Huge statue in Sparkfly Swamp

arsie

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Jun 2007

N/

Found this island/statue/waterfall thing at Sparkfly Swamp, its kinda near Saidra's Ashes when you do Frogstomp. I was wondering if it was a statue from Orr. Any ideas?

Tatile

Tatile

Desert Nomad

Join Date: Sep 2007

Stygian Disciples of Tenebrasus

N/Me

I don't think there's much in the way of Orrian aricheture to compare it to. The statue makes me think of some Gaia imagery I've seen, so it's possible it's a representation of Melandru, or some local 'saint'.

Nadasee

Nadasee

Lion's Arch Merchant

Join Date: Mar 2006

You can see faces like that all arround Tyria (EotN areas) mostly arround were Orr once were. Like this on the costal line you found.
The floating stones also made me think. You can see them at the floating castle in Kryta at the coast. Wich we think was a result of "The Cataclysm" once it ended and left it's mark.
But then you can see floating stones i Asura areas wich seems odd if it was from the Sinking of Orr "The Cataclysm ".

I wish they were remnants from Orr but i'm actually not sure since they are so spreadout.

Miska Bow

Miska Bow

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Jan 2008

somewhere, Grinding some l33t titles

Order of the Divine WoodChuck

R/

That,s Zhoowius, the all Mighty God of Drooling.

House Silvermoon

House Silvermoon

Lion's Arch Merchant

Join Date: Mar 2007

New York City

Retired

W/E

i dont think its a representation of something or someone at all. its merely an artistic touch that anet added.

Free Runner

Free Runner

Forge Runner

Join Date: Oct 2005

GW2G

Knights Of The Sacred Light [KSL]

There are many areas like this all over the Tarnished Coast. If you go to Riven Earth and look up to the waterfall near the bridge you will see 4 of the same face. As House said they were probably just details put into the map to make it more impressive.

Eldin

Eldin

Forge Runner

Join Date: Dec 2005

America. How about you, commie?

Fellows of Mythgar [FOM]

R/Mo

They're all over the Tarnished Coast.

Honestly though, the faces remind me of the giant ones in the Gate of Madness outpost.

Then again that's probably just ANet recycling.

Theo Godscythe

Theo Godscythe

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Nov 2007

D/

If you check out the old artwork from Utopia, canceled expansion, you'll see that many of the pictures have ruins just like this. This is probably Utopia material that was added to Eye of the North. Just like the Asura, Destroyers and the Golems.

adragon202

Pre-Searing Cadet

Join Date: Oct 2008

Demon Spawn Reindeers From Hell[SNTA]

N/

Two words, Hill Giants. If you notice the eyes in the faces follow you, at least that's what I think the intended effect was supposed to be (They actually follow your camera), so I think that means they're alive. I have a very strong feeling that in Guild Wars 2, these will play a very large roll in the story as "father figures" to the Sylvari, or in the death of the great dragons.
I also noticed that there were flowers around the faces that glow only around them, they can be spotted elsewhere but they don't glow.

Konig Des Todes

Konig Des Todes

Ooo, pretty flower

Join Date: Jan 2008

Citadel of the Decayed

The Archivists' Sanctum [Lore]

N/

Quote:
Originally Posted by Nadasee View Post
You can see faces like that all arround Tyria (EotN areas) mostly arround were Orr once were.
We never go to where Orr was. Actually.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Nadasee View Post
The floating stones also made me think. You can see them at the floating castle in Kryta at the coast. Wich we think was a result of "The Cataclysm" once it ended and left it's mark.
But then you can see floating stones i Asura areas wich seems odd if it was from the Sinking of Orr "The Cataclysm ".
I don't know about the "Wizard's Tower" in Kryta, as the developers only said that the floating rocks in the Tarnished Coast is from remains of the Cataclysm's magic. But then again, the dev mistook the Tarnished Coast for Orr itself.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Eldin View Post
Honestly though, the faces remind me of the giant ones in the Gate of Madness outpost.
Those faces are very much different. And there are two kinds of faces seen in the Gate/Depths of Madness area - one is the kind of face seen in the Fissure of Woe and the Ring of Fire islands. The other is seen throughout the Realm of Torment and Cyndr's room. These faces are completely different and are seen throughout the Tarnished Coast and in Rragar's Menagerie's boss room.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Theo Godscythe View Post
If you check out the old artwork from Utopia, canceled expansion, you'll see that many of the pictures have ruins just like this. This is probably Utopia material that was added to Eye of the North. Just like the Asura, Destroyers and the Golems.
Actually, the Asura and Destroyers are not carried over concepts. The Asura were made for Eye of the North and the Destroyers had a 100% overhaul for Eye of the North from Utopia. Before they were Destroyers, they were more like the typical demon with a completely different (and better) name.

