[June-July 2025]
Cider, Spice, and Sunsets

With Summer fading and Autumn coming into bloom, we look towards what has happened in the past two months! June's newsletter was, unfortunately,
misplaced, so we're here with a full update of both months. ​

STAFF UPDATES​

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✥ Build Team -- The Harbor District is officially open! Work is already underway on the Sanctuary update, which will introduce a new historical district and much more. We've heard your concerns about the size and clutter of Sanctuary, and this update aims to streamline and improve the area for everyone. A huge thank you to the Build Team for their continued hard work and dedication. We're still looking for new members! If you have experience building in a medieval style, we encourage you to apply on the forums and submit a Build team ticket. ​

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Lastly, please join us in congratulating Ambrose, our new Build Team Lead! We're excited to see the fresh ideas and creativity they'll bring to the server. ​

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✥ Systems Team -- The Faithful system rework has officially launched! This overhaul brings rank-up goals, redesigned scriptures, and new lists of cantrips and relics. Much like the recent Enkindled update, Faithful characters are now easier to flavor and more accessible--without sacrificing story depth. Scriptures have been streamlined to be cleaner, clearer, and easier to understand, while still leaving room for creative interpretation and character development.

Looking ahead, the team is actively working on generic Tier 2 rank-up goals for Martial classes. Updates are also underway for the Combat system, with a focus on simplification, flexibility, and accounting for unique situations. The goal: simplicity--while still encouraging creative combos, unexpected twists, and all the shenanigans that make Sonder combat fun. ​

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✥ Lore Team -- The stars above Sanctuary have begun to whisper of fortunes, love, and fate. Explore our newly released Constellations page and uncover what each celestial sign might mean for you in the days ahead.

In addition, several lore resources have received a fresh coat of polish. ​

A proper update to the Nobility system is also on the way, aimed at making it more accessible and easier to understand for everyone involved. ​

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Finally, please join us in welcoming Whimsy as the new Team Lead of Story! We're excited to see the creativity and vision they'll bring to the narrative side of Sonder. ​

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✥ Event Team -- It's been a busy time for many, but one amazing individual has truly stepped up and taken a lot of responsibility. We're excited to announce that Cho has been named Story Team Member of the Month for June! Thank you so much for all you do, Cho. Your dedication and creativity have not gone unnoticed--we truly appreciate you and the effort you bring to the team. ​

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We've had some fantastic events lately, and there are many more to come. A big thank you to everyone who's participated, and to those who've worked behind the scenes to bring them to life. Keep your eyes open--there are more fun, unique events on the horizon!​

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✥ Moderation Team -- Over the course of June and July, we've welcomed quite a few new players to the server. First and foremost, we want to give a warm welcome to all of you--we're so glad you're here. We also want to extend a huge thank you to both our staff and our amazing player base for taking the time to support, guide, and teach these newcomers--especially with all the recent changes across the server. ​

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Speaking of changes, Moderation has recently completed a full rework of our official rules. This overhaul includes clearer language, more intuitive structure, and the addition of several important topics that hadn't been covered previously. We encourage everyone, new and veteran alike, to give them a read to stay up to date. ​

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COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS​

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✥ The Festival of the Honoured Complete​

On June 12th, 2025 5:00 PM, all citizens were invited to witness the following brave souls be rewarded for their dedication to the Sanctuary, the Crown, and the King. ​

To lower nobility: ​

Additional name(s) to recognize who have been recently promoted to lower nobility are: Sir Ander Rein. ​

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To high nobility: ​

We hope they will continue to support Sanctuary and be pillars of society. ​

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Here are a few player submissions from the Sonder Forums!​

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✥ The Incente People – An open player culture created by Auralein!​

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✥ VÔlȾ – A requestable player culture created by Si10k!​

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✥ The Qal'Sharim – An open player culture created by TheHufflePug!​

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✥ Aneria, The Academy – A player faction created by Si10k!​

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✥ The Argent Oratory – A player organization created by Tot!​

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✥ The Order of The Veil – A player organization created by Freedom!​

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✥ The Green Roses – A player organization created by TheHufflePug​

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Want to see your submission here? Add it to the forum! We look in player lore submissions, cultures, and organizations!​

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COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS​

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✥ Feskar's Arrival, and the Coming of Autumn​

It's now Year 2 of Sanctuary's comeback story, and we've officially entered the month of Feskar! As the colder months begin, you'll start to see the oranges and reds that color the land during this season. What will this next chapter bring? This month also marks Goldenmourn--a penitent holy day held from the 42nd to the 46th of Feskar in honor of the dead. During this time, people clean graves and burial sites of loved ones, leaving candles and offerings in remembrance. At night, communities gather for a midnight mass, offering prayers to the Executioner on behalf of those who can no longer speak for themselves. ​

