First Steps
Contents
Welcome to the Renaissance Kingdoms
March 1470...
You were born a humble vagrant at the dawn of The Renaissance in Europe.
Here everyone plays their role. The baker, the blacksmith, the fisherman... everybody depends on each other. Today is the first day of your new life, coming back to your hometown:
- you could spend your days at toil as a modest peasant,
- you might trade goods or become a merchant,
- you could live a quiet life...
- if you have ambition... the world awaits!
You have heard stories of travel to far-flung empires:
- but to look after your fellow man, you could be voted the mayor of your town,
- or you could one day be voted the ruler of an entire kingdom, even an empire!
But first, you need to take care of yourself. Your pockets are empty and you need to eat. You are starting a new chapter in your life in a universe governed by laws you may not yet understand. Let yourself be carried away by the breeze, wander the streets of your town, you will probably meet someone who has a plan for you...
You can already see the bell tower of your town on the horizon. You walk to the ramparts. The doors are in front of you. Guess what! They're open.
First day
To start with, you will have to follow the plan for your first day here, to which we've given a very simple name, "Drink, Eat and Sleep".
In a meantime, let's get familiar with the basics and reassure your fellow man that you are civilized after all.
Get to know yourself
To see your character and his/her information, you can consult his/her character sheet. It will be filled in with more and more information as you progress through the game.
Checkout out your character profile page and edit it. It is a public fact sheet, whose displayed information is customizable and visible to all.
Walk down the streets
Town is where all the important places are located. Here, you can find the villagers’ houses and public buildings such as the town hall or the church.
To move your character around the town and walk down the streets, you can:
- tap anywhere on the map and move to the desired destination ( 1 )
- tap the building to move to it and enter it ( 2 )
- use the shortcuts at the top right of the interface ( 3 )
Visit local taverns
Your throat is dry and your legs numb. It is a right moment to visit a municipal tavern, or one of the private taverns in your town.
Once you visit a tavern, take a look at its menu (). Prices can vary between different taverns, so it is a good idea to check few before deciding where to eat and drink. Given you ate already, and have few pounds with you, you can afford:
- a herbal tea, in case you're not drinking alcohol ( 1 : )
- a pint of beer ( 2 : )
- a round of drinks ( 3 : )
Let's make a toast and welcome you to your town! It is good to live there, you will see.
Visit local market
We still have so much to do! Let's learn the rules of this jungle that we call the market.
It’s here that, every day, inhabitants and travelers sell the fruits of their labor and their harvest. To feed yourself properly without ruining yourself, we recommend you buy loaf of bread made by the bakers or bag of corn. If you can not find any, try contacting the mayor or the mentor of your town, considerate people who can put you a loaf or two aside.
Reserving a product ( ) allows you to never run out… and sometimes even to negotiate the prices. Reserving naturally creates a relationship of trust between the buyer and the vendor. But it's not all about reserving, so make sure you buy a product:
- 1 : Select reserved quantity
- 2 : Purchase products in your basket
This loaf of bread is now in your inventory. It can wait there while we explain to you a plan that you’re going to follow for your first day here. It's given this very simple name, “Drink, Eat and Sleep”.
Hunger
If you’re hungry, you won’t be in a good shape. If you’re not in a good shape, you’ll end up dying. To avoid things coming to that, you’re going to have to eat enough every day. If you’re still slightly lost about knowing when to eat, I advise you to simply listen to when your belly starts making small rumbling sounds.
An indicator ( ) and its empty bar will tell when it is time to eat:
- if the bar is empty, the character is hungry and the food must be eaten,
- otherwise, the full bar means you have eaten already.
A character must be fed for two hunger points, which correspond to:
- one loaf of bread ( )
- two pieces of food that each gives one hunger point, e.g. two bags of corn ( )
Fitness
It is important to feed yourself once a day. If a character is hungry, his/her condition will deteriorate and he/she will lose characteristics every day, Without remedying this situation, the character will die after a few days.
An indicator ( ) and an emptying bar will help you observe your body. If all your ribs are protruding, be alarmed... In order not to lose characteristic points, you should eat every day until you are either exhausted or fit.
Note: Some players choose to swing their fitness between "exhausted" and "fit" to save money. This means that if today you ate a loaf of bread, next fay you will be able to eat only a bag of corn.
Inventory
So, have you noticed that your bag ( ) is heavy? You can store many things in it during your adventures! Chic and practical!
Look, your loaf of bread is waiting for you! Go on, treat yourself ( ).
Now, let's meet at the shelter when it suits you!
Shelter
It is time for a "Sleeping" part of the plan. The shelter is in bad shape and the stench is foul but this is where beggars like you live. The long room, the floor of which is covered with dry straw. Damaged wooden fences mark out the limits between the spaces.
