Each player selects a faction
Remove unused faction's from the Traitor deck
Deal 4 Traitor cards to each player. Take note of any of your leaders, these are loyal. Select 1 card and discard the rest to the Traitor deck. Shuffle the Traitor deck.
Take Spice as noted on your Faction sheet.
Place forces on the map as noted on your Faction Sheet.
Storm token goes on storm start place.
Players on either side of the storm each take a combat wheel and select a number secretly. Reveal the numbers and add them together and move the storm that number of spaces counter-clockwise. This counts as the first storm phase of turn 1.