Ember Doomforge

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Ember Doomforge

Image(s)

Ember Doomforge (Warrior's Crown).jpg

Ember's historical appearance at Warrior's Crown.

Ember Doomforge (alt).jpg

Ember's alternate appearance during Minister's Defense.

Interactive map

Ember Doomforge is an Ash Legion charr who also works for the Vigil and the Guild Initiative. She is the granddaughter of General Almorra Soulkeeper and the niece of Ajax Anvilburn. Ember worked alongside Dougal Keane and other guild members to retrieve the Claw of the Khan-Ur from Ascalon City Ruins, setting the stage for the Ebonhawke Treaty between charr and humans.

Biography[edit]

Early years[edit]

Little is known about Ember Doomforge's parents other than that her dam was both the daughter of General Almorra Soulkeeper and a member of the Ash Legion.[1] Ember followed in her dam's footsteps and joined Ash Legion ranks as well. As Almorra's granddaughter, Ember was also the apparent niece of the Renegade leader Ajax Anvilburn.

After learning that Almorra had left the Blood Legion and founded the Vigil as a direct response to the threat posed by Kralkatorrik and other Elder Dragons in 1320 AE, Imperator Malice Swordshadow ordered Ember, Almorra's grandcub, to infiltrate the order under the pretense of remitting Ember from the legion to boost the Vigil's numbers. However, the three female charr all knew the real reason Ember was in the Vigil: to report to Malice on the Vigil's activities. Almorra accepted Ember into the order without issue despite knowing Ember's true allegiance; it is suggested that the general eventually learned that Malice was secretly supportive of the faction among the charr who were working for a truce with humanity so they could free more of their forces to fight the Elder Dragons, a goal which Almorra herself was after.[2]

Ghosts of Ascalon[edit]

In 1324 AE, Crusader Ember was ordered by General Soulkeeper to accompany the fellow Crusader Riona Grady, the human Dougal Keane, the sylvari Killeen, and the norn Gullik Oddsson to the ghost-infested ruins of Ascalon City. Their mission was to retrieve the Claw of the Khan-Ur, a lost relic of the Khan-Ur which the pro-truce party wanted to hand over to Queen Jennah who, in turn, would return it to the charr High Legions in a symbolic gesture of friendship to begin negotiations for a ceasefire. Ember was also meant to act as the party's guide while in the charr-controlled Ascalon and help them keep a low profile as the party could not let their intentions be known to either local humans or charr lest the anti-truce factions on both sides tried to stop their mission.

Upon meeting her traveling companions in Vigil Centerhouse, Ember did not initially get along with her fellow Crusader Riona and the treasure hunter Dougal whose spiteful remarks about charr savagery annoyed her, and she made sure to remind them of the charr view on the human-charr conflict and justifying the charr's actions against humanity who, in her view, had stolen the charr's rightful homeland from them. She also made a point to educate the party about charr history involving the charr rebellion and Kalla Scorchrazor's part in it, as well as the concept of fahrars.

Ember fiercely protested being placed in chains during their trip to Ebonhawke as she viewed Kalla Scorchrazor, who had freed female charr from the chains of servitude, as an inspiration and did not want to tarnish Kalla's legacy by becoming a human captive. However, after a bit of persuasion, Ember eventually understood that there was no other way for the party to get past Ebonhawke as the citizens there, who had been fighting against besieging charr for generations, would become suspicious if a charr was seen walking around without any restraints.

The party's journey nearly ended before it could begin when local guards had been tipped off about their presence. They were forced to recruit another Vigil member, the asura engineer Kranxx, so he could lead them to an underground passage and help them flee from the pursuers. During the escape, the party were forced to kill several humans and charr in order to maintain the secrecy of their mission, which left some party members shaken. In the chase's aftermath, they began viewing one another with suspicion, wondering if one of them was secretly a spy for one of the anti-truce factions and had warned the guards in order to make the mission fail.

As the party continued the journey to Ascalon City, they were forced to venture into the Dragonbrand where Killeen lost her life in a Branded assault. Saddened by their sylvari companion's demise, Dougal and Ember slowly began to warm to one another as they gradually learned more about their respective pasts and conflicting allegiances.

