Step One
Choose a name, Ancestry, Region, and Background. These choices will set some Traits, grant some initial Skill Ranks, Specialty Ranks and Feats, and unlock access to other optional Feats that can be purchased in Step Five.
Ancestry sets four fundamental Traits — Vision, Hearing, Size, and Diet. Your PC's Ancestry also grants access to Feats that have Ancestry prerequisites. These will be listed in the Ancestry's description. Browse Ancestries.
Your Region is where in the Empire your PC was raised. Choosing a Region grants some initial Skill Ranks and Specialty Ranks, and one Feat that lists your Region as a Prerequisite, granted to you for free. If more than one Feat has your Region as a Prerequisite, you choose which single one to take — Region only grants one, not all of them. Browse Regions.
Background is how your PC was raised. Backgrounds grant additional Skill and Specialty Ranks. Browse Backgrounds.
Step Two
Look over 2-3 Traditions you want you're PC to explore. Traditions are collections of knowledge, often taught as a subject. These can be things like Martial Arts, Magic Traditions, Musical Families, or Crafting Practices. You will choose 2 of these and be granted the starting Feat for each of them. Make a note of the Skill and Specialty Rank prerequisites for the Feats in these Traditions, as you'll want to know that for Step Three.
Step Three
Rank the six Attributes — Fitness, Reflexes, Reason, Clarity, Poise, Empathy — from the Attribute you want your PC to be most proficient in, to the one they'll be least proficient in. For each of the top two Attributes, you will assign 9 Skill Ranks and 9 Specialty Ranks to Skills assigned to that Attribute (see the Skills chapter for information on assigning Skills to Attributes). For each of the next two Attributes you will assign 6 Skill Ranks and 6 Specialty Ranks to Skills assigned to that Attribute.
And finally, for each of the bottom two Attributes, you will assign 3 Skill Ranks and 3 Specialty Ranks to Skills assigned to that Attributes. During this step, you cannot raise a Skill above Rank 2. Specialty Ranks can never exceed the Skill Rank of their parent Skill (this is a general rule that always applies).
Step Four
Note down the Traits granted by your Ancestry, and then calculate the Attributes and Traits from your Skill Ranks.
Each Attribute Rank is the total Skill Ranks of Skills assigned to that Attribute, plus one third of the total Specialty Ranks under those Skills (rounded down), all divided by four.
Your Combat Defense is one physical Attribute of your choice plus one mental Attribute of your choice. Which Attributes make up your Combat Defense cannot be changed after character creation unless specifically noted elsewhere.
Your Social Defense is one social Attribute of your choice plus one mental Attribute of your choice. Which Attributes make up your Social Defense cannot be changed after character creation unless specifically noted elsewhere.
Your Maximum Position is your Reflexes plus your Clarity. Your Hitpoints are 6 plus your Fitness.
Strain has three thresholds. Level 1 is 6 plus Clarity plus Poise. Level 2 is Level 1 plus 3 plus Reflexes plus Reason. Level 3 is Level 2 plus 1 plus Fitness plus Empathy. Note down all of the above on your character sheet.
Step Five
You may now acquire your additional Feats and Flaws. All characters can acquire three additional Feats you meet the prerequisites for. These can be suggested Ancestry Feats, General Feats, or Tradition Feats. Then, for each Flaw you acquire, up to two, you may gain one additional Feat. You may acquire more than two flaws, but only the first two will grant additional Feat acquisitions. Browse Feats and Flaws.