Welcome to 'Pirates of the Calarian Main'. Recognise this RP from the Nationstates forums? That's because it's from there. Like all good pirates though, we've sailed on to a fresh ocean! So yes, there will be a core group sailing across with me and we won't set sail into the IC without them all aboard!
I will stop with the nautical metaphors now.
In this RP you will play the part of privateer looting shipping in a part of the world known as the 'Calarian Main' in a fictional early modern world. I would ask that if you are making an app for a ship, that you also app the Captain, if not more members of the crew. You can also app for a person on someone else's crew... though just make sure you talk to them first!
This RP exists in the same world as 'Pike and Shot', an NS RP, but that is just for information, you are expected to know absolutely nothing about it! It doesn't matter!
This is a low fantasy RP. Magic does exist in the setting, though your characters are not magically gifted.
In terms of non-magical tech and societal development, the part of the world you are in will have tech approximately equivalent to the mid 17th century.
The peoples described in the OP are European/North African/Amerindian types, though if you want to create a character from further afield, definitely feel free. Join the Discord and we can do a bit of world building!
The societies in the world are early-modern and female characters will face prejudice from colonial authorities etc., though this is a pirate RP, and there were plenty of female pirates (Jeanne de Clisson, Sayyida al-Hurra, Grace O’Malley etc) so you definitely aren't discouraged from writing one!
This RP will be open to latecomers. There is always scope for new crew, though if the number of ships gets excessive we will limit that.
SETTING
The Blight and the Haltian Empire
200 years ago, the world was a very different place. Human Kingdoms dominated the coast of the Circle Sea. Of those Kingdoms, none was finer than the Inburian Empire. Then the blight came. Out of the East, poured strange and brutal creatures, which came to be known as Goblins and Orcs. They appeared in vast hordes, destroying and devouring everything in their path. The Eastern Kingdoms fell, one by one, until the horde reached the great fortress of Grendell, strategically placed to control the narrow neck of land that connected Inbur and the Eastern Kingdoms. The horde laid siege to the citadel for two months, launching one futile assault after another, coming within a hair's breadth of breaching the fort before finally a relief force arrived. The relief force of the time consisted of the bulk of the Inburian army along with the allied contingents from all the other human Kingdoms and there, at the gates of Grendell, the horde was halted, though the Inburians paid a heavy price.
Off the back of the horde, another enemy arose in the West: the Haltians. The Haltians were nomadic Elven people, known for their fine Cavalry. They descended on the weakened human kingdoms, carving out their own Empire, completely swallowing the Inburian Empire in the process.
New Contenders and the Calarian Main
In the world as it is today, the Inburian Empire is consigned to the history books and the Haltian Empire holds the line against the Blight though Haltian is beginning to look a little shaky. There are divisions within Haltian society and revolt brews in the Eastern parts of the Empire. There are even rumours of an heir to the ancient Inburian Royal House raising a banner in defiance of the Emperor.
150 years ago one of the secondary powers, the Calarian Republic, successfully crossed the otherwise impassable Evig Ocean to an area now known as the 'Calarian Main', rich in spice and precious minerals. The Kingdom of Brendahl and Doel Union were quick to follow and a number of wars have been fought over control of the area aided on all sides by the local Iktani tribes. All three have become wealthy off trade from the West, though none of the three are particularly keen on sharing the wealth. Another war is brewing in the colonies and whoever comes out on top could end up with the power to become the new Hegemon in the Old World, on the shores of the Circle Sea. The Haltian Empire is looking rather shaky, after all...
Where You come in...
On the South Coast of the Circle Sea is a city called Mina-Sakh, notorious as a hot-bed of pirates, one of whom is you.
Right now, the city is hosting a visit from a gentleman from the Doel Union, offering to grant letters of marque and reprisal to people willing to sail to the Calarian Main and fight the Stewart of the Doel's enemies upon the sea. There is a lot of money to be had raiding the Calarian treasure fleet...
As previously mentioned, the technology of the world of the Circle Sea Saga is broadly similar to that of mid 17th century Europe.
