#caledon forest

[brax-was-here]

The beauty of Caledon Forest

[nerdybookahs]

Caledon Forest in Maguuma Jungle

Caledorn Forest in Maguuma Jungle #GuildWars2

[firelordfoureyes]

The new chapter made me want to draw again so I thought it’d be nice and not at all cruel to show his sapling self vs him now

[leafofkudzu]

Hello and happy endless January! Despite how long this month may have seemed, it is almost over - and that means it's soon time for another art party hosted by my guild, Verdant Shield [VS]! We're taking a little tour of the cozy size of the jungle this time, over at Mabon Market in Caledon!

For those who aren’t familiar with art parties, they’re a concept carried over from Final Fantasy XIV - in-game get-togethers for artists/writers/creatives of all types to hang out, chat, and create together! Get your favorite character/look together, head to the location, find someone that catches your eye, and create! Afterwards, everyone posts their creations in a shared tag (ours is #VSArtParty) so others can see, interact, and share! Tl;dr: the ‘goal’ of an art party isn’t to be drawn, but to draw others, and share with the community!

Time and /squadjoin information is under the cut, but will also be posted again via reblogs as the squads go up on the day of the party!

Location Information:

Caledon Forest is a nice easily-accessible map for everyone, and Mabon Market even has its own dedicated waypoint (that is, Mabon Waypoint)! I imagine we'll kind of scatter out across the market and beach, so don't take my exact location in this screenshot too seriously!

Time & Squad Details:

As we always do, we'll be having two parties - one on EU servers and one on NA ones - with an hour break in between. People tend to arrive early and/or jump between accounts as soon as the break comes up, so don't be surprised to see tags and announcements going up ahead of schedule!

The first party will be on EU servers and begin at 9pm Central European Time (aka 3pm Eastern Standard Time or 4 hours before in-game reset). I’ll be hosting on my EU alt account, so to join either /squadjoin or whisper Aemryn of Dusk for an invite.

The second party will be on NA servers and begin at 7pm Eastern Standard Time (aka 1am Central European Time or at in-game reset). I’ll be hosting this one on my main account, so to join either /squadjoin or whisper Kirslyn for an invite.

Closing Words:

A few days ago some nasty info came to the surface about various GW2 sources being scraped for AI purposes, with tumblr tags specifically being mentioned. Though I certainly wouldn't blame anyone for being discouraged and not wanting to draw at all (even this post was delayed because of it), I think at the end of the day, even if you don't post anything publicly, you still shouldn't deny yourself the company and community of your fellow creatives! If you'd like to make this art party have more of a focus on screenshots, or even just hang out and not draw at all, please feel free - your presence is what makes these parties...well, parties, after all!

If you are still interested in posting your artwork though, please check out Glaze and Nightshade as potential ways to protect yourself (and hurt AI datasets) if you haven't already! And even if you don't do that, make sure to slap signatures/watermarks/etc wherever you can. This may be a disheartening time for us, but it doesn't mean we have to stop doing what we love.

So, whether you're coming to create or just to hang out, I look forward to seeing you all this Saturday. Take care, stay safe, and see you soon! ♥

[nurllius]

SAPLING AAHRTUR + Callahan

LORE TIME. So Aahrtur is actually not from the Pale Tree but from a tree based somewhere deep in the Shiverpeaks. However when he was to wake, Sons of Svanir that found the tree attacked it, killing everyone there without mercy. Some Norn that knew about the Tree and swore to protect it in alliance with it came to aid in the battle however they werent enough. Amidst the fight the svanir would destroy pods killing the sylvari inside. When one got to Aahrtur’s pod they striked once, stabbing him near his heart, however a norn that fought alongside the tree stopped him before he could completely destroy the pod. Aahrtur fell out of the pod, still asleep as he was heavily bleeding. The norn saw the fight was unable to be won and swore to save anyone that he could. With that he grabbed Aahrtur and ran to see the nearest mender. Many menders of many races tried to wake Aahrtur up even after the wound was tended to but he remained asleep, his breathing shallow. That’s when the Norn decided he would visit his dear friend that he knew to be the best mender he knew, based in the Caledon Forest. Once there. After a few days of trying different things, a white fern hound came in, one of the fern hounds that Callahan, the mender, took care of, and it licked the sleeping sylvari. To everyone’s surprise that woke him up as he slowly stirred awake.

