“The smell of the sea is in the air. A magical bang can be heard on a piano in the distance and people are having a great time. Isn’t it a lovely day to be a pirate?!”  

- Konstolten esquire

The free people of Fausolia enjoy life, but most of all they love making a good deal. Their stock contains items of dubious origin; assume most of it to be looted, plundered or smuggled. But not just items can be found being sold on the coasts; people, beasts and monsters are available as well. If something exists, it will probably be for sale here. If it's not, it is most likely because of the code everyone in this country seems to follow.

Murder is only forbidden between the walls of Laguna Azul, the ramshackle town the citizens call their capitol. Its walls consist of abandoned buildings of a forgotten civilization, fortified with dozens of shipwrecks.

Every kind of humanoid can be found here; from dwarves to tabaxi, from merrow to kobolds.

“Seize opportunity.”

-Fausolian motto

The Council of Eight

Playa da Fausolia is ruled by a council of eight Pirate Lords. There is no leader, because nobody wants to be the leader, something horrible seems to happen to every person who tries to assume the position of head pirate.

In times of crisis such as a rival faction or country invading the city, the most experienced pirate lord in the city will be in command and be dubbed the Captain lord.

The Code of Eight:

1. The right to parley. Parley is a negotiation conference, especially one between enemies over terms of a truce or other important matters.

2. Plunder with moderation or there will be nothing more to plunder.

3. Every crew member has to get an equal share in any treasure found.

4. A person who falls behind is left behind.

5. Betrayal is punishable by death.

6. Trading for products fair and square means the buyer can do as they like, including reselling for a profit.

7. Killing a surrendered enemy is forbidden.

8. The Code calls for pirates to respect their fellows on account. Knowingly targeting and sinking other pirate ships is strictly forbidden.

Houses

The houses in Playa da Fausolia are typically made from wood, unless they are made for more permanent residents. Some houses look like several ship parts mended together, which would be correct as wood is a scarce resource on the islands. More than half of the houses in the city are rentals, housing pirates that are staying in the city for quick maintenance to their ships.

Islands

Most islands in the country consist of fine white sand and clear lagoons. Visitors gush about the palm trees with fresh coconuts, the smell of the fresh sea, here and there mixed with a little whiff of gunpowder. The western waters on the other hand are in a predicament. The toxins spilling from the rivers in Mosa-Zlathi hit the coasts of the islands, turning the beautiful beaches into barren wastelands.

Transport

Residents use row boats, catamarans or other ships to travel between islands. But, if the islands are very close to each other they use very long wooden bridges on ropes. These are reeled back in if the scouts speak of storms brewing.

The biggest means of defence are weapons like cannons, mortars and ballistas. The capital, Laguna Azul, is build in an old stone fortress of unknown civilisations, using the old infrastructure as cover and as mounting spots for their cannons. While big weapons do draw attention, a less flashy strategy of the citizens is their usage of camouflage to hide in the local flora. If all else fails the leaders may call on the help of a legendary artefact to defend the country, but this is a last resort as the repercussions of using the artefact are dire.

The Tricorn of the Sea King

Citizens recount the tale of a legendary pirate lord known as "Roger D," who lived many centuries ago. His exploits and adventures have become the stuff of maritime folklore and continue to capture the imaginations of generations. His legendary status was earned by mastering control over the formidable sea creature Aserak, thereby granting him dominion over the vast expanse of the sea. Upon his demise his soul was trapped into his beautiful tricorn, while his loyal beast went into an eternal slumber. Since that fateful day, the title of pirate king has remained unclaimed. According to hearsay, the absence of a pirate king is attributed to the requirement of wearing Roger D's hat, which grants control over the great sea creature. The one who dons the hat is rumoured to become possessed by Roger D himself, causing their physical form to gradually disintegrate, transforming into saltwater.

Aserak: The Maw of The Sea

The legendary sea creature controlled by Roger D is known as "The Maw of The Sea".
Aserak is one of the mightiest sea spawn, with the power to destroys entire armadas in a single sweep. The monster seemingly originated from the deepest and darkest parts of the Divine’s Defiance. While it does resemble other monsters that slipped through this trench, Aserak is in a league of their own. At first glance Aserak looks similar to a mighty Kraken, but in reality it comes closer to a fusion of ancient versions of Krakens and Hydra. A weird hybrid equipped with a thousand red eyes and even more fangs. This description is unknown to mere mortals, as nothing can survive its hunger. This rings all the more true on days were the sea turns red out of nowhere, as Aserak stirs from its slumber to feast, only to return to its slumber once more after satisfying its appetite.

Mosa-Zlathi

The people of Fausolia and Mosa-Zlathi have a strange arrangement: The league does not plunder Mosa's lands and people, instead they protect them from raiders from the high north. In exchange they provide the league with timber, food and alcoholics which they don't produce themselves.

The High North

A fearsome people from the north most of us keep away from there, though mighty in melee, they stand no chance against the league's cannon fire. Oddly, the pirate lord Veknar the red prefers to fight these northmen up close to feel the adrenaline rush. Therefore he mostly sails up to the high north to find these battles.

Avanar

Fausolians have near to none interactions with Avanar, besides the occasional raid by land, under the cover of a sandstorm of course.

The Lysmåne Provinces

Lysmane is a rich place with lots of merchandise, goods and money flowing around. Sadly, they are guarded very well. They have great mighty vessels so not many fausolians go there for treasure. The ones who do are the sneaky ones, like the smugglers who act like merchants.

There is one nasty pirate lord who has the provinces as their common target. Known as Prince Kassad, the one with the poisons and diseases. Their constant need to test their potions makes it hard for Lysmanians to enjoy their meal. As the prince's usual method of operation is sneaking on board of ships and poisoning the sailors food. Most of the time this goes unnoticed, and when it doesn't Kassad uses a big dose of sleepsmoke, leaving the sailors none the wiser.

The Wehiké Principality

The other neighbours of Fausolia. Not as well regarded as the halflings of Mosa-Zlathi. It's better to leave the Wehikians alone, Fausolia might rule a lot of islands, but this pales in comparison to the vast depths ruled by the Principality. The nations trade goods from time to time, but they are still looking for a standardized thing to trade, as most Wehikians don't really care for gold.