During their reign, the Flame Legion did everything they possibly could to experiment with the limits of the physical body and what one can achieve through magic. If someone expends too much magic, they could die, but absorbing too much also has the ability to drive a person insane. If the body was limited, the maybe augmentation was the next step, one Charr thought. That singular thought is what brought years upon years upon years of pain, suffering and loss to countless Charr. Their bodies were used as the catalyst for experiments, carving runes upon their flesh to augment their ability to channel magic, and others had pure crystals embedded into their chests as a means of improving that limit on physical storage. The problem was, however, that the procedure itself was so gruesome, so brutal, that only a few managed to survive it. While they were known as Godforged in Flame Legion, servants of Gaheron Baelfire the false god, the ones chosen for this procedure were never born to Flame themselves - they were slaves, test subjects stolen away from their loved ones to be used as fodder for the purpose of advancing their insatiable need for power.

In the end, only four of these test subjects survived - Ulric (left), Garris (middle), Grynn (right) and Misael (not depicted). Grynn was the first to survive his artificial Godforging with 3 crystals inserted into each of the outer circles of the runic symbols on his chest. Garris was next, having also survived the 3 crystal procedure. Ulric was their attempt to push the experiment further, forcing 4 upon him. However, it was Misael who ended up being their perfect subject, pierced with a staggering total of 6 crystals. Not only does that provide them with the unique advantage of being able to carry more magic within their bodies, pushing past the physical limits of the flesh, but the Godforging forced their magical attunement to that of Flame magic. What unique capabilities they had before that point were overwritten, replaced with Flame, and the surviving artificial Godforged were placed in places of authority in order to control and monitor them.

However, these experiments served a dual purpose by the madman who devised them - his goal was to find individuals with the potential to step beyond the limits of Tyria's magical rules and search for something greater. In his mind, the only way for the world to advance was to be able to achieve energy fusion across different magical spectrums. To do such a thing in most cases leads to extremely dangerous outcomes, such as magical misfire, explosions or bodily harm. Several years after the initial experiments with the artificial Godforged, being forced to fight each other and to endure an unending level of pressure and stress, the seals upon their original magic finally shattered, yet the Flame magic they inherited remained. The one behind it all, in his insanity, called them Kytherics: individuals who found themselves one step closer to the truth of the world, beings who ascended to the next stage closer to the Antikytheria, or The All, or Eternal Alchemy. However, they simply refer to themselves as Hybrids.

Ulric retained the gift of Flame but regained his deep, powerful nature magic.
Garris retained the gift of Flame but regained his unwavering Mesmeric strength.
Grynn retained the gift of Flame but awakened to a brilliant, untampered light.
Misael retained the gift of Flame but awakened a dangerous, ethereal energy that threatened to shatter his soul to pieces.

Despite everything they went through, however, there was one last thing that Grynn simply couldn't stand hearing anymore - Godforged. Not once had they ever believed in a god, nor did they ever believe in Baelfire's asinine dreams. They were victims of his and the mastermind's insatiable dreams of godlike power. Not once had they accepted that title, so it was time for a new one... why not Crystalforged, then? With Flame Legion destroyed and reborn under new management and with the Phoenix's Ashes, a splinter faction of disgruntled Charr slaves with no homes left to go back to, routed and saved, it was time they got a new name themselves.

Artificial Godforged, Crystalforged, Hybrids... whatever title they use doesn't matter. The most important thing to these Charr is that they do everything they can to prevent the same fate from happening to anyone else. Reunited once again, they can finally use their unique gifts to bring about real change in the world that almost abandoned them. Even if it's not legitimate, they've reunited and met several reliable allies who all belong under the same banner - the Zephyr Warband, their symbol the same one Grynn wears on his trademark scarf with great pride.



Huge thanks to  guildwuff2 for the amazing picture!
Ulric Truecleave (left), Garris Swiftclaw (middle), and Grynn (right) all belong to me. My precious kitties~