by Rajaad
Written 5FA
Pirates. When I think of them, my first thought is this – it simply isn’t fair. For while adventurers, like myself, are often seen as rapacious scoundrels out for their own gain, somehow pirates have gained a romantic reputation. How can this be?
Let’s have a look at the reality of pirates and see what we can learn.
As long as there have been watercraft, there have been pirates. In the earliest written records of Masalla, when ships were little more than canoes with sails, we find this written --
The rivers aren’t safe for trade any longer, for evil folkes lurk along the banks and paddle out in shallow craft to lay siege to our cargo. We have laid out patrols to slay them, but they are most adept at remaining unattained.
The reason that water-based banditry is so successful is that the water isolates those who journey upon it. The rivers are so long, the oceans so vast, that there aren’t often witnesses to crimes committed in their environs. People down on their luck but hoping to make their lives a bit richer have quickly discovered that merchants love to move their goods by the most efficient means possible – over the water – and that goods moved by those means are ripe for the gathering.
My Love, she glitters,
golden bright
upon the waves
oh my delight!
So goes a pirate song, for if we associate pirates with one thing, it’s treasure. And that association may very well be deserved. I know of eight documented discoveries of pirate’s treasure holds, and each one held over a million silver’s worth of goods. But if they’re so rich, what are they doing as pirates?
The sad truth of the pirate’s life is this – they might gain all the treasure in the world, but have no place to spend it. For as their infamy grows, so too do they become unwelcome at more and more ports. Indeed, a single failed strike against a well-known ship could have your name and description spread throughout the major ports of the Known Lands. Thus, as a pirate, you might amass abundances of gold, jewels, clothing, and other fine wares, but what will you do with it? You can’t burden your ship, for you need your craft to be quick upon the waves. You can’t enter a port capable of exchanging your goods for coin. What can you do but hide it?
And hide it many of them do. In caves, in old ruins, or buried on lonely isles.
Some of these stashes are famous – famous because they belong to long-dead pirates, and have never been found.
Aragod’s treasure, consisting of a fortune in precious rubies, diamonds, sapphires, and other rare gems – some of unknown kinds, lies on the middle of three small islands at the north-east tip of the New World. The treasure was coming from an uncharted province far to the north, and was making its way toward Maelmuire. Aragod intercepted the strange ship carrying the cargo and buried eight large chests on the isle. This was six hundred years ago, and the treasure has never been heard from since.
Asara’s Doubt, a gathering of shoals off the south of Moraithe, is home to three iron chests that were sunk in shallow water. They contained coin and jewelry. The treasure is said to be located by positioning your ship at the point where you can see ‘the keyhole stone, tavern rock, and the old bent tree. Drop anchor there and dive down – the chests lie in only twenty arms of water.’ Since the treasure has sat for over two hundred years, the tree can no longer be used as a landmark, and countless divers have searched the waters of the shoals. Coins are sometimes found washed up on the beaches near the shoals, and it is probable that the iron chests disintegrated and the treasure is now scattered over the rocky bottoms.
Somewhere along the western coast of the peninsula that ends at Teran’s Point there lies a huge pirate cache. It was hidden only forty years ago by the pirate known as Captain Norren. Captain Norren’s ship was destroyed by ram only eight years ago in Masallan waters. Among the floating wreckage was a tightly-bound chest that held a journal. In it, the captain described the treasure.
We paddled up the river until we came to the lake – with all these caves no one will ever find our cache. I’ve based it on the constellation of the babe – clever me! And the caves only too pleased to cater to my fancy. It’s two hours through darkness, and we delivered over thirty chests to hiding.
There are many more stories like these, and with promises of such riches, it’s easy to see why people devote their lives to finding the hidden gold.
Of course, pirates have a practical side, as well, and it wasn’t long before they realized that it didn’t make sense to have all this gold and nowhere to spend it. It all probably began with some keen-sighted fellow deciding that he could build a small outpost and do trade with the pirates. Before long, those outposts grew, until today we have genuine pirate cities, hidden along the untravelled waterways of Carador.
