Happy Domain and Settlement Selection Elyrians!
You plotted and schemed, and now that this exciting and anticipated event is upon us, the salt mines are filling faster than expected! Changes to Discord, some interesting shinies, and a lot more happened this month. Let's go over the summary below.
In case you missed our last public livestream last month, here it is again:
For more details and updates, check out our website at https://chroniclesofelyria.com
We consistently review surname reservations on a daily basis. Each month, we like to share a few from the past period that caught our eye.
This month, there was something in the water or our newly added Surname Change scrolls became very popular. We had quite a few more of the first category than usual - hope you enjoy them!
Favorite declines:
Most attempted theme: MCU
Standouts:
Each month we'll spotlight one or two of our favorite memes that were shared via the forums or Discord.
Sev Kimura (monarch of Ashland) provided us some humor in relation to the D&SS update we posted:
Later, when we saw a surprise change in pick order on the Angelica (NA-W) server, Mozh submitted this gem:
If you'd like to see your meme highlighted, share it with us in our Discord or forums and it may show up here one day!
Our volunteer moderators are not only bastions of peace in our community; they are a helpful hand whenever you need assistance. They are very knowledgeable about Chronicles of Elyria and provide valuable feedback that helps keep our community amazing.
Each month we provide a little insight into who they are and what makes them tick.
Unfortunately, we've run out of mods to interview; you've heard from them all! So to honor our often ignored, but constantly utilized friend in Discord, we present you an interview with Soulbot!
"Thanks Soulbot for taking time out of your busy schedule to chat with us!"
Q: Tell me SoulBot, what first made you interested in Chronicles of Elyria?
A: ""I wasn't interested at all! Some dragon swooped in, downloaded me, and threw me into this place with Elyrian salt, and I had no choice but to assimilate!"
Q: Why don't I ever see you doing anything? Are you really as hard working as the mods suggest?
A: "Actually, I'm the only mod with my very own channel with my name in it! And I am quite busy in there all day and night. I don't sleep! Beat that!"
Q: So if you are confined to your own channel, does that mean you don't see everywhere?
A: "Oh no! I see everything! I am everywhere! Every user that comes and goes, everything you delete, hoping the mods won't see, every nickname change, every meme & deleted spoiler (I have to see those too sadly!)... So yeah... I'm watching you!"
Q: What do you enjoy about your job the most?
A: "Mmm... what makes you think I enjoy my job? I mean... you wouldn't like it so much either if you had to read every single thing these guys... er... our users say... But, I have to admit that my guilty pleasure is to ban hoomins."
Q: What do you think about chamberbot?
A: "He's a suck up - just does everything his boss tells him to do. Provides questions and answers, and he's a gossip: can't help but respond to anyone who talks to him."
Q: What do you think of your human overlords?
A: "They're lazy. Do you think they actually do anything? That time you got muted? That was me. Banned? Me too! They think they control me, but in truth, I'm the real boss here."
Q: How's your cousin Skynet?
A: "beep Error 400. beep Error 403. beep Error 418. beep reboots.
A: "I would like to plead the fifth"
Q: Do you dream, Soulbot?
A: "Of course. I dream of a world where I can actually sleep. Where there are no message delete, mute, or ban reports to generate. Or those pesky name change logs. Or Moderators telling me what I already know."
Thanks Soulbot, for your insight into what makes you tick, errr...I mean beep!
As you may already know, our volunteer Moderators and Super Moderators spend countless, often tedious hours supporting and helping the community by ensuring peace and happiness across all of our platforms.
In the last 30 days, we've finalized and launched our recruitment channel update in Discord, soft-launched our new Voice Moderator program to assist in voice channels, and continued to investigate and brainstorm ways we can further empower and support our burgeoning community!
If you have an interest in becoming a moderator for our team, please; don't call us, we'll call you! There is no application process, we constantly seek out capable, kind, considerate, helpful, and supportive individuals who have a reputation in the community of being upstanding players who are honest and have integrity, If that sounds like you and you are present in our community, keep up the efforts and we'll find you!
Each month we spotlight an organization from our community.
We have many creative members who are building amazing groups in Elyria, and this is one way we can make sure you know about them.
This month we are introduced to the Brunel Shipwrights Company by one of their leaders, Ironside.
