View source for Ascalon (pre-Searing)

{{Otheruses|Ascalon before [[the Searing]]|the current state of Ascalon|Ascalon}}
{{Region infobox
| name = Ascalon
| image = [[File:Prophecies screenshot 060.jpg|250px]]
| campaign = Prophecies
| continent = Tyria
| neighbors = [[Depths of Tyria]]
| pic1 = [[File:Ascalon (pre-Searing) loading screen.jpg|250px]]
| pic1-text = Loading screen
| pic2 = [[File:Ascalon (pre-Searing) interactive map.jpg|250px|link=Ascalon (pre-Searing)/Map]]
| pic2-text = Interactive Map of Pre-Searing.
| pic3 = [[File:Pre-Searing Unclean Map.jpg|250px]]
| pic3-text = An unexplored map of pre-Searing Ascalon.<br>[[Ascalon (pre-Searing)/Maps|Other non-interactive maps]]
| pic4 = [[File:Ascalon signpost.jpg|175px]]
| pic4-text = Ascalon [[signpost]].
| pic5 = [[File:Ascalon waymaker.jpg|175px]]
| pic5-text = Ascalon waymarker.
}}
{{quotation|prophecies|Once, Ascalon was a beautiful, fertile land of rolling green countryside and magnificent cities. Her people were viewed as a bit grim by their neighbors, but this was perhaps to be expected, given their never-ending war against the [[Charr]]. Indeed, it was their unfailing vigilance, their [[Great Northern Wall]], and the blood they shed each year to defend it that had protected not only Ascalon, but also [[Kryta]] and [[Orr]] through the ages.}}

[[Ascalon (pre-Searing)|Ascalon]] was once a land filled with wheat fields, blossoming flowers, and natural irrigation throughout the fertile landscape. Ascalon is located between the [[Shiverpeak Mountains]] and the [[Blazeridge Mountains]].

During [[the Guild Wars|the last Guild War]], the people of [[Rin]] looked to [[King Adelbern|Adelbern]] to lead them; he was crowned king due to his feats and popularity. [[Duke Barradin]] was the next heir to the throne before Adelbern was crowned and, as such, some of his supporters were not happy when a soldier was named instead. Some [[royalist]]s, including nobles and members of the court, became [[bandit]]s and took to the countryside.

Even though Ascalon is a beautiful place, it is riddled with threats from [[Skale]], [[Grawl]], bandits, and the invading Charr.

== Getting there ==
Newly created Prophecies characters start in this region; it is the ''only'' way to access this region.

== Towns and outposts ==
* [[Ascalon_City_(pre-Searing)|Ascalon City]]
* [[Ashford Abbey]]
* [[Foible's Fair]]
* [[Fort Ranik (pre-Searing)|Fort Ranik]]
* [[Piken Square (pre-Searing)|Piken Square]] (only in {{reforgedmode}})
* [[The Barradin Estate]]

== Missions ==
* [[Ascalon Academy]]

== Arenas ==
* [[Ascalon Academy (PvP battle)|Ascalon Academy]]

== Explorable areas ==
* [[Green Hills County]]
* [[Lakeside County]]
* [[Regent Valley (pre-Searing)|Regent Valley]]
* [[The Catacombs]]
* [[The Northlands]]
* [[Wizard's Folly]]

== Landmarks ==
{{landmark list|Ascalon (pre-Searing)}}

==Dungeon entrances==
*[[Forsaken Tunnels]] (The Northlands) (only in {{reforgedmode}})

== Soundtracks ==
* Guilds at War
* Autumn in Ascalon (plays during [[The Searing]] cinematic)
* ''[untitled]'' (in [[The Catacombs]])
* Ascension Song (only in [[The Catacombs]])
* Eye of the Storm
*Gwen's Theme

==Gallery==
===Screenshots===
<gallery perrow="6">
File:AscalonCity.jpg
File:Ascalon Academy2.jpg
File:Althea's Actors Stage.jpg
File:Green Hills caravan.jpg
File:Barradin's Estate.jpg
File:Ashford Village.jpg
File:Prophecies screenshot 061.jpg
File:The Catacombs 2.jpg
File:Catacombs.jpg
File:Stone elementals grotto.jpg
File:Prophecies screenshot 063.jpg
File:Ice cave.jpg
File:Wizard's Folly Tower.jpg
</gallery>

===Concept Art===
<gallery perrow="6">
File:"Ascalon" concept art 2.jpg
File:"Ascalon City" concept art.jpg
File:"Catacomb" concept art.jpg
File:"Eden Color" concept art.jpg
File:"Eden Gate" concept art.jpg
File:"Great Wall" concept art 2.jpg
File:"Great Wall" concept art 4.jpg
File:"Mausoleum" concept art.jpg
File:"Peasant Houses" concept art.jpg
File:"Wizard Tower" concept art.jpg
File:"Village" concept art 1.jpg|Early designs before settling on medieval Europe design.<ref>[[The Art of Guild Wars]]</ref>
File:"Bridge" concept art 4.jpg
</gallery>