Such places are quite secret, mind you, and if you sail in for a casual visit you’ll likely be taken as a slave, especially if you’re a pretty girl. These are places of name and reputation, where the greatest of the pirate captains live like emperors. Here pirates can build a home, do business with shoppes that buy or sell stolen goods, purchase slaves, repair their ships, find a crew, or stock up on necessities. They are said to be raucous places with no law and little manners. And as for purchasing goods or services, set prices are abandoned in favor of barter and trade, often with jewels or treasure as currency.
From my research I found references to over twenty of these hidden cities, all throughout the Known Lands. I’ll touch on three of them here.
Pretty Cove
Pretty Cove is just north of the Old World, hidden among the islands that break off the eastern coast of the New World. Though not the largest of the pirate cities, it is famous for its influential visitors. Here is a market for the finest of goods and the most desirable of slaves. Though the prices can be expensive, it’s a symbol of pirate status to own a home in Pretty Cove, and one of the best shipwright companies dwells here, so it’s the place of choice to bring an injured ship. Stories of this place also tell of a native people who make their homes in the forests outside the town. Sages would no doubt learn much from studying such people, but for now, at least, they are off-limits to all but the bandits of the sea.
Laradean
Perhaps the largest of the pirate cities, Laradean is located somewhere along the twisting islands north of Tirané. With over three thousand regular residents, Laradean is a sprawling conglomeration of free market enterprise. Anyone can set up shoppe, and you might see a business open this passage and close the next. Laradean just barely manages to keep itself standing, and is more of a massive, semi-permanent base camp than anything else. There are numerous inns, twilight houses, and taverns, as well as hundreds of ramshackle homes. This is the haunt of many of the lesser-do-well pirates, and all manner of scoundrels who have been forced to find homes away from the law. It’s been said that in Laradean, every person you meet has a price on their head. This is likely not true, but it gives a flavor of the sort of people who make their lives there.
Taridian
If the pirate cities are legends, Taridian is a legend among legends. Said to rest upon a ‘floating isle’, this enchanted place has been sighted in waters as far divergent as the seas around Masalla, Shavay, and Moraithe. It is said that it was founded by an ancient and powerful spellcaster, once under the employ of the rulers of Moraithe. He delved into forbidden magics, and soon after went to form his own ‘kingdom’. With great spells he fashioned an isle that moved upon the waves, and sent out word that the streets of his city would be open to pirates and rogues. In Taridian it is said that the most fabulous of magical artifacts can be purchased, and magic is abundant. Potions, wands, and magical rings are displayed in stores run by magicians, for Taridian is the home of many spell-casters, all who practice under the auspices of Korijaan, the founder of the isle. Korijaan, who many say is over seven hundred years old, is rumoured to be of native Masallan blood – before the first humans came to the isle. Whatever the case, Taridian remains one of the oceans’ most oft-repeated mysteries. And one of the most elusive.
Pirate Isles
Many pirate captains dream of having their own island – a miniature province all their own, where they are King and Ruler. And many pirates have laid claim to islands – often uncharted isles just off the main shipping routes. In many places, trading ships habitually sail along one side of an island or another, usually because charts indicate that reefs or shoals lie off the other side. Islands such as these make prime pirate territory, since no legitimate merchant captain will take the time to explore the ‘wrong’ side of an island. But the pirates, who have learned to snake their way through the reefs, have a prime vantage to watch shipping traffic.
If an island is used for more than burying treasure or as a temporary hideout, it is often termed the ‘province’ of such-and-such a pirate. A province will serve as a permanent dwelling, where successful pirates keep a household (often fortified), slaves, and stashes of treasure. When they are out pirating, such an island will be guarded by a sizeable party of the captain’s trusted men. Some of these provinces are rumored to be so large and established that they even have a village and docks for the ships of the pirate fleet.
True or not, it is clear that pirates will often claim an island as their own, and use it as a home base for their pirating expeditions.
Pirates, one must understand, come in a wide variety of temperaments. It’s no accident that when we hear the appellation, we can just as easily conjure up images of rakish, mischievous rogues as we can of bloodthirsty, merciless killers. And there are many ‘bandits of the sea’ who are trying to convince the world that pirates are more of the former than the latter. We can probably best see the divergent traits by taking a look at two of the most famous pirates of all time.
