Confederated Agreement

The Confederated Agreement is a form of Ship's Articles or Pirate Code used by a number of pirates on the Warm Sea, particularly those of Otheiae origins, to govern their actions. A group of sailors, upon turning pirate, would draw up their own code of conduct governing their actions, and providing rules for discipline, division of loot, and compensation for the injured.

Breaking the Agreement might get a pirate marooned or killed.

The Confederated Agreement can also refer to the code of honor between two Otheiae pirate vessels on the high seas. Many of the Otheiae ships on the Warm Sea know each other, or at least know of each other, and an honorable conduct is sought between ther ships, that thyey may avoid conflict and aid one another in their own respective battles against the law.

### Entymology

The term "Confederated Agreement" is thought to originate from the Jazarhun Corsairs, a multinational confederation of pirates which operated from the Jazarhun coast. Their confederated status was emphasized repeatedly in names pertaining to their organization.

The exact phrasing is believed to be derived from the fact that the Otheiae pirates of the Warm Sea view themselves as a loose confederation of ships and men all operating together. It could also be taken from the fact that an individual ship's crew is itself a confederation of seafaring criminals.

The Confederated Agreement can refer to both the code of conduct of an individual ship, as well as the code of conduct shared between multiple pirate vessels.

### History

While pirate codes and ships articles have existed in one form or another for thousands of years across all seafaring cultures in Nomos, the Confederated Agreement has its roots with the Jazarhun Corsairs. A loosely organized band of multiple pirates, the Jazarhun Corsairs adopted a fleet-wide code of conduct for how its ships would interact with one another, and established rules that the ships of the confederation would also draw up their own code for the governing of the individual crew.

While the Jazarhun pirates were eventually defeated by a combined flotilla of Falkeni and AWSC ships, they were not eradicated, rather they were dispersed throughout the western isles of the Warm Sea. The influence of the Jazarhun corsairs would be felt across pirate crews throughout the Warm Sea, and many other crews and captains would draw up their own Confederated Agreement.

Confederation articles vary from one captain to another, and sometimes even from one voyage to another, but they are generally alike in including provisions for discipline, specifications for each crewmate's share of treasure, and compensation for the injured.

Each crew member was asked to sign or make his mark on the articles, then swear an oath of allegiance or honour. The oath is typically sworn on an axe. Rumor suggests that other pirates swer on crossed Lirei pistols, swords, on a human skull, or astride a cannon. This act formally inducts the signer into the pirate crew, generally entitling him to vote for officers and on other "affairs of moment", to bear arms, and to his share of the plunder. The articles. having been signed, are then posted in a prominent place, often the door to the captain's cabin.

After a piratical cruise began, new recruits from captured ships will sometimes sign the articles, in some cases voluntarily, in other cases under threat of torture or death. Valuable sea artisans, such as carpenters and navigators, are especially likely to be forced to sign articles under duress, and would rarely be released regardless of their decision to sign or not. In some cases, even willing recruits would ask the pirates to pretend to force them to sign, so that they could plead they were forced should they ever be captured by the law. Generally, men who had not signed the articles have a much better chance of acquittal at trial if captured by the law.

the Confederated Agreements are closely related to, and were derived from, ship's articles of the tOtheiae, especially those of privateers, which similarly provided for discipline and regulated distribution of booty. Merchant articles and privateering articles can be traced back to the Estuary Channel, where there is a system of agreements between merchants, owners, and seamen to share profits.

### Example of a Confederated Agreement

The following is an example of what articles may be found in a Confederated Agreement:

**I.** The Captain is to have two full Shares; the Quartermaster is to have one Share and one Half; The Doctor, Mate, Gunner and Boatswain, one Share and one Quarter.

**II.** He that shall be found guilty of taking up any Unlawful Weapon on Board the Privateer or any other prize by us taken, so as to Strike or Abuse one another in any regard, shall suffer what Punishment the Captain and the Majority of the Company shall see fit.

**III.** He that shall be found Guilty of Cowardice in the time of engagements, shall suffer what Punishment the Captain and the Majority of the Company shall think fit.

**IV.** If any Gold, Jewels, Silver, &c. be found on Board of any Prize or Prizes to the value of 36 naudu, & the finder do not deliver it to the Quarter Master in the space of 24 hours he shall suffer what Punishment the Captain and the Majority of the Company shall think fit.

**V.** He that is found Guilty of Gaming, or Defrauding one another to the value of 100 naudu, shall suffer what Punishment the Captain and the Majority of the Company shall think fit.

**VI.** He that shall have the Misfortune to lose a Limb in time of Engagement, shall have the Sum of 216000 naudu, and remain aboard as long as he shall think fit.

**VII.** Good Quarters to be given when needed.

**VIII.** He that sees a Sail first, shall have the best Arm aboard of her.

**IX.** He that shall be guilty of Drunkenness in time of Engagement shall suffer what Punishment the Captain and Majority of the Company shall think fit.

**X.** No shooting of Firearms or Bows in the Hold.