Campaign Characters
- The Faceless: Unlike AI characters, the protagonist has no in-game portrait.
- Impoverished Patrician: Apparently by choice at the start of the campaign. After returning to the Old World, Aarhant is shocked to find they are actually Nouveau Riche. However, it's then revealed that Edvard made it so that he inherited all the family's assets, leaving the Player and their sister Hannah with nothing but the abandoned island of Ditchwater.
- Like Father, Like Son: As the player progresses and builds up their settlement, Hannah remarks how much like their father they are
- The Runaway: Type IV: Disappeared from home at some point before the start of the campaign to live a carefree life drifting in the new World
The sister of the player character. She plays an important role in the campaign by investing the last of their father's money in an abandoned island.
- Clear Their Name: Her (thus the player's) father was imprisoned for treason. She spends the first act of the story looking for proof he was innocent.
- Significant Wardrobe Shift: Once the player arrives in the New World her outfit changes from a black mourning gown to a blue silk dress. Both to mark moving on from her and your father's funeral, and to accompany the arrival to the much sunnier and more colourful New World region.
Aarhant is a trusted friend and advisor of the protagonist in the main Campaign.
- Annoying Video Game Helper: Can become this when ingame hints are enabled, even in non-campaign games.
- Mad Bomber: A mild example. But he still comes off as just a tad too enthusiastic about using dynamite.
- Noodle Incident: The Pits. All we know is he and the Protagonist used dynamite to escape them and they had a few sticks left over.
Edvard Goode is the uncle of the Protagonist and Hannah Goode, having taken over Bright Sands after the death of his brother.
- Alas, Poor Villain: At the end, despite everything he put the Goode siblings and friends through, they come to pity him for his failures and grieve his death at the hands of the Pyrphorians.
- All for Nothing: He comes to realize that his framing his brother and stealing his island was basically for nothing, as it was only a temporary success, it made everyone hate him, and eventually brought his own death.
- Deal with the Devil: He made a deal the Pyrphorians to frame his brother and in exchange get Bright Sands. It ends poorly for him.
- Graceful Loser: Surprisingly, he accepts his arrest and imminent trial with ease, albeit with heavy resignation. He also accepts the arrival of the Pyrphorians and imminent death with a stiff upper lip.
- Hate Sink: He's designed to be as odious to the player as possible, from his exploitative business practices to his insufferable attitude and grating voice.
- Playing with Fire: All of the Pyrphorian ships have an inbuilt flamethrower. Also their speciality is setting city fires.
- Walking Spoiler: They very rarely make any appearances outside of the campaign. That means it's very likely, that the player does not even know this faction exists, until they reach a certain point in the campaign.
AI Competitors
Bente is the young heir to the Jorgensen Trust, a philanthropic venture of her late father's. She is an alarmingly friendly individual, caring for all around her. An intrepid traveller, she believes the world exists for all to delight in and explore! Naturally, she is friends with almost everyone...
- The Ditz: She comes off as this and is the easiest to befriend A.I.
- Lady of Adventure: Down to the period dress and interest in exotic butterflies.
- Nice Girl: The only things she really dislikes are oppressing your workers, using propaganda, and polluting your islands.
- Recurring Element: She's 1800's member of the Jorgensen family, who have had members appearing throughout the series since Anno 1701.
- Wealthy Philanthropist: As heir to a philanthropic trust, her life see-saws between daring adventure and charity fundraisers.
Princess Qing is a young and uncertain envoy of the Imperial East. Struggling to bring about the very different diplomatic wishes of the Emperor and Empress here in a new and unfamiliar place, she takes consolation in writing wistful poetry of the nature of home.
- Fish out of Water: She's a woman from East Asia (presumably the setting's version of China, going by her name) interacting primarily with people from a Fantasy Counterpart Culture to England.
Behind the bold swish of Willie’s conjuror’s cape lives a fragile mouse, desperate for the affection conferred upon him by his late mother. Above all, it is fear that grips him – of some unspeakable and ghoulish reprisal – for Willie seems to have acquired his great fortune suspiciously suddenly!
