Areya is a Discord bot that generates images from prompts with AI, without you leaving the chat. We made it for people who keep blurting out "that thing, you know, that!" mid-conversation. This article covers what it can do, the seven commands you call with /areya, how credits work, and how to add it to your server.
Why we made Areya
Because we wanted to show the "that" in our heads on the spot, without leaving the chat.
When we talk, we say it all the time: "that thing, you know, that!" The image is right there in our heads: the color, the shape, the mood. But the word that points to it won't come out. The other person doesn't get what "that" is, and it's frustrating. We hit that moment constantly.
Open another tool, set it up, generate, come back to the chat. By the time you've made that round trip, the conversation has moved on. We didn't want to leave the chat; we wanted to show "that" without leaving. So we made a Discord bot called Areya.
What can Areya do?
Throw it a prompt in the channel where you're talking, wait a moment, and an image comes back. It has three features: image_gen, cat, and neko.
The nice part is that you don't have to switch to another tool. Right in the channel where you're talking, you type a prompt like "I want an image like this." Wait a moment, an image comes back, and you get to say: "That! That's the one!" The "that" in your head appears in front of you, and you share it without stopping the flow of the conversation. That's the whole point.
There are three features, kept simple.
- image_gen — give it a prompt and it generates an image of that
- cat — returns a random cat image
- neko — meows ("nyaan")
To be honest, cat and neko are just for fun. Still, a chat is more enjoyable when a cat pops up between messages, or something meows. That kind of slack is worth having.
We're also working on video support. If we can get a still "that" out, we want to get a moving "that" out too. We're still experimenting, but we intend to get there.
Command list: the seven commands you call with /areya
Every command starts with the /areya prefix. There are seven in total.
| Command | What it does |
|---|---|
/areya help |
Shows the command list and how to use them |
/areya neko |
Meows ("nyaan") |
/areya cat |
Returns a random cat image |
/areya image_gen |
Generates an image from a prompt |
/areya credit |
Checks your current credit balance |
/areya pay |
Buys credits |
/areya claim |
Claims free credits |
How do credits work?
Generating an image costs 1 credit. Each server gets 5 free credits, and when they run low, either a server admin or any member can buy more.
Areya gives each server 5 free credits to start. Pick them up with /areya claim. Generating an image costs 1 credit per image. Calling a cat with cat, or making it meow with neko, doesn't use any credits.
Credits are a pool shared across the server. They don't belong to any one person; it's a common balance that everyone on the server draws from. That means there are two ways to add to it:
- a server admin buys a batch of credits, or
- any member tops the pool up themselves via
/areya pay.
Whoever wants to get a "that" out can add to the pool themselves. Something everyone uses, supported by everyone. That's the shape we went with.
How do I add Areya to my server?
Open the invite link below, pick the server you want to add it to, and authorize. That's it.
Opening the link brings up Discord's standard "add an app" screen. Pick the server, authorize, and you're done. After that, try it out with /areya help.
It asks for two permissions on setup: bot, so it can run as a bot, and applications.commands, so it can use slash commands.
FAQ
Does Areya cost anything to use?
Each server gets 5 free credits, which you claim with /areya claim. Generating an image costs 1 credit per image. cat and neko don't use credits. Once the free credits are gone, you can buy more with /areya pay.
Who can buy credits?
Either a server admin or any member of the server. Credits are a pool shared across the server, so whoever adds them, they go into the same balance. You can check the balance with /areya credit.
What can it do besides generating images?
/areya cat returns a random cat image, and /areya neko meows ("nyaan"). Video support is in the works; we're still experimenting.
What permissions does it need?
Two: bot and applications.commands. The first lets it run as a bot; the second lets it use slash commands.
What if I forget how to use it?
Run /areya help and it shows the command list and how to use each one.
For anyone who's been stuck because the "that" in their head won't turn into words: without leaving the chat, you get to say "that's the one!" right on the spot. That's the kind of bot this is. If you like, give it an invite.
