TheFirst Kingdom

Nobles, let me welcome you to the wonderful valley of the Loire river! You’ll need a truly grand overview
in order to be up to the constantly changing conditions. Therefore do not shy away from consulting this
booklet from time to time, handed over to you in trust, so that you will be prepared for future events. This
would keep you safe from surprises, and you could distinguish yourself as a prudent and insightful ruler
to your followers. Listen up well – I shall render a pronouncement now as to what awaits you during the
course of your journey
..

Now then, there are areas just waiting to be settled and cultivated by you
so that you can properly provide for your followers.

Eventually, the nearly inexhaustible resources will attract new settlers

and scholars as well, as you will soon see. And with their help, you
will manage to develop new technologies. But you need to prove just yet
that you have the foresight worthy of a ruler, and fill up the Food Depot
together; times will get worse soon!

And lo and behold, a famine descends over you sooner than expected,
and if you have not taken precautions, your followers will be severely
stricken.

Now you should quickly endeavor to expand your territory, even if this
means that you have to conquer areas belonging to your adversaries.
Recruit knights – they will get this done for you. But at the same time,
you should also seek protection, since your opponents pursue the same
plans.

Now it is time to call for clerical support; the monks will come and give
you protection! But in return, you need to put off any plans of conquest,
at least for the time being.
 Make the trade flourish, and never forget to show enough foresight.
You have already overcome one catastrophe, but it will not be the only
one.

Loud lamentation everywhere! The plague befalls you, and if you have
not taken care of providing enough medicine, your followers will have to
suffer for your fault.

But even the darkest times come to an end. You have made it; peace
will soon be concluded, and so you can set your entire focus again on
enhancing your fame and fortune!

What matters now, if not yet done, is to do everything for completing the given tasks as quickly as
possible. The first one to accomplish this ends the game – even if the final era has not yet been reached.
Show your subjects that you are a worthy sovereign and your victory is well-deserved!

Number and name of the era

Place tiles:
Page of the story booklet
Activated category of tiles you can
acquire at the building yard from
now on Fame points
you earn for building
Number of followers
you may draw per round

Bonus / Malus for the round

Condition for advancement

3
 Era 1

What to start with:

Take 2 farmers, 2 fishermen, 1 crafts- You have already assembled quite a
man, and 1 trader from the marketplace substantial group. But consider that you will
and put them on your village green. Take have even more active helpers at your side if
1 coin from the common supply, plus you now increase the number of your followers.
1 fish, 1 grain, and 1 wood from the
Set out with your settlers to develop new,
marketplace, and add all this to your fertile terrains in order to ensure sustenance
personal supply. In era I, the 4 settlers for your population.
in your supply are available to you for
expansions.

Each round, you may draw 7 follow- What a joy Almost all settlers pitch in. It

..
ers out of your bag. will not remain like this forever.

Building: When you build a village, Look ahead to the future. Soon, villages will
you immediately gain 2 Fame points. put money in your coffers.

You may acquire Place tiles of New places will extend your possibilities, but
category I. be quick about it. Your adversaries are far
from asleep!

Bonus for the round: Move 1 step for- The more fame you gain for your areas, the
ward on the Fame track for each area you more citizens you will find to follow you.
control.

Advancement: If you control at least Your expansions have brought you fame. Now
3 areas, you may advance. Send out a tile it is time to feed the hungry mouths. In the
new era, you can open up new places and, for
to a Beneficial Deed (except for “Alchemy”)
the first time, use technolog y. Remember to
and then give up 1 food for each of the contribute your part to the common good and
settlers you have placed. to take part in a Beneficial Deed.

4
Place Tiles I
Bathhouse
General store Draw 2 Follower tiles
The store gives you out of your bag and
2 coins. choose 1 of them to im-
mediately place it on an
Action space (you cannot place the tile on
Carpenter‘s work- the bathhouse!). After that, the 2nd follower
shop is put into the Followers bag – together
If you own the carpen- with the follower that triggered the action.
ter‘s workshop, you get If you cannot put any of the followers you
1 additional Fame point have drawn on suitable Action spaces, you
every time you erect a building (village, don‘t place any follower. In this case, put
church or fortress). the followers back into the Followers bag.
Barn Bakery
Earn 5 coins for every Use 1 to 3 Grain tiles to
2 Grain tiles that you bake one bread each; to
give up from your this end, put the tiles on
supply. In one action, the bakery. When you
you can give up 2 Grain tiles as many times carry out the action, you can exchange the
as you want. Grain tiles for the same amount of Bread
tiles from the common supply. After that,
Pub
the grain is removed from the game. You
The pub can be activat- can put unused Grain tiles back into your
ed by any follower. Pay supply anytime.
up to 3 coins (1, 2 or 3)
and move ahead Cheese cellar
1 space on the Fame track for each coin Move 6 spaces ahead
paid. on the Fame track for
every 2 Cheese tiles
Grove
you give up from your
At the grove, you obtain supply. In one action, you can give up
1 wood. If there is no 2 Cheese tiles as many times as you want.
wood available at the
marketplace, you can-
not carry out this action.

