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Character Creation and Origins

Purpose

Character creation should define who player is, where they begin inside Trevalkaan (the main hub city), what early board work feels natural, and what kind of starter package they receive.

It should create identity and direction without creating permanent class traps.

Launch should teach direct play through one adventurer. It is not a manager layer over multiple controllable characters, and hireable NPC helpers are a later-system addition.

Character Setup Goals

  • creation should finish fast enough for browser play, ideally in 2-5 minutes
  • choices should shape early experience, not hard-lock whole account
  • starting package should support immediate useful play from the main hub city board
  • chosen village origin should matter for contacts and early knowledge upon arrival in Trevalkaan
  • archetype should suggest role and loadout, not force permanent class ladder

Browser-Fit Rule

Creation should use one short guided flow with live preview.

Recommended steps:

  1. choose name and appearance
  2. choose Lineage
  3. choose Village Origin
  4. choose Archetype
  5. choose Background
  6. review starter package and confirm

No hidden math screen. No giant skill spreadsheet. Player should always see resulting start district, starter contacts, starter gear bias, and first recommended board work before final confirm.

Creation Design Rules

1. Identity, Not Permanent Class

Creation should shape early strength and flavor. It should not decide final build ceiling.

2. No Starting Skill Above Familiar

Creation should create direction, not skip progression.

All skills not touched by creation start at Untrained.

3. Overlap Converts Into Starter Utility, Not Power Inflation

If archetype, background, and village origin all touch same skill, creation should not push that skill above Familiar.

Duplicate overlap should instead convert into one of:

  • extra starter supplies
  • extra codex entry
  • better starter tool or kit quality
  • stronger local contact trust
  • one extra local recipe or map note

4. First Session Must Reinforce Choices

First city board, starter contacts, and tutorial prompts should visibly reflect chosen village origin, archetype, and background.

5. No Reroll Traps

No single creation choice should make character nonviable for launch content.

Input What It Changes What It Must Not Do
Name and Appearance identity, portrait, layered SVG presentation no mechanical advantage
Lineage human-like family identity, passive trait, cultural hooks no hard class lock or dominant combat multiplier
Village Origin starting village, first contacts, local knowledge, intro arc theme no permanent travel restriction
Archetype starting affinity package, role suggestion, starter loadout bias no permanent class path
Background small support bonus, tools, recipes, supplies, local reputation flavor no endgame power ceiling

Starter Package Assembly

Each new character should be built from layered grants.

Starting Coin

Every new character begins with 100 coin regardless of lineage, village origin, archetype, or background. This is enough to cover basic supplies and the first few board jobs without being stranded.

Lineage Grants

Launch rule: all playable characters belong to one human-like playable race. Lineage expresses family traits, local heritage, and visual identity inside that race rather than separate fantasy species.

Lineage should grant:

  • one small passive trait
  • one cultural or economic hook
  • one flavor hook for contacts, codex, or faction reception

Lineage bonuses should stay narrower than archetype bonuses.

Village Origin Grants

Village origin should grant:

  • starting location in the chosen village (not in Trevalkaan)
  • one village-specific guide or contact
  • one or two starter codex entries specific to the village's economy
  • one known beginner route strip, local work rumor, or village shortcut
  • a small skill familiarity reflecting the village's primary trade
  • access to the village's intro arc (3–5 tasks) before the Letter of Introduction unlocks Trevalkaan

Archetype Grants

Archetype should grant:

  • Familiar in four linked skills
  • one recommended role core or starter loadout bias
  • one starter equipment package bias
  • one first-board mission bias

Background Grants

Background should grant:

  • Familiar in two support skills or one support skill plus one non-skill utility grant
  • starter supplies, tool, recipe, or contact advantage
  • one economy or knowledge hook that affects first few expeditions

Starting Skill Rule

Recommended default:

  • archetype grants Familiar in four skills
  • background grants Familiar in two support skills
  • village origin grants familiarity in one trade skill plus contacts, route knowledge, or codex; not direct extra combat power
  • lineage grants passive effect or context hook, not raw band inflation

This gives new character enough shape to succeed early without invalidating skill-based growth.

Lineage Examples

Lineages should stay human-like, readable, and situational.

