How Many Generations Have Passed?

[Musaroxy.2874]

I'm doing some research for a character, and having a hard time figuring this one out.In the years between GW1 and GW2, about how many generations have passed? The only solid lead I can find is Gwen and Logan, and I vividly remember the whole deal with her gravestone listing her as his great-grandmother, and then later it being corrected to "ancestor" which is far less specific.

[Zola.6197]

There's about a 250~ year gap between GW1 and GW2. So there would have been several generations of people in that time. Average period of a generation is usually considered to be between 20-30 years, as children are born, grow up, and begin having children of their own.

[Kossage.9072]

As far as how many generations have passed since GW1, we have a few specific mentions in game. :)

Jora is said to be Jhavi's great grandmother. She looked relatively young during Eye of the North in 1078 AE, and might have been close to the age Jhavi currently seems to be in 1333 AE. We know Jhavi and Marjory trained together as necromancers although we haven't been told where and when. Assuming that Jhavi wasn't a late bloomer when it comes to studies, she and Jory were probably close to the same age as students.

Knut Whitebear, who is already old by norn standards, is Asgeir Dragonrender's (who severed Jormag's fang circa 1169 AE) grandson, while we've seen a glimpse of Asgeir in a vision that revealed that Asgeir himself was probably somewhere in his 30s or older in looks at the time.

During the event to estabish the Mist Warden camp in Dragonfall, the 30-something Logan refers to Gwen (who was in her twenties by the time she married Keiran) as his great-great-great-grandmother. He is cut off before he can finish the sentence, however, so he may have intended to add one or more "greats" to the sentence as well.

[Konig Des Todes.2086]

Depends on race, really. For humans, average generation is 20-30 years, so it'd be ~10 generations on average. Of course, humans in Tyria seem to have a longer natural life expectency than humans in reality (average old age seems to be 90-100 as opposed to 76-78 in US), so it may be more solidly closer to 30 years on average, so 250 years could be ~8 or 9 generations instead.

For norn, who are longer living thus longer generational gap, it seems to be pretty much half that. I disagree with Kossage labeling Asgeir as being in his 30s - he had white hair and an aged face, implying he's older, like Knut is now - either way, the 150 year gap = 3 generations, so adding on another 100 years would probably be another 2 generations. In effect, norn generations = 50 year gaps; or ~5 generations on average for 250 year gap.

Asura is harder to tell since we don't know any direct descendants from GW1 characters, but it is said that asura live approximately 10% longer than humans and up to 120 years, I'd imagine it'd be roughly inbetween human and norn generational gaps. I think 7 generations on average over 250 years is a good placement on what info we have.

Charr are said to have the same maturation rates as humans, but unless Rytlock is secretly in his fifties or Ryland is still a teenager (I suspect Ryland is in his young 20s atm, and Rytlock in his late 30s), it seems the generational gap is actually smaller than humans, which would make sense given their militaristic lifestyle resulting in a much younger average age of death - I'd theorize it is 15-25 years for generational gaps, so 250 years would be approximately 12 generations on average.

@"Kossage.9072" said:During the event to estabish the Mist Warden camp in Dragonfall, the 30-something Logan refers to Gwen (who was in her twenties by the time she married Keiran) as his great-great-great-grandmother. He is cut off before he can finish the sentence, however, so he may have intended to add one or more "greats" to the sentence as well.

Correction: Logan says "you should speak with my grandm—uh, Gwen." - Rytlock lists the greats, in which he says: "It's your great-great-whatever-grandmother here".

[Kossage.9072]

@Konig Des Todes.2086 said:

@"Kossage.9072" said:During the event to estabish the Mist Warden camp in Dragonfall, the 30-something Logan refers to Gwen (who was in her twenties by the time she married Keiran) as his great-great-great-grandmother. He is cut off before he can finish the sentence, however, so he may have intended to add one or more "greats" to the sentence as well.

Correction: Logan says "you should speak with my grandm—uh, Gwen." -

Rytlock

lists the greats, in which he says: "It's your great-great-whatever-grandmother here".

Logan specifically states the following in the dynamic event that precedes the idle ambient dialogue between the trio in the camp:

Logan Thackeray: By the gods...

Gwen Thackeray: Logan. And you.

Logan Thackeray: Ah... This is Rytlock. Rytlock, this is my great-great-great...

Rytlock Brimstone: Goremonger.