Tengu

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Tengu fighter.jpg

Tengu are a unique species of avian humanoids found in both Tyria and Cantha. Females are generally larger than males of the species, though their plumage is plainer, even drab. Tengu lost the ability of flight some time in the distant past, but can use their almost human hands to wield all manner of weapons—when they want to. Their talons make most weapons superfluous. Tengu hate cooked food, and most live on a diet of fresh, raw meat.

The Guild Wars Factions Manuscripts

Physiology[edit]

Tengu are a bipedal humanoid race with usually slim, partially hunched, bodies. Next to their beak are two short fangs. The females of their species have plainer plumage and are typically larger than males. Tengu prefer raw meat for their diet, and although avian, they lost their ability to fly in the distant past. In terms of appearance, there is a large amount of variance from individual to individual, on a par with (or possibly even more so than) the charr.

Culture[edit]

Known tribes[edit]

Although each tengu tribe have unique cultures, they all fervently uphold three basic virtues: honour, family, and history.

Religion[edit]

Canthan tengu of old believed in an afterlife, which they called the Sky Above the Sky. A sect of tengu were known to have guarded the Celestials during the Canthan Trials of Ascension, meaning defeating them was necessary to become Weh no Su, but their connection to the mainstream tengu belief system is unknown.

Names[edit]

Most tengu have short, Japanese-style forenames, and clan names that can be seen as consisting of two parts. The first part tends to be descriptive somehow (e.g. bright, gold, true), and the second part often refers to an element of avian anatomy (e.g. crest, talon, claw).

History[edit]

Spoiler alert: The following text contains spoilers relating to the story of Guild Wars.


The Tengu Wars[edit]

Togo stands with Talon Silverwing.

After the Jade Wind necessitated further human settlement of Shing Jea Island, the Sensali tribe massacred an entire village and, according to rumour, ate the corpses. War with their Angchu cousins was, for a time, narrowly averted through the shrewd efforts of Emperor Hanjai's personal ambassador and a wise, levelheaded Angchu chieftain in 880 AE, however it was not possible to prevent the Sensali from attacking, creating a hatred between the two tribes that was only surpassed by their hatred of the mountain yeti. When further human settlement of the island put Angchu hatchlings in contact with foreign diseases, the tengu were forced to kill their own young and they, too, joined the fight against the humans.

The Tengu Wars would rage for almost two centuries, and it was not until early in the reign of Emperor Kisu that it looked like peace may be a possibility. The Emperor's half-brother, Master Togo of Shing Jea Monastery, was called to the estate of War Minister Wona for a peace summit with the leaders of the Angchu and Sensali, among them Talon Silverwing, Gull Hookbeak, and Swift Honorclaw. The summit was a trap, however, intended to kill Togo and pin the blame on the tengu, creating the pretext for a genocide. Togo and Talon Silverwing managed to fight their way out and Wona was put down, but the damage to human-Sensali relations was permanent.

In 1071 AE, a formal peace with the Angchu was finally reached, bringing an official end to the Tengu Wars. The peace was commemorated annually as the Day of the Tengu, at least while the peace lasted.

Winds of Change[edit]

Not long after, in 1080 AE, the Empire of the Dragon experienced a surge of nationalism in the wake of the return of Shiro, the Betrayer and his plague. After routing the Am Fah and Jade Brotherhood street gangs, the newly-formed Ministry of Purity turned their sights on the tengu that lived on the mainland, in Kaineng City. The conflict soon spilled over onto Shing Jea Island, and peace with the Angchu finally broke down when Ministry guards witnessed Ryun Grayfeather defending Tsumei Village against Sensali, believing them to be working together and killing Grayfeather.

List of hostile NPCs[edit]

Region Tribe Name Trophy
Guild Wars Prophecies
Kryta Caromi Warrior 12, 13 (24) Caromi Tengu Brave
Warrior 18 (25) Caromi Tengu Elite
Ranger 13 (24) Caromi Tengu Scout
Ranger 17 (25) Caromi Tengu Fierce
Mesmer 12 (24) Caromi Tengu Wild
Mesmer 17 (25) Caromi Tengu Seer
Feathered Caromi Scalp
Shiverpeak Mountains Avicara Warrior 24 (26) Avicara Brave
Ranger 24 (26) Avicara Fierce
Monk 24 (26) Avicara Ardent
Necromancer 24 (26) Avicara Guile
Mesmer 24 (26) Avicara Wise
Feathered Avicara Scalp
Guild Wars Factions
Shing Jea Island Sensali Warrior 4 (22) Sensali Fighter
Necromancer 5 (23) Sensali Blood
Assassin 5 (23) Sensali Assassin
Feathered Scalp
Warrior 12 (24) Sensali Cutter
Necromancer 12 (24) Sensali DarkFeather
Assassin 12 (24) Sensali Claw
Feathered Crest
Kaineng City Warrior 20 (26) Star Blade
Ranger 20 (26) Star Sentinel
Ritualist 20 (26) Star Light
n/a
Guild Wars Eye of the North
Tarnished Coast Quetzal Warrior 20 (26) Quetzal Stark
Ranger 20 (26) Quetzal Keen
Necromancer 20 (26) Quetzal Dark
Mesmer 20 (26) Quetzal Sly
Quetzal Crest
Guild Wars Beyond
Shing Jea Island Sensali Warrior 24 Sensali Warrior
Ranger 24 Sensali Ranger
Monk 24 Sensali Monk
Necromancer 24 Sensali Necromancer
Mesmer 24 Sensali Mesmer
Elementalist 24 Sensali Elementalist
Assassin 24 Sensali Assassin
Ritualist 24 Sensali Ritualist
n/a

Gallery[edit]

Notes[edit]

Trivia[edit]

Gw2logo.png The Guild Wars 2 Wiki has an article on Tengu.
  • In Japanese folklore, Tengu are a class of supernatural creatures.
  • The name Quetzal refers to a family of colorful tropical birds found in Central America; which are in turn named after the feathered-serpent god Quetzalcoatl of the Aztecs.