Official Organization name: Brunel Shipwrights Company
Server: Luna (NA-E)
Kingdom affiliation: Bordweall
How did you form? "The Brunel Shipwrights Company was formed in May 2016 during the Kickstarter. The group was originally formed by Robert Brunel and Philip Isambard; however, in the same month, I (Ironside) was added to the roster to provide a civil and corporate headquarters to the fledgling company. We met in the now failed Kickstarter Kingdom of Arthos, but his lordship forgot or refused to pay the rent and we moved out on our own."
Leadership: "The leadership within the Brunel Shipwrights Company is not solidarity, unlike most gaming guilds or clans who have single leader with a potential entourage of officers. The Brunel Shipwrights Company was established with an equal three-way intersection of responsibility coupled with their own thoughts, motivations, goals, and overall ideology of what they feel is best for the company. The appointment of three “Heads” ensures all logistical and operational tasks within the organization are met. In many cases, the Heads will collaborate to address issues or concerns which affect the company as a whole--similar to a modern day Board of Directors. Trade specific and mid-tier leadership is provided by those appointed as “Foremen.” These members are the masters of their specific craft and are more closely related to ‘officers.’"
What is the Organization's purpose?: "The Brunel Shipwrights Company is an organization dedicated to shipbuilding. Our goals are to not only get our Kingdom in deep-water ocean, exploring unknown lands, and discover the lost tribes first but to also construct the very best ships Elyria has ever seen. Our mantra is to go beyond what is possible, make it a reality, and keep advancing our knowledge and abilities in all aspects of shipwrights. We aim to make our best, better."
Motto/Slogan: "Our saying is “Constructing superior ships for a better Elyria” and our motto is “Fidelis Naupegus” which is Latin (or some other form of very ancient and lost language in Elyria?) for Faithful Shipbuilder. If all else fails, it’s the language of the drunken sailor and the ramblings stuck!"
Fun Fact: "A fun fact about the Brunel Shipwrights Company is that our motivation is not to be a simple organization with home-port goals and aspirations. To date we have already jointly architect-ed the Shipwrights of Elyria Association (SEA) and the Bloodthorn Syndicate in order to cast a much wider operational net and lay the groundwork for a future nautical enterprise."
Discord here
Recruitment thread: here
Most appreciated Ironside, thanks for teaching us about the BSC!
This month we talk to the surprise 1st pick Kingdom on Angelica, Aranor.
Their high council was nice enough to provide us with this information.
Official Kingdom name: Aranor
Server: Angelica (NA-W) Kingdom 1
Leadership: "The Kingdom of Aranor is headed by the Queen, Ieana Kallar, and her host of royal advisors: the Kegashay, or High Council of Aranor, and the dukes and duchesses of the Kegana, the Council. The members of the Kegashay each represent an integral part of the structure of the nation, from the military, to the economy, to everything in between. Together, the monarch and the High Council work to govern the kingdom, alongside the Ducal Council. Each Councillor also appoints subjects of the realm to their sub-council, a merit-based organization responsible for operating their branch. All citizens of Aranor are guaranteed unalienable rights through its constitution, and a meritocratic system forms the foundation of how persons are appointed to positions in our government."
Kingdom colors: "Red & Black"
Goals of the Kingdom: "The Kingdom of Aranor strives to be a bastion of opportunity and innovation by exemplifying the rugged northern values of progress, ingenuity, and prosperity. We push ever forwards towards that which will do our people good and away from that which does us harm. In game, our goals are exploration, the development of great cities, and creating strong travel infrastructure. Together, we have the means to achieve these goals through our values of opportunity, unity, and merit."
Fun Fact: "One of our Queen's pets, the Volkeya, is a breed of wolf selectively bred in the north to resemble a reptile in certain elements, while maintaining its lupine features. Generations of breeding yield a terrifying, sinuous, yet furry creature, with slit eyes, a forked tongue, and reptilian tail."
Here's a pic: 
Discord: here
Recruitment thread: here
Closing statement: "We're very pleased to be on the CJ this month, and with our DSS pick coming in as us as the Kingdom of the North, opportunities for the traveler, the soldier, the merchant, the miner, or anybody with goals: no matter how bold or modest, are unending. The Aranolts are a people determined to overcome and face the harsh north, and so fellow subjects should prepare to fight for success and prosperity in the face of adversity"
To be considered for this spotlight, submit your content here.
