In truth, there are only five large, consistently powerful nations in the world. They occupy the largest landmasses and have the biggest navies and the most wealth. The vast majority of colonies and ports belong to one of these factions, though a few independent settlements do exist - though mostly because they're either to small to be worth anything or too remote to be worth the trip.

Kreval:
The kingdom of Kreval is a nation based on western/central Europe. They have a rather strict hierarchical society with the royal family and various noblemen ruling and lording over the common citizens. As one might expect, the nobles and royals are very wealthy while the common people are usually fairly poor. Merchants and craftsmen have it a bit better, being able to make more money and not be taxed silly. The nation's flag is a pair of crossed golden swords on a crimson background. The uniforms of their soldier is primarily red, with a bit of yellow.

Kreval has a firm anti-piracy stance and their fleets and marines actively hunt privateers. They also practice public executions which involve hangings, beheading and firing squads. Many nobles are corrupt though and employ pirates for their own nefarious deeds.

Beloure:
The republic of Beloure is based on southern Europe and mediterranean countries. It has a similar hierarchy as Kreval, but far less strict and rigidly enforced. While there is a royal family, the nation is mostly governed by a senate, with the king having the right to veto decisions but rarely do so as he seems to not be very interested in governing. Purely from an economic standpoint, this is probablt the wealthiest of the greater nations. Their flag is a golden backdrop with an amethyst-colored whale swimming in the center. TReir army unfiroms are yellow and purple.

Beloure states to have anti-pirate laws, but doesn't actively enforce them unlike Kreval. If their marines or soldiers catch pirates, they'll lock them up or have them publically executed, but they don't go out of their way to chase down pirate vessels or interrogate new arrivals at ports. Unfortunately, this means taht Beloure's navy is fairly corrupt and the army is basically a seperate entity from the senate, that does a bit as it pleases.

Hironia::
The Empire of Hironia is based on eastern Europe and the baltic peninsula. It is ruled by the Imperial family and their selectively appointed officials. Hironia has the largest population of any nation and the most densely packed settlements, but it is also the economically weakest of the great nations. It used to be the leading power of the world, but after a rather disastrous war, the Empire has now exhausted much of its former power and gained nothing to show for it except a lot of impoverished citizens. The nation's flag is an azure backdrop with a rearing, winged black horse in the center. The uniforms of their soldiers are blue and black.

The Empire does not hunt pirates as long as they don't bother their vessels or ports. In fact, Hironia is the only greater nation that actually gives out Letters of Endorsement, which permits pirates to attack and plunder the enemies of the Empire with impunity. This is likely a direct result of the Empire's waned power and their need to keep opponents distracted. The Imperials may still have the largest standing army and fleet, but it isn't particularly well-equipped.

Galante:
The kingdom of Galante is based also based on western and central Europe. Like Kreval, it has a feudal hierarchy, but the nation is also home to the Grand Church of Aelos. The royals, nobles and clergy have all the power and say, while the commoners enjoy modest, simple lives. Galante has strict rules against Beastmen though and don't permit them to become citizens, choosing instead to use them as slaves or citizens without rights. This is, in large part, thanks to church's teachings, which herald that humans are the rightful rulers of the world. Elves and dwarves are discriminated towards, but not to the extent of the beastfolk. The nation's flag is a green backdrop with a pair of white crowns. Their army uniforms are green with white trim and details.

Piracy is heavily denounced in Galante, and like KReval their navy hunts and destroys pirates whenever possible. The church has a very firm stance against crimes and executionsfor things that could be considered minor offenses are commonplace.

Uldena:
The nation of Uldena is the smallest of the great nations and isn't based on any particular region in our world. It is ruled by a council of influential citizens and is the most liberal of the greater countries in terms of social hierarchy. Any citizens can rise to a prominent position if they work hard - or, at least that's the saying anyway. It also boasts the largest population of dwarves and, as such, is the leading nation both in terms of technology but also the quality of their navy and weapons. The country's flag is a orange and blue backdrop, split vertically, with a thick golden ring at the center. Their uniforms are orange with blue trim and details.

Uldena has the best equipped, best trained and most advanced navy out of all the nations. It also has the smallest navy by comparison. Though they take an anti-pirate stance, they usually don't have the time or resources to actively hunt buccaneers, instead choosing only to engage or deal with them if the situation requires it. Uldena is considred to be the most tolerant and open-minded of all the great nations and is as such home to highest number of non-human citizens.

