User:Inquest Overseer Ezrielia/Asuran Expansion Project

Introduction

 --Inquest Overseer Ezrielia (talk) 21:02, 30 March 2024 (UTC) aka hugo.4705 on forums

https://imgur.com/977tpcM From Taimi and Gorrik:

Some news for the commandah--- Heya Commander!

I recently received a strange old signal coming from the north of Maguuma Wastes! And guess what? It's an asuran energetic signature, but I mean... ITS IMPOSSIBLE?!! I asked Gorrik if he had any data concerning old dusty ruins, it seems we, asura used to have more cities than I've ever expected! Exciting! Sadly it seems that Inquest have one step ahead from us, they are currently arriving in Fractured Valley. It's a harathi hunting ground, was non-accessible but a violent earthquake broke the huge wall, opening a new way. Hopefully, it seems those agents were in Gorrik division and more, its friends. They've accepted for once to share their research. DO YOU REALIZE?! A VERY OLD CITY WE NEVER KNOWN ABOUT FOR HUNDRED OF YEARS! Calm down Taimi... So intriguing! I'm waiting for you at the north of Harathi Hinterlands. The pact managed to remove some rocks blocking the entrance to the cavern leading to Fractured Valley. Ah! Gorrik want to add something..... Commander! I've analyzed the readings we got from the wastes, in addition of that possible presence of a city, I've noticed a very strong disturbance in ley-line balance probably an elder dragon so Primordius. It's our chance, let's deal with that menace one time for all to allow our race to reconquer the underground! We need samples, we need data!

-Taimi and Gorrik

A new set of maps:

(With possible loading screens, and description:) After a disturbance within ley-line balance (can be due to primordius or not), a very old beacon restarted emitting a signal, a very old energetic one coming from the north-west of Tyria. Several organizations started to track down the signal, permit them: Asuran colleges, the Priory, the Inquest, the Pact and the Vigil. A giant wall, previously preventing explorers to travel at the north of Harathi Hinterlands got destroyed by an intense volcanic activity; allowing everyone to explore a part of woodland cascades and north of Maguuma Wastes. Maps+ their events+ quests+ legendary cultural armor idea+ mini-raids idea are made by me, also first sketch of Quora Sum architecture too, others are concept art by Anet, since I drew several of loading screens, but looked almost the same as the Anet ones globally, so decided to use them. :D

https://imgur.com/m5vbnt9

Fractured Valley

Description:A giant scar passes through the entire valley letting erupting some lava. An original giant wall was present at the south of the map, but it is now destroyed. The map is mostly occupied by centaurs, apart the north which has small pouches of asuran resistance: Inquest Pyronix lab is studying destroyers and fluctuation of ley energies at the center of the lava lake. 2 Older laboratories are also present near it, with old technologies studied by colleges and inquest in same time peacefully. At the north-est, shown on the loading screen, a very old castle from an unknown origin, now occupied by some asuras which turned it into a market place. They also added an asuran gate leading to Aethervolt lab in brisban wildlands. (require a story step/quest to fix the gate and unlocking it). :/ Quests:

1. "Help centaurs to find sources of food" -Since every cultures and stocks was based within the great wall, several centaurs are now in the need.
2. "Defend the trading-place against skritts" -Asuras and centaurs trading baubles? Skritt wants a shiny too!
3. "Help Pyronix lab leading research on destroyers" -Also checking ley energies disturbance, collecting samples....
4. "Oversee research in ancient laboratories" -Check if no one are spying each others, help each organization to find artifacts.

https://imgur.com/yDlQpvh

Canopy of the spirits

Description:A very foggy forest with an alpine/temperate scenary with several huge pines and other species. Along several asuran ruins you can find a very strange altar at the middle of the map, surely Jotun origin. Three stones linked to a rune, probably an inter dimensional portal allowing great beasts to appear including imps, shadows.... Seraphs have a camp at the north-east, overseeing the frontier behind that map and fractured valley. Canopy of the spirits is considered as very dangerous: Lost spirits can be found telling the horrible reason of their death. Sneaky bandits assassin are present around all the forest too. The northern asuran fortress is used as a shelter and lead to a consequent underground part: An ancient asuran library, but it's occupied by several graveling and spiders. Hopefully the pact and the priory are there to secure the place as much as they can. :) Quests:

1. "Help seraphs securing the road" -Prevent bad things from happening between the asuran fortress and the entrance to Fractured Valley.
2. "Assist the priory for their research within the asuran fortress" -Protect arcanists, researchers and troops against any danger.
3. "Hunt with the local hyleks" -Around the delta at the north-west. Catch fishes, kill some minotaurs and deers even fireflies.
4. "Allow ghosts to find peace" -Ask ghosts and walk with them around the forest to understand the origin of the torment.

