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Sylvari: Pursuing Knowledge
I was thinking about the Sylvari today and I came up with an idea.

Philosophically, there are two supposed paths to knowledge: a priori and a posteriori. The phrases "a priori" and "a posteriori" are Latin for "from what comes before" and "from what comes later." In their less literal uses, a priori is knowledge independent of experience (all triangles have three sides) and a posteriori knowledge is dependent on experience (some bachelors are very happy).

The Sylvari are the newcomers to Tyria. A single generation old and attempting to make sense of the world. My suggestion is that the Sylvari grapple with the same issue that people have debated since Locke and Descartes. I propose a string of events or quests or whatever system works best where players are able to follow a priori or a posteriori paths. Each path would yield unique rewards and follow related, but ultimately different, directions.

a priori
Players would seek to know the world by understanding "what comes before." Namely, the Dream all Sylvari share. Players would complete tasks in Dream, a shadowy realm in the subconscious of all Syvlari. Uncovering knowledge in the dream would unlock a set of Sylvari-specific skills, (similar to the Norn or Asura PvE skills found in Eye of the North) as well as provide players the ability to grow unique weapons and armor.

a posteriori
Players would venture out into the waking world and commune with Nature. Speaking with the world in a way only the Sylvari can, players would be sent off to understand what the world is saying. A separate set of Sylvari-specifc skills would be taught to us by our experiences with Nature, as well as a separate set of unique weapons and armor.

Other Races
I recall an interview where a member of the development team mentioned rewards for "showing other players the ropes" would hopefully find it's way into the finished game. Perhaps Sylvari Players can choose to act as guides for members of other races wishing to acquire these kinds of knowledge, guiding them into the Dream or interpreting Nature's voice for them. Non-Sylvari players could gain limited rewards, such as a sample of the Sylvari Skills, or only the armor and weapons, or a single Sylvari/OtherRace hybrid skill, only unlocked by pursuing these paths. Players wishing to be guides might also unlock a skill for teaching or be able to grow even more weapons and armor.

These paths are not necessary to the overarching story of the game, but are ways of helping flesh out your own character's path.

TedTheShred 00:08, 27 January 2010 (UTC)