Ships: These are some very basic descriptions of ships. Sailors amongst you will doubtless spot a few errors but I am prioritising fun over massive attention to detail.
a two masted ship with square sails for the most part and a gaff sail at the back. A jack of all trades that handles decently in most sailing directions. Popular amongst merchants and also as a small warship.
a pirate's worst nightmare. Built for speed and usually carrying a lot of guns, frigates are not to be trifled with. Frigates are square rigged meaning they will outrun you with the wind at their back but don’t perform as well at other angles.
A cheap, shallow draft, merchant vessel used by the Doel Union. Usually unarmed.
The main trading vessel of the era. Galleons are multi-decked ships with three or four masts. These were until recently often warships as well. Some still are. Adding to the confusion because they might have once been a warship and now are a trader, a lot have more gun ports than actual guns.
A ship with oars used in coastal waters. Not to be confused with a galleon
A custom built warship with multiple gundecks that will murder your puny ship if you get too close.
A xebec with a square rigged mainsail that trades some of the performance while close hauled for better running speed. Has oar banks.
A ship with two or more sails with fore and aft rigged sails. A popular, larger ship for a pirate (or pirate-hunter) as, while it isn’t as fast as a similar square rigged ship with the wind behind it, it perforns well at most angles to the wind.
A ship with a single fore and aft rigged sails. The most popular ship for a pirate (or pirate-hunter). Cheap, manouvreable and with a shallow draft that means it can hide in shallow water. It isn’t as fast as a similar square rigged ship with the wind behind it, it perforns well at most angles to the wind. A crew of 80 is large for one of these.
A brigantine where the gaff sail is on a cute mini-mast at the back.
A fast sleek vessel with two or more masts with lateen sails and oars which are helpful in calm conditions. Very popular amongst Addonian pirates and merchants.
Firearms: Firearms come in a variety of sizes from pistols to arqebuses and the even larger 'muskets' (which require a rest). Pistols are nearly all flintlocks though a lot of long guns are still the cheaper matchlock variety (which is fine, provided it isn't raining). Arquebuses are lethal out to 400 yards, muskets to 600, though a well-trained soldier can’t reliably hit a target beyond 100. The best troops, operating under ideal circumstances can reload and fire in around 30 seconds. Firearms have mostly replaced bows and crossbows, though these do get used in some backwaters.
Melee Weapons: In a standing army, the pike is king, though people will often carry a secondary close-ranged weapon like a sword, axe or club. There are a variety of different swords in use. Some people might carry a short 'hanger' for slashing at close quarters. Officers are more likely to carry a long, slender 'rapier' (which can cut and thrust). Cavalry will have something bigger and broader, which can cut or thrust like a 'mortuary sword' while nobles are likely to carry the Rapier's, smaller, lighter, thrusting only cousin, the 'small-sword'.
Body Armour: Most body armour in this period is cheaper mass produced 'Munitions Armour', though nobles do have access to heavier, better gear. Contrary to popular belief decent armour will stop shots from guns, particularly at longer ranges, though the larger muskets will punch through anything someone is wearing. Helmets like the morion, cabasset and lobster tailed pot helmet are all pretty common.
Magic: Magic in this world is rare and usually subtle in its effect. Healing magic is particularly sought after in this day and age as, provided the practicioner has the right herbs, they can save lives and limbs that would otherwise have been claimed by musket balls.
RACES & SPECIES
In order for you to create a character, and for some basic info on the peoples you will encounter, here are some of the more common peoples who will appear in the RP. Feel free to have a chat on the discord if you want to create someone from a different race.
In respect to language, you can assume each of these peoples has its own language though, with the exception of the Iktani, most people will also have a reasonable grasp of 'Inburian', which has existed as a lingua franca in the circle sea since the time of the Inburian Empire.
The Elgafolk were never great city builders, preferring to live nomadic lives in the great plains North of the Circle Sea. That was until the Blight weakened the human Kingdoms. Then, the Elgafolk descended from the North, conquering and enslaving the many humans in their path. The Elgafolk are biologically immortal and highly resistant to poison and disease. While they do not conceive as often as humans, Elgafolk women remain fertile for centuries and infant mortality rates are low. It is not uncommon for one of the Elgafolk to have up to twenty siblings, though these may have been born a century or more apart from one another.