== Notes ==
==== Chronology ====
* Pre-Searing Ascalon takes place two years before the rest of the ''Prophecies'' campaign and is the course of a single day. As a result, it exists outside the scope of the rest of the ''Guild Wars'' world:
** Once a character enters the [[Ascalon Academy (PvP battle)]] and the following [[Ascalon Academy]] mission, it leaves this region and ''cannot'' ever return.
*** Characters who never leave the area are called [[Permanent pre-Searing character]]s.
***Logging out during the countdown right before entering Ascalon Academy (PvP battle) will cancel the process, but once the loading screen has appeared, there is no possible return.
***One can only enter [[Ascalon Academy (PvP battle)]] once, there is no accessible and repeatable [[PvP]] arena in pre-Searing.
** Items cannot be transferred into pre-Searing Ascalon from any other part of the game; there is no access to the [[Xunlai]] [[Vault Box|storage]] and no [[guild hall]]. Items can still be exported from ''pre'' into ''post'' by any character leaving the region. Enterprising players create [[mule]] characters for this one purpose.

====Tutorial area====
* Pre-Searing Ascalon has always been meant as a tutorial area. In that regard:
** The [[List_of_Ascalon_(pre-Searing)_skills|skill pool]] is extremely reduced (13-17 skills). [[Skill tome]]s and Elite skill tomes are also not available. Though several NPCs can use them, [[elite skill]]s are not available to players.
*** Players who unlock [[Devona]] as a [[hero]] can equip her with any skills unlocked on their account, unless their character is upholding [[Melandru's Accord]]. Devona is also equipped with an elite skill, [[Earth Shaker]], by default.
** Characters cannot [[ascension|ascend]] in pre-Searing. It is also not possible to get the last 30 [[attribute point]]s there.
** Party size is limited to four players. There are no [[henchman|henchmen]] in any of the outposts.
*** Prior to the June 6, 2018 update, five quests required the assistance of another player, four of which take place in [[The Northlands]]. Now only [[Adventure with an Ally]] requires another player.
*** Prior to the December 18, 2025 update, party size was limited to two players.
*** Since the [[Feedback:Game updates/20260401|April 1, 2026]] update, pre-Searing characters in {{reforgedmode}} can unlock Devona as a hero.
*** Two [[summoning stone|summon items]] are available: the [[Ascalonian War Horn]] obtained rarely from [[Maz's Chest]], and the [[Igneous Summoning Stone]] available from the /bonus command to accounts with [[Guild Wars Eye of the North|Eye of the North]] unlocked.
*** The maximum number of allies is thirteen: four party members, four [[pet]]s (when all party members are primary or secondary Rangers), [[Bock (summon)|Bock]] and [[Vell (summon)|Vell]] summoned by an Ascalonian War Horn, and three quest allies (during [[A Bastion In the North]] only). [[Minion master]]s with 14 [[Death Magic]] can also have up to 9 [[minion]]s with them.
*** Up to three henchmen will join your party upon leaving the area via the [[Ascalon Academy]] mission if not enough human players are available to create a full party.
** There is no [[hard mode]] and no [[death penalty]]; however, you still gain a [[morale boost]] from killing bosses and from using [[consumables]] ([[Honeycombs]] most notably).
** The highest level of non-quest related foes is 10. If the character is above level 16, only four ways to earn [[experience]] still exist: [[List of Prophecies quests|quest rewards]], [[death leveling]], (since the [[Feedback:Game updates/20110303|March 3rd, 2011]] update) killing foes which spawn during the daily [[vanguard quest]]s, and (since the [[Feedback:Game updates/20260401|April 1st, 2026]] update) killing foes in the [[Forsaken Tunnels]] in {{reforgedmode}}.
*** Getting experience in pre is much slower than in post, but your character will earn the [[Defender of Ascalon]] title if they reach level 20 here.
** Some items are not available at [[merchant]]s and substitute, exclusive items can only be dropped from Charr [[boss]]es:
*** There are no [[Perfect Salvage Kit|perfect]], [[Superior Salvage Kit|superior]] or [[Expert Salvage Kit|expert]] salvage kits, but gold [[Charr Salvage Kit]]s with 5 uses can be dropped.
*** There's no [[bag]] nor [[Rune of Holding]], but green [[Charr Bag]]s with 10 slots can be dropped.
** Aside from [[Promotional weapon]]s and because of the low level of foes, no [[gold weapon]] is available and weapons that can be dropped or acquired as quest rewards are never [[perfect]]. [[Purple]] weapons, which only drop from enemies in the Northlands and the Forsaken Tunnels, provide the highest damage/armor/energy/damage bonus available in pre-Searing without {{reforgedmode}}, but are still below the maximum value that can be reached in post. 
*** [[Inscribable]] gold weapons from [[Maz's Chest]] in the [[Forsaken Tunnels]] have the same maximum damage/armor/energy values as weapons in post-Searing, and can have perfect modifiers and [[upgrade component]]s. These weapons can only be obtained in {{reforgedmode}}, or by trading with other players.
*** Some components, such as [[Vampiric]] or [[Of the (Profession)]], are found only with gold weapons and are therefore only available from Maz's Chest.
** Armor salvage items (which can be salvaged for [[rune]]s and [[insignia]]s) only drop from Charr in the Northlands and can only be salvaged for minor [[Rune]]s and most insignias. Major runes, superior runes, other [[uncommon]] runes, [[Bloodstained Insignia]], [[Lieutenant's Insignia]], [[Sentinel's Insignia]], and [[Stonefist Insignia]] are not available.
** There are [[statue]]s of the [[Gods of Tyria]] in this area, but kneeling before them will not summon [[avatar]]s.
*** You cannot obtain [[blessing]]s.
*** The statues are animated even when the world does not have [[favor of the gods]].
** [[Pet]] deaths do not cause temporary skill blackout or adrenaline loss for their owner.
** Enemies will not scatter automatically due to recurrent [[AoE]] damage from skills such as [[Fire Storm]] or [[Symbol of Wrath]].

====Miscellaneous====
* [[Feather]] is the only [[common crafting material]] that can't be obtained in pre-Searing.
** [[Skeleton]]s are the only foes that directly drop crafting materials here, namely [[Bone]] and [[Piles of Glittering Dust|Dust]]. Everything else comes from salvaging.
* It's possible to obtain certain rare crafting materials such as [[Bolt of Silk]] or [[Steel Ingot]] with the help of a [[Charr Salvage Kit]], although there's no actual use for them here. Some players do collect them however due to their rare nature.
* [[Black Dye]] (BD) is often used as a currency by players in pre-Searing especially for trades that exceed 100 platinum, much like how [[Glob of Ectoplasm]] is used in post-Searing.
* Many believe that [[dye]]s have a higher drop rate in pre-Searing, but most of the evidence is anecdotal and extensive research has never been conducted on this.
** It ''is'' possible that the drop rate is indeed higher in this area. Plausible explanations include the developers wanting to make dyes easier to obtain here since there's no [[dye trader]] for easy access, or they may have intended for new players to discover this side of the game early.
** It's also possible that this notion is entirely based on perception and party sizes. Since there are no henchmen in pre-Searing, most players are essentially solo farming wherever they go, leading to more personal loot than they would otherwise see with a full group in post-Searing. Players who aren't familiar with how the loot system works might have mistakenly attributed the difference to the zone, not the party size, thus giving birth to an urban legend of higher dye drop chances.
* [[Birthday Cupcake]] is the only source of movement speed boost here (not counting [[sugar rush]]).

==Trivia==
* Pre-Searing is called "[[Eden]]" internally, according to the Direct Song list of [https://wiki.guildwars.com/wiki/DirectSong/Tokens tokens] that specifies on which map a piece of music is attached to play. This was later reconfirmed by [[Colin Johanson]] in one of the ArenaNet's 2025 "Extra Life" charity streams, in which people could donate money and in return ask a question that the developers had to answer.
* Pre-Searing Ascalon was designed after post-Searing Ascalon during development, and each explorable area was designed around a certain profession.
** [[The Catacombs]] for [[Necromancer]]s.
** [[Regent Valley (pre-Searing)|Regent Valley]] for [[Ranger]]s.
** [[Wizard's Folly]] for [[Elementalist]]s.
** [[Green Hills County]] for [[Warrior]]s.
** [[Lakeside County]] for [[Mesmer]]s and for [[Monk]]s.
* Reaching the [[Northlands]] used to require the aid of another player. One member of the group would pull the lever above the gate, another would cross into the Northlands once the door was open. This gave birth to the [[Gate monkey]]s, players who'd sell gate opening services in exchange for gold. The [[Feedback:Game_updates/20180606|June 6, 2018]] update extended the duration during which the gate remains open, making it possible to enter the Northlands without help, rendering Gate monkeys obsolete.
* Warrior used to be the only core profession not represented amongst the Charr bosses in pre-Searing. This was later remedied with the introduction of [[Blazefiend Griefblade]] when Vanguard quests were added to the game.
** There ''was'' a Warrior boss however, the undead [[Skullreaver]].

==See also==
*[[Permanent pre-Searing character]]
*[[Guide to Ascalon (pre-Searing)]]
*[[List of armor collectors in Ascalon (pre-Searing)]]
*[[List of Ascalon (pre-Searing) skills]]
*[[List of Ascalon (pre-Searing) skill quest givers]]
*[[List of Prophecies quests#Ascalon (pre-Searing)|List of Ascalon (pre-Searing) quests]]
*[[List of general collectors in Ascalon (pre-Searing)]]
*[http://presearing.boards.net/ Pre-Searing community forum]

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