Happy April everyone!

The seasons are turning here at the studio, the skies are changing to blue and the precipitation is taking its annual reprieve. Despite Mother Nature doing her annual cleaning, there are storm clouds brewing on the horizon in an entirely different sense. We can begin to see why by examining all that occurred in the month of March, year 2019.

A look back:

• Our month started off with shiny time from Snipehunter, where we debuted the Janoan architecture concepts for the first time. Take a look at their very different structures and resourcefulness in this post.
• In his annual update, Caspian shared a glimpse into where we are as a studio, what we're working on, and where we are going. Most importantly, why in 2019, we are the storm. Read and see a plethora of updates and images in the latest State of Elyria.
• Next we continued our theme of sharing Janoan related shinies by showcasing a rare look into the artifacts of the Janoa. Housewares and other effects are imagined in this concept drawing from Heat.
• With a lot happening at the studio, we believed it was a good time for a public livestream on our Twitch channel. The Q&A thread gained over 150 questions ranging from Domain and Settlement Selection to Prelyria.
• What happened next was a surprise from Snipehunter, as we temporarily broke away from showing tribal architecture to showcase something exciting we've been working on that has been frequently asked about in the community: Combat. Bask in the awesomeness that is Snipehunter talking about both armed and ranged combat (with screenshots!), and a few other unique pieces of information.
• As the time of Renewal arrived in Elyria, we gained a further glimpse into culture in the world with a lore store about the Flower Festival! Learn all about it and the Free Mann tavern in this kickoff to the seasonal occurrence.
• Coinciding with this time of year, the Pilgrimage of Renewal returns alongside the Festival of Renewal promotion! Check out the new store items (in the online store until the 4th!) and see what has returned for this limited time. The promotion ends in 3 days on April 4th, at 12pm PDT.
• After a brief site maintenance, players were greeted with three highly anticipated features made live on the website for their use. Full-stack Title Transfers, Package Claiming, and Title Trade-ins were ready to go, and players were given new options to manage their titles and packages before we get into the Domain and Settlement phase.
• Our Twitch Livestream was an exciting good time as Vye, Caspian, and Snipehunter answered your questions from the Q&A thread above. Below we share the video uploaded to our YouTube channel for easy access, enjoy!
• In our final shiny of the month, we shared something else entirely. With Domain and Settlement Selection on the horizon, and players inquiring about all aspects of the map they'll be viewing during the event, Snipehunter decided to give a lesson on those maps and how they relate to Cartography in the game. Check out his "mini design journal" on maps and cartography showing our current state of all 3 "types" of maps, I think you'll find it enlightening!

ICYMI: Here is our March 27th Public Livestream replay:

For more details and updates, check out our website at https://chroniclesofelyria.com

Surname reservations:

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.

Favorite declines:

• Hollywood
• II
• Murder
• Prodigy
• Noobie
• Anous Maximus
• Kill
• The ShadowDemon
• Titan
• WhiteNight
• Kr0nic
• FlyHumpy

Most attempted: Havok or version of

Standouts:

• Khaerducan
• Kræsh'anizz
• Darincore
• Raustreghtoughn
• Astrvütr
• Mrvelj

Popular Memes

Each month we'll spotlight one or two of our favorite memes that were shared via the forums or Discord.

Howard submitted this popular meme with an astute observation about many Elyrians:

In another interesting meme that the community enjoyed, Stormbreaker showed off his space-time skills with 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!

Meet a Dev

To help you get to know our team better, we try and interview one developer each month, or as often as is possible.

This month the Creator himself, Caspian, is who we will be talking to. If you somehow don't know who he is, he's the creative director, founder, CEO, and top dawg at Soulbound Studios.

Thanks for taking the time to answer our questions Caspian!

Q: How did you first realize that this was the career you wanted to focus on? Be it either game development or just IT in general.
A: "Wow. So this first question is going to end up being a pretty heavy topic. Hopefully it inspires others though. So, I started playing games pretty early, but it wasn’t until several years later than I realized making video games was something I could do. I got my first game console – the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) for my 6th birthday, but the way the cartridges worked it just seemed like making video games was something only companies like Nintendo and Sega could do. I didn’t have exposure to Atari, Commodore, or early computers, so to me video games were synonymous with console games."

