Shuray Oát Turfan

Some would say that today is the golden age of piracy. And in a sense they're right. The trade routes on both the east and the west of Mithra are booming, and the northern and southern nations are in constant war at sea, not just with each other, but also against piracy. They try their best, but it is just too hard to fight pirates when they can't get good footholds on the lands that they themselves live in. But some still remember a time when piracy was even more lucrative than it is today.

Days of old

In the earlier eras of Mithra's history, piracy was never much of a problem in the Clans. The Warlords and Warchiefs of the clans would usually just turn a blind eye and reinforce the ships they really needed. There has always been piracy, but it swelled and diminished many times. Up until a few centuries ago. Back when the Republic was still young, piracy became more and more profitable. Trade between the Mithra and the south became more frequent, and the importance of this trade grew. On the eastern side of Mithra, it mostly took place, in and around the bay of leaves. The Clans didn't care much, they reinforced their ships as they saw fit, and had little trouble with the pirates. Also, there are always Wood-Malen Mercs looking for a free ride home, and so ships wanting to take goods to the clans could usually get free protection on their voyage.
But this all changed when a Mal by the name of Shuray Oát Turfan decided to start a career in piracy. Born in third era in the town of Toren'a in northern Alta'ara, she joined the Nawaki warriors when she was only 800 or so. She was a menace during some of the early republic wars, fighting as a mercenary. But when she started pirating, a whole new beast awoke. She was not only a great warrior, but by all accounts, she was very charismatic and likable. People naturally followed her, and so it didn't take long for her to collect a large fleet of ships. Until now, Clan ships were rarely targeted. But Shuray not only started taking spots of land for her own. She started a movement of pirates that within 30 or so years, had settlements in many of the northern islands in the sea of leaves. Some of those settlements already existed before her, and many weren't under her control per se, but the thread was enough for the Clans to turn to the challenge of taking her down.

War on the sea

Clan Northir was the most prominent in fighting the pirate thread. And in the end, they prevailed. But it took so much effort to take Shuray down, that the clans decided they needed to do something about the pirates. They decided to make sure the pirate thread stayed small. New regulations were placed on the sea of leaves. If any ship owned by the clans is attacked, the attacker will be hunted down without exception. Some ships, friends of the clans or ships that frequently trade in the clans, could get a flag that gave them the same immunity and protection that clan ships got. And lastly, more ships frequently patrol the seas, at which anyone in danger can seek protection. The Wood-Malen still turn a blind eye to most piracy as long as it doesn't interfere with their own trading. But they still keep a close eye on the many pirate hotspots to make sure no new Shuray Oát Turfan rises.

by Me on Artbreeder