Lion's Arch
This article is about the current version of the city. For the original version of the city, see Memory of Old Lion's Arch. For the city during Scarlet's attack, see The Battle For Lion's Arch. Lion's Arch
6
2
Map of Lion's Arch
- Type
- City
- Within
- Kryta
- Connects to
- Lornar's Pass (E)
Gendarran Fields (N)
Bloodtide Coast (S)
Lion's Arch Aerodrome (S)
Black Citadel
Chantry of Secrets
Crystal Oasis
Divinity's Reach
Hoelbrak
The Grove
Rata Sum
Southsun Cove
Arborstone
The Wizard's Tower
Shipwreck Strand - Pets
- Armor Fish
Blue Jellyfish
Krytan Drakehound
Lynx
Pig
Shark - API
- 50
Loading screen
“Lion's Arch, built upon the wreckage of the Krytan City of the same name, has grown and prospered in the years since the rise of the Orrian Dragon. Founded by pirates and dependent on trade, the city has become a common ground for all the races of Tyria.
— In-game description
Lion's Arch (sometimes shortened to LA) is a coastal city zone in the Kryta region. It is the most diverse and cosmopolitan city in Tyria, a melting pot where all races gather and trade. It owes no allegiance to any race or nation, but stands on its own – and does so by virtue of its active navy, its financial strength, the intelligence and cunning of its leaders.
Lion's Arch figures prominently in the game's storyline. One of the main themes of Guild Wars 2 is bringing together disparate, even opposed groups in order to fight a greater enemy: the Elder Dragons. Alone, no race will survive their awakening. Only together can the races of Tyria survive. Nowhere in Tyria is that belief more strongly held than the city of Lion's Arch.
As the cultural and economic hub, Lion's Arch serves as the central focus of holidays and festivities such as Halloween. During Halloween, Mad King Thorn walks the streets of Lion's Arch telling jokes, and the city is full of spooky, dark, and pumpkin decor.
Getting there
Note that Free to play accounts can only access Lion's Arch at level 35.
- From Gendarran Fields — portal in the southeastern part of the map, south of the
Cornucopian Fields Waypoint — . - From Lornar's Pass — portal in the central western part of the map, south of the Durmand Priory Waypoint — .
- From Bloodtide Coast — portal in the northern part of the map, north of the Archen Foreland Waypoint — .
- From capital cities:
- Black Citadel — asura gate on the ledge northwest of the Imperator's Core, near the Ligacus Aquilo Waypoint — .
- Divinity's Reach — asura gate in the southeastern part of the District Promenade, the central area of the city, near the Palace Waypoint — .
- The Grove — asura gate in the Marshaling Field on the top layer of the city, the closest waypoint is Upper Commons Waypoint — .
- Hoelbrak — asura gate in the Peeta's Gate, western part of the city, near Peeta's Waypoint — .
- Rata Sum — asura gate on the top level in the northern part of the city, near Magustan Court Waypoint — .
- Black Citadel — asura gate on the ledge northwest of the Imperator's Core, near the
- From Lion's Arch Aerodrome — portal in the northern part of the map.
- From Memory of Old Lion's Arch — using the Lion's Pride Gizmo in old Lion's Arch to travel to the modern version of Lion's Arch.
- Southsun Cove — asura gate in the southeastern part of the map, near Pearl Islet Waypoint — .
- Arborstone — asura gate in the southeastern part of the map, on the second level.
- The Wizard's Tower — portal in the eastern part of the Outer Ring, at Lion's Arch Connector — .
- Shipwreck Strand — portal in the northeastern part of the map, near Dark Leviathan Waypoint — .
- Using portals or portal managers in most of the lounges, accessible by purchasing a pass in the Gem Store.
