Kuunavang

Kuunavang

Race

Dragon

Level

80

Rank

Legendary

Locations

• Longfeather Plaza
  (Arborstone)
  
• Dragon's End
  (Cantha)

Organization

Saltspray dragons

Image(s)

Interactive map

“

It's my honor to look after the people of Cantha. I discovered long ago that the best way to do that was from within, rather than without. Your kind need a sensible voice in your ears more than you need a dragon on the mount.

— Kuunavang

Kuunavang is a saltspray dragon. In the past, she played a pivotal role in helping human heroes save Cantha from Shiro Tagachi, a reborn assassin influenced by the fallen god Abaddon.

In the centuries since, Kuunavang has become the bonded champion of Soo-Won, the Elder Dragon of Water, and the two of them have been collaborating to keep Cantha and the rest of the world safe from the Void. To better understand mortals as the Watcher and Protector of Cantha, Kuunavang has chosen to live among the people and often shapeshifts into her human form, Empress Ihn's close advisor Navan, a secret which only a select few people besides Ihn herself know. Following the end of the dragon cycle with Soo-Won's death, Kuunavang has acted as the ambassador of Cantha abroad in the form of Navan to learn more about other cultures.

Biography

Early years

During the Jade Wind that occurred in Cantha in 872 AE, Kuunavang, alongside most other saltspray dragons aside from Albax, was corrupted by the proximity of the treacherous assassin Shiro Tagachi's magically charged death wail. She was trapped in the caverns under the Harvest Temple, formerly known as the Kuan Jun Temple, the epicenter of the Jade Wind and the location of Shiro's death. The temple had also been the site where the champions Archemorus and Saint Viktor, who had helped defeat Shiro, had received their power from.

Guild Wars Factions

Kuunavang guarding the Harvest Temple during the conflict against Shiro Tagachi.

In 1072 AE, human heroes traveled to the Canthan mainland and attempted to enter the collapsed Harvest Temple at the behest of Master Togo, the son of Emperor Kintah, who believed that the secret to the defeat of Shiro's vengeful spirit could be found there. Upon the group's arrival at Kuunavang's domain at the temple, she noted their presence and began to do battle with them, assisted by a number of plagued Afflicted who had been corrupted by Shiro's spirit. She threatened the heroes by stating that mercy was a human concept that the party would not find in her domain.

At a certain point during the battle, a gate to another portion of the Harvest Temple was opened. Kuunavang fled the battle, causing multiple Afflicted to appear as the heroes approached the gate. The heroes then attacked her again, and she flew through another gate, summoning more Afflicted to hold the heroes back. After Kuunavang had been weakened, the heroes entered the temple itself, and the saltspray dragon transformed into an enraged state. She then attempted to defeat them alone, and was finally defeated, freeing her from Shiro's grasp.

Upon coming to her senses, Kuunavang noted that she owed the heroes a great debt, also stating that she had resisted Shiro's influence, though still being controlled by him. After a hero replied that she owed the group no debt, Kuunavang advised them never to refuse a gift from one who could swallow them whole. As a reward, the saltspray dragon decided to grant them magic required to defeat Shiro. After this, multiple Envoys, shepherds of the souls of the dead, appeared. They congratulated the heroes and explained that Shiro, who had been tasked with working as an Envoy as penance for his crimes, had betrayed their cause and wished to return to life. The Envoys notified the party that the Betrayer had only one more deed to commit to complete the spell for his revival: spilling royal blood related to Emperor Angsiyan whom he had slain in the Harvest Ceremony prior to his death.

Kuunavang remained in the Harvest Temple, thanking the heroes that approached her. She eventually notified them that Master Togo had brought friends and enemies together—including the tengu Talon Silverwing, Kurzicks and Luxons—to besiege Raisu Palace, and stated that she would travel there as well to offer her assistance. Soon after, she followed the heroes to the palace, which Shiro had targeted, and alerted them that the Shiro'ken, constructs bound to Shiro, were approaching the palace. Kuunavang also noted that the heroes were fulfilling a destiny although she could not decipher what fate had in store for the party.

