So, you are interested in Requiem, and you are preparing to make a character for our game world. If you are wondering to yourself how to get started, then this is the guide for you.

Getting Started

Class is in session.

First things first. What type of character are you going to play? Requiem offers 9 distinct and enjoyable classes. They range from the fearsome Warrior to the forbidden Diabolist. You can find a full list of our classes in our Player Guide. Go ahead take a look, and choose wisely, because the class you choose is the one you will be stuck with for the rest of that character's days and there is a minimum wait period of seven days before you can submit an application for a secondary character. Not to mention you really don't want to go through the time of creating and submitting an application just to decide you dislike the character.

What is in a name?

Okay so you have picked your class. Whats next? A name. The decision of what to name your character is a very very important one. Possibly the single most important decision you will make throughout the character creation process, and even beyond that. Your characters name is something you will see and hear constantly once you get in the game world. Make it something you will enjoy and preferably be able to pronounce. More details concerning naming rules for the game world can be found under the "Character Creation" primer.

A background?

This step can fall anywhere between or before the previous steps. Generally it happens after you have picked your class. The backstory. Requiem requires that, before your character can be released from the Quarantine District of Tor, you submit a story for your character in the Application Forum. While we dont require you to read our entire library of lore before you create a character, when you do decide to leave the Quarantine District, your story will be what gets you out and into the game world. For your story to be properly accepted and appreciated, however, a decent understanding of the shard lore is nessicary.

When you begin to work on your backstory and think about what makes your character unique and intersting it is best to start with the Lore, you can find nearly everything you would need to know at our Hall of Wisdom site located here. Here are some basic questions you should answer in your characters application:

1. Where is your character from?
2. Why is your character in Tor?
3. How did he/she end up in the Quarantine?
4. What are your character's short term goals?
5. Long term goals?
6. How old is he/she?
7. What type of mannerisms do they have?
8. Any nervous ticks (such as scratching their neck when lying)?
9. Do they have any living family members?
10. Are they in Tor?
11. If not, where are they?
12. Do they have any distinguishing body features (scars, tattoos, etc.)?
13. Is there a story behind how they recieved them?

These are just some very basic questions to ask yourself before beginning work on your application story. Not every application has to answer all of those questions, or even any of them. However, it is a good guideline that if you answer the above questions you will most likely get accepted onto the shard as long as you present them in a real and believable manner. For instance, don't not have your character threaten the Chief Provost's life. Thats a sure fire way to not be let out of Quarantine no matter how amazing your application, unless you want to try and escape of course.

If you need any assistance with your application, or lore information please log into the IRC channel and ask. We always like to see a player asking questions to aid in the creation of their application as it shows a dedication and appreciation of the shards lore that some of us have put years of time into creating.

Keep in mind, after submitting your application it can take some time for you to be approved. While generally this is a quick and seemless ordeal the Game Masters are volunteers and doing this in their free time. So if you see your application sitting there for a few days, maybe warn someone, but do not get upset because it has not been approved yet, we just have not had time.

In addition, while you are waiting for your application to be approved, you can still log in and play your character while in the Quarantine District of Tor. This not only enables you to get a feel for the character, but to also interact with any other new players who may be in the Quarantine also, waiting on their own approval. Sometimes the Game Masters stop in and have a little fun with those waiting in the Quarantine too. So, if you are not approved instantly it is not the end of the world. Just have patience, we will get to you as soon as we can. Also, don't be discouraged if your first application story is declined! This doesn't mean that you are not allowed to play in our game world, but that you simply need a little work on understanding our game world, or fleshing our your character.

First Steps

As you take your first steps in Eden remember the above questions and try and show them through emotes (: *text here*) in game. Let other players see the work you have put into your character and you will not only get a feeling of satisfaction from that, but the whole shard will be richer for it. Requiem is a hardcore role-playing shard, and the more you put in, the more you'll get out of the experience.

In addition, never stop letting your character grow beyond what you initially created. Your character is living in as close to a living, breathing world as we can create. Let it show, as events unfold undoubtedly their opinions and stances on different subjects will change as they research and discover new information.

Continuing Education

So, you have been in game for a few days now, your application has been approved and you have stepped forth into Tor, ready to sieze the day. Where should you start? We advise that you head to the Jack of All Trades, signs lead from the Quarantine District straight to the Jack. This is the area where the majority of new and veteran players meet and discuss the events currently occuring.

However, you have reached a new problem: Interaction. How does your character talk? Act? Respond to different stimuli? Well thats for you to decide, try and think about that as much as possible before stepping foot out of the class selection gates, but if for some reason you are unable to you can always expand on these during play. However, maintain consistency in your actions. If one day your Holy Warrior character is entirely opposed to Mages, don not have them be spending time, knowingly, with a mage the next day as friends. Which brings me to my next point. Character motivations versus your motivations.

As you get to understand your character and they begin to grow you will begin to find yourself acting in-character, as it were. Instead of having your character do what you want them to do, the character will begin to do what they would do based on the history and backstory you have given them, or they have grown into. Sometimes this will mean having your character do something stupid. Something that might get them permanently killed. These are the risks we take on an enforced role-playing shard, but the benefits of it are more than any character loss can ever compete against.

Death of a character.

It is almost inevitable that your character will die at some point. Very few characters can say they have survived an Act, let alone multiple Acts. If this happens first, take a deep breath and then consider what happened. Did it make sense? If not you may wish to seek a Game Master either in IRC or using the paging system in game. If a murder is committed without sufficient in character reasoning we will reverse the death and speak with the one who did the killing. However, if it did make sense consider how this will allow you to start up a new character, or how it will change the old one if they are to ressurect or reincarnate. Maybe when they come back they will believe they have been called by Decus to be his next emissary on Eden? Who knows. That is for you to decide based off of what happens to you in the afterlife. If you wish to have your story move in a certain direction at that point speak with one of the Game Masters. We are here to help and will try to assist you in any way possible.

Further Questions?

If you can think of anything to add to this guide, or have any further questions please contact Arathel on IRC or email me at HeadGM_Arathel (at) darkenedrealmstudios (dot) com. Thank you, and I hope this has helped you to better understand how to approach this one of a kind Ultima Online Role-Playing Experience and welcome to Requiem.