Astral Piracy
For generations, war between the League and the Empire had devastated Sarnout. Thousands died on its behalf, and even the most renowned of fighters quickly became tired of shedding blood for a war that no longer seemed worth the struggle. They took to the Astral, where there was no one to enforce law and order. Thus, the Era of Piracy began — the Astral sea got flooded with deserters, renegades, mercenaries, and privateers who valued freedom above all.
The once-decorated officers, expert navigators, and battle-hardened ship captains rejected the interminable war in search of their destiny. They made paths to freedom without any care, following the scent of wealth and adventure. Some reconsidered their lives as free traders and explorers. Others became outlaws, raiding unprotected convoys and isolated allods to strike against both League and Empire.
They say that Astral is ungiving to weaklings: such cunning and ruthless ways gave rise to infamous pirate crews whose reputation sends shudders of fear and admiration across the floating isles.
The Notorious Captains of the Astral
Captain Erík Hvítskegg — once a captain in the League fleet, Erík disappeared during a disastrous battle against the Empire only to re-emerge years later aboard the Starving Sturgeon, a Ghibberling triple-decked drakkar, dreaded all across the Astral. Legend says that his crew is nothing more than souls lost in that battle, bound to him by a curse unknown. Be that as it may, not a single ship has returned for telling after coming across the Sturgeon.
Red Lily – a former noble elf of the Minor House, Lilianna di Vereaux, left her title and lands behind in favor of the thrill of the Astral. As "Red Lily," she commands the Crimson Tempest, a fast and lethal warship with a name for unmatched speed and precision strikes. Unlike most pirates, she only kills sparingly where strictly necessary, rather tending to humiliate her foes by marooning them on barren allods with no more than their underwear and bruised egos.
The Iron Baron – once an Imperial engineer, Negus Iroh, he escaped the tyranny of the Empire to sail under the banners of freedom. His floating citadel, The Delirium Trigger, is laden with all sorts of experimental deadly mana-tech.
Pirate Hideaways and Secret Allods
Even though the Astral is vast and lethal, even pirates need hideaways in which to rest, restore themselves, and luxuriate in their plunder. Secluded retreats scattered around the void are regions where the law does not apply:
Stalnoy Island – a former glorious Kanian fort, now a ruined citadel conquered by squabbling pirate warlords. There, duels settle disputes, and only one form of currency is truly held in esteem: blood.
The Maw – a gargantuan wreck stuck between the teeth inside of the mouth of an ancient Astral Arch-Devil corpse. The most infamous of corsair ports.
