Elona

The Kingdom of Elona (also referred to as the "Nation of Elonia") was an ancient human civilization that tried to establish itself in the Crystal Desert and achieve Ascension. Under the leadership of Turai Ossa, they built towering monuments and great cities in the desert hoping to draw the attention of the Gods of Tyria. Players will need to aid Turai Ossa in the three Crystal Desert missions Dunes of Despair, Elona Reach and Thirsty River to achieve their own Ascension.

The Elonians, like their predecessors, the Margonites, failed. Their pride caused mistrust to spread amongst them and their disregard for the Forgotten Ones caused them to engage them in battle. Both factors lead to the hasty demise of the once great kingdom. Speaking to the three ghosts Lord Valodor, Commander Joziah and General Mendoza at Augury Rock by the entrance to the mesa will reveal many of the details of their demise:
 * In the Elona Reach mission, it is shown that the Elonians did not trust each other and split into three camps, each with a Vision Crystal shard, under the care of priests Hehmnut, Nahtem, and Kahdat. That was their downfall as no group would trust the others with their crystals. Those that did not die of thirst and starvation were easy prey for the Forgotten army and their Enchanted. The players fight to collect and restore the three shards of the Vision Crystal.
 * In the Dunes of Despair mission, it is shown that a power struggle took place between Turai Ossa and another leader. This leader usurped Turai Ossa's throne inside the Temple of Ascension. Players fight to repel this usurper and defend the Temple while the necessary rituals are cast.

The Elonians seem to have been an ancient race. It is unclear how long ago these events took place but humans first appeared more than 1200 years prior to the present time in the game. Elona's rise and fall must have happened within that time span. (If you speak to Commander Joziah before completing the Ascension missions, he says "For more than two hundred years I have stood by Turai Ossa, and I will stand by him two hundred more if that is what it takes.". This seems to indicate the Elonians fell about two hundred years ago.)

In Factions, it is revealed that Cantha has trade relations with Elona. This means that the people that moved in to the Crystal Desert were fragment groups and not the entire population. It is speculated that Elona might be the setting of the next Guild Wars game.

Note: The Crystal Desert has an odd mirage phenomenon that it displays with the constructs of ancient human kingdoms in the desert... Most ruins appear from afar as towering cities and giant monuments but upon approaching them they are revealed for their true image.