Wayfaring Pedlar's Cant

"Ships will come together, and flock to the nearest place of natural wealth. They'll search each other without care on who gets hurt - but if they see a blue cross, crooked and painted with a trembling hand - they will avoid the land as if it were the plague," 
 

- Captain Creo discussing the importance of looking for signs of peril.  

  The Wayfarer's Belt, whilst filled with free cities, nations and empires, are also filled with plenty of outlaws and aggressive merchants. The large islands are all heavily populated, but the small spits of land that exist between the nations, not being held by any powerful folk - or frankly anyone of importance. Nobody cares about these small islands - no wars have been fought for them, and so they belong to the pirates and common-born that wish to make a name for themselves. These islands are tiny, hold little land, and if they are ever given settlements, they'd only consist of hamlets, or lavish estates. Each miniscule island is for the taking - but some islands must not be plundered, lest the plunderers and thieves wish to be ripped apart and slaughtered by whatever fiends exist on the island. The Pedlars of the Wayfarer's Belt had created a language, a small selection of symbols and phrases to mark any small rock that they find - for the dangers, or goods, that they may possess. 
  A blue cross, for example, marked with paint, is an example of a place to not involve themselves in. It is a place that must be treated with fear, for the Pedlar's have seen monsters that reside on the island that are too powerful for mere bandits and criminals to handle. The cross represents a monster that resides on the island, with the colour depicting what fiend the monster is. Blue represents the oceans - the waters that surround the island are filled with ocean horrors. Large squids, hull-smashers, and even rumours of Krakens can be found in the waters here. It is simply too dangerous to traverse to, unless the pedlars are accompanied by experienced adventurers, or have methods to warding off the monsters. Since these lands are so small, however, nobody would bother going near an island marked by a blue cross.