Seven Pirate Warlords

The **Seven Pirate Warlords** were a group of powerful pirate captains who collectively ruled the Great Dark Sea near the end of the Age of Piracy. They maintained a hesitant truce until Ulthir  turned on them. Since the Coalition  replaced their rule they have been considered disbanded, though some of the Warlords are known to be still alive.

## **Deals with the Coalition**

The Coalition  succeeded in getting Finn, Lasco  and Zaeth  to fight on their side in the battle against Ulthir. They accomplished this largely by putting the Warlords at their mercy, then offering them terms they could not refuse.

In return for fighting against Ulthir, they would be given amnesty for their crimes under the new government. However, they could never take to the seas in a ship again, renouncing their lives as pirates, and would forfeit half of all their treasure to the Coalition. In the circumstances, all three of these Warlords agreed to the terms.

Red Keg Roscoe was offered no such a deal. She was executed. This was as much a show of the Coalition's victory over pirates as it was a warning for the remaining Warlords for what would happen if they reneged on their deals. So far, none of them have.

## **List of Pirate Warlords**

### **Red Keg Roscoe**

The greatest pirate who ever lived. Vel. So-called for her development and use of black powder - an explosive dust concocted by her alchemists, which she used for cannons, artillery shells, and, later, firearms.

She is known for her alchemists, who changed the tradition of alchemy itself. The ubiquity of 'alchemist's fire' and 'alchemist's acid' can be owed to her, as these were common weapons her crew used in battle.

Red Keg Roscoe was executed by order of the Coalition  following Ulthir's death.

### **Ulthir, the First Necromancer**

An elven wizard of incredible power, who concocted his own method of arcane necromancy. He used this to create his Armada: a fleet of ships entirely peopled by undead, which grew in number with every battle as the dead were brought to his side.

Ulthir's power was so great that he turned on the other Seven Warlords with a good chance of winning. It was only with the combined forces of the other Warlords and the Coalition  ships that he was cornered at Banecastle and killed.

### **Finn the Whale-Eater**

A human - but one could barely call him that. Finn was a monster, twelve feet tall with muscles that could tear a bull in two, and teeth that could cut steel. The reasons for this bizarre physiology are unknown, and have contributed to some less-than-favourable superstitions about humans. He and his crew were monster hunters, chasing down the greatest beasts that the Great Dark Sea had to offer for their feasts - his name, Whale-Eater, is no exaggeration, but whales were the least of his kills.

Finn and his crew ran the Fray - an island colosseum where people tested their mettle against monsters that the crew spared, as well as against each other. He was, of course, the champion there. The legend goes that he joined the Coalition  because he was beaten in single combat by Griselda Raleigh, but the actual circumstances of this alliance are unknown.

After Ulthir's death, the Fray was veered away from its blood sports by the Coalition, but was still kept open as a profitable (and taxable) business. Finn still makes occasional appearances at the Fray, but never as a combatant. It is said that somewhere in the Fray is a room where Finn keeps the taxidermy heads of his greatest kills, though no one has dared to go inside to confirm this.

### **Lasco**

A wood elf known for her mastery of disguise, along with her crew, the Merry Masks: swindlers, thieves, scammers and cons, as much a troupe of actors as fighters. With a merry, swashbuckling persona, she was perhaps the best-liked of all the Warlords by those they ruled over.

After fighting Ulthir, Lasco  and the Merry Masks moved to an uninhabited island in the Commons, where they sold their remaining treasures to fund a new venture: Lasque City, sometimes just called Lasco. It is a place built on gambling-houses, casinos and various earthly delights, and has proved popular with many residents of the Great Dark Sea. Though the enterprise is under the Coalition's watch, they are aware of the benefits of being hands-off, especially since they profit from the generous taxes they take from it.

### **Lord Zaeth**

A strange, alien creature who identified himself as 'Githyanki', and labelled his crew as the same. Once a sailor on the Astramarine, he left with his crew before the Cascade  with perfect timing, avoiding its collapse and benefiting from the new ocean in the Waking World. With years of combat experience under their belt, the crew saw success in many naval battles across the Great Dark Sea.

After accepting the Coalition's terms and fighting Ulthir, Zaeth retired to an undisclosed island in the Commons, now living in obscurity. He has not been seen since the battle at Banecastle.

### **Yhatuum**

A powerful Water Djinn who arrived in the Waking World following the Cascade, seeking to take advantage of the world's now-weakened state. Yhatuum lived like a king off of the treasure they pillaged.

When Ulthir turned on the other Warlords, Yhatuum  fled back to the Elemental Wilds, not wishing to fight him. Their current status is unknown.

### **Jack 'Beck' Belfry**

Not much is known about Beck Belfry apart from his name, since he seldom appeared to others, even his own crew. He was known for conducting far-reaching smuggling operations, extending beyond Cleocadia  to Salsaia  and Hyn-Rest. Apparently, he was met face-to-face by someone from the Coalition, possibly Raleigh, but declined the offer to join and evaded all subsequent attempts to arrest him. His intentions and goals are unknown.

After Ulthir's death, Beck Belfry vanished. It is rumoured that he appeared at Red Keg Roscoe's execution, but no one seems to know what he looks like, so no one can be sure.