New torch story

There wasn’t much of a story told but it did tease at the colossus from cliff side, which I assume is the one from the cliff side fractal. Wonder what he was doing in Dredgenaught Cliffs? Just passing through? From where to where? Wonder where he is now. Or did the cultists actually finish him off in the non fractal version of history?

Could just be dead. The last remnant of an ancient race who died naturally. I def found it an interesting tidbit they threw in there though

Pretty sure it was just a nod to the Fractal, a very nice reference too IMO, given that you are gifted a weapon that supposedly contains power from the Colossus. Interestingly when the ghost says that the Colossus once stood there, "there" was the dwarven relic hero point that is actually pretty close to the border of the map that goes into Deldrimor Front. So it could even be that the cliff whose cliffside we visit in Fractals was once in the dwarven land, and that very relic might as well be something the dwarves recovered/gained/took from a Colossus.

Keep in mind that the fractal took place in the early annals of human history on Tyria (world). So we're talking over 1,500 years ago. The time when the Colossus passed over that area would have been centuries if not millennia ago.

I find it hard to believe that the Colossus of Cliffside was just one member of an entire race. An entire species the size of a mountain wouldn't be sustainable, either too many would result in a barren landscape, or too few that the ecosystem could sustain it would result in genetic degradation from inbreeding. Besides, with his clothes looking the same as his body, it seems the entire thing was of one apparent material, and I'm not so sure that was flesh. I suspect the Colossus of Cliffside was some sort of construct, personally; baring that, going a step higher and suspecting a demi-divine entity.

All that said, by the sounds of the dialogue, it does seem that the Colossus was just passing through. I wonder whether this was before or after the events that the fractal replicate.

@Konig Des Todes.2086 said:Keep in mind that the fractal took place in the early annals of human history on Tyria (world). So we're talking over 1,500 years ago. The time when the Colossus passed over that area would have been centuries if not millennia ago.

I find it hard to believe that the Colossus of Cliffside was just one member of an entire race. An entire species the size of a mountain wouldn't be sustainable, either too many would result in a barren landscape, or too few that the ecosystem could sustain it would result in genetic degradation from inbreeding. Besides, with his clothes looking the same as his body, it seems the entire thing was of one apparent material, and I'm not so sure that was flesh. I suspect the Colossus of Cliffside was some sort of construct, personally; baring that, going a step higher and suspecting a demi-divine entity.

All that said, by the sounds of the dialogue, it does seem that the Colossus was just passing through. I wonder whether this was before or after the events that the fractal replicate.

Kind of the impression I got, almost like a giant ley-line anomaly covered in stone with magic seeping through. Whatever he was he didn't seem like something that would have a short lifespan, which led me to believe he could still be around SOMEWHERE, even if in a dormant state. But who knows. I get the feeling this may be the most we ever get about him.

the whole fractal left me very curious.

How did "cultits" manage to tie a mountain-sized thing?

Another question I asked myself: would be the benefit of tying the giant? but this recent development suggests that the giant has some kind of "magic" or "power."

Lastly, what do cultits worship? the garments and of course of the fact they being called "cultits" suggests some kind of sect.

@"ugrakarma.9416" said:the whole fractal left me very curious.

How did "cultits" manage to tie a mountain-sized thing?

Another question I asked myself: would be the benefit of tying the giant? but this recent development suggests that the giant has some kind of "magic" or "power."

Lastly, what do cultits worship? the garments and of course of the fact they being called "cultits" suggests some kind of sect.

Well the seals imply some kind of binding ritual, and if it's a being made purely of power then whatever binding they had worked against the magic that he is made out of.

And they were probably ultimately seeking to absorb that power for themselves. I suppose they could have been attempting to control him or corrupt him, but I'm assuming they were just trying to use him as a power boost or maybe even energy source?

And we don't really know what these in particular worship. The diviner uses a lot of Malyx demon rev abilities but that may just be for gameplay and not necessarily imply that they have anything to do with Abaddon or demons or whatever.

The fractal is apparently from early days of Tyria, and Konig suggested in another thread that the seals look Canthan. Personally, I would love it if it if it predated Cantha and was a time before that, either right when humans came to Tyria or even a time before that that's previously unknown to history books and thus doesn't match up with when humans arrived via the gods.

With the torch story implying that the giant moved through Dredgenaught Cliffs at some point, we don't know why or what direction he came from or was going to.

