<![CDATA[The Dagger and Crone Inn & Tavern - Blog]]>Sun, 05 Aug 2018 19:18:46 -0700Weebly<![CDATA[Hall of Banners is Open!]]>Mon, 30 May 2016 11:14:11 GMThttp://www.daggerandcrone.com/blog/hall-of-banners-is-open
Good morning to all!  And a Happy Memorial Day to all the Americans that read this blog. As you'll note in the graphic to the left, we are almost to 10,000 pledges and $1.2 Million raised!

Keep on spreading the word and let's make the last four days of the campaign legendary!


As I mentioned previously, I will be expanding on this website to provide more content and interaction. Behold the first new feature that launched today:  THE HALL OF BANNERS.

The Hall of Banners is where I will be putting notable organized player groups on this website. Each of the banners will link to either that group's website OR their recruitment post on the forum (if they do not have a website).

The point of this is to promote these organizations within the community and provide them additional exposure. Please note: Groups and banners featured in the Hall of Banners does not mean that the Dagger and Crone Inn & Tavern are affiliated or allied with them.  Merely that we appreciate the efforts they have made to the community.

How Do I Get My Group's Banner in the Hall of Banners?

The requirements for having a banner in the Hall are as follows:
  • A banner of sufficient quality. (Crappy banners are placed lower on the priority list).
  • A website OR a post on the Chronicles of Elyria community Forums for your group.
  • Intend to be on the North American Server.

If you meet these three requirements, then we will be happy to host your banner in our hall. Send your banner and website link to contactus@daggerandcrone.com.

We look forward to hosting your group in our Hall.  Spread the word and let's try to get to $1.3 Million and UNLOCK the Wards of the State feature.

~              Paddy Bardic
           Owner / Proprietor
Dagger and Crone Tavern and Inn

<![CDATA[D&C Merchandise Poll]]>Mon, 23 May 2016 21:03:06 GMThttp://www.daggerandcrone.com/blog/dc-merchandise-pollGood day, fellow Elyrians. So far we have had an excellent response to the blog and website. We are super excited to be supporting Chronicles of Elyria, both fiscally (with our Kickstarter pledges) and morally (with our happy thoughts).

Someone had recently asked if we would be putting out any kind of swag or merchandise on the site. The answer is: Yes. We are looking to make merchandise available for those that want to support the Dagger and Crone Inn & Tavern.

But what kind of merchandise should be produced? We want your help in deciding what merchandise to put in our shop.

Take the poll below to lend your opinion. There is a catch: If we have over 100 responses, then one of the poll respondents, chosen at random, will receive a free bit of swag! The number of responses received will determine how awesome the prize will be. Note: Only one vote per email address / person allowed.

Not only are we going to let you choose the kind of merchandise we first put on the store, we are going to let you help choose what to do with the profits!  There are four options:
  • Purchase More IP - This option will allow us to purchase more IP from Soulbound Studios, which will in turn will give us more IP to use for starting up the Inn.  The more IP we have, the more services we will be able to offer after Exposition.
  • Upgrade Our Pledge to Baron or Noble levels - If we were to go this route, then we would own the town (or county) that the Inn was placed in.  This means a more economically favorable tax program for all the merchants and entrepreneurs seeking to do business at our Inn which means more goods and services at cheaper prices.
  • Adding New Features to the Website - We haven't yet determined what new features we want to place on this website.  There will be a survey for that, as well, regardless of the outcome of this poll.
  • Donating the Money To Charity - Our charity of choice is Extra Life, which supports the Children's Miracle network.

So spread the word and let us know what you think! Our lucky winner could be you!

    Dagger and Crone​ Merchandise Survey

<![CDATA[Could Democracy Exist in CoE?]]>Sun, 22 May 2016 14:44:46 GMThttp://www.daggerandcrone.com/blog/could-democracy-exist-in-coe
The Chronicles of Elyria game is to be set in a feudal society, reminiscent of Medieval and Renaissance Europe. Thus, the political titles built into the game are King / Queen, Duke / Duchess, Count / Countess, and Baron / Mayor / Magistrate.