When the heroes spoke to Kuunavang, she granted them a number of her celestial abilities that included summoning the spirits of the Luxon and Kurzick heroes Archemorus and Saint Viktor. The spirits assisted the heroes in traversing the palace and reaching Emperor Kisu, who had been captured by Shiro. After the heroes had destroyed the Shiro'ken, they breached the Imperial Sanctum. They found Shiro standing over Angsiyan's descendant, Emperor Kisu, preparing to strike the blow which would resurrect the Betrayer. Togo, desperate to protect his brother, rushed towards Kisu and took Shiro's blow. However, the act allowed the Betrayer to return to life due to Togo being the half-brother of the emperor and thus having royal blood in his veins for the ritual to work.

Kuunavang followed the heroes into the Imperial Sanctum, granting them celestial abilities before attacking the now-resurrected Shiro. The group then charged in to avenge Togo, with Brother Mhenlo, Togo's student, noting that the celestial abilities seemed to be particularly effective against the spirits of the Mists which Shiro had summoned. After a fierce battle, the party managed to defeat the Betrayer. The Envoys reappeared alongside Suun, Oracle of the Mists and sealed Shiro, who had lost his Envoy powers because of his earlier resurrection, in a place in the Underworld as punishment while Suun turned the Betrayer's body into a jade statue.

At the victory celebration that followed Shiro's defeat, Kuunavang explained that the Envoys had taken the Betrayer's spirit to an area where he would pay for his crimes forever. She then congratulated the heroes on their victory and returned to the Harvest Temple after the celebration and funeral of Master Togo.

Interim years

Kuunavang, her fellow saltspray dragons and other dwellers of the Jade Sea felt the awakening of Soo-Won, the Elder Dragon of Water, somewhere in the Unending Ocean—a presence powerful enough to drive back the shadows in the depths. When Zhaitan, the Elder Dragon of Death and Shadow, awoke and caused the Great Tsunami that threatened to swallow Cantha in the aftermath of the Rising of Orr and the emergence of the Risen in 1219 AE, Kuunavang realized the enormity of the threat and sought out help from Soo-Won as no one else had the power to stop the tide. She was unsure if the Water Dragon would even care for her plight as mortal lives were but mere flickers in Soo-Won's millennia-spanning lifespan. However, much to Kuunavang's delight, Soo-Won chose to assist her, and they managed to shield Cantha from destruction although Kaineng City was damaged by the tide in the process. Kuunavang bonded with Soo-Won, becoming a champion who could hear the Water Dragon's thoughts but was not controlled by her. Acting in Soo-Won's name and remembering her past experiences, Kuunavang realized that the best way to watch over and protect Cantha was from within rather than without: mortals would benefit more from a sensible voice in their ears rather than a distant dragon giving sage advice on the mount. Shaping herself like water with her magic, she assumed a human form to blend into society and spread her wisdom, taking the name Navan. She eventually became an advisor to the Canthan Emperor at the time and revealed her true identity to him. The truth became a closely guarded secret, known only by a select few people such as the emperor as well as his family, including his son Taejeong and his granddaughter Ihn. As time passed and Ihn became the latest Empress of Cantha, Kuunavang became aware of Soo-Won's deal with the empress's half-sister Yu Joon to turn the latter's Yong Reactor into a containment chamber for Soo-Won who would let Joon siphon off the Elder Dragon's growing power and use it to fuel Cantha while keeping the maddening effects of dragon energy at bay.

End of Dragons

Act 1

Primary article: Navan

Act 3

Kuunavang reveals herself in Arborstone.

