3.1 Free Seas
A Time to Parley
(January 2nd – March 26th, Year 41 2023)
Introduction
With the rise of the Free Seas Council and the scattered remnants of the Blackwater fleets reuniting under a banner of uneasy diplomacy, A Time to Parley marked a new beginning for the crews of the open ocean. The wars of relics and machines had ended, replaced by shifting alliances, fragile truces, and the ever-present question — could pirates, nations, and outlaws truly coexist beneath the same tide?
This chapter chronicled the Free Seas’ first coordinated ventures into foreign waters, charting the Company’s efforts to rebuild trust, claim neutral ground, and establish a balance of power across the fractured maritime world.
3.1.04 — The Bloody Few
January 30, Year 41 (2023)
The crews sailed to the northern edge of the Broken Isles, encountering the Red Blade — a vampyric pirate crew whose motives and methods were shrouded in blood and rumor. Upon investigating the crew’s activity, the Free Seas discovered a grim truth: the Blackwater Raiders had been paying the Red Blade to assault the Black Bandanna and harass Alliance-aligned factions. The parley revealed old betrayals resurfacing and loyalties bending under the weight of gold.
3.1.05 — Dark Price of Free Things
February 6, Year 41 (2023)
Seeking trade or allies, the crews journeyed to Zandalar to approach the Zandalari Empire and determine if any pirate factions operated in the region. Their diplomacy, however, soured quickly — insults exchanged with the Zenali tribe led to a swift ousting from the island. While fleeing, the crews crossed paths with a member of the Free Trade Company, narrowly surviving an escape through shark-infested waters chummed by the Zenali. The encounter proved costly and humbling, a reminder that not all who claim to trade freely do so in good faith.
3.1.06 — The Darkest Night
February 15, Year 41 (2023)
In Ashenvale, the Free Seas encountered the Blacktooth Ravagers, a crew of orcish reavers entrenched along the western coast. The presence of unseen watchers — likely agents of the Reavers — pressed unease upon the Company. Despite the danger, the Free Seas launched an assault, destroying the Ravager base and freeing the northern Kalimdor waterways for neutral passage. It was a decisive victory, one that earned the Factionless their first major foothold in months.
3.1.07 — A Stiff Arm
February 20, Year 41 (2023)
With northern Kalimdor secure, the fleets turned south toward Pandaria, intent on learning who ruled its trade routes. They soon encountered the Daolong Pirates, led by a Yaungol warlord and his peculiar allies — small, fierce red pandas that overwhelmed the crews in chaotic boarding skirmishes. The Free Seas retreated battered but wiser, reminded that even distant waters hold powerful claimants.
3.1.08 — The Blackteeth Smiles
March 1, Year 41 (2023)
The Free Seas entered Azshara’s waters to negotiate with the Blacktooth Ravagers, seeking either parley or closure to the growing tensions. Combat erupted regardless. During the battle, Greg invoked orcish honor by issuing a Mak’gora, securing victory in single combat and earning the grudging respect of their foes. Meanwhile, Persefani scaled the mountains above the bay, stole a black dragon whelp, and survived an encounter with its enraged parent — declaring herself, in jest and triumph, “Queen of the Mountain.”
3.1.09 — Shadows Long Forgotten
March 6, Year 41 (2023)
The crews sailed east into Pandarian waters, where they found Blue Sky Trading clashing with the weakened Daolong. The Free Seas intervened, tipping the balance in favor of their former adversaries to preserve the region’s independence. The battle restored stability to the Dread Wastes coast and reaffirmed the Company’s role as both mediator and enforcer of maritime balance.
3.1.10 — Time to Parley (Finale)
March 26, Year 41 (2023)
At last, the fleets gathered beneath neutral banners to discuss the future. The captains of the Free Seas, the Black Bandanna, and their allies convened in what became known as the First Parley of the New Age. Agreements were struck, grievances aired, and tentative alliances formed — a fragile peace resting on trust, profit, and shared exhaustion. For the first time since the world drowned, diplomacy, not war, would decide the course of the tide.
Legacy
Between January 2nd and March 26th, Year 41 (2023), the Free Seas redefined piracy itself. The age of conquest gave way to the age of conversation, and through hard-won victories and failed bargains, the Company began to see that the greatest test was not domination — but coexistence.