However, CoE is not meant to be a mirror to the roots of Western Civilization, but an entirely new culture, shaped and created by the players.  Theoretically, it should be entirely possible to create new forms of government in Elyria, and I believe it would be possible under the current construction of the feudal government system.  Here is how I envision a Republic forming...
The first recognizable form of democracy was in ancient Greece (although there has been evidence of earlier forms of "primitive democracy"), which predates Medieval Europe by hundreds of years. Under the current mechanics, a democratic kingdom could exist as follows:
  • All noble titles are acquired by popular vote of the citizens of the kingdom. At a prescribed frequency (as described in the Kingdom's Constitution), citizens can vote to elect their King, Duke, Count and Baron.
  • Ballots would be contracts stating the name of the voter and who he supports for each of the positions.  These contracts would be submitted to a vote counter who tallies the contracts until a winner in each contest is found.  The collection of these contracts will allow the candidate to claim casus belli under the "Favor" method.
  • The winning candidate would then take control of the seat for which he was running, and if applicable, the incumbent would surrender his ring to the winning candidate, thus mitigating the 28-day coup waiting period.

Thus a transfer of power could exist, by popular vote of the people, without the need for bloodshed. The titles would remain the same (unless Soulbound Studios decides to allow the changing of title names).

The structure and laws of regarding the structure of the nation would vary.  For example, if a kingdom were to take a Representative Republic route, then citizens could vote for their Barons / Mayors, who would vote for their Counts.  The Counts would vote for their Duke, and the Dukes would vote for their king.

If a nation wanted a more Confederate route, then each Duke would be considered head of his state and king of said Confederacy would be elected by the Dukes.  Each Duchy would have their own laws and be joined to the other Duchies by contracts (alliances).  If the alliance was not working out for a particular Duke, he could secede from the union, as allowed by their contract of Confederacy.

In any case, regardless of which form of democracy or republic that is created, there could be an effective separation of powers.  At the Kingdom level, you could think of the King / Queen as the President, head of the executive branch.  While ultimately responsible for passing laws that govern the kingdom, he could delegate that authority to the Dukes (analogous to US Senators) who would vote to pass laws.

You could even construct a bicameral legislative branch by making the Upper House (Senate) being made up of elected Dukes and the Lower House (House of Representatives) being comprised of elected Counts.  The process by which laws are passed can be contractually spelled out and abided by.
If one were to take a page from Britain's Parliament, there could be a House of Lords (Nobility) and a House of Commons (Aristocracy and Commoners) to cover a bicameral legislative branch.

Corruption and Revolution

As with any system of government, there will be people seeking to corrupt it for their own personal gain. A Republic in CoE would be no different. For example, what if the sitting President lost his re-election bid and decided that he would not surrender the ring to the victor?

This has happened many times throughout human history where a democratic country becomes a dictatorship (known informally as a "banana republic" and it could happen in Elyria.  What would happen if this event were to occur?

Well, a civil war would result.  Due to the votes of support being contracts that curry favor, the challenger who won an election would have a claim of casus belli.  Therefore, if the seated king (or other noble) refused to surrender their position, then the challenger could then gather an army of his supporters and take the seat of power by force.

Furthermore, nobles could be impeached for high crimes and misdemeanors. If a particular count or duke was committing crimes, then the other counts, dukes or even their king could support a usurper to replace that noble.  Articles of impeachment could be contracts of support for casus belli.

I understand that the feudal system will probably be the first form of government during Exposition. The reason I believe this is because all of the nobility and aristocracy will have spent copious amounts of real-life dollars for their positions in support of the CoE development.  What person would want to spend $10,000 to become a king from launch only to potentially give away his kingdom a year later to some charismatic commoner?

Due to this, I sincerely doubt that any Republic or Democratic kingdoms will exist in game at launch. However, I feel that as the Nobility and Aristocracy begins to become corrupt and oppress the common folk, the desire for self-rule will be instilled in the People, leading to violent revolution(s) or mass migration to unexplored lands to being a new country.