https://imgur.com/Aahdw9i

Enchanted Cliffs

Description:Half rocky mountains, half alpine forest, that's your map! The picture shows the entrance of Quora Sum, so the rocky part. A huge chain of mountains separate the two main environments. Inhabited by essentially skritts within tunnels, and on them, zephyrites. In the coastal jungle area, a quaggan village. At the other side, many floating islets, and two giant watch-towers. Mesa-like, with Savannah-typed creatures, very arid with only few very rare pouches of water. Some old golem exo-skeleton can be found, lying destroyed, inactive. :o Quests:

1. "Help quaggans fishing" -Catch some fishes, light on lanterns, hunt down sharks.
2. "Defend skritts against destroyers" -Resolve destroyers related skritts issues, plugging fissures, building barricades. (North mountains)
3. "Teach skritts about asuran technologies" -Help them to teleport themselves, calibrating a basic asuran gate or the basics of golemancy. (South mountains)
4. "Help zephyrites farming on floating islets" -Use bridges between floating islet and help them growing several kind of plants, avoiding larvae.

https://imgur.com/GcfMOWn

Quora Sum

Description:Completely underground map. The old asuran capital of Quora Sum, a volcanic activity fractured the city in three main districts which are still intact. At the east, the educational district with training grounds and the main laboratories complex Upsilon. At the center, the vital district with the Data Center, the Power Plant and the water station. At the west finally, the demos district with the giant University which was used to welcome Dynamic, Static, Synergistic and Inquest all part of the same institution books are here engraved crystal panes linked between them with a stone ring sometimes data are engraved on crystal in data center; and the greenhouse to study plants and how they react to several sources of light. With two observation platforms allowing asuras to have a beautiful view on the south-western lake. Note that we can find one watch-tower per district, that's why like rata novus, the city has been evacuated really fast. But a fail-safe system got the time to activate himself preventing any damage to the city: Force fields. :D Quests:

1. "Help everyone gathering knowledge within the Data Center" -Gather some cyan fluorite data crystals, check the system on asuran consoles.
2. "Assure power supplies for the city" -Repair broken cables, bring fluorite crystals to the core, kill any destroyers attracted by crystal lights.
3. "Check on the labs complex security breaches" -Contain destroyers specimens and animals within their cells, control air filters and avoid contamination.
4. "Prevent destroyers invading the western district" -Already invaded the greenhouse, stop them before they capture the university!

https://imgur.com/7oNKR9t

Ardent Falls

Description:Again, a full underground volcanic map, with lava falls at several corners. That map is a kind of extension for Quora Sum and welcome 2 main structures: The golem factory at the south-west and the Amphitheater at the middle, that second building was used to showcase the latest technologies to civilians under a giant icosahedric fluorite dome which is now broken due to volcanism. A great part of the map sank into lava, was previously a crystal quarry (of course, golems are powered by those crystals) and was welcoming the Asuran Gates Hub.The factory works with geothermic energy but without crystals it's useless.Can welcome primordius fight at the middle if needed. Quests:

1. "Assure crystals supply." -Defend the soldiers bringing crystals to the factory from destroyers and skelks.
2. "Help researchers within the amphitheater." -Find artifact and classify them, defend researchers.
3. "Maintain security around the lava lake" -Repair ancient asuran electro-magnetic cannons, kill destroyer wyverns menacing miners.
4. "Collect rock samples for scientists." -Gather rocks ejected by the lava.

https://imgur.com/vyN4Ijx

Others concept arts showing more precisely some places:

The destroyed wall of Fractured Valley https://imgur.com/O26Rvzk

Another view of the forest, from the delta, Canopy of the Spirits https://imgur.com/oN0s6WF

Forest part of Enchanted Cliffs, in foreground, rocky part with some floating islets https://imgur.com/i2nKWb7

A possible view of the interior of Data Center, Quora Sum https://imgur.com/jtOCPBK

Ruins of the Amphitheater, Ardent Falls) https://imgur.com/hsBREJC

Details about Quora Sum, rapidly:

https://imgur.com/AXcJP3p

Fast sketches from me concerning the overall look, some architectures. https://imgur.com/SBpjgFb

Reconstitution of the Amphitheater: https://imgur.com/4c8QdjO

Explanations: Three main entrances, two for great minds: can be a council member or highly respected inventor sometimes, citizens. The last one is for inventions themselves like golems or whatever, brought to the center of the amphitheater. It works like a tribunal, one asura is for the invention, another against, all the public vote after the speechs for or against. The two main contestants take place on the two floating hexagonal islets under the dome to have a global view. Someone come at the middle with the invention as a judge. Also outside of showcases it can be used by anyone even as a classroom.

