This Bestiary provides a brief overview of various creatures in Tyria. They are organized here by highlighting the game mechanics and available lore provided by the developers. Individual pages for each creature should be referenced for details. The term "Race" is in widespread use, but should more accurately be called "species".
Playable races[edit]
The five playable races, sometimes referred to as Major races or Major species, are Tyrian species that players can select from during character creation.
A character's race enhances various features, both aesthetically and gameplay-wise. Further detail may be found under these specific topics: Personal story, Physical appearance, Racial sympathy and Racial skill. Each Playable race has a different Tutorial, which will leave them in their unique Starting area, Zone and Region. Nearby is their Home-City and Regional-Capital, which contains a Home instance and a Portal to Lion's Arch, the central-hub city, which in turn contains portals to most other cities.
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Asura
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| These alchemagical inventors may be short in stature, but they're intellectual giants. Among the asura, it's not the strong who survive, but the clever. Other races believe they should rule by virtue of their power and strength, but they're deluding themselves. In due time, all will serve the asura. The arrogant asura prize intellectual prowess over all else. They use their knowledge and skill with magic to assert their dominance over other races.
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Charr
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| The charr race was forged in the merciless crucible of war. It is all they know. War defines them, and their quest for dominion drives them ever onward. The weak and the foolish have no place among the charr. Victory is all that matters, and it must be achieved by any means and at any cost. Charr society is built around war and their pursuit of military dominance. Their ability with technology and machines of war strikes fear into any who cross them.
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Human
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| Said to be brought to the world by the gods, Humans once ruled firmly across the known world. In the past two centuries, they have fallen on hard times, but their faith and spirit remain unshaken. Humans have lost their homeland, their security, and their former glory. Even their gods have withdrawn. And yet, the human spirit remains unshaken. These brave defenders of Kryta continue to fight with every ounce of their strength.
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Norn
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| A race of 9-foot hunters hailing from the Far Shiverpeaks. These massive, shape-shifting fighters prize individual valor and victory above all. This race of towering hunters experienced a great defeat when the Ice Dragon drove them from their glacial homeland. Nevertheless, they won't let one lost battle - however punishing - dampen their enthusiasm for life and the hunt. They know that only the ultimate victor achieves legendary rewards.
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Sylvari
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| Sentient plant folk who have a deep connection with the land and the riches it bears. They seek adventure and their place in the world. Sylvari are not born. They awaken beneath the Pale Tree with knowledge gleaned in their pre-life Dream. These noble beings travel, seeking adventure and pursuing quests. They struggle to balance curiosity with duty, eagerness with chivalry, and warfare with honor. Magic and mystery entwine to shape the future of this race that has so recently appeared.
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Non-playable species[edit]
Non-playable species, sometimes referred to as "Minor races", may be further classified by certain characteristics, common habitats and function within the game mechanics. They are described by key elements of game lore and allow players to interact with a wide variety of interesting creatures.
It is important to understand that the same methods used to injure or kill one creature may be used to injure or kill any other. However, the NPC ranking of creatures of the same species indicate that they are more difficult to injure or kill given their greater experience, health, skills and traits. With increasing order of difficulty these are:
Elder Dragons[edit]
The 6 known Elder Dragons are enormous and ancient elemental creatures feared across Tyria. Oldest and most powerful of the dragons, they are the primary antagonists in Guild Wars 2 and are served by armies of Dragon champions which menace the entire world and are always hostile to players.
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Zhaitan
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| the Elder Undead Dragon of Orr. The name is known to the races of Tyria primarily via dwarven legends. Zhaitan's spheres of influence are shadow and death.
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Soo-Won
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| largely a mystery. Even his name has been lost to history, although it is assumed to start with an "s". He is by far not the last dragon to awake, as he has made travel by sea all but impossible for years. However, few have even seen his minions... and lived to tell about it.
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Mordremoth
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| the most recent Elder Dragon to awaken. Mordremoth's spheres of influence are mind and plants.
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Jormag
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| Elder Dragon of the north, who forced the Norn southwards from their ancestral home.
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Kralkatorrik
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| awoke in 1321 AU in Northern Ascalon, homeland of the Charr Blood Legion when it flew straight through Ascalon to the Crystal Desert turning the land beneath it turned purple and all living creatures caught there were corrupted into the Branded, as the scar left on the land is called The Brand.
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Primordus
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| The first of the dragons to awake in this cycle, which introduced humans to both Asura and Norn, forcing the Asura from their former homes underground. His minions are known as destroyers.
