Pirate Syndicate

"Pick up your tankard and raise it high to that sea shanty, because the pirates life is the life for me."- Tomb of Piracy

Ever since anyone knows there have been pirates, now they are just more organized, but still pirates all the same. Back long ago piracy ran rampant causing chaos and destruction with no benefit for any, pirates attacked other pirates, killing themselves off. And so twelve of the most powerful pirates joined together to put an end to this and make some sense of this chaos. They formed the Pirate Council and elected a Pirate King and together they wrote the Tomb of Piracy. This book laid out a set of rules known as The Code, that would be later expanded upon, that all pirates must follow; however as these were pirates many followed these rules more loosely treating them more as guidelines than actual rules. Some of these rules were: pirates would not knowingly target and sink another pirate ship, everyone has the right to parlay, everyone of the crew get equal share of treasure, and the killing of a surrendered enemy was forbidden. All pirates didn't acknowledge these rules though, rogue pirates who don't consider themselves part of the Pirate Syndicate still roam the seas under the guise of their own rules. Because of the order this brought, piracy was able to flourish and grow reaching a golden age of piracy, however now with the formation of the League of Conquerers the way of life for pirates has been threatened.

RELATIONSHIPS

The Pirate Syndicate doesn't have a good relationship with almost any other faction. The Spears of Triton don't have a good relationship with surface dwellers to begin with and the League of Conquerers are in constant conflict with the pirates. Many of the smaller factions are commonly preyed upon by the pirates causing them to have poor relations with them as well. Bilgewater is the place that accepts the pirates with open arms as they bring lots of business to the large port city.

GOALS

The Pirate Syndicate is concerned with maintaining control over piracy and making sure it doesn't run rampant again and put a threat to their own existence like it did so long ago. Outside of that they only focus on raiding, pillaging, and plundering then selling what they take back for a profit. Almost all pirates are only out for themselves so goals may vary from ship to ship but all pirates seek the same two things; treasure and absolute freedom. This same freedom they value so much however is threatened by the existence of the League of Conquerers, who seek to bring order and balance to this world under its military might.

FIGURES OF INTEREST

Pirate King Captain Rumjoy

Neutral Good, Male Dwarf
Captain Rumjoy was a likable pirate lord whom many considered a friend. Unlike many he was actually trusted by the pirates he associated with. Because of this his crew and unwavering loyalty and would serve him to the ends of the seas. This is was allowed him to be voted in as the pirate king. He is also said to be the richest pirate of all time, gaining a vast amount of wealth which he secretly hid within an unknown location. Not too long ago he disappeared at sea leaving the location of his vast riches a mystery that all are clambering to find.

Captain Flamebeard

Chaotic Evil, Male Undead
Captain Flamebeard was a pirate known for his firey red beard and his hot temper. He was also known to dabble in the dark arts and was known for his rituals seeped in black magic. Through these magics he practiced, he was able to find a way to cheat death. Now his spirit haunts The Scorched Isles looking for a way to animate his skeletal remains so he may once again roam the seas. His dark rituals and magic can be felt by all those who roam to close to his islands.

Pirate Lord Captain Teagan

True Neutral, Mindflayer
Captain Teagan is a mindflayer who became separated from his hive long ago. Since then he has developed his own conscience being away from the hive mind for so long. Developing personal goals and desires he seeks to never be controlled again and values freedom above all else. Whatever his crew steals is more out of necessity than actual want.

Pirate Lord Captain Rhyme-heart

Neutral Good, Male Tiefling
Captain Rhyme-heart is a flamboyant pirate dressed in colorful attire. He has an optimistic and carefree attitude but don't let this fool you, he can switch to being quite sadistic indeed if angered. He mostly deals in the plundering of spices being traded by merchants, because they make good profit and equally because he loves food which the spices enhance the pleasure of.

Pirate Lord Captain Firetounge

Chaotic Neutral, Male Red Dragonborn
Captain Firetounge is a feared pirate who attacks ships more for the sake of a good fight rather than for the actual loot, even though he does take the loot. He's known to burn ships and let it sink before taking anything on board. Despite this aggressive personality he treats all of his crew that prove their worth with respect and rewards them in kind, all on his good side get rewarded. He is known to raid ships for gunpowder near the scorched isles.

Pirate Lord Captain Greymayne

Neutral Evil, Male Vampire
Captain Grey is a vampire who left the League of Conquerers to start a life of piracy with multiple ships under his command. He lives a life of luxury and adventure enjoying the finer things in life alongside the thrill of battle. He usually plunders ships carrying rare and exotic goods, taking pleasure in what he finds and melting down the rest into currency. It is said his coffin is found within his flagship and contains the only way to permanently put him down.

Pirate Lord Captain Maws

Chaotic Evil, Male Selachian
Captain Maws is a Selachian who lives for the hunt. He is not known for leaving survivors and any prisoners he does take is just for a quick meal later. However despite this ruthless nature he's not been known to fight dirty and prefers to give his prey a head start as he enjoys the challenge of a good hunt. His ships have been known to target vessels carrying loads of caught fish, they also target any vessels that would seem to pose a reasonable challenge. Only the toughest and most cruel of criminals are able to serve under his command.

Pirate Lord Captain Grimace

Lawful Evil, Female Gorgon
Captain Grimace is a gorgon who runs her crew in a well organized fashion and operate like a small pirate militia rather than just raving pirates. Because of this she has been able to amass the most ships under her command than any other pirate. She owns a few small islands and has her ships patrol the waters between. The ships she regularly hits are League ships due to a personal vendetta against them. Out of all the pirates, she brings the fight directly to the League with her own military skill matching that of Leagues greatest tacticians. She regularly raids their ships for supplies that go directly back into furthering the fight against them, however she is no fool and understands what she cannot fight and will retreat when necessary, for the might of the League is too great for any one pirate too handle.

