Wayfarer's Society

The Wayfarer’s Society is a loose confederacy of privateers-turned-pirates located amongst the Aislada Isles, situated within the Attlecier Ocean. Often referred to as the Republic of Pirates, the bandit civilization is neither a republic nor a state in the traditional sense, but rather an organization governed by its own informal “Code of Conduct.” The republic consists of an association of several of the most prominent and powerful ship captains on the island. The pirates are well-known for the havoc they cause amongst the trade and shipping operations that take place along the northern coast of Weströnd and throughout the Alexandrian Channel and the Broken Sea.

Code of Conduct

The pirates conduct their affairs using what is called the “pirate code,” which is the basis of their claim that their rule of Aislada Isles constitutes a kind of “republic.” According to the code, the pirates manage their ships democratically, sharing plunder equally and nominating and deposing their captains by popular vote. A number of the pirates operating out of Engletown are privateers out of work since the end of the Stormgårdian Wars of Conquest and ex-sailors who had revolted against the conditions on merchant and naval vessels. Any person can become an equal member of the crew, regardless of their race, religion, or sexual orientation; some marginalized people even become pirate captains.

Goals

The goal of the Wayfarer’s Society is to maintain order amongst its ranks and secure the most prosperous outcome in all scenarios for the inhabitants of the Aislada Isles. Since their victory in discharging the Valennians from the Lonely Islands and creating a base of operations for pirate civilization, the Wayfarer’s Society has endeavored in creating the most democratic existence available in all of Esos. To this day, many a sailor, adventurer, or common man seeks out the Society in the hopes of casting away the bondage of traditional civilization.

Relationships

Each member of the Wayfarer’s Society known to the Stormgård Empire is considered a major criminal, generating an ever-growing reward with each infraction they commit and every ship they raid. Those captured by the Stormgårdians are typically executed and hung outside the gates of Stormcrown and Oldharbor as a warning. Rumors have it that the Wayfarer’s Society may secretly be in an alliance with the Kingdom of Sirkaar. While the Stormgård Empire seems to be constantly plotting military action against its neighbors and the Free Cities are always trying to make new friends, it has become apparent that the Republic of Pirates has little interest in large-scale geopolitical matters. However, stories tell that the Queen of Sirkaar may have a half brother currently operating as a pirate ship captain within the Society. It is said that this familial relationship has kept Wayfarer ships from assaulting those who fly the Sirkaarian banner, as well as helped prevent the Kingdom of the Sun from apprehending any pirate who calls the Aislada Isles home.

History

The era of piracy along the southern coasts of Weströnd and Eldamir began recently, with the arrival of the privateer Morgan Thorpe to Engletown harbor, located within the Aislada Isles. When Thorpe arrived at Engletown aboard his ship The Doom, he brought with him a wealth of captured Alexandrian trade goods and a desire to create a base where pirates could operate safely. Prior to Thorpe’s arrival, the Aislada Isles existed as the only remaining Valennian colony positioned within the western hemisphere of Esos. When the explorer Rawthorn Attlecier set sail from Valendi in 820 AWF, in the hopes of discovering a land long forgotten, the first place he made landfall was Tenireef. In honor of the lord who sponsored him, Attlecier went about establishing the settlement of Engletown. Positioned along the northeastern coast of the island, Engletown quickly grew into a vibrant trade community and strategic staging ground for the rest of Rawthorn’s journey. In 1306 AWF, Thorpe arrived in a colony that flew the crest of Valendi; however, its governor was so far removed from the lords of the Valensword League, both in physical distance and in his own loyalties, that the privateer turned pirate had little trouble convincing the royal officer to do business. It did not take long for Engletown and the Aislada Isles to become a safe haven for pirates and for it to develop a bustling economy built around stolen goods. Eventually, a large number of unemployed privateers made their way to the chain of islands and joined the ranks of Thorpe and brigands. The age of true pirate control over the isolated collection of islands located far off the southwestern coast of Weströnd occurred when a joint Valensword League naval fleet sailed for Engletown, in an attempt to reestablish control over the colony and rid the pirate scourge from its shores. Nearly ten years after Thorpe’s arrival, a series of battles were fought between the League’s navy and a loose confederacy of pirate captains who called the island chain home, led by the captain of The Doom himself, Morgan Thorpe. Over the course of the conflict, the Valensword League’s navy made considerable headway against the pirate army and was even successful in capturing Whisperfang Fort. At this point, all hope seemed lost for the budding pirate society. In what would come to be known as the Battle of Engletown Bay, Captain Morgan Thorpe along with his two proteges Oswin McGraw and Conrad “The Cook” Silver devised a plan to retake the fort and expel the Valennian insurgency from their shores. McGraw and Thorpe would lead a small squadron of men through a series of underground passages that led to the fort, while simultaneously, Silver would command a pirate ship flotilla to conduct an all-out strike against the fort and the League ships that had entered the bay. Ultimately, the pirates were successful in their mission to defeat the Valensword navy and gain total control over the Aislada Isles. However, the conflict was not without loss. A great number of lives perished during the violent sea battle. In addition, during the raid to retake Whisperfang Fort, Morgan Thorpe lost his life at the hands of the Valensword navy. In the wake of the conflict, an alliance was formed amongst the nine most powerful pirate captains on the island. Dubbed the “Gang of Eight,” the pirate republic was formed. Comprising both Oswin McGraw and Conrad Silver, the governing body would come to include some of the most notorious pirates to ever set sail on the high seas in Esoean history.