"But then, when I was in junior high, I got my first PC. Shortly after that a friend of mine got me the Sierra Adventure Pack which included the point & click adventure games, Space Quest, Kings Quest, and Leisure Suit Larry. It was at that point I realized that there was another medium for video games aside from home consoles and arcade machines. Computers themselves could be used to make video games. I had heard computers were programmable so I decided I could learn to program video games. I had my mom take me to CompUSA in Anaheim, CA, I walked up to the clerk and told him I wanted to program video games and he sent me to the aisle with programming books. I picked up my first book on C programming, and within a few years was making my own 1st person shooters and procedural maze games thanks to authors like André LaMothe and Christopher Lampton."

"That process of learning how to program video games was key, but it wasn’t really the deciding factor. Without going into too much detail, I had a rough childhood and was exposed to alcoholism, domestic violence, and depression. Three topics that today are still the key focus areas of any charitable work I do. And while I was in high school, I used video games and my ability to make video games as an escape from reality. More than anything, my drive to create video games as a career came from a desire to create alternate worlds that other people could enjoy and, if necessary, escape to. Fortunately, my reasons have become more positively motivated since first becoming a game programmer. But my desire to create alternate worlds hasn’t gone away."

Q: Where did the concept of Chronicles of Elyria come from originally? (or when?)
A: "The concept for Chronicles of Elyria began back in 2000 while I was still in college. I was reading several good fantasy novels at the time, while also playing a lot of text-based MUDs and some early MMOs like Ultima Online. While reading The Wheel of Time, by Robert Jordan, I had the idea of a MUD that was comprised of noble leaders vying for power while their plans were simultaneously being disrupted by players who had rare Talents and the ability to shape a procedural narrative. I created a design document for the MUD and gave it the title “Ta’veren.” Of course, after doing a little research I quickly became aware of all of the complexities involved in intellectual property and moved away from the idea of the game being in the universe of the Wheel of Time. Instead, I started using my research into world religions as a way to create and define my own world. I’ll be honest though, my young mind never gave up hope that one day I’d pitch the game to Robert Jordan. When he passed, I silently mourned the man as well as the possibility I’d ever be able to collaborate with him. "

Q: What has been the most memorable moment for you in developing CoE so far?
A: "That is such a hard question! I’ve talked to so many amazing people at conventions and had so many successes and failures during my time at Soulbound Studios that it’s really hard to choose. But, I think the most memorable moment for me was at our very first PAX East. We’d set up our booth so people could come and play our PAX Exclusive demo which was designed to show off the combat mechanics. We’d had a ton of people coming into our booth to check out the game and we even had a tournament going where people would fight to see who the winner for the day was going to be. At one point, a person came into the booth who was in a wheel chair and who had a significant lack of mobility in his hands and upper body. So I took the keyboard and mouse off the high top table and placed it in his lap and helped him play the game. We then had a conversation about accessibility and making sure the game was fun to play for everyone. In particular, he told me how much easier it was for him to play games on a gamepad than a keyboard and mouse. That moment stuck with me as a reminder of how important it is not to assume our players are just like us, and to be sensitive to the needs of our players."

Q: How did you convince your wife to allow you to fund this project of yours? Is there any interesting story there?
A: "Ha! Good question! You already know I started thinking about and designing CoE back in 2000. Well, I met my wife a few years before that, though she obviously wasn’t my wife yet. So, she saw the entire journey from 2000 to 2015. All the work I had put into designing the game. The time spent prototyping mechanics or testing elements of the simulation. She saw my dozens of design journals piled up on the corner with my notes about the game. She knew how important CoE was to me. When I asked, “Hey, how about we sell the land we were going to use to build our dream home on so I can make this a reality,” she said “Of course. We’d just be trading one dream for another.” What can I say, I married up."

Q: If Chronicles of Elyria is the answer, what do you want the question to be?
A: "What game should I play if I’m looking for a rich, immersive world where I can get lost in the fantasy while simultaneously being able to have a real, meaningful impact on the world?"