Quote:
Originally Posted by adragon202 View Post
Two words, Hill Giants. If you notice the eyes in the faces follow you, at least that's what I think the intended effect was supposed to be (They actually follow your camera), so I think that means they're alive. I have a very strong feeling that in Guild Wars 2, these will play a very large roll in the story as "father figures" to the Sylvari, or in the death of the great dragons.
I also noticed that there were flowers around the faces that glow only around them, they can be spotted elsewhere but they don't glow.
Moving eyes doesn't mean they are alive. Also, are you sure it isn't just an optical illusion - much like when a paintings eyes follow you around? It may just seem like they are following you, instead of actually following you.

And besides, it could just be magic that is animating the eyes. They don't need to be alive to having moving eyes.

Gmr Leon

Gmr Leon

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Apr 2006

Quote:
Originally Posted by Konig Des Todes View Post
Moving eyes doesn't mean they are alive. Also, are you sure it isn't just an optical illusion - much like when a paintings eyes follow you around? It may just seem like they are following you, instead of actually following you.
I mention those faces in my observations thread, as I recall, and they do in fact follow you around.

adragon202

Pre-Searing Cadet

Join Date: Oct 2008

Demon Spawn Reindeers From Hell[SNTA]

N/

Quote:
Originally Posted by Konig Des Todes View Post
Moving eyes doesn't mean they are alive. Also, are you sure it isn't just an optical illusion - much like when a paintings eyes follow you around? It may just seem like they are following you, instead of actually following you.

And besides, it could just be magic that is animating the eyes. They don't need to be alive to having moving eyes.
Yes, the eyes do in fact follow you, or rather your camera. There is an excellent example of this spotted on the east wall of the swamp. Just south of the river. You can walk right up to it and rotate your camera all you like, the eyes will literally follow it.

draxynnic

draxynnic

Furnace Stoker

Join Date: Nov 2005

[CRFH]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Konig Des Todes View Post
Actually, the Asura and Destroyers are not carried over concepts. The Asura were made for Eye of the North and the Destroyers had a 100% overhaul for Eye of the North from Utopia. Before they were Destroyers, they were more like the typical demon with a completely different (and better) name.
I thought the Asura were carried over from Utopia as well - however, theyhad a very different culture and technology level.

Konig Des Todes

Konig Des Todes

Ooo, pretty flower

Join Date: Jan 2008

Citadel of the Decayed

The Archivists' Sanctum [Lore]

N/

Golems were a carried over concept, but I thought that (and the aztec design of the structures) are the only parts of the Asura that were carried over. I know that originally Asura were meant to be more goblin-like being a primitive underground race, but I thought that was for EN still.

Copenhagen Master

Copenhagen Master

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Jun 2006

El Centro CA

Lazy Imperius Legionis (LaZy)

W/P

There another face like that in The Palace explorable area in jade on the stairs!! much much smaller but none the less a face just like that one

Gmr Leon

Gmr Leon

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Apr 2006

Erm..What palace are you talking about? Raisu Palace?

Neo Atomisk

Neo Atomisk

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Dec 2008

State College, Pennsylvania, United States

Zealots of Shiverpeak [ZoS]

W/

IM BACK
but we see the same "faces" in various eotn locations, such as rragar's menagerie and the (raven)? temple in the far shiverpeaks. I assume that it's just recycled artwork, but I'll leave it to Konig to come up with some wacky explanation!

draxynnic

draxynnic

Furnace Stoker

Join Date: Nov 2005

[CRFH]

Actually, I'd be willing to bet that the golems weren't going to be Asura creations in Utopia.

Ariovist Lynxkind

Ariovist Lynxkind

Lion's Arch Merchant

Join Date: Dec 2006

Lynxkind Atrium, Echovald Forest, Cantha

Death Bringers Union [DBU]

R/

I would say that it is just reused stuff, but also we have the abandoned civilisation that the Asura took over, so it could be from that

(IIRC the Asura utilised existing buildings, not start from scratch)