In my next post, I will be discussing some of the lore for the Dagger and Crone Inn & Tavern.

~              Paddy Bardic
           Owner / Proprietor
Dagger and Crone Tavern and Inn
<![CDATA[Casus Belli - An Explanation of Acquiring Titles in Chronicles of Elyria﻿]]>Fri, 20 May 2016 21:46:01 GMThttp://www.daggerandcrone.com/blog/casus-belli-an-explanation-of-acquiring-titles-in-chronicles-of-elyria
Caspian has finally released the nine page, +4000 word Design Journal #18, "Kingdoms & Land Management".  While it is a long read, compared to other Design Journals, it was incredibly detailed and provided an in depth look at the mechanics behind the acquisition of land and titles.

In today's post, we are going to taking a look at the mechanics for acquiring titles of nobility, instead of land management or acquisition. There are several principles of nobility that we will be covering in depth:
Casus Belli

The term Casus Belli is Latin for "an act or event that provokes or is used to justify war".  This term first saw wide use in the 16th and 17th centuries. Informally, it may refer to any "just cause" a nation or its leader(s) can claim for entering into a conflict.

In CoE, Casus Belli is a claim for noble title and lands.  For a non-noble, either a member of the Aristocracy (Mayors, Magistrates, and Barons) or the Gentry (non-titled landowners), there are three ways to obtain a Casus Belli for a noble title:
  1. Favor
  2. Fame
  3. Wealth

For nobility to lay claim to a higher title, a casus belli can only be obtained via Favor; As Caspian has stated, "Once you are noble, you must play the Dance of Dynasties to move up".

How do I obtain Casus Belli? 

Well, the first route to a noble claim, is Favor.  Obtaining "favor" is achieved by receiving signed contracts from the Aristocracy or Nobility stating a support for you claim.  For example, if I was a local Magistrate and I wanted to create a new County, separate from my current County, I could woo the local mayors, magistrates and barons to sign contracts support my claim to the noble title of Count.

If you can muster a two-thirds majority of affected aristocrats, then you will obtain a casus belli for claiming a Count title. But mayors and barons are no the only people to obtain favor from.  If you can obtain 51% of a Count's peers (other Counts) support, then you have a claim to perform a coup.

Alternately, you can obtain 25% of Counts and their Duke to obtain a casus belli.

Since there is no noble title above King / Queen, you would need to gather the support of his Dukes / Duchesses or his rival Kings to attempt a usurpation.

This system of gathering favor from nobility is the only way to advance above the Noble Title of Count.

If you are looking to obtain the title of Count, you can also do this by accumulating fame. In order to have an automatic casus belli, one must rich a level of fame directly underneath that of the Count's fame.  Since most all Counts will have a minimum fame level of "Renowned", then the minimum fame you will need to obtain is "Famous".

If you obtain this level of fame, then you will have an automatic claim to the noble. Of course, as is pointed out in the Design Journal, you will still need an army to wage a coup.

The Third and final way to obtain the noble title of County is "Wealth".  Soulbound Studios has not released the amount of wealth (nor how it would be defined) needed to obtain a casus belli . This will require play-testing and balancing.  I can only speculate that it will be an accumulation of total assets (lands, properties, buildings, and gold) instead of mere liquid assets (such as currency).

I have Casus Belli... Now What?

Now that you have your noble claim, you must now act on it.  After all, a claim is nothing more than words on a piece of paper. As Neddard Stark, Lord of Winterfell tragically discovered, a paper shield is easily torn asunder.  Every claim for nobility will need an army to back up the claim.

To enforce a claim for noble title, the usurper must EITHER set up a County (or Duchy or Kingdom) seat in his own lands AND claim its independence from its Count (Duke or King) OR march into the current seat of power for the noble and take it by force.

At this point, whether you claimed your own land as an independent county, duchy or kingdom, you must DEFEND your claim for 28 real-life days (not Elyrian Days).  During those 28 days, the noble you are deposing or declaring independence from must destroy your seat of power.