Q: Do you have any pets? (Aside from Beta 2, that is) Can you tell us anything fun or interesting about them?
A: "My family has three cats, two robo hamsters, a betta, and a growing number of guppies in the hatchery I’ve set up at my home. I’ve always had cats. In fact, one of my cats just turned 18 years old this year. He’s been with me since before I was married, before I started working on CoE, and has lived with me in three different states. As for the hatchery, I love aquatic life. I’ve had saltwater aquariums, freshwater aquariums, and am a rescue diver. I’ve even volunteered for the Seattle Aquarium as a diver to feed the animals and clean their large dome aquarium. Really, anything to get in the water or get closer to the aquatic animals."

Q: What advice would you give someone looking to create their dream game?
A: "I’d say, if you’ve got an idea – just start doing it, and do it to the best of your ability. Don’t let anyone tell you what you can and cannot do. Know yourself and your limits, and then continuously push yourself. People who believe in you and have faith in you will come along for the ride, and those who don’t, won’t stick around to hold you back."

Q: It is known you’re a fan of Capoeira, are you able to continue practicing it with your busy schedule? What drew you to it in the 1st place? A: "I’ve actively participated in several martial arts. I started in Jeet Kune Do back in elementary school, moved over to Taekwondo in college, and then moved to Capoeira in my late 20’s and early 30’s. In truth, I haven’t done any martial arts in a few years. As for what drew me to it initially? So many things! Initially, I loved the physical challenge of it. Capoeira requires strength, endurance, balance, and flexibility. It was a great way to get into shape and I was already good at aerial techniques like handsprings and summersaults so it was a natural progression. But not long after joining Capoeira I realized the real beauty of the art is in the community and culture surrounding it. When you attend a Batizado you’re like family, and when you jump into the roda with someone it’s like you’ve been friends your whole life. Being with other Capoeristas is a totally different feeling than being around other martial artists. There’s a certain energy and life that surrounds the community."

Q: What is your favorite Elyrian Tribe, and why?
A: "My favorite Elyrian tribe is always the one I’m currently working on. I know that sounds campy, but it’s true. Whenever I start iterating on a tribe I try and identify as that tribe; think about what their perspectives would be, what their ceremonies and practices would be, and for the time-being, I’m convinced they’re the best tribe. When I think about how I design the tribes of Elyria I’m reminded of a quote from one of my favorite movies, “Searching for Bobbie Fischer.” In the movie, the character is quoted as saying “He’d [Bobby Fischer] play both sides of the board equally hard, careful to be fair, and he always won.” I design the tribes the same way. I design each tribe to their highest potential, careful to be fair, and when I’m done, they’re the best tribe. And then the process repeats with a different tribe."

Q: What are you playing right now?
A: "I don’t have as much time for games as I used to. You know, for obvious reasons. But that said, I do use games still to clear my head, or to spend time with my children. If I’m alone and I don’t have long to play, or if I’m playing with both of my kids I’ll jump into a Heroes of the Storm game. If it’s just me and my son and we’ve got a bit longer to play we’ll load up Civilization 5. And if I’m by myself and I’ve got some time, I’ll jump into either Sea of Thieves, or if I’m not in the mood to play multiplayer, I’ll typically look at some 4X or City Sim game. Most recently I was playing Frostpunk and Cities: Skylines. Both amazing games in my opinion, for completely different reasons."

Q: Any chance you will host another Screeps session in the future?
A: "Heh. It’s hard to say. I really enjoy the game but it does take some time. I enjoy the process of coding, so I typically start from scratch each time I play in order to create a better architecture than the last time. But that can quickly snowball into a time sink. So the last couple winters I’ve started up a Screeps server, written some AI, and then gotten busy again with work, leaving the server unattended. Generally this ends with the server going down permanently for one reason or another because I don’t have the time to commit to the necessary maintenance. So I think I’d rather solve both of those problems by finding a group of people that want to form a co-op on the official server. Then I don’t have to spend time starting over, and I don’t have to take on the responsibility of a server admin."

