Anuire » Southern Coast » Albiele town » Pirate Clans in Albiele Town
This section briefly describes the clans that have some sort of permanent presence on Albiele Island. Also presented in less detail are a few clans the DM can use as ?visitors? to Albiele Town while the PCs are there. Note that all of the clans mentioned here are detailed far more exhaustively in the Clans Of The Southern Seas accessory. That accessory also presents several new ship types that many of the pirate clans use, in particular the pirate galleon. For simplicity?s sake, in the information presented below, this ship type has been omitted (and replaced with caravels in many cases). If you have the Clans Of The Southern Seas accessory, use the clan details given there.
It is worth repeating here one particular passage from Clans Of The Southern Seas that may offer DMs an insight into the pirate clans and their members? behaviour:
?My studies of the pirate clans have led to me to the inescapable conclusion that clan members have amongst themselves a code of honor, twisted by our standards perhaps, but honor nonetheless. This code, which is very rarely, if ever, actually mentioned by the pirates themselves, guides almost every action and thought. However, a clan pirate usually only observes this code with regard to his fellow clan members or members of a strongly allied clan. The only other major guiding force in a clan pirate?s life seems to be the fervent desire to ensure their own clan rises to prominence. This motivation is never far removed from their thoughts and consequently a clan pirate will often act in a manner which aims to impress, and even intimidate, those around them. This behavior is eminently noticeable among pirates from different clans, even if these clans are allied.?
The clan summaries use the following format:
Name: The full name of the clan, including any nicknames.
Captains/Ships: A listing of the clan's captains (with brief statistics) and ships (including ship type): eg. Lord Black (MA; F4; LE)/The Black Rose (caravel)
Headquarters: The building(s) or other location(s) in Albiele Town that the clan controls or operates out of.
Usual Activities: What activities the clan commonly involves itself in, including any services ?unique? to that clan.
Feuds And Alliances: Although most clans dislike one another, in some cases it goes a lot further than that. Also listed here are any unusually friendly clans (such a situation is fairly rare, but it has been known to happen for reasons usually involving mutual profit and power).
Notes: Any information that doesn?t fit into any of the previous categories.

[top]The Aerele Ravagers

One of two clans getting in on the profits of logging in the Albiele Woods, this clan is fast gaining in influence and wealth.
Captains/Ships: Wild Onwen (MA; Ftr3; LE)/Sea Horse (caravel); Darnae (FA; Rog4; LN)/Night Lady (dhoura).
Headquarters: Ravagers? Logging Camp (#29)
Usual Activities: A lot of this clan?s time is currently being spent to improve their logging operations in the Albiele Woods. About the only non-logging activity they still participate in is a rare smuggling run for Trevan?s Fencing and Smuggling business. Such runs are always performed by Darnae and Night Lady - Wild Onwen doesn?t have the patience, or the stability for that matter, to be a successful smuggler.
Feuds And Alliances: This clan has no real alliances, but they do have a rapidly growing feud with their rivals in the logging trade - the Sea Lords. If it wasn?t for the Governor?s prohibition on clan conflict on the island, this rivalry would have long since come to blows. As it is, however, fights are kept to brawls between single members of the clans although there have been one or two ?incidents? at sea.
Notes: The Aerele Ravagers are highly fortunate in that they have a Brecht sea mage specialist (MBr; Wiz7; Ma, minor, 12; LE) in their employ. This mage, Calder by name (although most refer to him by his self-proclaimed title of ?Storm?s Rage?), is the sole reason the Ravagers have won several sea battles with other clans. As such, he has made sure he is considered an equal with the two clan?s captains when it comes to the running of the clan.

