- As the balance of magic comes undone, lead your allies in the hunt for the rogue god Balthazar, whose scorched-earth campaign threatens the very existence of Tyria.
- How do you stop a rogue god? Balthazar, one of the Six Human Gods, has returned, but with no noble deeds in mind: he intends to slay the Elder Dragons to take their power for himself. Having been denied the magic of Jormag and Primordus, the God of War has led an army of fanatical followers to the Crystal Desert to hunt down the only viable target left: Kralkatorrik, the Elder Crystal Dragon. While humanity struggles with the sudden return of one of their patron gods, the Pact Commander goes after Balthazar to stop him before the god's ruthless crusade can upset the delicate balance of magic in Tyria and lead to the end of the world.
- When Balthazar, god of fire and war, returns to the world of Tyria to wage a lethal campaign against the Elder Dragon Kralkatorrik, players must pursue the rogue deity into the mysterious Elonian Desert and halt his relentless march toward total devastation.—Scott McGough and Jessica Price
- Balthazar, the rogue god of fire and war, invades the Elonian Desert region to kill the Elder Dragon Kralkatorrik and claim its power. The collateral damage from Balthazar's campaign will kill untold thousands, and his victory will permanently disrupt the world's delicate balance of magic, but Balthazar doesn't care-so it's up to you to stop him.
You arrive in the desert to confront Balthazar's forces as they raze a peaceful village. These Forged soldiers--enchanted suits of armor infused with unwilling human spirits--are killing innocents to swell their ranks. The army's murderous leader, Balthazar's Herald, recognizes you as a former dragon-slayer and offers you a chance to join the rogue god's cause. You manage to drive the Forged off, but the villagers suffer significant casualties.
You reunite with key allies from your guild in the free city of Amnoon, a port town that has so far resisted both the Forged invaders and the local tyrant, Palawa Joko. They include Rytlock Brimstone, a charr officer harboring a secret; Lady Kasmeer Meade, a human noble desperate to understand why one of her gods is no longer protecting human life; and Canach, a sylvari mercenary who is looking to do the right thing-and make a bit of cash in the process. With their help, you obtain information on Balthazar's current whereabouts, and learn that Balthazar seems to be hunting a local crystal dragon named Vlast instead of targeting Kralkatorrik.
Balthazar tracks down Vlast, who is overmatched by the god's raw power, until you defeat Balthazar's Herald and engage the rogue god directly. You fare no better than Vlast did, however, and just as Balthazar is about to finish you off, Vlast intercedes, taking the lethal hit in your stead. Having accomplished his goal, Balthazar departs, and Rytlock reveals that he encountered the god before, when he was lost in the limbo-like Mists. A nondescript prisoner offered to reignite Rytlock's magical sword and show him the way home, in exchange for release from his fetters. Rytlock shattered the prisoner's chains, never realizing that this act of mercy would allow the vicious deity back into the mortal world.
Shaken by Balthazar's cruel abandonment of the faithful, Kasmeer urges the party to head for the Tomb of the Primeval Kings, a place of power where mortals can commune with the gods directly. Hoping to convince the other gods to aid them in stopping Balthazar's ravages, you set out across the desert highlands to the tomb. There, the spirits of Elona's fallen monarchs mistake your party for grave robbers and deny you access until they prove their good intentions.
In the gods' realm, you must pass a test of ingenuity and skill to win an audience with the gods-only to find that a single deity remains. Kormir, the Goddess of Truth and Knowledge, informs you that the other gods chose to depart when it became clear that they could not win a war with the Elder Dragons without destroying the world and everyone in it. Balthazar's pride left him unable to back down from the challenge. He swore to destroy not only the Elder Dragons, but any deities who refused to stand with him. Unable to reason with him, the other gods stripped him of his power and imprisoned him in the Mists. After relaying her story, the goddess departs.
Your search for Balthazar leads you through the Riverlands to Kesho, an ancient lost city of magic and mystery. Kesho's many secrets include Balthazar's interest in Vlast: the dragon's unique magical essence and connection to Kralkatorrik provide a means of killing the Elder Dragon. Now that Vlast is dead, Balthazar will turn his malevolent attention to Aurene, Vlast's sister and the baby dragon you've been protecting since she was still in the egg.
As you race to reach Aurene before Balthazar, the god ambushes you, then toys with you, knowing that Aurene won't be able to stay away when you're at the brink of death. Aurene arrives, and Balthazar takes her captive. With the weapon he needs in hand, Balthazar sets out to kill Kralkatorrik, pausing only to casually murder you before he goes.
You awake in the Domain of the Lost, a waystation for those who died by violence and lost their way en route to their final reward. With no memory of who you are, you fight to reclaim your name and purpose, eventually earning the right to return and face Balthazar again. On your way out, you encounter the local tyrant Palawa Joko, stranded in the Domain of the Lost by Balthazar. Joko proposes an alliance, offering to send his undead armies to your aid when you confront the god. You reject his offer, but take the idea of using his army to even the odds against Balthazar. Joko swears gruesome revenge as you leave him behind.
After reuniting with your guild, you take on the appearance of a high-ranking officer in Joko's army in order to trick his soldiers into following you into battle. You muster outside the Kodash Bazaar, where Kralkatorrik has gone to ground, to greet Balthazar as he arrives to destroy the Elder Dragon. The god is accompanied by his Warbeast, a giant tank-monster that built to focus Aurene's magical energies into a weapon. You pursue the Warbeast--and the baby dragon imprisoned inside--as it closes in on Kralkatorrik and engages the Elder Dragon in combat. After an intense battle, you manage to destroy the mechanical monstrosity.
Enraged, Balthazar seals himself into a fiery arena to finally destroy you. You team up with Aurene to weaken him, but the god is unwilling to abandon his violent campaign until you utterly destroy him. The god's body ruptures and breaks apart, releasing his divine power--which is absorbed by Kralkatorrik and Aurene. Both dragons quit the battlefield before you can fully gauge the impact of this development.
You return to Amnoon with your guild to decide your next move. The city is in full festival mode, overjoyed at Balthazar's defeat, and hails you as their savior-just as the ground begins to shake and a terrifying magical storm appears on the horizon. Kralkatorrik, flush with Balthazar's power, is on the move.
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