5
 Era I1

Ah, a welcome help. Now you can develop

Add 3 new settlers to your supply. additional areas.
Thanks to the economic upswing, you can
Take the „University“ Place tile. summon scholars to your village from now on.
Take the „Laboratory“ Place tile. And the introduction of technolog y finally
allows you to permanently reduce the number
of workers.

Each round, you may draw 6 followers Your people are loyal and hard-working;
out of your bag. nevertheless, sometimes you do not know
who will show up on the village green in the
morning.

Building: When you build a village, Now you can consider yourself fortunate if
you immediately gain 3 Fame points. you have enough wood in your supply.

You may acquire Place tiles of Things become interesting Many specialists
categories I and/or II. ..
are eager to be at your service.

Bonus for the round: Earn 1 coin for each Now it pays off if you have had villages
village you control (including your starting built Your vassals fulfill their vassal duties.
..

village).

Advancement: If at least 4 citizens follow If you want to move on, you need the support
you, you may advance. Send out a tile to a of four citizens. But think carefully about
Beneficial Deed (except for “Alchemy”). this step if the Food Depot is not yet full. If
you are the first to advance to the next era,
though, another citizen will join you. And
don’t forget to contribute to the common good.

6
Place Tiles II
Herb garden County fair
If you own the herb Put any number of
garden, you can replace different followers on
craftsmen, traders, and the county fair (but not
farmers with fishermen. several followers of the
same type). Gain 1 Fame point per follower.
Notary‘s office After that, put the tiles back into your bag.
The notary‘s office gives
you 3 coins. Wool mill
At the wool mill, you
obtain 1 wool. If there
is no wool available at
Tailor shop the marketplace, you
At the tailor shop, you cannot carry out this action.
obtain 1 brocade. If
there is no brocade Secret village
available at the market- You get an additional
place, you cannot carry out this action. village that counts only
for you. It can neither
Tax office be built on nor con-
Take 1 coin for each quered. Other than that, the secret village
village you control. counts in the same way as any other village
you control on the gameboard.

Trading ship
With the trading ship,
you can deliver goods
to the villages along
the Loire river. Give up
goods in any combination, but no more
than the number of villages located in
areas adjacent to the Loire river (no matter
who controls them), and gain the value of
each of these Goods tiles as Fame points.
The delivered goods are removed from the
game.

7
 Era I1I

If you are the first player who has ad- So much courage deserves to be rewarded!
vanced to this era, you obtain 1 citizen.

Each round, you may draw 6 followers In these rough times, all followers throw
out of your bag. themselves into their work once again.

Building: When you build a village, Everybody wants to have a roof over his head.
you immediately gain 5 Fame points. Now building is more worthwhile than ever.

You may acquire Place tiles of Look around the building yard as long as
categories I and/or II. there is still something to get there.

Malus for the round if the Food Depot

is not full yet: Give up 1 food if you con-
trol up to 3 areas; 2 food if you control up
to 6 areas; 3 food if you control more than Blessed is he who survives these times
6 areas. For every food you are short of, you unscathed.
lose 1 settler; take the settler(s) from your
personal supply or from the gameboard and
remove them from the game.
Bonus for the round if the Food Depot
is full: Take 3 coins if you are the only play-
er to control the most areas.

Advancement: Send out a tile to a Bene- In good times, you were able to skim a
ficial Deed (except for “Alchemy”) and pay considerable profit from the villages. Now you
1 coin for each village. All villages count. In can show your appreciation by donating money
this context, it does not matter who controls for the drought-stricken villagers in the entire
Loire valley. For the good of all, you will do
the village. Starting villages (and a secret vil-
another beneficial deed.
lage, if applicable) are included in the count.

8
 Era IV
Now all settlers have arrived and you can
expand your territory to its maximum size.
Add 2 new settlers to your supply.
And if the most fertile areas are already
taken by others, you can obtain such areas only
by conquest. Good that there is now a castle
Take the “Castle” Place tile. and, with this, knights come into play.
In order to protect yourself from conquests,
you should secure your areas with fortresses.
Take the “Fortress” Place tile.
This way, your terrains and villages become
impregnable.

