Character creation

You start Sunless Sea by creating your character. Or not, depending on your preference.

SS buoygaz.png Captain's Making
At this stage, you have two options:


 * Choose a past, allowing you to generate a character.
 * A Past Wreathed in Shadows, which allows you to start a game instantly and bother with the pesky past later.

View the Captain's Making event.

SS jigsawgaz.png Who were you?
Here you select the background of your Captain. This affects skills, starting Crew, and Echo.

All characters start with 25 x Hearts, 25 x Veils, 25 x Pages, 25 x Mirrors, 25 x Iron, a Comatose Ferret, 7 x Zailors (8, if you include yourself), 50 x Echo and a Ligeia-class Steamer.

View the Who were you? event.

SS chartgaz.png Choose an Ambition
What drives you, oh Captain? This selection determines the winning condition for the game.


 * Immortality: Eternal life sounds like something you'd enjoy. And it's said that the Presbyter -the ruler of the Elder Continent- has lived forever.
 * Requires Zubmariner.


 * Fulfilment: Gather a hundred tales. Learn all you can of the zee. Write a masterpiece. Retire.
 * You have to become London's most venerated explorer to win.
 * Alternatively, you can always return to Fallen London and retire, but not without writing the masterwork you so desire.
 * Wealth: You know how it is to be poor. Now you want a mansion, servants, fine clothes. A family, perhaps.
 * You have to upgrade Your Lodgings to a mansion and retire, after amassing a sizable retirement fund, of course.
 * Your Father's Bones: Find where and how your father died, and return his remains to London for a decent burial.
 * When you've found your father's bones, you can retire to victory. Explore Fallen London to find your first clue. (Released 29 December 2014)
 * The Uttermost East: ''Find what lies beyond the map's edge.
 * Not available in the current build.

View the Choose an Ambition event.

SS callingcardgaz.png A last scrap of paperwork
"Captain! Captain! An irregularity with the Harbourmaster's Office! They wish to know - what term of address do you prefer ashore?"

Note: Your actual gender is entirely up to you.


 * Madam: More zee-captains choose this than you might expect.
 * Sir: Sir it is.
 * Citizen: A term of address popular among those of egalitarian sentiments.
 * my Lord: Perhaps you really do come from a noble family. Who's to know?
 * my Lady: Perhaps you really do come from a noble family. Who's to know?
 * Captain: ''Captain will do perfectly well ashore as well as at sea, thank you.

View the A last scrap of paperwork event.

Cameo
The selection of an appropriate cameo finishes the character generation and you're free to launch into the Unterzee!