Is grenth a good God??

roshanabey2

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: May 2007

[lion]

N/Mo

Does Grenth like his followers or does he just want to see everyone die??

Tatile

Tatile

Desert Nomad

Join Date: Sep 2007

Stygian Disciples of Tenebrasus

N/Me

Quote:
Originally Posted by roshanabey2
Does Grenth like his followers or does he just want to see everyone die??
I'd say Grenth, as the god of Death, is indifferent, as death itself is. In the fluff of the manuals it does imply/say (I can't remember right now) that Grenth is neutral to his followers and that many callmour for his attention, whatever it may be (hence the way Grenth is portrayed in Canthan and Elonian ress shrines).
I wouldn't say he's "good" in the fluffy bunnies, presents sort of way, but he is "good" in a 'not Abaddon' way. Neutral is probably the best way to view him.

Edit: It annoys me to no end, only one question mark is needed to denote a question. Please do not use more than one. Two is far too many, three is asking for a beating. Use only one question mark.

Vicks

Vicks

Academy Page

Join Date: Jul 2006

RIGHT HERE! —›•

Flaming Turtles

W/E

Grenth is a good guy, in the strictest sense of the word.

You can't blame the guy for being a bit cold when he's got the toughest job in the entire rift, can you? I mean somebody needs to shepherd the souls of the deceased, judge them, and oversee their eternal fate. And unless the rift is constantly expanding, I would imagine he's also in charge of determining when and how souls are reincarnated or returned to the planet's life force.

And if you are his devout follower, no doubt you'll get what you want. Although you'll have to make your dues with sacrifices of equal value, to level your balance.

RedStar

RedStar

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Jul 2007

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[Bomb]

E/

Well, if I remember correctly, Grenth is better than the god before him (Dhuum I think), so I'll say that he's a good death god.

Avatara

Avatara

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Nov 2006

good and evil is for mortals... I think the plans of the gods go a bit beyond that

gargytama

gargytama

Academy Page

Join Date: Apr 2006

Sweden

Team Of The North [EotN]

W/

Well, to compare with the lore of Guild Wars Abaddon was an evil god, so the other five gods defeated him and locked him up.

Since Grenth's not defeated nor locked up and he gives us access to the Underworld we could agree with that he is a good god ^^

arsie

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Jun 2007

N/

The only time he is portrayed as not being neutral is during Wintersday. Besides the obvious Grinch references, why should Grenth be interested in making children's lives miserable?

Eldin

Eldin

Forge Runner

Join Date: Dec 2005

America. How about you, commie?

Fellows of Mythgar [FOM]

R/Mo

Grenth is neutral.

Just because a guy is in charge of the dead, he has to be considered evil? I mean, come on, SOMEONE has to do that job.

Plus, they said the God before him, Dhuum, was cruel and unjust, so Grenth is definitely better.

Also, Grenth's mindset during Wintersday is not just pure evil. I forget where it was, but one of the Wintersday NPCs I recall during Wintersday 2005 (goooooooood times) had even said something like "I feel Grenth should win this Wintersday. Even though I do not oppose festivities, winter should be a time of cold and sorrow in which we reflect upon blah blah blah".

A cold, sad winter doesn't necessarily symbolize evil.

Plus, Grenth gives us ECTOS! So he's good in my book.

Randvek

Randvek

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Sep 2006

Rise From the Ashes [phnx]

W/

Quote:
Originally Posted by Avatara
good and evil is for mortals... I think the plans of the gods go a bit beyond that
I agree. Grenth may or may not be evil by our standards, but I think the Tyrian gods were really designed after the Greek gods: there is a morality above mortality. If Grenth was really evil, he might have tried to gain something in Nightfall, rather than just helping the other gods. Grenth seems more interested in the status quo than in gaining more power, something not generally said of an evil god.

Wintersday shows a malicious side of Grenth, but I wouldn't call him downright evil. If Grenth were truly evil, he would have gone the way of Abaddon, Dhuum, and Menzies. Even if you consider him evil, he's clearly Evil Lite: half the calories of pure evil!

Fangclaw

Fangclaw

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Jan 2008

Maguuma Jungle / Tarnished Coast

R/

I've seen something like this in the last Wintersday... (2007)

The Avatar of Grenth said something about not opposing festivities; and that Winter is a time to reflect upon the nature of life... and Death, but obviously, mostly death.

