Heartwarming / Guild Wars 2

Core Game

General

• In Lion's Arch, you can find a human girl and a Charr cub playing "The Charr and the Ghost", running around and having fun. After they finish playing, the Charr asks if the human ever wonders why their people used to fight. The human says she doesn't care, all that matters is that the Charr is her best friend. When you talk to her, the Charr says that she and the girl are going to join the Charr's Ash Legion, and once they become tribunes, they're going to make it possible for humans to join legions. A likely impossible goal, but it is damn heartwarming to see two young kids who not only don't care about the prejudice between their people, but actively want to undo it.
  Player: Times are changing.
  • That's not all - they're both playing as Charr, running away from imaginary ghosts.
  • May not be entirely impossible, given that we see Rytlock pass a Blood Legion pendant to Logan in the prequel novel and recognize the human as a brother (which for Charr, means a member of the warband rather than blood sibling) — another heartwarming moment, given how the two act throughout the book. The girl, at least, is almost a warband member and fahar sister. That the kids don't even consider that it might be a dangerous or risky thing, in a world where the two races were at war less than a decade ago, means a lot still.
  • In recent updates, we find that both girls were orphaned during Scarlet's attack on Lion's Arch. Luckily for the girls, an Asuran Order of Whispers agent, Brokka, and her new husband, Captain Tokk, decided to adopt them.
  Brokka: They may be at a cognitive disadvantage due to their race, but they'll still benefit from our love and support.
• In the same vein, if you're human and a Whispers agent, your character's friendship with Tybalt Leftpaw could be considered a Heartwarming Moment too, especially when you consider that humans and Charr in general have a hard time working together. Doubly so because it turns out that your human character showed more respect and loyalty to Tybalt than his original warband ever did.
• A Norn character will be recognized by some of the Hoelbrak NPCs as an old friend. One of them will trade (bad) human pickup lines they overheard, then admit the Moot is a lot quieter without the player around.
• Overheard in Metrica Province, a young female Asura progeny talking with her (often malfunctioning) golem.
  EAC 001: (BEEP) Love—letters—delivered—as—directed.
  Rubi: You did what? Those were not in the package!
  EAC 001: (BEEP) Message—reply—commencing.
  EAC 001: Rubi. Have—I—ever—told—you—that—I—find—you—to-be—irredeemably—nefarious—and—diabolical? Your—iniquitous—mind—is—a—beautiful—thing. We—must—collaborate—at—your—earliest—convenience.
  Rubi: How could you deliver the wrong...? Wait, he thinks my mind is a beautiful thing?
• In the basement of the Almuten Mansion in Gendarran Fields, you'll find the Asuran child of the owners, Miss Mipp, along with a Norn Lionguard named Tholaum watching over her. If you talk to the Norn, he'll complain to you that he would've left the mansion years ago if it weren't for their child; and if asking the Norn if the progeny has charmed him, he will admit that she did. And he's pretty protective of her, too.
  • And when she does get kidnapped, he goes to rescue her. On the way he'd say:
    Tholaun: When I left the homestead, seeking glory, protecting a child wasn't what I had in mind. That child, though, she grows on you.
  • And after saving her:
    Miss Mipp: Psst. Tholaun. Can I tell you a secret?
    Tholaun: You can tell me anything.
    Miss Mipp: I was really scared, Tholaun. I tried to be a brave norn, but those pirates were really mean!
    Tholaun: It's okay. You didn't cry. I'm proud of you.
    Miss Mipp: Can I cry now?
    Tholaun: If you insist.
• In Bloodtide Coast, there's a fairly well-hidden Quaggan cove called Breekeelee. At the entrance there's a guard that tells you that this is a Quaggan holy site, and they keep their most precious treasures within. If you enter, you find that it's a nursery.
• In Metrica Province, there's a well-hidden cave across the lake opposite of the Funhouse with five signs that normally belong to the Inquest, all of them warning the player and demanding they turn back immediately. If you press on, inside the cave is a lone Asura named Snrif surrounded by half a dozen bunnies. Talking with her, she'll tell you she stole the Inquest warning signs and claim that she's performing dangerous experiments on the bunnies, and that it's dangerous for you to be around. If you press her and refuse to leave, she tell you she just wants to sit with her bunniesImean do her experiments in peace. When you point out her little slip, she admits that she just likes bunnies and comes to the cave to feed and take care of them, but doesn't want anyone to know because she gets weird stares. You can respond by saying there's nothing wrong with it, or be a jerk and call her a sissy for it.
• During the annual Halloween event, there's several children trick-or-treating in Lion's Arch. One of them comments:
  I think sylvari should get goodies, too, since they don't get to be kids.