Lineage should never decide whether player can become arcanist, fighter, crafter, or trader later. Every lineage trait must stay narrow enough that a character can succeed equally well in any role.

Lineage Passive Trait Mechanical Effect Cultural Hook
Marcher Road-Worn Foot travel and patrol tasks within the Frontier Marches resolve one difficulty step lower (better result tier on delay, hazard, and road security checks) Broad NPC acceptance across the Marches; earned trust with Branch Wardens and road-post communities
Riverfolk Waterway Read Gather tasks in river, reed, or dock zones yield one extra haul per expedition run; ferry and water-crossing transit tasks have a reduced mishap rate Trade-lane and dock familiarity; ferry contact trust with Polheen and Arujoki trade networks
Hillborn Stone Endurance Heavy carry, excavation, and forge-adjacent Endurance checks are treated as one skill band higher for pass/fail determination (does not change actual skill band; does not stack with skill growth) Quarry and workshop familiarity; heavy-labor trust with Rumiarr quarry community and Trevalkaan smithing district
Old Quarter line Civic Memory Appraisal, codex, and archive tasks yield one bonus codex entry per expedition; archive and guild-hall NPCs begin with one trust tier higher at first meeting Shrine, record-house, and civic-hall familiarity; institutional trust with guild scribes, archive staff, and council-adjacent factions

Scope rule: Lineage bonuses must stay narrower than archetype bonuses. A lineage trait shapes one domain of context advantage; it should not replicate what the archetype covers in direct skill grants.

Village Origin Options

Every character starts in one of six villages surrounding Trevalkaan. The village is the character's first home, first board, and first community. See villages.md for full village profiles, NPCs, activities, and economic relationships. After completing the village intro arc (3–5 tasks), the character receives a Letter of Introduction and travels to Trevalkaan, where the full game opens.

Each village origin grants exactly the skills listed in the table below. Familiar (primary) is the trade skill core to the village economy. Where a Familiar (secondary) is listed, both are granted — the secondary reflects the physical demands of that village's labor and is not an additional power grant beyond the archetype; it replaces the codex or route bonus for that village.

Village Location Trade Identity Familiar (primary) Familiar (secondary) First Board Bias
Arujoki Lower Maren reeds, 12km ESE Fishing, net weaving, boat craft Fishing — river gather, net repair, river watch
Talmaes Orchard vale, 15km SSE Grain farming, beekeeping, dairy Herbalism — harvest, pest defense, herding
Rumiarr Northwall escarpment, 16km N Quarrying, iron ore, gem sorting Mining Endurance deep-dig, ore delivery, cave bounties
Polheen Karst ford, 13km WNW Trade transit, appraisal, ferry Caravan Handling — ferry runs, appraisal, caravan staging
Metsadu Briar Thicket mouth, 14km NW Herb gathering, trapping, tinctures Herbalism — foraging, trapping, predator hunting
Coedwair Old-growth edge, 18km NE Lumber, charcoal, woodworking Woodcraft Endurance felling, road security, kiln work

Note on Talmaes: The village trade identity is agricultural but the granted skill is Herbalism because the skill catalog does not include a separate Agriculture skill. Farming yields in the game model are governed by Herbalism (plant knowledge, seasonal patterns, soil reading) for all crop and orchard work.

Note on Metsadu vs. Talmaes: Both grant Herbalism Familiar. Metsadu characters begin in the Briar Thicket with gather-zone knowledge and trapping tools; Talmaes characters begin in orchard farmland with field-labor tools. The skill is the same; the starting resources, contacts, and intro arc tasks differ.

Village Intro Arc

Each village has 3–5 introductory tasks that teach core systems through the village's lens:

  • Tasks 1–2 introduce the gather or craft loop relevant to the village economy
  • Task 3 introduces a low-risk combat or security element
  • Task 4 (optional for some arcs) introduces a local NPC relationship
  • Final task delivers the Letter of Introduction to Trevalkaan and triggers the first travel expedition

The intro arc cannot be skipped. It is short enough to complete in a single session.

Village Intro Arcs

Per-village task lists for the intro arc sequence. All arcs end with a Letter of Introduction and a first travel expedition to Trevalkaan. NPCs referenced here are defined in full in villages.md.

