Newcomer's Favor

The archipelago is gentle with those who have just arrived. A new Governor's first raids and first settlings sail with a little extra in the hold, quietly, so those early missions land rather than founder. The help is real, and it fades as you find your feet.

Raiding

Where the levy rides along on a raid against an empty shore.

Colonisation

Where the charter helps your first settling take hold.

Goods

The favor arrives as visible supplies in your fleet, never a hidden bonus.

What it does

When a new Governor sends a fleet against an unclaimed shore, favor supplies are added to that fleet on its way out: a charter for a settling, a levy for a raid. They make the mission markedly more likely to succeed. Your first survey by spy is steadied too, so scouting your first neighbour cannot come back empty.

Nothing about this is hidden. The favor rides as ordinary supplies you can see in the fleet as it departs. What you cannot do is hoard or trade them. They are a kindness of the tide, not a resource, and they only ever ride out against an empty island.

Where it applies, and where it does not

Raiding an unclaimed shore. While the favor rides along, a raid on an empty island is sure to land, even a single ship on its own.
Settling an unclaimed island.
Your first spy survey, which is steadied to a sure reading.
Never against another Governor. Favor is for empty shores only. It does nothing to an attack, a raid, or a spy aimed at a living realm, so it can never tilt a fight between players.
It does not touch council dispatches, trade, or anything beyond those first outward missions.

How long it lasts

Favor is strongest the moment you first take the sea and eases off from there. It fades by one step every 3.5 days and is gone entirely after about 14 days, by which point a Governor is expected to stand on their own keel. There is no penalty when it lapses. The help simply stops.

A Governor who sails away and returns is met kindly again. After a gap of 7 days or more, the favor is restored partway, up to the halfway mark (level 2), so a returning hand is not thrown straight back into the cold. It never rises above where a fresh newcomer would stand.

Marshal Voss: Field order

The tide's kindness has a clock on it. Your first settling and your first raids are the cheapest they will ever be, so spend the favor while it is strong rather than saving your boldness for later.

Reference

How much favor at each stage, and when does it fade?4 levels over 14 days

Favor is measured in levels, from 4 at a fresh landing down to 0. One level is shed every 3.5 days. Each level adds a number of supply copies to a qualifying fleet.

Days since first landing	Level	Settling charter	Raiding levy
0 to 3.5	4	3	4
3.5 to 7	3	2	3
7 to 10.5	2	1	2
10.5 to 14	1	1	1
14+	0

A return after 7 or more days away lifts a lapsed Governor back to level 2, never higher, and never above their current level.

Common questions

Can Newcomer's Favor help me beat another player?

No. It only rides out against unclaimed shores. Any mission aimed at a living realm sails with no favor at all, so it can never decide a fight between Governors.

Can I stockpile or trade the favor supplies?

No. They are granted just as a qualifying fleet departs and cannot be held back, sold, or sent to another island. Think of them as a tide, not a treasury.

What happens when it runs out?

Nothing punishing. The extra supplies simply stop arriving once you have had about 14 days to find your feet. If you drift away and come back later, some of the favor is restored to ease your return.