Perhaps Malyck was born from this tree...

[Arden.7480]

Well it was really weird that HoT skipped the thread of our not-born-from the Pale Tree Sylvari. Perhaps it was a thought out idea. I think it was.

 

I think that he was born not in Maguuma, but... in Kourna- https://wiki.guildwars.com/wiki/Ancestor_Tree

 

Centaurs? Magical Fruits? Interesting...

[Aaron Ansari.1604]

Overlooking, for the moment, that the Ancestor Tree is quite clearly a different species and not remotely as large... how do you propose his pod made it from inland Kourna to the inland Maguuma? Do remember that we found it, on the banks of a river in Brisban.

[Alga.6498]

I am just still pissed off that ANet decided to scrap the whole idea of Malyck's tree. :angry:

 

_''Malyck's tree remains unaccounted for, though it was part of the initial plans for Heart of Thorns''_

 

I mean, really? We went deeper into the Maguuma yet they failed to explore and explain if there were other Trees than just The Pale Tree. I believe it was a huge mistake and a big letdown for us Sylvari-lore people, as we have been waiting and waiting to see what's Malyck's tree is like, what other Sylvaris is like and their tree.

Buuut NOOO, we just got a big fat slap in our face instead! :rage:

Maybe, just maybe they can still create it as we haven't discovered the whole Maguuma Jungle...... :confused:

[Tupi.2967]

> @Alga.6498 said:

> I am just still pissed off that ANet decided to scrap the whole idea of Malyck's tree. :angry:

>

> _''Malyck's tree remains unaccounted for, though it was part of the initial plans for Heart of Thorns''_

>

> I mean, really? We went deeper into the Maguuma yet they failed to explore and explain if there were other Trees than just The Pale Tree. I believe it was a huge mistake and a big letdown for us Sylvari-lore people, as we have been waiting and waiting to see what's Malyck's tree is like, what other Sylvaris is like and their tree.

> Buuut NOOO, we just got a big fat slap in our face instead! :rage:

> Maybe, just maybe they can still create it as we haven't discovered the whole Maguuma Jungle...... :confused:

 

It seems HoT development had a lot of shortcomings and they had to scrap many things with the excuse "commander is in a hurrry, kill mordremoth as fast as you can!". Its higly unlikely that we'll ever hear of Malyck again, maybe in a future book or footnote at best.

Hopefully PoF and Seasons development is in a better shape now.

[draxynnic.3719]

> @Tupi.2967 said:

> > @Alga.6498 said:

> > I am just still pissed off that ANet decided to scrap the whole idea of Malyck's tree. :angry:

> >

> > _''Malyck's tree remains unaccounted for, though it was part of the initial plans for Heart of Thorns''_

> >

> > I mean, really? We went deeper into the Maguuma yet they failed to explore and explain if there were other Trees than just The Pale Tree. I believe it was a huge mistake and a big letdown for us Sylvari-lore people, as we have been waiting and waiting to see what's Malyck's tree is like, what other Sylvaris is like and their tree.

> > Buuut NOOO, we just got a big fat slap in our face instead! :rage:

> > Maybe, just maybe they can still create it as we haven't discovered the whole Maguuma Jungle...... :confused:

>

> It seems HoT development had a lot of shortcomings and they had to scrap many things with the excuse "commander is in a hurrry, kill mordremoth as fast as you can!". Its higly unlikely that we'll ever hear of Malyck again, maybe in a future book or footnote at best.

> Hopefully PoF and Seasons development is in a better shape now.

 

I don't know. I think it's still possible that another map could be added to the south of Auric Basin as part of a future Living Story, and they could put Malyck's tree there. Probably not something they'd do just for the sake of doing it, but it might be something they'd add if for some reason we end up heading out that way anyway, or they decide to make a chapter about "what happened to the Mordrem Guard".

[Aaron Ansari.1604]

> @draxynnic.3719 said:

> > @Tupi.2967 said:

> > > @Alga.6498 said:

> > > I am just still pissed off that ANet decided to scrap the whole idea of Malyck's tree. :angry:

> > >

> > > _''Malyck's tree remains unaccounted for, though it was part of the initial plans for Heart of Thorns''_

> > >

> > > I mean, really? We went deeper into the Maguuma yet they failed to explore and explain if there were other Trees than just The Pale Tree. I believe it was a huge mistake and a big letdown for us Sylvari-lore people, as we have been waiting and waiting to see what's Malyck's tree is like, what other Sylvaris is like and their tree.

