Options Available
=================
Choose from one of the many options to start your character. As more ideas are fleshed out, this list will grow.
Caught Crossing the Border Illegally
------------------------------------
For those who wish to use this to play through the original game start at Helgen, this option will streamline the process to skip the race selection dialogue during the lead up to your execution. Most of the tutorial prompts will be removed as well.
Immigrated to Skyrim
--------------------
You will arrive by ship in the port of Solitude, Dawnstar, or Windhelm with little more than some basic supplies, middle class clothing, and a decent sum of gold to start over upon your arrival.
Property Owner
--------------
You will start off with the fully furnished house of your choice in one of 4 major cities. Windhelm is not included due to the quest that interacts directly with the house there.
Each house will start you off with appropriate class clothing and some leftover cash to spend. There will also be a selection of weapons fitting to the city available on the storage chest in the bedroom.
If owning property in a city is boring, or you'd prefer to have access to all of the available hold questing, you can choose instead to own a farmhouse. The farmhouse is situated on the main road southeast of Dragon Bridge and comes complete with a pair of NPCs to act as your farm hands. Your farm will generate a regular income that you can collect from the farm hands. You do need to come home from time to time to collect it though.
Member of a Guild
-----------------
You will be a new recruit in one of the joinable factions in the game. The Companions, College of Winterhold, Dark Brotherhood, or Thieves Guild. Your starting equipment will be geared toward the faction you have chosen.
For the Thieves Guild, you will begin just inside the Ragged Flagon, having just emerged from the Ratway. Talk to Brynjolf to seal the deal.
For the Dark Brotherhood, you will begin immediately inside the Falkreath Sanctuary and need only speak to Astrid to complete the process.
For the College, you'll be placed just outside the Hall of Elements and will have completed the initial joining phase.
For the Companions, you'll begin in Jorvaskr and begin with the mission to train with Varkas.
The Bards College will be added later if Bethesda does more to flesh out the faction. Right now, they're just a token guild that's not worth much.
Patron at an Inn
----------------
You will be able to choose from one of several inns throughout Skyrim. Some are relatively safe, others not so much. Nightgate Inn in particular is isolated in the mountains and is more dangerous than most others. Do be careful.
Outlaw in the Wilds
-------------------
You will begin as a member of a group of bandits. For the sake of variety, the group of bandits will be chosen at random. You will begin with standard bandit level equipment. The bandit faction at the start location will remain friendly to you as long as you don't piss them off first. Tread carefully though, you WILL have a bounty of 500 gold in the hold the game chooses. The guards will not take kindly to seeing you trotting into a civilized area unless you're prepared to pay up.
Soldier in the Army
-------------------
You begin as a recruited soldier in either the Stormcloaks or the Imperial Legion. Which one you choose will determine the gear you start with. You will begin at the point immediately after what would be each one's first mission, which is little more than a cannon fodder quest on either side.
Camping in the Woods
--------------------
You are a lone hunter, camping in the woods. This will start you off with decent low level equipment, a campfire, cooking pot, bedroll and tent. The camp will be in the forest/hills near Helgen and will serve as an alternative method for witnessing the dragon attack that will not require you to actually be in the village when it is destroyed. The camp will remain in place permanently should you wish to return and use it as a base.
Shipwrecked off the Coast
-------------------------
Shipwrecked! You were a passenger aboard a merchant ship on the way to Solitude when the ship struck an iceberg off the coast and then capsized. Make your escape from the doomed vessel, retrieving any useful items on your way out, then make your way to the nearby ice floes. From there, you'll quickly realize it's a LONG way off to shore.
Take care if using survival mods, especially those with hypothermia modules. You can freeze to death quickly!
Attacked and Left for Dead
--------------------------
You find yourself in a remote area, robbed and left for dead by bandits. They were kind enough to leave what they thought was your corpse dressed in ragged clothes, but nothing more. Can you survive the harsh wilderness and reach safety alive?
Vampire in a Secluded Lair
--------------------------
Mara's Eye Pond has always been home to you, for as long as you can remember. It isn't even clear to you anymore how long you've been a vampire, but you know you still hunger for prey and still have an urge to adventure.
Be aware - this starts you off as a stage 4 vampire. Everyone and his uncle will try to kill you the moment you've left the safety of the dungeon you're in. If you intend to mingle with the city folk, you'll need to feed first.
The end table immediately in front of the bedroll where you start is a safe storage container.