Q: Do you have anything exciting you’d like to share with this audience right now?
A: "Well, I already talked about my new hatchery at home. I’m creating a couple new strains of guppies. I’m trying to create a strain that looks like lady bugs (red w/ black spots) and a strain that looks like bumble bees (yellow with black stripes). Because I’m a fish geek that’s exciting to me. Of course there’s a lot that’s exciting at work right now. But people are just going to have to wait a little while longer to learn about that news."

Q: There are many unique and interesting religions in Elyria. Which one is closest to your own beliefs?
A: "All of them. I was raised non-denominational Christian and was even studying to become a youth minister at one point in my life. But due to difficult things going on at the time I had a crisis of faith and started to pursue answers in other religions. Some more conventional, and some less conventional. Eventually, religion for me became less about answering the impossible questions of what happens after death, or how the world was created, and became more about understanding myself and my role in the universe. And while my spiritual journey is far from over, I think I’ve reached a place where I’m content simply to acknowledge that I’m a spiritual person without subscribing to any one particular religion. I think I’m most aptly described as an Omnist at this point; believing in the pursuit of spirituality and higher purpose, while respecting the necessity and validity of all religions."

Q: If you could say anything to the entire Community of backers and supporters, what would it be?
A: "Unequivocally it would be “Thank you!” Chronicles of Elyria started out as a brain child of mine nearly 20 years ago. Then it became a hobby, and then an obsession. I picked it up and put it down at varying stages in my life but it has always been a driving force behind what skills I tried to acquire, what relationships I tried to build, etc. I’d say it is easily one of the most significant driving forces of my life. And it’s only become what it is today because of the support and kindness of our community and backers."

"It’s surreal to me when I hear about couples getting married that met in the CoE Discord or IRC channels. It’s even more surreal when I hear that those people have had children, or that they’ve named their children after a character from the universe we’re building like Caspian or Anara! I’m floored whenever someone takes the time out of their day to send something to the office on behalf of the studio because they were thinking about us, or when community members meet up in real life to spend time with their new friends that they made through the game’s community."

"I set out to make games so that people would have some escape from reality, something they could cling to, something better than their reality. But CoE has made me realize that a successful game developer isn’t one that can make a better world, but one who makes the world better."

Thanks a ton Caspian for sharing all of this with us, cheers!

Meet a Mod

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.

This month we speak to our newest moderator SirApetus! He was promoted from the Ambassador role recently, let's have a chat.

(Image created by Nienie)

Nice to talk to you SirApetus.

Q: What is your first video game experience that you can remember?
A: "My first video game experience that I can remember would me being about 5 years old, and playing Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas on my older brothers PlayStation 2! However, my first video game experience that I had that I owned myself, was Pokemon Sapphire, which is one of my favorite games of all time as it holds a lot of memories very dear to me. (Torchic for the win!)"

Q: Did you ever play in video arcades or is that ancient tech to you?
A: "What is an arcade?"

Q: PlayStation, Xbox, or Nintendo console, and why?
A: "Nintendo all the way! I was never a big console gamer myself, PC always interested me, even when I did not have a very good computer, but Nintendo was one of the first game systems I could call my own, the original Nintendo DS. I consider Nintendo a separate entity from console games and that they go hand and hand with PCs. Super Smash Bros. Brawl is one of my favorite games for the Wii, and you can not go wrong with any Mario game!"

Q: Do you have any hobbies you enjoy outside of gaming you’d like to share?
A: "Hobbies... hmmm, does spending hours upon hours in Discord count? If so that is one of my most extensive hobbies, other than that I enjoy reading a lot and used to get in trouble all the time in school for reading when I was not supposed to, currently I have been enthralled in the Wheel of Times Series, currently on book 10, it is very good! I enjoy watching videos on YouTube, ranging from science videos, to gaming, to even weird conspiracy videos, I also enjoy browsing Reddit as that is an easy time killer. I am currently accepting recommendations for hobbies."

Q: Where did your nickname come from?
A: "Over the years I have gone through many different usernames, one of my first was XxArtemisFxX on the Xbox360, then I was going to do something to do with penguins but I decided against it, eventually I settled up the username WelshLP(Welsh Let's Play), at the time I was thinking of the word Welch because I love Welch's fruit snacks, and I thought I came up with the word Welsh, turns out I was wrong and Welsh are people too! Who knew?! I was WelshLP for a while, but I decided I wanted to do something different, so I was doing some thinking and thought of one of my favorite pantheons, Greek, and I was thinking of different gods and titans, and came upon Iapetus ("the Piercer"), the titan of Morality. I decided to change it up a bit and added Sir to the front to create "SirIapetus", but that just did not roll of my tongue very well, so I removed the "i" and "SirApetus" was born!"