By the time they were closing in on the Plains of Ashford and thus the territory of the Iron Legion, Ember got to place Dougal and Riona in chains as this time the local charr would grow suspicious if they saw free humans wandering about. Although understanding the humans' frustration after what she had been through, Ember could not help but be delighted by this reversal of fortune. Their journey through Ascalon went smoothly until they witnessed members of the High Legions fighting against zealous Flame Legion. Realizing that the Flame Legion might overcome the charr forces if left unchecked, the party resolved to aid the High Legions and help the charr secure victory against the Flame shamans.

In the ensuing chaos Riona had left her post and chased after a fleeing Flame Legion member to prevent him from taking intel to Flame reinforcements, but eventually both she and Dougal were found and apprehended. Ember came face to face with the legion forces' commander who was Tribune Rytlock Brimstone of the Blood Legion, a celebrated hero among the charr. Rytlock took the party as his "guests" and interrogated Ember, who had identified herself as a member of the Ash Legion, about such an odd transport of human "prisoners." Ember's lies seemed to convince Rytlock; however, she was fully aware that the tribune had sensed something was amiss in her story but did not want to press the matter further because he hated mysteries and he could always ask Imperator Malice for answers once the two met.

Recognizing Ember's lineage and realizing that whatever mission she was on had to be important, Rytlock ultimately let the party continue their journey although he warned them not to cross paths with his forces again. The rest of the party figured out that Ember's true allegiance actually lay with Malice who had sent her to spy on Almorra. The charr admitted as much; however, she was unable to answer the party's questions about if Malice was part of the secretive truce faction among the charr although Dougal heavily suspected it.

Upon reaching Ascalon City, the party attempted to locate the Claw of the Khan-Ur based on Dougal's memory of seeing it when he had last braved the dangers of the ruins. They ended up alerting the vigilant Foefire ghosts to their location, and Gullik seemingly lost his life in the resulting brawl. The party were briefly saved by Savione, the chief courtier of King Adelbern and the only friendly ghost in all of Ascalon due to having died moments before the Sorcerer King had cast the Foefire curse. With Savione's help, the party were able to decipher the clues of the Claw's current whereabouts in Adelbern's trap-filled vault and proceeded to secure it. Riona convinced Ember to accompany Kranxx as a decoy to lure the ghosts away so Riona and Dougal could sneak into the king's treasure vault.

Although the distraction worked for a time, Adelbern eventually spotted all the intruders and summoned his ghost army to kill them, promising to forcibly recruit the party as his undead soldiers and then lead an invasion of the surface world so he would finally have his revenge against charr invaders and any who sympathized with charr. Savione sacrificed himself to distract Adelbern and buy the party more time, but even that was not enough to quell the Socerer King's mad rage. For a time Dougal's party believed that Ember had perished as well when the ghosts closed in on them.

Before the Sorcerer King could defeat the party with his magic, however, Kranxx arrived in the nick of time. The asura battled Adelbern and the ghost army with a massive golem made from the bones of Ascalon's long-dead soldiers and infused with the magic of the late inventor Blimm's ruby known as the Golem's Eye. Although Kranxx perished in the clash, he successfully managed to evaporate Adelbern for a time with the sheer mass of the golem and the city's architecture, granting the rest of the party valuable few moments to locate the Claw and flee from the ruins before the ghosts would reform.

Once Dougal had retrieved the Claw from the depths of the vault and handed it over to Riona while expecting to be pulled up, however, the human Crusader showed her true colours by refusing to help him. Riona revealed herself as the traitor who had alerted the guards to the party's presence in Ebonhawke and justified her actions by the crimes which the charr had committed against humanity for centuries and which had cost the lives of her loved ones. Riona had not slain the Flame Legion scout she had been chasing after but had made a secret deal with him: instead of delivering the Claw to Almorra, she would hand it over to the Flame Legion to embolden their forces and ensure that the truce negotiations would never begin. While the charr tore themselves apart in a brutal civil war that would ensue from the Flame Legion's rise, the humans could step in, destroy any charr who remained in the aftermath of the civil war, and reclaim Ascalon at long last.