- Butt-Monkey: Though not the weakest of the easy A.I., he's easily the most picked on and dismissed. He does not even have full control of his own empire like the other rivals.
- Dude, Where's My Respect?: Pretty much everyone he's ever met picks on and dismisses him. From policemen and politicians to his own company's directors.
- Manchild: He has quite a few immature elements; an apparently-sincere belief in magic and his tendency to take the female suitors Sir Archibald keeps trying to matchmake him with as housemaids.
- The Obi-Wannabe: Likes to think of himself as your wise mentor. His advice is often either useless or non-existent.
- Why Did It Have to Be Snakes?: News of fire in your city will send him babbling about seeing something in the flames.
Artur Gasparov is a self-proclaimed visionary, francophile, and pursuer of architectural perfection. Breaking from the mirror only to schmooze with the most important critics, Gasparov has little patience for others, or indeed, any empathy at all. As he himself has said, "Every great city is ruined by its people."
- Giftedly Bad: Convinced he is one of the greatest architects of the age, his skills at urban planning and his sense of taste are anything but. He'll even build his cities in a way that is painfully repetitive and uniform.
- Narcissist: Refuses to be around anyone who isn't as exceptional as himself.
- No Historical Figures Were Harmed: Most likely of impressionist architect Georges-Eugene Haussmann. Who paired modern engineering, romantic ideas of formal planning in order to create Paris as it is today. At the cost, some had argued, of paving over the city's history and former character.
- The Sociopath: Claims his visionary cities have one flaw that prevents them from being perfect: People.
George Smith was, long ago, a slave. An explosion in the mine took his father, and rendered George deaf. Finding freedom, George seized the chance to make something of his life, and has now apparently done it all. But don't let that fool you — he's not finished yet.
- Foil: To Carl Leonard von Malching. He was born a slave, while Carl was born into nobility. He strongly dislikes Propaganda and harsh working condition, while Carl likes those. This is further referenced by their ingame rivalry and should both parties be in a game, they will declare war on each other after in less than 10 minutes after game start!
- Welcome to Corneria: Will remind you pretty much every time you build one that his father died in a mine.
Carl is a repugnant, industrialist fat-cat. Blaming his parents for allowing the once-great name Von Malching to fade from view, he is ever desperate to rub up with the nobility and of course, to pile up the gold. His philosophy is that "money equals reputation", so take, take and take some more!
- Aristocrats Are Evil: Born into nobility, Carl is a boorish, arrogant sod who will laud players for printing mindless junk for their people, engages in insurance fraud schemes and would quite happily sue the Crown into the ground if he could.
- Bad Boss: Not only will he approve of the player printing propaganda, he'll laugh about how the public eagerly swallow it up.
- Corrupt Corporate Executive: This industrialist's profit-making ventures include extortion, litigation, racketeering and insurance fraud. Nothing is too shady so long as it makes money.
- Evil Is Petty: No matter what they pick, he will mock the player for their coat of arms.
- Foil: To George Smith. He was born into nobility, while George was born a slave. He has a liking to Propaganda and harsh working condition, while George dislikes those. This is further referenced by their ingame rivalry and should both parties be in a game, they will declare war on each other after in less than 10 minutes after game start!
- Money, Dear Boy: Every single thing he does is in the pursuit of more money.
- Politically Incorrect Villain: A gross caricature of the worst tendencies of the old aristocracy.
- Sesquipedalian Loquaciousness: Tends to throw old-fashioned and fancy-sounding insults at the player.
- Small Name, Big Ego: Endlessly talks about how prestigious the Von Malching family name is, though it's clear whatever prestige it did have is long, long gone by this point.
Beryl O'Mara was a goodly soul once — back when she believed her meek shopkeeper husband would escape the debtor's prison. He didn't. Years later, it is now her that's running the street game, with the help of her many eyes and ears. She'll invite you in for tea, but don't get too cosy — that's a sawn-off under the floral tablecloth!
- Affably Evil: Cynical as she may be, she genuinely comes off as polite and sweet.