Arujoki (River Fisher Village — 12km ESE)

1. First Catch — Headman Nilmari assigns the character a shared boat slot for the morning run. Gather the fish quota from the nearest river zone with Fisherman Pandaino's crew. Introduces the gather loop and water-zone navigation.

2. Net Mending — A section of the drying net is torn. Bring the repair materials from the supply shed and mend it at the net rack under Boatwright Anbukki's instruction. Introduces the craft-adjacent repair interaction and NPC service access.

3. River Watch — Branch Warden Tapaulo needs the north bank patrol walked before dusk. Follow the waypoint route, report any signs of the recent smuggler activity near the reeds. Introduces patrol mechanics and road security concepts.

Departure: Nilmari writes the Letter of Introduction and wraps a parcel of smoked fish to deliver to Town Physician Kaisaarul in Trevalkaan. The delivery to Kaisaarul is the character's first Trevalkaan board order — logged and credited on arrival.

Talmaes (Farming Village — 15km SSE)

1. Field Survey — Headman Bathrys needs a readiness count before sending the next grain report north. Walk the south field circuit, count ripened and unready sections, and report back. Introduces movement mechanics and area survey.

2. Pest Call — Grain Merchant Boldwyn has posted a field rat cull on the branch board. Complete it. Introduces the hunt-type order, the village board interaction, and the basic combat loop at F-rank.

3. Delivery Run — A grain sack needs to go to the Trevalkaan Mill for Miller's agent Narwen to verify the harvest grade. Carry it there and wait for the paperwork. This is the character's first road trip — the Southern Farm Road is clear.

Departure: Bathrys writes the Letter of Introduction when the character returns from the mill run. It arrives with Narwen's grade report attached, which Warehouse Factor Boldanwen in Trevalkaan uses to approve the next supply order.

Rumiarr (Mining Village — 16km North)

1. Surface Dig — Take a day permit from Quarrymaster Intiker and gather a surface ore quota from the outer face of the claim. Introduces resource-type gather orders and the permit/claim system.

2. Ore Assessment — Bring the ore samples to Assayer Amareneko for grading. The character observes the grading process and receives a basic quality reading. Introduces the quality inspection mechanic and NPC service interaction.

3. Cart Run — Escort an ore cart down the Northern Escarpment Road to the Trevalkaan Blacksmith loading bay. Straightforward escort, introduces road security awareness and travel under load.

Departure: Quarrymaster Intiker signs the Letter of Introduction on the character's return from the first cart run. It vouches for the character as a capable extraction hand and introduces them to Blacksmith Gwayra at the Trevalkaan end.

Polheen (River Crossing Village — 13km WNW)

1. Crossing Shift — Take a supervised ferry shift under Ferryman Jagaan. The character works the crossing mechanism and manages two wagon loads across the ford. Introduces the logistics and managed-interaction style of Polheen's economy.

2. Cargo Read — Innkeeper Senaax needs an appraisal of three waiting merchant cargo loads before the morning pricing meeting. The character inspects, identifies, and grades the cargo. Introduces the appraisal knowledge-task type.

3. Guard Escort — Merchant contact Piraax (Branch Warden's caravan lead) is moving a small caravan to Trevalkaan and needs a road guard for the Western Ford Road stretch. Walk the caravan in. Introduces escort mechanics and the NPC relationship that drives Polheen's supply line.

Departure: Jagaan provides the Letter of Introduction — written as a ford voucher that confirms the character is known at the Polheen crossing. It carries standing on the road network: Trevalkaan's Gate Sergeant Intixabi recognises Polheen vouchers as trustworthy.

Metsadu (Forest Gather Village — 14km NW)

1. First Forage — Take a gather permit from Elder Tapiosel and collect herbs from the closest gather zone inside the Briar Thicket. Introduces the zone-based gather loop and permit system.

2. Trap Circuit — Trapmaster Kaisanila needs the assigned route set before dusk. Place three traps on the route markers at evening, then check them the following morning. Introduces the multi-stage timed task: set now, check later, a preview of tick-delayed interactions.