However, Ember had survived her battle with the ghosts and had managed to track down the pair, overhearing Riona's confession. She managed to surprise the treacherous Crusader and attack her, giving Dougal enough time to find the way up and prevent Riona's escape. Ember had been weakened by her prior battle with the ghosts, however, allowing Riona to fatally slice her with the Claw. Dougal managed to surprise Riona and battled her, ultimately killing the Crusader, who had been his former friend, while snatching the Claw from her as she fell to her death into Adelbern's vault. Dougal pulled out a rejuvenating potion, which Kranxx had given him before his demise, and used it on Ember and himself, allowing both of them to slowly heal from their grave wounds.

As Ember regained her strength, she worried out loud if Riona's words to Dougal had managed to persuade him to keep the Claw from the Vigil. However, she was relieved to hear that Dougal intended to honor his deal with Almorra and ensure that the truce negotiations could begin as he had come to see value in saving charr lives as well. Ember responded that she, too, would honor Almorra's wishes despite being unsure about most humans' motivations as she did not want to face her granddam empty-handed. At that moment Dougal finally recognized the familial connection between Ember and Almorra.

The pair's conversation was cut off by Gullik who staggered into view, revealing that he had survived the ghost attack as well thanks in part to Kranxx's intervention. Upon informing the norn about Kranxx and Riona's demise, the pair acknowledged that while the Claw of the Khan-Ur was not as impressive a weapon as Adelbern's sword Magdaer, it would play an important role to ensure a ceasefire for charr and humans and in turn free their forces to face a greater foe that threatened all of Tyria: the Elder Dragons.

After taking some of the treasures of Ascalon City with them as compensation for their troubles, the trio returned to Almorra with the Claw. The retrieval of the Khan-Ur's weapon set up the events that would eventually lead to the signing of the Ebonhawke Treaty.

Personal story[edit]

Upon her return from Ascalon City, Ember began working with the Vigil at Summit Peak to keep the truce negotiations on track.

In 1325 AE, Ember met with Warmaster Forgal Kernsson and a new Vigil Recruit under his care who had hurried to Summit Peak with dire news. The pair had learned about an impending assault, led by the charr Renegades' latest leader Ajax Anvilburn, on the summit which aimed to kill the charr and human ambassadors there and spark a war between humans and charr again.

Ember was already aware of Forgal and the Recruit's reputation because her dam had informed her about their adventures, and she happily welcomed the pair's aid. Working together, the Vigil and the ambassadors ultimately managed to repel the Renegades and kill Ajax, ensuring that the negotiations would continue uninterrupted.

Heart of Thorns[edit]

Following the destruction of the Pact fleet in the Heart of Maguuma in 1328 AE, Ember joined Dougal Keane in the newly founded Guild Initiative and was stationed in Lion's Arch. She helped several new guilds establish a foothold via guild halls throughout the Heart of Maguuma, Central Tyria and beyond. She agreed with Dougal's intentions to turn the guilds into assets that would protect Tyria from various dangers, ranging from local threats to the Elder Dragons, while the Pact was recovering from its losses.

The Icebrood Saga[edit]

Upon learning of Almorra's demise at the hands of the rogue Blood Legion imperator Bangar Ruinbringer in 1333 AE, Ember wanted to avenge her granddam's death by killing Bangar. By the time the Vigil had turned its focus from Elder Dragons to taking down Bangar and his insurgent Dominion who were attempting to awaken the slumbering Elder Dragon Jormag, Malice informed Ember about the operation the United Legions were conducting in Drizzlewood Coast to take the fight to Bangar before he could succeed in his goals.

Ember asked Malice to join the United Legions' war effort and helped the imperator scout a suitable, secluded forward base for the legions behind enemy lines from which they could strike at Bangar's Frost Citadel. Once a party consisting of Rytlock Brimstone, Crecia Stoneglow, the norn Braham Eirsson, and the Pact Commander had successfully cleared the way to the secluded area for the legions' reinforcements, Malice and Ember greeted them upon their arrival. Ember introduced herself as a tribune of the Ash Legion and explained some of her backstory and reasons for joining the operation. She also informed the party about what other Vigil leaders such as Jhavi Jorasdottir and Laranthir of the Wild were doing, and expressed her desire to take down Bangar.

After the Commander and the United Legions had weakened local Dominion forces in the region, Ember attended a strategy meeting where Iron Legion imperator Smodur the Unflinching and Braham were debating the best course of action that the legions should take to defeat Bangar. Braham insisted on needing more time to ritually open an enchanted door leading into the Sanctum of the Wild where Braham hope to invoke the power of the Spirits of the Wild against Bangar and use the sanctum as a route for a backdoor invasion straight into Bangar's stronghold. Smodur, meanwhile, believed that the legions could not wait until Braham had managed to get in contact with the silent Spirits and that the legions and their allies should instead assault the Frost Citadel's main entrance while using their combined strength to crush any resistance and crush Bangar's resolve.

