Will you survive the Searing Plague Event!? By Serpentius

The Soulbound Studios Outreach and Community teams have been working overtime to bring you our greatest community event so far. Step back in time with us to when a plague was ravaging the known lands. Will it overtake all of Elyria and plunge the world into death and decay, or will the citizens of Elyria band together halting its growth, to save the world? Only YOU can determine the fate of Elyria and help write the history of our world!

We are super excited to share with you our latest story reveal and the mysterious as well as exciting event it precludes: The Searing Plague!!

History

Though accounts from the time of the Searing Plague are plentiful, the exact events are unclear.

This terrible disease tore through Elyria for three, long years, bringing suffering and death to every corner of the world. What I can tell you - what I have seen - is that it was the region of Menas which was hit the hardest. A fertile region, known as much for it’s family farms handed down for dozens of generations as its stately trees dripping with moss or highland passes accessible year round. The region was a jewel and therefore settled by several tribes who took advantage of its meandering rivers and mild winters to grow their crops. -Anara Starsong

To learn more about what transpired that led to this fateful time in Elyrian history, read on!

What is it?

The Searing Plague is a massive community event with a lot of participation options. The event outcome will canonize Elyrian lore, and ultimately it will all depend on you! As either a Plague Carrier or as a Pure Elyrian your actions will dictate the course of the Searing Plague!

When is it?

This event will run from today, August 3rd to September 14th, at noon pacific time - that's over 40 days of fun and excitement!

What is involved?

The entire community will help decide not only the history of Elyria, but also which awesome rewards you will earn by the event's conclusion.

Each of you have a variety of ways to take part, either as a Plague Carrier or as a Pure Elyrian.

Many of our community members have been hungry for a longer lasting promotion similar to the Free Kingdom of Elyria event, and this is it! This event lasts over 6 weeks and, while not the norm for us, we know you'd appreciate the extra time to rally your compatriots, spread the word, and strategize.

There are many elements to this promotion and event. Here we will outline them and, later in this blog, point you to further instructions.

Event Landing Page - A place to check on the status of the meters, participate, choose roles, keep track of all that is happening with the event, access the discussion channels, and so much more.

- A place to check on the status of the meters, participate, choose roles, keep track of all that is happening with the event, access the discussion channels, and so much more. Pick-A-Path Lore - The event wouldn't be complete without a lore story and, this time, you get to help decide how it turns out! Each week the collective actions of the community will cause additional lore to be revealed that will help shape the story and fill in a major event in Elyria's history!

- The event wouldn't be complete without a lore story and, this time, you get to help decide how it turns out! Each week the collective actions of the community will cause additional lore to be revealed that will help shape the story and fill in a major event in Elyria's history! Discord Channel - We will open a special Discord channel called #searing-plague-event that will remain open for the duration of the event (and possibly longer). This is the only channel where you should discuss this event.

- We will open a special Discord channel called #searing-plague-event that will remain open for the duration of the event (and possibly longer). This is the only channel where you should discuss this event. Event Forum - A new forum will be made called "The Searing Plague" that will be used exclusively to discuss and participate in this event. This is the only forum where you should be discuss this event.

- A new forum will be made called "The Searing Plague" that will be used exclusively to discuss and participate in this event. This is the only forum where you should be discuss this event. Social Sharing - We've made it easy for you to help spread the word of this event; find the details on the event landing page.

- We've made it easy for you to help spread the word of this event; find the details on the event landing page. Play a Role - We've created 16 different roles for you to customize your experience during this event. What type of role will you pick? Find out more details on the Event Landing Page.

- We've created 16 different roles for you to customize your experience during this event. What type of role will you pick? Find out more details on the Event Landing Page. FAQ - You probably have even more questions, so we built this list of answers that we'll be continually adding to as the event unfolds.

How to Participate

Make sure you're logged in and then go to the Event Landing Page to participate. In conjunction with the help you can get from fellow community members via the forums and Discord, you will have everything you need to take part.

If you have a pledge package, you'll find that you are "pure" and are able to generate Purity Seals to fight the plague every 4 hours. If you have no pledge package, you'll find you are generating Plague Signs that, if untreated, will increase the Outbreak Meter! Purity Seals and Plague Signs can be traded between accounts by generating request links and, if a plague carrier is able to collect enough Purity Seals, they can redeem them for an Elyrian Package and begin helping in the fight against this terrible disease!

The Outbreak Meter is a ticking time bomb, but converting Plague Sign generators to Purity Seal generators is just one of the tactics to fight the plague. Purity Seals can also be contributed to the Cure Meter, which will unlock global bonuses and rewards to help out everyone!

Whether you are generating Purity Seals or Plague Signs, you can use your abilities to further stave off the Outbreak Meter's advance. You can adopt a role and unlock additional abilities once you've utilized 10 Purity Seals or Plague Signs. Descriptions of the roles and abilities can be found on the Event Landing Page.

Trading Seals and Signs will be vital to survival, so we've created an Event Forum and Discord Channel for you to coordinate, trade, and strategize!

If you get stuck, the bottom of the Event Page will contain the top questions and answers for this event, as well as a link to the full FAQ that may expand over time as the event unfolds.

There's a lot to keep track of and many roles for you to fill, so we've built an Event Landing Page where you can monitor the event and take action to fight the plague all in one place! Bookmark and visit the Event Landing Page now!

New Store Items!

It just wouldn't do if we didn't offer unique and special store items to commemorate this historic event. See below for a list of all new items added to the store.

All promo items are tradeable and giftable.

