Kahedins

Kahedins

Race

Sylvari

Locations

• Dreamer's Terrace
  (The Grove)
  
• Unending Nightmares
  (The Tower of Nightmares)

Organization

Durmand Priory

“

I awakened as the sun first set on our race. I am a scholar and an architect, and I shaped the Grove in the shadow of the Pale Tree.

— Kahedins

Kahedins is a firstborn sylvari, and the Cycle of Dusk's Luminary. It is his task to help newly awakened sylvari understand what they have seen within the Dream of Dreams, and his kind soul and gentle words have often been a balm to troubled sylvari. Kahedins is a shaper, and since his awakening, he has worked in shaping the entire Grove to make it habitable, as well as created the various mortar and trap seeds that are used by Wardens to defend the Grove from the Risen and other threats. Lately, he has been studying the written languages of Tyria and determining whether the sylvari should create a writing system of their own.

Biography

Early years

Kahedins awakened as one of the sylvari firstborn in the Grove some time around 1302 AE, belonging to the Cycle of Dusk. These firstborn knew comparatively little of the world, having experienced only the Pale Tree's memories of the human Ronan, the centaur Ventari, and those who had visited during the tree's first years. The Pale Tree taught the firstborn of the tablet that Ventari had left behind, carved with lessons of his wisdom. However, Trahearne, the first of the firstborn, was initially the only one to directly communicate with the Pale Tree. Born as mature individuals, not children, due to the influence of the Dream of Dreams which had also given them their names, the sylvari were curious, inquisitive, and eager to explore. While some firstborn such as Caithe and Faolain roamed far from the tree, others stayed close, exploring briefly and spending their time in study and learning.

In 1304 AE, Kahedins was among the firstborn who witnessed the awakening of Cadeyrn, the first of the new sylvari generation who would be known as the secondborn. Around this time the sylvari experienced two sorrowful events: the firstborn Riannoc had been the first sylvari to die in his Wyld Hunt quest to hunt the lich Mazdak the Accursed while his sword Caladbolg had been lost, his death resonating across the Dream of Dreams to make the sylvari aware of their mortality. The firstborn Malomedies had been captured and experimented on by the asura during the sylvari's first encounter with them before the asura had realized that Malomedies was not a mobile plant but an aware being and returned him scarred in body and mind. Kahedins soothed their injured brother, placing a damp compress to his forehead in the hope that he would find rest, while informing the other firstborn that Malomedies would live.

Still hurt by Riannoc's loss and angered about Malomedies's streatment, Cadeyrn argued in favor of declaring war on the asura to avenge the injured firstborn. Aife, meanwhile, used logic to reason with her siblings and pointed out that the asura had realized their error and wanted peace. Kahedins reminded Cadeyrn that taking revenge was against the tenets of Ventari's tablet and that the secondborn should meditate on the words on the tablet and consider their meaning. After consulting with the Pale Tree, Trahearne reluctantly decided that the sylvari would make peace with the asura as they needed every ally they could find to fight the Elder Dragons.

A few months after the awakening of Cadeyrn and the first batch of secondborn, more secondborn began awakening in the Grove. Kahedins expressed a desire to help each of the new sprouts interpret their Dreams; however, he admitted that the task was becoming difficult with so many awakening, and speculated that some might go astray and misinterpret their Wyld Hunts. The available firstborn convened to discuss what to do with this growing number of sylvari among them. Firstborn Wynne argued in favor of calling the saplings as newly awakened rather than the hierarchical secondborn, and that they could benefit from the older sylvari's knowledge of Ventari's tenets. Before the talks could continue, scouts arrived to report that the asura had captured more secondborn sylvari despite how they had handled Malomedies's return earlier. Trahearne asked Caithe and Faolain to scout ahead and track down the kidnappers since the pair had had the most experience traversing the wild at that point. The rest of the firstborn would eventually learn that the pair had successfully liberated most of the captured secondborn. Some time after the kidnapping incident, the firstborn received less pleasant news: Wynne and a group of centaurs in the Silverwastes had died due to the actions of Faolain, Cadeyrn, and their companions, and Faolain had left the Grove permanently to join Cadeyrn's recently founded Nightmare Court whose members began terrorizing the other sylvari.

Four firstborn ultimately took up the duty of guarding the Pale Tree and keeping her company: Aife, Kahedins, Malomedies, and Niamh. Kahedins had a kind soul, and his gentle words often became a balm to troubled sylvari. He initially focused on the task to help newly awakened sylvari understand what they had seen within the Dream of Dreams but eventually began studying the written languages of Tyria and determining whether the sylvari should create a writing system of their own. He eventually settled into the Grove in the House of Kahedins, becoming the Luminary of sylvari who awakened to the Cycle of Dusk and offering these philosophical and riddle-solving Dusk blooms his counsel. Kahedins also joined the Durmand Priory at some point despite his duties at home. Garrett was banished from the Grove for ten years after he had been caught stealing from Kahedins.