Q: What’s the first thing that comes to your mind when I say the word “Keeper”?
A: "Keeper, the first thing that comes to mind is Anara Starsong and Keeper of the Chronicles from Wheel of Time. (I spy a connection there :P)"

Q: How do you enjoy being a Moderator compared to being an Ambassador?
A: "I enjoyed being an Ambassador a lot, I loved the Green name color (green is a lovely color), and I just loved helping people in general, answering questions, and just doing my best to make sure that people have proper knowledge about CoE! Being a moderator, I can still do all of that and more, it seemed to me to be a natural progression for me as I wanted to help out in more different ways as well! One thing to note is that being an Ambassador, what you say carries more weight, but now being a moderator, what I say carries even more weight, and one thing I do wish that I could do is speak with my mod hat off so to speak, but nonetheless I love being a moderator and doing my best to help out this community! "

Q: What is your favorite part of the volunteer role?
A: "My favorite part is simply helping people! Whether it be answering a question a community member has about the game or helping guide the peace in the Discord. I have been following this game since the Kickstarter all the way back in May of 2016, almost 3 years ago, and I have fallen in love with the community and made so many friends and have shared many laughs with them all! I love being able to give back whenever I can."

Q: Anything you dislike about it?
A: "I can be a rather passive happy go lucky person most of the time, and you would very rarely see me upset or angry, and I always try to be as rational and unbiased as I can, and I like to imagine I am pretty good at it! So my least favorite part is when someone takes something the wrong way, or assumes I am being personal about it, when that is never the case, I will be fair to everyone, regardless of who they are."

Q: What are your plans once Chronicles of Elyria launches?
A: "I have a few different plans! When I first found this game, I had a plan in mind right away! I was going to aim to be a renowned assassin, so I got the Astronomer package so I could have all the accesses to the different alphas and betas, but the package also came with a mayor title that I was at the time most likely going to melt down for EP. However the Free Kingdom Event came around a year or so later and I decided to give it a whirl to try and win a package, and I ended up winning a Courtier package, I then switched gears and am now going to be running my county to the best of my ability with a focus on alchemy, tinkering and medicine, and I plan to house a university for those subjects in my settlement as well as a "Great Library" for all things, having folks search for relics and adventure in ancient tombs, a place to read lore and the history of the World of Elyria, stuff of that nature. I have gather a wonderful community that I absolutely adore and I can not wait to play this game with them. However my heart still ache to do some deviant related stuff,so I will have an alt, or rather I consider it a co-main on my account where I will partake in that kind of stuff, or rather I hope to, if I happen to be really busy with being a count I will put that on the back of the shelf until I inevitably lose my title. In any-case, I hope to make my mark on the world of Elyria in some way!"

Q: If you could say anything to the entire community right now, what would it be?
A: "Hmm, this is a tough one, there are lots of things I could say, but I think I will take this time to thank the community as a whole. Without all of you this game would simply not be where it is today. I feel very lucky to be apart of this community and I look forward to the years! Thank you all for everything you do, from theory crafting in Discord, to creating art and stories, to the memes and the last but not least, the support for this project!"

Thanks for letting us get to know you!

More about Mods

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 have discussed players with numerous Discord nicknames, a community media channel, and lots of other items we feel would make the community better. As we finalize each of these improvements or changes, we will share them with everyone.

Becoming a mod:

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!

Meet an Organization

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.

Today we learn about the R.B.S.A.P. from their guildmaster, Isolde Darkholm.

Official Organization name: Royal Blackheart Society of Alchemists and Physicians

Server: Angelica (NA-W)

Kingdom affiliation: Blackheart

How did you form? "There were two alchemists of equivalent ingenuity and passion, yet their methodologies were diametrically opposed to one another. However, they came to a realization that they had a common goal, and that they could accomplish far more if they collaborated. All it took were a few explosions. Read the lore story here!"