Personal Story

• Zojja's hero worship of Snaff gets a little creepy at times, but compared to how snarky and disrespectful she was when he was alive, the establishment of the Snaff Prize is still very touching.
• During the story mode in Arah, Logan volunteers to stay behind to release the airship, getting everyone up in the air and effectively leaving him to certain death at the hands of the Risen below. Rytlock has this to say:
  Rytlock: If you get yourself killed, I'll hound you into the Mists!
  • And when everyone finds out that Logan made it out alive, Rytlock seemed the happiest among all of them.
• Charr players can choose to have Dinky be the only other surviving member of their warband; other members are clever, powerful, sneaky... Dinky is just Dumb Muscle, heavily implied to have some form of mental disability, and is just smart enough to know it. When the player character goes to choose one of the three orders, Dinky is practically in tears at the thought of you leaving him behind; you've always been there looking after him since they were cubs - Dinky was the runt - and doing all the thinking for him. The player character tells him You Are Better Than You Think You Are before departing... and when you encounter him later on, you were right. He's made Legionnaire, and kept the rank!
• In the Order of Whispers storyline, Tybalt gives Demmi Beetlestone one of his Charr rifles to defend herself with, even though it's nearly as big as she is. After he dies at Claw Island, whenever she pops up later in the game as a member of the Order, it's her default weapon. The gift really meant a lot to her.
• The Story modes for Citadel of Flame and Crucible of Eternity. Throughout the former, Logan and Rytlock start out with Teeth-Clenched Teamwork, but gradually get less vehement with each other. By the end, they finally agree to start patching things up. In the latter, they're shown to be much more friendly and eager to work together. It culminates at the end when they try to encourage Zojja to rejoin Destiny's Edge.
  Logan: Zojja, we all miss your mentor, but I think it's time to let things heal. Come back to the group.
  Zojja: Come back? You mean work with Eir Stegalkin? Never. I can't forgive her.
  Rytlock: I forgave Logan.
• In the Charr story, if you selected the Honorless Gladium as your sire, you meet your sire's Norn friend, who immediately recognizes you as his friend's cub. Since the character is customizable, but the sire's appearance is constant, it's very unlikely that your character bears a lot of resemblance to their sire...which means that he described you so well and talks about you enough for his friend to know exactly what you look and/or act like. Vallus Smokemane must be really proud of his cub!
• Completing your personal story gets you a rousing hero's welcome at Fort Trinity. Everyone is absolutely ecstatic for their victory over Zhaitan. Everywhere you go, people of all races salute and cheer for you, and those who aren't are busy simply celebrating with their friends and comrades. The bonds between Destiny's Edge have been reforged and they're already gearing up to take down the next Elder Dragon. And after the final cutscene plays, you get to listen to "Fear Not This Night"!

Living World Season 1 & 2

• During the Escape From Lion's Arch event, players poured into the city on an hourly cycle to join in quests all over the map that involved aiding and evacuating survivors of Scarlet's attack, and keeping control of rallying positions within the city. No quest saw more regular participation than the one where a handful of Lionguard need help leading a group of children to safety. Every Aetherblade Pirate that so much as showed its face anywhere nearby would get hit from twenty directions by the absolute mob of players providing escort.
• Once your character has played through all of Season 1 (either the original or the revived version), if your character visits the Pale Tree you can talk to her about Scarlet Briar's death. The exact dialogue will depend on whether you're playing a sylvari or another race, but either way the Tree will reassure you.
  "You will not hear blame in the rustling of my leaves. You have done Ceara a great service. She was losing the fight to save her own mind. You set her free. Go in peace." ^note From the sylvari dialogue.
  "I am in your debt, as is Ceara. If she had lived, her pain would have grown even more unbearable." ^note From the non-sylvari dialogue.
• During the Living Story Season 2, Taimi the Asura has a moment where she takes her newly created calibration device - which she is very proud of - and tries to run with it away from Councillor Phlunt, who wants to take control of it for the Synergetic college of Rata Sum until Taimi is of age. She is ambushed by the Inquest on her escape, and her golem is disabled, leaving her helpless and terrified: a tone you never hear her express genuinely till now. The Player, Braham and Phlunt's party go after her and manage to protect her from the Inquest. The Heartwarming Moment is seeing that Braham doesn't once chide Taimi for acting so recklessly, instead being gentle and caring as he tries to calm her down as she is sobbing in terror then decides to stay with her till she is ready to go.