Elgafolk are usually slightly larger than humans, with the males averaging 6'2'' and females 5'8'' in height.
For centuries, Elgafolk have been known as the finest cavalry in the world and their units of cuirassiers will often form the backbone of a Haltian army to this day.
The Elgafolk live almost entirely within the Haltian Empire and are viewed with great suspicion amongst Human cities. Despite the fact that they are the only species to enjoy citizenship rights within the Empire, the Elgafolk only make up just under 15% of the total population, the remainder being resident and enslaved humans. While the overwhelming majority of Elgafolk are free, criminals, deserters and the like can end up being enslaved and a few have turned to a life of piracy on the high seas.
If you want to create an Elgafolk character, here is a name generator
the Addonian culture flourishes on the arid South Coast of the circle sea. The Addonians exist as a number of autonomous city states, including the metropolises of Al-Waha and Mina-Sakh.
The Addonians culture is something of a melting pot born of early Calarian and Shariq cultures merged with those of the nomadic desert dwellers from further inland. Addonians tend to favour long robes and brightly-coloured tunics, often adorned, for both men and women with ostentatious gold jewellery.
Like the Monchians the Addonians are known for piracy, though their piratical activities tend to focus more on the acquisition of prisoners for sale to the Haltians as slave labour or, indeed, in their own domestic markets (the Addonians are the only human culture that routinely practices slavery).
In combat the Addonian pirates tend to use the ‘Nimcha’ sword rather than the cutlass preferred by most other seafarers.
On Earth, Addonians could appear as anything from ‘Mediterranean’ to ‘West African’ in appearance.
If you want to create an Addonian character, here is a name generator.
Sometimes also known as 'the Folandet'.
Many centuries ago, the Folandet tribes were the dominant culture on the Northern shores of the circle sea, raiding down into the more settled lands of the Skultfolk, Quinians, Calarians and Inburians. However, bit by bit their ancestral territories were swallowed up by the Inburians and Haltians until the Folandet culture was left only on the Brendahl peninsular and the surrounding subarctic islands in the North sea.
For the past century and a half, the peninsular has been unified as the Kingdom of Brendahland and the people who live there are now more usually referred to as Brendahlanders. Around the time of the formation of the Kingdom, the Calarians first successfully navigated the Evig Ocean (to the West of the Circle Sea), finding their way to the Gold Coast, now, more usually referred to as the Calarian Main.
Setting out from their capital of Hemmeling, the Brendahlanders joined the race for the Gold Coast some twenty years after the Doel and, while they have set up a scattering of colonies in the region, remain very much the weakest of the three colonial powers and in recent years have formed a steady alliance with the Doel Union in an attempt to snatch a larger share of the lucrative trade in sugar, spice and precious minerals from the Calarians.
The Kingdom of Brendahl is ruled by King Hoskuld II
On Earth the Brendahlanders would appear to be ‘Northern Europeans’.
If you want to create a Brendahlander, here is a name generator.
The Calarian are one of the oldest human cultures of the Circle Sea and have, historically, established numerous settlements around its circumference. The Inburian and Addonian cultures are both descended from Calarian settlers.
Calarian culture dominates on the long peninsular south of the Morktree that culminates in their fortified capital of Bayeton. Historically the Calarians were a vassal of the Inburian Empire though modern ‘Calaria’ is a Merchant Republic led by Doge Vico Bembo.
Because of their relative geographical isolation, the Calarians have managed to prosper with only the occasional raid by the Haltians into their Northern territory. Their main enemy in their home territory is, in fact, Monchian corsairs and the state has a small but efficient Navy, mostly made up of small frigates designed to seek out and destroy Monchian pirate ships. Their land army is more significant, a large body of citizen-soldiers drawn from the towns and villages in the fertile plains north of Bayeton.
Calaria also has the distinction of being the first culture to have sailed out of the circle sea and successfully crossed the Evig Ocean to an area rich in valuable spices and valuable natural minerals that the Calarians initially named the ‘Gold Coast’ (now usually called the ‘Calarian Main’), just over 150 years ago. In the intervening time, the Calarians have colonised this area extensively and the natural resources of the gold coast have allowed the Calarian state to become extremely wealthy and the greatest external threat to the Haltian Empire.