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✥ Slum Clinic Charity​

A charity event, hosted by the wonderful and gracious Hestia Mene, has come and gone--and it was a resounding success! The event raised just over 1,000 Imperium quarters, all thanks to the generous individuals who volunteered to be auctioned off for a date with those willing to donate. ​

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The turnout was fantastic, with many familiar faces in attendance, and a special thank-you goes to Victoria Ducat for doing a spectacular job conducting the auction. Your charm and presence helped make the night both entertaining and memorable. ​

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✥ The Mourning Bell​

An upcoming event opened up by TheHufflePug, bringing a bit of mystery and suspense to the Sanctuary, is currently accepting sign-ups! If you think your character would be interested, you can find the event here to sign them up!​

✥ The Volarian Advance​

An open meeting has been announced for the next leg of the journey to the mainlands, hosted at the Expedition Guildhall. This meeting will be held this weekend, Saturday, July 18th at 2:00 | 14:00 pm CST. ​

It's exciting to see the growth and new faces every day, so on behalf of Moderation and all of Sonder Staff, keep creating and here's to more incredible roleplay and events in the coming months!
Sonder Staff​

[May 2025]

Firelight & Wildflowers

Summer has arrived in the Sanctuary! Here's what has happened and what you can look forward to in your monthly Sonder Newsletter!​

✥ Build Team - As always, the Build Team is hard at work behind the scenes, crafting the next major update to the Sanctuary. While progress may take a bit more time due to the team's current low numbers, their dedication hasn't wavered--they're committed to bringing you fresh environments to explore, roleplay, and thrive in. In the meantime, the team played a vital role in the recent fissure server-wide event, collaborating with the Event Team to ensure the experience was as immersive and impactful as possible. ​

If you have experience building in medieval style and want to contribute to the server's evolving landscape, head to the forums to fill out the application and submit a Build ticket today!​

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✥ Systems Team - The rework of the Enkindled system has official launched! This overhaul includes updated rank-up goals, redesigned spells, and a shift toward more universal effects -- making magic easier to flavor and more accessible to players without sacrificing depth. Spells are now simpler, cleaner, and more flexible for character expression. But the work doesn't stop there. the team is currently remaking and rewording Martial techniques in the same spirit as the Enkindled update, with Faithful revisions also underway. Generic T2 rank-up goals for Martial are in development to make progression smoother and more approachable for everyone. ​

Looking ahead, the next major focus will be Catalysts for Enkindled and Artifacts for the Faithful--exciting additions that will further enrich the gameplay experience.​

While Systems is not currently recruiting, they remain hard at work refining and balancing the systems that keep the Sanctuary running smoothly.​

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✥ Lore Team - The Lore Team continues to work closely with the Event Team on the Top Secret server-wide event, crafting expansive storylines designed to offer rich opportunities for players of all backgrounds and playstyles. Alongside that, they're giving existing playable races a light facelift--modernizing and revamping them to better reflect the current tone and direction of the world. These updates aim to bring more cohesion, depth, and accessibility to character creation and storytelling. They're also introducing new plants, animals, and continued environmental additions, preparing for the long-awaited day when your characters can explore beyond the Sanctuary. ​

There's also a community goal well in the works, planned to release soon--so keep your eyes open for what's next on the horizon. ​

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✥ Event Team - A server-wide event just wrapped, and it was one for the books! Centered around the Enkindled, the event allowed several characters to ignite while introducing a massive fissure in the world--and unleashing terrifying Hell Beasts and a nightmarish Hell Fiend. ​

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The Event Team isn't slowing down and is still hiring across all time zones! If you have DM experience and want to bring unforgettable moments to life, grab the application from the forums a submit an Event ticket to get started. ​

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✥ Moderation Team - Following the recent merge of PR and Moderation under Soupi's leadership, the team is now reviewing several rule and process updates to better serve the community. Their focus remains on keeping the server safe, welcoming, and secure. ​

Keep joining, keep creating--we love seeing the influx of new ideas and faces in the Sanctuary!​

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✥ The Order of the Phoenix – A player organization by Soupi!​

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✥ The Terrarium – A player organization by WhimsyChimes!​

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✥ House Vanderlein – A player house by OceanofStars, Konome, and Abysl!​

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✥ The Talons – A player organization by Freedom!​

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✥ The Lianthor – A player culture by Vigilant!​

Sonder Staff​

[April 2025]
Warmth and Roses

Spring has sprung in the Sanctuary! Here’s what has happened and what you can look forward to in your monthly Sonder Newsletter!

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It’s exciting to see the growth and new faces every day, so on behalf of Moderation and all of Sonder Staff, keep creating and here’s to more incredible roleplay and events in the coming month!

Sonder Staff​

We are currently working on getting everything finalized. Feel free to create an application and create your character! We hope everyone will be just as excited about the server as we are. We have been working hard to make things interesting on launch for all our new players.

The world of Volaris is being worked on quickly and our Story team is working on getting enough lore created to spark your interest.
We hope to see you soon!

If you have any questions feel free to join our Discord!