Heart of Thorns Expansion

Heart of Thorns

• During one of the last missions, you come across Zojja and Logan trapped in Mordremoth's life pods, sapping their life away to fuel its army. Once Zojja is freed her first action on seeing you is to ask where Taimi is, as neither she nor Scruffy are with you, and she doesn't stop until assured that Taimi is ok.
• Early in Heart of Thorns, a Sylvari commander can keep another Sylvari from falling under Mordremoth's control and becoming Mordrem.
  Mordremoth...you can hear its voice, too, but you...resist. So does Canach...and so do I. Thank you, Commander.
• If you're playing through Heart of Thorns as a Sylvari commander, Canach has some unique dialogue with you. Some of it is flirty, but a lot of it involves him opening up to the Commander in ways he doesn't do if the Commander is a different race. After everything that sad cactus has gone through, seeing him finally start to make friends with someone is nice.
  • Another sweet thing about this is the fact that near the end of the battle, the Sylvari Commander starts to refer to Canach (and Trahearne as well) as 'brother', cementing that they truly became very close due to the Mordremoth incident.
• Caithe / Canach helping the Sylvari Commander break free from under Mordremoth's control is as heart warming as it gets. They both believed that the Commander was stronger than the influence, but when Mordremoth proves too powerful for them, they lead the player and manages to help them break free from it's control. Canach wishes to repay the Sylvari Commander for the trust and compassion they had in him while Caithe wants to help the player, regardless if they had lost trust in her.

Living World Season 3

• One bright spot in the chaos of Living Story Season 3: Garm survived the Pact Fleet's destruction! Rox brings him home to Stonewright's Steading to recover during Eir's memorial, something everyone acknowledges as the best possible farewell present.
• Aurene's relationship with the Commander is terribly sweet. The Commander, who had been carrying Aurene with them since she was just an egg, acts just like Aurene's parent, not just because Aurene chose them as her champion. After Aurene hatches, the Commander prioritizes Aurene and is highly protective of her. Though Aurene is still just a child, she absolutely adores the Commander and has an incredibly strong bond with them. This is best seen in the Living World Season 3 mission, Precocious Aurene, where the Commander can be seen bonding with Aurene in various little events set up by the Exalted and teaching her important lessons about life. The Commander can even craft a special doll which they can give Aurene, and it looks just like her! The Commander can be seen very pleased, undoubtedly proud, in their Story Journal, claiming that Glint would have been just as proud. Additionally, the Commander can also get little souvenirs for Aurene from all over Tyria and using the Exalted Stone, can visit her anytime they want to to gift said souvenirs, which Aurene keeps on bright pedestals in her 'room' (the Egg Chamber). They can even take the time out of their busy schedule of saving the world to play a quiet game of catch with Aurene.
  • It's even more heartwarming if the Commander happens to be a Charr, who are known not to be too playful, even to their own cubs. However, they dote on Aurene just as much as any race would, even the gruff strong-willed male charr. Their bond together is just as strong.
  • It's a bit of a Tear Jerker, but the Sylvari Commander never got a chance to experience a childhood or the process of growing up, since Sylvari as a race are all Born as an Adult, yet, here they are playing with Aurene. Childhood probably doesn't mean much to them, but they are making sure Aurene has one and play with her just as hard.
• In the Bitterfrost Frontier, near the The Bitter Cold Mastery Insight, the player can find three frozen figures at one side of the alcove. It turns out to be a family of snow leopards frozen in ice, a mother and her two cubs. You have the option to try rescue them using Kodan's Flame. You manage to save one of the snow leopard cubs...but when you attempt to save the mother and the other cub, they die as soon as you free them. All that's left of that family is the surviving baby snow leopard, who continues to chase you around the alcove and freeze if you leave it alone for too long. Although this is terribly heartbreaking, it turns out, the Commander adopted the snow leopard cub and took them back to their home instance, bringing a bittersweet end to the tragedy of the snow leopard family. It's even more heartwarming, every time you enter the instance, the snow leopard cub will come to greet you before running around and playing around the home instance with the other cats you fed.
• The February 22, 2017 Balance Patch included a nice current event. It involves a send-off to Trahearne who died at the end of Heart of Thorns storyline. Not only do you get to repair Caladbolg and be blessed as its new wielder as a way to finish off that plot thread, you get to talk to Trahearne, closing up his fate in a more heartwarming way as he talks to the Commander one last time. Many people consider this current event a really well done one.
• During "The Head of the Snake", Queen Jennah specifically asks for you to visit her in her throne room. If you're playing a Sylvari Commander, this is only a year since Mordremoth possessed many of your fellow Sylvari. After all the grief a Sylvari Commander took during Heart of Thorns, it's good to see that you're being trusted again.
  Logan Thackeray: A year ago, nobody would have let a sylvari set foot in the queen's throne room. I'm glad things have changed.
  • A human or charr Commander also gets a minor heartwarming moment in this scene. For a human, Logan indulges in a bit of nostalgia over the first time you were invited to the throne room. For a charr, Logan comments "It never fails to strike me as strange to see a charr invited to the throne room. I'm glad it's you, though."
• While the scene is mostly a Tear Jerker, the implication that Tybalt's spirit really did come to escort Demmi to the Mists is incredibly sweet.