> > > Buuut NOOO, we just got a big fat slap in our face instead! :rage:

> > > Maybe, just maybe they can still create it as we haven't discovered the whole Maguuma Jungle...... :confused:

> >

> > It seems HoT development had a lot of shortcomings and they had to scrap many things with the excuse "commander is in a hurrry, kill mordremoth as fast as you can!". Its higly unlikely that we'll ever hear of Malyck again, maybe in a future book or footnote at best.

> > Hopefully PoF and Seasons development is in a better shape now.

>

> I don't know. I think it's still possible that another map could be added to the south of Auric Basin as part of a future Living Story, and they could put Malyck's tree there. Probably not something they'd do just for the sake of doing it, but it might be something they'd add if for some reason we end up heading out that way anyway, or they decide to make a chapter about "what happened to the Mordrem Guard".

 

The region is also close enough that it could reasonably accommodate any further developments with Tarir and the Exalted. I expect ANet's going to let them fade into the background for the foreseeable future, but at this point they're still the most likely candidate to bring the main narrative back to the Maguuma.

[DebraKadabra.5278]

It really burns me that ANet abandoned this story. A Sylvari from another, separate tree should have born WAY more investigation at the very least, with minor-major implications for potential salvation in HoT story. Now we're left with the Pale Tree lamely offering up what she knew was a lie all along, Wynne dying to protect this secret from Faolain, and Caithe having to bear the weight of the secret from then until Mordy popped up and said, "O HAI DERE!"

 

That part of the story was pretty fascinating too.

[RyuDragnier.9476]

I REALLY hope they expand on Malyck and his tree, and also on that Nightmare Court woman who appears at that battle in Dragon's Stand. She acts like we know her, and so does our character, but that's the only place she appears at (meaning she was one of the dropped story parts for HoT). Add Malyck's tree and that Nightmare Court missing thread in with a standalone area with its own story (that acts as if the fight with Mordremoth is still ongoing) if they must, but we need these plotholes filled dammit!

[Doni.3402]

They should have cut out the exalted instead of Malyck's story...

[MithranArkanere.8957]

Malyck came from a pod that got to Brisban Wildlands carried by a river. We cannot see the source of the river, only that that we see starts at Gotala Cascade.

 

But the open world maps do not match the real world of Tyria. They are like a 'summary' or 'condensation' of it. Gotala cascade could be connected to underground rivers and the like and we wouln't know just looking at the map.

 

But if you red the dialogues in the story, you learn that the source of this rive is somewhere northwest from the point where Malyck's pod was found.

 

That means, Verdant Brink, Bloodstone Fen, the raids, lost precipice or in the space without maps around them.

 

Many people think the [blighting Tree](https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Blighting_Tree "Blighting Tree") at The Corpse Grove was Malyck's tree, all non-dream sylvari there killed or converted when Mordremoth started stirring, and later corrupted with death magic into a field of blight and corpses after Mordremoth got some of Zhaitan's juice.

 

But his tree was probably simply cut due to lack of time to implement it.

 

In an ideal world HoT would get a 5th bonus map with all the missing cut stuff, but we do not live in that world.

[Maethor.2810]

> @Doni.3402 said:

> They should have cut out the exalted instead of Malyck's story...

 

Except the Exalted have a role in the theme of Glint's Legacy that's continuing through the game, where Malyck would have been a nice answer to a question but otherwise wouldn't really offer anything to the ongoing storyline considering the current chapter focusing on Sylvari origins is done with.

[Chadramar.8156]

The Exalted are too connected to both the foreshadowed LS2 elements and the post-HoT development. But I always thought they should have cut the whole pointless Rata Novus detour. That still wouldn't have been enough time to nearly do the issue of a second tree justice, but at least it would have been a start, and an acknowledment, instead of completely dropping what should be a pretty big deal.

 

It just frustrates me immensely (especially as a primary sylvari player) how much sylvari and HoT related lore was kicked to the curb in favor of BS drama-llamaing around the "biconics", which is all that Rata Novus and a lot of LS3 was.