Yes, these are probably the consequences of the

Each round, you may draw 5 followers drought. You are weakened; but thanks to the
out of your bag. technolog y, you can handle the situation even
with five followers.

Building: When you build a fortress, Your people are conducting a military
you immediately gain 1 Fame point. campaign; right now, construction work gives
you just little fame.
You may not build any villages.
Put the Prohibition tile on the At present, you can get more villages under
your control through conquest only.
“Village” Action space of your player
board.
You may acquire Place tiles of Even though you have other things to do, you
categories I and/or II. should not pass on a good opportunity.

Bonus for the round: Move 1 step forward The building of villages is stagnating, but
on the Fame track for each village you control. village life is thriving, which increases your
fame.

Advancement: As soon as you have built In the next era, you will find protection
your harbor, you may advance to the next era. from assaults. But in order to get there, you
Send out a tile to a Beneficial Deed (except for
first need to build a safe harbor that brings
the clerg y into your areas. And show your
“Alchemy”). benevolence by contributing to a Beneficial
Deed.

9
 Era V

The clerg y holds its protective hand over you,

In this era, you are protected from con- so that nobody can conquer your areas.
quests.
Monks settle down in your area. This gives
Take the “Monastery” Place tile. you many advantages ...

Each round, you may draw 4 follow- ... but also disadvantages. People pray more
ers out of your bag. and work less.

Building: When you build a village Show foresight and take precautions in case
or a fortress, you immediately gain the clerg y withdraws its protection.
2 Fame points.

You may not expand. Put the Pro- Nobody attacks you, but you are not intent on
hibition tile on the “Territory” expansion either.
Action space of your player board.

You may acquire Place Now it is time to assign new tasks to your
tiles of categories I, II honorable followers in order for you to gain
and/or III.
fame, increase your wealth, and canvass
citizens for support.

Bonus for the round: You gain 3 Fame And if you have built a lot and own the
points if you are the only player to control most villages, you gain even more fame –
the most villages. congratulations!

Advancement: Send out a tile to a Bene- Provide for the settlers and make them strong
ficial Deed (except for “Alchemy”) and give so that you have a big troop at your disposal
up 1 food for each of the settlers you have again. Show your good will and selflessness by
placed. giving whatever is needed to contribute to the
realization of a Beneficial Deed.

10
Place Tiles III
School Gunpowder tower
If you own the school, The gunpowder tower
you can replace any works in the same
characters (except for way as the portal,
monks) with scholars. so that you can send
out up to 2 additional tiles. Beyond this,
Treasury the gunpowder tower extends the village
The treasury gives you green by up to 2 spaces. If the green is fully
5 coins. occupied, you can place followers also on
the gunpowder tower during the „Drawing
followers“ phase, and put them from there
onto Action spaces during the Planning
Bell tower
phase.
The bell tower gives you
5 Fame points. Guardhouse
Use the action of anot-
her player. You can use
Rampart the guardhouse only for
places that are currently
The rampart gives you
activated, i.e., occupied with followers.
2 Fame points for each
(You cannot use places that do not require
fortress you have built.
followers for activation.) Actions that
require goods cannot be used either (e.g.,
Workshop Building actions). After the guardhouse has
Pay 1 coin; in return, been applied, the action remains active and
move one of your can be carried out by the player later on.
Technology tiles to any Parlatory
other unoccupied Action
You get 1 citizen that
space or put it into your
you can strike off your
supply. If you put the Technology tile on an
Task sheet.
Action space and thus activate the action,
you can carry it out in the current round.
The placement rules for Technology tiles
still apply.

11
 Era VI

Now it is about increasing fame and fortune;

Each round, you may draw 7 follo- from afar, you hear that the plague is
wers out of your bag. spreading.

Building: When you build a village And if you do not have enough villages yet,
or a fortress, you immediately gain build quickly; it is the last opportunity.
2 Fame points.

You may not acquire any Place Your followers are very busy working in the
tiles. Put the Prohibition tile on fields and at the marketplace. There is no time
the „Building yard“ Action space for other activities.
of your player board.

Bonus for the round: You may deliver Hmm, let me calculate If you control
..
goods to your villages. Give up any number 4 villages and have generated 6 cheese, for
of tiles of one kind of good (but only up to example, you can now deliver up to 4 cheese
a maximum of as many tiles as you have vil-
to your villages. If you give up the 4 cheese,
you may move eight steps (4x2) forward on the
lages under control), and receive the goods Fame track. A lucrative undertaking indeed!
value for each given-up tile as Fame points.

