Explore the legendary region of Cantha in Guild Wars 2: End of Dragons

Nearly 500 years ago, a man named Shiro Tagachi brought the distant land of Cantha to its knees. Driven mad by the fallen god Abaddon, he turned to forbidden magic, slaughtering the emperor and consuming his soul. His defeat in that far-flung era was a pyrrhic victory, triggering a devastating magical catastrophe that transformed everything from birds to trees to the ocean itself to jade. 

Tagachi would return several hundred years later to act as the antagonist of 2006’s Guild Wars Factions, the second story chapter of the original game. Throughout the events of Factions, the player and their comrades worked to foil Tagachi’s efforts to resurrect himself and bring havoc to the world. Ultimately, they succeeded. 

A few short years later, Cantha closed its borders to the world. Much has happened since then. 

The Charr gained their independence, slaying their dark gods and triggering an industrial revolution. The Norn and Asura were both driven from their ancestral homes by the terrible might of the elder dragons. The Sylvari came into being, born amongst the boughs of The Pale Tree. And finally, the Pact Commander — the player character of Guild Wars 2 — was born.