(This post contains spoilers for the first episode of The Icebrood Saga, “Whisper in the Dark.”)

Hi, everyone, my name is Kwan, and I’m a writer on Guild Wars 2. I’m lead writer of “Visions of the Past: Steel and Fire,” and the entire content team is incredibly excited for players to dive in. “Steel and Fire” has been an opportunity for the Narrative Team to explore characters and events we wouldn’t otherwise be able to. We had two main goals for this release: shed some light on Ryland Steelcatcher, and allow fans to experience pivotal moments in the Almorra Soulkeeper story line.

Ryland’s a stoic character who plays his cards close to the chest, so we wanted to give a voyeuristic view into a side of Ryland we rarely see. Through sheer grit, he’s earned the respect and admiration of his elite Steel Warband, a group of wild misfits that came up in the fahrar together. They’re his family, and in the Forging Steel vision you’ll get to fight alongside them as a new recruit.

During the events of “Whisper in the Dark,” we learned of the unfortunate fate of Almorra Soulkeeper but not the events that led to it. Now you’ll get to see what transpired after the Sons of Svanir took her hostage and how her story intersects with Ryland’s mission. Almorra is a beloved character at ArenaNet, and we always intended to give her a proper send-off. Memorable moments for General Soulkeeper await.

We’re also fleshing out the Eye of the North introduced in “Shadow in the Ice.” In early brainstorming, the content team considered the idea of creating content like the Bonus Mission Pack from the original Guild Wars®. The entire idea came together naturally when we knew that we wanted to establish the Eye of the North as a hub location, which allowed us to bring back the Scrying Pool. That possibility space allowed us to be a bit more experimental in both design and narrative.

At the Eye of the North, the commander will touch base with Aurene and Rytlock as we take a respite from the main Icebrood Saga story. There’s a lot going on in this new hub, including the debut of an unexpected fun character that players haven’t yet seen in person. Seriously, everyone here is excited. I’ll be following the forums to read your reactions. :)

I’m thrilled to be a part of this community and for the opportunity to work with such talented and passionate folks of all disciplines. On behalf of Tom and the entire ArenaNet Narrative Team, we hope you’ll enjoy what’s coming in the Icebrood Saga story, and we’re touched by the passion of the Guild Wars 2 fanbase.