The Soul is one of the oldest guilds from the World of Ryzom.  Its story and is interwoven with the many members who have laboured under its banner.  The guild has grown, changed and developed through time from the dawning days of glory seeking where rule drawn from the acquisition and wielding of great power stood paramount, to present day where peace, honour and friendship guide now with even greater power. 

The guild has weathered many trials, even when the toll perhaps would have crumbled lesser; loss and betrayal in waning days of power and prestige, conflict and sorrow sown of selfish and malicous intent and the lingering threat of the failing of the world.   Even through all these things the guild has endured and grown stronger and through the dedication and commitment of a handful of exceptional people.

Leaders of the Guild:
    Simone [founder]
    Erbauer
    Abscool
    Jasmi*[stewardship]
    Waylanda**
    Beepe
   

* - The stewardship of Jasmi marks the end of the First Age, following which the Guild is the new Soul.
** - The leadership of the guild in the dawn of the Second Age was given to Waylanda, long before a member of Soul before the dark years and the leader of the Mercenaries of Atys. 

A time line of notable events in
The History of the Guild
Last Updated: 17/07/2008

The First Era

- dawn of the Soul

• The forming of the guild by Guild Leader Simone, 4 May 2005.  Under the leadership of Simone and Richard The Soul as a guild starts making its mark in the lands of Atys.
• The emergence of divisions in the ideals between the Kami and the Karavan after the great kitin swarming sees the formation of two dominant factions amidst the remaining guilds, the Kami aligned and the Karavan aligned. 
• The Kami and Karavan factions work to establish themselves in the lands by the construction of temples to the faction deities.  The Soul, establishing its self to the honourable ideals of the Kami, labours hard and contributes greatly to the temple efforts.  The Guild earns the highest and most distinguished accolades in all the lands for Fighting and Digging in the efforts to construct the temples.  These accolades are recorded in the Halls of Fame and on the statues that still stand in honour to all those who laboured in the  construction efforts.
• Outposts are introduced to the lands.  Outposts were quickly prised and sought after for the unique and valuable crafting materials and catalyser crystals they produced.  Conflict and battles over Outposts quickly became common.
• Winning of The Soul's first Outpost, Malmont Farm, in the Desert Realms of the North.
• The Soul experiences a long period of relative stability and growth.  Progress in the guild was determined in this period by experience, influence and power.  This age saw the comming of members who crafted the guild later in the second Era; Allort(later a high officer and guild trek master), Beepe(later a guide and leader to the guild), Tantalos(later a high officer and a guild launcher wielder), Waylanda(leaving to form his own guild, later Soul guild leader and thereafter guild battle master).
• Soul first claims its long term home of Woodburn in the Flaming Forest deep within the Desert Realm.
• Passing of the mantle of leadership of the Guild to Erbauer.  Under Erbauer's leadership the guild sees its first and last open election of HO's and new leader, Abscool.
• Passing of the mantle of leadership of the Guild to Abscool.  Under the leadership of Abscool, the guild saw its first steps in its evolution in the establishment of guiding principles and code of duty, respect and honour.  In the latter days of Abscools leadership he was regretfully drawn further away by tasks in RL, leaving the guild without leader for long periods.  During such time those in the guild who sought power attempted to gain leadership of the guild, causing discord within the Guild.
• Time of sore trials.  Nevrax declares bankruptcy and the threat of the closing of the Ryzom servers.  Then High Officer Beepe, the last remaining active member of the guild counsel, resolves that measures need to be taken to ensure the future of the guild; In consultation and blessing from old allies and past counsel member and HO Baffos; Waylanda of the guild Mercenaries of Atys, is approached and offered the leadership of the guild in the merging of the two guilds as equals.  Following months of negotiations and the merger was agreed upon.
• Passing of the mantle of leadership of the Guild to the stewardship of Jasmi from Abscool who returned briefly by the long request and labour of Beepe.
• Ending of the First Age with the Union of The Soul and Mercenaries of Atys, the new Guild would retain the the name Soul.

