Pirates
Murderers and thieves, pirates live violent and dangerous lives, always one step ahead of the Empire's noose, until sooner or later, they are not. Being a pirate however, is one of the only ways for someone lowborn to truly taste the riches of the Empire, and have gold that only the Empire Nobility could ever possess. Pirates are feared, but also romanticized by those who have never met them, as people that break out of the rules and laws of the Empire, and make their own path, in the vast open Ocean.
Such a life can seem appealing to many, especially compared to the difficult and extremely deadly life of Bandits, who have to do the same job, but without the ability to sail away on a ship or hide anywhere safe. However, the life of a pirate is not as glamorous as first appears, and most pirate captains fly too close to the sun and see their final days in prison cells awaiting to be hung. They also face many dangers at sea, as they must not only deal with the dangers of the ocean, but also evade the ships of the Legio Imperallis, and any Bounty Hunters that might be after them.
A smart pirate captain will stay within the River Lionel, and will be very careful about exactly where they commit their crimes, and on who. Due to the localised and escalating bounty system of the Empire, it is very possible to be wanted dead for a cart of gold in one duchy, but completely unknown in another. As such, maintaining some safe ports, and having deals and relationships with local dockmasters and lords, is an important part to maintaining a long-term pirate enterprise, but is a state that can never last forever.
It is only a matter of time before too much notoriety is accrued, and the pirates need to choose between disbanding the crew, and trying to lay low in the Empire with the loot they have, or to head into the Maoratari Duchy for safety. There are only a few notorious pirates that manage to live long enough to become well-known, and those that do are very careful with where they sail and which targets, they attack. Amongst those that have made a name for themselves are:
In contrast, pirates are those that mainly gain their gold from stealing, and often go so far as to murder everyone on board of the ships they board. As such, the line between is a bit vague, and can be skirted by many opportunistic captains, so long as they only pray on ships from distant Duchies, that they do not intend to make port in. If a ship and captain are branded pirates, they are not allowed to dock at any port of the Empire (that knows they are wanted), and a hefty bounty is placed on their heads, which is usually collected by Bounty Hunters sooner or later.
Only a few notorious pirates have been both active and alive for a long time, with most choosing to take one large haul and live out the rest of their lives off of it. This can also be a dangerous plan however, as their past can always catch up to them, and in the Maoratari Duchy, the only place where bounty hunters do not work, their throats and pockets are never safe.
Lately however, with the continued adaption of Cannons as a way to level the playing field between ships, pirates have increasingly become more of a threat, and there are talks brewing in the The High Council of restructuring the bounties of the Empire, so that pirates, and other mobile outlaws, can more easily be identified and delt with.
For a more detailed breakdown of events visit Major Events in the Empire.
Such a life can seem appealing to many, especially compared to the difficult and extremely deadly life of Bandits, who have to do the same job, but without the ability to sail away on a ship or hide anywhere safe. However, the life of a pirate is not as glamorous as first appears, and most pirate captains fly too close to the sun and see their final days in prison cells awaiting to be hung. They also face many dangers at sea, as they must not only deal with the dangers of the ocean, but also evade the ships of the Legio Imperallis, and any Bounty Hunters that might be after them.
A smart pirate captain will stay within the River Lionel, and will be very careful about exactly where they commit their crimes, and on who. Due to the localised and escalating bounty system of the Empire, it is very possible to be wanted dead for a cart of gold in one duchy, but completely unknown in another. As such, maintaining some safe ports, and having deals and relationships with local dockmasters and lords, is an important part to maintaining a long-term pirate enterprise, but is a state that can never last forever.
It is only a matter of time before too much notoriety is accrued, and the pirates need to choose between disbanding the crew, and trying to lay low in the Empire with the loot they have, or to head into the Maoratari Duchy for safety. There are only a few notorious pirates that manage to live long enough to become well-known, and those that do are very careful with where they sail and which targets, they attack. Amongst those that have made a name for themselves are:
- Thousand Faced Jack, captain of the Dread Sovereign, a stolen warship of the Legio Imperallis. A famous thief and impersonator, captain Jack is known for making grand heists, and quickly escaping on his ship.
- Iron, captain of The Weaverider. A lesser known captain, wanted in the Richelieu Duchy for multiple thefts and murders.
Legal Definition
In the eyes of the Empire, there are merchants, and there are pirates. However the distinction is not as clear as between say, Bandits and Merchants. This is because of the general degree of lawlessness of the open ocean, which means that most captains are opportunists, and will try to take cargo from another ship, if they feel like they can get away with it. They will however not go so far as killing the captain of the other ship and will accept a surrender. A captain of the Empire however has his main income be from trade, and some from stealing.In contrast, pirates are those that mainly gain their gold from stealing, and often go so far as to murder everyone on board of the ships they board. As such, the line between is a bit vague, and can be skirted by many opportunistic captains, so long as they only pray on ships from distant Duchies, that they do not intend to make port in. If a ship and captain are branded pirates, they are not allowed to dock at any port of the Empire (that knows they are wanted), and a hefty bounty is placed on their heads, which is usually collected by Bounty Hunters sooner or later.
Only a few notorious pirates have been both active and alive for a long time, with most choosing to take one large haul and live out the rest of their lives off of it. This can also be a dangerous plan however, as their past can always catch up to them, and in the Maoratari Duchy, the only place where bounty hunters do not work, their throats and pockets are never safe.
History and modern developments
In the history of the Empire, pirates have only been a passing threat to trade, and nothing more. Especially since most trade in the Empire is done by land-based caravan, and the very high value trade, such as metals from the Dwarven Clans are brought in under heavy guard, pirates have been at the back of the minds of important nobles.Lately however, with the continued adaption of Cannons as a way to level the playing field between ships, pirates have increasingly become more of a threat, and there are talks brewing in the The High Council of restructuring the bounties of the Empire, so that pirates, and other mobile outlaws, can more easily be identified and delt with.
For a more detailed breakdown of events visit Major Events in the Empire.
Header Art Credit: Riot Games
Type
Illicit
Demand
Varied
Famous in the Field
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