3. Remedy Batch — Distiller Helviarul needs one round of a simple medicine batch at the distillery. The character follows the process and produces a usable tincture. Introduces the craft commission mechanic and quality-spec submission.

Departure: Tapiosel sends the character to Trevalkaan with a delivery: three transcribed codex pages for Archivist Gwydnila. The Letter of Introduction is folded inside the delivery parcel. Gwydnila is the character's first Trevalkaan contact.

Coedwair (Logging Village — 18km NE)

1. Near-Edge Fell — Take a felling permit from Village Elder Gwydinti and cut timber from the near-edge zone. The character learns the quality-read step before cutting — wrong grain selection fails the order. Introduces the timber gather loop and read-before-act discipline.

2. Kiln Run — Charcoal Burner Branwayra needs help with a burn cycle. Load the kiln, manage the vent timing through the cycle, and seal it for cooling. Introduces a timed multi-step task with a clear pass/fail check.

3. Road Patrol — Branch Warden Rianumaq needs the Logging Road walked from Coedwair toward Trevalkaan for the first 3km. Log the waypoints, note any road condition issues, and report back. Introduces road security patrolling and gives the character a preview of the road they will travel on departure.

Departure: Gwydinti writes the Letter of Introduction on return from patrol. The character travels the Logging Road NE to Trevalkaan — the longest intro arc departure route, reflecting Coedwair's position as the most distant village.

Letter of Introduction

The Letter of Introduction is the gate item that ends the village intro arc and unlocks Trevalkaan access. Every intro arc ends with one. It is short, non-tradeable, and consumed on arrival.

What It Contains

Each Letter of Introduction carries:

  • issuer_npc_id — the village elder, headman, or craft lead who signed it
  • origin_village_id — the village the character completed the intro arc in
  • recipient_npc_id — the specific Trevalkaan NPC to deliver to (named per village; see intro arc departure notes). General vouchers name a role rather than a person
  • arc_completion_flags — which intro arc tasks completed and in what order
  • vouching_note — short flavor text written by the issuer; visible in the character's journal
  • issued_at — timestamp of issue

The letter is an inventory item. It cannot be dropped, traded, sold, or destroyed. It is consumed (marked delivered) on first confirmed entry into Trevalkaan.

Gate Check

The letter_of_introduction_earned flag is written to the character record when the final intro arc task completes — not when the letter is physically delivered. This flag is the server-authoritative gate condition.

Gate check sequence at the Trevalkaan arrival point:

  1. Confirm letter_of_introduction_earned = true on character record
  2. Consume letter from inventory (write letter_delivered event)
  3. Write trevalkaan_first_arrival event to character history
  4. Activate deferred Trevalkaan starter contacts from the creation snapshot
  5. Unlock main city board browsing (full order list becomes visible and actionable)

If a character reaches the Trevalkaan border before the letter is earned (possible through future open-travel rules or edge cases), the gate NPC turns them back with a dialog prompt. A hard server-side block also exists as fallback. The client-facing block is always a soft redirect — never a silent failure.

What It Unlocks

On delivery:

  • full Trevalkaan board access — all posted orders visible and actionable
  • deferred Trevalkaan contacts become active (those specified in the character creation snapshot)
  • the named recipient NPC becomes an active contact at opening trust level (see per-village departure notes for which NPC)
  • character record transitions from intro_arc_state to open_world_state
  • beginner trust band remains active until its own exit conditions are met (see Beginner Trust Band section)

Per-Village Recipient Summary

Village Letter Issuer Trevalkaan Recipient Contact Benefit
Arujoki Headman Nilmari Town Physician Kaisaarul medical district access; first board order pre-logged as delivery credit
Talmaes Headman Bathrys Warehouse Factor Boldanwen supply-chain trust; grade report attached gives first board sponsorship
Rumiarr Quarrymaster Intiker Blacksmith Gwayra smithing district intro; work-credential framing earns Guard Quarter respect
Polheen Ferryman Jagaan Gate Sergeant Intixabi elevated gate trust; ford voucher explicitly recognised by gate staff
Metsadu Elder Tapiosel Archivist Gwydnila archive access; codex exchange tasks open immediately
Coedwair Village Elder Gwydinti (general timber-trade letter; no named recipient) Crafters Guild and smithing district will recognise forest-work credentials on first interaction

These should match launch affinity packages already defined in progression docs.

