I've been playing the text game Achaea for several years. My original character is now level 99, which enabled her to transform into a Dragon. She's a well-respected member of her city, House, and religious Order. I still enjoy playing her, but I would also like something new, so today I am going to start on a brand-new character in a new city. Join me as I start my new adventure!

After going to Achaea.com and clicking "Play Now," I chose my character's name and gender, and begin the game's introduction for new characters. The story in Achaea is that every child has the choice, at age 18, to undergo the Trial of Rebirth. They will pass through the Flame of Yggdrasil, pass a few tests, and then be reborn as an adventurer! As I pass through my own Trial, I learn how to walk around, communicate with other players, use the built-in maps, fight, buy things, and interact with objects--all the most basic things I'll need to know to start the game.

           

At the end of the Trial, I have the opportunity to choose a class and city. This part takes some thinking, for me. I've already decided that my character is a female dwarf named Bryony. But what kind of person do I want her to be?

My original character is a member of Eleusis, a village in the treetops. She dedicated her life to the protection of Nature and serves a Nature goddess. I want to try something new with Bryony, but where?

I could join Mhaldor, the city of Evil, as a slave, and work my way up its hierarchy by demonstrating my dedication to the Seven Truths of Evil. I could join Cyrene, a city of culture and art, or Hashan, a city of thieves and merchants, or Ashtan, a martial powerhouse with a strong contingent of warriors who are dedicated to chaos and to Babel, the God of Oblivion.

But after considering the matter for awhile, I've decided to join Shallam, the city of Light, dedicated to the protection of innocents and the protection of Creation, and to fighting the forces of Chaos and Evil. I've wanted to have a character there for a long time, because it sounds fun. I like the idea of playing a zealous priest or paladin. And I know that if I join Shallam I'll have plenty of opportunity for player-versus-player combat, against Shallam's enemies! If I wanted to avoid PvP, I might choose somewhere else.

Having decided that, I choose to join Shallam, and I choose to be a paladin. And since I'm pursuing the path of a holy knight, I also join the Templars, Shallam's knightly House.

Belonging to a House is really important, because it's in the Houses that you'll receive training, and joining one gives you an instant group of people looking out for you and willing to help you when you need it. Shallam has several different player-run Houses you can belong to, each one accepting just a few classes, and each one having its own ideology and values and history. While they're all dedicated to Good, they have their own approach to Good, and a unique culture. The Dawnstriders, for instance, is a House for those of sneaky classes like serpents, and they take more of a cutthroat, "the ends justify the means" approach to pursuing Good. The Templar House is a house for knights, and so by contrast, they emphasize honour above all else. Roleplaying someone who thinks like a noble, honour-bound knight sounds interesting to me.

If one of those paths sounds interesting to you, come join me in making a new character in Achaea. It's free and accessible via your browser. Text MMORPGs can be surprisingly engrossing, and if I was asked what is the best MMORPG, I would definitely say it's Achaea. And if you log in and see Bryony, feel free to say hi!