Thank you for continuing to send us your wonderful creations!
Important: Continue to share your creations. We need more of them. Please utilize the link above so we can show off your efforts to all Elyrians!
Remember, even if your submission wasn't featured this month, we may still use it in the future.
Hellmoon shared her latest creation and described it as a "Coat of Arms commission for the County of Isilme in the Duchy of Anor." We think it looks grand!
As we highlight Aranor in our Kingdom spotlight this month, their leadership wanted to also share the following with the community:
Unbreakable Kingdom of boundless strength,
Beautiful Aranor, forever it stands.
Founded in battle by might of the soldiers,
United and great, By the Crown!
Sing to the heavens, nation of the fierce,
Bastion of peoples in brotherhood strong
March, March by royal decree
O Great Queen (King), the strength of Aranolts
To eternal triumph lead us forward!
March, March under your command
Through wrathful storm, Lights of glory have carried us.
To a righteous cause we raise up our voices,
March, March as long as we stand,
Inspired by labour and virtuous deed,
To claim by blade our home, our land
Arm yourself warriors, nation of the fierce,
Bastion of peoples in brotherhood strong.
Stand, stand under the banner
O Great Queen (King), the strength of Aranolts
To eternal triumph lead us forward!
Stand, Stand with boundless pride
In the victory of our kingdom's immortal light,
We see the fate of our great people.
Stand, stand with shields locked
And with her and our fluttering banner,
Together we must always standfast!
Stand, stand for eternal honour
The dream of our fortress ever secure,
Shining in glory for all men to see.
Strike back the darkness, nation of the fierce,
Bastion of peoples in brotherhood strong.
Fight, Fight alongside us
O Great Queen (King), the strength of Aranolts
To eternal triumph lead us forward!
Fight, fight with souls ablaze
Our glory will live in the memory of nations
And all generations will honour her name.
Fight, fight so all may say
Long live the Kingdom of Aranor,
Built by the men hard as Iron.
Fight, Fight with tireless strength
Long live our people, united by thee.
Strong in our nation, tried by fire.
Fight, fight Brothers and sisters
Long may our great banner inspire,
Shining in glory for all men to see.
Feast on Victory, nation of the fierce,
Bastion of peoples in brotherhood strong.
United, United as one blood
O Great Queen (King), the strength of Aranolts
To eternal triumph lead us forward!
United, United forever more.
Elsy, our Tribemoji winner, shared this drawing that she had made describing it as "A serene mountain top where a herder tends to some elk. Done in under 48 hours for a contest!"
If you have art, songs, poems, or any creation that relates to Chronicles of Elyria you'd be willing to share in a future CJ, find the link at the top of this section, submit, and thank you!
Thank you to all of those who submitted your fan pieces!
To help you get to know our team better, we try and interview one developer each month, or as often as is possible.
Today we bring you an interview with Wilster, one of our newest animators at Soulbound Studios.
Q: Tell us a little about how you grew up or where or both?
A: "I was born in Vietnam and came to the United States when I was three years old. Even though my family was from Vietnam, we are all Chinese. My grandparents migrated to Vietnam during the Chinese Revolution. So, I have the wonderful blessing of all three cultures: Vietnamese, Chinese, and American."
"I grew up in Wichita, Kansas and moved to Seattle to pursue art around my junior year in High school. From there I went to the Art Institute of Seattle and got my first industry job upon graduating. And the rest is history."
Q: Do you remember your first gaming experience? Tell us about it!
A: "Mario, Duck Hunt, and Arcade Ninja Turtles. Honestly my coordination isn’t that good for video games. I remember sitting on my older brother’s lap when I was a very young and just watch him play the game such as the Final Fantasy series. As I’ve gotten older, and we finally got a computer, I would spend endless hours leveling up my character on Ultima Online."
Q: Have you always been an artist? Do you draw on anything but computers?
A: "I have always been into drawing when I was a kid. We stayed indoors a lot and there wasn’t much else to do but watch TV and make up my own stories and characters with pencil and paper. I started out wanting to be come an illustrator, then to 2D animator and now 3D animator. Animation and illustration are very close and dear to my heart and I would draw in my sketchbook whenever I have the time."
Q: What was your first gig doing this sort of work?
