Varyss Mardian (GW2)

*"You think you're virtuous? I'll soon prove otherwise."*

*Varyss Mardian* is a Human Mesmer from Piken Square (EU) in Guild Wars 2. Varyss is distinguished chiefly by the lengthy scar down his right arm and his rural, working-class upbringing. Sounds strangely familiar...

## Outside MNR/TPW

Despite looking almost identical to his World Of Warcraft counterpart, Varyss Mardian was not privy to many of the opportunities that were afforded his pyromancer doppelganger. While one was able to rise beyond his working-class upbringing through the joining of multiple mercenary and military groups, the other remained mired in the family farm until comfortably into adulthood. Deciding to expand his horizons, Varyss travelled around Queensdale and the Kessex Hills, working day jobs wherever the proprietors would have him.

After enduring a life-threatening head injury following his abduction by a team of unethical Asura scientific researchers, the Beetletun-born ex-farmhand decided to try his hand at professional wrestling by entering the open-invitiation Krytan Championship Tournament in Tyrian Professional Wrestling. From his first minutes in the ring in an official TPW show, Varyss showed that he could portray a hated *heel* persona quite adeptly, simply by utilising magic in a magic-forbidden setting in order to offset his relative lack of size and bulk. His main finisher in TPW - the *Mardi-Killer* - took maximum advantage of this; using a Mesmer illusion of himself to assist in a devastating throw.

## Career

The Guild Wars 2 version of Varyss Mardian was the second wrestler beyond the initial fifty to make their debut. In Episode 003, Varyss faced off against Canticle Of Thorns member Ramus Glacialis. Rendered unable to utilise his illusion magic in the ring due to forces beyond his comprehension, the battle was hard-fought on both sides but, despite the *Painless Thorn'*s valiant efforts, the *Mesmer Among Men* emerged victorious, proving that those placed into the *Coma Machine* are often in no condition to go on fighting.

Episode 007 saw Varyss return to the ring, this time pairing up with his Azerothian counterpart in response to the debuting Estelar Ruinstrider having beaten Raelithen in under a minute the episode prior. Once again, his *Coma Machine* was enough to somehow keep the powerful fighter down for the three seconds needed to secure the impromptu tag-team's first win.

Realising that he had been embarrassed by two people who looked exactly the same, Estelar decided to target the Varyss who had managed to pin him, leading to the two of them facing off at Episode 010. Despite Estelar's "superior" strength and speed, Varyss put everything he had into a *Last Exhale*, proving to the Convergence's odious co-creator that he *could* beat him alone.

However, his strong start was soon curtailed in Episode 011, when Dante Signysson was able to figure out a way beyond his offence, leading to his first loss in the promotion.

## Trivia

The names of both of Varyss' big moves - *Last Exhale* and *Coma Machine* - were taken from ***The Coma Machine***; a song by American progressive metal band *Between The Buried And Me*.