[Konig Des Todes.2086]

People are keep saying "cut this story instance instead of Malycks" but honestly...

 

They could have just had Malyck's tree replace the ogre camp and The Great Tree in Tangled Depths.

 

There'd be no need to make it part of the main storyline. Making a meta chain and open world dialogue would have sufficed. Instead ogres, skritt, and heket-renamed were more important.

[Doni.3402]

> @"Konig Des Todes.2086" said:

> ... There'd be no need to make it part of the main storyline. Making a meta chain and open world dialogue would have sufficed. Instead ogres, skritt, and heket-renamed were more important.

 

Simple but it would have been sufficient enough B)

[draxynnic.3719]

Heck, they could have just made Malyck a Mordrem boss somewhere and that would have said all we really needed to know about his fate.

 

Unless ArenaNet still has plans to use that story later...

[Fluffball.8307]

When this came up a couple years ago I suggested a random regular mordrem in the dragon's stand meta should have a chance to spawn with his name. Not even a boss, just a nod to the story, that's all it would take since it's likely what happened to all the other trees.

[Astra Lux.2846]

If I remember right, the Sylvari personal stories all seem to hint at some pretty major shake ups in their lore and world and none of them are ever mentioned or addressed again. There is one that strongly implies that the Nightmare conversion ISN'T as permanent as Caithe violently insists, the Malyck tree, and I don't remember if the Emerald Knight path had anything like this. It is frustrating that a lot of Sylvari threads and ideas were, ironically, dropped for and after the Sylvari-centric HoT.

 

Instead, we have to assume probably assume that Malyck's tree was corrupted offscreen by Mordremoth's call and that his kin are all dead or something

[Konig Des Todes.2086]

> @"Astra Lux.2846" said:

> There is one that strongly implies that the Nightmare conversion ISN'T as permanent as Caithe violently insists

 

Which one is that? The Shield of the Moon rather supports the claim as Tiachren was drastically changed. White Stag shows a "noble" Nightmare Courtier but he was definitely converted and no sign of reverting. Green Huntsman, Bercilak definitely showed no redemption... Occam? He never converted though in that plot. Maybe I missed something, though?

 

Half of the plots were there to build into the Pact stuff - Tegwen and Carys, Occam's smithing, and the Zelisco Extract plots were all used later to some degree. Shield of the Moon, Green Huntsman, and White Stag were all there to present the player with the Nightmare Court and the Nightmare's drastic difference; arguably, they were there to push folks into thinking Nightmare is similar to dragon corruption (something that comes up in Wychmire Swamp, CoE, and Season 2 as well).

 

That just left Malyck as the only real never-touched plot.

 

> @"Astra Lux.2846" said:

> Instead, we have to assume probably assume that Malyck's tree was corrupted offscreen by Mordremoth's call and that his kin are all dead or something

 

A dev had said that Malyck's Tree wasn't a Blighting Tree. At least, not seen in HoT.

 

There's also enough hints - mainly Malyck's lack of a Dream - that suggests that Mordremoths' call wouldn't have reached them. Mordremoth's call came via the Dream, so without a Dream, no call. Of course, there are hints that it is the Dream that prevents traditional corruption, so Mordremoth could have corrupted those sylvari that way.

[Shirou.4862]

With all the (rightfully deserved) whine, we can at least hope that Malyck and Nightmare Court could be explored further in a la White Mantle in a proper and focused way.

 

Recapping missing things in HoT:

 

Chak origins and spread: somehow physiologically related to Karka? (Invasive insectoids with carapace that change drastically based on size and lay eggs?) If they did destroy Rata Novus in the past, aren't their numbers actually greater than from what we've seen? Supposedly they came from West and their numbers thinned out by avoiding confrontation with the Elder Dragon, possibly like the Karka with DSD/Zhaitan?

 

Nightmare Court splits: NC was clearly meant to be at odds both against the Pact (for several minor reasons) and Mordremoth because they "yearned" freedom above all. With Faolain destined to be Mordremoth's Champion there was too little time to develop unto new NC characters so from that prospective it makes sense to drop the potential NC arc as a whole, possibly picking it up later to wrap up other loose ends like Toxic Alliance.