In addition to the five great nations, there are also a bunch of lesser factions in the world. These vary in power and influence, but are nonthjeless notable and well-known enough to warrant being mentioned.

The Vikings:
Hailing from the frigid north of the world, these are brave and fearless sailors - some would say crazed and bloodthirsty - who sometimes travel south. They are said to be just as likely to trade as they are to plunder. Dressed in helmets with horns and animal furs, wielding weapons like spears, axes, sowrds and bows, they don't show up with gunpowder or firearms... But the fact that they're seasoned sailors and fierce and fearless make them dangerous opponents.

Umitoshi Empire:
In the far, faer east of the world lies an empire of myriad islands, linked and joined toegther to form a nation known as Umitoshi. Based on feudal Japan, this country sends out ships with brave samurai warriors... Who, also, don't really use gunpowder, but prefer katana or naginata or other far-eastenr weapons instead. While they're neither the greatest sailors nor particularly advanced in technology, their warriors are very skilled and deadly.

Ninjas:
Yes. Sometimes you'll run into ocean ninjas. They be ninjas. With shuriken and kunai and the whole dressed in black and covering their faces. They use smoke bombs and dirty tricks. Nobody knows where they actually come from, but some say they're a secretive and mysterious faction that belongs to Umitoshi... But since they also attack umitoshi-ships, this seems unlikely... They're very agile and slippery too, so watch out!

Knights of Faladar:
The Knights of Faladar belong to the kingdom of Faladar. They sail around the world in suits of full plate, wielding swords, maces and other medieval weapons like crossbows and longbows... But no gunpowder. They adhere to the rules of chivalry and honor, valuing valor and nobility... Which probably explains why their country has never become anything more than a minor power. Still, they're capable warriors and decent sailors... Although not exactly properly equipped for seafaring.

The Greenholmes:
This is a collection of islands with a almost exclusively elven populations inhabiting them. The world's largest and most dense gatherings of elves can be found here. Each island seems to have their own governor and rules and customs, so its hard to pin-point their overall details or behavior. But, they're elves. They like nature and live long lives.

The Savage Belt:
A string of islands home to mostly Beastmen. This place is also home to some of the largest and wildest animals in all the world. Life is tough here and the inhabitants live in tribal, mostly nomadic, groups. Life is harsh here, but also free and wild.

Dread Clowns:
... From some unknown place, these colorful sailors appear. Nobody knows from where or why, or even how. Just know, that when you see their painted sails and paint faces... Be afraid. Be very afraid. Nobody knows why they come, nobody gets their weird antics, but everyone agrees... Murderous cannibaal clowns on the seas just sohuldn't be allowed to exist. Luckily, they're a very rare sight.

Humans:
Humans are, like you and me, a varied bunch. Some are tall, some are short, some are thin and some are chubby. Some have pale skin and others are very dark. Some are bald and some have too much hair. Really, there's nothing that needs to be said about the race of man other than that they're the dominant and most abundant of the civilized races.

Dwarves:
Dwarves are a race of short-stacks. They've got stocky and broad builds and their males always seem to sport magnificent beards. Dwarves are said to be stubborn and hold grudges, while also eating twice as much as humans - despite their lesser size. They also have heavier bones and muscles, which sadly means that they're physically incapable of swimming. Dwarves are also said to greatly enjoy alcohol and merrymaking, and they're actually the composers of many a famous sea-shanties. They're physically stronger and tougher than humans, but less agile and a bit slower. Dwarves can live up to about 300 years of age.

Elves:
Elves are a fair and beautiful race, resembling humans but with more delicate features, a bit shorter and long, pointed ears. They have an inherent love for nature and wildlife. Elves are considered the objectively most attractive race in the world. Elves are sometimes considered to be aloof and flighty, and some find their nature-loving ways to be silly. At one point, it was thought that there were two kinds of elves, but this was later proven wrong and the 'other' race of leves were just elves who spent more time in the sun and had gotten a tan. They're not as strong or durable as humans, but they're plenty more agile and a bit faster, as well as having overall higher wits. An elf can live to be between 650 - 750 years old.

