Mora, the Freebooter's Republic
Rounding the horn of the Feasting Penisula on the western side of the continent of Wyriel there is a robust island chain. Though the mainland is a bog and swamp riddled mess on this side of the continent, these islands are much more habitable, comfortable even. Tropic climates, warm shallow waters, reefs thick with life. These islands are predominantly rainforests and chock full of food as well. They are almost a paradise of sorts. Yet it is here where one will find the peoples and nation most divisive amongst all of Valerick and her cultures, both in terms of respect or distaste. It is here amongst the islands and sea routes, amongst the towns, and cities, as well as the mercantile opportunities gifted by such a lush, rich climate and biome that you will find the nation of Mora, better known as the Freebooter's Republic. A nation, loosely speaking, formed and forged by privateering, by piracy. It is in their cultural identity, it is a keystone of society. As their mantra would indicate, showing the cultural normality of the concept. Yet this very factor makes Mora one of the most interesting nations, though the word nation will need better qualification to its context within this section of the atlas, on Valerick.
Structure
Mora is generally referred to as a nation, and on some level that might actually be true. They oft present in such a way, and will defend their territorial waters and lands with something resembling a conventional military of a fashion. However that is not really an accurate picture. Mora is better described as a loose alliance of factions. There is no real centralizing authority, each port, city and first captain enforce most anything resembling laws and rules within only their own areas of control. The region is lorded over by the various First Captains, five of them to be exact, and their own subsequent underling corsair fleets, which basically is the backbone of the idea of a Morain military. The nation's capital, such as it is, is also the location that perhaps explains this loose coalition, the city of Tortuga. This city is home to the Parley Shipyards, the grand cathedral and central seat of the authority for the religion of Captain Black Jeremiah, the Ascended God of the Sea, Sailing, Luck and indeed Piracy. This faith, perhaps more than the First Captains themselves, is the sole unifying tie across the islands.
Tortuga itself has strict rules, enforced by the Privateers of Faith, the templar order of Captain Black Jeremiah's faith. No First Captain calls this city their home or port of call, nor are any allowed to. This is perhaps the only real unified law and rule across the islands. Outside of this even things that are illicit and will evoke something resembling justice, depending under which captain's flag you are committing the infraction. The punishments vary wildly between different regions and captain's influences. Each captain has a city and island that is their direct domain in sense, the city their Port of Call, their base of power. Yet they are not tyrants, and are beholden to their crew and the peoples they stand over. They have a level of absolute power, yet they know that revolution, mutiny, and rebellion are key tenets of Morain society, the Morain equivalent of 'democratic process'. So though each captain takes a notably different approach to things, they all understand the rules. Power is yours to hold until those you hold it over have reason to take it from you. So do your best not to give them reasons. Tortuga stands as a neutral meeting ground of sorts, and every year in the middle of Agun, it is expected and demanded that all five First Captains arrive to both pay their respects to Captain Black Jeremiah's church, and the Ascended diety himself.
This paying of respects even includes a tithe, a certain treasure and coin requirement. These offerings are also payment and renewal for a rather important divine gift to each of the flagships and their captains. However such things are best left to the faithful to explain. This period of time is also generally when the five First Captains will meet, for a few days, hashing out any feuds as best they can, discussing terms, setting up trade, altering lists of permissable targets to ply their craft on, particularly in regards to which nation's flags being flown are and are not permissable. Occasionally these meetings can see a blood feud begin, where two captains basically declare open conflict and open season on each other's fleets, though there has not been such an occurence in nearly fifty years.
Tortuga itself has strict rules, enforced by the Privateers of Faith, the templar order of Captain Black Jeremiah's faith. No First Captain calls this city their home or port of call, nor are any allowed to. This is perhaps the only real unified law and rule across the islands. Outside of this even things that are illicit and will evoke something resembling justice, depending under which captain's flag you are committing the infraction. The punishments vary wildly between different regions and captain's influences. Each captain has a city and island that is their direct domain in sense, the city their Port of Call, their base of power. Yet they are not tyrants, and are beholden to their crew and the peoples they stand over. They have a level of absolute power, yet they know that revolution, mutiny, and rebellion are key tenets of Morain society, the Morain equivalent of 'democratic process'. So though each captain takes a notably different approach to things, they all understand the rules. Power is yours to hold until those you hold it over have reason to take it from you. So do your best not to give them reasons. Tortuga stands as a neutral meeting ground of sorts, and every year in the middle of Agun, it is expected and demanded that all five First Captains arrive to both pay their respects to Captain Black Jeremiah's church, and the Ascended diety himself.
