Gwen as Mesmer

In flight of the North we learn how Gwen gets her Mesmer skills.

Is it possible that her Mother Sara is related to the Sara in the Lyssa history and it is because of that affinity that the books taught her mesmer skills?

She reads the tomes that are down in that ruin to get basic Mesmer spells. Much like how new Mesmers get very basic Mesmer spells and work there way up - Gwen probably did the same with the Vanguard. No need for relations to Lyssas Followers - you just need to understand the books.

Although it does raise some questions - we know how secondary professions are chosen, it is implied that the reason you can't have three professions is due to the splitting of magic through the Bloodstones (although that's fuzzy to begin with and grows fuzzier with the release of more campaigns) but Gwen is the only character whose assumption of a primary character class is seen "on-screen" as it is.

But what is the in-universe reason why primary professions are locked? Is there some attunement that occurs when you first learn a skill from a profession (any profession) that locks a person into that professions? Is there some form of attunement to a profession needed before learning skills at all (our characters start skill-less, after all), and Gwen just happened to be in the right frame of mind to become a Mesmer when she read those books? Or are primary professions somehow predetermined, by natural affinity or something more mystical? Or is it possible that skills can be learned without being locked into a primary profession, just like secondary professions can be tried out, but that the benefits of locking in the primary profession (access to primary attribute, ability to wear associated armour, and so on) are such that it's just not practical not to lock yourself in if you're going to use those skills seriously?

You believe that the books in there are mesmer books. My theory is they are skill books and one's propensity for a certain profession shows you different skills. Just a thought.

Text is text, we read what is written (though I'm sure there is more explaining HOW to do the skill which wasn't added). You cannot read one thing and get something different than another person.

For instance, you cannot get Demonic Flesh, Vital Blessing, and Endure Pain from the same actions. You cannot get Faithful Intervention, Divine Intervention, Judge's Invertention, Watchful Intervention, and Illusion of Pain from the same actions either.

Different spells and skills need different actions, different actions are worded differently. It's more logic than anything else and I can't think of a game where you read a spellbook or the like and can learn different spells based on profession/class. (there are those that let you "learn a skill of your choosing" though).

They are Mesmer books. Infact the books are research journels. The writer of them created Mesmer spells to fight the Charr and wrote down how to do them in great detail (concentrating ether to make a barrier, using ether to alter the enemies perception are just a couple of them). Gwen copied the instructions and managed to replicate the spells. My guess is that she continued on that path after making contact with the Vanguard.

All thats needed is an understanding of the elements.

Guys... I rarely like to go down this road, but professions are locked just because thats how the game is. This is one of those things where lore doesn't apply, imo.

But I'd say its because of your body/prior training. warriors are jacked, rangers and sins have stealthy bodys. Professions are locked because thats who the char is.

I'd say professions are more like the personality of the person. Combined with the patron god of the person, preference, and physique.

Secondary professions can change because they don't require those things really.

aw man you beat me to it.
i was gonna say that its about the person, maybe they have an affinity for the elements, or healing, etc.

you have to remember that your char was around in the Gw universe before you start playing him.

I've always assumed that the professions we chose from in GW where basically like any other profession. To be really any good at them takes hard work, dedication, and a lot of practice. Sure some people have a natural affinity for things, some people can pick up a paint brush for the first time and produce something rather good, but they can't be truly great unless they dedicate themselves to being an artist. Gwen probably had some sort of character trait or latent talent that made her learn the mesmer spells easily, but she still leaves that cave only knowing a handful of spells, not even enough to fill an 8-slot bar, and none of them are paticularly impressive compared to some of the other skills in the mesmer arsenal. The rest we can assume she learned by training and studying. The reason we're locked in to these professions, in my opinion, is because to be as good at them as our characters are you have to dedicate yourself to mastering them. Being a warrior and facing down a legion of monsters with just 7 friends is not something you wanna be "pretty good" at doing. You have to be great, and to be great you must dedicate yourself wholly to the path you chose.

Well, there is some lore:

Devona's father was a Warrior. "Devona's father was one of the leaders of Ascalon's Chosen, a prestigious and well-respected guild. He died defending the city walls against a raid by an Orrian guild during the last Guild War. Devona was only a little girl at the time, but since that day, she has dedicated her life to mastering the martial arts of sword and hammer."

http://wiki.guildwars.com/wiki/Devona

Mhenlo dedicated his life to both Dwayna and Balthazar.

http://wiki.guildwars.com/wiki/Mhenlo

Aiden - The son of a huntsman, Aidan grew up with a quiver of arrows on his back.

http://wiki.guildwars.com/wiki/Aidan

Eve - "forbidden texts opened up an entirely new world to young Eve. By the time she was 15, she had raised her first bone minion."

http://wiki.guildwars.com/wiki/Eve

Cynn - "A former child prodigy, Cynn always had people catering to her every whim... She single-handedly wiped out the entire [Charr] warband, turning them and the remains of her home into little more than a smoldering pile of ash.

http://wiki.guildwars.com/wiki/Cynn




As for Gwen, maybe she first learned of Mesmer skills from Lady Althea? Then cemented that early knowledge with the Research Journals.

I think the Lady Althea connection is a stronger possibilility than Sara being a Mesmer. Gwen mentions Lady Althea a lot in the pre-searing (along with Mesmer clothes looking pretty).

Gwen was taking as a prisoner during the Searing. Before the Searing, she was choosing between Warrior and Mesmer. So it's possible she watched mesmer training, or something, but I doubt it. I think her profession was, in lore, a thing of chance. Out of necessity and luck, he was able to learn Mesmer skills.

When you think about it, Mesmer skills are probably also more useful for the kind of war the Ebon Vanguard is fighting. Partially because they aren't so reliant on equipment (a good wand and offhand helps, but a Mesmer without isn't as bad as a Warrior without a good weapon), partially because they don't wear heavy (and possibly noisy) armour, and partially because I'm sure that in-lore Mesmers have a variety of illusions and other tricks useful in sneaking around and engaging in covert operations that aren't supported in the game mechanics.