Kingdoms Manual
'Kingdoms is a multiplayer strategy game that is played entirely within the browser; The player, given the title of King and a land to rule over must make the decisions that will expand his realm or sink it into oblivion - forever burried in the sands of time. '

Rulers

Every registered user is asked to create a ruler profile. While the attributes of said sovereign are many the player is asked only to provide three; gender, portrait and a name. Her attributes are not determined at random - rather they are molded to represent the way in which she is made to rule. The attributes are ever shifting to and fro and will in turn modify the way in which game events take place. Your ruler has a limited lifespan - if he does not succumb to disease - or combat then old age will extinguish him. There are some who would suggest seeking the advice of the magi- or the faithful. . Since true immortality is a lofty goal that is rarely achieved - even by the very powerful and the very rich - it is a good idea to ensure that you will live on by means of an heir. Taking a queen will not only grant you an heir that will become your next character in the event of your ruler's demise; it is also a good way to secure alliences - end wars and possbly start some.

Managing a Kingdom

	When you first take your place upon the throne you are given a randomized land to call your own - depending on the terrain type, there will be given unto you the foundation you need to get things going. Everything you build upon your kingdom will yeild advantages and disadvantages. Building a port for example will increase your income - it will allow your emissaries and armies to travel further - faster. But it will also increase the rate of crime and corruption brought about by unsavory seadogs and other miscellaneous trash that will inevitably find its way to your shores.
	It is important to maintain a balance in your kingdom. The improvements you construct require labourers, 20% of your population is available for this purpose - but once they are set to work they will remain unavailable until said project has been completed. Do not neglect the other aspects of ruling a land though - or you will not prosper for long. It is important to establish embasies in neighbouring kingdoms - make allies of them (if you can) - and if it is not possible them raise an army of such might they will not dare oppose you.

  Building Armies

As your game progresses and you build the required improvements you will have access to different military units. Units are broken up into several categories: Defensive, Offensive, Intelligence / Counter Intelligence, Diplomatic, Engineering and Transport. Defensive units are best for holding off attackers but are generally not equipped or trained to be efficient in a straight forward charge. Offensive units are equipped specifically to cause as much damage as possible. Theif cumbersome equipement makes them clumsy. This means they are most effective when they are supported by defensive units that protect their weak flanks. Intelligence and counter intelligence units are very seldomly used in actual combat (but its been known to happen) but are crutial to success in war. These units will infiltrate enemy ranks and steal pertinent information that will be useful to you; or they may instead leak false information to your enemies; or even poison their water supply or other more subtle forms of attack. Diplomatic units might be thought of as Intelligence units but they Engineering units are there to build temporary and permanent structures - On the battlefield they may be used to put up a makeshift bridge for cavalry to cross a river - or setup am entire town. Combat orders: Move Double Time Half Time Rest Defend (Dig in) Attack Charge Hide Ambush Rally Rout Retreat Support (Right Flank, Left Flank or Rear - in the case of a ranged attack unit like archers a supporting unit may also protect its front Cast Parlay Burn Pillage Wait Voley

Knights, Heroes and Quests

Each military unit you produce will automatically be assigned a fledgeling commander. The commander will - with each battle won gain prestiege and experience - which leads to a morale boost in combat. You may also merge two units and select which of the 2 commanders will lead from then on - releaving the other commander from duty - When that happens that second commander does not simply vanish from play; He will become part of the court cast and you will run into the fellow every once in a while. You may (if you so wish) reward him with wealth or knighthood or both. (although some would think it unwise to do such a thing) Once he's become a knight and sworn his sword and life to king and country. He will have a more involved part in the cast of characters. And he may have advice to give - or he might challenge other knights or even the king himself ---- there really is no way to predict how any one knight will play his role. Some of them may participate in jousts or in parades --- others will rescue maidens that have been kidnapped or rid the countryside of the vile things that challenge the kings rule. Very few -- only the bravest of knights will go on a quest. Quests are set into motion by the king = he simply officially puts out a call for questing knights and interestted parties will surely knock at the door for a chance at true glory. Knights that have succesfully returned from quests enough times will gain enough prestiege to be recognized as heroes. Heroes are released from the players control completely - they remain in the game's cast, but will travel the world performing heroic deeds and may someday return home to retire and settle.

Artifacts

Risking the life of a hero on a quest is a gamble --- heros used as unit commanders provide great benefits in combat - but their prestiege will increase only to a certain extent. When a hero (or knight) returns from a succesful quest not only does he gain much prestiege for himself and his king - but he will also bring back the sought after prize. These are artifacts - crafted in times of old, by magic now forgoten by most. There are over 200 such artifacts within the game - and more will be injeced as time goes on. The image above shows the artifacts --- they will not be listed by name or described within this manual because to do so could unbalance the game. Instead send out kinghs on artifact quests as you come accross information concerning their whereabouts. Once you have one please use them carefully - - - You have been warned.

Magic

'Tis a lonely life - the life of the Mage. Having spent countless years learning the formulae that govern the universe - they have very little social contact and are usually unease with people -- Those proficient in the art of arcana are valued above even great knights - and even armies; for with the right sequence of encantations a wizard could burn down entire forests or level cities within minutes. Mages will settle into a tower of which they will be sole master - even a king dare not challenge his authority while within it's walls. The overwhelming power available to the magic-user has sometimes a madning effect on the caster. They may get out of control and when magic is out of control theres never telling what could come of that. Conjuration - The magical art of summoning demons and other beings foreign to the prime material plane. Abjuration - Spells from the Abjuration spell school shield the caster from magical and physical attacks Necromancy - Necromancy affects the dead - resurrection - animation - and among other things - the phillactery and the writhing process. Divination - Mages that specialize in the sphere of divination can catch glipses of past and future events with varied degrees of accuracy. Encantation - The enchanter is capable of endowing items and beings with magic. Evocation - The sphere of evocation deals in the outpouring of ether using the caster as a conduit - the ether can then be shaped into many different effects. Illusion - Via the fogging of minds mages of the Illusion sphere can cause mass panic. Transmutation - Transmuters are able to convert matter - such as the ever popular 'lead to gold' spell; They are also called Alchemists.

The Wilderness

Kingdoms has two ready-made worlds which are made available to players. These were crafted using the Kingdom's Editing Tool - and can be found here. The maps shown here are of Beleriand (a part of it) which is the lands in which the Silmarillion Tolkien's incredible creation myth takes place. The second map is of 'Primera Primavera' meaning 'The First Spring'. This is an original scenario which cronicles the rise of a single human empire - The Kingdoms Editing Tool was used to create both of these worlds --- and players may do so as well - and then add thir worlds / scenarios to the server database and allow others to play in them. There is yet another option open to the player -- and that is to have the server generate a random world which would then be saved and open for play. The complete atlas of Beleriand is viewable through this link.

Abominations

In the depths of such vast and varied worlds of magic there exist beings of gargantuan size and strength - during the early days of the world they ruled above - and battled amongst eachother. Then came the utopia of magocracy during which they were overthrown by the races that currently govern the world: Elves, Dwarves, Humans and the varied Halflings and by powerful magic they were entombed in the earth. Some of these 'Old Ones' perished in their prisons - some have gone into an endless slumber - and some have simply gone mad with the fury and anguish that would build up over a 3500 year encarceration. They are there - waiting - for fools to dig deep into the bowels of the world in search of precious metals and stones; and once in a while their pickaxes puncture into chambers never meant to be unearthed - releasing unto the inhabitants of the world above an enemy that hates them for reasons they do not know --- and they are great in power --- and alas the ancient magic that was their doom is no longer known to the mortal races.