[top]The Sea Lords

As the newcomer in the business of logging in Albiele Wood, the Sea Lords have to play catch up any way they can.
Captains/Ships: Lord Black (MA; F4; LE)/The Black Rose (caravel); Lord Storm (MRj; F3; CE)/ Dark Seas (zebec); Lord Tannen (MA; F2/Pr3, Belinik; CE)/Belinik?s Fury (galleon).
Headquarters: Albiele Wood Loggers (#30).
Usual Activities: Unlike their logging rivals, the Aerele Ravagers, the Sea Lords are still focusing a lot of their attention on naval matters. Lords Storm and Tannen still sail the Straits of Aerele and the Suidemiere so anyone doing business with the Lords in Albiele Town is most likely to be dealing with Lord Black. The Sea Lords are primarily pirates but Lord Tannen has been known to act as a sort of ?assassin?. He occasionally hires himself and his ship out to people who want specific ships (and their captains or passengers) sent to the bottom of the sea. Tannen does not restrict these activities to non-clan ships either, as several clans have found out.
Feuds And Alliances: The Lords most bitterest is their rival in the logging industry - the Aerele Ravagers. Also, Lord Tannen?s ?assassinations? have earned this clan the strong dislike of those clans who have lost ships and captains to Belinik?s Fury. The only reason the Sea Lords haven?t been destroyed by their enemies is their recent alliance of convenience with the Gods? Blood clan. Under this arrangement, the Sea Lords watch out for the Gods? Blood?s interests on Albiele Island and the Sea Lords gain the protection of the most powerful pirate clan currently afloat.
Notes: Lord Tannen is a devout priest of Belinik and the crew of his ship worships the evil Vos deity. Belinik?s Fury and its captain have a reputation among the clans as being very capable in battle and they have never been known to run from a fight.

[top]Gods? Blood , Clan Bloodtheft

While not really part of the Albiele Town equation, this clan is listed here simply because of its power and influence.
Captains/Ships: High Captain Raesene (MA; F8/T3; An, major, 31; LE)/The Black Prince (galleon); Captain Landen (MA; T6; An, minor, 15; LE)/Death?s Ride (galleon); Captain Anatoli (MRj; F5; Br, minor, 11; NE)/The Lady Cold (knarr); Captain Helga the Grey (FRj; F5; Ba, minor, 15; N)/Storm Cloud (roundship); Captain Faelen (FA; F4; Vo, tainted, 12; LE)/Faelen?s Pride (caravel).
Headquarters: Albiele Wood Loggers (#30). Anyone in Albiele Town wanting to do business with this powerful clan will have to go through the Sea Lords.
Usual Activities: This clan is a pirate clan first and foremost. Their ships are the terror of the southern (and occasionally, the western) coasts of Anuire. They are one of few clans who raid coastal settlements with any sort of frequency. They serve only their own interests, and those interests have expanded recently to include Albiele Town, albeit through the Sea Lords (as part of an arrangement between the two clans). Another of this clan?s (or more accurately, its captains?) primary interests is the increasing their bloodline strengths, hence their nickname (which is never uttered within hearing of a Gods? Blood member).
Feuds And Alliances: This clan is arguably the most powerful throughout the Suidemiere, the Straits of Aerele and beyond. As such, all of the other clans envy them and more than a few have sunk beneath the waves forever as a result of this clan?s ambitions. However, few are foolish to let their actions speak louder than their words; to do so would beg swift ruin. Consequently, their dominance of the pirate clans means they have little need for alliances. However, rather than divert their own resources to get in on the growing importance of Albiele Town, they have made an arrangement with one of the two clans involved in the logging of Albiele Wood (the Sea Lords). The arrangement requires the Sea Lords to look out for and actively expand the fledgling presence Gods? Blood have established in Albiele Town. In return, Gods? Blood have let it be known that they will treat an attack upon the Sea Lords as an attack upon themselves.
Notes : A little of the clan?s history is presented here as it is somewhat noteworthy. According to legend, Gods? Blood clan stretches back in an unbroken line to the days of the War of the Shadow and the battle at Deismaar (for more info on what part the pirate clans had to play in the War of Shadow see the Clans Of The Southern Seas accessory) . When the old gods destroyed themselves to bring down Azrai, the then High Captain absorbed part of the essence of Anduiras, resulting in a bloodline that has been passed down from High Captain to High Captain for more than 1500 years. Since the Battle of Mount Deismaar, Captains have always taken the name Raesene upon ascending to the position of High Captain. Likewise, the new High Captain?s ship is always renamed the Black Prince. Gods? Blood clan has several spellcasters, all wizards except for a single priest of Nesirie, among their ships? crews, which goes a long way to explaining their naval might.

