In 9Dragons you will be able to play the role of a fantastic character with unique characteristics and undetermined potential. You can generate up to three of these characters and customize them as you wish.

When you create a new character you will choose a starting city. New characters are however still considered neutral regardless of this choice, without alliegance to any faction or clan. They are referred to as Vagabonds.

Your new character knows no Kung Fu or meditation techniques. You should equip them as soon as possible if you wish them to survive and thrive against the hardships of The Land .
A Vagabond is any player character who does not belong to a clan. This could be because they have not yet chosen one or, at higher levels, because they have been expelled from one. There are Sifus (teachers) who will teach you Kung Fu techniques as a Vagabond. However, these skills are quite weak compared to the Kung Fu techniques you can learn from clan masters.

Each clan has it's own unique combat techniques that you can only learn once you have joined a clan. After gaining the confidence of your Clan Elders, you will eventually be given a chance to learn even greater Kung Fu by specializing in one of 4 clan specific classes or Roles that offer different styles of play. The Clan Elders will then show you the basic Kung Fu or Chi Kung techniques that your selected Role can learn. There are higher level techniques available but you will need to raise your level of achievement before the Clan Elders will reveal them to you.

Each clan has it's own base or stronghold. This is where clan members can eat, sleep, gather and train. The leaders of the clans reside here and will sometimes offer opportunities for advancement.
Clan leaders may offer great wisdom, compete with each other in contests, brag about the strength of their clan and even take out their vengence on those who offend them! Their primary goal, however, is to recruit strong new disciples to rebuild their clan following the devastating War of Nine Dragons.

There are many ways to make a living in The Land. You can sell any items you might find to the various merchants scattered throughout. However, the prices that these merchants will offer you are only a fraction of what they are really worth. To get the best prices many players offer their items to other players by opening up a personal shop, called a Stand, and setting their own price.

While it is true that you could gain riches just by selling items to stores, your Clan Elders also expect you to contribute wealth to the clan. Sell and trade items with your fellow disciples, and make Clan Contributions to the Clan Elders of your clan when possible. Donating items to your Clan Elders will often reward you with Clan Contribution Points, which you will need to trade for the priviledge of learning clan Kung Fu.

Remember that the aftermath of The War of Nine Dragons has generated much poverty and hardship in The Land.

Those in need can be found on every street corner. The elderly need assistance to travel, parents seek lost children, and vendettas abound. Helping others brings one good karma as well as Experience in

The Land, and Experience leads to mastery.

One may also find that the most precious rewards come from simple acts of kindness.

How To Gain Experience:

A completed quest brings with it Experience, as does victory over an opponent. After gaining enough Experience, one finds that they have suddenly increased in their level (Cheng) of mastery. As you raise your Cheng you will find you are stronger, faster, and less easily injured. One of the best ways to gain Experience is to join a group of fellow warriors who share your allegiance. If you find several people who have embarked on the same quest as you, you will find your path becomes much easier to walk.

By the way, the number nine is considered especially lucky. So good things may happen to a band of nine people.

Stronger than a general group is a Hero Band. This is a group of players who are all from the same clan, and they can embark on special Hero Band quests together, sharing Experience and Rewards as they travel. In the battles between the clans the smallest clan unit is called a Hero Band.

The most important form of advancement you should pursue is the development of your Kung Fu and weapon skills. Learning a Kung Fu technique is only the beginning of your journey. To be effective you need to practice your techniques in actual combat. Mastering an individual Kung Fu technique makes it far more powerful.

 While techniques improve with use, your Kung Fu Weapon Mastery will be able to rise with Experience just as your character does. Each time your character ascends to a higher level (cheng) they are given one Mastery Point, which you can add to the mastery skill of your choice.

"Empty hand" Kung Fu is greatly praised, but if you wish to master a weapon you will need to foster your Kung Fu Skills, your achievement level, and your Weapon Mastery Points. There is an ancient proverb that says "The edge of a skilled butcher's knife needs little sharpening". This is important, because if you use weapons that are "beyond your ability" you are likely to wear them down quickly, if not destroy them entirely.

You can create up to three characters per account in 9Dragons, and each one can belong to any clan you choose (provided they meet the qualifications).

Safe journey and may the seeds of The Dragon within you thrive!

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