can anyone give me a refresher?

[GIGACHAD]

What does salt, boots, and other things bring to the table? I was away for a long time and bam, I have frogs, new random encounters on the map, what have you. I'm a tired old man, can anyone kindly summarize what new things came to the game?

Also does the phoenix queen have feet? The knowledge's vital to the game, I assure you

[Perception312]

Instead of all species using cloaks, some use cloaks and some use boots. Harpies use both. Salt can be used in several recipes, most notably Paste (a new food for Harpies and Frogs).

Frogs: They take breaks less often than other species. If you unlock their special ability, they reveal the nearest ruin at the start. If assigned as the main firekeeper, they speed up newcomers, making them one of the best firekeepers. Their main weakness is that they cannot use shelters, so you have to build their species housing pretty quickly to keep them safe from some bad storm modifiers.

[kory]

To learn about the Queens feet, you must complete the Queens Hand Trial, then you may meet her yourself.

[Beast Regards]

Either it is edible, or it practically raises resolve, or is needed for things that do those things.

Salt is a material. It has no effect on itself, but it is used to make other things, especially foodstuffs (complex food). Like jerky, normally jerky requires fuel, but if you want to save fuel jerky is also salt+meat. Also cookies, and paste.

You basically need certain items to win the game, depending on what items each species demand.

[glitzerpaillette]

Originally posted by kory:

To learn about the Queens feet, you must complete the Queens Hand Trial, then you may meet her yourself.

So that's what the Queens's Hand Trial is for! Finally, a good reason to work towards it.
Should they have called it Queen's feet?
Nah, that would have been telling

[GIGACHAD]

I assure you, I must inspect Royal Feet for valuable insight into the nature of this world.