Guild Wars the famously free MMO that allows you to select from a wide collection of characters will soon be getting its first expansion called Factions. Prepare yourselves for Cantha, a continent that will significantly add to the already gigantic world of Ascelon. This new area will have a more Asian-inspired theme, as compared to the Conan-esque wastelands of the Ascalon people have already come to know.

The emperor of Cantha was assassinated by his bodyguard, Shira Tagachi, who was subsequently captured and executed. Upon his death, he let out a cry that transformed huge portions of Cantha - the land, trees, and sea - into solid jade. Now players will be able to access this land that has remained frozen in time for over two-hundred years.

Arenanet, the developers of Guild Wars has decided to put additional emphasis on the single player campaign with this expansion. While the strong PvP elements will still be present, there will be more story-based quests for players to group up and embark on. There will be missions where at least two teams will be able to combine their abilities together to jointly defeat a foe. Not only that, but players will be able to choose to join either the Luxons or the Kurzicks - two factions who are embroiled in war and play heavily into the overall storyline. Joining one of these factions means that players will inevitably have to face other players in combat as the conflicts continue.

In addition, Factions will include an in-game tutorial that will show new players how to get around the new lands and teach them the basics of the two new classes. The first of the new classes is the assassin, who will specialize in dagger mastery. These characters will move about silently and stealthily until it is time to strike. They then deliver a devastating combination of acrobatic attacks. Assassins will also be able to teleport around, throw caltrops, and cast hexes. They may not be able to withstand too much damage in a drawn out battle, but they will be invaluable for quick, powerful, surgical strikes.

Along with the assassin is the ritualist. Working as a combination of necromancer, monk, and ranger, these characters can see into the ethereal realm and summon spirits to power their spells. They control offensive magic, healing, and may even resurrect. All his powers are tied to the life force from these spirits. In order to resurrect, the ritualist will have to sacrifice a portion of a summoned spirit's health. Additionally, he may bind all party members to a spirit so that it may absorb a portion of the damage in place of players.

Let's not forget, among all the huge additions, that the original classes will also be receiving significant expansions too. The six core classes will be gaining twenty-five more skills and half a dozen new sets of armor. Of these new skills, about fifteen of them will be elite class skills, so it's time to get those signets of capture ready to add that extra oomf to that powerful arsenal!

Guild Wars has always been a game that has been full of surprises. With over one million current subscribers and no monthly fee, the ever-growing world of Ascalon. It won't be long before it will be time to gather together all the spells and weapons you can muster to explore these fantastic new lands.