Palawa Joko, the Decay of the Mists, the Scepter of Orr, and the overarching Season 4 plot.

[PanBelacqua.9058]

**Prelude**

We're all likely familiar with the portals allowing Awakened forces to assault Metrica Province, Caledon Forest, Queensdale, Gendarran Fields, Wayfarer Foothills, and the Plains of Ashford.

 

Most of us are likely also familiar with the non-portal Awakened patrols in select regions of Mount Maelstrom, Sparkfly Fen, and Southsun Cove. This line of movement, assuming that the troops are being launched from the Desolation and travelling up towards Central Tyria, seems to imply that their destination is somewhere around the border of Kryta, and the Maguuma Jungle. I propose that the Awakened are aiming for Majesty's Rest, just as a separate group of undead, controlled by Vizier Khilbron did, over 250 years ago. Following the Cataclysm, the Scepter of Orr was lost for over a year. It was found again in a tomb in Majesty's Rest, likely around Rotscale's eventual location, by a group of White Mantle.

 

At present, the sense of order to the once-stable realms of the Mists is decaying. In the short span of time between Path of Fire and Hall of Chains, it has been implied that the Underworld has fallen further into chaos with the death of the Judge. Even in Path of Fire itself, we see Kormir's Sanctum invaded by demons from deeper in the Mists only shortly after her departure. Given the frequency with which portals to the Mists allow for demons to invade Tyria, the thinning of forces to keep them at bay is worrisome, and will likely lead to an increased rate of demonic incursions. The four HoT-era raid wings all had to do with the White Mantle and the mursaat, either directly or indirectly. If Hall of Chains is any indication, the raid plot for the PoF-era will revolve around the Mists, and their impact on Tyria.

 

So, how does this tie back to the central plot about Palawa Joko, and the brimming Tyrian/Elonian war?

 

Via the Scepter of Orr.

 

**Backstory**

 

In Prophecies, Vizier Khilbron initially told the Ascalonian Chosen (that's us!) that the Scepter of Orr was capable of controlling the Orrian undead plaguing Kryta. As it turns out, this was likely well within his control already, as the Undead Lich. The true purpose of the Scepter, and his reason for obtaining it, was to control the titans, and other beings from the Mists. At the Ring of Fire Islands, atop the Bloodstone by the Door of Komalie, in Abaddon's Mouth (the largest chunk of the chain that we are still missing), the Ascalonian Chosen killed the Lich, and the Scepter teleported away.

 

Given that the Scepter of Orr went missing during the Cataclysm (an Orrian event), and ended up far away, in northern Kryta, it wouldn't be a huge leap to guess that the staff teleported to Majesty's Rest during the Cataclysm. During Nightfall, we learn that "...the Staff of the Mists and the Scepter of Orr were given to the great nations of the world as protection. Predictably, those who wielded their power were corrupted. Terrible horrors were unleashed upon the lands once guarded by their benevolent power. The gods themselves were forced to intervene. They struck down both rulers, sealed the scepters within their tombs, and guarded them with powerful magic..." (from the quest 'The Hallowed Point'). If the Scepter and Staff (now presumably destroyed by the Hero) viewed these tombs as safe 'checkpoints' to warp back to, that would also give us a location for where Livia got it from. We know that she no longer possesses it, so it may have gone back to the tomb.

 

**Predictions**

 

Now, to tie this all together: I think that we will get a new zone/raid to the east of Queensdale/north of Brisban Wildlands (notably, one of 6 cut zones from launch. Others included Lake Doric and 'a fourth Orrian map', both of which were added with Season 3, so they may be interested in reviving this idea still). Palawa Joko will make a bid for the Scepter, in order to gain control over demons/other entities from the Mists. Once/if he gets it, he will either threaten Tyria with demonic hordes, or offer them his protection...so long as the Tyrian nations swear allegiance to him. Given Livia's return to the plot, the direction of the Awakened forces, and Joko's knowledge of the deteriorating sense of order within the realms of reality bordering Tyria, all the pieces are on the board.

 

Not yet sure how Kralkatorrik will tie into this, or if Kralkatorrik and the Branded will remain wildcard threats throughout, raising the stakes on top of whatever schemes Palawa comes up with. I'm guessing that this Scepter plot will come some time AFTER we defuse the Scarab Plague plot (unless ANet really wants to go Super Gory).