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Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Chronicles of Elyria was pitched as an MMORPG where characters aged and eventually died, while a player’s story continued through reincarnation and family inheritance. That was the planned design, not a verified live mechanic: Soulbound Studios’ current FAQ says the game is not playable and has no public release date.
What was the Chronicles of Elyria Kickstarter?
Soulbound Studios ran the Chronicles of Elyria Kickstarter from May 3 to June 3, 2016. It raised $1,361,435 against a $900,000 goal, with 10,752 backers. Kickstarter lists April 13, 2023 as the campaign page’s last update.
The campaign described an MMORPG with aging and character death, a destructible world, and non-repeatable quests. Those were promises for the planned game, not evidence that the game or those systems were delivered.
How was permadeath supposed to work?
The studio’s official game FAQ distinguishes ordinary defeat from the end of a character’s life. Being knocked out or suffering a fatal wound was not, by itself, permadeath. Instead, each time the soul left the body, its connection to Elyria would weaken and the character’s total lifespan would shorten.
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From combat defeat to the Final Sleep
- Ordinary incapacitation: A knock-out or fatal wound was described as a death event, but not the permanent end of that character.
- Soul separation: When the soul left the body, the character would lose some of their remaining lifespan.
- Maximum age: At the end of that lifespan, the character would enter the “Final Sleep,” ending that character’s life.
- Reincarnation: The player’s soul could continue in a new character, potentially an heir who inherited possessions.
In the planned design, permadeath applied to an individual character, not to the player’s entire account or identity in the world. The official site also frames reincarnation and an ongoing story as core concepts. None of these mechanics should be read as tested or currently playable features.
What did the campaign propose for lives and pricing?
The studio’s current FAQ describes a per-life model rather than a recurring monthly subscription: a Spark of Life was expected to cover approximately one real-world year of a character’s life. It says no exact game price had been set and estimates the retail cost would be on par with other PC games. These are FAQ descriptions and estimates, not current offers.
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The campaign-era Kickstarter FAQ gave a more specific 2016 example: a game purchase would include a Spark of Life expected to last 10–14 real months, and an additional life after permadeath would cost $30 at retail or be available through Kickstarter tiers or add-ons. That historical proposal does not establish that a Spark of Life or the game can be bought today.
Is Chronicles of Elyria playable, and does it have a release date?
As of October 8, 2026, Soulbound Studios’ FAQ says, “While the game is not yet playable, there are plenty of ways to participate in the development process.” It also says no public release date has been set. This describes the studio’s posted FAQ; it is not an independent verification of the company’s current operations.
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Can Kickstarter backers request a refund?
The studio’s refund policy, last updated December 19, 2024, describes a limited program for wholly unused digital goods, perks, and services purchased through Kickstarter or the company website on or before March 1, 2025. Requests must be submitted before Kingdoms of Elyria launches. Qualifying refunds may be issued as store credit less applicable taxes and fees; physical rewards packaged with digital goods are not refundable.
Eligibility is conditional and the policy may change. Backers should review the live refund policy and use the account process there rather than assuming a purchase qualifies.
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How does this permadeath design differ from a simple character wipe?
The intended model paired character-level finality with continuity beyond a single character. Its distinctions were: ordinary incapacitation would not immediately end a life; repeated soul departures would reduce lifespan; the character would end at the Final Sleep; and a successor could continue the story, potentially inheriting items. The studio also proposed charging per life. These are design statements in the official FAQ, not verified live-game systems.
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