Eye of the North is the first expansion to the three Guild Wars campaigns - Prophecies, Factions and Nightfall. Designed both for experienced Guild Wars players, and as a bridge to Guild Wars 2, Eye of the North introduces two new NPC races. According to ArenaNet these new races will be playable in Guild Wars 2.

The Norn dwell in the cold and inhospitable lands of the Far Shiverpeaks. Resembling giant Vikings, the Norn have a special skill that allows them to transform into giant fighting bears during combat. This is why there are two Eye of the North box covers - one is Jora in her human form, and the other features Jora in her bear form.

You will need to reach Rank 1 (1000 Reputation Points) before you can talk to any Norn NPCs in Outposts or Towns. You may also have noticed there are three special NPCs, marked Consumables, Weapons and Armour. Once you have reached Ranks 3, 4 and 5 respectively, you will be able to talk to these NPCs and use their services to craft unique, race specific items.

The Norn are proud and suspicious, and will only talk to you if you defeat them in combat first. There will be a slight pause once the fight starts, as the Norn use their bear skill to transform into a fighting bear. This will give your party a chance to get in some quick easy damage, making the Norn easy to defeat.

Once you speak to them, the Norn NPCs will grant your party the Norn Hunting Party Blessing. You will gain one Reputation Point for each creature killed in the explorable area. Every 25 Reputation Points you will gain a random bonus. Talking to more Norn NPCs can also grant extra levels of the Hunting Party blessing, which will give you extra Reputation Points per kill.

Bear in mind that when you have spoken to an NPC, they will not give out any more bonuses. For this reason, it's important to effectively use the Guild Wars map to keep track of where you have been, and which NPCs in the explorable area you have spoken to. In this way you can maximise any bonuses recieved and achieve the largest amount of Reputation Points possible.

You will find that many NPC quests are only available when you have reached a certain Rank on the relevant Title Track. As you advance it's important you return to previously discovered Outposts and Towns within Eye of the North, to see if the NPCs have any new quests or missions for you. This high replay value is one of the reasons Guild Wars has been such a success.