Aahrtur however woke up feeling confused and…empty. He didnt know but the tree that he awoke from, had fallen in battle. Oblivious to the fact and absent of any connection with the Dream he over time learns from the ones around him, mainly Callahan as she agreed to keeping Aahrtur with her to see his recovery process.

This is why Aahrtur’s main goal was to find who he really was and to find his place where he’d feel like he belonged.

He did eventually, but at what cost.

ALSO IN THE LAST PIC the black on his body is suppose to represent his scars, the middle across his chest is from Balthazar’s sword, the one along his arm and face is burns from the fight, and the one above his heart is from Bangar. I mainly wanted to represent his significant scars.

[mystery-salad]

Firstborn Falke, who tried to be so much for so many...

Pulled themself in too many directions, gifted child syndrome they had too much pressure on them, and it caused them to overexert their powers as a mesmer in turn. Sending out clones and illusions to help while they helped elsewhere, giving too much power and agency to those other selves, until it all spiraled out of control and the illusions were appearing second-natue without Falke even trying. Even when they wouldn't be necessary.

One day Falke looks over and just sees...themself. In another room of their home. They hear friends bring up conversations they don't remember having because the real them wasn't there. They try to reel it in but it's too late, their magic is out of their control and has a life of its own, they made this too second-nature to stop it now.

And it starts really making them wonder at times if they're the real Falke or one of the illusions, how much realism did they give those clones to act independently...? Do they all have memories? True agency? Which one becomes the real Falke then?

It starts affecting Falke and their illusions physically, magic as strong as ever but their sense of self shattering like illusions when they vanish...their illusions all start looking a little fragmented, like they're starting to shatter and vanish already, but they still go off to find ways to help before actually vanishing. Falke themself is growing in new ways, cracks in their bark mimicking the shattered effect and their glow shining through...

They've become somewhat of a cautionary tale in the Grove and surrounding Caledon forest, where you can see their clones out and about still finding people to help, as their main body stays within the Grove among concerned siblings trying to help them recover.

[cryptidsofgw2]

caledon forest is in disarray

.

[tabswrites]

WIP Intro: The Forest’s Embrace (Guardians of Eternity, Book Two)

Synopsis: One year after the events of The Tomb of Light, magic is stronger than ever before, but its guardians are divided. Mara must find a way to unite them and decide the fate of magic once and for all.

Eternity has awakened. Mara would have rejoiced over that years ago, before she lost everything.

The Ancestral Forest is haunted by a spirit of her own making, a spirit that calls for blood. Only by dismantling the Veritas Council can she restore peace and hope to Caledon—but her allies are scattered…

One lost to grief, one lost to love, and the other driven into the forest’s embrace.

She must correct her mistakes and decide once and for all if magic is worth the bloodshed.

Genre: NA fantasy

CW: Violent imagery, mild gore (will continue to update these as needed)

Features:

✨Found family

✨Magical creatures

✨Soft magic system

✨Slow burn f/f romance (sloooow burn)

✨Antihero MC

✨Multiple POV

Characters

Tag list: @cilly-the-writer @writernopal @writingrosesonneptune (please ask to be +/-)

[nocte-argentea]

I'm doing map completion for a third time and it got me thinking.

What is your least favorite map when it comes to map completion?

Mine are Caledon Forest and Lornar's Pass

[jonnysinsectcatalogue]

Whitespotted Sawyer Beetle - Monochamus scutellatus

This insect has already been thoroughly examined and explored in the previous post that featured it. For today's post, please enjoy a few more pictures of this hardy Longhorn Beetle that survived a tumble into a cottage pool thanks to quick intervention. If you seek one in North America, remember the following tidbits of information:

Since it relies on forests for its diet and egg-laying, search there to try and find live specimens. Check the bark and needles of cut/damaged pine, spruce and other conifer trees. They are attracted to the scent cues and may also be found after fires (but please don't look during a fire, be safe)

It is a native North American insect, and so the ecosystem has had plenty of time to adapt to it, and the Beetle itself doesn't appear to have status as a major pest of trees

To identify it and distinguish it from its relatives, look for a white scutellum (between the wingcases) and pronotum "shoulder" spikes. It is also rather slim with a slightly widened abdomen

The elongated antennae are hard to miss; they are easily 2-2.5 times the length of the body. Oh my!