Path of Fire Expansion

Path of Fire

• Aurene's devotion and connection to the Commander is really shown in Path of fire. She immediately sensed that they were in danger and traveled all the way from Auric Basin (which was on the other side of the whole map by the way) to try save them. That's some level of dedication and heartwarming to see that she cares so much for her champion and substitute parent. Unfortunately, despite all her attempts to fight Balthazar, she was still captured and watched her champion get slain.

Living World Season 4

• Aurene's dedication to the Commander continues into A Bug In The System. Almost as soon as the Inquest golems attack the commander and the Olmakhan charr, Aurene arrives immediately to assist them without even the slightest encouragement from the commander. Her growth and greater power did not at all diminish her bond with the player character.
• After saving Taimi from being asphyxiated by Scruffy, the optional dialogue at the end of the instance has the option of giving back her ribbon in a genuinely sweet and adorable little exchange.
• After spending most of the episode being worried about them, not only is Taimi ecstatic to see Blish and Gorrik well and alive, but she isn't even unhappy at Blish being a golem, instead being in awe over his golem body and calling it "Beautiful". Especially sweet when you consider that she was upset about them joining Inquest at the beginning of the episode.
• Roughly 90% of the Sun's Refuge achievements in Jahai are sweetness and light, and a very nice respite from all the misery the Commander's been put through. From building a library for the children and playing hide-and-seek with them to helping the grieving to feeding and comforting a lost and lonely fox, the Commander gets to just be nice for awhile and be rewarded by seeing the Refuge grow and thrive.
• Braham finally apologizing to the Commander. For the longest time, Braham has held it against the Commander for their argument that happened in Living World Season 3. He blamed the Commander for the people lost against Modremoth and even cruelly told them that his mother, Eir, would have not wanted them to join Destiny's Edge. Since then, their relationship had teetered on a fragile thread, threatening to break in a gust of wind. However, after meeting his mother again as an apparition, Braham finally realized his mistake and his horrible treatment of the Commander. He then takes them aside, apologizing for being a brat and for their having to put up with him. The Commander forgives Braham, excusing his behavior due to his grief, but Braham insists that the was in the wrong, then calls the Commander and the rest of Dragon's Watch his new family. It's great to see Braham and the Commander reconcile after so long.
  • Braham even offers words of comfort for the Commander after Blish's death, knowing that they probably blamed themselves for it, not to mention the the guilt for surviving.
    Braham: Hey... I know you're beating yourself up about Blish. But he gave his life to save the world. We should all be so lucky. It's like that thing the Olmakhan say: his memory is a star to guide us.
  • Later, at the beginning of "War Eternal", while everyone is gathered to mourn Aurene, and lamenting their failure to stop Kralkatorrik, Braham says it's okay, because the Commander will figure something out, as they always do. While they can only sadly tell him that no, this time it's truly over, it's still touching to see him put his faith in them again.
• In the Darkest Hour, when Aurene is dead and the end of the world is imminent, the Commander tells everyone present that they should be with the ones they love in what time remains. Braham, Taimi, and Rytlock respond that they are.
• Aurene finds it in her heart to feel compassion for Kralkatorrik, and grants his desperate wish to be put down.
• The Ascension Plane is a mix of the Tarir Egg Chamber and Glint's Lair, the two places where you spent the most time with Aurene.
• In Dragonfall, Glint sends an army of spirits from the Mists to assist the Commander in the final battle against Kralkatorrik. One of these spirits is Gwen Thackery, Logan's ancestor and a legendary hero of the old Human/Charr wars. Those who played the original Guild Wars will know that Gwen lost everything to the Charr during her life, so naturally she's fairly frosty towards Rytlock, and the feeling is very mutual since Gwen's exploits against the Charr have made her a bogeyman to them. However, Logan doesn't hesitate to defend Rytlock, proudly declaring that he is like a brother to him.
  • In an ambient dialogue, Gwen will admit that, for as much as they bickered with each other, she did ultimately come to consider Pyre Fierceshot a friend.