History
Early years
Lion's Arch was founded, or at least grew in importance, during the reign of King Doric of Ascalon and Orr, likely some time around his coronation as the king of the Republic of Ascalon in 100 BE.[1] The king of the united Tyrian human tribes visited Lion's Arch often and resided in a palace there although it is unknown if he ultimately ended up ruling his kingdom from Lion's Arch towards the end of his reign or if Lion's Arch acted as his summer estate. After King Doric had spilled his blood to help the gods sunder the Bloodstone into five pieces in Arah in Orr and the gods departured from Tyria after a devastating war against the rebellious god Abaddon in the Exodus of the Gods in 0 AE, the bloodline of Doric and his kingdom eventually split into multiple branches which would come to rule the separate kingdoms of Ascalon, Orr, and Kryta in the subsequent centuries.
Capital of Kryta
Prince Mazdak the Accursed of Orr ultimately relinquished his claim to the Orrian throne to establish the kingdom of Kryta at some point. However, it would take colonization from Elona and other events during this era before Kryta officially became an independent nation in 358 AE.[2] Lion's Arch became recognized as the capital of the Kingdom of Kryta where each Krytan monarch would be crowned for many centuries to come.
Mad King Oswald Thorn appeared to have moved from the royal palace of Lion's Arch and reigned from Castle Thorn, located by a river, at least towards the end of his reign in approximately 825 AE when an angry mob of Krytans, long abused by his tyranny and roused by the king's rebellious son Bloody Prince Edrick Thorn, stormed the castle to slay the Mad King and set his castle on fire.[3][4] The rebels intended to kill Oswald's eighth wife and son as well during the assault, ending the Thorn dynasty, and beseeched his cousin to take the throne and plead forgiveness. Worried that the Mad King would try to return using his magic, his killers hid his body parts in boxes and buried them in locations scattered across Tyria, obscuring their locations with magical seals.[5][6] Thorn's cousin settled into the old palace in Lion's Arch upon succeeding the late Mad King to the throne, restoring royal tradition.
In 1070 AE, an emissary from the growing White Mantle cult arrived with three hidden mursaat to meet with King Jadon in Lion's Arch. When Duchess Adelaide Barradin, an Ascalonian mesmer visiting the king, used an Orrian relic called the Veil of Ilya to reveal the mursaat's presence, the Unseen Ones attacked using powerful magic that slaughtered the king's guards and advisors in mere seconds. Following their deaths, the duchess and her attaché cast feedback spells to counter the mursaat's fury, and led Jadon and presumably the rest of the royal family through secret passages in the palace to safety to the wilderness outside while being pursued by the mursaat. Later human generations would come to believe that King Jadon, fearing the growing threat of the charr whose forces were pushing into Kryta, had abandoned Lion's Arch and his subjects to their fate and the White Mantle had been forced to seize power in the wake of the king's mysterious disappearance to save Kryta from the charr.[7]
Salma, who was revealed to be King Jadon's bastard daughter born from an affair with Priestess Berea, emerged as the champion of the people when Jadon and his family had not returned while the White Mantle's grip over Kryta had tightened. Assisted by the Shining Blade rebels and heroes as the conflict escalated into the Krytan Civil War, Salma reclaimed Lion's Arch in a fierce battle after defeating the remaining White Mantle and their mursaat masters in 1079 AE. She was crowned queen and sat on the throne in the royal palace to carry on the ancient tradition, beginning the Salmaic Dynasty of Kryta.
In 1219 AE, the Elder Dragon Zhaitan woke from its slumber. The Rising of Orr led to a great flood which destroyed and completely submerged the old capital as well as the Central Tyrian shoreline, creating what became known as Tarnished Coast. Livia of the Shining Blade led King Baede's royal family and the surviving citizens north to escape the Great Tsunami, abandoning the kingdom's capital to the devastating tides. The ruins of Lion's Arch were utilized as a safe harbor by ships looking to escape the horrors of the sea.
Sea of Sorrows
In 1230 AE, the wreckage of old Lion's Arch was slowly turned into a refuge for corsairs and other pirates, smugglers, and other independent vessels who took advantage of the chaos the Great Tsunami had left behind. Shanty towns were created, and as the waters slowly receded, a settlement formed that owed no allegiance to Kryta. This settlement was unified by a human named Cobiah Marriner, who fought against the scourge of Orr alongside charr, asura, norn, and any other race that would lend their vessels to the cause. Out of that staunch and allied front, the city of Lion's Arch was reborn as a free haven.