Leadership: "I (Isolde Darkholm) am the guildmaster and oversee all operations in the headquarters. My second-in-command is Sylen Darkholm, the High Apothecary. Next in the hierarchy are the Spina Obscura; a small circle to be entrusted with clandestine research projects that may be too dangerous for the general public. Branching out from the headquarters in several different counties and duchies, we have Stewards that lead satellite chapters of the guild, where they have jurisdiction under their own guildhalls. But all of our members are significant; whether novice or master, it is your combined research efforts that allow the guild to reach its full potential and increase the rate of discovery for everyone."

What is the Organization's purpose?: "We are a research guild of dedicated artisans in the field of alchemy. Technological innovation shall never be stifled, nor shall innovators be persecuted for their research. We shall provide protection for those that delve into dangerous technology, as well as safeguard their secrets. Of course, the R.B.S.A.P. plans to exhaustively cover all aspects of healing, purification, and toxicology, but these are some special interest areas that we hope to delve into, game mechanics allowing!"

• "Volatile and explosive concoctions"
• "Inks and dyes"
• "Synthesis of crystals and gemstones"
• "Biological weaponry and plaguemancy"
• "Prolongation of life (immortality)"
• "Transmutation of metals"
• "Fertilizer"
• "Discovering and improving fuel sources"

Motto/Slogan: "Dispel ignorance by acquiring knowledge. Conquer fear by applying it. Achieve immortality by creating it."

Fun Fact: "OPAlScSiLiScMgF MgPTiB KVBBCaArPMgMgK!"

Discord here

Recruitment thread: here

Thanks bunches Isolde for introducing the community to R.B.S.A.P.!

Meet a Kingdom

This month we learn more about the Oceania Kingdom of Caprakan.

We received these details from their newly crowned Monarch, KingOfTheSouth.

Official Kingdom name: Caprakan

Server: Oceania (OCE)

Leadership: "Caprakan is a tribalised constitutional oligarchy led by Prime Yaotl “Heart–Taker” Sanók and governed by the Circle of Heads (CoH)Heads. Unlike a more traditional feudal system, the Prime is considered chief among peers with each Klave largely responsible for managing their territory as they see fit within the confines of Caprakan’s overarching structure."

"The CoH is unique in that while the Prime and Klaves are automatic members, there will be a number of representatives elected by the community to sit specified terms within the CoH – this gives citizens direct input into shaping the direction and policies of the Kingdom."

"Supporting the CoH and Prime are a cabal of Elders; people selected for their subject matter expertise, regardless of social rank, to advise and assist in the administration of the Kingdom or carry out specified tasks."

Kingdom colors: "Red & Gold"

Kingdom crest:

Goals of the Kingdom: "Watch this video"

Fun Fact: "To wind down from a hard day of ripping out our enemies hearts, we're starting a band. Preacher and the Pacemakers held auditions recently, and here's our very own Black Prince's audition for lead singer."

Discord: here

Recruitment thread: here

Closing statement: "Steeped in primitive portrayals and enchantingly dark – Caprakan is an otherworldly location so foreign in its presentation and nature that it demands adventure. With the very environment working against the stranger, the many that try to encroach on its borders may not see beyond the brutal exterior to the cultured and structured society within. This is a place where you will notice the biome and it will have a lasting impact on your day to day activities. It will be immersive and impressive to behold, harsh and unforgiving, but also rewarding and extremely generous to those who persevere. Under a constitutional oligarchy, Prime Yaotl leads the Klave of the Kingdom firmly but fairly. The society is based on a meritocracy, with the Klave largely free to govern their dominions as they see fit within the foundations of Caprakan society."

Community Spotlight

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.

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Der Blutharsch submitted and wanted to share the iconography of the Infinite Church of the Limitless Gaze.

