Pirates
If you think piracy is nothing but freedom and good times, then you've never been on the ocean in the middle of a storm, kid. Or had to give up your share when the crew divides up the spoils just to make sure someone doesn't knife you in your sleep. There may be honor among thieves, but everything's fair game for pirates.
Pirates are well-known problems across most of Erisdaire, using the vast trackless ocean to vanish after plundering ports or trading vessels. Some perceive it as the ultimate freedom, being allowed to do what they please and take what they need from others who probably wouldn't miss it. After all, the ocean can take you wherever you need to go with the help of the wind and sturdy sails. The law cannot touch what it cannot catch, and therefore a fast ship means a lack of need to worry about being held accountable for anything. Take what you will, and give nothing back but mercy - or wounds. Be free, get rich, and live happy on the seas with others who share the same ideals.
The reality is very different, in a number of ways. Perhaps most notably, Imperial Naval power has not been week in the calmer southern seas where trade is more lucrative. Arcanists are now becoming more commonly assigned to ships in order to find ways to boost their speed and cast magic which has a longer range than ship-mounted weapons. In addition, trading vessels have never been completely unarmed and hire mercenaries skilled at maritime combat to protect their goods. This is before noting there are freelance arcanists who develop spells and tactics which have not necessarily become known to the Imperial Arcanists, and are very effective at deciding combat before two ships may even meet. After all, most pirate ships need to board in order to claim their prizes.
Even the most skilled and seasoned veterans of the sea have to make landfall sometime, and thus trips to port can be even more treacherous than the sea in a storm. Pirates are wanted criminals, and there are few places where the Imperial Guard (or adventurers) aren't likely to be on hand to collect bounties. Buying stolen goods is also a crime, which means pirates may find it hard to offload great amounts of plunder to shore-side merchants without arrangements. Arrangements which might not last as long as it takes for a merchant to weigh the risk against the reward for turning in pirates he deals with.
Flying the Flag
Pirate ships are known to fly any flag they think they can get away with, lying about their origins to entrap trading vessels. This is against maritime Imperial law, but pirates pay little heed to such things. There are two slightly-different red flags commonly associated with pirates, however, which "honest" pirates will fly when stalking their prey. Flying these flags is intended to be a warning for the target and a chance for them to capitulate and face less severe losses.The first, and most common flag, is the red flag with two crossed swords in white. This indicates the pirates are looking to raid for goods, and not looking to murder anyone if they don't have to. Maritime traders sometimes are willing to let themselves be boarded and negotiate peacefully with the pirates before the two ships part ways. It's a win for pirates, since they don't risk losing any crew but won't receive the totality of the cargo for themselves. It's also a pragmatic choice, since even pirate ships cannot be modified to hold an infinite amount of cargo seized from traders.
The less-common flag uses black for the swords, and is a signal instead of the pirates intending to give no quarter. Any pirates using this flag are usually those who find no qualms in shedding blood for profit. Initially this flag was meant to be a warning to expect no negotiations, just a complete seizure of whatever they could fit onto their ship. This lasted until pirates collectively began finding resistance to such acts, and escalated quickly to simply meaning "we will murder everyone on the ship if you resist". More notorious pirates add a skull to the flag underneath the swords as if to shift the meaning into simply "everyone will die".
Perception
Social Status
Pirates are not exactly popular people, except in the singular case of adventurers seeking bounties. Whatever reasons people have for "turning pirate", they are almost always seen as invalid or otherwise selfish reasons. As such, there are precious few places in Erisdaire where pirates will be truly welcomed; even in places they have a substantial influence over tend to view them with apprehension as opposed to gratitude. Furthermore, there is a definite tension between maritime raiders and pirates in the obvious sense, since they share similar goals. However, raiders are often employed by some authority to do the same thing pirates do - they've received permission to go after specific targets, and are somewhat protected by law. Despite this, many common folk see maritime raiding as "one step removed from piracy", lending a reason why many maritime raiders do eventually turn pirate just out of frustration.
Alternative Names
Wolves of the Sea
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