While in disguise in her human form as the imperial advisor Navan, Kuunavang observed the Pact Commander's party during the latter's adventures in Cantha in 1335 AE. She weighed in whether they could be trusted with the truth or not even though Soo-Won had assured her of the Commander's and their Elder Dragon ally Aurene's worthiness. After helping the Commander's party reach safety in Arborstone in the aftermath of the maddened Soo-Won's escape from the Yong Reactor, Navan helped the party defeat the corrupted saltspray Ishan within the fallen sanctuary. She explained to her confused companions that a force known as the Void had been responsible for warping Ishan and Soo-Won and would attempt to consume the rest of Tyria as well. When the party questioned how the imperial advisor knew about such information and why her magic had been so different from typical elemental magic, Navan admitted that the party had earned her trust and deserved the truth.

Performing a ritualistic dance, Navan used the power of water to transform in front of her amazed audience, revealing herself as the legendary saltspray dragon Kuunavang. She answered the Commander's questions about her history with Soo-Won and Ishan, her use of magic, the nature of the Void as well as the purpose of Soo-Won's containment in the reactor. She also supported the asura Gorrik's idea that they could use the rogue asuran pirate Ankka's Extractor, which the latter had used to speed up Soo-Won's corruption, to siphon off some of the corrupted magic from the maddened Elder Dragon to buy them more time to find a means against the Void's growing influence. Their group encountered the tengu Ayumi and her fellow Kestrels who had returned to Arborstone just in time to eavesdrop on the conversation. Ayumi took in the revelation of Navan's true identity well and informed the saltspray dragon that Ishan had fought against the corruption as long as he could to protect Ayumi and the rest of the Arborstone refugees, thus saving most of the refugees' lives. The tengu also pledged the Kestrels to help the party locate the elusive Ankka in the labyrinthine Echovald Forest.

Act 5

Kuunavang later appeared in her human disguise as Navan on Dragon's End to lead the assault as one of the lane commanders alongside Captain Fa and Aurene's sylvari follower Caithe against the corrupted Soo-Won and the amassing Void horde which were trying to escape the confines of the Jade Sea to spread the Void throughout the rest of the world. While battling the saltspray dragons that had been warped by the Void, Navan ultimately chose to embrace her full power to assist the allied armies and revealed herself in public as Kuunavang, shocking many who had fought alongside her although that shock soon turned to respectful admiration. Feeling the weight of killing her lost saltspray brethren, she received words of comfort from Tetra Earthcall, the leader of the Speakers who had come to assist the allied forces in the assault.

Once the Canthan forces had received help from an airship fleet arriving from Central Tyria and Elona to weaken Soo-Won, the Commander's party arrived with the Extractor and its copies in hand to rendezvous with the rest of the strike team at the Harvest Temple where the temporarily pacified Soo-Won urged them to use the Extractor on her before the Void could take over her mind again. However, the sheer magnitude of the removed corruption overwhelmed the Extractor and its copies and burst out of the machines, coalescing to form its own shadowy being known as the Dragonvoid which no longer had to rely on Elder Dragon hosts to begin consuming all life on Tyria. As their other allies scattered to retake the outlying extractors from the Dragonvoid's amassing horde, Kuunavang and the Commander stayed to defend their asuran ally Taimi and Joon while they restored the primary extractor.

Despite the fierce struggle, the Dragonvoid's forces overwhelmed the defenders, and Kuunavang and the Commander were momentarily overcome. However, Aurene pulled the Commander from the jaws of death at the last moment and infused them with some of her own power, which she instructed the Commander to use to face the Dragonvoid head-on. After saving Kuunavang and clearing the platform, the Commander proceeded to move to the other platforms to assist their respective defenders and charging up the extractors with energy siphoned from the Void horde to weaken the Dragonvoid's Elder Dragon manifestations, ultimately using Aurene's power to deal a decisive blow against the Dragonvoid's final manifestation to disperse the manifested Void from across the world and restore the world to harmony.

Aurene, Caithe, Joon, and Navan find the exhausted Soo-Won.

After the battle, Kuunavang had once again taken her human form to say bitter farewells to the fatally injured Soo-Won before witnessing Aurene consuming Soo-Won's magic at the Water Dragon's request to become the One Elder Dragon to balance the All. She later appeared in the Arborstone victory celebration as Navan although she was still mourning the loss of Soo-Won and apologized to the Commander for souring the mood. The Commander, however, told Navan to let them know if she ever needed anything, a consideration which Navan was thankful for.