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Dragon champion[edit]
Dragon champions are also knows as Dragon minions, and formerly known as Dragonspawn. The usage of the term Dragonspawn now generally refers to a particular Dragon who was the greatest champion of Jormag before being slain by Destiny's Edge in 1320 AE. Dragon champions include species created by the Elder Dragons and those that they corrupted over hundreds or thousands of years. All are now the loyal slaves of the Elder Dragons.
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Branded
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| Many types of creatures were corrupted into minions of the Elder Dragon Kralkatorrik. Few in the Brand escaped being turned into these creatures of stone and crystal.
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Icebrood
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| The minions of the Elder Dragon Jormag. They primarily consist of various corrupted creatures of the Shiverpeak Mountains, such as the norn, wolves, and kodan, that are slowly turned into mindless creatures of ice.
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Aquatic[edit]
Non-playable species able to live underwater or whose settlements are primarily near large bodies of water.
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Hylek
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| Sun-worshipping frog people that live along the coast of the Sea of Sorrows. Experts in alchemy and reading weather, they are a divided race of territorial tribes that often fight each other; only few welcome outsiders into their lands.
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Krait
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| An aquatic serpentine race who regularly make slaves of other races, believing themselves to be the most superior race. They are governed by their manipulative Oratuss.
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Largos
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| A mysterious race of aquatic assassins. They are known as killers who appear from nowhere, preferring not to interact with other races.
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Quaggan
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| Peaceful aquatic creatures who once lived in the open ocean before being driven to Tyria. They become extremely hostile and berserk when agitated.
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Terrestrial[edit]
Non-playable species that live primarily on, above or beneath the surface of Tyria.
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Centaur
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| A race of fierce and proud warriors which fight with the humans over land in Kryta and the Maguuma Jungle.
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Kodan
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| A race of spiritual, polar bear-like people whose sailed iceberg cities have been scattered southwards from the arctic seas by Jormag.
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Non-playable species able to fly or that are feathered, but non-flying.
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Harpy
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| Winged raiders and scavengers, Elonian legends claim these fiends are fallen servants of the goddess Dwayna. Their young possess a very strong bond with their matrons.
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Mursaat
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| Elder race of floating, spellcasting creatures who went to near extinction a couple centuries ago. They can hide themselves from those who do not have the gift of True Sight.
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Tengu
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| An avian race that has a long history of being oppressed or driven out by the dominant humans. Now they keep themselves mostly isolated behind a great wall in the Dominion of Winds.
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Gigantic[edit]
Non-playable species of especially large stature.
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Ettin
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| Two-headed humpbacks, the ettin are only barely intelligent, but possess colossal strength which they employ against their foes with massive clubs.
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Giant
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| Towering humanoid beings often seen living as nomads in desolate or isolated areas. Although sentient and relatively peaceful, they fiercely protect their territories from trespassers.
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Jotun
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| An elder race, once grand, now deteriorated to wielding only the most rustic of weapons and dressed in crude loincloth, they only care for themselves and the purity of their blood.
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Ogre
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| A race of beastmasters and herders, they are rarely seen without a pet. They come from the Blazeridge Mountains, looking to expand their territory into Ascalon.
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Troll
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| Large, tusked creatures seen throughout Tyria, often in or near caves as well as in the jungle. They possess a deep affinity with nature, capable of using rocky, frosty or poisonous environment to their advantage.
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Subterranean[edit]
Non-playable species whose settlements are primarily below ground or in caves.
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Dredge
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| Formerly enslaved by the Stone Summit, the now-xenophobic dredge have taken control of many former dwarven territory and are now strip-mining the Shiverpeak Mountains.
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Dwarf
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| Elder race who once dominated the Shiverpeak Mountains, now transformed into creatures of stone to fight the destroyers. To find a dwarf anywhere above ground is a rare occurrence.
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Grawl
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| The ape-like grawl possess a tribal culture and worship unusual objects – from remarkable stone formations to abandoned statues and other natural or built structures.
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Skritt
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| The skritt followed the asura out of the depths of Tyria and are now widespread on the surface. They are known for their "hive-mind" and scavenging habits, and are considered as pests by the asura.
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Extinct[edit]
No evidence of these creatures or their influences have been documented for a very long time.
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Forgotten
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| Elder race of serpents, associated with Glint and the Old Gods. None have been seen for a very long time.
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Great Giant
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| Extinct race of true giants, believed to been wiped out by the Elder Dragons. Their colossal skeletons litter the Crystal Desert.