For decades, Lion's Arch was run by the Captain's Council, a committee of wealthy merchants and sea captains, led by Commodore Cobiah Marriner himself. Those who wished to take an active hand in the city's governance had to prove themselves regardless of their race and heritage. They had to be respected as a noted ship commander, and they had to have contributed to the city's growth or health. If they were seen as a leader in the city, then they might purchase one of the seats on the Captain's Council—whenever one became available. This system of political governance led to a great deal of one-upmanship among the local captains and on the council itself.
Lion's Arch came close to destruction during the Great Krytan Blockade in 1256 AE when Prince Edair, heir presumptive to the throne of Kryta out of all of King Baede's children after the king's passing, attempted to reclaim the city for the Krytan crown with help from the royal fleet and his ageless advisor Livia who had sworn to always serve the throne. The prince wanted the city to become the site of coronation for future monarchs of Kryta instead of breaking old royal tradition. However, the invasion of Dead Ships of Orr led by the Risen champions of Zhaitan called Captain Whiting and the Maw forced the Krytans and the pirates into an unlikely and tense alliance to survive the relentless Orrian assault. Cobiah managed to slay Captain Whiting in a duel, and his asuran comrade Macha sacrificed herself to destroy the Maw, while the Krytan navy assaulted the leaderless Dead Ships to scatter them and repel the Risen invasion.[8][9]
As the multiracial pirates had pooled their respective strengths together to save Kryta and the rest of Central Tyria from the Risen onslaught, Livia convinced Edair to end conflict with Lion's Arch and reward its citizens with their much desired independence as a free city not beholden to Kryta. In exchange for this boon, Cobiah and his fellow pirate leaders swore to act as a bulwark against future Orrian invasions. For generations, the people of Lion's Arch were on the front line of the war with Zhaitan, the Elder Dragon of Orr. The elite Lionguard built a fortress on Claw Island, a small body of land in the harbor, in order to defend against Zhaitan's attacks. No ship would sail from their docks without a wary eye south toward the dark waters of the undead. The people of Lion's Arch lived each day with the knowledge that they were a bastion against the destruction that the Elder Dragon would bring—regardless of whether or not the other nations of the world recognized, or cared about, their ongoing struggle.
Charr parents living in Lion's Arch had the option of raising their cubs themselves, or sending them to the fahrars in the Black Citadel or even the implied fahrar existing in the free city itself.[10]
Personal story
Halloween 2012
After his Lunatic Court's failure to return him to life, Mad King Thorn's influence was not felt for a long time, and he became a folk legend used to scare children with. However, in 1325 AE, over two centuries after his court's failure, King Thorn made a dramatic return. He shattered the Lion's Court in the Grand Piazza of Lion's Arch and assaulted the citizens with insidious pranks and terrible jokes, intending to break free into Tyria. His return was opposed by the asura Magister Tassi, and foiled by adventurers who ventured straight into the Mad King's realm and defeated him in his own game as well as in battle. Despite his initial defeat, the Mad King would continue visiting Lion's Arch every Halloween and only resort to less lethal pranks on the festive citizens while making them play "Your Mad King Says" with him. As time passed, more of his minions began appearing in Lion's Arch during Halloween as well although they did not cause any trouble among the citizens there.
Living World Season 1
In 1327 AE, after months of preparation, the arch-villain Scarlet Briar descended on Lion's Arch with all of her deadly forces. The city was razed and the smoldering husk of the proud port city was occupied, and it was weeks before the siege was broken. After days of battle, Scarlet was slain in the skies above the city aboard her airship, The Breachmaker.