[top]The Sea Wraiths

Sole plunderers of the mineral riches of the Old Hills, the Sea Wraiths are fast approaching the discovery of a devastating secret hidden in the heart of Old Hills.
Captains/Ships: Draena (FA; F4; Br, minor, 12; CE)/Last Sight (galleon); Captain Andrei (MV; F5; LE)/The Raptor (caravel); Ghaen (MA; T4; LE)/Night Stalker (caravel); Tuarim (MKh; W5; Vo, minor, 16; LN)/None.
Headquarters: Old Hills Mining (#8) and a large camp near the middle of the Old Hills (marked on Map ?: Albiele Island).
Usual Activities: Currently, Draena is the only Sea Wraith captain engaged in any actual pirate activities. The other three captains are working on getting their fledgling mining operation off the ground. Tuarim spends most of his time in the clan?s Albiele Town headquarters (#8), while Captain Andrei and Ghaen are usually at the mining camp.
Feuds And Alliances: The Sea Wraiths are not on very friendly terms with any other clans, a dangerous situation for a clan of whom many others are envious (thanks to the wealth they stand to gain from their mining efforts). If they do not find some powerful backing soon, the Sea Wraiths are unlikely to survive the almost inevitable attacks.
Notes: Unbeknownst to his fellow Sea Wraith captains, Tuarim (who is detailed in The Pillars Of The Community, below) was the latest effort by the Port of Call Exchange guild (run by the guildlord el-Hadid) to curb piracy in the southern seas of Anuire (against his ships at least). However, when the Sea Wraiths began their mining operations, el-Hadid instructed his agent to help the Wraiths get the operation under way and successful so that he can step in later and gain control of the enormous wealth lying in the Old Hills.

[top]Knights Of The Waves

Feared by any merchant ship which sails the Straits of Aerele, members of this clan delight in the thrill and pulse of battle.
Captains/Ships: Caliendre (FA; F6; An, minor, 5; NE)/Red Death (galleon); High Lord Gavin (MA; F7; LE)/The Sea King (galleon).
Headquarters: The Barracks (#19)
Usual Activities: The Knights of the Waves operate primarily as mercenaries, performing whatever services their employers require. They have made a name for themselves as a clan very capable in combat, both naval and hand-to-hand. As such, their usual hire involves the looting (and sometimes destruction) of trading vessels. These attacks are often paid for by rival traders, but the Knights sometimes strike to fill up their coffers, to keep their battle skills sharp or simply because they feel like it.
Feuds And Alliances: This clan has currently has no sworn enemies or friends. Despite their small size, the Knights are generally avoided on the open water due to their reputation.
Notes: Although they only have two ships, the Knights have many more crew than they could possibly use at any one time. The members of the clan not on duty on either of the two ships spend their time at the clan?s Albiele Town headquarters, the Barracks, practicing their fighting skills under the guidance of a brutal Vos warrior named Vladimir (MV; F8; NE). It has gone largely unnoticed in Albiele Town that this effectively gives the Knights the biggest and best trained ?military? force in the town.