We don't see floating land anywhere that I can recall outside of Bloodstone Fen and magical structures in Elona I believe? So that to me implies that wherever this is there is something crazy going on with magic or somewhere where the mists is bleeding through into Tyria. I think there was mention of the mists somewhat bleeding through into Bastion of the Penitent, and I always had this idea that the fractal could be set there or somewhere near the isles of Janthir, and that this being could in fact be Janthir. Perhaps even these cultists human predecessors to Mursaat from way before the gods brought the actual civilization to Tyria. But that's a wacky theory with no real basis.

Anyway, another interesting possibility is that it's just the land where the gods first brought humanity to Tyria before branching out to Cantha and Elona.

It's anyone's guess, and I don't think there's anything definitive enough to go on to be able to say one way or another where it is, who the cultists are, or who or what the colossus is. It doesn't seem like something that will get expanded upon and seems more like one of those little mysteries they want to keep as a mystery, similar to the Wizard's Tower which may or may not eventually get more development.

@"cptaylor.2670" said:

We don't see floating land anywhere that I can recall outside of Bloodstone Fen and magical structures in Elona I believe? So that to me implies that wherever this is there is something crazy going on with magic or somewhere where the mists is bleeding through into Tyria.

There are a couple places- in particular, Metrica Province and the Tarnished Coast maps in GW1 come to mind- but I'm not certain if those features were part of the original scene the Fractal was copying. Floating terrain seems to be a... transcription error, if you will, that the Mists often makes; the Jade Sea, for instance, probably never consisted of separate massive blocks scattered across the sky.

The humans in the fractal may not have originally been there. They are the anomaly you are sent there to cleanse. There's no telling whether they were there originally in that time or not. They may be fractal travelers just like your party is.

@"Yannir.4132" said:The humans in the fractal may not have originally been there. They are the anomaly you are sent there to cleanse. There's no telling whether they were there originally in that time or not. They may be fractal travelers just like your party is.

Regarding "stabilizing fractals" that we need to cleanse in fractals...

Dessa: I hate to ask, but I need combat specialists to dispose of the hostile elements we acquired in the fractals during Mistlock.PC: Why don't you go in and perform this task?Dessa: I'm a scientist, not a fighter. I can teleport you between fractals, but I need experienced combatants to ensure stabilization.PC: Are the fractals safe now?Dessa: For now. Fractals operate like a loop. They reset and hostile elements return. I haven't yet cracked how to permanently pacify them.https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Dessa#Dialogue

All that really entails is killing hostiles. That's all the "instabilities" really are. Figures hostile to Dessa's krewe. So it isn't really that the "instabilities" or "anomalies" are not native there. The only time we've actually seen such would be Arkk, arguably since those were fractals of his explorations of fractals.

So far the only "fractal traveler" we've met was the Chronicle Mistwalker, though as said, Arkk, Dessa, and some others were originally explorers of fractals, but the ones we meet are copies.

Another possibility that I always think about with this fractal is that they may not be humans at all. Fractals seem to be capable of transforming its subjects, although seemingly only to achieve "historical accuracy". But maybe in this case its the other way around, transforming the original cultists into humans for familiarity. This is just unfounded musing though.

I'm curious about the colossus as well, as Konig said I believe he's some kind of construct fueled by a specially strong magic, maybe divine in origin. Judging by the cliffside fractal it could be that his magic was heavily coveted, I don't know why but I can just imagine a certain story about a good natured (and giant) "golem" who was on the run because he was the recipient of a special energy coveted by some dark and powerful cult.

I wonder if he still lives somewhere, perhaps buried inside a mountain in a dormant state... Makes me think if anet will put him or his magic in the main story at some point.

Since we don't know about the west of tyria super continent and the height the fractal is, litteraly in the sky. I think about the world map i saw with this part named Olympus. That would fit well for such a high moutain and anything could be there.I also remind something said in the fractal about the fact the colossus wasn't from world and moved to another after we released him. So maybe like the human gods he could come from another planet.

The fact that he moved through dredgenaught cliffs is strange though. He would have been moving from the west or to the west. Wonder where from or to then.

i hope Anet develop more this, so much potential. It makes me want to write something myself lolz.

@Lavith.8930 said:Since we don't know about the west of tyria super continent and the height the fractal is, litteraly in the sky. I think about the world map i saw with this part named Olympus. That would fit well for such a high moutain and anything could be there.I also remind something said in the fractal about the fact the colossus wasn't from world and moved to another after we released him. So maybe like the human gods he could come from another planet.

I’d definitely like to see more things like this for the Olympus area. Also to go there, period