They say the storms were a curse from the gods for our hubris. The great and Glorious Empire had expanded to every island, nook and cranny in search of greater and greater riches. They say the great fleets were made of pure gold with sails as soft as clouds. In those days, monolithic galleons would return laden with fruits from paradise and metal stronger then dragon's teeth. Even the poorest man had a solid diamond chamberpot.

But then the storms came, cutting off the Capitol from the rest of the world, destroying any and all who dared brave the seas. As the centuries passed, the decadence of that golden age became a hazy dream, and the Crown and people grew poor and bitter.

But not anymore, what-ho! The great storms have cleared and the Crown has, in its magnanimousness, declared an age of exploration and reclamation! To reunite the lost settlements and regain access to those shiny shiny resources that most definitely rightly belong to the glorious Empire.

But what to do? The priceless sea charts had unfortunately been -ahem- repurposed during various periods of shortages over the last few centuries, and the art of ship building has become a bit of an artisanal craft. Even the greatest merchants shall have to pool their resources should they wish to brave the unknown seas.

But fret not, for there is surely a great deal of coin to be made. While the oceans are treacherous, the further islands are rife with untouched spoils, should you find a way to chart a course to them.

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How to Play
You are a merchant with 3 freshly minted Sovereigns burning a hole in your pocket, the absolute tragedy.

You can use them to buy a ship, which costs 9 Sovereigns.

You can name and send that Ship to different Islands, which produce different resources. They will happily exchange resources for worthless trinkets.

You can choose which islands to send your ship to, based on what charts you have. Further away islands will typically yield more profitable resources, but the journeys are more dangerous.

You can sell your resources at the Capitol for profit.

Some islands will have old Empire settlements on them, who will buy resources for different prices then the Capitol.

During the game, new options and locations will unlock. The market fluctuates and random events will happen.

But wait! I don't have 9 Sovereigns!
Eegads! You can pool your resources together with other intrepid merchants to acquire your fleet. To do this, it is recommended you draw up a contract in which you receive shares of the profit equal to your investment. Your contract can look however you like, but is basically just clear terms everyone agrees with. You can be involved in multiple different ventures - have your thumbs in many pies, so to speak.