Hey there folks. I don't usually frequent the forums but I'm a regular on the Discord, some of you might know me. I've made it a focus of mine to study up on the different tribes in Chronicles of Elyria and get to know their mechanics, lore, cultures, biomes, and all those factors as well as I can, partially out of interest and partially because I feel like that information can help everyone out, since at the end of the day everyone is going to be playing 1 of the 8 starting tribes.
To that end, I've worked on making a compilation of each tribe in order of best to worst for each attribute. I have assembled my reasoning for the different tribe's positions on the charts, and I also have some notes at the end about possible changes which could be made to my charts and other such things.
I will also explain a basic premise I hold about the balance of the tribes here, before I list all other reasoning and the charts themselves.
Also, enjoy this first chapter title. The rest are boring. I intersperse this with jokes though because it entertains me.
the balance of nature
-- Besides simply attributes, the tribes carry special traits (Such as Dras poison resistance and the shared Kypiq/Hrothi Short trait). These are pretty straightforward. They can be positive or negative. Most tribes have around 4 or 5 traits total, including positive and negative.
-- They also have varying adaptability scores (Which explain how adaptable to varying biomes each tribe is. Neran are the most adaptable, Brudvir and Janoa are tied for the least adaptable of the starting tribes. IMPORTANTLY, adaptability is also significant when considering tribe population. Neran are the most populous, Brudvir and Janoa are roughly tied for the least populous of the starting tribes). Note: I don't know if adaptability is the official term, but I'm using it for now because it roughly encapsulates the idea.
-- Finally, each biome carries different challenges to which the tribes have evolved to deal with. However, some biomes are more dangerous and difficult to handle than others. This works together with adaptability to determine tribe population. A suitably difficult environment demands prowess in attributes as well as traits, but is draining to the tribe's population as a whole, and may limit adaptability due to the focus on such a harsh environment.
-- As more of a supporting statistic to the ideas above, consider how frequently the tribes are found in the example kingdom list (The non-OCE list, sorry mates):
Neran: 4
To'resk: 3
The Waerd, Dras, Hrothi: 2
Kypiq(!), Janoa, Brudvir: 1
Looking at those numbers, some things can be inferred about each tribe's adaptability and population. Neran, we know, have both the highest adaptability and population. To'resk would seem to be next, but only in tropical regions due to their Wet Lung trait (What if they didn't have Wet Lung? Would they overtake the Neran? Seems important to their balance, hint hint). Waerd, Dras, and Hrothi all seem fairly average at 2. We know that the Janoa and Brudvir have the lowest adaptability, and we can see they also have fairly low population. Kypiq surprised me, I must say.
The point of this is to demonstrate the importance of the adaptability/population dynamic, and to point out how it is in play already. Attributes are just another statistic used to balance the tribes, so keeping in mind all of the others is important. While I can go on and on about this, I think everyone's ready to look at some rampant speculation.
attribute stuff
EDIT: To be clear, I didn't invent the Primary > Secondary > Tertiary thing for the stats for the tribes. They are listed in the tribe write-up posts on the forums (aka, not in the game guide).
This would be the part where I explain my (demonstrably terrible) formatting, but it's not too hard to figure out. I break it down between Physical, Mental, and Social, in that order. I list the tribes based on which have each group of stat as their primary, secondary, or (sometimes) tertiary. I explain some of the wording so we're on even footing, and I go right ahead and tear apart everything we know and hold dear. As a quick example, To'resk have Mental | Social > Physical. I consider both Mental and Social primary stats, and Physical a secondary stat.
If, for the above example, you consider Physical a tertiary stat, then that would mean Janoa have Mental as a secondary stat while Waerd have Mental as a tertiary stat. If you consider Physical a secondary stat, To'resk have Physical as a secondary stat while Brudvir and Hrothi have Physical as a tertiary stat. It's tough.
Physical
Tribes w/Physical as primary: Waerd, Janoa
Tribes w/Physical as secondary: Dras, To'resk
Tribes w/Physical as tertiary: Brudvir, Hrothi, Kypiq
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Janoa are known to carry the highest Strength and are far more agile than the majority of the tribes. They physically revered.
The Waerd are strong, lean, and more fit than the average Neran.
Dras are descendants of the Janoa, but have weakened over the ages due to their environment not being physically demanding. Confirmed to be weaker than Neran.
To'resk have evolved to be one of the less physical tribes, but their diet keeps them fit and free of fat.
Brudvir excel in physical strength and fitness, though their agility suffers due to their large form. Known to be close to Janoa in Strength, but fall a bit short.
Hrothi are stronger and more durable than your average Neran, but are far less agile.
Kypiq are "possess the least physical aptitude of all the tribes" but are, hands down, the most agile tribe.
Note: We have officially been given the Strength chart for the tribes by Caspian in Discord.
