The Regulators
Many are the pirates who sail the storm-tossed seas, but few are more successful or more feared then the Regulators.
The Regulators are feared by many as raiders and pirates but they have a firm base of support in the Golden Hills. The Golden Hills are the tops of a huge undersea mountian chain. In the past the De Madden Company sent slavers there and they kiddnapped many of the inhabitants and stole a large deposit of amythest.
Then a pirate ship arrived and the men, who had become pirates after committing a mutiny and had nothing to lose as they had committed two capital offenses allready, took a vote and decided to do something that pirates did not normally do.They would protect the surviving tribespeople from attacks in return for a secure base. When the slavers came back the pirates were waiting for them and chopped them down,and then took their ship.
The pirates voted to become the Regulators, and made a *patch* with a skull with fins on it,which they sewed on the backs of their shirts and jackets.
To most people in the outside world they are a terror and undoubtably they have murdered many who do not deserve it, burned villages and certain towns and have committed at least a few rapes.However, they have also done some *good* things as well. They have freed slaves and prisoners, robbed greedy tax collecters and rich nobles who have made themselves unpopular with the public,and treated the tribe of the Golden Hills very well indeed,rather then slaughtering or enslaving them.
Many ships have been taken and each is manned by a *chapter* of Regulators. The Regulators *strip down* many of the ships to make them faster.The wood and rope and sailcloth has been used for many things. Wooden walls to protect their islands both from attack and from high tides. Rope bridges, sailcloth hammocks, large crossbows set up at various points...none of what is stripped down is wasted.Jettys and houses have been made and used to expand the living space on the islands.
Those who want to join serve for a month as prospects,and are then either voted in or put ashore somewhere safe.Secret contacts in Banhoesea and other places help them sell their plunder. Officers are elected for a twenty year period from long term members. A Regulator is expected to obey his or her officers (most Regulators are male), to defend their *colours* to the death, and not to undermine their support base in the Golden Hills by needless violence.Their *support base* is where their wives and children come from.
Many pirates have joined them.There have been cases where Regulators have caught unauthorized people flying the Regulator colurs, and have beaten them half to death as a warning.There have been cases where those who have put up a good fight have been offered a place in their ranks. Should they discover pirates that are not part of their organization, they give them the choice of joining them as prospects, or beinging put to the cutlass and having their ships taken. They hate competition in the areas of ocean that they rule.
The De Madden Company in paticular hates them and wants them destroyed but shoals prevent the mighty ten masters from getting anywhere near them, whilst smaller craft have been twice defeated in two major battles.Also, the De Maddens would rather get money through trade then spend it on warfare.
When selling their plunder in areas that they do not control, they take off their colours and pass themselves off as ordinary merchants.
Not Registered Yet? No problem.
Do you want Strolenati super powers? Registering. That's how you get super powers! These are just a couple powers you receive with more to come as you participate.
- Upvote and give XP to encourage useful comments.
- Work on submissions in private or flag them for assistance.
- Earn XP and gain levels that give you more site abilities (super powers).
- You should register. All your friends are doing it!
? Responses (7)
Half-pirates, half-settled marines on a well-defensible place. A quite stable position, until someone starts to 'have a vision' of something bigger, like taking over another islands or creating an own empire. Interesting.
(Don't forget to link it to other submissions of yours, with freetext, links and so on.)
Pirates, inc.
An interesting idea, though not much to set tham apart from the standard pirate, IMHO.
A little wonder as to why they came to this state? What motivated them to be different than the standard pirates.
Well, the first ones became pirates after committing mutiny. I would say that they were regular marines before, with homes and families, without a chance to return... so they have founded a new home. Cheka could make a story about it or leave it vague.
I see ties to biker gangs of the midwest, while it might not be so it has some feel of it. I like the idea of it if it was put into more readable semblance. It seems as if some of this was half thought out and just thrown together.
I like it though and can see reasons to throw a group of players at them, perhaps some noble or rich merchant wants them eliminated and hires the party to do just that not telling them they have good intentions. The "Regulators" eventually capture them and try to recruit them into their folds. Tends to make an interesting session.
It reminded me of mexican drug cartels :)