Come, let's settle into this charming palace. Do not hesitate to pick up things on the ground if they seem abandoned to you... No one will tell you anything:
- pick up the straw mattress from the pile ( 1 )
- arrange your space ( 2 )
- lay the straw mattress ( 3 then 4 )
Congrats! You’ve laid down your straw mattress in your home, your very own home. It is still a bit empty, and the comfort is not optimal, but it is still better than the street or the prison. You will sleep well here ( 5 ). Well, at least we hope.
Be careful not to ignite the straw with a candle. Last year we had some losses due to these kinds of incidents...
Clothes
While you're in the sheler still, do not hesitate to collect some clothes from the pile of clothes ( 1 ) on the floor. There you will find a white scarf that will keep you warm.
Your wardrobe is a very ordered space. Open it ( 2 ). Your new item of clothing should be on the wardrobe's slot ( 3 ) for the neck accessories (XIII.d). Now, all you have to do is wear it ( 4 ).
Skills
We can consider the "Drink, Eat and Sleep" plan accomplished. Now let's move on to the two keywords: "Skills and Money".
There are different types of work to do in the town. Mining brings money, and you already completed a training course that thought you how to mine ( ). Now, I advise you to check which mine is located near your town, and learn the corresponding miner skill (Stone and Clay Miner, Iron and Salt Miner, or Iron and Salt Miner). Each of these skills increases the number of resources extracted as well as your wage when you work in a mine.
Learning skills is as simple as ABC! You just need to:
- want it,
- know some basics,
- and check the cost of the training… nothing’s free in this world.
The cost of training is paid in the skill points ( ). Skill points are acquired by gaining levels. Please note that once points have been placed, you cannot retrieve them.
Soon after, I advise you to unlock another work-related skills:
- Sociable (): Allows you to reply to a job offers
- Harvester (): Allows you to work at your town's lake, in the orchard, or in the forest
You will thank me later! Now go mine, you’re not afraid of the dark I hope.
Mining
You have to earn pounds to feed yourself and gain experience in order to develop your skills. The best way to obtain both: WORK!
When you work in the mine, you become an employee of the county because it is its proud owner. The mines provide the county's resources. Let’s see it as an exchange of favors: you produce resources, and the county gives you pounds.
When you are about to become a miner, it is good to know:
- it is necessary that the mine or the quarry is open
- all the equipment is loaned, you don't need to bring anything
- you choose the working time: 1, 2, 6, 10, or 22 hours
Don’t overdo it, you’re often more effective when you work in small doses.
Finally, once the time has elapsed, the work is done, and well done. The salary is paid directly into your bag. You can even start over!
Now, don't forget the two keywords: Money and Skills.
Second day
You have endured your mentor’s monologues for a whole day. It is a time to continue...
It is time for you to create your own place in this town. Your place. And remember what your grandmother used to tell you: it's good to let go of your naval to gaze at other people's navels, but only with their consent.
Town Hall
It's always useful to introduce yourself to high-ranking strangers, to form bonds, and to know how to stay pleasant with unpleasant people and unpleasant with pleasant people. Or the other way round.
Now come, let's visit our humble Town Hall where all town's activities are being managed.
Town Hall boards will help you study:
- ( 1 ) Town Information
- the mayor
- the planning assistant and the activities assistant
- the mentor
- nobility of the town and other residents presently in town
- ( 2 ) town directory of the farmers and tradesmen and tradeswomen who live here
Over there you'll find another notice board. Take a closer look. This is where the villagers post their job offers ( 3 ). However, read the offers carefully before applying - some require specific qualifications:
Also, remember that you must have the Sociable skill to respond to job offers.
Land market
It is time to learn how the land market works.
Acquiring a property requires buying a property deed. In your case, for example, you're soon going to want to buy a house. A roof over your head, just for you! However, note that this will be available only once you reach level 15.
Let's have a look so you can get an idea of the prices. As you can see, the houses for sale vary in size. I advise you to opt for a small model to start with, it's quite enough. Peasant cottage would cost you 80 pounds. It's quite a lot of money, but it's the price to pay for having your own place.
Take time to think about it and come back when you feel ready to make a start!
Church
You look kind of lost, let us show you around our beautiful church.
The church is maintained by kind would who come and clean it ( 1 ), from time to time. Priest doesn't offer much in exchange, it's more volunteering than work if you ever fancy it.
Having a church without a speck of dust means having respect for God Almighty! As well as for the villagers who gather here to pray every week. You should come to a mass too. Check when priest preaches weekly. Times are scribbled down at the entrance ( 2 ). Right below it, you will notice message from the parish priest too.
If you want, you can also give a small coin ( 3 ) to the poor people begging on the church esplanade from time to time.