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Balthatzaar Avöur, The Word-Smith submitted this ballad described as "A kingdom rallies behind a cry, to arms and to muster"

BALLAD OF WAR

And so men gathered under the flag of the fox,
Beneath the nine tails and its king.
The lands of Aequitas, Of City and County, Duchy
too,
Stood ready for what the tide might bring

Upon the shores of rocks and sand
Traps laid by common hand
Menn and womenn, swords and shields
Ready to defend their homeland

The city defends–It’s walls stand proud
In defense of the common mann
The people toil over land and ore
Ready to defend their homeland

The battle bloody of land and sea
Clans fighting bitterly
Of death and smoke do the battles smell
Death in the face of victory

Mothers, Daughters, Fathers and Sons
Weep of loss and misery
As bodies rest beneath the land
Death in the face of victory

Fighting done, across the land
The invaders flee, a withering form
Chase them away, for all our kin
Aequitas remains, weathering the storm.

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Ernesti Echevalier sent in this beauty and described it as "His little IRL Elyria", we think it's grand!

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Last but certainly not least, Athorias submitted this map rendition and says "This is how i envision my county, together with my mayors we are building towards a great future :)."

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One extra piece of Community content this month, we've included this video from Duke Nimb Zephyr from Vornair as "the 2nd video in a series about the lore behind the Anemoi." Check it out below:

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Thank you to all of those who submitted your fan pieces!

Reddit community

The Chronicles of Elyria community has a Reddit community, lovingly managed by Hellmoon, Mickdude, ImbuedGreen, and SirApetus.

Aside from hitting 4,000 subscribers on our official Reddit, not too much new activity has occurred this month on the Reddit, but if you frequent that community and notice something newsworthy, feel free to send it our way!

If you are interested in joining our subReddit, find it here

Community shows

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].

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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."

Their Channel

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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."

Their Channel

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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)!"

Their Channel

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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!"

Their Channel

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"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!"

Their Channel

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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!"

Their Channel

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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!"

Their Channel

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Cremoria News Network [CNN] "is a weekly CoE talk show brought to you by the Duchy of Cremoria. They do deep dives on CoE mechanics, interviews, and community news. Tune in every Sunday at 6pm Eastern / 3pm Pacific for this classy and sassy stream."

Their Channel

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Vendor Trash is " two guys with a laundry list of gaming street cred dating back to the 80’s. It was first a failed dumpster diving blog, then they failed at motivational speaking, and then finally found their calling talking about Chronicles of Elyria. They are excited the game they've always dreamed of is finally being made. After many episodes they are still going strong, come join their throbbing obsession."

Find past episodes on iTunes or your favorite podcast app.

Their Channel

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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.

Their Channel

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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!

Their Channel

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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).

Their Channel

Community contests

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.

The Art of Elyria!

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!

Ambassadors

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!

Meet an Ambassador

This month we interview Katlynna, who also happens to be the Monarch of the OCE Kingdom, Tylsia. Thanks for sharing with us!

(On the right, we see the Monarch of Tylsia grinning)

Q: I understand you are from Australia, have you always lived there?
A: “Yep! I’m from Australia, through and through. I’m also a country dweller – although I live only an hour out of Melbourne (the state capital of Victoria, where I live), I live “out in the sticks” compared to what most people are used to. I led a very different life growing up to what most people are used to in Australia!"

Q: What is something about Australia that you feel wouldn’t work anywhere else?
A: “Definitely our attitude towards… pretty much everything. A major, terrible event can occur and within minutes Australians will be making jokes. Although that happens on the internet these days as well, it’s been an aspect of our culture that has always been around – Aussies were making jokes about the 9/11 attacks moments after seeing them. I guess its part of our way of dealing with tragedies – better to laugh than cry, right? Also, I don’t think anywhere else in the world had a politician take a lump of coal into a sitting of Parliament :)"

Q: Lamingtons or Tim tams?
A: “Neither these days for me, personally! (Dietary) But anyone that answers Lammies over Tim Tams is a heather. Tim Tam Slam forever! (Tim Tam Slam is where you bite off opposite corners/ends of the bikkie, and then use it as a straw for hot chocolate! So good)" "Serp: I have no idea what that means, but cool!"

