As both a private explorer and as a greeter who has often come upon new explorers feeling absolutely lost and helpless, Norfren has written the following brief ( but spoilery ) introduction to help new explorers find their way in the first few minutes of life in URU:

Norfren wrote:

FIRST AID FOR NEW, LOST EXPLORERS - WHAT TO DO?


You have arrived at your Relto, your private island in the sky.

You can :

A) ...enter the hut which has a book in the shelf to the left. This is important when you want to meet with other explorers, to reach the city and to get the KI - the D'ni communication device.
B) ...go to a dumpy column in the middle of the island with a book inside. This is important when you are ready to start with your adventure; to find the Ages with their many puzzles.


It is your choice where to start. I suggest route A first.

Route A:

1) Take your Neighborhood (Bevin) book from the shelf, open it and touch the gateway image. You'll be linked (transferred) to your hood.

2) Maybe you'll meet people there. If you do, you can contact them simply by writing something on the keyboard. To greet them just write /wave or press Ctrl-1. Then continue on to your left through a short tunnel and over a bridge until you get to the door of the classroom (you will recognize it, it has a sign.)

3) In the classroom there are some instructions in the wall how to reach & get the KI. They show you how to find the book room and a particular book.

4) Go out of the classroom. The book room is nearby, where you will see a few books on pedestals. Go to the book to the left, in front of a big stained glass painting.

5) It is the Book of Gahreesen, the Age of the one-time Guild of Maintainers. Use the book. You arrive to the center of a high hall.

6) Go out to a corridor and turn to the right. Continue until you come to a barrier. Enter through the doorway and continue to the next room to the left. There is a machine - the KI dispenser -which has a glowing blue light. Put your hand into it. You will get your wristwatch-like KI.

7) You can open the KI by repeatedly pressing F2 or from the auto-hiding lower left taskbar. You can find the KI manual here:
http://www.guildofgreeters.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=35&Itemid=38
or a shorter one from here:
http://www.uruobsession.com/?module=Library&act=show&type=13&id=12

Don't worry. It's not as complicated as it first looks.

After you have your KI, step to the pedestal next to the KI dispenser and use the Nexus Book. You get to the Nexus, a tiny Age with another machine. The Nexus is a kind of personal central terminal or station. It contains all of the available links within the cavern, public links to the hoods and future personal and private links. Put your left hand (the KI) into it. Select the "public links". A list of available hoods (Bevins) is displayed. You might want to select the 'Guild of Greeters hood' or the 'Beginners' Bevin' , both excellent places to help you get your bearings and figure out what to do. From now on the Nexus Book is available from your Relto bookshelf, too.


ROUTE B:

1) Open the column and use the Cleft (Desert) Book inside.

2) You arrive in a desert at the foot of an extinct volcano. Look around and then walk toward a trailer off to the distant right. Near to the trailer there is a fireplace. Examine it. In front of the trailer talk to Mr. Zandi, he'll tell you what to do next.

3) Mr. Zandi can give you several hints and bits of advice if you get stuck. Also, you can try these nudges:

http://www.uruobsession.com/?module=Library&act=show&type=6&id=1

4) In the cleft you need to find a way to meet Yeesha, who tells you a few obscure sentences about the D'ni, the city and your quest.

5) Listen to Yeesha, find the journeys and enter the tree.

6) You will then find yourself back at your Relto. Here you see there are four new totem columns where the original pillar stood. You are ready to start with your Yeesha-quest.

Good luck!

Norfren

Thanks Norfren!

Sorry it took so long, but I have included a link to this topic in This Thread - a new Help Desk for our new members.

It's long overdue and just starting out, but this thread and Norfren ( thanks, Norfren ) gave me the kick I needed to get this going.

I'm so glad people are finding this helpful and hope to have much more available in the primary thread shortly.