So, you just walked through the portal and are actually standing in a garden’s narrow passageway. You have a dagger, some copper pieces and a desire to get things moving…but where should you go first? And why? Where are the key places one should be acquainted with to excel in Khaeros?

This is guide is ideally meant for those players who have tried roaming around a bit but got sidetracked by Vhaluran’s deceiving design of bridges and separated sectors. Players who have yet to explore the city are encouraged to do so at their own will, as they could find everything this guide verses about by themselves. However, if you are tired of spending time just looking for things or is somehow eager to start your journey on the right foot, do read on.

What should I do first?

The very first thing one should do upon stepping on the shard is to look for the Bank of Vhaluran. In there a character will be able to stash his possessions of financial nature (coins, gems and similar items). The bank box will not, however, store other items such as feathers and armor, so it’s interesting to look for other ways to store these. One could rent an inn room at a reasonable seasonal tax, or simply buy a deposit box in the bank which will store all sorts of belongings. The main difference here is that while storage boxes seem more expensive than a house, house taxes are seasonal, whereas storage boxes require a one-time fee.

The Bank of Vhaluran is not far from the place your character will appear, although it’s not altogether easy to find should you head the wrong way. Don’t worry about stopping to talk to yellow-named non-player characters (NPCs) if you don’t want to: they will be always there for you to return later. From your starting position in the garden, head east until you find an exit in the shape of a stone arch – the stone pavers on the grass make it hard to be missed. Keep heading in that direction until you get on the city road, and then turn southeast and just follow the road downwards. Just before you reach the road bifurcation, the map will show something else than the row of houses you have been seeing on the coast; that something is the Catedral District’s square town area. Cross it and you’ll reach the building right past it, which is the bank.



But one needs money to either rent an inn room (or any other settlement) or buy a deposit box. Thus, once you have your bank account, just get back on the road right away to pursue that goal.

Currency and how to get it

The common currency in Khaeros is copper pieces, which can be used to buy goods and services around town. Pretty soon you will realize copper is reasonably hard to come by, as player characters won’t be able to sell anything to (NPCs) and monsters who are not likely to understand finances won’t hold copper as loot. This scenario leaves you with two basic alternatives to get some coins: sell base goods to the bank’s treasurer or seek people in need of services in which you can help.

The treasurer’s office is located on the bank’s second floor, and he will buy simple resources (such as logs and ingots) for a standard price. These resources shall then be redirected to the city hall and be used accordingly for overall repairment and other ongoing employments.



This employee will not always buy whatever you have to sell, though, regardless if you know he does it or did once. The city’s funds are not limitless and might not currently be in the position to be given away until further notice, or those resources simply are not needed in the time being. Be that as it may, keeping the goods for some time might be rewarding the moment the town is in need of such products again.

There is a more reliable way to improve your finances, and that reflects the willingness to perform jobs for people around town.

Jobs, services and well-known employers

Several citizens in Vhaluran are in need of one thing or the other. Some of them you will be able to help, others you will have to pass. The important thing here, though, is to keep a sharp eye for possible tasks to be handed. A nice hint is to look for yellow NPCs: there is a very healthy chance they will have something important to say, and luckily an overrated job for you to fulfill.

Nicanor Lewis

This lonely man usually hangs around the catedral’s garden, cluttering poor bystanders’ ears with complaints of a peculiar damsel.



He should be the first service you perform as a new player, because part of the job consists of going around town. This way, you have the chance to get accustomed to the place and maneuver yourself across bridges and districts alike. Moreover, the job requires little else than good will and diligence, as nothing must be killed or harvested to ease the disturbing fellow’s suffering.

Jess Harlowe

A simple fellow whose sole objective is to collect enough material so he may go on with his life trade.



Jess can be usually found sitting nearby a crafty campfire just west of the Catedral, being that the several tree stomps scattered haphazardly all around serve as a giver for his current location. Of what he asks, only those with a knack for bringing trees down will be able to come to his aid.

Cristopher

A fully-robed clerk who services the townsfolk in the local hospital is always willing to assist others.



Cristopher is not actually an employer, but he does perform a very valuable service for the bold of heart and nerves of steel: he sells stacks of bandages for shamefully low prices, employed to maintain the hospital itself. However, rumor has it that thread is running low, and soon enough Cristopher may be facing a dire shortage of cloth from whence to make bandages. Let us all hope such news is merely unfounded…

Borgny Fairbanks

An upstanding lady with looks and tongue equally sharp, neither of them matched by her vengeful aspirations.



Borgny has a very particular problem for eyes which doesn’t match her own social status, but all what torments her is too genuine for one who nurtured quite a fine cradle. Nevertheless, she is in need of assistance of brave and justice-thirsty adventurers to undo the wrong the fair lady was target of.