IF the usurped noble removes your seat of power, THEN the usurper forfeits his current title(s), a power vacuum ensues and he can appoint a new Mayor, Baron, Count, etc. in your place.

IF the usurped noble fails to remove the usurper within the 28 day period, THEN the usurper successfully obtains the titles and lands claimed.

IF the usurped noble was deposed, THEN his title changes to "Deposed Title of Nobility".

Can I obtain a Noble Title without resorting to violence?

The answer is absolutely yes.  There are a few different ways to obtain a noble title without having to go to war over it.  First of which is marriage
UNLESS a term in the marriage contract prohibits it, THEN marrying a noble will convey a Noble title to the spouse.  So if a Duke marries a woman without title, then she will be bestowed the title of Duchess.

However, it is possible to forge a marriage contract that prevent conveying a noble title to the spouse.

Another way of obtaining a noble title is to inherit it. If written into the Will (another contract), then a player can obtain a title of nobility upon the death of the noble who has written him / her into his will.

The final way of peacefully securing a noble title is through appointment.  In the event that a noble dies without an heir OR is removed from power due to treason, then a power vacuum exists and the ruling noble that holds jurisdiction over the empty spot may appoint a new noble, but only someone who EITHER already holds that noble title OR holds a title one rank below.

For example, if a Duke is seeking to fill a vacated Count, he may only appoint another Count or Baron / Mayor in his county.  IF a Barony was vacated, THEN only another Mayor / Baron or Landowner in that district may assume the position.

Caspian was very clear to state the following:  "A title can only be revoked due to a player's choice of actions"

That is to say, if you are not out committing treason, then your liege lord cannot simply replace you with another noble.  However, that is not to say that he cannot undermine you (by offering support to your usurper).

A noble can also surrender his noble title to a usurper by delivering his ring to the usurper.  This will automatically transfer ownership of the noble title (and its associated lands) to the claimant AND entirely revoke the title from the current noble.  No twenty-eight day waiting period required.

It is also possible avoid the 28-Day period by killing the current lord and taking his ring, provided you have a casus belli to back up your claim.

In Conclusion

We have taken a small in depth look at the acquisition of noble and aristocratic titles.  In my next post, we will be discussing what other types of governments could potentially exist in Elyria under the current dynamics.

Thanks for reading!

​If you're interested in talking about this live, join us on the Dagger and Crone Inn & Tavern Discord Server.

~              Paddy Bardic
           Owner / Proprietor
Dagger and Crone Tavern and Inn
<![CDATA[Stretch Goals Announced]]>Tue, 17 May 2016 15:51:51 GMThttp://www.daggerandcrone.com/blog/stretch-goals-announced
A few days ago, Jeromy "Caspian" Walsh released the results of the stretch goal priority polls. Yesterday, he officially released the Chronicles of Elyria stretch goals. Judging by the comments on both the Kickstarter and the CoE Discord Server, there were many fans and supporters who were not pleased with the stretch goal list.

After reading his explanation of why the list and milestone markers are the way they are, despite the results of the poll, I can understand why Soulbound Studios decided on this order.  The top results of the poll were as follows:  Tunneling, Mounted Combat, and Natural Disasters, all of them features.  In fact, the top eight stretch goals that were affirmatively voted on by the fans were ALL features.

It is only natural for the fans to want additional features in this game and of course, the features that sound most epic are the ones that are going to cost a lot more money to produce. Given that fact, I respect how they laid out the stretch goals.

I am happy that only one of the three features that I voted for (and explained in this post), was not able to make it onto the list.  As of right now, Integrated VoIP will not be a stretch goal, and most likely, will not be in the game at launch.

Take a look at the first four stretch goals:
Seeds of Angelica's Tear are going to be Reward for backers of the Patron level ($60) and higher. Apparently, the seeds will grow into a tree with glowing pine cones. To be honest, I am not excited about this reward. I suppose some people might be super excited and the glowing pine cones might be a huge commodity when the game launches, but I am not impressed by this one.
The Wards of the State feature will allow players to not be born into a family and be born as an orphan or abandoned child. Wards will start the game at age 12 (rather than 15) and have a lot more customization options (plus twelve days of additional adolescence).  In exchange for this, Wards will not have the social or financial support of their family.  You can read all about wards in the Design Journal.

