Piracy in the High Seas Archipelago

Piracy in the High Seas Archipelago was extremely rare until the start of the Colonization Era. With races from The Continent making their way to the Archipelago it spurred many pirate bands to spring up to take advantage of the vast oceans and weakly guarded merchandise being transported across it. 

Due to the extreme abundance of exotic resources in the Archipelago the value of these goods is extremely high. A plunder of a well stocked merchant ship could last a poor Water Genasi family with enough coin to live comfortably for years. 
While in the Lower Seas is where most of the common piracy takes place, with the advancement of steampunk designs taking advantage of the magically charged atmosphere and bringing flight to many vessels, some of the most infamous pirates have taken to the Upper Isles to hideout and prey on the ships that fly through there.