Pirate Lord Captain Tusk

Chaotic Good, Male Orc
Captain Tusk is an orc of honor and tradition, he is one who follows The Code with absolute sincerity. He believes it is the only thing that allows pirates to continue living as they are. His crew follow in this path of honor and tradition but don't let that fool you as they are still pirates. They will still sink and pillage your ships, but will do so according to their own set of honor. Usually they will not kill unarmed sailors or prisoners as they do not present honor in killing them, to them dying in battle is the most honor one can achieve alongside killing worthy adversaries. They are most known for raiding heavily armed merchant transports as they pose a worthy challenge and a high risk/high reward outcome.

Pirate Lord Captain Katrina

Chaotic Neutral, Female Human
Captain Katrina is a human who uses her beauty and skills of seduction to get what she wants, her elite group of pirates known as The Harlots are comprised of strictly women and act as her body guards, advisors, and many other important positions. She is manipulative and will play with ones emotions to get what she wants. She has been known to manipulate those in giving her what she wants and if not then she will steal from them right under their nose. Her crew rarely attempts to plunder ships as her ways of accommodating wealth has proved to be efficient.

Pirate Lords Captains Revi & Karth

Neutral Evil, Male Lizardfolk
Captains Revi and Karth are twin Lizardfolk who captain their ships as one. Their natural talent with working each other has proved them to be a fierce duo in strategic combat as they have more efficient command and control over their crews. Being that they think almost as a single being they can predict each others behavior allowing for strategized combat without even needing to speak to one another. Each of them captain their own vessel and are never too far apart. They have been known to hunt almost any vessel unlucky enough to come by them.

Pirate Lord Captain Pyke

True Neutral, Female Half-Blue Dragon
Captain Pyke is a Pirate known for her outspoken personality and love for adventure. She is more likely to dive to a sunken ship or raid an old temple rather than sink a ship, but occasionally does what the opportunity is too great to pass up. She is fascinated with many lost secrets of the sea and occasionally collects artifacts that have been originally lost to time. She commands a crew of elite spell-casters and is always looking for more to join her crew, as most of their expeditions can be quite dangerous and fatal.

PIRATE SYNDICATE PERKS

Crews

Pirate crews are always looking for more crew members to join their ships, this could prove useful if your looking for work.

Contraband

You have access to the business in contraband, such as poisons and narcotics. You don't have a discount but you can always find a place to buy them.

Fences

You know contacts and associates that are skilled at disposing stolen goods. Fences are useful for selling not just illicit goods but also expensive items such as works of art and magic items. When using fences, you run no risk of a double cross or other mishap in finding a buyer, but the fence takes 20 percent of the sale price as a finders fee.

Safe Havens

The Pirate Syndicate maintains safe havens and secret hiding spots on scattered islands. You know how to locate these locations and can maintain a poor lifestyle in one for no cost. Revealing these locations can see you losing favor with the Syndicate and may cause you to be banned from using them.

Shipwreck Isle

You have access to the ultimate pirate stronghold of Shipwreck Isle. Everything you may ever want as a pirate can be found here and it acts as the ultimate safe spot from outside threats.

Tomb of Piracy

Despite governing all pirates, and drawn upon by the Pirate Lords themselves, the Code was seen more as guidelines than actual rules by certain pirates. Examples of the most known rules within the Tomb of Piracy are listed below.

• Rule one, befriend others wisely.
• The Right of Parlay.
• All adherents of the Code pledge to be bound together as a brotherhood of pirates, sharing alike in one's fortunes and troubles.
• Every member shall have an equal vote in the affairs of the moment.
• Whoever first spotted a treasure-laden ship could choose the best pistol for themselves.
• Every crew member is to have an equal share in any treasure found, officers get a share and a half, First Mate and Captain get two shares.
• Any man who falls behind is left behind
• An act of war can only be declared by the Pirate King, who would parley with shared adversaries. The King could only be elected by popular vote by all the Pirate Lords.
• Any person who refuses to serve aboard a pirate's ship must die.
• Trading for products fair and square mean the seller can do as they like, including resell at profit.
• The Code calls for pirates to respect their fellows on the account. Knowingly targeting and sinking other pirate ships is strictly forbidden.
• Killing a surrendered enemy is not allowed.
• A pirates pegleg shall not be an uneven number in inches
• Eyepatches shall only be worn on one eye at a time
• Every pirate shall obey the Code. Anyone who fails shall be marooned on a desert island, and left ashore with a loaf of bread or hardtack, a bottle of water, and a pistol with one load.
• The captain of a ship is to be elected by a majority vote of its crew. If any time a crew, with sufficient evidence, finds their captain to be lacking in ability or offensive in nature, a new captain may be freely elected amongst the ship's members. The captain shall be made aware of the situation and will graciously step aside, assuming another position on the crew. Failure to follow this procedure will be deemed mutiny.
• Any pirate who has suffered an injury from pillaging, plundering, hijacking, swashbuckling, or other pirate duties shall receive compensation for the wound from common stock.
• No pirate shall strike another while onboard the ship. In the event of such an occurrence, the quarrel shall be resolved on the shore by a pistol, sword, or in another agreed upon manner as deemed by the captain. Limbs or other body parts lost in duel are not to be compensated as those lost in battle.
• Do not fire the parrot out of the cannon, as tempting as it may be.
• Take what you can, give nothing back.