Castaway Westergard

Castaway Westergard

Race

Norn

Level

80

Location

Pilgrim's Rest
(Eternity's Garden)

Organization

Hullgardeners

“

Westergard threaten to throw you back into the bay? (laughs) Yeah, she does that. And she means it. We all do.

— Mayor Osborne in Solid Ground

Castaway Westergard is a norn Hullgardener. She is a no-nonsense woman who is protective of her fellow castaways and is suspicious of newcomers. She does not hold the Inquest or the Freebooters in high regard.

Biography

Early years

While being stranded on Castora, Westergard made herself useful and became one of Mayor Osborne's most trusted allies among the Hullgardeners. Using her norn strength and her no-nonsense attitude, she had the grit to protect her fellow castaways from trouble coming from within and without their community while dealing with the ever-increasing threat posed by Captain Jessica Hammerhart's Freebooters. She found an old Orrian journal at some point, speculating with Captain Bidelia about how it had ended up on Castora. Westergard came to believe that the journal might have been written by Orrian castaways from long ago rather than washing up on shore from the effects of the Rising of Orr a century prior, which made her speculate how many groups of castaways had actually existed on Castora before the Hullgardeners. Westergard's finding also sparked an interest among Hullgardeners to begin documenting their history for future generations.

Visions of Eternity

Act 1

Hullgardeners witnessed two groups of newcomers arriving on Castoran shores in 1338 AE. The first of these were the Inquest led by Director Vloxx whose fleet had suffered major damage upon reaching Shipwreck Strand. Vloxx tried to charm both the Freebooters and Hullgardeners to work as his muscle by offering them with some of the Inquest technology in exchange for services although Mayor Osborne refused an outright alliance out of suspicion of the newcomers' motives. The Hullgardeners would later learn that the Inquest had not only augmented local wildlife with cybernetic parts and turned the creatures more ferocious but had also provided similar technology to the Freebooters who were now using the same technology to harass the Hullgardeners.

The second group of newcomers arrived two weeks after the Inquest, having also suffered damage to their vessels on the way to Castora. After the Inquest had upset the balance of power between local factions and had disturbed natural harmony in the region, Westergard approached this latest group with suspicion, preparing to deal with them accordingly if they turned out to be yet another threat to her community. She overheard Sayida the Sly, who had led the group to Castora, talk to someone identified as the Commander, and initially thought that this Commander was the actual leader of these castaways, so she introduced herself to the Commander. Upon realizing that Westergard did not know who the Commander was, Sayida inquired how long the norn had been stranded on Castora, but Westergard deigned not to answer while voicing out her frustrations that the Inquest's weapons were being used by their enemies. Sayida continued attempting to sweet-talk Westergard and pry her for information, but the norn did not fall for the captain's words. She insisted that only the Commander would be initially allowed to visit Hullgarden and speak with Mayor Osborne so the Hullgardeners would figure out if the newcomers could be trusted or should be shoved back into the bay.

As days passed, Westergard and other Hullgardeners noticed how the Commander, Sayida and their allies were trustworthy enough as they fought against local threats while helping the castaway community with everyday chores. When Jessica Hammerhart and her brother, First Mate Jimmy Hammerhart, began causing ruckus with the devices which they had bought from the Inquest, Sayida gave Westergard a communicator and insisted that the norn woman should reach out to the Commander and ask for their help against the emboldened Freebooters. Although Westergard's plea for help was forced at best, she was nevertheless surprised when she learned that the Commander and other adventurers had successfully defeated the Hammerhart twins and thus diminished the Freebooters' grip over the region.

Locations

Castora

• Eternity's Garden (as Westergard)
  • Artificer's Islet (only during related events)
  • Pilgrim's Rest
  • Temple of the Blessed Mantle (only during related events)

Story involvement

Visions of Eternity story

• Act 1
  • Solid Ground
• The Only Way
  • So It Is Written (as Westergard)

Event involvement

Shipwreck Strand

[Group Event] Hammerhart Rumble! (80) (voice only)

Eternity's Garden

[Group Event] Capture and hold the western chamber (80) part of Shackles of the Ancients meta event

Dialogue

At Pilgrim's Rest

'Ey, it's you! Thought I'd offer my services on your little expedition. Ol' Osbourne needs to head back to the village, but I'd like to see these Inquest dealt with. Haven't been this far inland before, either.

Happy you're here, Westergard. We could use all the fighting force we can get.

Related achievements

• Shipwreck Strand: Tropical Tomes — Read all of the Hullgardener and freebooter documents scattered throughout Shipwreck Strand. (1)
• The Only Way: The Storm Ahead — Check in with all of your allies after the curse-breaking ritual. (1)

Trivia

• Castaway Westergard is voiced by Sharon Muthu.
• Westergard is an anglicized version of the Danish and Dutch Westergaard and Swedish Westergård. 'Wester' means 'west,' 'gaard' means 'garden, yard,' and 'gård' means 'farm, yard' in English.
• She narrates the Guild Wars 2: Visions of Eternity launch trailer.

See also

• Westergard's Journal