Necromancer in a Hidden Lab
---------------------------
The laboratory you discovered in Blackreach is running low on supplies. It looks like you'll need to set forth soon to replenish, and perhaps see what's going on in the world these days.
Fair warning - there is a Dwemer Sphere outside the door to the lab. You'll need to plan ahead before leaving.
Vigilant of Stendarr
--------------------
You have been accepted into the Vigilants of Stendarr and have been granted living access to their headquarters outside of Dawnstar.
The chest next to you when you begin is yours and is a safe storage container.
Caution: If you are playing Dawnguard, you'll lose access to the safe storage chest once the quest line kicks in and the hall is destroyed. If you are keeping valuable stuff there, be sure it's cleared out before you hit level 10.
Live in an Orc Stronghold
-------------------------
You'll begin in the orc stronghold of Dushnikh Yal. Though you have lived there for some time, they still call you outlander, and now you once more hunger for adventure.
For some people, this may be considered an unbalanced option since you get decked out in a full set of orcish armor and a nice big orcish battleaxe, but you're still level 1. Death can still find you easily enough.
Khajiit Caravan Guard
---------------------
You've been with the caravan for a long time now, and finally your group leader has hired a new guard. Time for some adventure, but you'll always be welcome at the camps in Whiterun or Markarth as always. This option only activates for a Khajiit.
Member of a Forsworn Tribe
--------------------------
Once the true rulers of The Reach, your tribesmen and kin have since been forced to carve out a life in the rugged mountains, away from more comfortable living. The time has come for you to leave and find adventure on your own. Only available for Bretons.
Note - You get a usable chest in the start location that's safe to keep things in.
Argonian Dock Worker
--------------------
You've been on these docks for months now, perhaps longer. The locals aren't treating you any better and it's high time you did something about it. A life of adventure and glory is just the change of pace you need.
Note - The first end table inside the door, with the soul gem holder on it, belongs to you and can be used as storage. The container does not respawn.
Redguard Alik'r Warrior
-----------------------
Disillusioned with life back home in Hammerfell, you joined the Alik'r and set out to Skyrim on a mission. Only things are not what they seem and it looks like time to set out on your own. Nobody back home will know the difference anyway.
Dunmer Refugee (Windhelm)
-------------------------
Morrowind is still a very hostile place, and you've decided to take your chances in Skyrim instead. Upon arrival though, Windhelm isn't at all what you expected or were hoping for. It looks like it's time to cast aside your expectations of an easy life and become an adventurer.
Note - The bedroll and sack you start standing next to for this are yours. The sack is safe storage.
Dunmer Refugee (Raven Rock)
---------------------------
The mainland of Morrowind is still a hostile place, and you've had enough. You're taking your chances on Solstheim in Raven Rock. Upon your arrival though, it's not at all what you were hoping. They almost treat you as an outsider. It looks like that easy life isn't there to be had after all. Might be time to take up adventuring instead.
This start will replace the refugee option if Dragonborn is installed. You'll begin in the abandon building on the edge of town and from there, you're on your own.
Note that for Raven Rock, there is NO SAFE STORAGE so don't count on stuff getting left behind in the containers still being there later! You'll also need to use the fast travel marker to go to Skyrim the first time since the boat ride will not be available until after you've begun the Skyrim main quest.
Altmer Agent of the Thalmor
---------------------------
You're assigned to the Thalmor Embassy near Solitude. As part of your regular duties, you are tasked with routine investigations of various matters in Skyrim. Though Elenwen has yet to trust you with a field assignment - until now. How fortunate that it should mean finally getting to do some adventuring on the side while you're out.
You begin the game inside the Thalmor Embassy on the upper floor, standing next to a bed. Since the Embassy does not respawn in the vanilla game, all storage should be safe. You will be a member of the Thalmor faction, so you can take what you wish from the building at any time, and can sleep in any of the beds you can find.
Once you have arrived at Helgen, you will be removed from the faction and the Embassy will then be closed to you until the party during the main quest. Thalmor may become hostile toward you at this point due to their assumption that you've abandoned your post. Be aware that membership in the Thalmor faction may also make Stormcloaks hostile toward you, including cities run by them! Unlike the bandit start, you will retain this membership for as long as you avoid going to Helgen.
Surprise Me
-----------
Random roll that will pick one of the above. The standard Helgen start will not be included in this. Race specific starts will only apply if the player's race matches.