The Calarians have aspirations to be the successors of the Inburian Empire and will occasionally call Bayeton the ‘Second Inbur’. The Calarian disdain for the Haltians (and indeed, most foreigners) is well known and were anything to happen to weaken the Empire it is likely they would face a Calarian attack, driving up the coast towards Inbur.
The Calarians are not, however, without human enemies. The Kingdom of Brendahland and Doel Union both have aspirations to claim the wealth of the Calarian Main while Monchian pirates continue to harass merchants returning from across the Evig Ocean.
Calarian officers, both at sea and on land, tend to use the rapier as their sword of choice.
On Earth, the Calarians would appear to be Southern Europeans.
If you want to create a Calarian character, here is a name generator.
The Doel people hail from the land to the West of the Quinians and, unlike their Eastern neighbours, have a long and proud maritime tradition to rival that of the Monchians. The Doel home territory in notoriously swampy and prone to flooding, though in recent years, modern engineering has allowed the Doel to somewhat control the problem.
The Doel have always had a strong navy, large fishing fleet and keen interest in commerce. While the Calarians were the first to chart the route across the Evig Ocean, the Doel were quick to follow and begin setting up their own trading ports. Quickly, a bitter rivalry sprung up between the two States. The disastrous Second Doel-Calarian war saw them cede many of their more important colonies to the Calarians some fifty years ago. In more recent years, the Doel have formed an alliance with the Kingdom of Brendahl with whom they have historic cultural links, also being descendants of Folandet remnants. Minor skirmishes have continued for years though the Alliance signals to many that another major war is on the horizon.
The Doel Union is made up of seven semi-independent states, with a nominal capital in the city of Morestad – the most powerful of the Doel cities. This is also the residence of the hereditary ‘Steward of the Doel’ - Prince Clas Matthias of Morestad.
The Doel are a fairly pale people who are notably taller than most of their neighbours, possibly in part, due to the large amount of fish in their diet.
On Earth the Doel would appear to be ‘Western Europeans’.
The Iktani are the original inhabitants of the Calarian Main and are still around 90% of the population, though are often underrepresented in the main trade ports. The Iktani, while sharing strong cultural ties with one another, do not see themselves as a single people. Prior to the arrival of the Calarians the area was a patchwork of different states, many of whom had a deep seated animosity for one another.
While the Calarians initially enjoyed significant technological advantages over the Iktani tribes, the Iktani have had plenty of time to adapt and have long-since learned to master Circle Sea weapons and tactics. The presence of the Brendahlander, Doel and Calarian outposts is guaranteed by alliances with local Iktani tribes. Tribes with a strong alliance with a Circle Sea power have grown wealthy and powerful off the back of their alliances, while those who historically were less welcoming of the Circle Sea Nations are often ruthlessly oppressed.
Iktani irregulars form the bulk of the militaries in the Calarian Main and are well respected as guerilla fighters. Governors of Colonial towns are often loathe to send expeditions into the dense jungle that makes up most of the Main, preferring to rely on friendly Iktani to do these jobs for them. There are plenty of incidences of expeditions vanishing without a trace while venturing into hostile Iktani territory.
On Earth, the Iktani would appear to be 'Amerindian' people.
If you want to create an Iktani character, here is a name generator.
The Inburians are the surviving remnant of a broken, though once-great Empire. Most live within the Haltian Empire. Around a third of their population is enslaved. Despite all of this, the Inburian Royal Line (the Hasikos dynasty) persists and there are a number of potential claimants to the Inburian Royal Throne scattered in Haltian territory. The Haltians tolerate the existence of these pretenders, provided they don't cause any trouble; attempting to move against them has been known to cause the Inburians to riot.
Historically, the Iburians are descended from Calarian settlers who began to build cities around the circle sea around 2,200 years ago. Over time and with contact with other cultural groups, some of these cities began to evolve their own identity. Inbur, lying in a strategically important position controlling the route to the portage at the Grendell rose in prominence, dominating many of the local towns. Inbur’s power spread until, 817 years ago it had become powerful enough for ‘Cyprien the Great’ to declare himself Emperor of Inbur, controlling the much of the Eastern parts of the modern Haltian Empire and Calaria with client Kings in Favis and Quinia.