Beastmen:
This refers to the beastmen who have mammal-like features. This includes things like dog ears and tails, hooves and/or bull-heads, bunny-people, cat girls, centaurs, etc. Creatures like sirens, harpies, mermaids, lizardmen or other non-mammal beastfolk are treated as monsters. Because of their diverse appearances, beastmen can have different traits and strengths/weaknesses depending on their species. They do tend to have better senses - especially hearing and smell - than humans though. Beastmen can typically live about as long as humans too.

As mentioned earlier, the level of technology in the world is around the same as our world during the 15-1600s. Things like cannons and muskets and pistols exist, but nothing very modern or semi/fully automatic. Bows, crossbows and other ranged weapons are still used as well, along with various throwing items like bombs or other black powder gadgets and knives and the like. Horses and carriages are the main method of transportation on land while boats and ships are the mainstay of the sea. Things like trains or steam-engines don't exist though.

As for money, each Great Nation has their own minted coins, but overall everyone uses both silver and gold coin, and no one currency is more valuable than another. They just represent which country they originated from. Obviously, silver is less valuable than gold. You can use coins from other nations to trade and buy items in other countries, but they'd of course prefer if you exchanged your foreign coins for local, domestic currency instead.

0. As the GM of this roleplay I reserve the right to add, remove or edit the rules as I see fit, when I see fit.
1. No God-moding, ever-dodging, auto-hitting or any such other nonsense.
2. No sexually explicit or graphical details. Keep it in your pants, or in PMs.
3. Be polite and cordial in the OOC, don't start flame wars and if you have an issue with another player, take it up in PMs or contact me.
4. No meta-gaming. If your character doesn't have the wits or experience to tell if someone's lying to them, don't see through the lies just becuase you - as the player - don't want to be fooled. You're playing a character, not a self-insert.
5. Likewise, no using knowledge or information that you, as the player have access to, but your character doesn't. Your character doesn't know everything you, the player, does.
6. While this is a pirate RP, and foul language is to be expected, please try to keep the vulgarities in check and don't go excessively hard on swearing.
7. No controlling, speaking or otherwise making decisions for other peoples' characters. You control your own toon(s), and that's it.
8. If you're going to be away, need time off or want to leave the RP, please contact me and let me know so I can plan around it.
9. Do not post your characters in the Character Tab, only I will be posting in that section.
10. To make sure you've actually read these rules, include a stereotypical pirate-saying at the bottom of your CS when you apply.
11. Have fun and enjoy your time in CoB. :)

Note: The template below is the only format of character sheet that will be accepted. If you use your own CS template, or omit parts of the below, your character won't be considered. Please keep this in mind.

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Name:
Age:
Race: Human, Dwarf, Elf or Beastman
Gender:

Background: Commoner, Noble, Prince/Princess, Merchant, Beggar, Drunkard, Artist, etc, etc. Basically, what type of enviroment did you grow up in.
Occupation: Your current job, if any. Otherwise, the job you had most recently, if any. Otherwise, leave as 'Unemployed'.

Personality:
Describe your character's persona. What they value, what they like or dislike, what they believe, their quirks and/(or mannerisms. Basically everything that makes them who they are.

History:
Here you'll write up your characger's backstory. Where they were born, what their childhood was like, where and how they obtained the skills and/or knowledge they now have. Also include how they came to the decision or were forced into become a pirate/sailor-for-hire.

Life Goal: Riches, revenge, fame, honor, basically what your pirate's ultimate goal in life is.

Reason:
What is your character's motivation for their goal? What caused them to risk everything in order to achieve it by sailing the high seas?

Skills:
If your character has any noteworthy skills, like cooking, swordplay, marksmanship, carpentry, gardening, etc, please mention them here. Otherwise, if your character has no particularly remarkable skills yet, leave this bit blank.

Equipment:
iF your character has any noteworthy items or gear other than their clothes, please list it here. Otherwise, if you have NOTHING but the clothes on their back, skip this particular bit.