In the days after Soo-Won's passing, Kuunavang stayed in Arborstone where she occasionally chatted with the Commander and provided them with information about Arborstone as well as how she was feeling after everything that had happened. During one of these discussions she mentioned that the hole Soo-Won had left behind was being filled not only by Aurene but everyone connected to her. She also admitted that she longed for the company of Albax, one of the few remaining saltspray dragons not corrupted by the Void, and wondered if Albax could be convinced to join their side because past events had left him deeply scarred.

The Commander managed to find Albax and, after solving his riddles and proving to him that good luck still existed in the world, ultimately convinced him to travel to Arborstone. The two saltspray dragons were happy to be reunited and enjoyed each other's banter. They discussed the late saltspray Ishan's fate, whether others of their kind were still out there and if they should look for them, as well as how Kuunavang's scales had changed color after she had bonded with Soo-Won.

Lunar New Year 2024

Empress Ihn sent Kuunavang, once again in the form of Navan, to Divinity's Reach as an ambassador in 1336 AE so Navan could observe Kryta's celebration of the new year in hopes of revitalizing the two nations' shared history. While participating in the Lunar New Year festival, Navan met the Commander, and the two talked about Cantha's current political climate as well as the differences between Kryta's Lunar New Year and Cantha's Dragon Festival. The Commander suggested that Navan should not just settle for observing the Lunar New Year festival but that she should give Super Adventure Box a try someday as well. Navan also apologized for not being able to make it to the party hosted by Detective Rama at the Red Duck Tea House which the Commander had attended earlier.

Locations

Cantha

• Arborstone
  • Longfeather Plaza

• Dragon's End
  • Outer Terrace
    • Xiko Refugee Camp

Story involvement

End of Dragons story

See also: Navan

• Act 3
  • Fallout
• Act 5
  • The Only One
  • The Cycle, Reborn (as Navan)

Event involvement

The Battle for the Jade Sea

[Group Event] Escort Navan and her troops to the Speakers outpost (80)

[Group Event] Quell the Void corruption (80)

[Group Event] Defend the hatchery from the Void ambush (80)

[Group Event] Reclaim the Speakers outpost from the Void (80)

[Group Event] Use crystallized dragon magic to charge matching prismatic crystals (80)

[Group Event] Defeat Soo-Won (80)

Combat abilities

Abilities

• Champion of Soo-Won

Effects

Stun — Vulnerable while broken.  Occurs when defiance is broken.

Dialogue

Arborstone

It is good to see you again, Commander. Can I assist you somehow?

You've done so much for us. Is there anything I can do for you, Kuunavang? (before completing Albax, the Unlucky)

You know, there is one of my kind I've been thinking about... Albax. It would be good to have him on our side. He will take some convincing, though, I'm afraid. Past events left him deeply scarred.

Understood. I've got another question.

Hmm, I'll see if I can find him.

How is it having Albax here? (after completing Albax, the Unlucky)

He is as grouchy and sardonic as ever, but... I think he enjoys being admired. And I enjoy our banter. Thank you, Commander.

Understood. I've got another question.

You're very welcome.

Can you give me some directions?

I know my way around a little. Where was it you were wanting to go?

Where can I sell or repair things?

You'll find the local merchant and repair station on the southeast side, bottom floor.

I'd like to ask about something else.

Actually, never mind.

Where are the common areas? (after mastering Base of Operations)

The Kestrels tend to gather in the barracks and the mess hall. They are upstairs to the southwest.

I'd like to ask about something else.

Actually, never mind.

Where is the Command Quarters?

The Command Quarters are to the southwest—an excellent place to discuss strategy.

I'd like to ask about something else.

Actually, never mind.

Where is the temple?

The Remembrance Temple is to the north, on the second floor—to your right when you exit the stairs.

I'd like to ask about something else.

Actually, never mind.

Where is the crafting area? (after mastering Crafting Center)

The crafting center is upstairs, to the northeast—except for the cooking and jewelry trainers, which are to the southwest.