I am glad that this feature is closer to the top, as it will add more flexibility for players in character creation.  Not to mention it will allow the most daring of players attempt a true rags-to-riches story. At the heft cost of $1.3 Million (over $350,000 from goal at the time of writing), it may be a challenge to reach this.
This is a reward for Baron Level backers ($250) or higher. Not as exciting as a reward as I was hoping for but, hey!  Now, we can all pray to Odin for blessings in battle, that our souls might be taken to Valhalla.
Finally!  One of the features that I advocated for!  As an innkeeper, gambling and gaming will be HUGE for my business. I want to be able to entertain the travelers that stay in the Dagger and Crone to have an awesome time.  More than just drinking, eating, and listening to the lovely ballads of the house Bard, I want my patrons to play together; to compete with each other.

To pass the night away playing cards, tossing dice, or betting on who which end will face up on a coin flip. The story-telling possibilities are limited only by the imagination: Perhaps a poor farmer bet his cow on a hand of High Card... or a traveling merchant is hoping that his bluff in Liar's Dice will not be called.

Needless to say, I genuinely hope that we can reach $1.5 million so that we can at least have this feature.  With over 50,000 registered members on CoE's website and only 8,000 backers, there are a lot of people that can contribute to the cause.

Get on out there and let's get some more features!


~              Paddy Bardic
           Owner / Proprietor
Dagger and Crone Tavern and Inn
<![CDATA[Kickstarter Update #12 Analysis]]>Fri, 13 May 2016 09:58:22 GMThttp://www.daggerandcrone.com/blog/kickstarter-update-12-analysis
Good morning, citizens of Elyria,

Kickstarter Campaign Update #12 has been posted, and this time, it is all about the stretch goals.  As we approach the intended goal of $900,000 (currently less than $60,000 from that goal), Caspian begins the update by explaining how they decided on cutting certain features from the game.  They did this to keep this game's development costs down (and meet the goal of $900k).

Now that victory is all but assured, it's time to start thinking about what features you would like to see added. For brevity's sake, I will only be listing the features that will be on the poll.  He describes a lot of features that were cut and will eventually be put in the game but not as a stretch goal from Kickstarter.

Here are the following features (along with their descriptions from Caspian himself) that will be on the poll for Kickstarter supporters to vote on:
  • Wards of The State
    Wards are a feature that allow players to create characters separate from any family, in exchange for additional character customization. We cut this because while it's nice to have, it's always possible to create a character from an NPC family and then go about playing the game as you'd planned.
  • Social Activities - Gaming/Gambling
    We'd long wanted players to gather in inns/taverns and play dice and card games. However each game has its own overhead as we have to develop new assets, a few new animations, and the rules for each of the table games. That all said, we still think this is an awesome feature and we hope you guys agree.
  • Heirlooms
    Heirlooms are any item of high quality that a player passes from themselves to their heir. Each generation the item becomes more a part of their family, until eventually characters develop a sixth sense for the item, allowing them to easily track its location for recovery. Eventually, heirlooms may even bestow a curse upon any non-family members who happen upon the item through deviant means.
  • Digging & Burying (aka. Anything is a Container)
    This system evolved from being about digging holes and hiding things in the ground to eventually being about hiding anything, anywhere. The system would allow you to hide things in tree trunks, in a book-safe, or even inside of a pastry. This ties in heavily with the new Search feature we're working on and could add a ton of new RP and surprise elements to the game.
  • Sensory Map
    While we wanted a UI element or visual indicator of sounds and smells, the feature was cut as being non-essential. Without it, and without a mini-map, players will have less information about what's going on in their environment and will have to rely more on what they can actually see and hear as players, rather than what they can see, hear, or smell as characters. That said, there's some cool side-effects that come from being able to sniff out a corpse, or hear a trap re-loading, etc. Feel free to suggest it returns.
  • Mounted Combat
    Yep. We had to cut mounted combat. Combat as we've implemented it uses stances and techniques with various weapon sets. The addition of Mounted Combat means we not only must double the number of animations, as we need mounted versions as well as unmounted, but in most cases would need to create whole new stances. Plus, jousting would add additional mechanics around movement speed and targeting. In the end, we thought this would be an amazing feature, but cut it to fit within $900k. Feel free to add it back.
  • Integrated VoIP
    There's pros and cons to having integrated VoIP. At the end of the day though, this is a survival game and the time it takes you to alt+tab to activate/configure a chat client could mean your death. We'll let you make a final decision on how important this feature is.
  • Vehicle Customization
    Our original plan was for anything above a single-player mount to be configurable to some degree. ie, determining whether a wagon would have shields on the outside, or attach points for other things. This would also mean being able to trade seats for storage boxes, etc. Without it, it would require a different pattern to create a different type of vehicle more like what you're looking for.
  • Tunneling
    This is our system for creating underground grottoes, caverns, mining shafts, etc. It's one of our favorite systems and we're looking forward to adding it to the world. However, it was deemed a painful but possible cut as it's non-essential to have underground lairs, etc.
  • Natural Disasters
    Earthquakes, avalanches, tornadoes, hurricanes, forest fires, and landslides. These all add dramatic story opportunities to the world. Each one requires a good amount of work however, and so was cut in an effort to keep us under $900k.