Kassim
No name conjures up pirate fantasies like the name of the pirate Kassim. Roguishly handsome, clever, intelligent, and uncannily able to be at the right place at the right time, Kassim likely has more stories told about him than any other figure of myth. In some tales you’ll find him rescuing a beautiful maiden, while in others he’s capturing a similar maid and seducing her upon his ship. He is reported to have pulled the 'hood over the eyes' of every ruler of every province, and was an expert at fooling the authorities. Once his ship fought off seven Masallan vessels intent on taking him to the dungeons, and in the many instances when he was captured, he always managed some daring escape.
Women swooned at his name (and many still do!), and no other pirate of the day could match his steel. During the early days of the New World he made all the seas his domain, until, as legend would have it, he fell deeply in love with a Japuran woman and gave up pirating to live a life of means on that exotic isle.
Captain Trell
Until a few years ago, Captain Trell was the undisputed scourge of the seas. His fleet of ships, headed by the famous ‘Black Moon’, was hunted by authorities of every land. His fleet would surround a ship and take no men as prisoners. Girls and women he would tie to his deck to be ravaged by his crew. He could be trusted by no one – not even other pirates – and all who spoke out against him were dealt with in no uncertain terms. Many a time he was engaged by warships intent on destroying him and his fleet, and more than once he was badly wounded in such engagements. It wasn’t until he encountered Queen Lillian, soon after the founding of Aranor, that he fell to her magics and was at last vanquished.
Jade, Queen of the Seas
She-tiger of the waters, Jade is considered the pirate world’s foremost mistress of the trade. With her full figure and black ringlets, this dark skinned beauty is renowned for her cunning wit and her mark with a crossbow. Her ship, the Vesper, is crewed only by women and sails many different waters—rumor states that these clever ladies ply the various trade routes based on seasonal offerings and whatever type of treasure they are in the mood for next. Jade also has a reputation for pirating pirates, especially those that have crossed her the wrong way—her appetite for vengeance is quite lusty. She is also rumored to have a small but paradisiacal pirate island somewhere off the tropical isle of Moraithe, where she takes all her male captives to serve her in slavery. Women captives best beware, for it is said that Jade has a jealous streak and feels no remorse at selling beautiful damsels into the worst slavery conditions. Better to offer her your undying loyalty and beg to be given a place scrubbing her deck, for Jade is said to take on the occasional daring lass as a member of her crew.
One can see why it might be more beneficial to have a reputation more akin to Kassim’s. It was in the early days of pirating that a few people started realizing this, and the red flag came into common use. Less violent-minded pirates hoist the flag as they approach a ship, and the flag serves as both warning and promise – if the ship does not resist the pirates’ boarding, only goods will be taken, and all the people will be left in peace. Though the covenant of the flag has been broken many a time, pirates who hear word of such a breach often slay fellow pirates who have broken it. For if the covenant can’t be trusted, then pirates lose one of their best tools. Pirates, of course, bleed like anyone else, and their ships sink just as easily, so the wise among them are eager to gain gold without bloodshed.
Still, battles are fought, and ships sink. And some of the wrecks have wonderful tales that surround them.
Merriak
The pirate Captain Jamen captured the Masallan galleon Merriak off the southern coast of Moraithe, about a hundred years after the founding of that isle. A pleasure-ship for the Masallan royalty, it was one of the finest vessels ever built, with four stories of high decked rooms, sails that reached to the sky, and fine carving and lacquer throughout. It was plush inside, the rooms heavy with satin couches, lush tapestries, and even baths and steam rooms. It was also well-armed with the finest weapons of the day.
Such was the wealth poured into the ship that even nobles would stand in awe upon seeing it, for the baths were said to be inlaid with jewels, and only precious metals were used in its crafting. Its sails, it was rumoured, were fashioned of Jeddan silk.