Pirate Parameters:
Below you'll see a bunch of statistics, which determine what your character is inherently good at or strong in. These stats have no actual bearing other than to clarify what you excel at and where your strengths and weaknesses lie. From lowest to highest, the ranks go: F, E, D, C, B, A and S. You are free to assign your parameters as you wish, though I do urge you to try and keep things fair and not create übermensch.
Strength: Determines how hard you hit in melee, how heavy things you can carry, how good you are at arm-wrestling, etc.
Perception: How easily you spot or notice things, how good your aim is, how well you handle any ranged weapons, etc.
Vitality: How tough you are. How well you can resist poison and disease, how quickly you heal from injuries, how sensitive
your digestive-system is, how much stamina you have, etc.
Intellect: How smart you are. How easily you learn things, how good you are at solving riddles, puzzles or other such troubleshooting. How well you can read, write, do math and other administrative things.
Wits: How clever you are. Your common sense, ability to apply logical thinking, devise strategies and weigh risk versus reward. Also how well you can read others and/or figure out their motives.
Agility: How good your reflexes are, as well as how fast, acrobatic and graceful you be. How quickly you can react and how well you can dodge or evade.
Charisma: How eloquent and well-spoken you are. How physically attractive or appealing you appear. How convincing, diplomatic or persuasive you can be. How good at manipulating others you are.
Luck: How often things go your way, or how often they don't.

Feet and inches to Centineters

The Interest Check that started it all

A rough reference for ships + Generic Piratey Wiki

Captain Murasa's Anchor

More May Be Added Later~

Name: Ilyana
Age: 25
Race: Half-elf
Gender: Female

Background: Commoner
Occupation: Thief, Boatswain's mate

Personality:
She's wary, always watching, usualy grim unless she's playing her fiddle. Stiffens if touched, known to strike out.

History (Summary): Wrongly imprisoned for five years by her own uncle for theft, then on her release, she was drafted into her nation's navy to fight against a pretender for the throne. Wounded numerous times in battle, awarded a couple of medals, then released to the beach at the end of the war.

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Life Goal:
A nice house with a farm and fresh water on her own small island.

Reason:
Stranded far from home and finding nobody willing to hire a branded theif, Ilyana has turned to piracy.





Pirate Parameters:

Strength: D
Perception: B
Vitality: C
Intellect: A
Wits: C
Agility: B
Charisma: D
Luck: D

Dead men tell no tales.

Height:

6’4 / 193 cm

Eye Color:

Brown

Hair Color:

Dark Brown

Name:

Okuyasu Higashikata

Age:

29

Race:

Human

Gender:

Male

Background:

Crewmember (Formerly a mercenary)

Personality:

Okuyasu is a quiet man who likes to keep to himself. Usually does not speak much but will when he finds it to be necessary. The large man is very loyal to people he considers a friend. However, a person would have to work hard for Okuyasu to consider you a friend. Okuyasu is a gruff person who always pushes people away from him so he would not be hurt emotionally. He believes that he should be strong both physically and mentally. So he both exercises and practices constantly, and not showing any signs of weakness to anyone. He has a soft spot for animals. He dislikes child abusers and thoughts who would harm a defenceless person.

History:

Okuyasu was born in a small town in the Umitoshi Empire. His parents were farmers, His childhood was filled with poverty with him helping his parents on their farm. His father also taught him how to fight and to use a sword. One day a man came to the farm looking for his father. His father had wronged the man in the past, and the man sought vengeance against his father. The two battled with the man being victorious and leaving Okuyasu’s father and mother dead. Okuyasu ran away swearing to himself he would kill the man that murdered his parents.

Okuyasu lived off the streets before running into a swordsman named Yoshikage Hanma. Yoshikage had worked as a mercenary with Okuyasus' father, and after hearing of his best friend's death he also wanted revenge The two lived together with Yoshikage teaching him more advanced techniques considering swordplay. An assassin named Doppio Yagiyama who was friends with Yoshikage and Okuyasu's father taught Okuyasu an ancient martial art. This would help defend himself when he is without his sword.

When he became a teenager he left the care of his two masters and ventured out to find and kill the man that murdered his parents. He supported himself by taking jobs as a mercenary.

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Life Goal:

Revenge for the death of his family.

Reason:

He seeks revenge against the man who killed his parents.

Skills:

Swordplay: Okuyasu has been taught how to handle a sword. He has been taught certain techniques that will allow him to cut almost anything.

Marital Arts: Okuyasu is also skilled in hand-to-hand combat. With his skills in martial arts and training, he is able to perform amazing feats of strength.

Equipment:

His sword.

Pirate Parameters:

Strength: B

Vitality: B

Perception: C

Intellect: D

Wits: C

Agility: A

Charisma: F

Luck: F

Dead men tell no tales