 

Proper Rata Novus: we've never seen the city proper, only the surrounding complex, possibly still overrun by Chak? What if there were few other survivors or more legacy left bihind by Zinn?

 

I think these premises are enough to build-up a story further West into Maguuma and finally explore Malyck story if Nightmare Court were to be relevant again.

But back to the beginning, what could NC achieve in Maguuma if they didn't even the manpower, intelligence or prior experience against an Elder Dragon that Pact had? What if they indeed had means of fighting Mordremoth we never got to see into action because they were left into disarray without a leader?

We still have to see other Firstborn into the main so the possibilities for a future proper Sylvari storyline are indeed out there.

[draxynnic.3719]

Chak having greater numbers somewhere off the map seems quite likely - I recall seeing a few areas where it was implied that the chak have hives deeper in that we can't access. It'd probable that once Rata Novus stopped drawing power, it also stopped being so attractive to the chak and they dispersed again - the nearest hive to Rata Novus is labelled "Decaying", after all.

 

The scary thing - for the asura - is that the chak hives don't appear to be that far from Rata Sum. Perhaps this is where they'll be very glad that Rata Sum floats...

[Tamias.7059]

> @"Konig Des Todes.2086" said:

> > @"Astra Lux.2846" said:

> > There is one that strongly implies that the Nightmare conversion ISN'T as permanent as Caithe violently insists

>

> Which one is that? The Shield of the Moon rather supports the claim as Tiachren was drastically changed. White Stag shows a "noble" Nightmare Courtier but he was definitely converted and no sign of reverting. Green Huntsman, Bercilak definitely showed no redemption... Occam? He never converted though in that plot. Maybe I missed something, though?

>

> Half of the plots were there to build into the Pact stuff - Tegwen and Carys, Occam's smithing, and the Zelisco Extract plots were all used later to some degree. Shield of the Moon, Green Huntsman, and White Stag were all there to present the player with the Nightmare Court and the Nightmare's drastic difference; arguably, they were there to push folks into thinking Nightmare is similar to dragon corruption (something that comes up in Wychmire Swamp, CoE, and Season 2 as well).

>

> That just left Malyck as the only real never-touched plot.

 

My suspicion is that the Nightmare was originally supposed to be related to Mordremoth's corruption, but that they decided to go in a different direction with it at the last minute. Hence the NC's bizarre and mostly unexplained involvement in HoT. As you say, there's just so many hints that this was the case.

 

> @Shirou.4862 said:

> With all the (rightfully deserved) whine, we can at least hope that Malyck and Nightmare Court could be explored further in a la White Mantle in a proper and focused way.

>

> Recapping missing things in HoT:

>

> Chak origins and spread: somehow physiologically related to Karka? (Invasive insectoids with carapace that change drastically based on size and lay eggs?) If they did destroy Rata Novus in the past, aren't their numbers actually greater than from what we've seen? Supposedly they came from West and their numbers thinned out by avoiding confrontation with the Elder Dragon, possibly like the Karka with DSD/Zhaitan?

>

> Nightmare Court splits: NC was clearly meant to be at odds both against the Pact (for several minor reasons) and Mordremoth because they "yearned" freedom above all. With Faolain destined to be Mordremoth's Champion there was too little time to develop unto new NC characters so from that prospective it makes sense to drop the potential NC arc as a whole, possibly picking it up later to wrap up other loose ends like Toxic Alliance.

>

> Proper Rata Novus: we've never seen the city proper, only the surrounding complex, possibly still overrun by Chak? What if there were few other survivors or more legacy left bihind by Zinn?

>

> I think these premises are enough to build-up a story further West into Maguuma and finally explore Malyck story if Nightmare Court were to be relevant again.

> But back to the beginning, what could NC achieve in Maguuma if they didn't even the manpower, intelligence or prior experience against an Elder Dragon that Pact had? What if they indeed had means of fighting Mordremoth we never got to see into action because they were left into disarray without a leader?

> We still have to see other Firstborn into the main so the possibilities for a future proper Sylvari storyline are indeed out there.

 

I think HoT was the opportunity to explore sylvari lore in true depth, and that the opportunity has passed. To be honest, I wouldn't be surprised if we never heard any more about it again, sadly.