King Grenth Be Just of Ascalon

I don't know if any of you have heard of him, but if you do a certain quest in Pre-Searing that Devona gives you she mentions him. She mentions that he almost brought Ascalon to ruins. If this is mentioned then why didn't Anet go a little further and mention more about him?

He was the last king to follow the bloodline of Doric it tells you, but then what else? Do any of you know anymore information about Grenth Be Just?

Because that's as much as they mentioned and he's not really important

All that we know is he allowed the guilds to grow strong and move into open war during the Guild Wars, and was too incompetent or diplomatic to be able to do anything about it. At least, I think thats right...

Well...A king that brings Ascalon nearly to ruins seems important if you ask me, but that's just my opinion.

He almost brought Ascalon to ruins during the Guild Wars I'd expect. Now what does this tell us:

The Guilds were able to move freely with large armies
Ascalon was unable to mount defense or strength control them
The King was incapable of controlling his subjects

Basically, he brought Ascalon near to ruin by not doing anything. So not really that important, since he figured only minorly in the actual history as someone who did little or was a poor ruler.

But that's just my opinion

grenth was a king of ascalon?

-_-' Not the Grenth just some guy named after him.

That being the dialogue. The way I've always seen it, is that the Grenth part doesn't refer to the king's name.
"saved us from the Guild Wars and the old king, Grenth Be Just, who nearly brought Ascalon to ruin." The way it's put in there seems to me like it's a saying, asking Grenth to give out justice for the now dead former king. A bit "rot in hell" kinda thing.

If it is a saying, why is Be and Just with capital letters?

Part of the saying perhaps? It is a god she's talking about after all.

Never thought of it like that, now it makes a bit more sense actually.

Reading it again (I'd long since forgotten about it) it seems more like an honorific. Like, May He Rest in Peace, or Peace Be Upon Him. Something along those lines. Because let's face it, it's a horrible, horrible name for a person.

I believe you were on the right track.
It seems to be a 'God Have Mercy' quote. Obviously the guy's dead and he's done stupid things, but nonetheless he was human and therefore his mistakes are forgiveable.

Yeah...I'd have to agree it seems more like an honorific then anything. More like asking Grenth himself to "Be Just" on the old king of Ascalon more so then an actual name. It sounds like something Devona would say.

Just saw this thread, and thought, what if the king's lack of ability/willingness to control the Guilds was what allowed the Charr to build up an invasion force, and obtain the magic they unleashed on Ascalon, unseen by Ascalonian forces, because they were busy with their infighting?

Yes.

Not just Ascalon, but from memory, it was the Guild Wars that allowed the Charr to attack - both because the human nations were, on the whole, too busy to keep an eye on them, and because the kingdoms had been bleeding each other white in the fighting.

The armies of the guilds were greater than the armies of their home nations. In the eyes of some, Ascalon's former king may have seemed weak by not standing up to force the guilds to submit... and even weaker once King Adelbern took over (which occured before the Charr invasion, as clearly seen by how he's 'King' Adelbern in presearing...) and somehow bring an end to them (in Ascalon, at least).

I concur, according to that statement,

The old king, may he rest in peace, isnt Grenth. Devona is just using a proverb.

anyone actually talked to warmaster grast during that quest?

Yes. There's no reaction out of him because our characters are sissies and are too afraid to say anything.