┌─── ∘ May 2026 Newsletter ∘ ───┐
Firstide, Season of Vernus, Year 1642

Spring by Awacato on Reddit

	The first season, remarking growth and regrowth, begins each calendar year. Life flourishes in verdant green and prepares its buds for the Summer season to follow.
	-  Compendium, Standard Calendar

A bit of a small newsletter this month, but with a few very important announcements.

The Bestiary expanded lore is now available, and we're putting out a huge call for staff!! See below. 

° New & Upcoming

Community Updates

Call For Staff

• The following teams are currently short-staffed and in need of volunteers.
  • Community — Discord events, contests, and surveys.
  • Lore — Fables Team
  • Lore — Campaign Team
  • Staff DMs — Patron Underlings
  • Tech Team — World Edit & Regions
  • Build — Must link a build portfolio in your application. Must be willing to work with Axiom. Prefer experience, or a willingness to learn.
• If any of these teams interest you, please fill out a staff application here.

Woggling Creative Contest

• Thank you so much for all of the amazing submissions to the creative contest dedicated to our lovely froggy friends!
• The winners of the contest are as such:
  • First Place — @LilGhostling for their beautiful artwork featuring Mellory in a pond with many woglets.
  • Second Place — @ShinyB for their adorable crochet woglet plushies.
  • Third Place — @BooshKadooshOof for their angelic Ribbits.

Server Philosophy Survey

• Thank you everyone who filled out the philosophy survey. We had 68 responses!
  • Results are currently being discussed by admin.
  • Observations, stats, and statements will be announced during the next Community Update Meeting.

Techlock Guide

• Admin has been working behind the scenes on a techlock guide. Yes, it's finally coming.
  • The techlock guide will be released during the next Community Update Meeting, along with the results of the philosophy survey.

Chancellor Election

• Congratulations to Anwar (played by @adamunavailable) for becoming the Spire's new Chancellor.

Lore Updates

Campaign 3: Fractured Survey

• We're roughly a month into Campaign 3: Fractured. Reception has overall been good, with some minor bumps.
  • Feedback through the campaign has been valuable. Thank you everyone who has offered suggestions! 
  • Expect to see a mid-campaign feedback survey soon!
• Even if you cannot attend events, you can get the recaps and updates in #town-crier on Discord.

Bestiary Update

• The Bestiary update is well on its way!
• Admin @dogshitfartelectric has some words to say about it:

  "The bestiary update and expansion that has been mentioned in passing is nearing completion! Like, actually!! As part of this massive project, you can expect: rewritten and expanded lore for every single bestiary creature (even tressyms, which are getting a very cool update), new bestiary creatures, and a new, organized bestiary subforum on the forums under the Expanded Lore tab.

  The bestiary is going to be reorganized into two categories: The Natural Order and Aberrations. There will be at least 9 new Natural Order creatures and at least 2 new Aberrations. The necrophage rework is also now underway. And! There’s a secret aberration-related project also underway… this one, we can’t speak on yet…

  My favorite of the new beasts are the unicorn and the vouivre :)"

  

   

Systems Updates

Feats Tweaks

• Rage wording has been clarified.
• Custom fabled feats are now linked on the fabled feats page, here.
  
  

Technical Updates

Avalore 1.21 Modpack Update

• A 1.21 port of the Avalore modpack is ready for release, pending approval from Modrinth.
  • The server will NOT be updating to 1.21. It will stay 1.20.4 for now.
  • A backport mod is included in the pack to connect to the 1.20.4 server, despite the updated client version.
• Updating the server to 1.21 requires updating our custom plugins, which will come at a later date.

New Technical Guides

• Detailed guides have been written for two of our custom plugins:
  • Initiative Plugin Guide
  • Cards and Coins Plugin Guide

Minor Tech Updates

• Some tweaks to the initiative plugin: after restart, will show end of round and end of combat in chat for clarity.
• Bug where product plugin is causing lore to be cleared out when adding flags should hopefully be fixed.
• Materials merchant has been added near the workshop in the Valley of Flowers.

° Player Events & Projects
Player-lead events and projects of Avalore, curated by the editor and Community Team to feature for the month.

Player Events & Projects

The Midnight Circus (Finished) by @BirdmanDean

What Dreams May Come by @Ropefish

Elreyna's Library by @Wake

° Player Photos
Players are able to submit photos through our Photo Album forum (via our Discord server) to be featured in our newsletter, and even used as promotional material for Avalore!

Kyrus and Anwar's Wedding — @Aufberon

Aurora — @ramiro

So. Where Do We Start? — @Megladon

Evard's Birthday at the Kirin Brewery — @CelestialMochi

Regent's Game — @Captain_Cynical