Isla Cobre

Isla Cobre is an Island-city in the middle of the Shattered Sea, infamous as a stronghold for pirates, smugglers, and rebels. As of 20.20, it became the capital of the Pirate Union, however this union mostly collapsed from internal strife in 20.88.

Isla Cobre is a large, tightly-packed city, mostly built from scavenged ships and driftwood. Its complex maze of docks and bridges are difficult for newcomers to navigate, and many sections of the city are floating on their own.

The city is located at the centre of the Spiral Isles, and is surprisingly difficult to reach by sea, due to the complex geography and treacherous waters that surround it.

Due to its central location in the Shattered Sea, Isla Cobre is incredibly multicultural, and many people of different race and ethnicity intermingle freely, mostly without prejudice.

## Description

### Major Locations

#### The Excelsior

Perhaps the most iconic structure on Isla Cobre, the Excelsior is a shipwreck which sits at the very peak of the island, and was repurposed into a central meeting hall by the Pirate Union. Nobody is quite sure how the ship got there, the last person who might have known was the ship's caretaker Ser'kan.

#### The Brass Quay

The Brass Quay stretches around the copper bay, can hold up to a hundred ships, and is considered by many to be the safest harbour in the Shattered Sea. It is home to many amenities serving sailors and travellers.

#### The Old Lighthouse

The oldest lighthouse on the island, built by the first Calamaran settlers. Currently this is the home to a group of mages.

## Background

### History

Isla Cobre was founded in 16.20 when a fleet of Calamaran trade ships became shipwrecked on its shore, while trying to find a quicker route from Calavierus to Svoldia. The sailors and merchants were rescued by the local natives. Bereft of their mighty ships, but still loaded with trade goods, the merchants decided to trade with the islanders of the Spiral Isles instead. Using the shipwrecked frigates, they built a small town to act as a trade hub on Isla Cobre.

Although originally ostensibly Calamaran territory, Isla Cobre has always acted outside of the law. By the 18th Century, the town had cemented a reputation as a place where anything could be traded. Pirates would come to the island to trade away the things they had stolen, or to dock their ships when they wanted to lay low. Enemies of the Calamaran Empire would come to buy advanced Calamaran weaponry. Contraband goods could be bought and sold. As it grew in prominence, it grew in size.

The power structures in Isla Cobre were as unstable as would be expected from such a lawless place. Originally ruled by a Calamaran Governer, this authority was quickly brought down and replaced by a council of merchants in 16.40. When the merchant council started getting too wealthy and indulgent, they were brought down in a bloody coup by a group of pirates and privateers in 17.20, who began to rule as a military junta.

Barely a decade later, one of these pirates took a dictatorial control over the city; Admiral Devalkano. Devalkano reigned over a golden age of piracy, naming himself "Sealord", and spending many decades raiding Calamaran ports and capturing their ships. This couldn't last, and in 17.61, he was killed, his fleet was destroyed, and Isla Cobre was bombarded with cannons. The pirate fleets spread, and for a while the city struggled to rebuild itself. Nevertheless, the legacy of Devalkano has inspired many other pirates to name themselves "Sealord", most of them briefly taking control of Isla Cobre and later getting killed by their many rivals.

The most successful Sealord was Vanessa Fang, also known as Viciente Fang before revealing herself. Viciente was proclaimed Sealord in 20.15, and over the course of the next few years built up the power of Isla Cobre, revealed herself to be a woman, killed Ulgard Greenblood, and became an ascended entity of Shadowlight.