Mount Maelstrom in Maguuma Jungle

As nice and beautiful as the snowy regions look in Guild Wars 2, they do not come close to the jungle areas if you ask me. Mount Maelstrom is such an area and I’ve broken my own record. When I was done with taking screenshots, I had 482 screenshots in my folder. Sorting them and choosing just those few that you see here now was very difficult. But that’s not just because I think the region is gorgeous, it’s also because the areas in that region are rather distinct. There’s the usual trees, beach, water, ships. On top of that, you have Crucible of Eternity with the Inquest and a region that’s poisoned, thanks to said Inquest. The South of Mount Maelstrom then finally consists of a huge volcano.

The region is meant for players between levels 60 and 70. I’d definitely recommend going there if you’re looking for a nice region to level in. I met lots of other players – even in the areas away from Crucible of Eternity which is a dungeon for levels 78+.

You may notice that underwater screenshots are missing and they have been very rare so far in all of my screenshot postings… if there ever have been any. I tried to take some, but they did not meet my own expectations. I do not want to see my own character in those screenshots as they are not about “Flummi”, my asura, but they are about the landscape. Unfortunately, I cannot take screenshots without my character visible underwater. I tried the usual (“/sleep” or “/sit”), but that doesn’t work underwater. So unless ArenaNet adds “first person view”, underwater screenshots will not appear in my galleries.

Diessa Plateau in Ascalon

Diessa Plateau is a typical charr region. There are lots of trees and the region is full of bright autumn colours. Then there’s the ruins that are typical for the regions of Ascalon. They remind the travellers that at some point, humans were living here. And in between, there’s newly built charr houses, barracks, and towers. They have a very distinct architecture with lots of shiny metal. Oddly enough, I do not think they look like out of place at all. Even with the pretty nature, they buildings fit into the scenery. Some of their buildings have a foundation of stone that comes out of the ground seamlessly.

I had over 300 screenshots of this region and it took me quite some time (it was a very… iterative process) to decide for the best 55 of them – plus one of the map as usual. Enjoy!

Wayfarer Foothills in Shiverpeak Mountains

The following screenshots may look very familiar to my last screenshot gallery, but they’re different zones! It’s all in the details as usual. :)

I was very happy to find the statue of Jora in the Wayfarer Foothills. I’ve been in that region before, but never actually noticed it. Several NPCs talk about it, though, and tell you that the Sons of Svanir are trying to destroy the statue as it’s a thorn in their flesh, reminding them how Jora killed her brother, Svanir centuries ago (my own Tenedra Yeodo was there when it happened and helped, back in Guild Wars 1 – Oh, the nostalgia!).

Wayfarer Foothills is a region for levels 1 to 15. If you’re a Norn, this is where you start.

Snowden Drifts in Shiverpeak Mountains

Snowden Drifts is a region meant for levels 15 – 25. I like being in snowy areas once in a while, especially during summer when (if!) it’s hot outside. Still, it fit to this time of the year. Our Christmas was really rainy and warm, so being in virtual snow was nice.

As is typical for Norn areas, you’ll find lots of Sons of Svanir there, Icebrood and a few Kodan. There is also a portal to Frostgorge Sound which I hadn’t known about until I went through the area again to take those screenshots. :)

I doubt Snowden Drifts will be among my favourite areas, but it’s a nice one nonetheless. I especially liked the Kodan village.

Ebonhawke – Screenshot Gallery

Even though Ebonhawke is not a capital city, it is connected to Divinity’s Reach via portal (in Rurikton, in case you’re wondering). It looks like a city and almost feels like one, but it’s much smaller and filled with a few events and skill challenges even.

It had been under siege from the charr for years. Read the wiki entry if you want to know more.

I thought I should continue with the tradition that I started during the beta weekend events, where I had taken screenshots of all the cities. Ebonhawke may not be a “real city” like the others, but I still think it’s beautiful and deserves its own spot among the other cities here in our blog.