The Dawn Pirate

"Look, I'm not saying you should buy the insurance I'm offering, I'm not even saying you need the insurance I'm offering, but have you ever heard of the Dawn Pirate? Ha. Yes, I can see you have. Oh, that's a very generous offer. Here's your insurance."

The southern parts of the Inner Sea hold a collection of small islands, the largest no bigger than 10 kilometres across, but numbering in the hundreds. Despite the best efforts of the Imperial Navy, the sea around these islands is a focus for piracy, and fast galleys will sail out from hidden harbours and concealed coves to raid merchant shipping.
The most notorious of these pirate bands is led by an enigmatic individual known only as the Dawn Pirate. The longevity of the role implies that it is a title, rather than an individual but the lines are blurred in this case, as the Dawn Pirate claims to be the same person. Quite how they have managed to operate for so long, especially in the current era of peace, prosperity and security, but rumours abound of bribes paid to the local Elector Lord and Imperial Navy, and how Til-Yaltur himself approved of the Dawn Pirate and officially, but quietly, sanctioned their existence.

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Physical Description

Identifying Characteristics

As the Dawn Pirate has been active in the water of the Inner Sea for about five hundred years, it is clear that it is more of a title than a specific individual. Despite this, there are some features that have always identified the one claiming the title.
The first is the mask, covering most of the lower face, and made of some kind of silvery metal, and designed in a scowling visage. It is clearly designed to conceal the identity of the wearing, but also enables the Dawn Pirate to be anyone who is wearing the mask.
Secondly is the outfit. It has changed slightly over the years, and always appears to made of the finest cloths and to the latest fashions in Belyos, implying a contact within the courts of the nobility there.
Finally, are the ships. The Dawn Pirate has never been seen with less than three ships, and sometimes more, particularly during the Sakamohr occupation, when the Dawn Pirate's fleet was said to number almost a dozen, and raided Sakamohr lands along the coast. The ships, whilst often looking weather worn and untidy, are always fast, with a good oar crew and, most distinctive of all, a large, plain blue flag that is raised prior to an attack.

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Mental characteristics

Personal history

Whilst piracy has always been an issue in parts of the Inner Sea, due to the abundance of trade that travels by ship, these islands have been much more of a problem since the collapse of the Empire in 1218 IY. Parts of the Imperial Navy at the time, realising there was now no central authority to pay them, and unwilling to offer their services to the nobility who they blamed for the Empire's collapse, turned to piracy, for both income, and revenge.
The most notorious of these new pirates became known as the Dawn Pirate, due to an uncanny ability to always be able to attack merchant ships from the direction of the rising sun. Originally running a fleet of three ships, some of the best that the Imperial Navy had at the time, the Dawn Pirate soon gained a reputation for both ruthlessness, but also mercy, should it be deserved.
The original Dawn Pirate's identity has been lost to history, as the name has been handed down from captain to captain over the centuries. The ships have changed too, as the years pass, but one thing remains constant; the blue flag signifies that the Dawn Pirate has come, flee if you can, and ready yourself for battle if you can't.

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Personality Characteristics

Motivation

The original motivation for the Dawn Pirate was revenge against the nobility who allowed the Empire to collapse; raids were almost entirely conducted against ships bearing the banners of the southern lords who had fought amongst themselves in the aftermath of the death of Gerak IV.
Over time, as the Dawn Pirate changed hands, this moved to generalised piracy until the Sakamohr invasion. Some attempt was made by the Dawn Pirate to help with fighting them, but the Sakamohr had no ships, and the pirates were not common soldiers. The pirates did, however, raid Sakamohr holdings along the coast throughout the entirety of their occupation, and it was a brave Sakamohr who took ship at all during that time.
Today, the Dawn Pirate appears to be entirely motivated by profit; be it actual goods obtained through piracy, or payments received from 'insurance brokers' in the various ports around the Inner Sea. Ships that purchase said insurance receive a flag to fly when sailing through waters that the Dawn Pirate claims, this grants them immunity from the Dawn Pirate's ships.

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Current Location

Inner Sea

Ethnicity

Imperial