#mursaat

[konig-varorson]

Fun Lore Fact: On Mursaat genders

With Secrets of the Obscure opening the possibility of us meeting more mursaat, and female mursaat at that, I want to point out a little noticeable fun fact about mursaat in Guild Wars 1.

While there is only one model used for all mursaat, thus leading one to think we only see male mursaat, based on the names of the various bosses it can be concluded that we do see female mursaat as well.

For example:

Willa the Unpleasant

Willem the Demeaning

Male and female form of the same name. Willa and Willem. There are other feminine names seen too, of course. Such as Aily the Innocent and Mercia the Smug.

So what does this mean?

This means mursaat have no notable sexual dimorphism from their models, particularly of note being their chest. Their females' chests look just like their males' chests. This is a female mursaat:

And it is also a male mursaat.

This is NOT accurate female mursaat clothing:

But adapted for the sake of humans and norn to wear (and sylvari just use this because humans and norn get weird seeing nude sylvari).

Let's see if ArenaNet keeps to this idea. #FreeMursaatNonBoobies!

[sepiidae]

And where in Janthir do we go next

Oooohhhh boy the initial story of Janthir Wilds contains so many story hooks and callbacks to Guild Wars: Prophecies (and Nightfall!). So of course that has my brain buzzing at the possibilities of what may further be explored.

(Some of this may be fuzzily remembered and pertinent information left out because I'm excitedly rambling after finishing the JW launch story yaaay)

Anyways. Spoiler talk under the cut.

So this runs under the assumption that everything in the first Guild Wars is carrying over to Guild Wars 2.

The declaration from our Titans that they're "godspawn" is interesting considering their known origins in the Foundry of Failed Creations. Particularly their creation in this realm of torment is overseen by followers of Abaddon and Dhuum (through The Fury.) The declaration of "godspawn" may be reinforcing the idea that the Titans are creations of some of the fallen human gods. This could be an interesting time for further exploring the Titans' purpose under Abaddon and why he used them to manipulate the charr (beyond revenge against the other gods (?)) and their part in the Flameseeker Prophecies.

Speaking of participants in the Flameseeker Prophecies- there's a lot about the mursaat and their involvement with the White Mantle in Janthir Syntri. There's evidence around that the origins of the mursaat are from the Mists, they're trying to return, and according to one disillusioned White Mantle inquisitor: they're running from something. Considering their fate in Prophecies and how desperately they worked to thwart the Flameseeker Prophecies, assuming that the mursaat were running from the Titans is a good guess.

Anyways, I always wondered about that messed up mursaat statue in Vizir's Tower implied between the mursaat and followers of Abaddon. Could we looping back and exploring more about why Khilbron exactly enacted the fall of the mursaat through the Titans? Could Abaddon have had some mad beef with the mursaat??? I thought it funny Dagda name dropped the former God of Secrets near the end of the launch story so I wonder if who we're getting more on in later story beats.

Who knows!? It's time for wild speculation again!

[brightwingedbat]

So a journal in the Wizard's Tower has some very, very interesting information about the Mursaat...

Nayos was the Mursaat's original home realm.

[draconicrose]

Look. Sometimes there's nothing like a shitpost for an inside joke to make someone draw.

Mursaat holding a cup of coffee branded Java Nisos, a play on Bava Nisos.

[icebrooding]

I was convinced to change out the headpiece on Bootleg Mursaat, so...

[meeeeeeese]

Here's my crackpot pre-release prediction for JW.

Anet ain't fooling me with no 'titans' misdirection.

[blackjackkent]

"That was a bit cryptic, even for you." "I suppose some mursaat habits lasted beyond my ascension."

[bluebudgie]

I'm so ready for white mantle bullshit in janthir wilds

Imagine my guys. Just imagine. Justiciar Thommis mention

[friesian]

huh. ok. well that's an expac. some cool stuff.

