Laird Malfremer

Laird Malfremer
Politically savvy, with a limited attention-span. Expertly navigates all sorts of intrigue at court, but every once in a while gets tired of the stuffiness, pretenses and backstabbing, and just sails off.
It is a well-established rumor that the daring pirate Malfremer is one and the same with Laird Merrow, advisor to emperesses and lords, peace- and troublemaker, talented opportunist. Merrow never confirms the rumor but also never denies it. They are always too valuable to some rich and powerful person to be seriously investigated or prosecuted for their suspected 'extracurriculur' activities. Conveniently, Malfremer has never been known to attack a ship related to any one of Merrow's many protectors.
Malfremer "collects" ships, along with captains and crews, and over the years has managed to build a fleet the power and lustre of which rivals that of most rulers. The ships themselves seem to be the only thing Malfremer truly cares about, like a child carefully painting and lining up toy soldiers. The captains of the pirate's fleet are mostly free to engage in whatever activity they fancy. Some engage in trade or contraband, others devote themselves to exploration and mapmaking, others loan their forces as mercenaries... and, of course, many simply dabble in piracy. However profitable their ventures, no ship, captain or crew ever seems to lack resources in the slightest. In the Laird Malfremer's fleet, no-one ever has to do anything to survive. All are driven, in some combination, by thrill, passion, and loyalty.
But any time Malfremer returns, any time they ask the fleet to loan their forces to a particular challenge or cause, suddenly every one of the disparate ships, and all the men and women dispersed across the eleven seas, heed the call and act as one - they become one of the most formidable maritime forces in the world, capable of overturning the tide of history. This, they have done more than once, but always in capricious, unpredictable ways...