Archetype Starting Familiar Skills Starter Bias First Board Bias
Vanguard Shielding, Heavy Armor, Endurance, Combat Judgment shield, sturdy armor, repair basics escort, patrol, holdout defense
Ranger Archery, Tracking, Routefinding, Hunting and Trapping bow, travel kit, scouting tools hunt, survey, route scouting
Arcanist Arcane Theory, Elementalism, Ritualism, Warding implement, reagents, focus support site expedition, ward support, anomaly response
Warden Restoration, Field Medicine, Campcraft, Herbalism medicine satchel, sustain gear rescue, medicine delivery, hazard recovery
Artificer Tinkering, Smithing, Carpentry, Salvage Recovery tools, repair kit, utility pack gather, salvage, civic project support
Duelist Blades, Light Armor, Evasion, Endurance light kit, pursuit gear bounty, pursuit hunt, named-target work

Background Examples

Backgrounds should color early economy and knowledge play.

Background Support Skills or Utility Early Benefit
Farmhand Cooking, Preservation better ration familiarity, farm contacts, field labor trust
Caravan Guard Caravan Handling, Routefinding convoy trust, escort discipline, transport contact
Temple Scribe Scribing, Appraisal codex access, archive familiarity, ritual record hooks
Hunter Tracking, Hunting and Trapping field dressing knowledge, local game rumors, pelt familiarity
Apprentice Smith Smithing, Tinkering workshop access, repair flow familiarity, starter tool quality bump

Starting Village and Contact Rules

Every new character should begin with:

  • one starting village selected from the Village Origin package
  • one village civic contact (village elder, wardens, trade master, or craft lead) specific to the chosen village
  • one archetype-aligned contact within the village or introduced by the intro arc
  • one background-aligned contact or supply lead, which may be in Trevalkaan and unlocked after Letter of Introduction

Contacts should matter immediately for tutorial framing. The village contact drives the intro arc; the Trevalkaan contacts activate after arrival.

First Board Experience

Creation should feed directly into the first visible board state — the village board, not Trevalkaan's.

Recommended starter bundle:

  • one low-risk village-specific gather or craft task (village origin)
  • one archetype-aligned expedition available in the village
  • one background-aligned economy or utility task available locally

The Trevalkaan main board is visible but locked until the Letter of Introduction is earned. Players can preview it during the intro arc to build anticipation, but orders cannot be accepted until arrival.

  • villages.md — Full profiles for all six starting villages
  • regions.md — Trevalkaan and the Frontier Marches overview
  • ../systems/guilds/guild-rank-system.md — NPC guild rank system
  • ../systems/guilds/adventurers-guild.md — Adventurers Hall
  • ../systems/guilds/crafters-guild.md — Crafters Hall
  • one always-available safe fallback task for players who ignored recommended role

This makes player feel chosen package in first 5-15 minutes.

Starter Gear and Supply Rules

Creation should not grant full optimized builds, but it should avoid naked starts.

Each new character should receive:

  • simple clothing or armor appropriate to archetype bias
  • one starter weapon or tool package
  • small ration and water pack
  • one utility item matching background or village origin
  • one saved starter loadout suggestion

Starter items should be Common quality and intentionally replaceable.

Canonical Launch Packages

Use a few canonical creation packages as implementation test cases. These are not only flavor examples. They are balance and onboarding reference packages for launch.

1. Briar Thicket Remedy Keeper

  • Lineage: Marcher
  • Village Origin: Metsadu
  • Archetype: Warden
  • Background: Hunter
  • Starter village profile: deep-thicket gather community; herb distillery access; trapline circuit; close relationship with Elder Tapiosel and Distiller Helviarul
  • Starter contacts: Elder Tapiosel (village elder, intro arc guide), Distiller Helviarul (craft instructor), Archivist Gwydnila in Trevalkaan (activated on arrival via intro arc delivery)
  • Starter loadout suggestion: herb knife, medicine satchel, small trap kit, field wraps, light travel gear
  • Starter board bundle: herb forage order, remedy batch commission, trapline maintenance run

What this package teaches:

  • gather loop with quality-check mechanic (herb identification before harvest)
  • craft commission loop (tincture batch at the distillery)
  • multi-step timed task discipline (trap set → overnight → collect)
  • NPC relationship building through task completion rather than combat
  • early Herbalism + Field Medicine overlap as a sustain-role foundation

Village intro arc: see Metsadu arc in the Village Intro Arcs section above.

