The Searing Revisited

Mark Nevermiss

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Jul 2006

Pre-searing the Charr were pretty much in control of all lands above the Great Wall. Therefore there was no need to target that area.
Now lets suppose the Charr were ignorant of the consequences of invoking such a horrible spell or detonating that hydrogen bomb, isnt it logical that the entire Charr force garrisoned north of the Wall would have been destroyed too, I mean when the sky rains fire and crystal meteors it does not normally discriminate between friend and foe.
Shouldn't the Charr in that case have been shocked by the terrible price they paid and caused significant internal unrest even prior to the defeat of the titans at the hands of King Adelbern and us?

super strokey

super strokey

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Aug 2006

Soviet Canuckistan

N/

Prehaps they knew that something would happen and pulled their forces back first.

Eldin

Eldin

Forge Runner

Join Date: Dec 2005

America. How about you, commie?

Fellows of Mythgar [FOM]

R/Mo

Perhaps. Although we see little of it, in The Searing cinematic, not much seems to be going on North aside from those Charr conjuring The Searing.

Amazingly though, in terms of how many NPCs return in Post-Searing, it seems as if nobody was killed by The Searing. The land was desecrated and the cities were pulverized into rubble, but, honestly, you don't hear much about people being smashed by giant crystals or being burned alive (aside from Althea).

Syco Masato

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Mar 2007

New Jersey

D/

I really think that they withdrew their forces first before the actual Searing, but what I recently realized was the actual scale of the Searing. It wasn't just Ascalon City that was ruined, it extended throughout the entire region, which is pretty dang big.

KalleDamos

KalleDamos

Lion's Arch Merchant

Join Date: May 2007

Not all of it was 'seared' acordin to some lore from somwehre, dust was tossed into the air, and helped to block out the sun to help dry up and kill things...

Mark Nevermiss

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Jul 2006

Quote:
Originally Posted by Eldin
Perhaps. Although we see little of it, in The Searing cinematic, not much seems to be going on North aside from those Charr conjuring The Searing.

Amazingly though, in terms of how many NPCs return in Post-Searing, it seems as if nobody was killed by The Searing. The land was desecrated and the cities were pulverized into rubble, but, honestly, you don't hear much about people being smashed by giant crystals or being burned alive (aside from Althea).
True but if you look at the map post searing you will see the extent of destruction consumes most of the charr land north of the wall too.

Free Runner

Free Runner

Forge Runner

Join Date: Oct 2005

GW2G

Knights Of The Sacred Light [KSL]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Eldin
Perhaps. Although we see little of it, in The Searing cinematic, not much seems to be going on North aside from those Charr conjuring The Searing.

Amazingly though, in terms of how many NPCs return in Post-Searing, it seems as if nobody was killed by The Searing. The land was desecrated and the cities were pulverized into rubble, but, honestly, you don't hear much about people being smashed by giant crystals or being burned alive (aside from Althea).
Only Major NPCs. The destruction is so bad many believe nobody actually survived (Entering the village in Gates of Kryta gets a person saying he heard nobody was alive in Ascalon). There are quests that show the extent of it (The one where the 2 ghosts are looking for their son after being killed in The Searing). Also alot of the NPCs roaming the countrysides dissapear.

I doubt the Charr cared. "Victory At Any Cost". They found a way to survive it and simply considered it a great victory.

Avatara

Avatara

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Nov 2006

ye their shamans didn't care that the destroyers would destroy their own forces either.

Mournblade

Mournblade

Furnace Stoker

Join Date: May 2005

Houston, Texas

Dawn Treaders [DAWN]

W/Mo

The forces outside the northern wall were more or less low level grunts - easily expendable.

Fangclaw

Fangclaw

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Jan 2008

Maguuma Jungle / Tarnished Coast

R/

[QUOTE=Mark Nevermiss]Pre-searing the Charr were pretty much in control of all lands above the Great Wall. Therefore there was no need to target that area.[QUOTE]

And what about Surmia, Drascir and Nolani? Those cities were built outside the Northern Wall...

That explains why The Searing destroyed Ascalon on both sides of the wall.
The Charr knew where to strike and how devastating The Searing would be; but that doesnt mean they would retreat their forces first.

Maybe the Charr we saw in the Northlands were part of an expeditionary force that was ment to ''Search and Destroy'' near the Wall.

Valeria

Valeria

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Oct 2005

Germany

PaRe

W/

well the searing area is really oversized. It nuked the whole country! I don't think being in the center of the area gives you a high chance of survival.

I don't think they retreated all the way back where the searing could't reach them. The area is just too big.