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Seer
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| Elder race capable of impressive magic, who fell into a war with the mursaat. Ruins of their civilization still exist in Tyria, though few know anything of them.
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Non-playable animal species. These may be hostile, friendly (cannot be attacked) or neutral (turn hostile after being attacked). Includes Ambient creatures (alternatively, a Critter).
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Bat
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| Bats are a common sight in hillside regions, cliffs and caverns. They can fly out of reach of attacks and swoop down to retaliate.
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Boar
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| Common species of mammal, often used for food.
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Cow
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| Cows are commonly found in farms.
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Deer
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| Common species of mammal.
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Devourer
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| Arachnid creatures similar to scorpions but possessing two tails. Commonly seen in dry areas such as Ascalon and the Maguuma Wastes. They can burrow to ambush their prey.
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Dolyak
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| Calm animals from the Shiverpeak Mountains which are often domesticated and herded by the norn. They are also often used as beasts of burden in cool climates.
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Drake
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| Ferocious reptiles often found near bases of water in Ascalon and Kryta, and the Shiverpeak Mountains. Drakes are all tied to certain elements, most being able to breathe magic.
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Fish
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| Various aquatic species of fish populate the waters of Tyria. Many kinds are harmless to the occasional swimmer, but there are numerous hostile and dangerous kinds.
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Griffon (race)
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| Four-legged winged creatures found in areas of extreme temperatures. Venturing too close to their nests can agitate a whole flock to attack at once.
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Grub
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| Giant bugs that prefer the dark, with a poison spit attack. Usually quite docile.
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Jellyfish
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| Large, aggressive aquatic race that trail a long line of poisonous tentacles behind them.
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Karka
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| A race of crab-like creatures that came from the Unending Ocean and has been forced onto the land for the first time since the ancient days.
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Leviathan
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| A large, ancient, sea creature said to date back to the previous rise, if not further.
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Minotaur
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| Minotaurs are prized by the norn for their warm, furry coats and horns. Most have never been domesticated due to being too stubborn to follow commands.
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Moa
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| Large, flightless birds common throughout all of Tyria. They can be found in the wild of domesticated by humans. Includes flamingoes.
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Moose
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| A brave and hardy species, but usually docile unless provoked.
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Raptor (race)
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| Saurian predators common across Ascalon, Kryta and the Maguuma jungle. They are related to birds, and use deafening shrieks as attacks.
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Shark
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| Extremely powerful predator fish.
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Skale
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| Amphibious, ravenous creatures of semi-sapience which prefer dark swamps and other shallow bodies of water as their hunting grounds.
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Skelk
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| Amphibious reptilian creatures previously found in Tarnished Coast and moist caverns in the Depths of Tyria. They are capable of stealth and ambushing their prey.
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Spider
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| Eight legged web-spinners hoping to catch a little bigger prey, known of their poisonous traits. Venturing into their nests can be hazardous.
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Sylvan Hound
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| Canine-like plants born from the Pale Tree akin to sylvari. Trained and treated similarly to actual canines.
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Wind Rider
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| Bizarre, silent, floating creatures that attack with tentacles. It is said that they are not natural beings, having been unleashed into this world by a sorcerer in ancient times.
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Wurm
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| Massive subterranean, burrowing creatures which, when disturbed or hunting, surge to the surface to swallow their prey whole.
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Special or Other[edit]
Non-playable species that do not easily fall into any of the above classifications.
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Elemental
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| Magical beings, many are bound or summoned out of natural elements and employed against their master's foes.
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Fleshreaver
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| These frightening creatures cannibalize the corpses of the dead to build their own form and offspring. They thrive in places of death.
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Ghost
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| The souls of the dead, unable to find rest, sometimes due to a violent death, other times due to dark magic such as the Foefire.
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Golem
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| Machine-like magitech constructs created by the asura for any task, from various civil tasks to specialized combat roles.
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Imp
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| Flying creatures from the Mists, which are attuned to various elements and able to utilise them in combat. Some are bound to summoning stones which can be used to invoke them.
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Nightmare
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| Large shadow-like specters full of hostile emotions.
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Ooze
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| Jelly-like creatures of fluid and membrane originating from the Depths of Tyria, they are now found all over Tyria, mostly in underground caves or near their entrances.
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See also[edit]
[[Category:Playable races|*]]
[[Category:Bestiary|*]]
[[Category:Organizations|*]]
[[es:Bestiario]]
[[fr:Bestiaire]]
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