Do not hurry to start running contracts! There are many other things you need to do first, to get a good solid start in the Realms. Contracts can wait until you've got some coin in the bank and experience under your belt.

It can be a good idea to go do a little rat or frog hunting when you start out, to get our minimal combat requirements (evasion and armor) out of the way for your first few circles, as well as earning some coin. In Crossing, DIR SHIPYARD will put you in the rat hunting area. In Riverhaven, DIR EAST GATE, then go gate and go path to get to the heggarangi frogs. When you succeed in killing one, switch to your knife, wear your shield and SKIN RAT or SKIN FROG. Don't fret if your first skinning attempts don't succeed. Keep trying. Once you start getting skins, you can sell them to the tanner in town for coins and a tiny bit of trading experience.

When you get tired of hunting, you can try a bit of trading.

In Crossing, go to the Town Green area northwest and north from the bank, and FORAGE BRANCH. Keep trying! When you get one, appraise it, and then put it in your pack. Get as many as you can carry, then go find Mags the firewood peddler (DIR REFLEX, then OUT – she's in front of the College of Reflexes). Get each branch out of your backpack one by one, and appraise it, then GIVE MAGS. She will give you a few coins and some trading skill. You can also forage and give her sticks, but they aren't worth quite as much.

In Riverhaven, go out the North gate of town (DIR NORTH GATE). FORAGE GEORIN GRASS. Again, you will not find much at first, keep trying. Sometimes you will find nothing because of the time of year or time of day. Try again from time to time to time. Once you get some, appraise it and put it away. Keep going til you are tired of it or have as much as you can carry. Now you need to find Old Maisie, who wanders around in the streets of Riverhaven. Because she is a wandering NPC it may take a while to find her, but once you do, get each piece of georin grass out of your pack, appraise it and GIVE MAISIE. She'll also give you coins and teach you some trading for each piece you give her. If you find jadice flowers lying around on the streets from other peoples' foraging efforts, she will also accept those.

The peddler ladies only accept from young adventurers, or to a certain coin limit per adventurer. By the time you've sold them all you can, you'll be well on your way, so sell them as much as your patience can bear.

Alternate your attempts to find branches or herbs with some regular grass. Forage up two pieces of grass, then BRAID GRASS. Keep braiding until you've used up your second piece. This will teach you important lessons in mechanical lore and appraisal. Once you've braided as long as you can, PULL GRASS to finish the rope if you want to, or just discard it and start again. Appraise your rope, too!

You'll need a few survival skills – climbing trees and ladders, swimming in ponds or brooks, hiding in groups of people, or searching out hidden people are all ways to learn skills you'll need for advancement. Ask around and you'll hear about good places to learn these things. The swimming hole in the town of Arthe Dale northeast of Crossing, or down the ladder along River Road in Riverhaven are places where people often begin learning these vital skills.

Probably the most difficult skill of all for young traders to gain is teaching. In Riverhaven, there are usually people gathered right outside the Empaths' Guild (DIR EMPATH, and OUT). In Crossing, you can go into the Empaths' guild, or seek out fellow traders at the Bazaar or gem shop to learn from. ASSESS TEACH to see what classes are going on when you are in a gathering of people, and ask if you can join one that interests you. Learning teaching from a class is generally your only option when you first start out, but if you find someone with less skill than you have in a particular skill, you will also learn well from teaching. Type TEACH to see instructions on how to do that.