We’ve got an exclusive first look at some of the friendly NPCs you’ll be meeting along the way in your journey through Guild Wars: Eye of the North. Eye of the North is the first expansion in the Guild Wars series – prior GW titles were standalone, but connected with one another, whereas Eye of the North will require you to own a previous GW campaign. The prerelease bonus pack is now available, with the game’s release set for August 31.

Check after the break for the first ever look at these friends from Eye of the North - longtime Guild Wars fans might spot a familiar face.

King Jalis Ironhammer
Patient, thoughtful, and wise—all are attributes commonly ascribed to King Jalis Ironhammer, except by the rebellious Stone Summit Dwarves, of course. When Ascalonian refugees sought passage through the Shiverpeaks, King Jalis recognized the advantages of helping potential allies during their time of despair. This wise decision was more than repaid when the adventurers he had aided returned and helped defeat the leaders of the Stone Summit Dwarves, restoring order to the Shiverpeaks.

Once the immediate threat of civil war was gone, King Jalis turned to rebuilding Deldrimor society. But the discovery of the Tome of Rubicon has pointed the Dwarves toward a new destiny—one that will test the mettle of this great king as he attempts to lead his people through the greatest trial the Dwarves have ever faced.

Sif Shadowhunter
Sif is a Norn hero who makes her homestead in the chill northern reaches of the Far Shiverpeaks, far north of Drakkar Lake. She is a legendary figure who has established her name through her love of the hunt. Sif prefers to take down the greatest of the fell creatures that roam through that wintry range, for nothing else is a sufficient challenge. She will on occasion take on lesser hunters as pupils, but those would-be students must be gifted, experienced hunters in their own right.

Oola
Oola is a brilliant Asura who specializes in creating constructs—humanoid magical creations, of which golems are one. She is aware of her own abilities and, like many Asura, gets frustrated when others disturb her research. To that end Oola has squirreled herself away where she can work in peace. She has few assistants and welcomes no visitors, treating them all as inferiors and interlopers. Her security measures are said to be among the finest, and her fierce ability to keep her haven safe has gained the respect of many of her peers (and more than a few attempted infiltrations—all of which ended poorly).

Golems
Constructed out of stone, vegetation, and other semi-natural materials, golems are massive creatures whose strength (and completely empty minds) perfectly complement the small-stature but incredible intellect of their Asuran masters.

Often used for defense as well as general tasks, golems are difficult to make and even more difficult to control. The Asura work on just one golem for years a time, unleashing it only when absolutely necessary. If the work goes wrong, the golem could destroy its creators rather than their enemies. Those are risks the Asura are willing to take in order to combat threats. They put their trust in superior intelligence . . . and superior firepower.

Livia
Female Shining Blade Necromancer
While the war between the White Mantle and the Shining Blade tears apart her Krytan homeland, Livia risks everything to keep her people safe. She joined the Shining Blade to protect them; she killed to defend them. Now freed from the control of the deadly Mursaat, Kryta struggles to survive, its leaders destroyed and its population beset by civil disorder.

Tasked by her superiors with finding a way to end the civil war, Livia has traveled into the Depths. She seeks a weapon of power—anything that will keep Kryta safe. And she is willing to give her life for it . . . as well as the lives of those around her.