Trevalkaan transition: character arrives with Elder Tapiosel's Letter of Introduction and a parcel for the Archivist. Gwydnila's archive contact immediately opens codex exchange tasks — the character's first Trevalkaan board work leans toward knowledge-gathering and rare herb sourcing rather than combat.

2. Old-Growth Woodwright

  • Lineage: Hillborn
  • Village Origin: Coedwair
  • Archetype: Artificer
  • Background: Farmhand
  • Starter village profile: forest-culture logging community; old-growth timber tradition; kiln and charcoal work; Branch Warden Gwydinti's tutelage
  • Starter contacts: Village Elder Gwydinti (intro arc guide and cultural anchor), Charcoal Burner Branwayra (craft instructor), Branch Warden Rianumaq (patrol contact)
  • Starter loadout suggestion: hand axe, timber quality rod (for grain reading), kiln gloves, light road gear, rope
  • Starter board bundle: near-edge felling order, kiln cycle commission, road patrol run

What this package teaches:

  • read-before-act discipline (timber quality inspection before cutting — wrong selection fails the order)
  • multi-stage timed task with clear pass/fail (kiln vent management)
  • route familiarity and patrol mechanic (Logging Road walk)
  • Woodcraft + Endurance overlap as a utility-role foundation
  • introduction to the oldest village community and its relationship with the old-growth forest (lore-rich intro arc)

Village intro arc: see Coedwair arc in the Village Intro Arcs section above.

Trevalkaan transition: character travels the Logging Road NE — the longest departure route of any village, reflecting Coedwair's distance. Arrives with Elder Gwydinti's letter vouching for the character's work ethic and forest knowledge. First Trevalkaan board work leans toward timber delivery contracts, civic project labor, and workshop supply runs. The character has existing knowledge of old-growth materials that Blacksmith Tallus and the Crafters Guild will eventually want to exploit.

3. Northern Wall Guard

  • Lineage: Hillborn
  • Village Origin: Rumiarr
  • Archetype: Vanguard
  • Background: Apprentice Smith
  • Starter village profile: quarry and ore community on the northern escarpment; hard physical labor culture; ore permit and assay access; Quarrymaster Intiker's firm-but-fair oversight
  • Starter contacts: Quarrymaster Intiker (intro arc guide, permit authority), Assayer Amareneko (craft service NPC, quality knowledge), Blacksmith Gwayra in Trevalkaan (activated on arrival via cart delivery intro)
  • Starter loadout suggestion: iron shield, heavy work coat (light armor equivalent), ore hammer (utility weapon), endurance wraps, cart hauling rope
  • Starter board bundle: ore surface gather order, cart escort to Trevalkaan loadout bay, smithing repair commission at the village forge

What this package teaches:

  • permit and claim system (day permit from Quarrymaster before any dig task)
  • quality inspection mechanic (assayer NPC interaction, reading grade output)
  • escort mechanics under load (cart run down the escarpment road with hazard awareness)
  • Endurance + Heavy Armor overlap as a frontline-defense foundation — the character can absorb pressure and keep others moving
  • Hillborn lineage bonus applies directly: excavation and forge Endurance checks run one step better throughout the intro arc

Village intro arc: see Rumiarr arc in the Village Intro Arcs section above.

Trevalkaan transition: character delivers the ore cart to Blacksmith Gwayra's loading bay. Gwayra is the Trevalkaan smithing contact who connects the character to the escort and holdout-defense board work. Quarrymaster Intiker's letter vouches for the character's strength and reliability — this is a work-credential letter, not a social introduction, and the Trevalkaan Guard Quarter respects it differently than scholarly or trade letters.