This paying of respects even includes a tithe, a certain treasure and coin requirement. These offerings are also payment and renewal for a rather important divine gift to each of the flagships and their captains. However such things are best left to the faithful to explain. This period of time is also generally when the five First Captains will meet, for a few days, hashing out any feuds as best they can, discussing terms, setting up trade, altering lists of permissable targets to ply their craft on, particularly in regards to which nation's flags being flown are and are not permissable. Occasionally these meetings can see a blood feud begin, where two captains basically declare open conflict and open season on each other's fleets, though there has not been such an occurence in nearly fifty years.
Culture
Morain culture is a blend of savagery and silver-tongues. It is a culture that understands the value of well spoken words, holding them up as an equal to a well placed pistol shot. Silver or Lead, everyone pays a price, as such.
The ocean, as one might expect, holds a deep cultural importance to the peoples of Mora and is tied into many of their beliefs and traditions, as well as to the major faith that is practiced in the region. The ocean is in many ways the lifeblood of the peoples in the region, it provides food, transit, trade, and a wide variety of other trade goods. It also provides them protection and safety, in their isolations from the mainland and from other nations. Regular offerings of coin or drink, small ones, often just penits and ale, are made by common folk whom live on the coast.
Mora is also a nation of outcasts and rejects, from all walks of life and all societies. You'll find members of every race and nationality living here, all seeking a less strict and overbearing society of sorts. Though whether or not that's what they find in Mora, is a debatable premise. However they will find plentiful societal mobility, and opportunity, should they desire, and have the drive to take it.
The ocean, as one might expect, holds a deep cultural importance to the peoples of Mora and is tied into many of their beliefs and traditions, as well as to the major faith that is practiced in the region. The ocean is in many ways the lifeblood of the peoples in the region, it provides food, transit, trade, and a wide variety of other trade goods. It also provides them protection and safety, in their isolations from the mainland and from other nations. Regular offerings of coin or drink, small ones, often just penits and ale, are made by common folk whom live on the coast.
Mora is also a nation of outcasts and rejects, from all walks of life and all societies. You'll find members of every race and nationality living here, all seeking a less strict and overbearing society of sorts. Though whether or not that's what they find in Mora, is a debatable premise. However they will find plentiful societal mobility, and opportunity, should they desire, and have the drive to take it.
Demography and Population
Mora is a nation without proper centralizing authority and as such unlike most nations does not operate any sort of census or centralized population documentation in the manner as we see in other nations. This is not to imply that an upward taxation model does not exist, however it is all very segmented, without the real central authority, the Privateers of Faith, doing much if any direct hands on any sort of census or surveying in the sense every other nation barring Susma has adopted. As such we also do not have solid demographics for the lands of Mora, but Renarii-blood humans would be the dominant percentage with the rest of any sapient race being found in more or less equal measures across Mora.
Territories
The map of Mora marks the various cities of note, those that act as points and ports of authority, those that hold sway beyond their own city limits and into surrounding townships and villages.
Military
Quantifying this is perhaps another reason for Mora's...unique security despite their cultural behaviors. Because it is a nation of piracy, they have a disporportionately large percentage of their population comfortable with arms and with the naval lifestyle, couple that with being a nation of islands, you can begin to see why they have yet to evoke a full on military response from any one nation. They are, definitionally, the naval power of Valerick, with their only near peers in that regard being Suranth, though that is only true in her sovereign waters, and Waston, whom have submersible craft at their disposal, though limited numbers that cannot go very deep. Even with those two things these advantages are far from guarantees. Waging war on the nation of Mora would also be a foolish thing because you would shelf the rivalries between the First Captains and their underlings, and create a united foe. Whereas, when left to their own devices, Mora is oft their own limiter, the pirate crews in varied states of peace, rivalry and open conflict that are ever shifting.
Religion
Worship of Captain Black Jeremiah, the God of the Sea, is the primary faith across Mora, perhaps unsurprisingly.