The Second Era

- re-awakening

• Mantle of leadership of the New Guild, Soul, given to Waylanda at the gathering in Pyr, 23 December 2006.
• Beginning of the Battle for Woodburn.  The Soul, holding the last lvl 250 outpost for the Kami, came under repeated attack in the Karavan's effort to dominate all valuable resources.  The Outpost was attacked successively by different elements of the Karavan in an effort to break through the defences and the spirit of The Soul and its Allies.  In each battle The Soul was outnumbered, but its strength and its allies unmatched by the attacking forces.
• New battle training and techniques thus unseen in the lands enable The Soul's forces to out maneuver and out match its foes.  In acknowledgement of The Souls skills in battle, it is granted free movement at all battles under Kami lead, filling gaps in the lines and performing flanking maneuvers that severly hindered the enemy armies.  The Soul becomes renown as Shock Fighters, and called on by all Kami in the greatest of battles, and expected to stand at all costs.
• The Soul trades Woodburn Outpost with an allied guild for Loria Stronghold.  Unbeknownst to The Soul the Karavan had a long planned assault ripe to unleash on the stronghold.  Unsuspecting and unprepared the Outpost was attacked, overwhelmed and lost with no chance of holding it being far outnumbered beyond even the skill of Soul's fighters.  The defeated ranks of the guild return to the Kami lands with bitter feelings.
• The Kami Alliance agreement undertakes to combat the unmatched domination of the KA over the lands of Atys.  A renewed effort to win back lost Kami outposts from the Karavan leads to a few vicories, but the superior Karavan forces rallied at each turn to retake almost all of the won lands.  One of the outposts won, Zo-Kain, was for The Soul.  The war for Zo-Kain lasted three battles but finally The Soul and its Allies broke the Karavan hold on the valued Jungle outpost.  
• The Soul seeks to return to its home at Woodburn Outpost and arranges a trade for another lvl 250 Outpost. 
• The Soul trades Zo-Kain for Woodburn, under an honour agreement that that the defence thresholds of the outposts be preserved and not raised, thus forcing a fair and equal trade and not prematurely invoking the wrath of Karavan.
• The Soul sets in motion the first secret council of the Allied Kami guilds, an effort achieved only after months of negotiations with the guilds by Waylanda and Beepe.  Under this council, the Kami see the allied guilds communicating and co-operating in a manner that greatly benefits all the alliance.
• Gameforge-France takes ownership of Ryzom.  Closing of the Cho servers, players relocated to Arispotle server.
• Passing of the mantle of leadership of the Guild to Beepe.  Waylanda is forced to step down from the guild leadership due to RL pressures, he remains Battle Leader of the guild.
• The Great War of Atys, Atys World War 1 (AWW1), and the fall of the might of the KA over the Kami Lands by the valour of the Kami Alliance. The Kami take the Karavan forces unawares, who then struggle and then fail to counter attack.
• The Soul looses Woodburn Outpost to a bitter Karavan assault which sees the ultimate betrayal of a once close Ally and Kami guild as they join the Karavan forces in conquering the outpost.
• The Last Battle for Woodburn Outpost in the second Era, Soul's home in the Flaming Forest of the Desert Realm is secured until the passing of Arispotle[E2].  The Soul and its Allies retake Woodburn in an epic battle that sees the defeat of a fallen guild from the ranks of the Alliance.
• Gameforge-France declares bankruptcy, the threat of the closing of Ryzom rekindled.  Failing of the Ryzom servers that sees great losses suffered by all guilds as the world population plumets.  The Soul presence continues despite the inhospitible conditions.
• The great trek of the Guild in the search for a new Home.  Many Souls depart on their own journeys and many remain to continue to journey together and explore the foreign worlds of: Tabula-Rasa, LOTRO, Istaria, Light and Dark, Vangaurd, Guild Wars, ... {this is a long list}; in an effort to find a refuge.
• Restoration of the Ryzom servers and the gradual return of members to the Atys homeland, but the search for new lands continued as the future of the Ryzom world remained very uncertain.  The guild continues to grow with returning aswell as new members.
• A member of Soul discovers and raises Guild attention to a new world, DarkFall.  The guild makes preparations to lead an expeditionary team to the new world.
• 29 January 2008: The Soul celebrates its its 1000th anniversary in a grand festival in the Fyros City of Pyr. 
• Arispotle fails and its closure announced along with the fate of the remaining servers.  The Soul, now refugees with much of the remaining population of Arispotle, embarks on an effort to continue its presence in Ryzom on the Anrio server.
• Having being welcomed and aided greatly by local Guilds and by the labours of its members The Soul begins to prosper in the universe of Anrio.
• Monday 11 February 2008: The Ryzom Anrio server goes dark, access to the Ryzom universe is closed with the return date uncertain. 
• The Soul welcomes many friends from Ryzom guilds in the united efforts to open a portal to the realm of DarkFall.

 

 

The Third Era

- uncertainty and new worlds

... present day ...

[Third Era]  --  the comming of the third Era is forseen in two possible paths:  a third age of Ryzom (heralded by a new keeper) or the passing of the guild in to a new world, most likely Darkfall.  Time will tell!

Our thanks go out to all guild members, old and new, for contributing to this work.  To many for just being there and equally to all friends who have moved on.