Awesome underground asuran designs made by an Anet Artist, perfectly corresponding with my idea with cyan fluorite crystals: First one for Laboratories and second one for Data Center: https://imgur.com/v6yFE23 and https://imgur.com/tua1Fc0

Rata novus is NOTHING, here we will discover a very technologically advanced city, better than Rata Sum or Rata Primus themselves, but that knowledge was lost with ages, it's now time to discover it again! Asuras can become more than great again.

A new experience within Rata Sum and Rata Novus:

Asuran gate leading to Polymock Arenas is now activated ( even if the game isn't available, it's for the sake of the eternal alchemy and that poor worker).Gorr lab is accessible outside of story, his asuran gate is now functional.Port authority Inquest stone portal is open, it was in fact, Inquest Dormitory. Moto's secret lab is always accessible.

https://imgur.com/Si2Btv7

Here is the template of the new layer "golem mines" of Rata Sum by myself, how I see it. The illustration is pretty explicit, black areas are walls, two main accesses:1-Through colleges dormitories which have staircases leading downward to that final level. (white arrows, from above, "substrata" layer.)2-By using the hexagonal elevators present near holographic bridges at "Substrata" layer, moving downward too, allowing access to the last level. Shopping Arcade: Several Bars and game tables for asuras. Not rare to meet some drunk norns or humans there. Also a good surprise: The Holo-Krewe news have a kiosk at the center.Golem Station: Here malfunctioning golems are repaired, but some new golems can be built too. Several dismantling tables, circular saws, golem pieces... And golem acting very strangely.Inquest Cafeteria: Kinda like the arcade, at the back some Inquest chiefs and bartenders preparing drinks and meals. Here agents are enjoying conversations and good food.

Easter egg: Within Inquest Cafeteria, you can find an Asuran Stone Portal locked with near it a PA announcer and a control panel. The door is protected by a password. Which one you can obtain by making Inquest agents drunk: You need to find 8 agents, each one giving a character between hiccups. Then rearrange them to find the code.Once unlocking the door, you can access the Inquest private elevator leading you to "Auxiliary study room" where Inquest are doing some experiment. -> Here you can trigger a second easter egg: Once entering that room, an Inquest supervisor will run at you asking who you are since he never saw you before. 2 options:-If you have on you the item "Inquest Symbol" even if in inventory, he excuses himself welcoming you back and letting you explore the lab tables, documents, etc...-If you don't have the item, it trigger an alarm, two golems are running at you, immobilizing you and sending you outside in front of the force fields near recruiters.

https://imgur.com/5jAQdvi

Tangled depths map is now extended. A new part of the map is now available: "Rata Novus Inner Complex". -> The cube is divided into several sectors:-Ground floor: Hydroponics clear the water from the river, making it viable, also host farms to grow crops allowing the colony to be self-sustainable. Also welcome the different colleges classrooms and their students.

• First floor: Library and labs working on non-dangerous substances or elements. Have several books about the surface and its races.
• Second floor: Metamystic gallery, for building and repairing golems, some teleport allow their transport to ground floor.
• Third floor: Study of hazardous elements, ley energy, mushroom spores, destroyers or chaks.-Last floor: Gate hub, allowing to teleport to other underground cities, have been deactivated to prevent a propagation of chaks or any other creature. Even if the cube is fully closed, the glass spheres in the ceiling allow light to enlighten the whole interior.

Some new designs:

https://imgur.com/5QBEYCo

Here are some golem designs made by me, the carrier mark is the former Golem Mark I, and the guardian mark is the former Golem Mark II, you can also note that the light mark is very close to our cubes golem. Digger, Servitor and Sentry are very helpful ancient marks of golem, but their crafting blueprints were lost with years. Little invented lore following:-Servitors were used a lot, it wasn't rare to see a swarm of those following a golemancer or a rich asura, carrying stuffs, drinks or food on their head.-Only Diggers were sent to fluorite quarries, asuras never mine themselves. Carriers can also come if the rocks are too big to be destroyed efficiently.-Guardians are posted at every entrance points of the city, and also guard the Data Center. Those are very powerful, can shoot laser beams/ break necks, spines with their hands. More intelligent than other golems, they are equipped with a basic AI, and stored in them the appearance of an asura. Everything else is considered as an hostile unknown life-form.-Sentries are patrolling with peacemakers around every corners of the city, assuring the security and helping when they can, ability to shoot lasers with its arms, blind with head crystals.-Lights can emit light through its three side crystals, they are only used during exploration with most of the time the simultaneous use of Sentries, rarely guardians and carriers (only if they are sure of a potential lethal danger).