Word of Scarlet's demise has spread like wildfire throughout the wards of the city. With renewed vigor, the heroes of Lion's Arch, the Lionguard, and Order forces have driven out the remainder of Scarlet's armies, their morale and ranks shattered. Cheers and celebrations erupted at the refugee camps and nigh across all of Tyria. All the while, the Breachmaker—the enormous airship looming over Sanctum Harbor—continued to drill uncontrollably before it mysteriously exploded a few days after hitting a magical leyline which was Scarlet's target. The resulting blast caused the pieces of the Breachmaker to be flung out across the city—mostly concentrated around the harbor but with debris landing as far out as the Farshore Ward and scarring the landscape. With the pieces being so immensely large, the resultant rebuilding of Lion's Arch was taking place around these seemingly immovable chunks of metal.
New Lion's Arch
Lion's Arch finished its reconstruction in 1328 AE. Parts of The Breachmaker were molded into new metal used to build several new structures, such as an aerodrome, a fortress, turrets, a new harbor with a shipyard amongst others. Some of the new buildings and structures are based on sea creatures and the city now has more of a maritime flair than the previous pirate flair. Several points of interest also had their names modified or replaced. The previously destroyed waypoint in Fort Marriner was restored and is now usable. Many citizens and services were moved including those for guilds that were now at Guild Initiative Headquarters.
Path of Fire
In 1330 AE, many Elonian refugees fled to Lion's Arch due to the returned god Balthazar waging war against the Elder Dragons in the Crystal Desert.
Janthir Wilds
Visions of Eternity
Unique features
Lion's Arch is unique among the cities of Tyria since it is the central trade and cultural hub. It has features not found in other cities:
Asura gates
- To the capital cities of all playable races, located in Coriolis Plaza.
- To far-flung destinations including Pearl Islet in Southsun Cove, Arborstone in Cantha, The Wizard's Tower in the Horn of Maguuma and Shipwreck Strand in Castora, located in Coriolis Plaza.
- To World versus World, located in Fort Marriner.
- To Structured PvP, located in Fort Marriner.
- Portals exiting within or near each of the 3 Orders. Reach
- Chantry of Secrets via the portal within the safe house at Order of Whispers Headquarters.
- Durmand Priory via the portal north-east of Cavern Waypoint.
- Vigil Keep via the portal to Cornucopian Fields.
Connection to the Dungeons, located in Fort Marriner.
Connection to the Lion's Arch Aerodrome and the raid portals located within.
Fractals of the Mists, located in Fort Marriner.
Old Lion's Court, located in Grand Piazza.
Dungeon Armor and Weapons, located in Fort Marriner. Sells items from all dungeons.
Guild Commendation Trader, located at Guild Initiative Headquarters.
Ectoplasm vendor, located in White Crane Terrace
Legendary Weapons crafting vendor (the only one in the entire game)- Legendary Weapons trophy collector (the only one in the entire game)
Mystic Forge, located in Trader's Forum
Tri-key Chest, located in the Undermarket
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Locations
Interactive map
Pets
- Sanctum Harbor (near the Wreckage of the Breachmaker)
- Sanctum Harbor (southeast of Old Lion's Arch)
- Captain Theo Ashford Memorial Bridge (named Tomme's Dog in the bridge's archway directly west of the PoI, appears shortly after someone has acquired Tomme's Cat)
- Captain Theo Ashford Memorial Bridge (named Tomme's Cat in the bridge's archway directly west of the PoI, appears shortly after someone has acquired Tomme's Dog)
- Farshore Ward (on the farm above Cavern Waypoint)
- Sharkmaw Caverns (in the cave's lake)
Diving location
- At the very top of the lighthouse (west of Phoenix Roost) right next to the Vista
Jumping puzzles
- Historical
- Troll's End (available in the Memory of Old Lion's Arch)
Gallery
- Screenshots
- Trader's Forum.jpg
Trader's Forum.
- Postern Ward.jpg
Postern Ward.
- Mist Portals.jpg
Fort Marriner.
- Inner Harbor.jpg
Inner Harbor.
Guild Initiative Headquarters.
Lion's Arch Aerodrome.
- Coriolis Plaza.jpg
The Gate Hub at Coriolis Plaza.
