I think it depends on what your Father's proffession was. They determine your starting renown. Noble's the best, then Retainer, Merchant, Free Peasent. The others don't give you anything as far as I can tell.
I have trouble knowing what town and lords people are refering to when discussing them in mission. Sometimes I accept only to find out that the village in question is somewhere out of reach, like in Ireland or enemy territory. This could be solved somewhat if the names were colour coded.
If you're playing a bard character, singing songs in towns will give you renouned. A fighter can take to the field and win some battles for the same effect. You can also pay the Village Elder to find recruits for you.
I was hoping someone could answer a few questions for me.
1) Is there any documentation to go with this mod explaining the various features. I've read the features, downloads and credits sticky but it doesn't really tell you anything beyond a list of what is new.
2) Can the AI's shields be...