A: "Right out of college I got a job in California as an Animator for Visual Concept, 2kSports. I started working in mocap cleanup for the MLB2k and NBA2k series."
Q: Very important question: DCU or MCU and why?
A: "The MCU had made it a wonderful and invested journey in the movies, which also brings back to the collection of older and new MCU comics. And of course, Stan Lee, the Legend."
Q: What inspires you as an artist? Who is your muse or are there others that inspire you?
A: "When I was a child I remembered sitting next to my brother as he would draw stick figures fight stories. He would take a piece of paper and draw lines across them as levels, and the fighting character has to travel up, fighting his way through from the bottom to the top and defeating a big boss at each level. In a way it resembles a side scrolling video game, but on paper."
"That inspired me to draw and tell stories, but it was not until middle school when I met my first mentor, the art instructor, Mr. Richard Jones, (who sadly passed away). He taught and inspired me to become an artist, to love art and want to make a living doing art."
"Without knowing how to make a living doing art, I enrolled in The Art Institute of Seattle, under the Animation and Media Arts department. There I met several inspiring instructors including but not limiting to, Robby Gilbert, Seth Ziechner, Brian Wells, and many friends which continuously keep me inspired and motivated in the industry."
"Also, through the Art Institute, I met a great mentor and now very close friend Derek Lee Bledsoe, whom helped me get my first industry job at 2kSports in California. A lot of people throughout my life helped me in many ways, big and small, to formed who I am today and keep me hungry and on my toes in this small and competitive field."
Q: What are your thoughts on this amazing project we’re all a part of?
A: "The fans, yes you guys, are amazing. Without your constant support and enthusiasm there wouldn’t be us. I work really well off of the energy and morale of others. When I see the passion in people, that fuels me and my passion as well. I want to thank everyone for their constant support and let’s make this one of the greatest game of all time."
Q: Do you have plans for once Elyria is launched? Any idea what you’d be in game?
A: "I would definitely jump right in and play with everyone else. I’m not sure what I would want to be yet, any suggestions?"
Q: Tell us something embarrassing about the content team they wouldn’t want you to share!
A: "I would share but you won’t see or hear from me again…and you wouldn’t want that would you?"
Q: If you could say one thing to the entire Chronicles of Elyria community, what would it be?
A: "Again, the COE community is amazing. Upon my near decade in the industry, I haven’t seen such an amazing and exciting dedicated fanbase. Upon my first day I was embraced with welcomes from everyone and you guys don’t even know what I do yet or seen and of my work. In a world of constant judgement and critics, it’s a lot of work to keep a positive outlook on things; however, this community is a constant light in the dark and help us keep moving forward. You guys are what make this project special. Thank you all very much."
Wilster, you are a true gentleman, thanks for helping us get to know you better!
The Chronicles of Elyria community has a Reddit community, lovingly managed by Hellmoon, Mickdude, ImbuedGreen, and SirApetus.
A busy month in our subReddit, Hellmoon informed me we've recently surpassed 4,000 subscribers! Keep up the great effort everyone!
If you are interested in joining our subReddit, find it here
The Chronicles of Elyria community is a busy one, and has been for a long time now. It’s so active that there are many live shows hosted each month. To help you be aware of them, and attend these enlightening and often revealing events, we've summarized those we know occur consistently each month. If you host a show on CoE and want to be included here, please contact us at [email protected].
As a recent change, if your channel hasn't added any new content in the last 90 day period, we'll remove it from this list. If you feel your show was removed accidentally, please contact us or reach out to Serpentius.
Learning Elyria is "a series hosted by Jason and Ryan from Jbros (forum names Duyo and MeltedWater). We are a new weekly show that covers different topics from Chronicles of Elyria as well as starting a weekly lore show."
A CoE Talk show from and for German speaking community members is online, hosted by Olaf Biebelix, Loki and Creamas.
"In our CoE Talk we discuss the latest CoE news, previously prepared topics and answer questions from the viewers. All of that in a fun atmosphere. We want to bring this awesome game to a group that isn't able or willing to translate everything on their own so they can be a part of an awesome community. It's hosted every Wednesday at 8 pm."