[anzalias]

I have one more update for my “Mabon is alive” theory to be real before it gets embarrassing

[saladposting]

This is the one of the most exciting bugs I have seen in a while. Does this mean we're getting a new map off the Isles of Janthir??

[konig-varorson]

Following up my previous post on the mursaat... While there's no indication of what a mursaat's face looks like under their mask, I've always pictured it looking a bit like Doom Eternal's Makyrs and their true face beneath those masks.

Rather fitting comparigon too, I think. Both are beings that like to depict themselves to others as angelic but beneath their masks (both literal and figurative) are quite demonic.

[sepiidae]

Finished up the Janthir Wilds main story and wow, this might be the first time in years I'm chomping at the bit to write a long lore speculation post.

There's questions going back to Prophecies here oooohhh this is juicy.

[blufox3542]

Ok I’m seeing a lot of (very deserved) love for Lowland Shore, which is definitely a great map, but I feel like there isn’t a lot of talk about Janthir Syntri.

Which like, I understand that there’s not as much to do there compared to Lowland Shore. There isn’t as much variety with its events and the Hearts aren’t as fun to complete.

But by god, did they nail the atmosphere.

Janthir has always been an ominous place. We knew of its connection to the Mursaat and the bloody history of the White Mantle. Even just looking at it on the map, both in GW2 and all the other at back in GW Prophecies, it’s looked unsettling and dangerous.

And when we get to actually go to Janthir Syntri, it feels unsettling. The black sand shores, the constant rain, the bloodstone warping the terrain.

But it’s also gorgeous. Theres still life there. Dangerous life, but grass and trees grow, and wildlife thrives.

And back to the bloodstone, it’s eerie yet somewhat beautiful. It’s insane to see shattered pieces of bloodstone merging with the local flora!

And the northeastern shore littered with bones… AH!

It’s just a lovely map.

[rs-hawk]

Just gonna say it: Guild Wars 2 has so many good monster bf/gf options

- race of plant people who are all born from a tree (sylvari)

- race of muscular cat people with horns and four ears that are essentially a mix of big cats and bulls/minotaurs (charr)

- race of tall humanoids that via communing with nature spirits become werecreatures (norn)

- race of 10-20 ft tall four armed desert dwelling elemental spirits known for disguising as humans and other creatures occasionally. their voices have an almost serpentine quality and are confirmed to live multiple centuries at least (djinn)

- race of 10+ ft tall interdimensional muscular humanoids known for their circular black wings and only ever seen with helmets covering their heads. both males and females look identical in body shape (mursaat)

- race of 10ish ft tall genderless four armed beings known for advanced magic abilities and likewise live exceptionally long lives (seers)

- race of four armed (seeing a trend yet?) serpentine interdimensional beings that are kinda like nagas but with snake heads (the forgotten)

- demons exist and come in a variety of body shapes but they all look like hodgepodges of flesh and teeth. also they can smell emotions and mentally communicate with others (some of them are friendly)

- there's multiple instances where you fight giant tentacles the size of trees. it's implied the tentacles are attached to a larger creature. whether any of those creatures are sentient is up for debate, but considering an entire map-wide event chain is focused on fighting tentacles, they deserve a mention

- the elder dragons that are the size of islands can corrupt people in different ways. sometimes the corruption is consensual (it depends on the dragon)

- a romance novelist (it's stated he writes smut) in game who's main gimmick is writing interspecies relationship romances. also he kinda looks like the Beast from Beauty and the Beast (Snargle Goldclaw)

- basically the entire repertoire of enemies if you really want to go through it

Also it's canon that queer relationships & people AND interspecies relationships are accepted in said universe! There's only a handful of blatantly obvious examples from the main story but a lot of side quests and ambient dialogue reveals a lot of other examples. Yes there's even agender characters with they/them pronouns and at least one trans person.

So what you’re saying is me and every other monster fucker needs to play this game

[icebrooding]

Me after wondering what the actual fuck a Titan is after seeing it referenced in Mursaat lore a number of times and thinking they're just going to be like, giants or something: