Okay, I was talking with a couple of friends last night—I don't know if they want to be named or not, I'm going to ask them—and they helped me fill in some gaps. One of them gave me the most pertinent piece of the puzzle thus far, if ArenaNet is doing this, it's relevant.

It's a matter of scale. That's the thought experiment we're going to be playing around with today is looking at similar experiences but on entirely different scales. Dragon scales. Sorry. So, I'm going to have some fun thinking about how Jormag is thinking right now

Let's just consider these assumptions as part of a thought exercise. I love thought exercises.

So, begin with considering how it would feel if you had wide-ranging empathy over a large area. How do you think it might feel to be able to know what that's like? To feel it all?

What if you could feel everything that everyone feels within a range? Including all of their pain, and all of their suffering? What would you do then if—without causing them any harm or any loss of self—you could dull or even mute this suffering in order to help them?

What if some of them were so riddled with pain and inner demons that they couldn't even function? What if with your support, love, and power things would be entirely different for them? What would you do in that situation? How obsessed would you be with helping them?

Now, what if you knew that certain paramilitary and military forces were coming to murder you? Would you just roll over and accept it? Would you give up in order to not harm them? Would you just let it happen and allow your life to be taken for no good reason?

What if you had helped some and you asked them what their opinion was, and they told you that they don't want to go back to how life was before your aid and loving support? What would you do then? How driven would you feel? Would you feel scared, if not for you then for them?

Now let's dial the scale way back to if it were just a handful of people. Macro scale down to micro scale. What if you saw an unmarked van pull up and try to steal away one of your friends? Would you step in to stop this bad experience from happening, one that would scar them?

Would you step in front of them to defend them? Would you bare your teeth and make a stand? If that was your perspective and they were about to hurt those you loved, would you do that? If not, what would you do?

Jormag isn't building an army to invade but rather to defend, so that they can have the chance to live. If they don't live then all of their children and those they support will be left with no one to help them. They'll be left alone and in the dark with their suffering.

Jormag is baring their fangs.

Hey, hey @TomAbernathy, how close am I? I really do try not to @ you too much but... this time it's important. This time I think I got it. You don't have to respond! You really don't. I just want you to see this. That's all.

*tailwags.* I think I got it.