- The Nicknamer: She calls her henchmen "Ragamuffins", among other things.
- From Nobody to Nightmare: She went from a poor shopkeeper's wife to mob boss and socialite.
- Pretty in Mink: She wears a white flea-fur around her neck.
- Starter Villain: She will likely be the first truly challenging opponent a new player faces, as she is one of the three predetermined competitors on the default Normal difficulty setting and is a 2-star competitor compared to her two 1-star counterparts (Qing and Willie); as such she will grow much more rapidly than the others and can easily outpace a still inexperienced player.
A self-proclaimed anarchist, Dr. Mercier has created a radical new society free of the influence of the state. Formerly a champion of a student union of dentists, Mercier was asked by the Queen to use his popular appeal to pacify increasing threats of revolution in her territories. Instead, Mercier sided with the protesters, declaring the people's complete independence from crown authority
- Anarchy Is Chaos: Zig-zagged. Hugo's Anarchism closely resembles collectivist anarchism, which advocates collective governance rather than its total absence. But he will celebrate if a riot in your city gets out of control and may or may not be working to destablisise your empire by planting double-agents among defectors from his islands. Conversely, building a police station is among the things he dislikes.
- Defector from Decadence: Thinks himself as this. He also creates these; workers who joined his Anarchist projects only to have second thoughts later on, who occasionally show up at your ports asking for sanctuary.
- Doublethink: His radical new society effectively works this way. Dress uniformly while thinking as an individual, a society of complete independence while a voice over a megaphone constantly reminds everyone to keep working.
- From Nobody to Nightmare: From a mere dental student to a revolutionary leader capable of threatening the Crown on its very doorstep.
- Hollywood Atheist: Building any religious building (church, chapel) will sometimes cause his relationship with you to drop. One of his quests even has you demolishing a church and not building a new one for fifteen minutes!
- The Mole: If the story that comes with his DLC chain is anything to go by, he may be in league with the Pyphorians.
Lady Margaret Hunt's influence cannot be overestimated. A member of the Royal Council, she is trusted by all, rarely seeking sympathy for what has unquestionably been a difficult life. After all, she was born a Harlow — a name now synonymous with treason — but then, that was all buried long ago.
- Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: She acts like a defenseless, well meaning old lady, but don't be fooled.
- Evil Old Folks: She is the most agressive AI competitor, very high standings (very hard to get) are required to be on good terms with her.
- The Man Behind the Man: There are hints that she's secretly the Pyphorian Grandmaster; same voice actor, themes of pennance in her quests, oddly unenthusiastic responce to your victory in the campaing and, most damningly of all, one mission where you deliver weapons to a Pyphorian smuggler on her behalf.
- Meaningful Name: "Margaret" calls to mind a certain controversial British politician, while "Hunt" suggests "Berkeley Hunt", Cockney Rhyming Slang for...an unpleasant woman.
- Thicker Than Water: Despite distancing herself from the Harlow name, she's still on good terms with her niece Anne Harlow— in fact, she's the only expanding AI who's always at peace with Anne.
Admiral Vicente Silva is an experienced, calculating and humorless conqueror. His noble upbringing, and education at the finest military academies has primed him for a life in power. A staunch traditionalist, his conviction is that the crumbling empire in La Corona — in whose service he profits — will prevail against a world in rebellion.
- Hair-Trigger Temper: He will snap at the most mundane of things... like asking if he needs any help.
- Officer and a Gentleman: Is obsessed with being properly dressed, behaved and disciplined. When he's not Suddenly Shouting.
- Would Hurt a Child:
- This is revealed during a destruction quest that can pop up, if he and Beryl O'Mara are in the same session. A group of teenagers stole his goods and he tasks you with destroying the ship and deliver the kids to Beryl's harbour.Vincente Silva: If they are old enough to steal, then they are old enough to face the consequences!
- It turns out that the kids were sent by Beryl to steal goods from Vincente. She is surprised to hear, that he would go so far as to kill these children and calls him "heartless".Beryl O'Mara: I'm joking. Compared to me, he's a softie!
