and you need to set up something you are able to illustrate with your ressources. So, its pretty easy to start up as a farmers or lightly equipped robbers gang for example (the latter often dont make it too long though, but you can theoretically bring in one brigand band after another with your buddies if you have the feeling it pays or makes fun)
To play as something like a rich merchant, heavily equipped mercenary gang or knighthood order, you need to collect a lot of ressources to get hands on everything you need, may it be equipment, weapons or simply clothing (My Lady has dresses and boots for almost 7000 denar in her inventory).
Exspecially horses are extremely expensive, if you don't get close enough to Seb's .... 
.
But the good news on the other hand, is that you can transfer wealth from one character to another. So, you can start up making money as simple serfs or guards in order to make money for a more fancy character (and who knows, i've seen plenty of serfs getting their dirty noses in what is of no interest for them
)
Basically anyone can create a guild, aka organization. All you need is proper roleplay and a good amount of players to join your cause 
The really fancy thing starts when you got your organization applied. The leader gets a personally designed job (as for my is Lady of House de Tremelay) which earns money depending on its social status (5 per 15 for serfs, 25 per 15 for Nobles, a Village elder or whatever serious serf leader won't get only 5 though I bet) and offers the possibility to use the /hire command. This is mostly used for Army Chiefs and Nobles so far, to hire a personal guard and some servants, but could be improved in any direction easily if someone bothers Seb or Striker enough.
Jobs handed out by a player with /hire privileg instead of an admin have not only the advantage of usually higher wages (my servants earn 12 per 15, suck on that merchants!), but also have availability of the /duty on and /duty off commands. (No underline, only space).
Currently this is used for a few guards who lurk around their Leaders all day if they are online hoping to get some extra cash when someone shoots the Lord or Chief and they can catch a bolt for him/her (Be aware, they may look like brigands in what they wear as armor, but got serious military issue at hand to damage more or less rioting serfs, and each other!). But in theory, This could be used for a mistress to hand out good dresses to her whores for work (or me to my servants *cough*), Leather aprons for more dirty servants work (as mine have currently...), or simple toolsets (axes for the Lumberjack, sickles for the farmers...)(Hm, should bother Seb for that)
So you could currently easily set up a serious gang of serfs and peasants, there is a lot of villages to claim if you say you're bond to it instead of owning it. (I played a whore for three months before I had enough money to bring the Lady, and another before I got everything set up to make my claim and equip a few guards to underline it with weapons, so don't be afraid to play low for a while
)
So, a lot of tongues in this text. *cough again* Setting up guilds and orgs is definitely fun