As soon as Jamen captured the vessel, he raised the sails and began his escape from the eight escort ships. Unfortunately, he underestimated how low the Merriak sat in the water, and promptly ran aground on the outer edge of Asara’s Doubt. The wreck is barely visible on days when the water is especially clear, but it lies in over sixty arms of water – too deep for even the most skilled of divers. Recent adventurers have tried diving in the manner of the native Moraithians – holding onto large stones which they drop once they reach the desired depth. Though the idea is feasible, and any artifacts from the scattered, encrusted wreckage would be extremely valuable, all the divers have gained thus far are the deaths of two of their number.
Caralynn
The famous pirate Kassim went through many ships – eight, to be exact, and at least one has been preserved in a private museum in Masalla. The others remain as tantalizing artifacts – they are probably all lost to the seas, but at least one other might still remain.
The report was made about a year before the founding of Aranor, and was written in the journal of a merchant sailor who lost his way on route from Jalpa to Moraithe. Storms had driven him far south of his intended route, and he thought his vessel doomed to the horrific waves until he spied a small islet with a tiny cove. Praying that there would be no reefs, he sailed into the cove and took shelter until the storm broke. The next day he and his crew ventured out onto the uncharted isle in search of water and food, since much of theirs had been lost in the storm. On the far side of the isle, well past the high tide line, there was a ship that had obviously, at one time, been put up on logs for repair. Now it was tipped on its side and half buried in the sand. On the back, the merchant read the name Caralynn. None of the party had heard of the name, so they went about the business of gathering provisions and left the old wreck alone.
It wasn’t until they ported in Moraithe that they learned that Kassim had owned a ship by that name – a small, agile vessel that he was quite fond of. Further study of the ship would discern whether it really is Kassim’s vessel. If it is, the island could certainly hold other secrets – perhaps even treasure! Unfortunately, the way to the isle wasn’t marked by seastone, and no one has managed to find it since.
What has happened to pirates in modern times? How do they compare to the pirates of yore? As you might imagine, some things have changed, while others have remained quite the same.
The last hundred years have seen things get tougher for pirates. The authorities of the various provinces have begun actively hunting them – often by the use of faux merchant ships equipped with heavy armament and well-armed soldiers. Searches have been made for the pirate cities, and when they’ve been found, no mercy has been granted. And Masalla in particular has initiated a change in peoples’ hearts, circulating stories about the horrible nature of pirates in general – all in an effort to destroy the romantic image that pirates still possess.
While the traditional pirates considered it a mark of status to own the largest, most gaudy ship possible, today’s pirates are favoring swift, narrow caravels – the better to outpace both target ships and the pursuing authorities. Only the most eccentric pirates still bother to sail large ships. And pirates have had to gain in skill – many pirates engage in land-based banditry, courtly deception, or kidnapping and ransoming. And it’s certainly not unheard of for pirates to take the time to learn the skills of magic.
Still, the basic image of the pirate remains unscathed, despite a hundred years of hunting. Most favor loose, easy-to-move in clothes, while many others continue the old tradition of wearing the clothing of their victims – thus it’s not unusual to see pirates in fine-cut cloth of rich silks and satins and velvets – though these rich clothes are often bleached and torn by the wind and sun and salt. And the scimitar and cutlass have remained the weapon of choice – quick, one-handed blades capable not only of cutting an enemy, but of cutting ropes and ties on an enemy’s ship – this is the reason why piercing blades, such as rapiers, are not as commonly encountered.
Pirates are still mostly men. Though there have always been women pirates, and some have gained a bit of fame, it has been mostly men’s work. Still, in modern times, when women are exploring all of their potential and abilities, we’re seeing more women brought to the gallows of Faol and Masalla as pirates. Which means, of course, that more of them are taking up the trade.
It’s becoming more and more difficult to be a pirate, but we’re seeing an evolution as well – pirates are becoming divided amongst themselves, and those who hold to more moralistic ways don’t tolerate the pillaging of their more despicable brethren. Perhaps we shall see a new breed of pirates emerge – a pirate more like the Kassim of old – handsome and rakish and full of mischief – concerned more with making a story-book reputation for themselves than with amassing gold or slaves. But we’ll probably always have the other breed as well – merciless killers intent only on their own gain. And though the provincial authorities would like to think that they’re in control of the pirates’ destiny, the final decisions will probably lie with the pirates themselves, and will unfold in the workings of one of the most famous brotherhoods of all time.