Shackles Pirates

Shackles Pirates

(Organization)

Leader

4715 AR—: Tessa Fairwind
4674–4715 AR: Kerdak Bonefist

Alignment

Chaotic neutral

Headquarters

Shackles

Goals

Plunder

Scope

National

Structure

Loose organisation of pirate fleets

Members

Pirates

Source: Faction Guide, pg(s). 46

See also: Shackles pirate

The Shackles Pirates are a loose collection of pirates, thieves, smugglers, extortionists, sailors, freedom-fighters, and other n'er-do-wells based in the archipelago of the Shackles off the western coast of Garund, south of the Eye of Abendego. Once a collection of independent pirate lords, they joined together as a single fleet in 4674 AR under then-Hurricane King Kerdak Bonefist to prey on the shipping channels to the north.

History

As of 4708 AR, the nation of Nidal had recently allowed vessels of the Shackles Pirates to dock in Nisroch. By so doing they managed to simultaneously annoy both Cheliax and Andoran, which is no mean feat. The Nidalese bought slaves from the pirates, which they then transported through the Shadow Caverns and sold to denizens of the Darklands.

Organization

They have no true headquarters, operating instead out of the numerous coves and settlements of the Shackles. In theory, anyone is welcome to join the organisation—including the crews of captured ships. They value their freedom above all else, and as a result are very loosely organised. Individual crews serve a Free Captain, most Free Captains band together in the service of a pirate lord, and the lords serve on the Pirate Council under the leadership of the Hurricane King or Queen.

Operations

The Shackles Pirates attack shipping in the region of the Eye of Abendego, relying on local knowledge and superior seamanship to outsail enemy warships—typically those of Cheliax and Rahadoum—but raid as far north as the Arch of Aroden. They also raided the shipping of Sargava until negotiating a hefty tribute from the former colony in return for protecting it from Cheliax, and hostilities resumed after the Vidric Revolution resulted in the nation becoming Vidrian and ceasing its protection payments.

Members

Current and past Shackles Pirates include:

• Tessa Fairwind, Hurricane Queen since 4715 AR✝ and governor of Quent
• Arronax Endymion, disgraced former admiral of the Chelaxian Navy and lord of Hell Harbor
• Avimar Sorrinash, werewolf and lord of Ollo
• Jolis Raffles, halfling lord of Bag Island
• Kerdak Bonefist, former Hurricane King
• Master of the Gales, a former Sargavan and ruler of Drenchport
• Satekai, a Tian pirate who arrived in Lamashan, 4711 AR

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Squadrons

• Devils' Own
• Jolis Raffles' fleet of seven galleys, five sloops, and two frigates based in Bag Island

Vessels

Shackles pirates prefer ships that balance size with range and capacity, though a definition any more precise than that is open to fervent debate. The recent arrival of Free Captain Satekai's Tian-made Red Fortune, which exemplifies this balance, has set up a growing demand for similar Tian ships among other Shackles pirates.

• Blood Moon, a brig
• Chains of Freedom, a galleon
• Filthy Lucre, a man-o'-war bearing cannons from Alkenstar
• Darkbow, a ketch operating out of Beachcomber
• Kraken, a xebec
• Luck of the Draw, a sloop-of-war
• Red Fortune, a light and narrow Tian ship
• Tyrannous, a former Chelaxian Navy frigate

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References

For additional as-yet unincorporated sources about this subject, see the Meta page.