The Great Houses

The noble families of Zingara are all, theoretically, related in some complex way. By tradition, however, each households its own customs, seal, troops, and navy. They nominally answer when the king or queen calls, but only when it is advantageous to them. Feuds between certain houses have lasted for decades and even centuries, though marriage bonds are sometimes used to foster better will. But the Zingaran heart is a raging sun of passion. As surely as they love deeply, they hate deeply, as well. They forget neither friend nor betrayer, and any perceived slight can cause calamity between the aristocratic bloodlines that comprise the real power of Zingara.

The relative security of Zingara's borders is both a blessing and a bane, as it means that Zingara’s borders are relatively secure from invaders, but it is also difficult for the country to expand, and her proud and ambitious noble houses turn against one another with the lack of breathing room. Aquilonia has pushed aggressively into the Bossonian Marches and beyond to satisfy the greed and ambition of her nobility. Zingara, on the other hand, has nowhere to go but into Pict-held land to their immediate north, lest they wish to dispute borders with Aquilonia or Argos (more than is already the case). Her southern plantations are the heart of her agricultural wealth, and to endanger them would be the death-knell of the country, so the king of Zingara must play noble houses against one another to keep them in check.

Each of these noble houses is led by a “prince”, a title denoting noble blood but not directly descended from the king. Valerio, the current king, is supported by a web of alliances among these princes. He has little authority of his own and instead must call upon the princes for military aid and other support. King Valerio is accountable to a council of nobles, made up of representatives from the oldest and most prominent of noble houses. If Valerio fails to abide by the council’s guidance, the nobles can call for a vote of confidence in the king. Calling for such a vote often ushers in a period of anarchy as the princes contend among themselves for the throne, both politically and militarily. These periods of uncertainty and unrest can last a few weeks or go on for several years.

The Order of Saint Raphael

The Order of Saint Raphael are Mitran warrior monks in the north of Zingara who care for and suffer from Leprosy. These warriors feel no pain and do not fear death, owing to their faith that service in this life will lead to the greater reward in the afterlife. Although many in Zingara initially turned their noses at #leper soldiers, they Order has proven its worth time and time again for the frontier men and traders of the north. The Order of Saint Raphael is the only holy order in Zingara the Inquisition will not interrogate, even they see their services as a just and worthy cause.

ZINGARAN FREEBOOTERS

The Zingaran Freebooters are a loose collection of privateers and renegades turned to rude piracy. Whether captains are privateers or pirates usually depends on whether they are in favor at court. As such, the Freebooters are typically led by captains from the Zingaran nobility, usually disenfranchised or without inheritance. Many second sons of Zingara go to sea as Freebooters to make names for themselves. When they are in favor and working as privateers, the Freebooters have access to Kordava and other harbors in Zingara. When they are out of favor, they must seek refuge on one of the isolated islands off the coast of Zingara or north along the Pictish coast. There they set up camps where they can rest and repair their ships. These camps are usually temporary affairs with tents, lean-tos, and other simple shelters.

The camps off the Zingaran coast are often visited by fishermen, prostitutes, and merchants bringing food, wine, news, and other supplies. The merchants also seek to trade with the captains and crews, providing the Freebooters with an opportunity to exchange their plunder for other goods. These camps often feature drinking, singing, and gambling around great bonfires that last well into the night. The camps along the wind-swept beaches of the Pictish Wilderness are, by necessity, more sparse affairs. There, the Freebooters must rely on what they can forage for themselves or trade with the ever-wary Picts. The Picts, though, are ever changeable, and even if one tribe in the area is willing to make peace and trade with a ship’s crew, the other tribes may be waiting to strike. In exchange for these dangers and deprivations, the beaches along the Pict coast offer privacy and access to needed timber and seals that are hunted for their hides and their meat.

The one thing that binds the Freebooters together is their enmity and rivalry with the Red Brotherhood of the Baracha Islands. As privateers, the Freebooters are primarily charged with defending the ships traveling along the coast of Zingara from Barachan raids. The royal court in Kordava offers a special bounty for members of the Red Brotherhood brought into port for trial. Pirate captains and other leaders are usually executed. Common sailors are sold as slaves, usually to work in quarries throughout Zingara. As the Freebooters are usually led by Zingaran nobles, their crews function more like mercenary companies or naval vessels than the more democratic companies among the Red Brotherhood. As such, the Freebooters usually fly a flag with some variation of the coat of arms from the captain’s family. Before battle, they often raise below it a red or black flag as a sign that no quarter will be given.

A captain among the Zingaran Freebooters has responsibilities to his crew, ensuring that they are well-equipped and rewarded. But there is no question as to who is the master and who is the servant. A Freebooter crew that loses faith in its captain is more likely to desert and seek to join a more successful band of Freebooters than to mutiny.