The Icebrood Saga

Prologue: Bound By Blood

• Braham gets completely smashed during the festivities in Grothmar, and calls the Commander several times over the course of the event. He ends one of these drunken calls by telling them that they're his best friend, which is very sweet after how rough their relationship was in Season 3.

Episode 2: Shadow in the Ice

• During a showdown between Bangar and the Commander, with Commander trying to get Bangar to step down and stop him from claiming he had killed Drakkar, the Commander is fatally wounded with a bow and arrow by Bangar. As they are losing consciousness from their grievous wounds the last thing they see is Braham evoking a new power of Wolf to retaliate and protect his friend from Bangar, who was ready to fire a finishing blow.
  • It's awesome and heartwarming to see how close Braham and the Commander had gotten. Their relationship had been so rocky during Living World Season 3. Now, seeing his dear friend perishing was the push he needed to unlock true strength to protect others.
• It's great to see Aurene again, as a Prismaratic Elder Dragon no less. She even happily remarks that Braham has hair again.
  • In a similar twist of events, Aurene appeared to try save the Commander again, but this time she succeeds. Last time, the Commander was held at the mercy of Balthazar and Aurene had attempted to come to the Commander's rescue but had ended up getting captured by him and failing to save her champion. This time however... Aurene manages to guide the Commander's friends and is able to bring them back from the brink of death. She even does her best to quell the Commander's dream so they would have a peaceful sleep and recovery.
  • During the Commander's recovery, Aurene spent the whole time watching fondly over her champion, in the same retrospect that the Commander had watched over her as an egg and child so long ago. Aurene has definitely grown.
  • She may be a full grown force of renewal and protection, but Aurene still does the little foot taps she made as a baby when she's happy to see you.

Episode Four: Jormag Rising

• During the storming of the Frost Citadel, players smash and blow up the chambers converting charr to Frost Legion. After the primary chamber explodes, Ember Doomforge, who is General Soulkeeper's granddaughter and understandably bitter about her being murdered for the sake of all this, mutters a quiet "That was for you, Almorra."

End of Dragons

General

• The first Elder Dragon, Soo-Won, is revered by Canthans for turning back the flood of Kaineng. She is also very kind to Aurene, and seems to look forward to teaching her the secrets of Dragon Magic.

Prologue

• Aurene is so happy to see you, and is very excited to share her visions - or, in this case, her lack thereof. She has no idea what's coming next in her life, but she's eager to find out, and wants you to be there for it.
• The Commander has well and truly put the events of Heart of Thorns behind them:
  Caithe: You came.
  Commander: You asked.
  Caithe: I like that you trusted me.
  Commander: Why wouldn't I?
• With Caithe having been so distant to the members of Dragon's Watch throughout the rest of the Living Story, it's adorable to hear her teasing Gorrik about Ankka like a gossiping auntie.