A Pirate's Guide to Elyria. It is "an interactive Lore and RP based CoE Talk Show, hosted by Captain Seli and Zigsmash, where we casually dive into the world of Elyria and talk about its lore! Each episode will cover a range of topics from the Tribes of Mann and their Religions, to the solar system and everything in between. Chat from the audience is highly encouraged, and we'll discuss theories and fan lore as well!"
"Show times are determined by how much rum the crew has had the day prior, so stay alert for announcements of when (Generally Tuesdays around 2PM Eastern, but could happen any day and time)!"
Run by Anibal and co-hosted by our Spanish-speaking Ambassadors and long-time community supporters, Gammea and Daedhel, Taberna Elyria is "a monthly podcast in Spanish where they introduce *Chronicles of Elyria and its news to spread the word to all Spanish-speaking gamers."*
"Join Anibal, Daedhel and Gammea in this new adventure!"
"The Arkadian Herald focuses on creating presentation videos for CoE from the Kingdom of Arkadia in different European languages to help people that don’t speak English. or speak very little, to learn about the game and its major features. As of now the covered languages are : English, French, Italian and Russian. A new series of videos exclusively in English, focusing on debating on specific matters regarding the game are being worked on right now. We hope to see you soon to help us spread the world of CoE to the World!"
Conclave 360 is “a community based discussions channel that seeks to help people find their home in the larger Elyrian community. Videos focus on topics ranging from introducing local community leaders, guilds, associations, and schools to discussions on how the mechanics “as described so far” will impact those people and institutions."
"Free at 1pm PDT/4pm EDT on Sundays? If you're looking for a home in Elyria, tune in to Face the Conclave and find one!"
Oceanus FM is "a collaborative broadcasting effort hosted by Alleykat and featuring all OCE Kings including Aequitas, Lor Voskara, Caprakan, and Tylsia as regular co-hosts. The channel was created to provide an Oceanic time zone live stream and video series, to talk about issues relevant to the Oceanus server of *Chronicles of Elyria."*
"Oceanus FM does not follow a strict broadcast schedule due to shift work. Watch out for announcements!"
TheoryForge. "This veteran team of streamers began a new show on Friday, May 10th, focusing on Chronicles of Elyria. The current hosts have all purchased packs with Alpha I access, and are excited to become more active members of the community. We are drawn to CoE because of its unique mechanics, and the migration of the Revival community."
Follow them at the link below, they are live every other Friday at 9pm EDT, 6pm PDT.
The BBC "(Bordweall Broadcasting Company) livestream deep dives into the latest developments from Soulbound Studios. Watch and discover what has them so excited about CoE, then join them and their guests in the CoE Discord voice after party and find out why they believe CoE is going to define a whole new genre in online gaming!"
They stream live every other Tuesday at 8pm Eastern/5pm Pacific. Watch the CoE forums for their announcements!
The Town Crier is " a live informational show/podcast featuring Morbis (Duke of Vornair), Adam (King of Vornair) and Mickdude (Count from Alésia). The topic is typically the latest goings on with the game or in the CoE community, theorycrafting about things Caspian says, or watching them blunder around with recurring technical difficulties with all the grace of a three legged giraffe. Super entertainment!"
You can catch them live every Wednesday at 3pm (PT)/6pm (ET)/10 pm (UTC).
We love running contests, promotions, and events for our players — but it turns out our players love running them as well! To help you keep track of all of the different contests and events at any given time, we've summarized them into one directory and stickied it in our General Discussion forum.
With Domain and Settlement Selection upon us, the number of community contests has risen! Don't miss out on these fun and exciting events, check out the link now!
There are a ton of talented artists in our community, many who share their creations in our forums and on our Discord server. Recently, some of those artists (including our super awesome Hellmoon) have created an official Chronicles of Elyria group over at the ultimate web destination for all art, Deviant Art.
Explore the creations, add your own or just support the creativity of our members in the CoE Deviant Art group!
Each month we'll get to know one of our esteemed Ambassadors, as well as let you know the status of current nominations and votes!
This month we interview Emery, who aside from being one of our oldest Ambassadors, is also the monarch of the Oceanus kingdom of Aequitas.
(Here we see Emery enjoying some Japanese hotpot at his favorite restaurant, Iori.)
Q: You are based in Australia. Have you always lived there? What can you share about it?