4. River Shore Scout

  • Lineage: Riverfolk
  • Village Origin: Arujoki
  • Archetype: Ranger
  • Background: Hunter
  • Starter village profile: Lower Maren fishing community; boat slots, net drying racks, and river-zone gather circuits; Branch Warden patrol routes along the north bank; smuggler activity creates early low-risk security work
  • Starter contacts: Headman Nilmari (intro arc guide and village authority), Fisherman Pandaino (gather crew contact), Branch Warden Tapaulo (patrol and road contact), Town Physician Kaisaarul in Trevalkaan (activated on arrival via intro delivery)
  • Starter loadout suggestion: shortbow, hunting knife, light river gear, fish-gut carry pouch, scout kit (rope, mirror signal, chalk)
  • Starter board bundle: morning fish quota run, north bank patrol circuit, hunt order for the reed-zone pest animals Pandaino complained about

What this package teaches:

  • zone-based gather loop with water-zone navigation (boat slot assignment, zone entry)
  • craft-adjacent repair interaction (net mending under NPC instruction — introduces the craft repair task type)
  • patrol mechanics and road security concepts (waypointed north bank walk with a report outcome)
  • Fishing + Tracking as a dual-sense foundation — river gather knowledge feeds directly into later hunt and survey work
  • Riverfolk lineage bonus applies directly: river-zone gather runs yield better haul rates throughout the intro arc

Village intro arc: see Arujoki arc in the Village Intro Arcs section above.

Trevalkaan transition: character arrives carrying the smoked fish delivery for Town Physician Kaisaarul. Kaisaarul's first board order is already logged and credited — the character enters Trevalkaan with a completed delivery and an immediate contact relationship with the medical district. First board work leans toward hunt, survey, and river-route expeditions near the Lower Maren.

5. Ford Appraisal Scholar

  • Lineage: Old Quarter line
  • Village Origin: Polheen
  • Archetype: Arcanist
  • Background: Temple Scribe
  • Starter village profile: karst ford trade-transit community; ferry mechanism, cargo appraisal sessions, and merchant caravan staging; high commercial traffic drives a strong knowledge-task economy; Gate Sergeant Intixabi at Trevalkaan recognises Polheen vouchers explicitly
  • Starter contacts: Ferryman Jagaan (intro arc guide and ford authority), Innkeeper Senaax (appraisal knowledge contact), Merchant Piraax (caravan escort contact), Gate Sergeant Intixabi in Trevalkaan (activated on arrival via ford voucher)
  • Starter loadout suggestion: scholar's satchel, basic arcane implement (focus rod), ritual ink set, light travel coat, cargo ledger
  • Starter board bundle: cargo identification and grading session, ferry shift assist, caravan escort leg from Polheen to Trevalkaan Western Ford Road

What this package teaches:

  • logistics and managed-interaction task style (ferry mechanism, wagon load management)
  • knowledge-task type (appraisal — inspect, identify, grade, report)
  • escort mechanics in a caravan context (road guard role on a multi-NPC caravan)
  • Arcane Theory + Appraisal overlap — scholarly identification tasks feed the Arcanist's site-expedition and ward-response work; site anomaly detection is a direct extension of cargo-reading skill
  • Old Quarter line lineage bonus applies directly: archive and appraisal tasks during the intro arc yield extra codex entries

Village intro arc: see Polheen arc in the Village Intro Arcs section above.

Trevalkaan transition: character arrives with Jagaan's ford voucher and a caravan introduction from Piraax's merchant network. Gate Sergeant Intixabi processes the voucher with elevated trust, giving the character clean gate access. First Trevalkaan board work leans toward site expedition support, anomaly-report follow-up, and archive research commissions. The character has the Scribing background contact who may be in Trevalkaan's archive district.

