Mursaat in the Realm of Torment

[declanlangfaeder]

With no other indication of a Mursaat presence in RoT, perhaps it is time to consider again the possible creators of the arcitecture.

There are several strong arguements that support the idea that Mursaat created the temples and similar architecture, not the least that they have been active in many places in the world.

However, there is a race that we know, provided the manuscripts are accurate, has also been to the temple locations, the RoT, and everywhere else in the world: the Forgotten.

Like I say, the arguements supporting Mursaat architects are strong. But for the sake of the pursuit of inquiry (and our duty to explain the inconsistencies of the Guild Wars world), what would history look like if all that architecture was built by the Forgotten?

[Quintus Antonius]

We have seen Forgotten architecture many times in-game, it looks nothing like "Mursaat" architecture. Forgotten architecture tends to be Egyptian in style. For references, check out the Lair of the Forgotten, or just about anywhere in the Crystal Desert.

[windcaller]

if the Mursaat are indeed travelleres then how come they only have a structure in the Domain of Secrets.

but, aaahhh we have a hint here "D o Secrets".

i think that the placement of such a structure in an area in which the word 'mystery' has its lair is not a simple coincidence.

by looking at the map, i noticed (well....this is the impression it gave me so =\ ) that the building has a temple-like structure. Well, to be precise, the structure of an Orthodox Church (but that doesn't actually matter.)

Hm....if we add up the things we found we get

Mursaat + Temple + secrets = ?!

i'm going for the result of: here we find where does the true faith of the Mursaat lie.

But we previously met temples built by the Mursaat dedicated to the 5 Gods: Balthazar, Grenth, etc...

And we also know that no other signs of the Mursaat have been spotted in Elona or Cantha (correct me if i'm wrong here.)

i'm lost on my own tracks now =\

[False Visage]

Well, considering the Mursaat have a skill named "Spectral Agony" it would seem appropriate they have had at least some dealing in the Realm of Torment. I'm not sure how important the name is though, but considering the Eidolon, the creature that gave us protection from that skill is supposed to be a highly magical creature and that Abaddon is attributed with giving Magic to the world, I don't think it's too far fetched a connection.

[Santax]

There was nothing to say the bridge at Heroes' Ascent was indeed of Mursaat origin. The link was made, and a tenuous backstory thought up, due to the other places the architecture has been found at having some amount of significance with the Mursaat- although there may have never been links there, either. Looking at just the facts, we see a style of architecture that has been found in the shiverpeaks (where the Mursaat are known to have been) the Maguuma (where the Mursaat are known to have LIVED) the Battle Isles (no solid link) and the domain of secrets (no solid link). All of these places have had numerous other civilisations in and around them for ages.

I would like to believe the Mursaat had a presence in the domain of secrets as much as anyone else, but it is unlikely that architecture that has never FULLY been linked to the Mursaat is the only clue ANet would give. But is it? there was also "the unseen" a while back. i don't think that can be FULLY dismissed when something else, like this, comes to light.

Regarding the eye, it is commonly used as a sign of the mysterious. Nothing solid here.

On the pro side of the argument, who else would have temples to Balthazar in the falls? The only other possibility i can think of are the druids.
And who else would have a temple to Grenth in Lornar's Pass? Certainly not the dwarves, who worship different dieties.

The druids worshipped Melandru, and it's widely thought in the lore forum that the Mursaat worshipped the Five before... well, themselves. The same architecture is found at the Temple of the Unseen, near Riverside Province and the eye has been clearly established as the Eye of Janthir from all it's appearances on structures in Kryta (Eastbury Reserve (D'Alessio Seaboard), Divinity Coast). Although, given the process in which an area falls into night (Abaddon dreams it, puts it into the minds of others and then slowly transforms their perceptions of it until it becomes reality), like with Nightfallen Jahai and the Nightfallen Coast, it's possible that he is just bringing Nightfall to Lornar's Pass or The Falls.

[Tuor Son Of Huor]

Well, considering the Mursaat have a skill named "Spectral Agony" it would seem appropriate they have had at least some dealing in the Realm of Torment.

I'd like to find more evidence to support this. I like to think that the mursaat were the "jailers" of Grenth; responsible for holding Abbadon in the RoT. Perfect evidence for this would be mursaat architecture in Abaddon's realm itself.

I will not continue to the end, because I'd like to prove/disprove this first.

....(consider the) Eidolon, (a) creature that gave us protection from (Spectral Agony), is supposed to be a highly magical creature... and Abaddon is attributed with giving Magic to the world

I'll go one better: Abaddon was known to be the Elemental god of Water - the Eidolon uses Water-line magic spells....

Hrmmmmm :)

[Sir Jack]

Couldn't it be drawn in like the Temple of the 6 Gods? I don't see why the Mursaat would go into a realm filled with creatures that resist their most powerful weapon (Spectral Agony) and have an urge to kill them...

Or perhaps it was built prior to Abaddon's fall. The RoT is a domain inside the Underworld. If the Mursaat worshipped the 5 and have interdimensional travelling powers, they could have helped Grenth around building the place a bit. The temple at the Frozen thingy also has a Mursaat style of building (after the Smite run :P )

[keroshinigami]

i was going to propose that idea as well sir jack, if the realm of torment is part of the underworld or a section of it, its not all that odd to find sections of our framiliar underworld in the realm of torment.

[False Visage]

Well, I did give some thought about the God of Water part of the issue. However aside from his dealings with the Margonites, who were a seafaring race is there corroborating evidence that Abbadon was, in fact the God of Water? If he was simply a god of powerful magic, splitting water aside could simply be a magical act, not necessarily one of water magic.

[the forests wisper]

gr8 find QA.

my bet is that its eather a) a representation of a place in tyria
b) the murrsat keeping the titan gate closed were also charged with keeping it shut on both sides. that means that if the titans came from the RoT then maby u found the other side were the murssat patroled (this would seam logical but im not sure on were the titans came from other than the DoA)

or c) the murrsat can switch realms (i think the seer said this) and hav visitied many many places and built stuff there

thoughts?