The 5 Races Include: Sylvari, Norn, Charr, Asura & Human
Sylvari
"Long ago, a weary soldier planted a strange seed in the depths of the Maguum
Jungle. For centuries, the Pale Tree grew, branches arching over the forest, until at last - twenty five years ago - it bloomed, and the Firstborn stepped into the world. They were followed by their brethren, season after season of sylvari, wide-eyed with wonder and searching for purpose in this strange land. Shaped first by the Dream that nurtured them before they awakened, the sylvari now travel Tyria seeking adventure and their place in the world." -ANet
Norn
"They hail from the frozen north--the norn, a race of heroes. These massive, shape-shifting warriors prize individual valor and victory above all. They trust only the
power of steel. The norn do not beg or grovel for the favor of the Gods, no. Instead, they take the spirits of animals and draw strength from them. The norn can assume the form of their sacred totem beasts--bear, snow leopard, raven, and wolf--and call upon their power whenever they do battle, which is often." -ANet
Charr
"The thundering sound of their advancing war machines makes the lesser races tremble
with fear. They are the charr, and conquest is their birthright. The weakling and the fool find no place among the charr." -ANet
Asura
"They may be short in stature, but this subterranean race of magical inventors are
intellectual giants. These incredibly intelligent beings use their knowledge and skill with magic and crafting to assert their natural dominance. In the world of the asura, it is not the strong who survive, but the clever. Other races believe they should rule by virtue of their power and strength, but they delude themselves. All will serve the asura - in due time." -ANet
Human
"The resiliency of the noble human race has been tested many times. They have paid a
dear cost for their security and liberty, yet their spirit remains unshaken. From the invasion of Ascalon by the savage charr, to the cataclysmic rise of the lost
kingdom of Orr from the depths of the sea, mankind has been battered and
overwhelmed. They have lost homelands; their prayers go to silent skies. Now, the
remaining sons and daughters of man have one last homeland--the nation of Kryta,
ruled by Queen Jennah."
Cities
"Building a city in Guild Wars 2 is no small task! Each city is like a play: a dozen disciplines must combine to delight the crowd."-Matthew Medina
Something I personally love, is that ArenaNet has filled our world’s cities with the details that we crave. Goodbye to the days of sitting by a mailbox in Stormwind.. and waiting in que for that damn tank. ArenaNet is actually trying to make our downtime between personal story steps and dynamic events as entertaining and immersive as possible. I likey!
"Over time, the city starts to look, sound, and feel more like a living place. Little by little, with each new NPC, conversation, or subtle clue to something going on in the larger world, the heart of the city begins to beat."-Matthew Medina
Also, each capital will host a few mini games unique to them, for example Divinity's Reach has a bar brawl where as Hoelbrak might have snowball fights.
Here's just a few of the epic cities in Guild Wars 2:
DIVINITY'S REACH (Humans)
BLACK CITADEL (Charr)
HOELBRACK (Norn)
LION'S ARCH (Everyone)