[top]Oceans? Wrath

While many pirate clans are involved in smuggling to some degree or another, the Oceans? Wrath clan has built a strong reputation as being willing to smuggle anything or anyone - for the right price.
Captains/Ships: Aeric (MA; T5; CE)/Night Breeze (caravel); Ibrahim the Bold (MKh; M3/T5; CE)/My Lady?s Favour (dhoura).
Headquarters: Smugglers? Haven (#17). This clan now does almost all of their business out of this building.
Usual Activities: Despite their fearsome name, the Oceans? Wrath clan are smugglers who will go miles out of their way to avoid a fight, and if they can?t do that they will try to buy their way out if it. Their chosen trade has made this clan very, very rich. By bribing a major official or two in nearly every port in southern Anuire and western Khinasi, Oceans? Wrath can smuggle goods or people to almost any point along Cerilia?s southern coast, even Mieres. Now that business is booming, Aeric and Ibrahim are simply unable to personally do all the smuggling, so they have taken to simply supplying other ships and captains with the necessary money and names to get the smuggled cargo past port authorities. Of the two captains, Aeric spends the more time actively smuggling while Ibrahim is much happier taking care of the details of the business from the comfort of Smugglers? Haven in Albiele Town.
Feuds and Alliances: Many clans are jealous of this clan?s wealth, but Oceans? Wrath have made themselves too valuable for them to have any serious enemies. On the flip side of the coin, Oceans? Wrath prefer their neutrality and have not made any alliances, despite many other clans being interested in just that.
Notes: Both Aeric and Ibrahim avoid combat, both at sea and on land. For Ibrahim, this practice had earned him the derisive title ?the Bold?. Their ships are built for speed, not conflict, and there are very few ships in the either the Straits of Aerele or the Suidemiere that they cannot outrun. Ibrahim is a devout follower of Sera (Sarma in the Khinasi culture). He is also has some small level of skill as a magician.

[top]Storm?s Heart

Despite not being as big as Gods? Blood, as wealthy as Oceans? Wrath or as well trained as Knights of the Waves, this clan is just as dangerous as any of them, perhaps even more so.
Captains/Ships: Liémen (MA; F4; An, minor, 12; LE)/Silence of the Deep (caravel); Lady Arlinda (FBr; T3; LE)/The Queen (zebec); Moerel (MA; Pr4, Eloéle; LE)/Black Dagger (caravel); Alvaro (MKh/A; F3; Ba, tainted, 8; LE)/Last Wave
Headquarters: None (in Albiele Town, at least)
Usual Activities: Storm?s Heart is the most ?politically? active of the clans of the southern seas. While all the clans scheme and plot to some degree or another, this clan takes it another level entirely. They have not fought a naval engagement against another clan in living memory but they have nevertheless been responsible for the destruction of no less than three other clans in their 150 year history. The captains of Storm?s Heart are always playing the other clans off against each other, and slowly but surely, weave alliances and treaties with various clans that, when all added up, actually gives this clan a tremendous amount of influence in the southern seas. They have long been considered a neutral observer in all clan matters (nothing could be further from the truth) and they often act as intermediaries in clan disputes. A recent, disturbing success has seen the Storm?s Heart clan secure the right to preside over the Clanmeet on a permanent basis (see the Clans Of The Southern Seas accessory for details on Clanmeets).
Feuds and Alliances: This clan has a great number of agreements with many clans (many of which are not listed here, but are included in the Clans Of The Southern Seas accessory). However, the nature of these alliances is such that the Storm?s Heart clan gets far more out of them than they are obliged to put in (although very few realize this). Due to a succession of clan captains who have excelled at negotiation and politicking (not by accident, however, as the captains are very careful who they recruit into their ranks), this clan does not have a single avowed enemy.
Notes: Storm?s Heart does not have any sort of permanent presence in Albiele Town - yet. Undoubtedly, it will not be long before this clan makes its play for a stake in the town?s future. However, they may face some stiff opposition from the already established parties, including the Governor, who brooks no challenge to his authority.

Tags for this Page

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

Posting Permissions
  • You may not create new articles
  • You may not edit articles
  • You may not protect articles
  • You may not post comments
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your comments
BIRTHRIGHT, DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, the BIRTHRIGHT logo, and the D&D logo are trademarks owned by Wizards of the Coast, Inc., a subsidiary of Hasbro, Inc., and are used by permission. ©2002-2010 Wizards of the Coast, Inc.