Biostem

Biostem

Jungle Guide

Join Date: Oct 2007

I always thought as Grenth as having the unenviable job of keeping track of all mortals' deeds while they're alive, so he can appropriately prepare for them when they do die. It's not so much a heaven/hell thing, but an issue of balance. From what I've gathered, a person's existence doesn't end when they die, but that's where Dwayna, Melandru, and Blathazar focus much of their attention, (while they're alive, I mean). Grenth has a lot of ground to cover, so to speak.

Free Runner

Free Runner

Forge Runner

Join Date: Oct 2005

GW2G

Knights Of The Sacred Light [KSL]

I'm willing to bet the Underworld as we see it when we first enter it is how Dhumm would of ran things. So going off that i would say Grenth is a good god (or like Eldin said: hes a neutral god) . But when you view the god of death you always believe they are bad.

English Warrior

English Warrior

LEET HAXXOR!

Join Date: Feb 2007

Random Arena

N/A

Quote:
Originally Posted by roshanabey2
Does Grenth like his followers or does he just want to see everyone die??
Well.... some people might not like the way grenth does his buisness but in grenths eyes hes doing the greater good.

The Meth

The Meth

Desert Nomad

Join Date: Jan 2007

R/

I would say that as grenth is supposed to be the god of justice he naturally makes him lean a bit towards good. But as the 'judger of souls' its his job be as neutral as possible, just as many necromancer and some ritualist skills require a sacrifice of your own life to return for power (ie you have to be prepared to bear the pain of your victim). Its said that Dhuum was a 'cruel and unjust god' which suggests that grenth is at the least not evil, if not good. In the UW many quests deal with saving good souls from places they shouldn't have gone to, which shows that he isn't indifferent to their fate.

Edit: Are things like wintersday really considered canon guild wars? I always thought they were more of a just for fun thing that weren't really in the guild wars world.

Free Runner

Free Runner

Forge Runner

Join Date: Oct 2005

GW2G

Knights Of The Sacred Light [KSL]

Quote:
Originally Posted by The Meth
Edit: Are things like wintersday really considered canon guild wars? I always thought they were more of a just for fun thing that weren't really in the guild wars world.
Everything in the event is explained to make it fit in with the world of Tyria.

-Old 3FL-

-Old 3FL-

Forge Runner

Join Date: Apr 2006

Western Australia.

Crystal Mountain [CM]

W/

I'd say that Grenth is a badass, but a good one at the same time.

Holly Herro

Holly Herro

Jungle Guide

Join Date: Dec 2005

Kangaroo-land.

Blades of the Dingo [AUST]

Grenth is just god.

That's it.

KalleDamos

KalleDamos

Lion's Arch Merchant

Join Date: May 2007

Good and evil are a matter of perspective. To Monks, Grenths may be evil, to necromancers he may be good. But in truth Grenth is a God of Balance more than he is a God of Death. This is just my persepctive at least.

Longasc

Longasc

Forge Runner

Join Date: May 2005

Hades and Pluton had no negative connotation in greek/roman mythology either.

In norse mythology the goddess Hel was also more neutral, but was later depicted as the devil of the christian "hell". Hell is a place of punishment for us christians.

But the five gods of Tyria are only inspired by our culture(s). Grenth still gives us the creeps, but if his reapers call Dhuum "cruel and unjust", and we know Dhuum worked together with Abaddon who was not nice at all, it seems that we have a rather benevolent god of death.

Olim Chill

Olim Chill

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Oct 2007

USA

DMI

N/

Quote:
Originally Posted by Tatile
I'd say Grenth, as the god of Death, is indifferent, as death itself is.
Agreed. The acts in which death is brought about are linked to morality, but not death itself.

Stoneys Rock

Stoneys Rock

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Jul 2006

Wales, United Kingdom

Great Success [GS]

Mo/

Quote:
Originally Posted by Olim lll
Agreed. The acts in which death is brought about are linked to morality, but not death itself.
Some of the lore says that Grenth is the god of justice as well as death, the gate of madness also says grenth lives on in your justice. On that assumption if you want to label him I'd say good.

Olim Chill

Olim Chill

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Oct 2007

USA

DMI

N/

^Justice is blind, i.e. indifferent.