--
Strength: Hrothi > Janoa > Brudvir > Waerd > Neran > To'resk > Dras > Kypiq
Agility: Kypiq > Janoa > Waerd > Dras > Neran > To'resk > Hrothi > Brudvir
Stamina: Brudvir > Hrothi > Janoa > Waerd > Dras > Neran > To'resk > Kypiq
If you disagree with me already, I am very glad. Please comment below with your reasoning and, if possible, quotes. Be prepared to disagree even more, however, because we know arguably the most about the Physical stats.
Mental
Tribes w/Mental primary: To'resk, Hrothi, Brudvir
Tribes w/Mental secondary: Kypiq, Dras, Janoa, Waerd
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Brudvir have exceptional Will and Focus, and are stated to have mental acuity on par with Kypiq. Considering Kypiq seem to have far lower Focus, I suspect "mental acuity" refers to Reason.
Hrothi are equally balanced between all Mental stats and are very advanced at each.
To'resk are willful, calculating, and logical.
Kypiq are clever and ingenious, but are averse to long bouts of focused thinking.
Dras are willful and focused.
The Waerd are willful and focused. Extremely similar wording with Dras making it very hard to discern a difference between the two. I would guess Dras trump them mentally because Waerd seem to beat them out physically and socially, but I can't say that with much certainty.
Janoa are average Neran level mentally.
--
Will: Brudvir > To'resk > Hrothi > Kypiq > Dras/Waerd > Neran/Janoa
Reason: To'resk > Kypiq > Hrothi > Brudvir > Dras/Waerd > Neran/Janoa
Focus: Brudvir > To'resk > Hrothi > Dras/Waerd > Neran/Janoa > Kypiq
Hrothi are consistently in the 2nd or 3rd slot, To'resk are typically first or second, same with Brudvir. Kypiq are tied for second in Reason due to ingenuity, but held back somewhat because Mental is secondary not primary. Dras/Waerd seem neck and neck, almost identical wording. Neran and Janoa are fairly equal. Kypiq lag behind in Focus.
social
Tribes w/Social as primary: To'resk, Dras, Waerd, Kypiq
Tribes w/Social as secondary: Janoa, Brudvir, Hrothi
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To'resk are one of the most persuasive tribes and are nearly impossible to fool due to their intuition.
Dras focus on community, are keenly aware of intentions and good at detecting deceit, are skilled liars due to flat affects.
The Waerd are extremely persuasive, and highly intuitive.
Kypiq rely on their intuition extensively and are quite charming.
THEORY INTERJECTION: Leadership is by far the least mentioned attribute, only being noted by the Brudvir. One supposition I have made is that the tribes which mention community in their social sections have some inclination towards Leadership, which is more integral to holding together a community than the other two stats (in my estimation).
Hrothi don't stand out socially, but are slightly better than the average person.
Brudvir are not the most charming, but have high intuition and highly value leadership.
Janoa harsh, abrasive, isolated, and fall short in their social graces.
--
Persuasion: To'resk > Waerd > Kypiq > Dras > Hrothi > Neran > Brudvir > Janoa
Intuition: To'resk > Waerd > Dras > Kypiq > Brudvir > Hrothi > Neran > Janoa
Leadership: Brudvir > Dras > Kypiq > To'resk > Waerd > Hrothi > Neran > Janoa
I feel uncomfortable putting Brudvir at the top of Leadership for them having Social as a secondary stat, but since they're the only tribe that has Leadership mentioned at all I don't have much choice. Dras and Kypiq mention community which I reasoned is most tied to Leadership. To'resk and Waerd have no mention of anything that could be construed as Leadership. Janoa might be slightly above Neran average for Leadership due to hunting parties and all that, but I can't really say.
SUMMARY
Strength: Hrothi > Janoa > Brudvir > Waerd > Neran > To'resk > Dras > Kypiq
Agility: Kypiq > Janoa > Waerd > Dras > Neran > To'resk > Hrothi > Brudvir
Stamina: Brudvir > Hrothi > Janoa > Waerd > Dras > Neran > To'resk > Kypiq
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Will: Brudvir > To'resk > Hrothi > Kypiq > Dras/Waerd > Neran/Janoa
Reason: To'resk > Kypiq > Hrothi > Brudvir > Dras/Waerd > Neran/Janoa
Focus: Brudvir > To'resk > Hrothi > Dras/Waerd > Neran/Janoa > Kypiq
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Persuasion: To'resk > Waerd > Kypiq > Dras > Hrothi > Neran > Brudvir > Janoa
Intuition: To'resk > Waerd > Dras > Kypiq > Brudvir > Hrothi > Neran > Janoa
Leadership: Brudvir > Dras > Kypiq > To'resk > Waerd > Hrothi > Neran > Janoa
Factors of Balance Compilation
So, as I laid out in pretty much the first part of this post, the factors which I believe mostly balance the tribes are: power of attributes, ease of survival within their biome, amount of population measured mostly by seeing how spread they are in each kingdom, quality of their traits, and last but certainly not least, their level of adaptability in terms of how capable they are of surviving well in different environments (considering temperature, humidity, exposure, etc).
Now I'm going to lay out some of my estimated scores of where each tribe falls in these categories. I'm going to use a system of 1-5 points, with 1 being the worst and 5 being the best. For example, a 1 in biome means that tribe's biome is very difficult to survive in. A 5 in attributes means that tribe's attributes are stellar pretty much across the board.