Elite specializations

https://imgur.com/8vgQFCJ

Will not develop a lot here because I'm mostly focused on the environment, the maps, the lore and quests, I just put them because it's sounds like an habit to have them: :/

• Engineer: Shortbow (crossbow if possible) to shoot modified arrows and flasks. Turn F1-F5 from tool belt into real skill usable with any weapon.Ability to destabilize the reality, and summoning watchwork golem name: Mechanist. Cyan fluorite are used as golem power core and to enhance arrows/bow.
• Warrior: Pistol very fast pistol allowing to blind and cripple the enemy for a considerable time, skill 5 can blowout, name: Infiltrator.
• Elementalist: Longbow ability to attune bullets with one of the four elements, each element is strong and have a special effect for third skill (heal/protection/fury/power), name: Destroyer.Based on the fact that asuran cyan fluorite crystal can channel elemental energies through them like engineer.
• Necromant: Sword, uses toxins on weapons and also self-injecting them.Applying almost any condition to the foe. When used on self you gain several boons and conditions. The more you have, the stronger you are, name: FleshreaverThose asuras experimented on themselves making their bodies more resistant.
• Guardian: Warhorn reinforce allies giving a considerable heal and power, other weapons can occasionally give might or fury ;name: Mage Inspire yourself from the most strategic asurans ever known, learning how to support your allies.
• Revenant: Greatsword give the ability to travel within the mist for a given period making you invulnerable, but staying too much can cost a lot, name: ShattererWith the help of the most advanced asuran technologies, you can pass from a reality to another, but the link is very unstable.
• Thief: Torch ability to set on fire any other weapons, increasing the damages to enemies but with a possibility to burn yourself if used to often, name: SaboteurThe art of discretion and lethality, use smoke bombs, burn your weapons to deal increased damages trap enemies with their own strength.
• Ranger: Shield can concentrate the natural energy with shield skills and releasing it as a powerful beam, that energy can also be consumed on other weapons name: CatalystUse your shield like real golemancer, containing the energy and transferring it for any of your purposes!
• Mesmer: Rifle shooting illusion bullets powered by psychic power, can be used to enhance weapons beware of the psychic power bar, name: Psyker.Psychic resonance with asuran crystals again to improve the power.

Other Additions:

• Ability to use skimmer underwater if possible, to make it useful.
• Battle on lion's arch fractal.
• Raid wing: Centaur Stronghold, surely at the south-west of Fractured Valley.
• Vendor selling guild hall asuran decos, several tonics, tomes of knowledge or obsidian shards against those "unknown artifact shards" for 500, 1000....
• Turrets deployed by engineer are now asuran turrets if the chosen race is Asura.

Mini-raids:

As long as lair of the snowmen, giving the ability to everyone to explore unique little piece of lore/adventure within the new maps: 10 players squad. Award some raid tokens.

• MR1="Ardent crucible" Exploring deeper and deeper the foundation of the castle "Fractured Valley map", spiral staircases and huge cathedral style broken rooms, at the beginning, foes are easy: some graveling, ghosts and shadows then some basic destroyers crabs, trolls types and at the end a giant destroyer wyvern.
• MR2="Abandoned dredge facility" A very fast empty forge with some remaining dredges and destroyers within. "Canopy of the spirits" Dredges used to retreat in the last vault where their leader within a giant mining suit try to beat a giant destroyer. Some little mechanisms are still functional like steam valves, water tanks.
• MR3="Skritts defense" Same map as "Enchanted Cliffs", you have to defend the tunnels against 25 waves of destroyers from at the beginning crabs to 3 legendary wyvern at the end. You can order skritts to use some asuran technologies or traps to help you. 3 players per legendary with 1 at the middle ordering to skritts what to do.

New guild hall, between Quora Sum and Brisban Wildlands. (Crystal Cove)

A long asuran walkway with gardens, floating cubes and holographic plants. 2 Main water canals along it, at the exterior some crops and asuran ruins. Inside, a fluorite/quartz quarry, several asuran labs and houses. The new guild hall could be also upgradable: On labs you can choose the banners you want (static/inquest/dynamic/synergistic/none) which one interact with lab lights colors. (Blue, Red, Green, Purple or cyan). Like the pact quest in thunderhead peak/ dialog quest in jahai bluffs you could choose which allies should come where. (Permit peacemakers, pact, orders, personal story, even inquest or other baddies) An event would occurs at a specific hour each day in guild hall where destroyers try to take it back. Where you can use weapons decos you put around your hall (rata novus turrets, pact lightning cannon, even WvW siege weapons which would be now usable).If players don't defend it, it reset the day after removing foes. But if you defend, you have rewards.

