well i can't tutorial you on programming as a concept...but I can tell you that in order to make an engine for an RPG in the simplest form you need 4 things:
1) A screen/a canvas/a window/whatever you want to call it. something that can take in several images, draw them in specified locations, refresh at a given rate, and accept keyboard/mouse/controller input. (many languages will provide you with some primitive form of this)
2) An algorithm for reading images/sprites/backgrounds: take in a file, cut out transparency color (usually hot pink or lime green) and send to (1)
3) A player character "object" that can interact by as per input from (1).
4) Other objects similar to (3) that cannot be controlled by keyboard/mouse/controller input.
I understand that that's kind of abstract, but if you start coding with those 4 things in mind (assuming you've got enough experience with whatever language you're using), things will eventually fall into place.