You can do this in basically any order, but this is the order that I have found works best for most people.
Don't forget to print out your character sheet before you start!
1. Choose your race.
Human- Your standard all-around decent race. The most populous ethnicity in Svalpana.
Elf- The quintessential fantasy race. Intelligent and mysterious. Plus they have pointy ears.
Dwarf- Courageous and big-hearted, Dwarves are well-loved by many. Especially barkeepers.
Sylph- Don't let their fairy-like appearance fool you; Sylphs are the best thieves in the land.
Faux- The nature-lovers of the bunch, Faux are part wild themselves, right down to the tail.
Drake- Strong and silent, Drakes are great for people who fight first and ask questions later.
Orc- You've seen Lord of the Rings. You don't want to get on the bad side of an Orc.
Outsider- Telepathic aliens that crash-landed in the Great North centuries ago.
Dark Elf- Originally assassins for the Elf Queen, Dark Elves have been kicked out of society.
Warforged- Artificial beings created by alchemists. Their skin is plate armor. 'Nuff said.
Demon- Servants for evil mages created far down in the depths of hell. Great for roleplaying.
Fallen- Angels cast down from heaven for their sins against gods. Hobbies include creative fiction, collecting vinyl records and chilling at the mall.
Lycan- Half man, half beast, Lycan can transform into fierce animals at will.
Fill in your HP and AP, as well as your speed and senses scores.
2. Choose your alignment and deity (Good, Evil, Chaotic). Your deity should be the same alignment as you.
3. Flesh out your character with personal details: name, age, gender, and any other information about them you want on the character sheet. A frame is provided for a portrait.
Depending on your play style, you may want to use Archetypes. This is the best time to apply those.
4. Distribute 13 points to strength, stamina, dexterity, intelligence, and charisma. Think about what you want in a character, and what you can live with having less of. Compare stats to others in your party. A balanced party is an effective party. I would strongly recommend against having a dump stat (which means that you have zero or very, very few points in a stat) unless you have made a character before, as you are liable to change your mind about what attributes you want.
If you have more than 3 points in Strength, every point, starting at 4, gives you 3 extra HP. The same applies to Stamina, which gives you extra AP.
5. Equip your character with armor, weapons, and other items. Your DM will decide what you can and cannot have, but having a convincing backstory for a particular item will help.
6. Give your character 2 adventurer abilities of your choice (see Guilds).
7. You DM will decide how much gold to to give you to start based on your campaign. A reasonable amount is 100G.
8. You automatically know how to speak Common, the universally accepted language of Svalpana. Depending on your race, hometown, plane or origin, etc., you may be able to speak other languages. Again, consult your DM.