209 years ago, when the Blight emerged, the Inburians led by Emperor Dakis III, supported by their client Kings were able to halt the orcs at the Grendell, though their forces were so weakened by the battle that they were in no fit state to resist the Haltian army that invaded from the West, completely overrunning the Imperial heartland.
On Earth, the Inburians would be described as 'Mediterranean' in appearance.
If you want to create an Iburian character, here is a name generator.
The people of the isolated on the isle of Favis have always been somewhat different from the ‘Mainlanders’ though 817 years ago, the island was brought under the sway of the Inburian Empire by Cyprien the Great, existing as a client Kingdom until the time of the Haltian conquest.
Positioned in the middle of the circle sea, it has remaijned untouched by the Blight and largely unmolested by the Haltians. In the decades following the collapse of the Inburian Empire, a dynastic crisis on Favis saw the two rival brothers, and claimants to the throne, retreat to the port cities of Vich and Emiddley. Neither was able to conquer the other and both cities still have a King who styles himself the ruler of all Favis. The Monchians are better known as sailors than soldiers and, strangely, usually know how to swim.
As well as being known as sailors, the Monchians are also infamous for piracy in the Circle Sea and there are numerous small pirate ports on the rugged West coast of their island. Monchian pirates are not above selling captives to Haltian slavers though they do not practice slavery on the island itself.
On Earth, the Monchians would appear to be 'Western Europeans'.
If you want to create a Monchian character, here is a name generator.
The Quinians are the majority culture on the coast, South of the Haltian Empire, centred around the Kingdoms of Estornen and Carnelfenney and have existed in this region since time immemorial slowly moving inland, absorbing and displacing the Folandet tribes in the pre-imperial era. During the time of the Inburian Empire the area was unified as a single client kingdom though it has devolved into a patchwork of independent and semi-independent Kingdoms, Dutchies and Counties over the intervening centuries.
Despite both Kingdom capitals being coastal, the Quinians are not naval powers, though they do derive significant income from the ports. Instead, this income is funnelled into training and equipping some of the best armies on the continent, frequently supplemented by mercenaries from elsewhere in the world. All of this is done so that the Quinians can hold back the Haltian Empire, which frequently skirmishes and raids into their lands.
Quinians tend to dress distinctly from other peoples. Poorer Quinians will often wear a traditional kilt, though breeches and stockings are more in favour amongst the aristocracy. Plaid patterns, rarely, if ever, seen amongst other cultures, are popular in Quinian clothing.
Quinian officers almost always carry a mortuary sword rather than a rapier and also often also carry a dirk and targe in their left hand.
On Earth, the Quinians would appear to be 'Northern Europeans', however, because of their tendency to employ mercenaries from abroad, the Kingdoms also have minority populations of every ethnicity under the sun.
If you want to create a Quinian character, here is a name generator.
the 'Eminent Kingdom of the Shariq' was once the main rivals of the Inburian Empire. How exactly the Blight came into existence is a secret known to nobody still alive, but it is known that it first manifested in the Shariq highlands before sweeping down, overrunning the Shariq cities before they were able to muster a unified response. The Shariq, as an independent nation were more-or-less destroyed by the Blight though Shariq refugee populations did manage to escape and major populations of Shariq can be found amongst the Addonian cities, on the isle of Favis and in the city of Inbur.
The Shariq tend to favor long baggy trousers (rather than the breeches and stockings worn by the men of most other cultures) for both men and women, with women wearing a calf-length smock over the top.
On Earth, Shariq would appear as ‘Mediterranean’ in appearance.
If you want to create a Shariq character, try either this name generator. or this name generator. For a surname, take one from where your Shariq character has settled (i.e. Monchian, Inburian, Addonian etc.) as surnames weren't in widespread use when the Eminent Kingdom was destroyed and most Shariq have taken local surnames.