Distiller's Starter Kit

A kit containing specialized supplies to get you started brewing your own spirits

Though alcohol dates back to the Second Age, simple fermentation can only do so much. Real spirits are a product of careful distillation of those fermented alcohols into a far more potent and pure drink. Something truly intoxicating! Whether you see your future in whisky, gin, vodka, or other liquors, this kit will get you started. The still is small enough to brew out of a wagon.

Purchasing this item will allow you to redeem the following Standard-quality items from a vendor in-game:

1 Portable Alcohol Still

10 Sacks of Barley

1 Yeast Culture

1 Recipe: "Howling" Whisky

Vintner's Starter Kit

A kit to get you started on the Vintner's Path (vineyard not included).

It is said (mostly by wine aficionados) that civilization was poured into Mann by the cask. True wine has been produced in Elyria since early in the Third Age. It's difficult to imagine a world without wine. A seemingly simple concoction of grapes and time, there is still ample room for a vintner to make his or her mark by what is (or isn't) added beyond that. This kit will get you started but full wine casks are really heavy so we recommend you own a wagon at the very least.

Purchasing this item will allow you to redeem the following Standard-quality items from a vendor in-game:

1 Portable Alcohol Still

1 Wine Cask

10 Bushels of Grapes

1 Wine Yeast

1 Recipe: Port Wine

1 Recipe: Brandy

Trollmouth Salamander

This hideous creature has several uses prized by alchemists, including water purification.

It was quite by accident that the alchemical qualities of the Trollmouth Salamander were discovered, and it's not a tale for polite company. These brutish amphibians are not well-suited to captivity as they stop producing the enzymes for which they are prized the less wild they become. Trappers can always expect to make a sale when one is snared. But the buyer should take care to not store the carnivorous salamander anywhere its elastic tongue can snap up a beloved pet or songbird.

Purchasing this item will allow you to redeem the following Standard-quality items from a vendor in-game:

1 Trollmouth Salamander (not tame)

1 Small Cage

1 Glass Bottle with Stopper

Physician Set

If you're committed to providing lifesaving care to those in need. These supplies will help!

All manner of remedies and schools of thought exist when it comes to healing: naturopathy, apitherapy, pharmacology and more. A wise healer might choose to hedge one's bets and practice a little bit of everything. After all, it's difficult to ignore a patient in need when even a placebo might bring peace of mind. A wise healer also knows that treatment can be messy work.

Purchasing this item will allow you to redeem the following Standard-quality items from a vendor in-game:

1 Oilcloth Smock

1 Oilcloth Apron

1 Pair of Leather Gloves

1 Pair of Leather Boots

1 Herb Pouch

1 Mortar and Pestle

1 Recipe: Wound Salve

1 Recipe: Cooling Tincture

As well as the following Artisan-quality items:

1 Waterskin of Purified Water

Additionally, owning this item will contribute additional Purity Marks to the community Cure Meter each day during the Searing Plague event.

Virtori Missionary Supplies

Virtori Missionaries treated plague victims with prayer, among other forms of charity.

Chief among these were a ritual to plea to the angels for salvation and the ritual to perform last rites when all else failed.

Vicary beads are a well-known symbol of the Virtori faith and provide the devout a conduit for prayer. These bracelets have 7 beads of organic materials (such as wood, bone, or horn) for the Virtues and 7 metal or stone beads for the Vices, each bearing the symbol of one of these angels.

Fatecasting Medallions are a set of 7 coins that are emblazoned on one side with a symbol of Virtue, and on the other side by its opposing Vice: Chastity-Lust, Temperance-Gluttony, Charity-Greed, Diligence-Sloth, Patience-Wrath, Kindness-Envy, Justice-Injustice.

The Prayer of Salvation uses the shroud, chalice, and vicary beads at bare minimum. Subjects are draped in the shroud, ideally before a Virtori altar. Each vicary bead is touched to a part of the body as a prayer is uttered for the selected bead. Wine is drunk from the chalice to allow their eternal spirit to receive the angels' blessings. Then, to keep only Virtue and drive out the Vices, the subject is flogged.

Last Rites are performed by an attending priest, if possible, and requires the robes, shroud, and fatecasting medallions. The subject is laid in repose, whether dying or recently deceased, and draped in the shroud. The priest casts the fatecasting medallions around the subject, revealing their fate: whichever side lands facing up reveals which entities hold sway over the individual. Prayers and sacraments are selected by these results. In an ideal setting, the sacraments would be burned in a censer over the subject while all in attendance speak the prayers. The attending priest concludes the rites by ringing a bell (or whatever is available) 7 times.

Purchasing this item will allow you to redeem the following Standard-quality items from a vendor in-game:

1 Vicary Bead Bracelet and pattern

1 Missionary Robe and pattern

1 Ceremonial Shroud

1 Ceremonial Chalice

1 Set of Fatecasting Medallions

1 Book of Virtori Scriptures "The Virtuous Path"

Note: These items will be available for purchase until the end of the event, September 14th, 2018 at noon pacific time, and then will return to the vault!

A World Bettering Event

Throughout this event, we are raising awareness for Doctors Without Borders to help support their cause. Founded in 1971, this organization has treated tens of millions of people all across the world, irrespective of political or religious boundaries. Doctors Without Borders was created on the principle that all people in need of medical care should be treated regardless of gender, race, religion, nationality, creed, or political affiliation. We hope that their commitment to the needs of the people inspire you in this event and that you'll support their cause as well.

You can contribute by going to https://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/support-us.

In conclusion...

Are you excited yet?!

Head over to chroniclesofelyria.com/searing-plague to begin participating.

The event ends, and the outcome forever becomes a Chronicle in Elyria's history, on September 14th at noon pacific time.

Good luck and as always,

More to come...