Before the officers could decide on which plan to follow, Bangar's right hand Ryland Steelcatcher invaded the legions' base via portals, assassinated Smodur, and brought the Dominion and Jormag's icebrood with him to either force the legion leadership to surrender or kill them if they resisted. Although the allied forces were able to repel the attack, Ryland himself had successfully fled, leaving the victory hollow. In the grim aftermath, the leaders discussed who would succeed Smodur as Iron Imperator, and Malice mentioned that Tribune Mia Kindleshot would be the most likely candidate based on her intel. Ember pointed out that they did not know Mia's current whereabouts, but she promised that they would find Mia.

However, the leaders realized that they were running out of time and could not wait for Mia or other Iron tribunes to arrive to lead the Iron Legion, so Crecia and Malice convinced Efram Greetsglory, the leader of an allied Flame Legion splinter group, to temporarily lead Iron forces on the battlefield. According to the female charr, Iron Legion soldiers had grown to respect Efram after seeing him fight by their side during the war against the Dominion. The plan was to make Crecia, Rytlock and the Commander aid Braham in his rituals and open a backdoor while the rest of the United Legions would assault the Frost Citadel.

Ember joined Efram, Malice and Kasmeer Meade in coordinating the assault on Dominion strongholds in the region. They eventually fought their way to the gates of the Frost Citadel and breached the icy keep, defeating several high-ranking Dominion tribunes and Icebrood along the way while shutting down the Dominion's machines which were using Jormag's blood to corrupt charr into empowered Frost Legion soldiers.

Upon escaping from the collapsing Frost Citadel, the United Legions found themselves facing a Claw of Jormag which attacked them. Working together and using scrap to build reinforced cannons, the charr and their allies managed to repel the dragon champion's attacks and pushed it towards an icy gorge. After a fierce battle, the legions successfully defeated the Claw of Jormag. However, they were aware that their respite would be brief as more Claws of Jormag would eventually replace the defeated one while the Dominion and the Frost Legion would bring in reinforcements and continue fighting. Ever ferocious, Ember proclaimed that the legions would simply defeat upcoming enemy reinforcements just like they had defeated their previous foes.

End of Dragons[edit]

Location[edit]

Kryta
Shiverpeak Mountains

Historical locations[edit]

Ascalon

Story involvement[edit]

Personal story[edit]

The Icebrood Saga[edit]

End of Dragons story[edit]

Event involvement[edit]

Event flag (tango icon).png [Group Event] Help capture landing sites for the charr (80)
Event shield (tango icon).png [Group Event] Help construct allied siege engines (80)
Event cog (tango icon).png [Group Event] Use the allied cannons to destroy the Citadel gate (80)
Event boss (tango icon).png [Group Event] Defeat the guardian elemental to proceed (10)
Event boss (tango icon).png [Group Event] Push Through the Front Line (80)
Event boss (tango icon).png [Group Event] Destroy the Ruinbringer (80)
Event star (tango icon).png [Group Event] Destroy the machines! (80)
Event swords (tango icon).png [Group Event] Put an End to the Conversion Process for Good (80)
Event star (tango icon).png [Group Event] Help your allies escape! (80)
Event boss (tango icon).png [Group Event] Defeat the Claw of Jormag (80)
Red Boss.png [Group Event] Defeat Soo-Won (80)

Dialogue[edit]

Postern Ward[edit]

Hey, there. Welcome to the Guild Initiative Headquarters. We help guilds fight the Elder Dragons.
Talk more option tango.png Guild Initiative?
Yeah. The Initiative is a collaboration of the Tyrian Explorer's Society and the various nations of Tyria. We support guilds.
Talk more option tango.png Support them in what?
Primarily, to help them fight the Elder Dragons. But more generally, to help make Tyria a better place. More information is available to guild members, inside.
Talk back option tango.png I have more questions.
Talk end option tango.png Thank you.
Talk end option tango.png Thank you.
Talk more option tango.png You seem familiar.
Heh. Yeah. I'm Ember Doomforge. Helped out with that whole Claw of the Khan-Ur thing in Ascalon.
Talk more option tango.png I have more questions.
Sure. What else can I do for you?
Talk more option tango.png Guild Initiative? (same as above)
Talk more option tango.png You seem familiar. (same as above)
Talk end option tango.png Actually, that's it. Thank you.
Talk end option tango.png Thank you.
Talk end option tango.png Thank you.

