Almost everyone who wishes to adventure safely into the wilder regions of Avalon will purchase a steed. A companion such as this can usually be bought in a city market square or stable (for a moderate purse of gold), and will instantly be loyal to you. It will follow you, should you order it to do so, and of course you may attempt to MOUNT it, whereupon it will aid you in defending against attack or augment your own offensive acts. Your Riding skill will dictate the types of steeds you are able to mount and ride, from the mule to the unicorn. You will need to be at least Apprentice in the skill of Riding to be able to ride the most simple of steeds, the mule. Once mounted you will find it much easier to travel around the land. You will not be plagued by lack of breath or tiredness in the same way as you would be when travelling on foot. Equally your steed can often sense danger before you do - it senses certain traps set to plague the unwary.
Steeds (known as 'cavalry') make up an important aspect of legion warfare and fieldworker travel about the land. All sizeable horses can be used, when equipped to a legion or fieldworker group, as cavalry - as can the 'Animals' commodity. Inded it is more efficient to allow the legionnaires themselves to take on 'Animals' commodity and transform them into cavalry mounts than to simply gather up random horses from about the land on their behalf. See HELP LEGION for info about equipping legions, and HELP MARCHING for information about legion/fieldworker movement and using cavalry to affect their speed about the land. In combat, too, mounted legions are much more effective... battlefield experience will soon give you a deeper insight into this aspect of steed or cavalry usage.
