The Pirate Kings of the White Skull

Whilst the Kingdoms of Trevast fight and lay claim to land and title, there are those who lay claim to the great seas, and the treasures to be stolen from them. These men and women are known as Pirates, fearsome adventurers and rogues who take to the waves in search of fame, riches, or an escape from their former life.

Whilst a great many of these men and women operate alone, their single ship their personal fiefdom, their future what they make for themselves; there are those who band together beneath Pirate-Lords, and these notorious men and women form the Kingdom of the White Skull.


History

Centuries past, whilst the lands of the Trevastians fought their wars of succession, there was a small enclave in the ‘Bay of Light’ on the mainland, some distance away from the Kingdom of Luska - formed of the a peace loving people, compassionate, kind and understanding. Glad to be away from the political strife in Trevast, these people lead an honest life of farming - marriage between different class or creed was commonplace, and for many years they lived in happiness.

But as with all such things, it was simply not to last, and legends tell of the fall of this land, in the myth known as the ‘Coming of the Black Sails’:



‘’And there upon the horizon was it seen, as the bell tolled for the eleventh hour on the day of the King's marriage to the common girl Elsa - the daughter of the blacksmith. They came under Black Sails, their great boats belching vile black water, their men sick for want of rum and women. The King, such was his glutton of good will on the day of his nuptials did welcome them in, much to the chagrin of the townsfolk; and the newcomers laughed and slapped his back with glee and faux thanks.

In the coming weeks they tore every ale house dry, the docks became a den of vice and sin, theft was rampant, and soon the King was forced to step in. On a white horse he rode down and beseeched the newcomers to leave, such was his need. The newcomers obliged with almost uncanny willingness, and come the morn they had stolen away on their ship.

Nearly a year passed, and the anniversary of the King's wedding was nigh. Nobody saw or heard of the men who had torn through their township, and on the day of the anniversary, all seemed well. Yet as the clock struck midnight, a great cry was heard from the docks. Out in the harbour, the great ship stood afloat, the burning wrecks of its victims either side, the merchantmen of the town put to the torch.

In a matter of hours they men came ashore killing all they saw, taking rum, booty and women by the score. The King, begged their leader to leave, and he merely laughed, stabbing the King through the heart and taking his beloved Elsa for his own before his dying eyes. The town was put to the torch and a new one rose from its ashes. The Bay of Light became the Bay of Skulls.

They came on Black Sails, and they never left.’’



Since that fateful day, the Bay of Skulls has grown into a nest of Scum and Villainy the likes of which cannot be found in any other nation on earth. Thousands of ships come and go each week, stolen goods, slaves and more change hands by the score with each day - all under the watchful eye of the Pirate King himself.


Political Structure

Council of Lords

One of the most key elements of the Kingdoms structure is the fact that anyone can claim a Lordship (which is explained below). These Pirate Lords are the scions of the High Seas, ruling by the strength to their mast and the fury of their blades. This Council of Lords is an informal agreement between the Pirate Moguls, which meets when the great Skull is lit at the heart of the City; summoning them at the whims of their King.

Claiming a Lordship

This is an easy process, and one that nets bizarre and unexpected results often. In order to claim a lordship, all one must do is possess a ship a and a crew, and then challenge a sitting lord to a trial by combat at a time of the Lords choosing, within the next ‘Cycle of the Moon’. Naturally, it is often the sitting Lord that wins if the challenger is foolish - for with the resources at their disposal, an ‘Honest Fight’ almost certainly never happens.

Pirate King

Sitting at the head of the Council, the Pirate King is the ‘Head of State’ of the Lords and the Kingdom, and it is he who declares war and summons meetings. However, the King has very little actual power, and must allow it to manifest through his Council - the only real thing the King can do is command the council to war, ordering them to come together and fight a common foe. However, such is the rarity of this that it has only been invoked once - when the Kingdom found itself under threat from the Boteri Navy.

Selection of the King

Naturally, the Position of Pirate King is not inherited, it is claimed. To do this, a Pirate Lord must convince all the other lords to back them, and the vote must be unanimous. Sometimes this is done simply through reputation alone, other times by threats, assassinations and bribes. Once becoming King, the Flagship of the Kings becomes available to them, as does the ‘Skull Fleet’.


The Bay of Skulls

The Main ‘Bay’ commanded by the Kingdom, the Bay of Skulls is the largest Pirate settlement in the world, although it is not uncommon for the Pirate Lords to also control smaller settlements. Despite popular belief, it is not the capital of the Kingdom. Situated in a Bay, filled with jagged rocks - so that only true pirates can navigate to its core - the Bay of Skulls is a settlement as old as many to be found in Trevast, and is home to Inns, Brothels, Shipwrights and great Docks. It is said that anything in the world can be found here, and if not - it can be stolen.







One of the most feared forces on the high seas, the Skull Fleet is the Fleet directly commanded by the Pirate King himself, and consists of a total of sixteen heavy warships and forty-eight smaller warships. Without exception, every single vessel is adorned with vast gold painted skulls on the aft-castle, and each has a fearsome reputation for brutality on the waves.


Galleass

Numbering fifteen ships in total, and often operating alone on the high seas, these vessels are the largest consistent type in the fleet and come equipped with a wide range of weapons, such as three decks of springalds - and swivel mounted repeating crossbows on the main. With oar power when needed, the vessels are capable of sinking any main nations warship in the correct conditions and under the right commander.


Carracks

Smaller vessels boasting two masts at max, they are mostly dedicated to speed and boarding - with a fore and aft castle from which the crew rain down arrows and stones onto the enemy.





Most likely the most infamous ship to sail the seas in Trevastine History, the Harbinger is the personal throne ship of the Pirate King himself; containing the great chamber of the Pirate Lords and the ‘Maw of Doom’ at its fore. Known by many names depending on where one is from, such as the ‘Bringer of Death’ ‘Doom Reaper’ and ‘Despoiler of Valdez’, the ship is utterly vast in size, boasting five gun decks, with a loadout to match.

The Harbinger carries 104 Springalds in total, arranged to doll out horrifying broadsides on anyone unfortunate enough to come into range, with nearly 68 swivel mounted repeaters split between the aft and forecastles. However, most impressive of all is the weapon found within the ‘Maw of Doom’ at the fore of the ship. Whilst the maw itself comes with no less that seven underwater spikes to rip apart the hull of enemy ships, it boasts a vast Springald, that hurls an anchor sized bolt affixed to a chain, to haul enemy ships to their dooms beneath the maw.

On either side of the ship, logs can be dropped from great banks onto the ships below it, and wit a compliment almost double that of other warships - it is capable of devastating boarding actions, or interactions. It is rare to see this ship in combat, as many who see it prefer to simply flee.