I'd like to ask about something else.

Actually, never mind.

None of those, somewhere else...

Oh? Where?

Where is the library? (after mastering Entertaining Amenities)

The library is upstairs and to the southeast. Try not to exasperate the head librarian, they are...touchy, I have found.

I'd like to ask about something else.

Actually, never mind.

Where is the training area?

The training area is to the northeast, on the bottom floor. Keep an ear out for the sounds of combat and cheering.

I'd like to ask about something else.

Actually, never mind.

Where is Club Canach? (after completing The Cycle, Reborn)

Canach has set up his colorful establishment in the cellar, accessible by going north outside of the building and following the tunnel to the right.

I'd like to ask about something else.

Actually, never mind.

Where is the arena? (after mastering Entertaining Amenities)

The arena is to the northeast, up a small set of stairs. You may spectate, or you can join in the fray yourself.

I'd like to ask about something else.

Actually, never mind.

Where is the community area? (after mastering Entertaining Amenities)

You'll find the fishing hole, gardens, and pond in the community area. It is to the northwest, outside the building.

I'd like to ask about something else.

Actually, never mind.

Back to other options.

Actually, never mind.

Actually, never mind.

How are you feeling? With all that's happened? (after completing The Cycle, Reborn)

It's a new era, to be sure. I've seen many of them pass. Of course, the one thing that has been a constant...was her. But the space she left behind is filling.

With Aurene, you mean?

Not just Aurene, but...you all. All that she carried seems to no longer be so concentrated...

I see...I think.

Just checking in, Kuunavang. Take care.

Dragon's End

During Preparations

Everyone's starting to assemble—even enemies. And soon the great march south will begin.

It's good to see so many joining together.

After completing [Group Event] Defeat Soo-Won (80)

We should take time to celebrate this victory, while remaining vigilant, ready for what is to come... And it will come.

We will be ready.

Gallery

Screenshots

• 

  Kuunavang's face close-up.

• 

  Kuunavang in the Guild Wars 2: End of Dragons expansion teaser trailer.

• 

  Kuunavang in in-engine model viewer by Kate Pfeilschiefter.

Concept art

• 

  Concept art by Zhengyi Wang.

Renders

• 

  Render by Kate Pfeilschiefter.

• 

  Render by Kate Pfeilschiefter.

• 

  Render by Kate Pfeilschiefter.

• 

  Render by Kate Pfeilschiefter.

• 

  Render by Kate Pfeilschiefter.

• 

  Render by Kate Pfeilschiefter.

Guild Wars

• 

  Guild Wars concept art by Katy Hargrove.

• 

  Guild Wars concept art of the corrupted and uncorrupted Kuunavang by Katy Hargrove.

Related achievements

• End of Dragons: Act 5: Until We Meet Again — Check in with all your friends and allies in Arborstone. (3)

Trivia

• Kuunavang is voiced by Rina Hoshino.
• Kuunavang's involvement in Guild Wars 2: End of Dragons was revealed in a teaser trailer where she is shown talking with a mysterious new entity, later revealed to be Soo-Won.
• Senior designer Annie VanderMeer has jokingly suggested that Kuunavang is "someone who drinks very simple things and imbibes very seldomly, and then only lightly (likely because of a past experience with soju that did NOT end well!)."
• While her Guild Wars model was created by Katy Hargrove, the updated model for Guild Wars 2 was created by Kate Pfeilschiefter.
  • Her model references Korean dragon and aquatic koi fish motifs. They wanted to retain her wyvern-like body from the original game but altered it to be a little more serpentine with an undulating hovering flight cycle.
  • Both Soo-Won and Kuunavang use a special iridescence material which ArenaNet developed with the intent to be used on all the scaled Canthan creatures.

See also

The Guild Wars Wiki has an article on Kuunavang.

The Guild Wars Wiki has an article on Enraged Kuunavang.

• Navan

Associated items

• Kuunavang Festival Mask
• Mini Navan