Hermits

*This is about New Lands & Two Crowns.*

A **hermit** is a reclusive small individual living in an old cottage deep in the forest who can be coaxed to upgrade a specific kind of Kingdom structure, frequently granting it a completely new function. Their appearance, unlocking conditions, and the structure they can interact with depends on their type.

## Unlocking

 *Kingdom: New Lands* – The Monarch has first to unlock a type of hermit on a certain island *(see below)* by purchasing the signpost of that island. Afterwards, the cottage of that hermit will have a chance of appearing in the forest of all next islands the Monarch visits. Upon finding an hermit cottage, the hermit can be coaxed outside of it, by paying four coins.

 *Kingdom Two Crowns* – Various amounts of gems are required to coax hermits. Each hermit has their own type of cottage and can only be found on a certain island *(see the details on the table below)*.

The hermits will slowly wander their way towards the town center and choose a spot to idle.
Once they're outside of their huts, they can be kidnapped.
It's then recommended to offer them a ride to the safety of the walls.

## Mounting

Paying one coin directly to the hermit allows them to ride alongside the Monarch on their mount.

 *Kingdom: New Lands* – After a new hermit has been coaxed from their cottage, not paying a coin for them to jump up on the mount at least once, might trigger the infinite "Saving" bug.

### Dismounting

Hermits will jump off the mount during nighttime or counterattack waves if the Ruler is outside the borders and heading away from the Kingdom.

 *Kingdom Two Crowns* – A monarch can manually dismount a hermit, by flipping back and forth rapidly.

## Building

Once they're riding alongside the Monarch, the hermit enables the option to reconstruct a building into a special structure, dependent on which hermit type they are.

When a tower is upgraded with a hermit, the archers on that tower are released and return to their regular role of archers, hunting during the day and guarding the outer wall during the night. In *New Lands*, other than giving to towers a special ability, the Monarch may want upgrade them for the simple purpose of releasing these archers; either because of economic needs (if the number of archers hunting is insufficient), or because the outer wall has advanced and these towers have little use as defensive structures.

## Kidnapped

A greedling can capture a hermit and take them through their portals.

If the greedling holding the hermit is killed or stunned before they pass through the portal, the hermit will be free.

If the hermit is taken through the portal, they will not appear in their cottage on that island again.

Note that in *New Lands*, traveling to another island and coming back to the "same", actually generates a *different* island with similar layout. A new hermit (of the same type or not) may then appear on that new island.

In *Two Crowns* though the islands are persistent, and this method does not work. See the section below for the alternatives.

## Rescuing

*This section is about Kingdom Two Crowns.*
Kidnapped hermits will be inaccessible and cannot be recruited again from their cottage; instead, they can be rescued.
The most honorable way to regain access to a hermit is to use a bomb and destroy the cave on the island where the hermit has been kidnapped. If the Monarch escapes the bomb explosion, the lost hermit will be waiting outside the cave, along with any gems and the dog, if these were also been taken by the Greed on that island.
If desperate however, the Monarch can simply lose the Crown. The kidnapped hermit is then lost for good, and a new one can now be recruited at his respective cottage by repaying the coin cost.

## Leaving the island

In *New Lands*, the Monarchs may carry on their mount one **hermit** to the next island. In *Two Crowns*, Monarchs may take hermits on their mount, but this is not required for their trip, because all hermits (not only one) that are free (no longer inside their hut, and not captured by the Greed) will rush in a simplified cinematic, and board on time. If the Monarch has a dog, at the last moment it will jump on. The boat then departs: it starts a looping animation that functions as a frame for the greeting message, and as background art while the next stop is chosen.

## Types

*For the hermit locations in Norse Lands, see: Islands in Norse Lands.*
There are six unique hermit types: the Ballista Hermit, the Bakery Hermit, the Knight Hermit, the Signal Hermit, the Stable Hermit, and the Fire Tower Hermit. Some colors of the Hermits' cloths depend on the Monarch's own colors, and the appearances of hermits change in different settings. As a notable example, the Bakery Hermit is a plague doctor offering elixirs in Dead Lands and a brewer offering drinks in Norse Lands.

## Gallery

Hermit idling by the siege workshopBakery and Ballista Hermits next to a ballista towerVagrant eating bread from a bakeryHorn Hermit in front of his cottage
## References

1. ↑ As shown on this video of *New Lands* on *Youtube*. 16 July 2020.