Edge of Destiny
“Destiny called - they answered.
In the dark recesses of Tyria, elder dragons[sic] have awoken from millennial slumbers. First came Primordus, which stirred in the Depths forcing the asura to flee to the surface. Half a century later, Jormag awoke and drove the norn from the frozen climes of the Northern Shiverpeaks, corrupting sons and brothers along the way. A generation later, Zhaitan arose in a cataclysmic event that reshaped a continent and flooded the capital of the human nation of Kryta.
The races of Tyria stand on the edge of destiny. Heroes have battled against dragon minions, only to be corrupted into service of the enemy. Armies have marched on the dragons and been swept aside. The dwarves sacrificed their entire race to defeat a single dragon champion. The age of mortals may soon be over.
This is a time for heroes. While the races of Tyria stand apart, six heroic individuals will come together to fight for their people: Eir, the norn huntress with the soul of an artist; Snaff, the asuran genius, and his ambitious assistant Zojja; Rytlock, the ferocious charr warrior in exile; Caithe, a deadly sylvari with deep secrets; and Logan, the valiant human guardian dealing with divided loyalties. Together they become Destiny's Edge. Together they answer the call. But will it be enough?
— Edge of Destiny
Edge of Destiny, written by J. Robert King, is the second of three novels to bridge the time between Guild Wars and Guild Wars 2. It was released on December 28, 2010, though some online and retail stores began selling it as early as December 23.[1]
Plot[edit]
The main plot is set six years before the events of Guild Wars 2 with the events occurring over one year. It deals with how Destiny's Edge was formed, its involvement in defeating the Elder Dragons' champions, and its eventual disbanding.
| The book opens with a scene of a burning village attacked by destroyers that Caithe crosses, where she encounters her former lover Faolain, Grand Duchess of the Nightmare Court. From here, chapters skip back and forth between following Eir Stegalkin, accompanied by Snaff and Zojja, as she plans a fight against Jormag's champion Dragonspawn, and Rytlock Brimstone, accompanied by Logan Thackeray and Caithe, as they try to survive after being attacked by ogres and fighting in the Zaishen arena of Lion's Arch.
Eventually the two groups, dubbed Dragonspawn's Destiny and Edge of Steel, meet up as Eir recruits fellow fighters from Lion's Arch to take on the Dragonspawn. Upon joining, the six members of the newly formed guild Destiny's Edge face off against the Dragonspawn. After victory, they are hired to take on Zhaitan's Risen champion Morgus Lethe Primordus's champion known as the Destroyer of Life. Meanwhile, Faolain stalks the group, using her poison to force Caithe to either choose her love and the Nightmare in order to live, or perish to the poison. However, Caithe remains stubborn, and her worsening state eventually summons Faolain who, distraught upon witnessing her former lover's impending death, is convinced to draw the poison into herself so Caithe can live to continue fighting the Elder Dragons. Before departing, the Grand Duchess swears that Caithe will be hers one day. Once Faolain has informed them of the secret origins of Glint as the Elder Dragon Kralkatorrik's champion and herald set upon Tyria to see to her master's awakening, the guild makes the difficult decision to go slay Glint who had aided humanity in the past. Destiny's Edge make their way to the Crystal Desert to prevent Kralkatorrik's awakening and briefly battle Glint, only to learn that she had long ago betrayed her master. Choosing to join forces with Glint and convincing her to help them, the guild plans to confront the Elder Dragon utilizing the Dragonsblood Spear as Kralkatorrik's awakening is inevitable. As Destiny's Edge is nearing the end of their preparations, Logan Thackeray is called away by Queen Jennah to protect her and help repel a Branded ogre assault on Ebonhawke. Unchanging their plan, the five members of the guild and Glint carry on their plan to face against Kralkatorrik who has amassed a Branded army and is intending to kill Glint for her betrayal. The battle is eventually lost, however, when both Glint and Snaff are killed by the Elder Dragon and its minions. On the other side, after using the time Logan had bought to recover, Jennah and Countess Anise manage to lure the Branded out of Ebonhawke by making them follow a projection of Kralkatorrik south to the Crystal Desert. Logan leaving before the critical battle and the death of Snaff end up fracturing the guild, and each of the five remaining members go their own way, becoming renown and gaining titles of importance among each of their own people. |
Table of Contents[edit]
Prologue: Dream and Nightmare
- Part 1: Gathering Heros
- Chapter 1: Fools and Followers
- Chapter 2: Cat and Mouse
- Chapter 3: Little People, Big Projects
- Chapter 4: The Enemy of my Enemy
- Chapter 5: Golemancy
- Chapter 6: Stranger Danger
- Chapter 7: Heads of the Military
- Chapter 8: Deep Places
- Chapter 9: Lair of the Dragonspawn
- Chapter 10: Magma Monsters
- Chapter 11: In the Cold
- Part 2: Slaying Monsters
- Chapter 12: Lion's Arch
- Chapter 13: In Search of Warriors
- Chapter 14: Arena
- Chapter 15: Edge of Steel
- Chapter 16: Agreements
- Chapter 17: Contest
- Chapter 18: The Calm Before
- Chapter 19: Into the Lair
- Chapter 20: The New Champions
- Chapter 21: Morgus Lethe
- Chapter 22: Fights and Feasts
- Chapter 23: Battle on the Lake of Fire
- Chapter 24: The Destroyer of Life
- Chapter 25: Drawing the Poison
- Part 3: Battling Dragons
- Chapter 26: Seeking the Sanctum
- Chapter 27: Dragonrise
- Chapter 28: Siege and Storm
- Chapter 29: The Desperate Hour
- Chapter 30: Kralkatorrik
- Chapter 31: The Charr Vanguard
- Chapter 32: Battle of the Crystal Desert
- Chapter 33: Sundering
- About the Author
Release[edit]
The first chapter was available for free here as a .pdf excerpt released on December 22, 2010. This does not include the prologue chapter.
The release date for the book differed according to language and/or region:
| Language | Availability | Publisher | Localized title | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| English | North America - December 28, 2010 | Pocket Books/Simon & Schuster | Edge of Destiny | ISBN 978-1-4165-8960-0 |
| German | Germany - April 12, 2011 | Panini Books | Die Herrschaft der Drachen | ISBN 978-3-8332-2237-5 |
| French | France - November 29, 2011 | Bibliothèque Interdite | Le Lien De La Destinée | ISBN 978-2-3596-1071-0 |
| Hungarian | Hungary - 2012 | PlayON! | A Végzet Pereme | ISBN 978-963-89622-0-1 |
| Czech | Czech Republic - 2013 | FANTOM Print | Ostří osudu | ISBN 978-80-7398-247-8 |
Trivia[edit]
- The title of the book is based on Destiny's Edge's name (also read as "Edge of Destiny").
- There is a bookcart in Divinity's Reach which has a description about having a book titled "Edge of Destiny" by Sangjo of Lion's Arch.
See also[edit]
- Novel characters — for a complete list of characters appearing in all novels. May contain spoilers.
External links[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ The New Guild Wars Novel – Edge of Destiny, David Campbell, ArenaNet's official blog