6. Southfield Blade

  • Lineage: Marcher
  • Village Origin: Talmaes
  • Archetype: Duelist
  • Background: Caravan Guard
  • Starter village profile: southern farming valley; grain fields, orchards, and dairy; lower-risk intro arc than mining or forest villages, but the Caravan Guard background adds road awareness before departure; first board order (pest cull) teaches combat loop in a low-stakes setting
  • Starter contacts: Headman Bathrys (intro arc guide and letter authority), Grain Merchant Boldwyn (board order contact), Narwen (Miller's agent, road trip contact), Warehouse Factor Boldanwen in Trevalkaan (activated on arrival via mill-run delivery)
  • Starter loadout suggestion: light blade (short sword), road-worn coat (light armor), belt knife, caravan guard badge (worn for contact recognition), travel rations
  • Starter board bundle: field rat pest cull (first combat order), field survey circuit, grain delivery run to the Trevalkaan mill

What this package teaches:

  • field survey movement mechanic (area-walk with report output, no combat required)
  • hunt-type order and basic combat loop at F-rank (pest cull introduces combat resolution without a dangerous opponent)
  • first road trip to Trevalkaan (the Southern Farm Road is the clearest of all intro-arc departure routes — a gentle onboarding for travel mechanics)
  • Blades + Evasion as a mobile-offense foundation — the Duelist's light-kit pursuit style is previewed in the field survey circuit's open-movement design
  • Marcher lineage bonus applies directly: the Southern Farm Road travel check and the field survey route run at reduced difficulty

Village intro arc: see Talmaes arc in the Village Intro Arcs section above.

Trevalkaan transition: character returns from the mill run with Narwen's grade report, then travels directly to Trevalkaan (the grain delivery was the road trip). Arrives with Bathrys's letter and Narwen's grade report attached; Warehouse Factor Boldanwen in Trevalkaan uses the report to approve the next supply order, making the character's first Trevalkaan board work a known quantity with a named sponsor. First board work leans toward bounty, pursuit hunt, and named-target orders.

Beginner Trust Band

Creation should feed into a protected early-state band so player can learn chosen package without reroll panic.

Recommended rules while beginner_trust_band is active:

  • board favors low-risk village-origin and archetype-aligned work
  • failed starter expeditions retreat safely instead of cascading into severe loss
  • starter gear can degrade, but should not be permanently destroyed by early mistakes
  • player contract visibility should default to trusted, low-abuse postings first
  • route UI should show strong recommendation markers and clearer warnings
  • one archetype or background correction remains available

Recommended exit conditions:

  • complete 3 expeditions
  • manually leave protected mode after tutorial warnings
  • depart hub-city starter circuit by explicit player choice

First Three Expeditions Rule

First three expeditions should teach systems in controlled order.

Expedition 1: Archetype Proof

  • very low-risk
  • strongly aligned to chosen archetype
  • teaches role core, supplies, and basic result screen

Expedition 2: Village-Origin Utility

  • region-specific pressure
  • teaches why village origin matters
  • usually delivery, survey, herb, fuel, or escort utility task

Expedition 3: Mixed Pressure Test

  • combines role, route, and small economy consequence
  • teaches repair, injury, knowledge, or contract completion in same run
  • should be last guided step before full open board browsing

Correction Rule

Player should have one low-risk correction window early.

Recommended rule:

  • before first 3 completed expeditions or before leaving beginner trust band, player may swap archetype or background once
  • swap should rebuild starter loadout recommendation and first-board guidance
  • lineage and village origin stay fixed identity choices, but player can travel away normally after start

This reduces reroll pressure without making creation meaningless.

UI and Route Rules

Character Creation route should show:

  • live visual preview
  • short summary card for each choice
  • resulting starting village and expected arrival path to Trevalkaan
  • resulting starter skills and starter contacts
  • recommended loadout and first board bias
  • final review screen with no hidden modifiers

Route should feel like guided setup, not spreadsheet editor.

Technical Model

Core Records

Store:

  • lineage_template
  • village_origin_template
  • archetype_template
  • background_template
  • starter_package_template
  • starter_contact_grant
  • character_creation_snapshot
  • character_origin_choice

Commands

Support commands such as:

  • preview_character_origin_package
  • create_character
  • confirm_character_creation
  • apply_starter_correction

Character Creation Snapshot

At creation confirm, write immutable snapshot containing:

  • chosen lineage
  • chosen village origin
  • chosen archetype
  • chosen background
  • granted Familiar skills
  • starter contact grants
  • starting village
  • starter loadout suggestion
  • starter codex and route knowledge grants

This makes onboarding and dispute review deterministic.

  • world structure
  • character progression and roles
  • skill catalog
  • loadouts and safety rules
  • town simulation and supply
  • client and SVG pipeline