the titans due to the prophecies, that is why they live in a hidden city because they Fear the Titans, they would rather run and hid than face them full on because the prophecies say they will lose if they do.

Actually they would have easily taken over Tryia, have u not seen the way they slaughter the stone stone summit who get in there way, the same stone summit who themselves virtually defeated the Deldrimor Dwarfs until the mursaat in turn defeated them with a little help from us.

Would it be too wrong to assume that the Mursaat were essentially following utilitarian ideals?


Think about it...
They allowed the White Mantle to serve them without trouble, and even knowing what they were like, the White Mantle continued to follow them loyally.
They killed only the "chosen"... those whom were identified (correctly) as a threat by the flameseeker prophecies.... both by way of opening the Door of Komalie.... and by being able to destroy them, the guardians of the portal...
They sacrifice the few that the many may live... and furthermore, they hide it from the people to avoid scaring them.
While they were careful to get on the good side of the people of Kryta, they indiscriminately attacked undead wherever they went.... and you may note they also fought the barbaric regime of the Stone Summit in the Shiverpeaks.


Most importantly.... nobody ever hears the Mursaat say anything in-game.
There is nothing done to suggest that they act out of intent to cause damage nor to dominate. They simply defend themselves against that which would harm them and indirectly... Tyria.

It is the "heroes" that are led into causing harm throughout the Prophecies Campaign, and only at the very end can they redeem themselves.


I'd side with the Mursaat personally.


[Random note: The first time I suspected the white mantle might have been lying though was that mission to round up the chosen... and I noticed that the funny eye in the tetrahedron knocked down the white mantle when it came near them.... implying that they themselves weren't chosen.... thus the "chosen" couldn't be those who trained to be white mantle... Anyone else notice that?]

Not all mantle are Chosen, the chosen are 'special' people who get to train with the White Mantle Masters to gain there full potential. (thats what the White Mantle tell the villagers) It doesnt say either that they then join the white mantle it only says they get to train with them.

SotiCoto; think about who 'led' the heroes throughout their campaign? Wasnt it Glint?

Actually it was a combination of things/people,

Rurik led us to begin with (took us away from Ascalon)
then the White Mantle did (too make a new home and stop the undead)
then the Shining Blade did (who told us to find the Vizier and who told us about the Scepter of Orr)
then the The Vizier (who told us to Ascend and find Glint)
then Glint (who told us to rescue the Shinging Blade)
then The Vizier again (who took us to the fire Isle and made us cripple the white mantle to make them less of a threat)
then lastly Glint again (who told us to take out the Titans remaining after Hell's Precipice mission)

The Vizier did the majority of the leading of us, glint did very little except advise us to save people and tell us of the prophecies, Although she was an oracle it is highly possible she did not know what exactly was to occur (she hadnt seen the visions herself) but the prophecies was passed to her via a previous Oracle etc.

Glint doesn't appear particularly to be on anyone's side in this.
She essentially led the heroes to exterminate both sides...

Except for a short period of time after arriving in Kryta when the heroes were with the White Mantle however... it was essentially the Vizier pulling the strings.... and of course we know where that led.

Apparently he didn't give much thought to the consequences of his training of the hardcore engines of destruction that were the protagonists however...


Even at the end, Glint isn't technically leading as much as advising.

Wasn't there a parade in Maguama of Mursatt by the lore Dev team to show they wouldn't be forgotten in GW:EN?

Obviously Glint isn't a proper Seer, as she cannot properly see what is going to happen (release of the Titans etc) unless that is part of her plan. However she also couldn't foresee her own demise, like most clairvoyants. I am still unsure what happens to Glint, because even if you kill her you are still able to communicate with her in Droknars Forge... I can't remember if it tells you why, maybe she's still alive-Maybe Kuunvang (Apologies for spelling) and Glint will team together in GW:EN, or maybe (being Dragons) even live onto GW:2.

Just my 2 cents.