Meradi Reza

(Author Note: There may be content within this article that is considered GM knowledge (Dawnbringer content) which wasn't filtered during the SummerCamp writing rush. Read accordingly!)

To be fair, they received ample warning upon entering our waters, that their possessions would be forfeit under the law.
They seemed so very keen on holding tight to their belongings. Ah, that I can accept, and respect, but drawing a gun on me?
What more could I really have done?

— Meradi Reza, on the wreckage of a merchant vessel

Meradi Reza is a Tilbari pirate of the Gilded Reef, known for eliminating foreign vessels with great prejudice. Known by some to be "monster of the reef," Meradi Reza is a state-sanctioned pirate hailing from Gold Port.

No Fisherman

Eldest son of a family which found its fortune in the tilbak market, Meradi blindsided his kin when he revealed he had no love for fishing or trading. Regardless, he sought a way to help protect his family's enterprise. When Meradi was young, seeing more and more foreign vessels dragging their ships through their gilded reef was growing more common by the day.
This disturbance to the fragile structures could not be ignored and, when Undmar declared that retaliatory piracy on the Gilded Reef was to be fully sanctioned and in some cases rewarded, Meradi found his true calling.

Charismatic Devil

A practiced swordsman and a born leader, Meradi won himself a crew in seemingly no time at all, and a suitable vessel shortly thereafter. He had a powerful charisma to him, and he knew precisely when and how to use it to his advantage.

by Strixxline via Midjourney

His skills in charm and deception are the primary driving forces which earned him his title of "monster of the reef," as he has demonstrated time and time again his ability to gain the trust of foreign captains and crews, quietly infiltrate their ships with his own, and strip their ships of every item of value, and any weapons, often before anyone is wise to his schemes.

Hand of Fate

Though he preferred to avoid bringing physical harm to his targets, instead seeking to send plundered ships and their now-destitute passengers on their way back whence they came, he has never shown hesitation in taking a life when tensions arise. His cold and calculating manner in doing so has painted him a monster in many stories told by those whose ships he plundered.
He maintains that there is no secret that the Gilded Reef is under harsh protections, and any who ignore the warnings in order to shave a few days off of their voyages are willingly tempting fate.

Monster to some, hero to many. How deeply do you value your home's natural ecosystem?

by Strixxline via Midjourney

Profession

Pirate, State-Sanctioned

Location

Undmar
Gold Port
Gilded Reef

Ethnicity

Tilbari

Race

Boharin

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Minimal Impact

The Tilbari were careful in their choice of vessels permitted within their waters, not wanting to cause damage to their own waters, and thus pirates of the Gilded Reef are often seen in small boats, often a fraction of the size of the vessels they plunder.

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Collateral Damage

The people of Undmar hail him as a local hero, typically brushing aside the loss of life at sea as "collateral damage" and self-defense, seeing far greater value in the continued protection of their ecosystem.

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