Elona

Buildings in the Ossan Quarter, the Elonian district of Divinity's Reach.

Elona, also known as the Land of the Golden Sun, is a continent southeast of Tyria. Once one of the four northern human kingdoms (the other three being in Tyria), it has since been divided into three provinces - Istan, Kourna, and Vabbi - and has fallen to the undead lich, Palawa Joko. Palawa's leadership had turned Elona into a nation of both living and undead, without contact to the northern nations. The last contact made was 50 years ago, when the last of the Elonians fled Palawa's reign.

The northern borders of Elona are plagued by Zhaitan's risen minions, causing a war between the two undead nations. This combined with Kralkatorrik's presence in the Crystal Desert has prevented all communication with Elona, except for the Order of Whispers, who have an unknown means of traveling between the two continents.

It is part of the same super-continent as Tyria, though before the Exodus, it was split from the nation by the Crystal Sea.

Geography

A map of Elona, found in the Seraph Headquarters.

Elona is a mostly savannah-like continent that is divided into five main regions: Dzalana, Istan, Kourna, the Desolation, and Vabbi. Each region has a distinctly different kind of landscape, though they're all of the same climate. At different parts of the past, the Crystal Desert was colonized by Elonians, though the region itself lies within both Tyria and Elona, connecting the two.

Dzalana

Dzalana lies along the northeastern edge of Elona. They were never settled by humanity and is the homelands of harpies and hekets. Little is known about this land still, due to the lack of exploration into these wildlands.

Istan

Istan is an island situated to the southwest of mainland Elona and was among the first places humanity arrived on the continent. It is home to the ruins of Fahranur, the capital of the Primeval Kings, the first rulers of the nation of Elona. Before Joko's conquest, it was well known for its strong maritime force. Much of Istan, especially the western half, is forested areas and wetlands, while the eastern half of Istan mostly consist of beaches and plains.

Istan is now a vassal to Palawa Joko's undead kingdom.

Kourna

Kourna is the southernmost region on the Elonian mainland and the most militaristic of the three provinces. Existing mostly of savannahs, it acted as the home for Elonian centaurs for centuries, though their current fate is unknown. There were many garrisons built throughout the region, and Kourna focused in herding for its food. Though farming did exist, it only could through damming the Elon River, which once flowed through the land into the Unending Ocean as the land's main water supply. With the Elon diverted north, the region fell under famine, now only gaining water through Palawa's whims.

The Desolation

Originally the coastline of the Crystal Sea, when Abaddon was defeated the sea surface rose, turning it into the Crystal Desert, of which the Desolation is the southernmost portion. The area where Abaddon was cast down, the Mouth of Torment, began to spread sulfurous sand, slowly making the land inhospitable. Before the sulfur could spread too far, the Primeval Kings expanded their territory into the desert and built tombs to bury their royalty, the biggest among them in the Desolation being the Dynastic Tombs.

The Desolation became home to Palawa Joko and his undead army, utilizing the sulfurous sands as a natural barrier to protect his Bone Palace. From here, he launched both of his conquests on Elona, during the second time he dammed the Elon River, forcing it through the Desolation and Crystal Desert proper, making portions of the land verdant.

Vabbi

Situated between the Desolation and Dzalana, Vabbi is the northernmost province of Elona. Though considered the wealthiest of the three provinces before Palawa Joko's rise, outside the scattered estate-like outposts was a dangerous wildland full of harpy and heket raiders. Once ruled by clanmarshals known as princes, who gained their power through wealth alone, Vabbi was never militarily focused; instead they looked towards cultural advancements in various forms of art. Before being dammed, the Elon River originated from north of Vabbi. They were the first to fall to Palawa Joko's invasion.

History

The current earliest known records of Elona is in 205 BE, when humans arrived along the southern shores and northern valleys of the continent. Within five years, humans had established the Primeval Dynasty that situated itself in Fahranur. The Primeval King's reign extended from Istan to Vabbi and, after its creation, into the northern reaches of the Crystal Desert. They even built a colony in Kryta, lands previously inhabited by Orrians and centaurs, in 300 AE though it became independent nearly 50 years later. The Primeval Dynasty lasted for approximately 650 years, ending with the Scarab Plague that swept through Istan and killed the royal family.

Four years after the Scarab Plague began and Istan was abandoned, a man by the name Admun Kolos took the throne and began the second dynasty of Elona: the Great Dynasty. Istan was isolated for eight years until settlers returned and blocked off the source of the plague: Fahranur. This new dynasty only lasted 31 years, however, and brought forth the bloodiest time in Elona's history. The Shattered Dynasty was consumed by the Pretender Wars which saw the birth of the dervish profession before they ended in 640 AE, 37 years after the wars began. The outcome of the wars was the establishment of three allied provinces: Istan, Kourna, and Vabbi.

In 860 AE, the first invasion by Palawa Joko and his undead armies began. He quickly conqured Vabbi, earning him the title as "The Scourge of Vabbi," and moved his forces south. At the Grand Cataract of Jahai, the forces of Kourna - along with the remnant forces of Vabbi and the Sunspears - stood against Palawa's armies. The general of the allied forces, Turai Ossa, assaulted Palawa Joko directly and defeated him at the Battle of Jahai. However, because Palawa Joko could not be killed, Turai imprisoned the undead lord and established the Order of Whispers to ensure he remained captive. Due to his victory, Turai was crowned king of all Elona. In the following years, his obsession with prophecies led him to give his son the crown and lead the Great Pilgrimage into the Crystal Desert.

In 1075 AE, Abaddon attempted to break free of his prison and brought forth Nightfall. Utilizing the few still faithful to him, such as Warmarshal Varesh Ossa, he had portals opened throughout Elona and dark rituals performed to weaken the barrier between Tyria and the Mists. Abaddon was defeated and killed by members of the Order of Sunspears after they fought their way into the heart of the Realm of Torment to find him. Abaddon was then supplanted by Kormir who became the new goddess of knowledge. During this time, Palawa Joko was also freed from his prison due to Abaddon's own attempts at freedom.

In the years following Nightfall, the three provinces worked to recover. Istan became a tourist nation due to their aid in helping the Sunspears, and the Vabbian princes used their wealth to speed their nation's recovery. Kourna was plunged into a civil war, as the war had left them leaderless, though the Order of the Sunspears worked to bring peace as they spread throughout Elona once more, even traveling to other continents.

In 1135 AE, sixty years after Nightfall, Palawa Joko once more invaded Elona. This time, he dammed the Elon River, sending it westward from its former southern course, and caused famine throughout Vabbi and northern Kourna. Vabbi quickly surrendered to ensure survival, and Kourna and Istan became vassal states shortly after that. Those who could, fled the nation now ruled by the undead, many becoming refugees in Kryta. The Order of the Sunspears were broken or corrupted, reforming into the Mordant Crescent. Palawa Joko had the descendants of the Ossa clan hunted down, and few of either still exist in Elona. Those who survived now live as wanderers.

Approximately fifty years ago, another wave of Elonian refugees came into Tyria, escaping the ravages of Palawa Joko. Contact with Elona has been lost since. Nowadays, access to Elona is barred off by way of the Desert Gate - the primary land route into the Crystal Desert - being sealed by Queen Jennah's order due to "dark events" in the desert, which are unknown to the gate's guards. Only the Order of Whispers has knowledge of how to travel to Elona in modern times.

Notes

The Guild Wars Wiki has an article on Elona.

• Elona is not accessible in the initial release of Guild Wars 2.

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Tyria