If the antennae are ringed and/or the wingcase features white patches, the specimen is something else...something far more invasive (see the Citrus Longhorn for details)

The larvae may be trickier to find since they hid beneath trees, but they are apparently noisy, hence the name "Sawyer"

The adults have formidable jaws as well, but are unlikely to do anymore than pinch. Nevertheless, handle with care

I really enjoyed observing this insect during the summer of last year, and I'm glad it could be saved from a pool. It still needed some time to recuperate before it could move again, but Beetles are very durable and resilient! I'm very fond of Picture 2, where it looks like the Beetle is trying to pull itself up again, but is too exhausted to fully stand. It tries anyway. I didn't pose it that way, that's just the way it landed on the nearby stones. For a general timeline of handling this insect from the pool: hand pictures first, stone pictures afterwards with Pictures 7 and 10 showcasing the Beetle having regained its strength to begin move again.

Pictures were taken on July 1, 2023 in Caledon with a Google Pixel 4.

[ratasum]

Pride Month Showcase - Islwyn

Hailing from a mysterious tree in the northern Shiverpeaks, Islwyn had a bit of a rough start after he emerged from his pod. Mistaken for a lost Pale Tree sylvari, he was taken to Caledon Forest, and eventually he made his way to working with the Nightmare Court. Still unable to find anywhere he truly fit in, he went into hiding during Heart of Thorns, worked with the warring Nightmare Court factions during the aftermath, and eventually found himself picked up by the Crystal Bloom. Though he's frustrated, he's working to better himself, having met several other of his own people in the organization. Islwyn is trans and gay!

[sucede-es]

#JuevesDeArquitectura

Kariouk Architects diseñó la Forest Retreat, una residencia de 956 m² en los bosques de Caledon, Ontario, que busca armonizar con el entorno natural.

Este proyecto, encabezado por Paul Kariouk, se basa en una conexión emocional con la tierra canadiense, empleando materiales responsables y sistemas de ahorro energético. La casa evita el estilo modernista en favor de un enfoque cálido y familiar, con un diseño abierto que solo cierra dormitorios y baños. En el nivel principal se encuentran las áreas familiares y de los padres, mientras que los dormitorios de los niños están en un volumen elevado revestido de pizarra y accesible por una pasarela.

El elemento más distintivo es su techo en forma de tienda de campaña revestido de cobre, que sigue la topografía del terreno y se eleva sobre el garaje para crear una terraza cubierta. Además, la casa incorpora elementos artesanales, como accesorios de acero y paneles de madera hechos a mano, fusionando tecnología moderna con un toque artesanal que otorga personalidad y autenticidad al diseño.

[torasteals]

Tora Steals Things Volume 2: I’m Wilting

A Guild Wars 2 fan comic/novel

Ebook out now! Checkout here

Tora never wanted to see the woods of his saplinghood, Caledon Forest, for the rest of his life. Yet now he’s back, by demand of the Order of Whispers, on a job meant to justify his membership with them. The job is easy enough—rob a village of angry hylek to get back some vital documents. The real issue is how long he’s required to stay to do it—a month at minimum. Making matters worse, there’s an old friend-now-enemy, Warden Terin Dellis, relentlessly hunting him, and a dangerous acquaintance from his past drawing unwanted attention to him. Can he manage to lay low for an entire month, escape the demons of his past, do the job and get out? Or will things go awry when three young saplings enter the scene?

Volume 2: I’m Wilting explores the tragic origins of our titular thief and how he became the thief he is today. It tells the story of Tora’s journey joining a corrupt thieves’ guild, losing his best friend, and escaping his guild as it violently tears itself apart.

Standard Edition features: 80 comic pages, 10 illustrated short stories, and 4 pages of extra art done for the comic over the years 2018-2020

Deluxe Edition features: all of the above, along with 17 pages of concept and design work/notes, an 18 page preview of the upcoming original webcomic Apocalypse Child, and author commentary throughout

If you’re familiar with Tora Steals Things, you’ll know it as a series of comedic and fun stories. Volume 2 is the dark horse of the series, containing the darkest stories in the work. It contains depictions of emotional and physical abuse, depression, violence, death, and heavy suggestions of SA.