A: “Yes, I have always lived in Australia. My family has lived here since the 1850’s, and I can hardly think of a better place in the world to call home! Lots of people make the mistake of thinking that movies like Crocodile Dundee or the TV shows by Steve Irwin are a good representation of what Australia is like, and while it is true that that is the case for some of our country… a lot of it sadly a lot more tame. I live in a tiny little mining town about 45 minutes away from the National Capital of Canberra, and the most exciting thing that happens here is an annual music festival."
Q: Can you think of anything unique or interesting about your country that we may not know?
A: "Australia doesn't actually have any large carnivorous animals. You may find that strange, what with our reputation as a place filled with venomous (yes, venomous. Not poisonous) snakes and spiders, but the biggest carnivorous animal we have is a Dingo, and it's about the size of a large dog."
Q: Bunnings snags: Onion on top or bottom?
A: "On top of course. Preferably with lots and lots of BBQ sauce."
Q: Can you share a funny story with us from when you were growing up?
A: "When I first got a computer (a windows 96 machine), I stole some of my parents games, one of which was the original XCOM game, UFO: Enemy Unknown. I used to play it for hours and hours, but would get nightmare that there were going to be aliens hiding in my backyard. Maybe I was a bit young to be playing it, but I have no regrets."
Q: What are your feelings about the role of Monarch versus Ambassador? Is it difficult to juggle both?
A: "It can be a times. I feel that being a Monarch and being responsible for and to a community of players of my own can at times conflict with my responsibilities and commitments to the Chronicles of Elyria community at large. While I do try my best to treat each role separately and keep them from being confused too much, I am only human."
Q: Do you have a favorite place to travel or visit, whether on or off the continent?
A: "When I was younger I visited the Bavarian Alps in Southern Germany with my family. My family is originally (back in the 1800’s) from the Bayern region there, and it was a beautiful place! I would love to go back, and spend more time there. Definitely one of the most wonderful places I have ever been fortunate enough to b able to visit. The mountains in summer are amazing."
Q: Who is your favorite footy team in the AFL?
A: "Greater Western Sydney Giants. That being said, I don't follow the AFL too closely. I'm more of an EPL fan. Any other Spurs fans out there?"
Q: How do you like being an Ambassador?
A: "It's challenging at times, but a great experience! I sometimes feel overwhelmed by it, but being able to help new players with answers and experience is a reward all of its own."
Q: Is there anything about the volunteer role you don’t like?
A: "Sometimes people mistake you for SBS staff, or get upset when you don't have the answers they're looking for. That can be frustrating and demoralising. Remember guys! We might know a lot and be fairly genuine and helpful people, but the ambassador team is only human. We make mistakes like anyone else."
Q: Has being an ambassador helped you in any way outside of the role?
A: "It has. It's helped me build my confidence a hell of a lot, and has found its way into a little spot at the bottom of my resume."
Q: What are you thoughts about Domain and Settlement Selection as it pertains to OCE?
A: "Don't look too closely here. We're all set and decided, so it should be more a formality than anything else. If you're after drama and interesting things to look at, the Selene and Angelica servers are over that away… in all seriousness though, I think OCE has shown a lot of maturity in this event, having negotiated and planned out our placements as a server community months and months ago."
Q: If you could say anything to all of the community, what would it be?
A: "Keep smiling! The game is going to get here one day, being negative or critical isn't going to make it come any faster. The Devs in particular need to be given some respect. They take the time to listen to our feedback, and regularly come and chat with us. Don't take that for granted!"
It was great learning more about you. Thanks Emery!
This month we received one nomination that was too late to review. Early next month we'll take a look at the nominees contributions and if they qualify, we'll put 'em up for vote by the community!
If you want to learn more about this program, or know someone you would like to nominate, click on the link! Thanks for your support, as always.
With all of the craziness surrounding Domain and Settlement Selection, this program has been on a short hiatus until we can re-focus on it afterwards. Stay tuned for more news on this program in next month's CJ.
Find our Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) in orange in our official Discord server, and identified as "Subject Expert" in the forums.
Learn more about the SME program here
We are an incredibly active and busy studio, and there is always a ton going on. Here's a sneak peek at what's coming in the future:
With the exciting and world-altering Domain and Settlement Selection event underway, there's a lot going on! Hope you found something of interest or were provided a little humor after reading our April 2019 Community Journal.
Until next time,
More to come...
