How to found a state using a Founding Charter: requirements, choosing a location, setting up its identity and the ruler’s first steps.
The Founding Charter
The Founding Charter opens the state-founding wizard. Hold it in your hand and use it. Before confirming, you can return to earlier steps and change the details. In normal play, the charter is consumed only after the state is successfully founded; in Creative mode, it is kept.
Requirements
The founder must not belong to another state. Both the full name and abbreviation must be available. The location is checked as well: the initial territory must not overlap neighbouring states or breach the required gap between their territories.
Your position at the moment of confirmation becomes the territory’s centre. Choose the location before completing the wizard. The initial area’s size depends on world or server settings and is shown before confirmation.
Name and government
First, enter a full name, an abbreviation and a short description. The full name must contain 3–80 characters and the abbreviation 2–8. The abbreviation is stored in uppercase. The description is optional and can contain up to 240 characters.
Next, enter a capital name of 2–32 characters and select a government form. The available choices are Kingdom, Empire, Principality, Duchy, Republic, Free City, Theocracy, Magocracy and Tribal Union.
The state banner
The wizard lets you choose three colours: the banner’s base, its first pattern and an additional emblem. The pattern and emblem are then selected separately from the available set. The later steps show a preview, and you can go back to change the combination.
Confirmation
The final screen shows the name, government form, capital, description, banner and initial territory size. Check the details and your position in the world, then press the button to found the state. The Founding Charter must still be held in one of your hands.
After successful founding, the creator becomes the ruler and receives a Ruler Seal and Passport. The state receives a starting treasury determined by world or server settings. Registration of the Central Square becomes available.
If founding fails
A membership message means that you already belong to a state. A name or abbreviation conflict requires an available alternative. If another state’s territory is too close, choose a different location. If details are missing, check the full name, abbreviation and capital name.
If you are asked to hold the charter, put it back in either hand and confirm again. A rejected founding attempt does not consume it.
The ruler’s first step
Open strategic mode with G, its default key. In the Construction tab, select the Central Square and begin marking its area. If you have rebound the key, use the binding shown in your controls settings.