- Sanctum Harbor.jpg
Sanctum Harbor.
- Deverol Gardens.jpg
Deverol Gardens.
- Commodore's Quarter.jpg
Commodore's Quarter.
Old Lion's Arch submerged under water.
- Order of Whispers Headquarters.jpg
Order of Whispers Headquarters.
- Before Living World Season 1
- Primary article: Memory of Old Lion's Arch#Gallery
- During Scarlet's attack
- Primary article: The Battle For Lion's Arch#Gallery
- During Living World Season 2 (Aftermath)
The devastated Trader's Forum.
The destroyed Old Gangplank bridge.
Breachmaker parts near Lion's Gate.
The memorial dedicated to the heroes of Lion's Arch at the destroyed Gate Hub Plaza.
- Canal Ward.jpg
The ruined Canal Ward.
Breachmaker part at Farshore Ward.
- The Gangplank.jpg
The damaged Gangplank bridge.
The destroyed fountain at Lion's Court.
The ruined Fort Marriner.
Breachmaker parts at Diverse Ledges.
Wreckage of the Breachmaker in Sanctum Harbor.
The wrecked Western Ward.
The wreckage of Lion's Gate.
The ruined Black Lion Trading Company auction floor.
Cemetery at White Crane Terrace.
The destroyed Moran Memorial.
The wrecked Macha's Landing.
Destroyed bridge between Grand Piazza and Western Ward.
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- Concept art
- Lions Arches concept art.jpg
Early concept.
Retribution loading screen.
- "Lion's Arch Auction House" concept art.jpg
Lion's Arch auction house by Levi Hopkins.
- "Lion's Arch Anchor Lighthouse" concept art.jpg
Lion's Arch Anchor Lighthouse by Levi Hopkins.
Suspicious Activity loading screen.
Forearmed Is Forewarned loading screen.
- Lions Arch boat gate concept art.jpg
Lion's Arch boat gate.
Invasion plan from the Battle for Lion's Arch.
- Lions Arch rebuild concept art.jpg
Rebuilt Lion's Arch.
- Lions Arch rebuild(2) concept art.jpg
Rebuilt Lion's Arch.
- Lions Arch rebuild(3) concept art.jpg
Rebuilt Lion's Arch.
- Historical loading screens
Original loading screen.
- Lion's Arch (Season 2).jpg
Throughout Living World Season 2.
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- Holiday loading screens
Halloween loading screen.
- Previous maps
- Lion's Arch map (original).jpg
Map of Lion's Arch during Edge of the Mists (living world).
- Lion's Arch map back trading.jpg
Map of Lion's Arch during Living World Season 2.
- Lion's Arch map aftermath.jpg
Version of the above map (likely unused ingame) but with underwater structures visible.
- Lion's Arch map remove parts.jpg
Map of Lion's Arch during reconstruction.
- Iconography
- Lion's Arch emblem.png
The emblem of Lion's Arch.
Related achievements
Community: Friends in High Places — Enter Lion's Arch in the month of February. (1
)
Explorer: Lion's Arch Exterminator — Find Turl Sharptooth in the Commodore's Quarter, and use one of his special rifles to deal with the karka hatchling infestation. (10
)
Notes
- There was an extensive sewage system beneath the city previous to its rebuild in 1328 AE.
- As this isn't a racial city, there is no home instance.
- During the original Wintersday, the city was visited by Toymaker Tixx, and Snowmen roamed the snow-covered, festively decorated city to give presents. All subsequent releases of Wintersday take place in Divinity's Reach.
- The map used to be able to be broken out of by going to the Shuttered Gate and relogging in the right corner of it. An invisible wall was placed along it in a bug fix introduced in autumn 2017.
- During Living World Season 1, through the original Escape from Lion's Arch and the Battle for Lion's Arch episodes, the usual city services such as crafting stations and trading post access were moved to the Vigil and Durmand Priory headquarters.
- Map complete rewards for Lion's Arch is experience and a transmutation charge.