Legions' Alcove[edit]

Malice warned me not to make this personal, but I think we both know better now.
Talk more option tango.png Ember? Is that you?
(Ember salutes.)
Ember Doomforge: Ember Doomforge. I was part of the group that went after the Claw of the Khan-Ur. Seems so long ago.
Ember Doomforge: Commander, I wanted to thank you. Almorra was my granddam. Because of you, I know the truth. What happened to her.
Ember Doomforge: Bangar killed Almorra. And now we're going to kill Bangar.
Talk more option tango.png Aren't you Vigil?
Ember Doomforge: Now and always. And when my imperator told me about this op, I wanted in. Needed in.
Ember Doomforge: After what Bangar did to Almorra, the Vigil's turning its focus from dragons to Blood Legion imperators.
Ember Doomforge: Well. Just the one, really.
Talk more option tango.png Where's the rest of the Vigil?
Ember Doomforge: Jhavi's mopping things up in Bjora Marches and Laranthir's getting up to speed. He was in the Grove when Almorra...
Ember Doomforge: Sorry. We all hoped things would get back to normal after Kralk. But maybe this is the new normal.
Talk end option tango.png As you were.

Historical dialogue[edit]

At Warrior's Crown
I'd rather be cleaving a dragon minion to pieces, but I need to see this through to the end. Since I'm partially responsible for this gathering, I'm obligated to sit through it.
Talk more option tango.png How are you responsible for this?
I was part of the expedition who ventured into the depth of Ascalon ruins to retrieve the Claw of Khan-Ur. Without it, the humans wouldn't have gotten the charr to the table.
Talk end option tango.png Impressive.
Talk more option tango.png Why do you support peace with the humans?
The brass says peace will free us up to fight the Flame Legion, but I have seen and killed things that put us and the humans at risk of extinction. We've got dragons to fight—together.
Talk end option tango.png I see.
Talk end option tango.png Hopefully it won't take too long.

Quotes[edit]

Greets
Hey, hey!
I'd rather be out hunting dragons.
Yeah? What's up?
Eh? You need something?
Peace is an imperative.

Notes[edit]

Trivia[edit]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Chapter 27", Ghosts of Ascalon by Matt Forbeck and Jeff Grubb:
    "Of course," said Ember. "I do not think I could face my grandmother empty-handed."
    "Grandmother?" Dougal was startled. "Almorra is..."
    "I have her eyes," said Ember, smiling weakly. "Though my mother was Ash Legion. Don't tell me that that is not obvious even to a human?"
  2. ^ "Chapter 17", Ghosts of Ascalon by Jeff Grubb and Matt Forbeck:
    "I have no 'master,'" Ember growled. "Yes, the asura is correct: I am part of the Ash Legion. Doom Warband. My imperator is Malice Swordshadow. She personally sent me to serve with the Vigil. She knew that I would prove valuable there."
    "To who?" asked Riona.
    Ember shifted uncomfortably. "To Soulkeeper, of course, and—and to the Ash Legion as well."
    "So you've been spying on the Vigil for the Ash Legion?" Dougal asked.
    Ember paused for a moment, then nodded. "General Soulkeeper knew this from the moment I reported to her. She is no fool."
    "And she let you go on with your charade despite this?" Riona's tone betrayed her disbelief.
    Ember nodded. "She got what she wanted: an effective soldier ready to do her bidding. And she gave Imperator Swordshadow what she wanted: a direct report on the Vigil's activities from someone she could trust. Their interests do not conflict. No harm is done." [...]
    There was a long moment of silence then. Dougal broke it. "Swordshadow is part of the truce faction. That's it, isn't it? That's why there is no conflict."
    "I could not say," said Ember. "We did not discuss the matter."
    "Because if it were known that Swordshadow supported it, there would be direct opposition from the other legions," continued Dougal.
  3. ^ Guild Chat - Episode 103