- This is revealed during a destruction quest that can pop up, if he and Beryl O'Mara are in the same session. A group of teenagers stole his goods and he tasks you with destroying the ship and deliver the kids to Beryl's harbour.
Alonso Graves is a man disturbed. A former soldier of the Empire, war transformed his soul forever. The disdain and misanthropy within him can only momentarily be silenced by the blood of his former masters. Believing himself now to be a god, he is intent on "freeing" all he can from the shackles of human existence.
- A God Am I: According to him, "they" call him a god, he even believes to be much more than that.
- Ax-Crazy: He is the most disturbing one out of all the AI competitors. While he is technically the weakest of the current "Expert" level AI, he is also the most unpredictable one and will declare war, if he feels like it.
- It's Not You, It's Me: Inverted example. When your relationship with him drops, one of his dialogue lines can be this, probably in reference to this Trope. It's not me, it's you!
- Shell-Shocked Veteran: It is not clear what he witnessed, to become so disturbing, other than it being part of a war.
- Well-Intentioned Extremist: Zigzagged. It is unclear to the player character just how well meaning he is, considering his mental state. For example, he asks you to deliver glass to him, so he can improve his workers diet by grinding some of it into their food.
Pirates
Anne Harlow is the vengeful leader of a forsaken band — the last hurrah of piracy. She was born into nobility, only to see her father Benjamin hung for speaking against the King. In exile, Anne's lust to destroy the crown and social order has only grown with the arrival of a new and vulnerable Queen.
- A Pirate 400 Years Too Late: Well, 150 years late anyway. Annie's praticular flavor of piracy died out in the early-1700s well before the mid-1800s timeframe of the game. She's still nonetheless quite dangerous, especially to unprotected shipping, but her navy can't match steamships and her days are ultimately numbered...
- Not-So-Safe Harbor: Her Harbor is packed with Cannon Towers and a Big Betty which will attack any player on sight, should they be at war with her.
- Pirate Girl: And she is the leader of them, too!
- You Killed My Father: The execution of her father was what led to her becoming a pirate, now seeking to destroy the crown. She does at least take revenge on all the judges, that found her father guilty in trial as a part of her personal quest, by tasking you to sink their ships and kill them.
Jean La Fortune escaped a life of slavery to become the leader of a fledgling nation on the isle his people call High Mountain. But his people cannot hope to grow while the Empire refuses to recognise their independence. With few allies in society, it seems Jean has little choice left but to fight.
- Fighting for a Homeland: He and his followers have only turned to piracy because the international community refuses to recognize their political legitimacy.
- Not-So-Safe Harbor: See Anne Harlow's entry. His Harbor is just as armed as Anne's.
- We Used to Be Friends: Unlike Annie he's actually at peace with the player from the beginning. However, once you get established in the New World, he'll start asking for bribes to stay away from your shipping...
Neutral Traders
Sir Archibald Blake is a neutral trader loyal to the Queen. He will sell to the player a new Flagship should theirs be destroyed.Quests he offers to the player may reward Ship Items. Blake deals mostly in ship parts and law-themed items for the town hall or trade union. He is an excellent source of building materials in the early- to mid-game.
- Gasshole: Any time he talks has a 50/50 chance of mentioning his bowels.
- The Good Chancellor: Confidant of the queen and a very well-meaning one at that. His appearances alongside the Queen go even further, where he often mitigates her more childish thoughts with a kind apology.
- Sleepyhead: Type 2. He's genuinely hardworking, but panics over whether his last nap ran into one of his appointments.
Eli Bleakworth is a deeply resentful servant of the crown, charged with governing Wormways Prison, a depraved and isolated facility.Taking great pleasure in carrying out punishments, he is strict and unbending, believing the scum receive only what they deserve.Suspicious to the core, he will no doubt be keeping his beady eyes on you too!
- Happiness in Slavery: Eli "sells" Specialists, which the plot frames as being prisoners whose bail you are paying off. Those people are apparently so grateful they remain in your employ for as long as you like. The demolitions engineer you free as part of the campaign lampshades this when he complains about being treated like a "commodity".