Foreign Relations
Mora's international relations are complex as one might imagine. Due to the nature of their cultural ties to piracy, there is inevitably great risk in doing business anywhere near her much less with her directly. Yet people do, and it is generally a lucrative, if dangerous gamble. The reason for this is via the complexities of dealing with Morain policy. The church does issue Writs and Decrees, the writs have to be renewed to once a year for each of the First Captains, however the Decrees are, in simple terms, which nations vessels and trade goods are considered open and fair game. These rules will change over the year, and the First Captains will know of these changes from their yearly visit to Tortuga, but are sworn to secrecy, only informing the captains under them and their crews closer to when these privateering permissions would change. There is a governing system and rules upon these acts of piracy. This allows Mora to play the role of a needle or thorn, yet never seem to do so for long enough to any one nation to evoke a full military mobilization response. Yet
Laws
One cannot discuss the legal codes of Mora on a nation wide level, it is simply an impossible task, and thusly we shall simply advise travelers to use great caution and seek knowledge and education and information at the nearest church to the Sea God in every settlement you arrive at to insure you know any unique and odd laws within that area, as well as simply use common sense. You are in a nation of theives and cut-throats, but not heinous monsters. So don't be morally evil or twisted, don't do something unhinged and you should be fine.
Theft, Taxation, its all a matter of perspective.
Maps
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Mora, the Freebooter's Republic
Founding Date
Unrecognized
Type
Geopolitical, Country
Capital
Alternative Names
The Pirate Isles,
Demonym
Moran, Morains
Government System
Stratocracy
Power Structure
Semi-autonomous area
Economic System
Traditional
Gazetteer
Mora as a nation is uniquely structured, having areas of both hard and soft control geographically. Certain islands, and even cities are directly controlled by one of the captains, or are part of the fold, but less directly under the dominion of one captain or another. It is worthwhile to utilze the map of Mora and consider the pinned cities and their attached brief descriptions to give one a better idea what to expect in regards to regions and what to expect therein.
Currency
Mora does not truly have its own currency. However this is notable because it is why this is such a valuable nation to do business in. They do not differentiate between Shaillings or Suns, for example. Its all gold, its all silver, its all copper. They call them penits, slivers, and gold. Doing business in Mora may come with risks, but can also be very lucrative which is why trade continues to flow to the 'neutral' cities, that being those which are known to not be a home port of one of the five First Captains. Which inevitably draws them into the sphere of risk for piracy.
Major Exports
They also export just about anything in that similar vein to their Imports. However they have notable fishing and timber industries.
Major Imports
Mora, indirectly (piracy) and directly (trade) will import just about anything.
Legislative Body
In Mora, though they recognize some centralized authority of the church of Captain Black Jeremiah, the God of the Sea, that is not truly a universal set of rules or laws. It is more like guidelines, very hands off. Thusly, the laws and rules are established by the five First Captains, and then generally via elected officials in some shape or form in any given city, township, village in settlements not directly under their thumbs. The best way one can look at Mora is to see it as a loose coalition of individual islands and cities/city-states in a fashion. Of course, things like murder, rape, the big ticket items are all illegal, and though punishments may vary slightly, they all have rather similar legal ramifications.
However, even in murder, as an example, there are many nuances that can change from place to place, but all have harsh punishments. Beyond the big ticket items, however, there is a wide variance of rules, regulations and laws.
However, even in murder, as an example, there are many nuances that can change from place to place, but all have harsh punishments. Beyond the big ticket items, however, there is a wide variance of rules, regulations and laws.
Judicial Body
The lack of a fully centralized authority sees Mora still lacking centralized police forces or law enforcement, and instead you have the much more corruptible version where it is all internal city to city, settlement to settlement. The only exception to this of course are members of Captain Black Jeremiah's church, specifically the Brazen Buccaneers, the Templar arm of the faith.
Executive Body
Generally, due to the wild and varied nature of laws, overlap, the issues that can come from rule differences within a port versus the deck of a ship, and many other nuances, generally it is left in the capable hands of the clergy. The Dockmasters are well trusted with knowing and understanding the rules and legislation within the regions where they live and are well trusted as an unbiased and neutral party, holding no allegiance to any of the First Captains, and holding some level of sway with them all.
Official State Religion
Location
Controlled Territories
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