I have decided on the top three features that I, personally, would like to see and why. If you have a different opinion, please voice it in the comments below:

Firstly, Natural Disasters is a must for me. Mostly, this is because I feel that no other game has ever gotten it right. Typical of MMO's, the landscape is usually static, unless changed specifically by the player themselves (I'm looking at you, Life is Feudal). To be able to have the game alter the landscape in the form of a natural disaster provides not only more dramatic story opportunities, but tactical ones, as well.

Imagine you stronghold is under siege by a large enemy force and just when all hope is lost, an avalanche from the nearby mountainside, engulfs half of the enemy force, raising your odds of success against the siege. There are many more scenarios that could be created with a natural disaster feature.

Secondly, Integrated VoIP is a must for me.  Games like DayZ and Miscreated, both use local VoIP, where you can talk to players in your proximity.  In my opinion, nothing breaks immersion, then having to stop moving and acting so that you can type on your keyboard.  You can't beg for your life and run for your life at the same time with type-chat.  Integrated VoIP will allow us to speak to each other with our real voices in real time and I think that this is a must-have feature for any survival MMO.

Finally, Social Activities - Gaming / Gambling is a completely selfish one that I want with every fiber in my being. It is selfish of me to want this because I will be running this tavern / inn.  I want there to be fun things to do when you stay at my inn.  Who wouldn't want to be able to walk into the Dagger and Crone, and play a hand of cards or Liar's Dice?  Gambling is one of the services I want to offer at the D&C and thus, a gambling feature is necessary for me to do so.

There will still be ways that I plan to allow people to game and gamble at the Dagger and Crone, even if this feature is not included. For example, I am looking to hire an in-game bookie, who's job it is to take bets from other players on the outcome of duels, that will take place in our dueling hall. This is something that will not require any additional features (besides a motivated player who is good with numbers).

Now, even if my top three aren't picked, I'll still be happy.  This is just my opinion and humble attempt to persuade you to vote in my best interests.  :-)  What are your top three features that you would like to see as a stretch goal?  Let me know in the comments below!


~              Paddy Bardic
           Owner / Proprietor
Dagger and Crone Tavern and Inn

*IMPORTANT NOTICE - The Dagger and Crone Tavern & Inn, Paddy Bardic, are not affiliated in any way with Soulbound Studios or Chronicles of Elyria. Nothing that has been written here should be misconstrued or interpreted to the contrary. I am just a huge fan of this game and want to help it succeed as an avid fan. 
<![CDATA[Welcome to The Dagger and Crone Inn & Tavern﻿]]>Thu, 12 May 2016 21:26:25 GMThttp://www.daggerandcrone.com/blog/welcome-to-the-dagger-and-crone-inn-tavern
Greetings fellow travelers!

