### **Basic Information** - **Name:** [[Lords of the Black Sails]] - **Alias/Nicknames:** The Surtovan Armada, The Black Fleet, The Iron Tide - **Type:** Naval Consortium, Privateer Fleet, Political Enforcers - **Symbol/Emblem:** A **black sail emblazoned with a silver kraken**, often used as a ship’s pennant or stamped onto official Surtovan naval orders. - **Headquarters/Base of Operations:** **Port Ice** (primary command center), with fleet outposts in **Stormreach Bay** and patrol hubs along **Lake Reykal**. - **Scale & Reach:** **Dominant naval force** on **Lake Reykal**, with reach extending into the **Sellen River trade routes and Brevoy’s eastern waterways**. ### **Purpose & Goals** - **Primary Objective:** To **enforce the maritime dominance of [[House Surtova]]**, controlling trade, taxation, and ensuring naval supremacy over rivals. - **Core Ideology:** **Absolute control over the waters means control over commerce, politics, and power.** The [[Lords of the Black Sails]] see themselves as the **true rulers of Brevoy’s lakes and rivers.** - **Methods & Operations:** - **Naval Enforcement:** Patrolling **Lake Reykal**, ensuring all trade ships and merchant vessels **pay Surtovan tariffs or face consequences**. - **Privateering & Blockades:** Using **privateer captains** to raid unauthorized or rebellious vessels under the guise of **maritime law enforcement**. - **Espionage & Coercion:** Deploying **spies and informants in port towns**, ensuring that **rival merchant factions do not gain too much influence**. - **Military Readiness:** Maintaining **a war-ready fleet**, capable of defending [[House Surtova]]’s rule or launching **offensive naval campaigns if needed**. - **Notable Activities:** - **Crushing smuggling operations** that bypass Surtovan taxation (except those they secretly allow). - **Escorting diplomatic envoys** and important shipments, ensuring that Surtova-aligned merchants always have a competitive advantage. - **Suppressing rebellious factions**, using **intimidation, maritime blockades, and naval strikes** against those who resist Brevoyan rule. ### **Structure & Leadership** - **Leader(s):** Admiral **[[Lucian Surtova]]**, a cunning and ruthless commander whose strategies have ensured the Black Sails remain Brevoy’s dominant naval force. - **Hierarchy & Ranks:** - **Admiral of the Black Sails:** The highest authority, controlling the fleet’s movements and policies (currently **[[Lucian Surtova]]**). - **Fleet Lords:** The highest-ranking captains, each commanding **a segment of the fleet and reporting directly to the Admiral**. - **Corsair Captains:** Privateer captains who are given **official letters of marque to raid and patrol under Surtova’s banner**. - **Harbormasters:** Officials stationed in **Surtova-controlled ports**, overseeing **trade inspections, bribes, and dockside law enforcement**. - **Naval Enforcers:** The **armed crews and marines** who board vessels, seize contraband, and maintain order. - **Recruitment & Membership:** - Most members are **loyalists to [[House Surtova]]**, handpicked from Brevoy’s noble families or rising through the naval ranks. - Privateers are often **granted contracts**, but failure to adhere to the fleet’s rules **results in execution or exile**. ### **Influence & Power** - **Allies & Affiliations:** - **[[House Surtova]]**, as their primary enforcers on the lake. - **Select noble houses**, who benefit from Surtova’s maritime control in exchange for political loyalty. - **Surtova-backed merchants**, who rely on the Black Sails to **eliminate competition and protect their investments**. - **Enemies & Rivalries:** - **The [[Aldori Swordlords]]**, who seek to break Surtova’s rule and disrupt their naval dominance. - **Rebellious merchant guilds** that refuse to pay Surtovan tariffs or attempt to trade freely. - **Independent smuggling rings**, such as the [[Mosswater Syndicate]], which circumvent their authority. - **Reputation & Public Perception:** - **Among commoners:** Feared as **merciless tax enforcers**, but some see them as **a necessary evil** in keeping order on the waters. - **Among merchants:** A mix of **resentment and reluctant cooperation**—working with them ensures protection, but crossing them can mean **financial ruin or worse**. - **Among rival powers:** Viewed as **a dangerous naval force**, but one that could fracture if [[House Surtova]]’s rule weakens. - **Military/Magical Strength:** - **A powerful fleet** of warships, privateers, and river patrols. - Elite **boarding parties trained for ship-to-ship combat**. - Access to **Brevoyan naval spellcasters**, ensuring **control over weather, navigation, and maritime warfare**. ### **History & Lore** - **Founding & Origins:** - Created by [[House Surtova]] to **secure their dominance over Brevoy’s waterways** following the Vanishing. - Originally a noble fleet, it **transitioned into a hybrid of official military power and privateering force**. - **Major Historical Events:** - **The Night of Sundered Masts:** When the Black Sails **ambushed and destroyed a rival fleet**, ensuring total Surtovan naval dominance. - **The Aldori Blockade Standoff:** A tense naval conflict where **the Black Sails nearly clashed with the Aldori Swordlords**, only avoiding war through high-stakes negotiation. - **Scandals & Secrets:** - Some suspect **[[Lucian Surtova]] has secret dealings with pirate factions**, using them as a deniable asset to attack rivals. - There are whispers of a **hidden vault of plundered gold and artifacts**, stored somewhere along the shores of **Lake Reykal**. - A few high-ranking captains are rumored to be **disloyal**, seeking to break away and form an independent naval power. - **Current Struggles:** - **Growing unrest among independent captains**, who **chafe under Surtovan rule**. - **Rival factions gaining power**, particularly in the wake of the Swordlords’ resurgence. - **A major smuggling ring is evading their patrols**, possibly with inside help. ### **Culture & Traditions** - **Core Values & Ethics:** - "The waters belong to the strong." - "Loyalty is paid in coin, steel, or blood." - "Trade under the Black Sails, or don’t trade at all." - **Rituals & Initiations:** - New captains must **sink a ship in the Black Fleet’s name**, proving they can **seize or destroy those who defy Surtova’s rule**. - The highest-ranking **Fleet Lords gather at Port Ice once per year**, where they swear oaths of loyalty and receive new orders. - **Notable Sayings/Mottos:** - "Storms obey gold and steel." - "Better a black sail than no sail at all." - "A ship without a flag is a ship without a future." - **Symbols of Authority:** - **A silver kraken insignia**, worn by Fleet Lords and high-ranking officers. - **A black dagger**, traditionally given to those who serve as **enforcers and assassins** for the Fleet Lords. ### **Additional Notes** - **Vibe & Inspirations:** - A mix of **Venetian naval aristocracy, privateers, and ruthless mercantile fleets**. - Themes of **control over trade, naval superiority, and enforcing power through maritime law**. - A fleet that **walks the line between legitimate governance and sanctioned piracy**. - **Adventure Hooks:** - A **rebellious captain seeks to defect**, offering valuable secrets about the fleet’s inner workings. - The **Surtovan Admiral issues an ultimatum**—sail under their flag, or be **hunted down as an enemy of the state**. - A **mysterious ship with black sails is raiding Brevoyan waters**, but it’s not one of theirs—who is behind it? - A legendary **lost treasure, stolen from a rival kingdom**, is said to be hidden in a secret cove under the Fleet Lords’ control.