The Black Reach Council State
Legislative Body / Judicial Body / Executive Body
The Black Council serves as all three branches of government within the Black Reach Council State. While their structure is loosely formalized, their decisions carry absolute weight. Composed of seven core pirate lords, including Orlann "Black Tide" Veskar, the Council meets irregularly to settle disputes, make decisions on external threats, and maintain a balance of power between the lords.
Legislative Role: Laws are created or repealed based on necessity and consensus. Each pirate lord may propose regulations, though nothing passes without Veskar’s approval.
Judicial Role: Justice is handled directly by the council or through their appointed enforcers. Major offenses or disputes are judged publicly, often ending in duels, fines, or executions.
Executive Role: Each pirate lord manages their own districts and fleets. Orlann Veskar oversees the entire state as de facto ruler, with his word superseding all others when unity is required.
Structure
The Black Council: A ruling body composed of seven principal pirate lords who collectively govern the state.
Orlann "Black Tide" Veskar – Warden of the Reach, supreme political and naval leader.
Mariva "Seablood" Vask – Diplomatic voice of the Council, master of storm magic.
Gorthal "Iron Gills" Greyfin – Enforcer and militant arm of the Council.
Evony "Riptide" Selarne – Spy master and information broker.
Lothar "The Quiet Storm" Stone – Voice of restraint and mysticism.
Naiz "Cutlass" Achurr – Flamboyant tactician and morale leader.
Inessa "The Moonlit Mirage" Kay – Arcane strategist and master illusionist.
The Slumlord: Draeven "The Hollow Hound" Kaelthas, governs the Outer City, keeping the slums in brutal order.
The Dread Reavers: Orlann’s elite enforcers and assassins.
The Black Guard: The rough city police and street-level military, commanded from The Bastion.
Culture
The culture of the Black Reach is one of pragmatism, violence, and unchecked ambition.
Coin is King: Everything, from loyalty to freedom, has a price.
Power and Fear Rule: Respect is earned through dominance, cunning, and intimidation.
Law is Fluid: Morality is dictated by necessity and opportunity.
Outsiders Welcome—If They Bring Coin: Reaper’s Port is a melting pot of races, backgrounds, and exiled nobility, making it both cosmopolitan and dangerous.
Ritual of the Tide: A symbolic tradition where aspiring captains present a treasure or prize before the Council to earn acknowledgment and protection.
Public Agenda
Preserve Autonomy: Maintain freedom from foreign rule, especially the Sultanate and Dominion.
Control the Trade: Dominate black-market goods, piracy, and illicit trade in the Arashi Depths and beyond.
Strengthen the Council’s Grip: Prevent internal rebellion, balance rival pirate factions.
Honor the Treaty: Uphold agreements with the Al-Muru Daxin Contingent to avoid open warfare while benefiting from strategic alliances.
History
Pre-452 AEL: Known as Port Solmara, the city existed as a loosely governed merchant port, rife with corruption and pirate activity. It served as a black-market trade hub for over a century.
452 AEL: Orlann Veskar seizes control of Port Solmara after a series of naval victories and brutal assassinations. Renames it Reaper’s Port, beginning the city's transformation.
455 AEL: The Black Council is officially founded, bringing together powerful pirate captains under Veskar’s leadership to stabilize power and prevent internal strife.
469 AEL: Reaper’s Port formally joins the Al-Muru Daxin Contingent, becoming the seventh member faction. Gains political legitimacy and trade protections in exchange for regulating piracy against Contingent ships.
474 AEL (Present Day): The Black Reach Council State stands as both a feared and respected member of the Contingent. While tenuous in unity, the Council’s grip remains unbroken—for now.
Territories
Reaper’s Port: The capital and only true city of the Black Reach. Divided between the Walled City and Outer City.
The Black Reach: The coastal and inland region under Reaper's Port control. Includes smuggler coves, fortified outposts, and stretches of lawless coastline.
Military
The Black Reach does not maintain a standing army in the traditional sense. Instead, its strength lies in:
The Pirate Fleets: Dozens of private warships under each Council lord's command.
The Dread Reavers: Veskar's personal fleet and enforcers.
The Black Guard: Slum enforcers and urban militia.
Mercenary Crews: Hired fighters loyal only to coin.
Naval superiority is the foundation of the Council’s dominance. Their ships are fast, well-armed, and crewed by veterans of countless raids.
Foreign Relations
Despite its outlaw roots, the Black Reach Council State maintains a complex network of diplomatic ties and shadow alliances:
Al-Muru Daxin Contingent: Reaper's Port is a self-governing city-state within the Contingent, bound by treaty obligations. The Black Council honors this agreement selectively, avoiding direct conflict with Contingent vessels.
Vorr'Khal Sultanate: Hostile relations. The Sultanate views Reaper’s Port as a blight on the coast and a threat to their trade dominance.
Dominion of Kafka: Publicly opposed to piracy, though corruption within Kafka's ranks has led to secret deals with the Black Council.
Independent Pirate Lords: Maintains a shifting balance of alliances and enmities, absorbing or eliminating rival captains as necessary.
Laws
Reaper’s Port does not operate on traditional laws. Instead, it follows the Code of Coin and Blade, an unwritten system of rules governed by profit, power, and precedence:
Power Protects: Those who can defend their holdings are entitled to keep them.
Council Supremacy: No decisions may contradict the Black Council’s authority.
Tribute Mandate: All major factions within the city must pay tithe to the Council.
No Blood Without Cause: Random violence is discouraged if it threatens commerce.
Contingent Treaty Clause: Attacks on Contingent ships are forbidden unless secretly sanctioned.
Justice is harsh and swift, usually enforced by:
The Dread Reavers (Veskar's elite enforcers)
The Black Guard (slum enforcers loyal to Draeven Kaelthas)
Agriculture & Industry
Agriculture:
Food production is limited, with most agricultural labor occurring in the Outer City slums or on small coastal farms.
Tithes are harsh, with a majority of goods seized by the Council to feed the elite and supply the fleets.
Bartering and food smuggling are common among the poor.
Industry:
Ship Repair & Customization: One of the best locations for hidden compartments and quick hull patching.
Black Market Trade: Alchemical concoctions, forbidden magical items, poisons, and exotic slaves all pass through the city's trade routes.
Contraband Refinement: Reforging stolen goods, disguising their origins, and selling them back into wider markets.
Despite its lawless nature, the Black Reach is a powerhouse of underground trade and holds unmatched influence over the illicit economy of the Arashi Depths.
"Gold buys silence, fear keeps it."
Founding Date
455 AEL
Type
Geopolitical, State
Capital
Alternative Names
The Council of Black Sails
Demonym
Reapers (commonly used) , Solmarans (used by old families tied to the city’s past) , Dregs (derogatory, often used for the slum population)
Leader
Leader Title
Founders
Parent Organization
Location
Neighboring Nations