Act 1

• When Aurene is hiding out in Seitung, the Commander cheers her up by catching her some fish. Aurene points out she's no longer a hatchling, and the Commander insists that they will always bring her fish to cheer her up, no matter how old and powerful she gets.
  • Can double as funny when, instead of fish, you catch something like a peg leg — and Aurene happily eats it anyway.
• The Fisherman is Innocently Insensitive to a commander of any other race, but to a human? He asks if you brought any Carrot cake - because he himself is of Krytan descent and the recipe that he likes died with his father. But with the borders opening, the Commander mentions that they can probably get some now.
  • Once you reopen Arborstone, you can hear a random conversation between two merchants. One of them has started importing carrot cake — "Some fisherman in Shing Jea's nuts for the stuff...". So yes, the fisherman finally got to eat his father's favorite Krytan food again!
• When Mai Trin has trouble tuning out Scarlet after the fight in her hideout, the Commander finds her a blindfold to help her focus. They have no reason to trust her, but still don't want to see her in unnecessary pain.

Act 2

• When you visit Mai Trin's apartment, there are several cats running around, all named after high-ranking Aetherblades. Of particular note is Horrik, a huge orange cat with a grumpy face and a mustache that his namesake would be proud of.
• The Commander's conversation with Soo-Won in the reactor. Ever since they learned that killing Elder Dragons was upsetting the balance of Tyria's magic, they've grown more and more distressed with each one they've had to put down. Soo-Won gently reassures them, saying that they did what they had to do, and ultimately bears no grudge against them.

Act 3

• Jory and Gorrik's relationship evolution is super cute. By the time you fight Ankka, she's practically adopted him as a little brother, and even calls him a good sleuthing partner.
• In a mixed Heartwarming/Tearjerker, the very gentle way the Commander handles Gorrik's mixed feelings about Ankka's death, letting him know that it's okay to be conflicted over such a heavy situation.

Act 4

• After the Commander busts through Joon's security system, it's Taimi who talks her down - she knows what it's like to be simultaneously brushed aside and kept under immense pressure.

Act 5

• Completing the map meta of Dragon's End leads to very sweet conversations between Aurene and an exhausted-and-barely-hanging-on Soo Won. The latter's descriptions of the other Elder Dragons when they were still just her children are surprisingly adorable, especially the fact that Primordus was a mama's boy who didn't want to be apart from her.

Epilogue

• A small detail, but Ivan is shown looking after Mai Trin's cats.
• Marjory and Kasmeer invite all of Dragon's Watch back to the Dead End Bar a few weeks after everything blows over in Cantha. The whole thing is very sweet.
  • You have the option of bringing them some flowers to spice up the bar a little.
  • The Commander mentions that they've arrived a bit late not because of a crisis, but because they feel like they didn't have to hurry, which they say is a nice feeling.
  • You have the option of catching up with the rest of the guild as they arrive. Braham is bouncing back from his ordeal as the Champion of Primordus, Rox has found a love interest back in the Olmakhan village, Gorrik's excited to start detective work... even Canach shows up, despite not technically being part of the guild, and admits after some brief teasing that he really does like everyone in Dragon's Watch.
  • At last, Kasmeer and Marjory announce that they're getting married. The whole room cheers, with Rytlock teasing them for taking so long to get around to it.
• Post-story, there's an achievement quest that involves meeting Marjory in different areas of Cantha while she reconnects with the history of her mother's family. It ends in a scene of Marjory and her sisters putting Belinda's soul to rest in a little shrine overlooking the Jade Sea. She finally has peace.
• All of the achievement quests where you help historians and surviving members of destroyed families dig up records and artifacts thought lost to the Ministry of Purity's purges have a tinge of bittersweetness to them.
• Snargle Goldclaw, of all people, gets a sidequest in Arborstone that results in him breaking away from an exploitative publisher, rekindling his creativity, and forming a genuine friendship with his old assistant after a little character growth.
• After Arborstone is fully opened, it's possible to find some very old friends hanging out there, including one most players definitely didn't expect: Benn Tenstrikes (now Longshot), who'd been MIA since the fleet went down in Maguuma all the way back at the beginning of Heart of Thorns. Despite nearly getting killed and getting captured by an enemy hylek tribe, he's doing well for himself.