I still wonder why the great wall was built south of Surmia? maybe from the Guild Wars?

Fangclaw

Fangclaw

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Jan 2008

Maguuma Jungle / Tarnished Coast

R/

Quote:
Originally Posted by Valeria

I still wonder why the great wall was built south of Surmia? maybe from the Guild Wars?
Its the other way around... All cities north of the Wall were built in a time of relative peace, a hundred years or so after the Wall itself was built. Way before the Guild Wars. Just click on the Ruins of Surmia mission location on the map and it'll give you a description as for the reason why it was built so far north...

Numa Pompilius

Numa Pompilius

Grotto Attendant

Join Date: May 2005

At an Insit.. Intis... a house.

Live Forever Or Die Trying [GLHF]

W/Me

Somehow I don't think Charr bosses care all that much about the lives of their underlings.

On the other hand, the Charr boss who kicked off the Searing did so from a position near Piken Square, ie he nuked himself. That, to me, suggests that he didn't realize how big a boom he was calling down. And, frankly, why would the titans have bothered to tell him?

Eldin

Eldin

Forge Runner

Join Date: Dec 2005

America. How about you, commie?

Fellows of Mythgar [FOM]

R/Mo

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mournblade
The forces outside the northern wall were more or less low level grunts - easily expendable.
Though in the eyes of the level 5 Ascalon Soldiers - incredibly powerful! :O

I wish I saw the look on their faces when they saw the REAL extent of the Charr army, in GW:EN.

angmar_nite

angmar_nite

Jungle Guide

Join Date: Feb 2007

[SNOW] of [YUM]

E/

But then you have the vanguard. Who are like all lv20 and fighting the real Charr army.

Biostem

Biostem

Jungle Guide

Join Date: Oct 2007

I honestly don't think the meteors from the searing did the most damaging; it was the poisoning of the landscape and the unpreparedness of the Ascalonians that caused the most deaths.

I mean, think about it - there weren't that many crystal meteors, but pretty much all the farmland, homesteads, and food stores were rendered useless. Two years of no food, no clean water, and no safe place to live will destroy any population...

Eldin

Eldin

Forge Runner

Join Date: Dec 2005

America. How about you, commie?

Fellows of Mythgar [FOM]

R/Mo

I agree, Biostem. Once again - read my first post. We didn't really see any direct death caused from the crystals.

Anyone we do know is dead, or at least missing, was from the after effects.

~nymph~

~nymph~

Lion's Arch Merchant

Join Date: Aug 2006

well if you watch the cinematic, people are smashed by the giant crystals

Shadowmere

Shadowmere

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Jan 2007

The Grim Squeakers [REAP]

N/

well despite it raining giant crystals it is still called the searing for a reason. I'm guessing that those crystals were in fact very very hot and after causing lots of damage from impact set everything in the area on fire as well. This must've burned out most of the kingdon, thus the famous yet never actually seen fire of the searing, it happened after our cienematic.

As for the charr dropping the searing on themselves, despite what they'd have you believe, they really just aren't the smartest bunch of kitty cats (at least the shaman ruled ones). Really though I get the feeling they didn't know just how powerful the magic they were invoking was.

One thing I still don't get about the searing though is how did all the water in ascalon get turned into tar? that transition just dosen't make any sense to me.

Fangclaw

Fangclaw

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Jan 2008

Maguuma Jungle / Tarnished Coast

R/

Quote:
Originally Posted by Shadowmere

One thing I still don't get about the searing though is how did all the water in ascalon get turned into tar? that transition just dosen't make any sense to me.
Thats because it didnt get transmutated, it all evaporated from extreme heat, and im guessing Tar spew forth from the ground to take the water's place due to lessen of pressure or something.


Unless the Elric Brothers happened to pass by (wonder who'll get that) ^_^

Vicks

Vicks

Academy Page

Join Date: Jul 2006

RIGHT HERE! —›•

Flaming Turtles

W/E

It's clear to me that they pulled their forces back, as all of the Charr bosses that resided atop the pre-searing alter which initiated the searing seem perfectly fine afterwards when you have to fight them in post-searing as well.

Absolute Destiny

Absolute Destiny

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Sep 2006

Oklahoma City

Forgotten Realms [FR]

W/

Quote:
Originally Posted by Fangclaw
Unless the Elric Brothers happened to pass by (wonder who'll get that) ^_^
Yeah, they passed through after drawing a few massive transmutation circles on the Bloodstones.



On topic, I think the expeditionary force is the best idea. Now that we've seen the REAL Charr army, the bosses who invoked the searing seem like NOTHING.