Locke's Freebooters
Locke's Freebooters are an organization of undead and mortal pirates based out of Podspace and led by the vampirate captain Flynt Locke. An eclectic mixture of mortals from various races and sentient undead, the Freebooters are willing to be hired by nearly any group willing to pay and supply them. In between mercenary stints, the Freebooters tend to fracture into disorganized ships and groups that roam the Rapide Frontier in search of an easy payout.
Structure
Assembled by Captain Locke, the Freebooters possess a score of ships, each with its own captain. While Locke stands at the top of the organization, his control over his followers only extends so far as to give them loose orders during large scale contracts and providing for them a safe port in Podspace to return to. Otherwise, the crews that make up Locke's Freebooters act on their own, though Captain Locke steps in quickly should anyone attempt to harm his person, ship, or status.
Backing up Locke's threats are the many skeleton ships staffed by undead that only he can control. Any pirate that crosses Locke is liable to be added to one of his many undead crews, with those Locke deems as traitors given a special punishment, as their skeletal corpses are placed near each helm of every Freebooter ship. Whenever Locke has a need to recall his many loyal followers, the dead traitors begin rattling and moaning, serving as both a communication device and a grisly warning.
History
The vampirate captain Flynt Locke first began assembling his Freebooters in throughout the 1460's, proving himself in negotiation and combat to be a fearsome prowler of the Rainbow Ocean. The strength of his name and power of his reputatinon drew many individual crews to his service, knowing that they could act with much greater impunity under Locke's protection.
What was originally a minor nuisance grew to be a serious concern to the spacefaring community of the Rapide Frontier when Locke's Freebooters settled in Podspace in 1474. A barren crystal sphere save for an asteroid belt, Podspace was nonetheless an important gathering point for migrating kindori herds during their travel to Titanspace. Knowing this, the Freebooters set up great traps to ensnare and butcher the arriving kindori. The meat and blubber were then sold to various groups for coin while the sturdiest skeletons were enchanted by Locke to serve as the foundation for skeleton ships, spelljammers staffed almost entirely by Locke's undead.The Freebooters also established their headquarters, Libertatia, by roping together several asteroids in Podspace with the ulls of derelict ships.
The Imperial Elven Navy began taking strides to deal with the Freebooters in the late 1470's, but were prevented from doing so by the outbreak of the Second Unhuman War in 1479. During that war, the Freebooters were paid by the Scro to act as privateers, attacking the IEN and its allies. However, as money lapsed in the latter days of the war, the Freebooters took turns attacking their once employers.
Following the end of the Second Unhuman War, Locke's Freebooters remained entrenched in Podspace, though affiliate crews often leave to raid passing vessels or hire out their services. The IEN and Scro, both weakened by the war, have expressed distaste for the Freebooter's presence, but are currently unwilling or unable to make moves against them. Meanwhile, spacefaring communities that have been attacked and helped by the Freebooters hold mostly negative sentiments towards the pirates, but the kindori meat and blubber is a hotly desired item that earn the Freebooters good coin. Still, some more environmentally conscious worry about the long-term effects the culling of the kindori population will have on the species in the long term.
Founding Date
1474
Training Level
Semi-trained
Demonym
Locke's Men; the Freebooters
Leader
Controlled Territories
Notable Members
Comments