The first area

In the tradition of virtually every RPG in the universe, you start off as a youngster in a small village. You are even a foster child...Groundbreaking, I know. Rudely awakened by the woman who helped raised you, you can set out to explore the village, earn some gold, win a contest, settle religious disputes and..learn a lot about the land among other things. 

There is just one story related quest. Everything else is optional, and there are many many optional quests. However, this is when you learn about alignments and how they work in the specific context of this game. You also get a chance to align yourself with the Lawgivers, the Mitras or to stay neutral. This will determine plot trajectories as well as joinable companions (some folks will not join you if you are well into being a Mitraa, and some won't if you are well into being Lawgiver). The first section is also purely solo. You are not in a village known for combat.

The Main Quest:

The visiting Lawgiver and the Village Priest both wish proof that a temple of Chandi maa once existed in the surrounding areas. Both want you to find proof and give it solely to them. The Lawgiver claims that Her worship involved ritual human sacrifice and other horrific ceremonies. The latter claims that he does not know what their rituals entitled, but that religion is seldom static and even if they once did terrible things doesn't mean it is going to cause them to revert to such behavior. Once you find the artifact and it is complicated, I'll tell you that- you can choose to align yourself with the Lawgivers by giving their priest the artifact. You can align yourself with the Mitraa, by giving the village priest the artifact, or you can stay neutral by not giving it to either of them, and by keeping it or giving it to the Monastery of Pranshula that you will encounter much later.

Once successfully completed, the style changes. For one,  you meet your guardian and she is very straight with you. No mysterious talk, no riddles, and no BS. You are going to the Ekadanta pass pronto, and for a very legitimate reason. She also tells you about how you came to be in her care. No, you are no orphan, or foundling. You have parents who are still alive, hale and hearty..even wealthy who entrusted you to your protectors for a very good reason.

You go to the Ekadanta pass and are met with nice, kindly folk who help you. No, not really. You meet your first super baddie, and the perfect example of the sort of people who give religion a bad name. Well, the dude wants to enter heaven with your crushed skull in his hands as an offering to God. If you let him, the game is over. But if you fight him and his minions, and defeat them- you can progress to section 2. But more on that later.

Optional Quests and Areas:

There are three optional areas and 17 optional quests that significantly increases your gametime by 10-14 hours or more. Some of the quests are serious, some are deliberately silly and over the top, but some of them, even the ones that seem somewhat goofy can have implications in later parts of the game, so read carefully. 14 of these quests are resolved in the first section, but 3 continue on for the entire duration of the chapter. The ones that are resolved in the first section are all done, written and scripted. (Please understand that the cultural implications mean some serious quests may sound goofy. A ritual blessing by a cow is a very proper thing to do given the setting, but players may find it kind of over the top.)

NPCs:

While some NPCs will give you quests, they are also a repository for information about the world if you choose to learn it. Some, like your village militia, know more about a specific war, while the Dwarf can tell you about Dwarven history in Samsara. The Lawgiver and the Village Priest can help you learn about their faiths respectively, and you can learn from the village headwoman about the traditions of her village. Most NPCs have something unique or important to say, an opinion, a clue to a quest or the like. Enjoy it, because in larger towns that follow, this sort of unique perspective is not always going to be possible.

Know, that the more knowledge you acquire, the more sense this game will make to you. Since the knowledge is in context for the most part, and available in multiple formats, from talk to discoveries, to books to inscriptions on ruins, it is not too intimidating. At least I didn't think it was.

All NPCs in Rudaali are almost completely scripted. There are two people left. One of them has copious dialogue, and he is only 80% complete. Ah well. The other is a bit of a pickle because he keeps re-occuring if you make a certain decision.

Did you like OWNING something in BG2? Well, just keep your eyes peeled for there is something in section 1 with immense "potential". You'll encounter more of such things later. (But they are not complex like the stronghold stuff in NWN2 was.)

Of course, I have no idea if anyone even reads this stuff, but if you do, please do consider joining the forum where we can discuss the mod. You can find it at tamasthegathering.freeforums.org/  It is a private forum, so you will have to register. Or else, I'd appreciate your comments here. Thanks!