If you’re not familiar with Tora Steals Things, and you’re a fan of Guild Wars 2 with an interest in reading stories within the world of Tyria unrelated to the Commander, this may be up your alley. Consider reading Volume 1: Swift and Steady first or checking out the official website: www.ToraStealsThings.com

Did you miss volume 1? It’s available for purchase here

Highly recommend reading Volume 1 before Volume 2 as the story Terin and The Three Saplings leads directly into the stories of this one.

[the-woods-call-me]

When you catch people littering in Caledon Forest ...

Please click for larger size. =) Firnach -- Northern Shiverpeaks (NA)

[system-architect]

frankly my biggest accomplishment in gw2 is that ive had an alt parked down in the forgotten/WIP asuran jumping puzzle in caledon forest, from before they permanently sealed off the access that mounts could get into + disabled voidjumping, so now Unless you have an alt in it its 100% completely impossible to get into (to my knowledge). its like my private house now.

[ghostace]

omg did they fix your askbox? 4, 7, 15 and optional-18 for taior ♥

apparently i get asks now?? but i don't get note notifications any more. it's a tradeoff here on this Functional Webbed Site

rambling time: (sylvari ask game)

4. How was their awakening? Did something particular happen? What's their first memory?

Given Taior was the first gw2 character I ever played, I like to think he follows a very natural, exploratory path upon awakening. The shadow of the dragon, in his dream, weighed on him as his wyld hunt in a way he didn't get to understand until much later. But the Grove, and Caledon forest, were a gentle introduction to the magical powers he'd been born with - and being born in the cycle of dawn, he quickly found himself a natural diplomat, preferring conversing over combat any day, but eventually learning to steel himself for the latter.

7. What was their first experience with other races? How did it impact them?

Between the dream and the distant interactions with local races in Maguuma (asura, hylek, some humans), he had his positivity and excitement tempered by the time he spent any significant time with non-sylvari individuals. His first real, longer term experiences with other races is primarily Forgal and Almorra, and jumping headfirst into the Vigil was certainly an experience in culture shock, leaping into charr and human affairs of which he had little knowledge. He's certainly more forgiving than some other sylvari when it comes to asura, and he remains very optimistic when he meets people - not precisely trusting but hopeful that they can work things out peacefully. As a whole, he tends to take people as individuals rather than bringing any assumptions with him.

15. What are their feelings on their race being minions of the Jungle Dragon? What's their attitude towards those who turned? How do they feel about the shift in perception of their people from other races?

Since he split off from the main story prior to learning Caithe's memories and the reveal of the dragon, he found it as much a shock as anyone as they entered Maguuma and felt the dragon's call - though the pit in his chest that he'd carried since awakening finally fell into place, an understanding of truly what the shadow of the dragon meant, what the attack on the Pale Tree meant. It's a great disappointment, a sense of failure that they have failed to overcome their nature, that all they can do - all he can do - is fulfill his wyld hunt by helping to destroy mordremoth, after which he's listless and lost without his purpose. He's away from the main plot for most of LW3, recovering in the Grove spending time with other struggling sylvari and trying to make sense of their place in Tyria. As a guardian, he also participates in attempts to heal turned and partially turned mordrem, to varying degrees of success - though he always hopes they will find some sort of peace. He takes a step back from the Pact and the Vigil, despite Almorra's insistence that he's as trustworthy as ever, and he's far more cautious in approaching people after that - no longer as open and eager to learn, carefully walling himself off out of an expectation of judgement from non-sylvari.

18. [Free space for 3 pieces of trivia about your sylvari!]

The horns develop from an over-accumulation of dragon energy, his hair fronds slowly hardening into horns but they're essentially a benign growth - he doesn't suffer any ill effects from it, and they have the same pulsing inner glow as the rest of his body.

After Mordremoth, Jormag is the dragon he was most susceptible to, and nearly fell to in Bjora Marches. The combination of the stresses from the damage against the Vigil and his already tense personal life made him especially open to Jormag's whispers.

Aurene doesn't like or trust him, both out of an overprotectiveness over her Champion, and out of a childlike distrust and jealousy because he didn't meet her until she was a "teen". They work out a balance and a tense respect by the time they end up in Cantha.