- The pirate's version/second age of Lion's Arch, that was removed from the game during the 2014 Escape from Lion's Arch release, was restored in the form of the Memory of Old Lion's Arch lounge during the Battle for Lion's Arch 2022 re-release.
Trivia
- Internally at ArenaNet, this area was known as "Valley_Arch."
- The composite image in the loading screen includes parts of the Széchenyi Chain Bridge in Budapest, including one of its iconic lions.
- Story instances from the Personal Story that take place on Lion's Arch use the original appearance of the city, prior to the events of Living World Season 1. Further, a sepia filter is added which can be disabled by turning post-processing off. This sepia filter also affects the cinematic that welcomes players to their chosen Order; players might wish to disable post-processing to watch the original cinematics without the filter.
See also
- Memory of Old Lion's Arch
- The Battle For Lion's Arch
- Lion's Arch (Under Attack!) (Original version from Escape from Lion's Arch)
- Lion's Arch (Enemy Controlled) (Original version from Battle for Lion's Arch)
- Sea of Sorrows (book)
External links
|
The Guild Wars Wiki has an article on Lion's Arch. |
- Lion's Arch: Building the Heart of the City – Archived copy of the article from ArenaNet's Blog
- The City of Lion's Arch - YouTube
- Guild Wars 2 - Escape from Lion's Arch Destruction Cinematic - YouTube
- Guild Wars 2 - Welcome to the New Lion's Arch - YouTube
- Hidden Arcana: Designing the New Lion’s Arch
References
- ↑ Monument to King's Watch
- ↑ Guild Wars Prophecies manual, legal.guildwars.com
- ↑ Shadow of the Mad King, GuildWars2.com
- ↑ The Family Business
- ↑ TowerTalk Lore Special: The Mad King and his Son
- ↑ Wynn
- ↑ A Collective History Vol. 3
- ↑ "Chapter 24", Sea of Sorrows by Ree Soesbee:
- Baede, King of Kryta, once the king of Lion's Arch...before the Orrian wave destroyed the city. The aged dignitary was renowned throughout the continent. Cobiah'd even dealt with him once or twice, though only through intermediaries and ambassadors. There was a tense peace between Kryta and Lion's Arch, broken on occasion by skirmishes or trade embargos, but generally respected. "We knew that was going to happen eventually. Baede'd been sick for years. Hell, the ministry's been ruling things while he degraded. Still...this could change the tenor of our treaty negotiations. He had four kids—who'd the old man of the mountain name as heir to the throne?" [...]
- "Three fine sons and daughters to choose from, and Baede chooses Edair? That...that..." Words failed him. [...]
- "I suppose those 'victories on the field of battle' earned his father's approval...or made Baede believe that Edair would be able to defend Kryta. None of the others ever joined the service as far as I know."
- "They're scholars. The oldest boy's an elementalist... What's the princess? The girl with the really curly hair?"
- Sykox concentrated. "Emilane. She's a ranger. Trained by the Tyrian Explorer’s Society. Spends most of her time in the northern forests, I think."
- "Oh, yeah, now I remember her. She's the one with the big hound."
- ↑ "Chapter 30", Sea of Sorrows by Ree Soesbee:
- "You don't agree with what's going on," Cobiah guessed. He stood and walked to face Livia through the iron bars of his cell. "If you did, you wouldn't be here." Cobiah pressed his luck, relying on instinct to gauge the woman's reaction. "You're older than the prince. You were alive when the sea swallowed Lion's Arch. Hell, you might have even been in the city at the time, in the king's palace. You were probably with him when King Baede and the others were whisked away while the city was destroyed around you. You know what I know...you know how dangerous Orr really is. [...]
- "I have attempted to discuss these matters with my prince, but Edair is not a practitioner of the magical arts. He is a warrior. Furthermore, he is very young and utterly convinced of his superiority based on the success of his conflicts with the charr." Livia shrugged, the movement rippling appealingly across her sleek form. "If I cannot convince Edair of the truth, then I must protect him from his errors."
- ↑ Eastern Ward (Memory of Old Lion's Arch)