Personal story

After the Valiant had survived their encounter with the Shadow of the Dragon in the Dream and awakened with Caithe's assistance in 1325 AE, Caithe introduced them to Kahedins if the Valiant was of the Cycle of Dusk. Kahedins was asked to interpret the Valiant's enigmatic vision in the Dream which was believed to be clue to the Valiant's Wyld Hunt.

White Stag

If the Valiant told Kahedins about a vision involving the White Stag, Kahedins informed them that such a stag had been sighted near the Verdence. He instructed the Valiant to find the stag and hopefully uncover the true meaning of the vision. He also spent some time answering the Valiant's questions about himself, the firstborn, and the Cycle of Dusk.

After the Valiant had successfully located the White Stag and transported him to Dreamer's Terrace, Kahedins informed the Valiant that many ailing sylvari had recovered in the stag's magical presence. He had heard about the Nightmare Court intending to capture the stag, so he volunteered to guard the stag while the Valiant, Caithe, and other defenders handled the invaders. Once the invaders had been defeated, Kahedins accompanied the Valiant and Caithe to the Omphalos Chamber to speak with the Avatar of the Tree. He offered the stag a sanctuary within Dreamer's Terrace with the Pale Tree's blessing.

When the Pale Tree revealed that the Valiant's encounter with the Shadow of the Dragon in the Dream was tied to a Wyld Hunt to defeat the Elder Dragon Zhaitan, Kahedins told the Valiant to be proud of their current victory and spend their leisure in learning and in well-deserved joy. He also answered the Valiant's questions about the Pale Tree and the Elder Dragons.

Green Knight

If the Valiant told Kahedins about a vision involving the Green Knight, Kahedins could not be certain about its meaning but suggested that the champion might be someone important. Before he could continue interpreting the vision, the Valiant was called away by an altercation nearby which would be revealed to be the sylvari knight Bercilak bullying two saplings. After the knight had been driven off, Kahedins spent some time answering the Valiant's questions about himself, the firstborn, and the Cycle of Dusk.

Once Bercilak had been defeated in a duel once and for all, Kahedins accompanied the Valiant and Caithe to the Omphalos Chamber to speak with the Avatar of the Tree. When the Pale Tree revealed that the Valiant's encounter with the Shadow of the Dragon in the Dream was tied to a Wyld Hunt to defeat the Elder Dragon Zhaitan, Kahedins told the Valiant to be proud of their current victory and spend their leisure in learning and in well-deserved joy. He also answered the Valiant's questions about the Pale Tree and the Elder Dragons.

Shield of the Moon

If the Valiant had received a vision involving the Shield of the Moon, they did not inform Kahedins about it to hear his interpretation. Instead Kahedins met with the Valiant sometime later, answering the Valiant's questions about himself, the firstborn, and the Cycle of Dusk.

Once the conflict involving the lovers Tiachren and Ysvelta had been resolved one way or another, Kahedins accompanied the Valiant and Caithe to the Omphalos Chamber to speak with the Avatar of the Tree. When the Pale Tree revealed that the Valiant's encounter with the Shadow of the Dragon in the Dream was tied to a Wyld Hunt to defeat the Elder Dragon Zhaitan, Kahedins told the Valiant to be proud of their current victory and spend their leisure in learning and in well-deserved joy. He also answered the Valiant's questions about the Pale Tree and the Elder Dragons.

Location

Maguuma Jungle

• The Grove
  • Dreamer's Terrace (if Cycle of Dusk)

Kryta

• The Tower of Nightmares
  • Unending Nightmares (chance)

Story involvement

Personal story

• Chapter 1: Following the Dream
  • White Stag path
    • Called to Service
    • Black Night, White Stag
  • Green Knight path
    • Mockery of Death
    • The Knight's Duel
  • Shield of the Moon path
    • Awakening
    • Beneath a Cold Moon
    • The Heart of Nightmare

Living World Season 2

• Episode 7: Seeds of Truth
  • The Newly Awakened

Quotes

Greets

Every day brings new faces.

I sense you've been called here.

My garden is your garden.

Seize the moment.

There's much to do around here.

Trivia

• Kahedins is voiced by Crispin Freeman.
• Kahedins is wearing the light armor skins for Winged Tunic chest, Vigil's Honor Gloves, and Cabalist Legs.
• A knight named Kahedins appears in various medieval tales of King Arthur's court, most notably having an affair with his sister Iseult's handmaiden Brangaine but falling into an enchanted sleep every time he tries to bed the handmaiden in the Tristan and Iseult legend. The name has many variant spellings such as Kahedin, Kaherdin, Keyhydyns, etc.