THE RULES
In summary, 'don't be a dick'. But here they are if that comment is confusing:
Decisions My word and the word of all Co-OPs is binding. If you don’t like a decision, you can, of course, ask for us to reconsider it. Once. If we made a decision you don’t like, complaining for pages and pages is not going to endear you to anyone. Not me, not the Co-OPs and not your fellow writers. On that note, I intend to run this thread as an anarcho-communist cooperative. This is an unnecessarily complicated way of saying that my word DOES NOT overrule theirs. So don’t ask me to overrule one of the others. I won’t.
Post Quality I don’t have a problem with short posts but please use proper spelling (I don’t care what regional variant), grammar etc. Ideally also try to include a 'hook' when you write a post, which is to say something that gives other people something to respond to. If your post is something along the lines of 'Bilbo Baggins stayed in his room and read a book while the world was ending', don't be surprised if nobody responds to you.
Posting Commitment Nothing is worse than making an RP only for it to die. Please try to make a post every 48 hours or so. If you find yourself unable to post for extended periods of time, please let us know on the Discord or in the OOC thread. If it looks like you've abandoned a character in the middle of a fight scene I might decide to kill them off if I'm feeling particularly malicious.
Posting Speed On the flip side, blitz posting can also be infuriating. So, especially during the important scenes, I recommend giving your fellow players a reasonable time to make a reply. We all have real lives. That being said, if someone leaves everyone waiting for over 48 hours, feel free to carry on the scene without them.
OOC thread Manners Nothing annoys me more than bad manners on an OOC thread and in the Discord channel. Swearing, passive-aggressive sniping or any other rude behaviour are not welcome on the OOC. You will be warned once. If you can’t control yourself I will ask you to remove yourself from the thread.
IC thread Manners Remember, we are writing a story together, not trying to win.
Character Death Player death is possible in this RP, though will be quite rare and easily avoidable. Please don’t write that you have killed another character unless you have OOC permission from the character's owner to do it. Beat them into a pulp or take them prisoner, but don’t kill them. Having said that, if someone does something really stupid (such as attacking a ship of the line with a schooner, on your own), I reserve the right to announce your character has got themselves killed. Likewise, if someone goes inactive without explanation and cannot be raised, I may decide to kill their character off.
Keep it tasteful What is tasteful? Whatever I say it is! Generally speaking if there isn't a narrative reason for writing stuff other people will find offensive, don't write it. We'll ask you to correct, warn and/or ban depending upon how far outside the realms of common decency you are and whether we think you're taking the piss or not.
Banning Players I really don’t want to be doing that but reserve the right to do so if you cannot follow the (hopefully, rather simple) rules above.
APPLICATION FORMS
The moment you have been waiting for! Here are a few general rules before you make an app.
Pirates operate small, fast, crew-heavy ships. I would recommend:
Either a Brigantine, Polacre, Sloop, Schooner, Snow, or if you have an Addonian ship, a small Xebec.
4-12 cannons
a crew of up to about 100.
I will potentially accept things outside of this, though talk to me first if you would like to. If there's a clear narrative reason, I will accept that... though also bear in mind that larger ships will struggle to outrun naval vessels and escape is your best chance of survival.
When filling in an application form, please delete everything in parentheses.
Also, NO ANIME FACE CLAIMS
Character Description
Name: Species/Race: Sex: Age: Appearance:(Feel free to describe with text or put pictures in here. If you are using a picture, try to find something that looks 17th century, though I appreciate that might not necessarily work with fantasy races! Please, no anime face claims)
Strengths and Weaknesses
Skills: (Is there anything you are significantly better at than most other people? If you include something, make sure it is backed up in the background) Weaknesses: (Is there anything your character is really rubbish at? Not essential you put anything in, but can be fun)
Background:
Backstory:(How did you come to be here?)
Name of Ship: Type of Ship: (sloop, schooner, xebec or something else?) Rigging: (if unusual) Crew Compliment: (recommend up to 100) Cannon: (recommend 4-12) Description:(if you want to bring in something outside of the generic small ships I've mentioned above, please specify length, beam and tonnage - I'll figure out your draft from that)
Member
PrinceAlexus,
Noctis,
Bingelly,
Sir Lurksalot,
Shadow Daedalus,
Tesserach,
Terrans,
Half Pint,
Fetzen,
hanzo