Ideally, each tribe would have an equal total point distribution. If, in order to make a tribe balanced by the numbers, I have to contradict information given to us, I will NOT do that. So I don't promise perfectly equal scores.
All stats will be measured according to starting tribes. So, the Yoru have a harder biome than the Brudvir, but the Brudvir will still be receiving a score of 1 in biome as they have one of the hardest biomes to survive in of the starting tribes.
i . imgur . com /7jTJEIm . png
Sorry about the funky link, posting a link requires a certain amount of IP on your account. I would just make the image of the table, but I can't do that unfortunately. In case you're unaware, just copy paste that into your URL bar and delete all of the spaces.
A few quick notes. I was a bit generous with the Janoa attributes score, otherwise the attributes are based on my listings for them.
Population was calculated by looking at the tribes and how many of them are a majority in each kingdom. Brudvir/Janoa/Kypiq are only in 1, Waerd/Dras/Hrothi are in 2, To'resk are in 3, Neran are in 4. Kypiq are rated at 2 because, unlike the Brudvir and Janoa, their adaptability is pretty fine.
Adaptability was calculated through knowing that the Brudvir and Janoa have the worst adaptability, so they get 1. To'resk and Waerd are hindered by lung conditions, so they get 2. Dras, Hrothi, and Kypiq all are unhindered by lung conditions, so they get 3. Neran are known to have the highest adaptability, so they get 5.
Ironically, despite my harsh treatment of the Neran in the attributes section of this post (ie most of it), they end up with the highest total. Dras, Hrothi, To'resk, Kypiq, and Waerd are not far behind. Janoa and Brudvir are notably lagging a bit due to the hits to their population, which is a result of their poor adaptability, which is because they have had to become so specialized to live in their difficult biomes. Individually, however, they are intensely powerful with remarkable stats (Brudvir moreso than Janoa, arguably, though Janoa have more resources to speak of in their biome) and quite good traits.
Conclusion
Alright, we can breathe now. A few things. Much of this, ESPECIALLY the Mental and Social stats, and DOUBLE ESPECIALLY Leadership specifically are pretty speculative. I am not super confident that I have the order exactly correct, but I am confident on roughly how high, medium, or low certain stats are for each tribe.
Next, let me draw a few notes that are pretty clear to me, and try to explain my reasoning behind some of them.
- Brudvir seem to have excellent stats all throughout, with the exceptions of Agility and Persuasion. First or second place in 6 out of the 9 stats.
-- Consider that Brudvir have among the lowest populations, that they have one of the most difficult biomes to survive in, that they are tied with the worst adaptability. Perhaps the Brudvir have very strong individuals, but their total number may be quite small at the end of all of that.
- To'resk seem to have excellent stats all throughout, with the exception of all of the Physical stats. First or second place in 5 out of the 9 stats.
-- Yeah I can't explain this, probably messed up somehow. I probably overestimated their Mental faculties, but I feel pretty confident about the Persuasion and Intuition. Considering their population appears to be the second highest, they have okay adaptability hindered by Wet Lung, and their biome seems to not be that difficult to survive in compared to the others, I'd say that me reworking some of the Mental stats is reasonable. I just cannot explain anyone else taking the first place spots except Brudvir. Maybe Kypiq are #1 in Reason, but then Brudvir are neck and neck with them.
EDIT 3: Snipehunter has recently confirmed in Discord that Brudvir are not, in fact, equal to Kypiq Reasonwise. The older quote is apparently outdated, then. However, he also confirmed that To'resk are superior to Kypiq in the Reason. I, then, strongly doubt any other tribes exceed To'resk in Reason. I have changed this post accordingly.
--
Overall, looking back at everything, I probably overestimated the To'resk and Brudvir while underestimating most others. I think I got the Waerd pretty solidly, as well as the Dras (who largely have medium stats but have STUNNING traits, decent adaptability not hindered by Wet Lung, and have a pretty fine biome). The wording about the Waerd/Dras Mental stats bugs me though. Still thinking Dras might have slightly higher Mental than the Waerd. Probably underestimated the Kypiq, Hrothi, and I can't help but feel that the Janoa have something they're good at besides the Physical. Maybe Leadership? No idea. I do feel like I got the Hrothi Mental stats right though. Not the first in anything, but second or third in everything. Kypiq might have higher Will.
I have the nagging itch to rework some of the Mental stuff to try and rebalance things (lookin at you, To'resk), but I will hold off on that after some comments. Or if that takes too long I'll edit it and say down here what I changed.
TL;DR control+F summary, read that part, then read everything else.
EDIT: Mace has suggested to me that the reason To'resk are excellent Mentally and Socially while still remaining balanced is that their traits are, overall, pretty subpar and don't offer them much. This might explain it. Their biome might also be more dangerous than I gave it credit for, what with all the flood and drought stuff.
EDIT 2: Caspian has provided the full Strength chart in the same format as my lists here. This excellent piece of information has been added to this post.