Advancement: Send out a tile to a Benefi- There are no prerequisites for the next era;
cial Deed (except for „Alchemy“). but who would dare to enter the plague era
without medicine? If you do advance, you gain
another citizen.

12
 Era VII

If you are the first player to advance to Your boldness evokes great admiration.
this era, you gain 1 citizen.
The plague has taken its toll. Build churches
Take the „Church“ Place tile. and pray for divine assistance.

Each round, you may draw 4 follow- People are weakened, and your village green is
ers out of your bag.
only half full in these tough times.

Building: When you build a for- And yet, it is particularly worthwhile now to
tress or a church, you immediately build fortresses and churches.
gain 5 Fame points.

You may not build any villages. Unfortunately, there is not enough strength
Put the Prohibition tile on the left to build additional villages.
„Village“ Action space of your
player board.

You may acquire Place Make work easier for the tormented settlers
tiles of categories I, II and see what actions might contribute to that.
and/or III.

Malus for the round if the Medicine You are blessed if you have jointly found
has not been completed yet: You lose a medication that is effective against this
1 settler. Take one of your Settler figures, cursed epidemic. In this case, your fortresses
either from your personal supply or from the will definitely harvest fame. But alack, if you
gameboard, and put it back into the box.
are still laboring on the medicine, one settler
after another will die.

Bonus for the round if the Medicine

has been completed: Move 1 step
forward on the Fame track for each fortress Now you are longing for peace and quiet, but
you control. these times come at a price. And one more
time, you are supposed to contribute to another
Advancement: Send out a tile to a Bene- deed that everybody benefits from. When you
ficial Deed (except for „Alchemy“) and give are ready to pay and to contribute, move on.
up 10 coins from your supply.
13
 Era VIII

You make peace. From now on, you may Finally, the time of distress is over, and you
expand into areas controlled by others have realized that you can proceed faster
(except for areas protected by fortresses), if you work with your neighbors instead
and others may expand into your areas as of against them. Now the borders to all
well. Terrains, villages, and churches are unfortified areas are open to you.
then controlled jointly.

Each round, you may draw 6 follow- Your followers have recuperated and go back
ers out of your bag. to work.

Building: When you build a church, The quick fame for the building of churches
you immediately gain 2 Fame points. fades a bit.

You may not build any villages or Why isolate yourself in these marvelous times
fortresses. Put the Prohibition of peace?
tiles on the “Village” and “For-
tress” Action spaces of your player
board.

You may acquire Place You can still make work easier for your
tiles of categories I, II followers.
and/or III.

Bonus for the round: Move 2 steps The bells are ringing and the population
forward on the Fame track for each church gratefully fills the church pews.
you control.

14
Bonuses on the Fame Track
(1x) You may take either 1 wood
(3x overall) You receive 3 coins.
or 1 bread.

(3x overall) You may strike off

(4x overall) You may immediately either 1 citizen or any one tile
strike 1 citizen off your Task sheet. that you would have to send out
for one of your tasks.
(2x overall) You may immediately Alternatively, you may take a Fol-
draw 1 Follower tile and place it lower tile from the marketplace
on an Action space or on the vil- instead and throw it into your
lage green. This possibly activates bag. But you are only allowed to
actions that you might be able to take characters you can already
carry out in the current round – recruit with the appropriate Pla-
provided you have not passed yet. ce tile. If you do not yet have the
„Castle“ Place tile, for example,
you may not take a knight.

Market Equipment
Here you see what is added to the marketplace, depending on the number of players, at the
beginning of each era.
4 players:
Set-up/ 24x 12x 12x 12x
Era I
Era II 10x 8x 10x 10x 8x

Era III 8x

Era IV 12x 6x

Era V 8x 8x 8x 8x

Era VI 12x 8x 6x 4x

Era VII 6x

Era VIII 6x 4x

15
 3 players:
Set-up/ 20x 10x 10x 10x
Era I
Era II 8x 6x 10x 10x 6x

Era III 6x

Era IV 10x 4x

Era V 6x 6x 6x 6x

Era VI 10x 6x 4x 3x

Era VII 4x

Era VIII 4x 3x

2 players:
Set-up/ 16x 8x 8x 8x
Era I
Era II 6x 4x 8x 8x 4x

Era III 4x

Era IV 8x 3x

Era V 4x 4x 4x 4x

Era VI 8x 4x 3x 2x

Era VII 3x

Era VIII 3x 2x

16