Grimalda Gibbons

A mellow and tranquil lass, usually on the balcony all by herself and, maybe, some liquor to forget the haunting past.



Grimalda is constantly harassed by a certain gentleman who refuses to acknowledge their parting. Usually it does not qualify as an issue so to speak, but every now and then the forgetful pursuer renews his doings to reach the maiden. Some matters of the heart are better left untouched…

Fayne Jhonda

A poor young lady whose simple gift of a good night’s sleep has been taken for as long as she can remember.



Miss Fayne has endured a physical condition of a sort for quite some time now, and she decided to make her plea public on the market square. However, she is certainly shy and will avoid drawing too much attention at all costs. Some people even say her determination for help is absolutely unfettered…

Mr. and Mrs. Bensley

The sympathetic couple which have been known around town for two things: their overabundant kindness and unfortunate inaptitude for their keeping.



Both Arthur and Aurina have been shoved into a business which involves harming animals – and they hate that. Their shack just east of the marketplace is always clean and free from peril for the innumerous animals roaming the locale, but the Bensleys will not go on for too long unless someone steps in and lends them a hand. If not for their own sake, they should receive some aid to keep sustaining the old man living in their basement out of charitable goodwill.

Old Harry

An old man quite still in love with the forge but with no means to serve blacksmithy the way he used to.



Harry, after being kindly taken in by the Bensleys, is trying to repay them the favor by providing the services he specialized in his whole life. However, age has finally caught up with him and he is in need of a younger pair of hands acquainted with iron to make sure Harry is able to repay his benefactors’ kindness.

Vance Hotchkins

A man who needs to stock his many a barrel and crate with merchandise he can’t quite harness himself.



Vance is still in the business of sea food for the time being, but he’s facing difficulties on account of an affliction he developed over the years. Should you wish to lend a hand for him to keep his establishment go north near the bridge that connects the Rich District to the Merchant one. Following the river should lead you to where Vance’s humble shop is located.

Hank the Olde

A scrappy old timer who misses both his pride and a prized possession almost as old as he is.



Just beneath the wondrous Vhaluran Arena southeast of the Bensleys residence, Hank spends his waking hours longing for what was taken from him by creatures more savage than the pirates the retired sailor met on a regular working day. Now, all one can say about Hank is that he surely seems a bit lightheaded…

Places and Buildings of interest

Although the city of Vhaluran has many sites worth getting acquainted with for a reason or another, a few key spots are especially important to new characters. These places will be shown through screenshots to which instructions and directions of how to get there will be attached.

The Hospital

This is where people in need come to buy stacks of bandages from Cristopher.



Reaching this locale is fairly simple: from the Catedral (all new character’s starting point) just get on the road and head northeast. The hospital lies just before you reach another large building – the Boarding School. Thus, if you see scattered children running about in there, you probably went too far up on the road. On the other hand, if you came from the Rich District (sector to the east with fancy housing), just keep following the road until you get past the Boarding School. The hospital is right beside it.

The Northern Mines

The city established a modest but handy mining complex, which serves as a good source of income should one know to whom take the ore extracted from this locale.



The best reference to reach the mines is the Boarding School’s building, northeast of the Catedral District. Once you reach it, go around the building until you find a set of furniture meant for outdoor classes. The mine entrance is just a few paces northwest from there. Upon finding the entrance, you should find another one if when circling the mountainside heading south.



The Marketplace

Until Khaeros is reasonably supplied with character merchants, this is where you will find the tools and goods you need to get by.



Finding this place in the Merchant District may be tricky at first sight, but not if you use the Beasleys residence as reference. Arthur and Aurina live on the other side of the road, meaning you’ll get to the spot on the picture by simply crossing the street. This district neighbors the Rich District to the northwest and the Arena one to the southeast.

Farmlands and Sustenance Supplies

Unless you already have a reliable source of income, spending hard earned copper pieces on food and drink is very frustrating. To go around this, you might try to find places like this.



This small farm lies just past the road bifurcation southwest of the Vhalurian Bank. You will be able to harvest vegetables as opposed to buy bread and other food types. If you are away from the bank and don’t want to go all around just to stack your backpack with ripe fruit, you may try to find the one below.




This locale can be reached southeast of the Arena District. Just keep going down the road until you find the first of two farms. Should you happen to have an empty pitcher in hand, you might as well milk the nearby cows to avoid worrying about thirst later on the game.

Closing Word

Do not venture too far from the city if you are quite unable to handle yourself in battle: some animals may attack you when they get hungry, and exploring will turn out particularly unsavory if the new character has poor scores of Hit Points or Stamina. Finally, there’s no need to stock humongous amounts of food in your pack or whatever container which will hold them, as food rots away in time.

I hope this brief guide was of some use to you. Feel free to contact me for any questions you might have regarding this information, and I shall reply once I have the answers.