Q: Anything interesting happen as you were growing up you’d care to share?
A: "Not really, honestly. I grew up in a quiet country town, the most interesting thing I remember happening, I was involved in. It was somewhat illegal, but very amusing… what can I say, young Aussies like to make things explode!“

Q: Do you find being a Monarch and Ambassador difficult?
A: “Absolutely – to the extent that I’ve had to step away from CoE related things in recent months due to IRL work commitments. By far the most difficult part of the dual responsibilities, is the sheer time commitment. As an Ambassador, I’m constantly trying to keep up to date with the latest official info released through DJs and the like, but also the latest bits and pieces that Caspian has teased us with on Discord! Then add in trying to manage a community and all the background issues that comes with it can become quiet overwhelming."

Q: If you were forced to move off the continent, where would your #1 destination be and why?
A: “Europe! I visited Spain in the middle of last year – met up with a fellow Ambassador and a Moderator while there! – and I loved every minute. I barely scratched the surface of things to do in Spain, let alone the rest of the EU. I can’t say for certain where in the EU I’d end up – but somewhere where my IT know-how would be in demand would be an inevitability"

Q: Who is your fave footy team in the AFL?
A: "Essendon Bombers! Now, let’s start an argument about why AFL shouldn’t be referred to as “Footy” or “Football” ;)“

Q: How do you like being a community Ambassador?
A: “Current time commitment issues notwithstanding, I love it! Being able to help community members grow their knowledge is amazing. Tied in with that, it’s hugely satisfying when by simply talking to people and applying the knowledge I have of the game, a skeptic becomes a fan"

Q: Anything you don’t like about it?
A: “I’m going to sound like a broken record… the time commitment! Also, it does get mildly frustrating when because you’re an Ambassador, people expect 100% accuracy in everything we say. We’re only humans – we make mistakes! (e.g., not realising a piece of information has been superseded"

Q: Did anything you’ve learned as an Ambassador help you in your kingdom leadership efforts?
A: "Make sure you have references. for. everything. But honestly, not really – they have fairly similar overlap of skills in my opinion, and those skills are ones I’d already developed.“

Q: For funsies, tell us who you think will rule Oceania by year 5 and why? (I promise I won’t hold you to whatever prediction you divulge)
A: “I fully expect none of the day 1 Monarchs to be in power by year 5! I think we’re going to get our butts kicked by the story engine – anyone could end up in power. Even you, Serp!... I’m watching you."

Q: If you make a shout out to the community right now as an Ambassador, what would you say?
A: “Be kind!"
"Recently on Oceanus there has been some drama around past events, in which I’ve been entangled. In the process of these events playing out, people seem to have forgotten that we’re a pre-release community, and that vocally attacking or using subterfuge to undermine each other only hurts the community in the long run, as it merely pushes people away – myself included. After all, who wants to be a part of a toxic community for a game that isn’t even out?"

It was great learning more about you, thanks Kat!

Ambassador Nominations

This month we didn't have any nominations that met the minimum criteria to be put up for vote.

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.

Subject Matter Experts

As our 10 official SMEs are settling into their volunteer role, we're evaluating a few late stragglers who've applied to be a part of the initial group. It won't be long now before our 2nd official group is called upon, so keep your eyes peeled!

If you've already submitted your application for a different round, we'll automatically review you once the 2nd round expertise areas are decided upon. Thank you all for your ongoing support!

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

What’s next?

We always have plenty going on at the studio, and as we ramp up this year of the storm, more is coming:

• Influence awards - These have been tallied and shortly you will see if you earned any extra IP during this last round of contributions.
• Player event rewards - Related to Conquest, Kickstarterversary, Searing Plague, Lost Vault and other prizes you’ve earned up until now, those that were reliant to happen prior to Domain and Settlement Selection have occurred, the remaining prizes are still pending awarding.
• The exciting next entry of Souzou's lore story about the flora of Elyria!
• 0.5.0 Production completion blog - Soon a designer will wrap up our latest and very lengthy adventure and all that was accomplished therein.
• Domain and Settlement Selection - Still one of the most anticipated pre-Alpha features, we are closing in on the initial launch date when players will decide where they will finally call home and what biome they expect to participate in.
• Our annual May Kickstarterversary - will happen this year with a twist as it intertwines with the D&SS event.
• Much, much more!

I hope you enjoyed the humor, stories, interviews, and summary of activities from last month in this March Community Journal.

Until next time,

More to come...