To even browse Kahina's emporium can feel like a privilege, so luxurious are her exotic displays. To Kahina, however, this whole enterprise is rather humdrum — a compromise for her comfort and safety, and one that seems desperately dull in comparison to the daredevil life of intrigue and prestige that she once led.
Isabel Sarmento is the passionate leader of a rebellion in the New World which people call "the Movement", striving for independence from the Old World empires. She lost her brother to the violence, but this only seems to have strengthened her resolve. She knows her people will have to fight clever if they want to build a lasting future for themselves.
Nathaniel Spoondrift, A.K.A "Old Nate", is a drifter, opportunist and inventor. His life's work is his zeppelin, and the island at which it is moored — both hodgepodges of parts he's spent years scrounging for. Aside from his mysterious employees, Nate rarely crosses paths with others — Not unless they're willing to help him strip a corpse.
- Gadgeteer Genius: Of the Scottish variety. Despite 1800 otherwise being mostly grounded in the tech of the era, Nate's automatons reach fully into Steampunk territory.
- The Hermit: He's a crusty, cynical old man who'd much rather be left alone. He's more the asocial than antisocial type though.
- Homemade Inventions: Pretty much everything he builds is made from whatever junk finds its way onto his island..
- Scavenger Hunt: Quests received from Old Nate can be this, once you obtain the diving bell
Qumaq is an inuit elder who, given his aptitude for languages, is the perfect person to welcome visitors to the Arctic. Although his previous encounters with the peoples of the Old World might reasonably have left him with a poor opinion of you, it is not in his nature to judge. Treat the Arctic with the awe and respect it deserves, and you can expect a very warm welcome at his iglu.
- Ignored Expert: He and the other Inuit tried to help Sir John Faithful's expedition, but were rebuffed.
- No Historical Figures Were Harmed: Most likely a stand-in for Emperor Tewodros II. The emperor of Ethiopia who ended its isolation from outside contact and laid the groundwork of its modernisation.
Other Characters
Commonly referred to as "Her Majesty", she plays a side role in the game and is most of the time represented by Sir Archibald Blake.
- Attention Deficit... Ooh, Shiny!: Fitting with her associated Shout-Out. The Queen's not exactly the most focused person ever. Once her father's sceptre is recovered from the depths, restored and on display in Crown Falls, she effectively abandons her project of a world-beating metropolis in Cape Trelawney for something else, going as far as to declare you as its new governor while her ship departs the region.
- No Historical Figures Were Harmed: She's a stand-in for a young Queen Victoria.
- Shout-Out: She has a few similarities to Queenie being not-quite as mature or dignified as one would expect of the most powerful monarch in the world, with other characters — in particular Sir Archibald — trying to keep her focused while not openly contradicting her.
- Sins of Our Fathers: If the theories about Margaret Hunt are true then the entire Pyphorian plot, not to mention the resurgence of piracy in the old world, can all be traced back to her father's execution of Benjamin Hunt
- The Bet: Once he's found a piece of the imperial sceptre he makes an offer that whoever finds the third piece gets to keep all three.
- Friendly Enemy: He's from La Corona and his mission in Cape Trelawney is very much the same as yours but for his own monarch. Other than that, there's nothing really to define him an "enemy" at all.
- Graceful Loser: Once it's clear to him you've won his wager, he doesn't make much fuss about honouring his side of the bargain.
- Red Oni, Blue Oni: Blue to his cousin Vicente Silva's red. Vicente has a very short fuse, while there's not a single moment Vasco loses his cool.
- Sharp-Dressed Man: They were not kidding on the part about outdressing his cousin Vicente.
- Meaningful Name: She is completely faithful to her husband, never once considering giving him up for dead.
- No Historical Figures Were Harmed: She's a clear stand-in for Lady Jane Franklin, wife of Arctic explorer Sir John Franklin. Like Jane Franklin, Jane Faithful dedicates her life and fortune to finding out what happened to her husband after his expedition disappears. Unlike Jane Franklin, she finds him alive and brings him home.
