Merry Pirate Seas
by Marco Dalmonte English translation by Gary DaviesKorotiku - Guile, cleverness, subterfuge and cheating, liberty, clear thinking, fun, non-conformism
Notes:
1. The Merry Pirates belong to diverse ethnic groups, all grouped together by Korotiku in the Anathyan Archipelago, near to the western Icirian coast. The civilisations from which Korotiku has taken them in order to create this piratical civilisation are famous for the activities of their buccaneers and are the following: Traldar of 1000 BC, Thyatians of 200 BC, Ostlanders of 500 AC, Ierendians (humans and halflings) of 700 AC. In the course of centuries, the pirates have made raids to damage the national coasts of Iciria and captured a large number of prisoners, became slaves in some cases and allies in others. For this now among the Merry Pirates are also found fierce Azcans, rebel Milenians, robust Tanagoro, Neathar of diverse tribes and even some mysterious Nithians. The Merry Pirates don’t have one government, but every community refers to a Pirate King, who has won fame on the battlefield and the respect of their kind thanks to piratical deeds rich of booty and to the cruelty with which he is able to keep his men in line. Every year the communities of pirates grow, competing among them and in some cases are destroyed by internal fights or by punitive expeditions of the combined nations, but the pirates have learnt to not pay much heed to of the future and to live the life (Which is a transient and treacherous thing.) by fully enjoying every moment and seeking satisfaction in as many pleasures as they possibly can, also at the expense of others.
2. The Merry Pirates aren’t famous for their religiousness, thus it is normal that the only temple present on the island is that which rises in the centre of Baraga (the most populous city) dedicated to Korotiku, the patron of guile and liberty (besides being the creator of this piracy community) according to the local beliefs. However numerous other faiths exist in the islands of the pirates, and even if in effect there exist some clerics, they have no other cult sites, nor do the Merry Pirates take much care to visit them or of showing respect and deference to one cult or to another church. The religious questions among them are much less formal and more personal, given that diverse pirates are admittedly interested only in their pleasure and to saving their own skin and aren’t interested in others. Those who pray Immortals do so mostly to call for help in extreme danger, or to invoke a blessing before a dangerous undertaking (like an attack on an enemy ship or a raid into a hostile port). The names that are most frequently heard on the lips of the pirates (more associated with profanity than prayer) are however those typical of the civilisation to which the Merry Pirates belong, like the Northmen Odin, Thor and Loki (the latter particularly welcomed), or Halav, Saturnius and Protius (typical of the Traldars and Milenians), Vanya and Nob Nar (recurrent among the Ierendians and the hin) and even Sinbad (mythical hero also present in the legends of the merry pirates).
3. For the Merry Pirates, the sea is a wild animal to tame: at one time can be friendly, but very often is unfaithful and traitorous. For this the Old Man of the Sea (Protius) is seen as a hostile Immortal, together with Crakkak, and there aren’t any clerics of Protius among the pirates, which instead fight in order to impose their own will on the sea and storms, resisting and defying Protius. On the other hand, there are followers of Protius and Crakkak among the aquatic creatures who live in the Atlass Ocean and that frequently engage in battle with the Merry Pirates for the domination of the waters and of the islands.
4. A civilisation of extremely peaceful Makai exists, saved by Korotiku from the tremendous earthquakes that devastated south-eastern Brun and the Sea of Dread between 2000 and 1700 BC before the violent seaquakes that sank it. These Makai were transplanted into a rather large island of the Anathyan archipelago, and their existence is only known to the Merry Pirates, who however have never despoiled them. To the contrary, the extremely friendly and pleasant nature of the Makai, and an area rich with fruits, plants and terrestrial fauna and fish, making the island of the Makai a preferential port for all the Merry Pirates that seek a shelter, a place where they can repair or careen the ships in safety, or simply where they can find provisions and assistance. There exists a tacit accord among all the Merry Pirates to finally respect the sanctity of this place called Anathy (which took its name from the archipelago that stretches from Iciria to Jomphur), And whoever violated it knows that the entire fellowship of the Merry Pirates would never give him respite until he was captured, flayed, and tortured properly before being fed to the fishes. The Anathyans worship Oloron (Odin), Lord of the Skies, the Old Man of the Sea (Protius), and Mother Nature (Djaea).