My name is Padriac Bardic, but my friends call me "Paddy".  I am the owner and proprietor of the Dagger and Crone Inn & Tavern, a business establishment that I will be creating at the launch of Chronicles of Elyria.  For those of you who do not know, Chronicles of Elyria is a low fantasy, survival MMORPG being created by Soulbound Studios.  As they describe it on their websiteCoE is "the most dynamic and immersive MMO to date... where your character ages and dies, encouraging you to think beyond your character to their role in a larger story."

What is Chronicles of Elyria ?

CoE is the ambitious brain child of Jeromy "Caspian" Walsh, owner & Creative Director at Soulbound Studios.  Having been working on this project in some form or another over the last decade, he and his team of developers have put their project on Kickstarter with the lofty goal of $900,000 in funding.  That was 9 days ago (May 3rd).

As of the time I am writing this, over 6,900 contributors have pledged $818,422 to this goal. Rest assured that this game will meet its goal of $900,000 and will exceed it.

Since you are here, I am assuming that you already know about this game and are curious as to the content.  If you have not heard of CoE or their Kickstarter campaign, click on the links provided to be directed to their respective pages.

What is The Dagger and Crone Inn & Tavern?

Having taken a massive interest in this game from the moment I heard about it several months ago, I have dreamed of jumping into Elyria at the first chance I can get.  I, myself, have backed this superb undertaking and am looking forward to seeing it progress from its current infancy to release and beyond.

I struggled for weeks as to what I wanted my small role in the saga of Elyria to be. In other games, I have been many things: a pirate, a smuggler, a guardian of the poor and downtrodden. However, given the scope of his undertaking of a classless, skill-based survival MMORPG, I ultimately decided that I wanted to open a tavern & inn.

Why would anyone open an inn in a video game? For two reasons:
  1. No Fast Travel - Mr. Walsh has stated that there will not be any automated fast travel in CoE. That is to "slow the world" down.  Due to this dynamic, players will have to physically trek themselves and whatever goods they carry across the landscape. If you are heading for far-off places for adventures or raids, players are going to need a place that they can stay while on the road.
  2. Meaningful Player Interaction - For anyone that has ever played a tabletop RPG before, there is a well-used trope that when looking for a quest to do, you go to the local tavern or inn.  This type of business is the first place people will look when they are in a new town, hoping to drum up some work (be it honest or otherwise), unwind after a long journey on the road, and start the legacies of their personas.

The Dagger and Crone Inn & Tavern means to provide a place of rest for weary travelers, an audience for those that wish to boast of their conquests and victories, and hub for economic activity in the region for which it is placed.

Obviously, this tavern does not exist in the real world and technically, it does not exist in Elyria, as of yet.

What services will the DaC provide to players?

When the game launches its Exposition (a three month pre-release start of the game, where select players will begin forging the world of Elyria prior to open release), I, along with some of my friends at Helgrim Enterprises, will create this tavern and inn, to open to the masses.

We intend to offer the following services:
  • A top notch selection of food and drink.
  • In-House entertainment from our resident bards (and occasionally, visiting travellers).
  • A Commerce Board, where people can place buy and sell orders for goods and services.
  • A Bounty Board, where players can place and collect bounties on each other.
  • Rooms for rent, so that players travelling through whatever sitting we end up in can rest their heads for the night in a safe and secure environment.
  • A postal service hub, where players can leave messages for delivery or receive them when they reach here.
  • And much more...

And while we all wait for our favorite wish-upon-a-star to be created by Soulbound, this website and blog will be here to chronicle (pun intended) its rise to power as the most immersive survival MMORPG in history.

So come on in!  Sit down by the fire and warm your bodies.  Pour yourself a pint of our finest ale and regale yourselves with stories yet to be told.

If you have not already pledged to support the Kickstarter campaign, then head on over there right now and join the thousands of us who have already pledged in creating the world of Elyria.

We look forward to your patronage.

~              Paddy Bardic
           Owner / Proprietor
Dagger and Crone Tavern and Inn
