Shodd
“Progress demands risk and sacrifice, but it's worth it.
— Shodd
Shodd is an ambitious asuran inventor who takes a great interest in the Snaff Savant if the Infinity Ball was chosen as the Savant's first invention. He offers his help to improve the Infinity Ball although his reckless ideas and the unpredictable nature of the invention lead the pair to face a series of escalating threats.
Biography[edit]
In 1325 AE, the Snaff Savant was contacted by Zojja who had discovered the Savant's first project called the Infinity Ball. The device had been designed to show a glimpse of a potential future but its stabilizer had not been stable enough so it had been shelved. Believing that the promising invention could be repurposed into something useful, Zojja called in Shodd to help the Savant before leaving to take care of errands.
Once Zojja had left, Shodd complained that she was being too cautious and that he and the Savant could achieve great things with the Infinity Ball if they were ambitious and willing to take a chance. Convincing the Savant about the invention needing a high-yield power supply, Shodd took the Savant to the Megahedron Collider. While there, they witnessed a crowd of protestors trying to shut down the collider because of its harmful effects on Tyria's nature.
Luminates Supervisor Wenn owed Shodd a favor and let the pair use the collider to supercharge the Infinity Ball. However, the powered up inventioned caused a portal to open up which sucked in the Head Protestor and let out strange and aggressive steam creatures. While Wenn shut down the portal, Shodd and the Savant destroyed the steam creatures which had gotten through. Once the incursion had been dealt with, the pair decided to head to a more remote and safer location to conduct further tests away from spying ears and innocent bystanders.
The following test results were promising, but also unpredictable and dangerous as the portal the Infinity Ball created released destroyers which the pair had to fight off. Once the Savant concluded that they needed even more power to anchor and strengthen the portals as well as a new power storage system so they would not need to keep recharging the Infinity Ball, the pair returned to their home lab only to be confronted by the angered Zojja who had learned of their tests and warned them not to meddle with the dangerous invention any longer.
Shodd would not give up so close to success, however, and suggested that he and the Savant should either get the power source from the Inquest or High Councillor Flax's crozier. After successfully acquiring the power source, the pair conducted the final experiment with the properly adjusted Infinity Ball at the Wendon Steps only to be found by Zojja who tried to stop them before their actions could endanger the world.
However, the portal which the Infinity Ball had created was already opening up to a seemingly alternate, future version of Tyria from which a Mysterious Stranger and Grand Vice Admiral Shodd, alternate selves of the Savant and Shodd, appeared. The doppelgangers claimed to have conquered their realm with steam creatures and revealed their intentions to conquer the Tyria they had now entered by getting rid of the Savant, Shodd and Zojja who stood in their way.
After a fierce fight, the portal was closed and the evil doppelgangers and their mechanical minions were defeated. Despite nearly losing his life, Shodd was intrigued by the prospect of becoming a vice admiral and still saw potential in using the Infinity Ball again. Having wisened up, however, the Savant decided to shelve the project for good while telling Shodd, whose short-sighted ambition had gotten the pair in trouble one time too many, to shut up forever.
Locations[edit]
Story involvement[edit]
Personal story[edit]
- Chapter 2: Interested Parties
Notes[edit]
- Shodd will appear in the player's home instance after completing Split Second.