Legendary PvE cultural armors:

Completing any event within the four maps award "unknown artifact shard" (10) and 30 if finishing a Meta, you can also do SUMR to earn more shards (see the next paragraph). Some details: Each piece of that armor require doing an event in every core map to obtain every armor piece schematic. Recipe:->Ascended cultural armor schematic + 1000 Unknown artifact shards + 125 ectoplasms + 15 Mystic clovers = Gift of Ascended cultural armor.->2 corresponding ascended armor parts (made with Bolt of Damask/Elonian Leather) + Gift of Ascended cultural armor + 5 Racial trophies = Your Ascended cultural Armor Piece.(Racial trophies obtained from killing world bosses in the corresponding racial area, example: In caledon forest for sylvari, metrica province for asura...) Of course, Account bound when crafted and you can choose the stats you want. And upgradable to legendary with following recipe:->The ascended cultural armor piece + 30 Mystic clovers + 20 Icy Runestones + 250 ectoplasms. (Sufficient considering the time to farm unknown artifacts)

Scaling up mini-raid:

https://imgur.com/DxCkRHA

SUMR="Deeper labs complex" Within "Quora Sum", an hexagonal platform moving downward but stopping at every floor due to containment breaches. 17 floors. With each 7 waves of enemies: So 119 waves, with a 120th one with the stronger foe. Would start with some haywire golems, gravelings or chaks and then some big trolls or destroyers, then big wyverns, giant, huge security golem, destroyer giant, destroyer cerberus, destroyer scorpion to end with a reinforced destroyer (probably an experiment) A giant destroyer-like humanoid wearing powered armor shooting lasers... whatever. The difficulty level at the start is low then it increases, that challenge stop when everyone is dead, everyone is rezzed after finishing a wave. The higher wave number you are better the reward is, level 120 is achievable but after learning how foes works. Last wave of each floor is a boss champion, apart last, legendary. :D 2 First floors award both 5 "unknown artifact shard", then two next award five more shards etc.... So Floor 17 = 45 shards. +Bonus if finished= +55 shards.In total, if finishing the challenge: 280 shards. But note: Chance to drop it on enemies during waves. 1/3Note: 17 floors can be only one, no need to modeling: Animated texture going up then stop, then repeat. But maybe possible? CF: Proxemics lab brisban wildland puzzle, animals room. The last wave. The legendary boss. Level 90.

2 Main metas:

• "Canopy of the spirits" = Spirits madness, the jotun altar at the center activate itself and release several demons, all spirits turn angry and the fog become thicker, several foes are assaulting the asuran fortress, seraph camp and hylek village. All need to be defended, the priory start from the fortress and travel to the center to fix the portal. Anything will try to kill priory before reaching center. 2 Phases: Peaceful forest / Destabilized forest. :)
• "Quora Sum" = The Blackout, the energy storage start to decrease dangerously, and all the systems are shut down: Several specimens escape from the laboratories, water tanks start to leak, destroyers are invading wanting to destroy the power plant. All the secondary power sources are directed to asuran turrets and defenses. 2 Main phases based on day/night cycle: During the day the energy build up with the help of crystals within the ceiling transmitting light to stocking crystal. Players can help by collecting cyan fluorite crystals, and helping every quests even if completed. For the night, several dysfunctions appear due to the lack of understanding from some ancient technologies and destroyer attacks. :disappointed:

Notes:

That's it! Note that I only developed 4 quests per map, in reality it will be between 8-14 if extension type map, I just gave some main ideas. I done a detailed map for each new area, but some little things are missing: Of course you have asuran houses within Quora Sum and not only main building, It's an overview and I'm pretty pleased and proud of it. :+1: I'm happy to have shared my idea here, got it since the beginning (6 years ago and never found the best moment to post it. ) and so that's it, will have zero regrets now. Several points can be detailed more, please be serious, when posting a feedback, indicate the point or at least the concerned part. I really think that an asuran extension could be awesome, with all those fluorescent green machines and architectures. The maps have various environment and they are unbelievable, can surpass core level maps! Quora Sum can attract players and give them the envy to love asuras. :D DISCLAIMER: Half of the artworks are from arenanet, half are creations of me