2/4/23 Update: A small note relative to Sanctuary MYOs. Belatedly we realized Sanctuary MYO slots do not have a bank for us to log AP in, so that AP will be logged under the Sanctuary MYO slot's "Notes" tab. We've amended the Sanctuary page to mention this info to try to mitigate some confusion, opposed to removing the option altogether. This is pretty non-standard and will be just what we do for only Sanctuary MYOs. We will not be doing this for any other types of MYOs in the future since it's more tracking than expected.

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Happy New Year all! Can you believe it's already February?

Modcation has long since ended so let's dive into what's being released this month and what future things we are working on.

Bonded Kittom MYOs

For a long time now, we've wanted to have some group currency based MYO available to the group, but many things have caused this goal to repeatedly get pushed back. So we decided to step back a bit and dedicate time specifically towards the goal of having this opportunity available to group members.

Finally, we're excited to introduce bonded kittom MYOs! These will be special account-bound MYOs that can be purchased by anyone for group currency. Due to the nature of these MYOs, they will be completely non-transferrable and heavily group participation-focused. USD purchases will not be allowed for these special MYOs ever, since that would allow them to acquire a resale value, which in turn would make them transferrable. The decision to keep these MYOs non-transferrable was made with a lot of consideration and will not change now or in the future.

With that in mind, there will be some opportunities specific only to these bonded elnin. Since these account-bound elnin will only ever belong to the same user, the amount of edits that these elnin can undergo will be greater than other designs in the group. We will not be expanding the amount of edits that other elnin can undergo, as this is an opportunity specifically for bonded elnin. We understand there are some traits and mutations that cannot be acquired through normal means outside of patreon. Please be patient with us on this front. Once we know the new systems we're introducing are running smoothly and settled in a bit, we'll be looking to host raffle opportunities for bonded elnin to acquire traits normally only accessible through patreon sales.

Raffles will not be the only way to acquire traits that have previously been patreon-only, but for now this is where we're starting out for these types of MYOs.

See our "Bonded MYOs" page to learn more about bonded kittom MYOs.

The Silvergrace Sanctuary Re-opens

It's been a long time coming on this front as well, but the Silvergrace Sanctuary has officially re-opened with some adjustments.

It's worth noting, the Sanctuary in general has always been intended as a last resort for users who have tried just about everything else and still have not been able to connect with an elnin. We understand that compared to how it was historically run, the Sanctuary's guidelines may seem quite steep, but after much discussion, both Mana and the moderator team are in agreement the Sanctuary has never been intended to be the primary means of acquiring MYO slots in the group. We hope the introduction of the Bonded MYO slot system helps provide a more intentional way for users to acquire MYOs and without needing to have an elnin to relinquish to the Sanctuary in the first place.

Notable changes to the sanctuary include requirements to turn in elnin to the Sanctuary. Users must have accounts that are at least a year old and have completed at least one prompt to relinquish an elnin to the Sanctuary. Other changes include limitations on how many mutations carry over as well as limits on which kinds of mutations carry over. There is also a little more flexibility on which mutations the resulting MYO can pick up. (For example, if you turned in an elnin with featherlight hair in the past system, your new MYO would have access to only the featherlight hair mutation. With the new system, turning in an uncommon mutation like featherlight hair would result in the ability to pick any uncommon mutation that is both hereditary and has an associated region.) This news post will not encompass all the changes made and new guidelines.

If you would like to read more about the Silvergrace Sanctuary you can find more info about it on its respective page.

For those wondering what happens to elnin turned into the sanctuary, we’ve answered that in the FAQ section of the Sanctuary! Once elnin are traded in, the group reserves the right to redesign or disperse the elnin as the group sees fit. Generally, we will prioritize reintroducing elnin back into the community via group participation-based raffles. Some elnin may be redesigned prior to their reintroduction into the group to give them some fresh art or bring traits into alignment with current guidelines.

Next Steps and Goals

We have a few new items we're looking at in the month of February.

1. Our first goal for February is to dive a little more into questing.
   
   • Quests we would like to create will not be focused on knights/mages/guilds/etc. That's a larger project that will take a lot longer.
   • We would like to look into making some, not all, historically less accessible mutations available through means beyond just Patreon. Specifics are yet to come.
2. Our second goal for February is to try to get some of the sub-type trait guides filled out a bit more.
   • This goal is a little less concrete than the first since we're not sure how quickly or completely guides will come together but this is something we want to work on.

We do not have any further details at this time that are ready to be shared, but look out for news posts early next month if either of these projects sound like they interest you! There are several other ideas rolling around in the background as well, but for the sake of making some concrete ground. the two above will be what we're aiming at. Any additional work in terms of broader updates we do this month will just be a bonus on the side.

As always, thank you everyone for your continued patience. The group would not be what it is without your creativity and interest!