What Lies Beneath

• Despite being plain exhausted and incredibly depressed, the Commander can choose to journey all the way back to their home city and purchase a gift for Rama. He is incredibly touched by this gesture, especially since the party turned out to be a bust.
• Although the Commander is suffering an intense form of PTSD from the events of the entire Guild Wars 2 story, courtesy of demon-caused hallucinations, a special shoutout goes to Gorrik, who is seen paying close attention to the Commander's wellbeing. He notices how exhausted they are and is the only one who actually asks them about what's happening. Gorrik also the first one to realize what was happening to the Commander during the battle against the Oni, and although he's forced to as the Commander to help their other allies, the first thing he does is promise them that they'll talk about what's bothering them. And he does.
  • During the map's meta, Rama and Yao are seen arguing with each other, possibly a side effect of the haze, but it's Gorrik the one who steps in and scolds them both, reminding them that they are on the same team and are friends. As cheesy as the Friendship Detective Agency really is, it really suits Gorrik as a person quite well.
• If you read the story journal, it's revealed that the Commander took a nap from Kaening to Gyala Delve on the subway. But at the beginning of the instance, both Gorrik and Rama are already way ahead of the Commander and had already found some clues, who is starts at the station. It's implied that the two had let the Commander sleep in more while they investigated first.
• None of the Commander's companions blame them for the intense mental breakdown they had when going to investigate the source of all the haze. Instead, they all all extremely concerned about what was going on with them and understand that what the Commander was experiencing is stemming from extremely traumatic memories and all voice their support. Gorrik is also extremely apologetic about having to use the Commander as bait to draw out the demon.
  • The Commander can attempt to apologize for what happened, but all three allies tell them that it's not their fault and even start sympathizing with them about the people they've lost.
  • This continues in Chapter 17. Gorrik, Taimi, and Yao are arguably the three biggest fans of the Commander's heroic image out of all their allies, but once they've seen how haunted the Commander is under all their epic feats, they don't admire them any less, and they're incredibly gentle about talking the Commander through the painful memories required to lure out the demon.
• The bridging sequence between Chapter 16 (What Lies Beneath) and Chapter 17 is a series of research notes, created by Gorrik as he investigates the haze. While trying to chase some kappa out of his lab, Gorrik is accidentally exposed to the haze and suffers his own hallucinations. Rama, Yao, and Taimi all come to his aid, supporting him as he works through the experience. Rama and Yao also team up with some more practical assistance, installing kappa-repellent gear around the lab while Gorrik is off talking with Taimi.

Secrets of the Obscure

• It's been years since the Commander and Zojja have even seen each other and they've both been through so much and changed so much in that time. And yet when Zojja loses Mabon, the Commander is instantly supportive of their old friend in her grief. There's even a story achievement just for sitting quietly beside her while she mourns.
  • Early in the SotO story, Zojja admitted she had deliberately avoided all her old friends after she left Rata Sum. At the end of the final story chapter, she asks to borrow the Commander's communicator ... and calls Taimi. We don't get to hear much of their conversation, but it's clear the two had a good reunion even if it wasn't in person.
  • Post-story, there's a collection achievement for the Commander to find and return pages of a journal Mabon had given Zojja to help her get her mind back together after she'd left Rata Sum. In the entries where she was observing the Elona fractal, she expresses her belief that the Commander is the "good" kind of stubborn and that Tyria would be worse off without them... and wishes her friend was there with her.
• In general, the relationship Mabon had with not only all of the other Wizards and members of the Astral Ward, but the outside world as well. Unlike most of his fellows (both Wizard and Mursaat) and much more like Glint and Aurene, he frequently made trips from Amnytas to Tyria to experience new things and make friends among mortals to remind himself why the world was worth protecting. It's because of this that he was able to meet Zojja.
  • Special note goes to Mabon's account of visiting his Sylvari friends (at the market they named after him no less).
  • Post-story, there is an achievement for learning more about Mabon from some of the Astral Ward members he recruited. Everyone misses him so much.
  • When exploring the Southern Wizard's Tower during the "Tower of Secrets" quest, you can find Zojja's room in the tower. In it is Zojja's loyal golem Mr. Sparkles and a letter from Mabon saying he went to Maguuma to retrieve it for her, so she wouldn't have to, since the place still brings back bad memories.
• Along with the two instances mentioned above, the post-story achievements in general have many opportunities for this. The collections for Dagda and Isgarren in particular cause them to warm up to the Commander considerably, as they recognize the Commander didn't have to go out of their way to bring these mementos back to them and really is a kinder person than they initially believed.
• In the Nayos chapters, the rescue events usually result in this. For success in saving smaller, weaker Kryptis from starving, being sacrificed to Eparch, or being slaughtered by Eparch's loyalists, the Commander is showered in affection and praise by beings that had previously lost all hope.