Libertalia Info - By Chase Meriden

Nation: Libertalia Population: Unknown but estimated at around 20 million  Establishment: Sometime after 460 AGB  Capital: Libertalia 

Dominant Religion: Salient Government: Democracy/Oligarchy(?)  Leader: Governor James Hedgelock

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After the Great Break, the Break was in utter chaos and heavily populated with displaced survivors. The Age of Chaos was never more deserving of its name than on the Break. Millions were desperate on newly formed islands and separated from anywhere that could help, not that any other places would have been in position to. Originally several hundred small nation-states formed on scattered Islands. The moment trade started happening in 65 AGB was the same time that piracy began. 

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There was no semblance of any sort of control over the Break until the Alliance of the Break began in 234. Still, they had very little power, and piracy ruled over the Break. Notable pirates reigned throughout the 200-300’s including Jacob Hawkings, Jane Ostid, William Dark, Morgan Rich, and many others. The AotB tried to push back against the pirates in 294, and Jacob Hawkings led a pirate fleet that smashed the AotB fleet, and then went on to conquer them. This was the first time the pirates of the break worked together. 

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This started an alliance that quickly dissolved. Hawkings was killed shortly after in what is believed to be a bar fight, and any semblance of a partnership between the pirate captains at the time vanished. 

The pirates unified again briefly during the Final War in 386 and fought alongside the alliance against Marcus Lucian. William Dark is have said to have wielded powerful magic that destroyed Lucian’s unstoppable fleet. However, once again, the alliance crumbled immediately afterward. 

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From 398 to 410, the first signs of the 4 Pirate kingdoms of the Break appeared. Hawkings, St. Claire, Dastard, and St. Hope get a lot of Pirate traffic. From 405 to 425 there is a loose alliance among the group of them although nothing is ever written down. In 425, a battle breaks out between ships from Hawkings and Dastard, causing the four kingdoms to actually meet for the first time.

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In 425, the Break Accords are written, establishing an alliance between the four Pirate kingdoms. They exist under this alliance for the next ten years with various issues. Dastard in particular was in constant turmoil. At least four governors were assassinated, and power changed hands seven times over the decade. 

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In 435, the Massacre at Doreen happens. Pirates from Gilman Island invaded Doreen Island (both Dastard provinces) and slaughtered 432 people living there. Only 43 of them were armed combatants. Dastard does not react quickly enough, so New Concord steps in and launches an assault on Gilman. They win, though in devastating fashion. Gilman doesn’t fare far better than Grenado. While the Legion didn’t specifically target families, fire was set to the town by their troops. The ensuing inferno killed hundreds. Dastard claimed they killed a thousand, but research puts the number closer to 500. This begins the lasting feud between New Concord and the Pirate Kingdoms. Marie L’Atone (who herself supposedly racked up a massive body count, which people claimed she bathed in blood) made the L’Atone Declaration which states that New Concord or any other nations were not to meddle with any affairs of the Pirate Kingdoms. 

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In 445, relations between Dastard and St. Claire collapse, when Dastard King John Redstone Bailey begins raiding St. Claire towns. The two begin to clash. St. Hope is drawn into the fight alongside St. Claire, and skirmishes happen over the next ten years. Bill Storm, known as Longbeard, King of St. Claire is killed by an assassin. Ned Storm, his son, takes command.

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In 450, New Concord’s Blue Legion, led by Admiral Jean Maltis, dubbed the Pirate Hunter, uses the weakened state of the pirates to launch an assault on the Kingdoms. The Pirates of Hawkins beg the fighting to stop between kingdoms, as New Concord is the greater threat. They cannot ever manage to unify them all as New Concord’s Blue Legion takes a metaphorical hammer to the Pirate Kingdoms.

 

St. Hope falls in 452. 

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In 453 Dastard and St. Claire make a joint stand on Terror Island. However, in the middle of the battle for Terror against New Concord, Dastard turns on St. Claire, deadset on being the ones that take them down. Most of St. Claire’s forces are killed by Dastard Pirates, though John Redstone Bailey is killed in a battle with Ned Storm. The remnants of Dastard fall to New Concord, who is victorious. Most of the pirates are hanged, but Ned Storm is taken prisoner. 

 

In 455, Hawkings, the last Pirate kingdom, makes a final stand at Hanna Island. The Battle of a Thousand is said to have been able to be heard from both Obsidian and Riven. Hawkings makes a strong stand, but the Blue Legion is too much and overtakes them.

 

A small band of pirates, led by Mary Lions are able to escape, and are hunted.

 

The Pirates are considered defeated and scattered, and for a while, New Concord controls the break with little issue. What was unknown to New Concord and others is that Mary Lions establishes a safe haven for Pirates called Libertalia.  She is never heard from again, and the Pirates fade from relevance from some time.

 

The emergency of Piracy starts to rise again in the mid 500’s, and only then does New Concord suspect the Pirates have a base somewhere. Investigation leads them to learn about Libertalia, but they cannot find it. It’s location is kept secret that to this day no one knows how. (Some believe magic to be involved.)

 

Through the 600’s, the Pirates grow in power, and New Concord goes from having control, to slowly losing a grip over the East Break. A small skirmish off the coast of St. George turns into a large battle, which Pirate Raggard Mullen defeats a Blue Legion fleet commanded by Earl Winters. This defeat ends up being a crushing blow for the Blue Legion, as they are losing power in the East. 

 

In 630, the Pirates are able to push New Concord out of the East Break. Inner turmoil in New Concord weakens the Blue Legion and makes them unable to maintain their foothold over the Break. A number of Pirates begin to rise in power, including Captain Hannah Mauro of the Leviathan, brothers Omar and Abdullah Adebayo, sailing ships Hell and High Water respectively, and Ahmad

Sarraf of the Dragonfire. Pirate legends start to spread and the Eastern Break becomes considerably dangerous. 

 

In 645, Libertalia begins to establish official relations and trade with several nations in an attempt to be legitimized. While some nations refuse to deal with them, such as New Concord, Sphera, Kalahari, Rhone, and Shangri-La, many do, some with agreements for Libertalia to keep Pirates from their state-sanctioned ships. In doing so, it’s believed the Pirates have been quite profitable, but with Libertalia still a secret, it is unknown for sure. 

 

In 660 Captain Edward Stutter, also known as “the Barracuda” rises to power, seizing many ships, and leaving a shockingly high trail of bodies in his wake. It is enough that even Libertalia’s allies begin to complain. While their own politics are unclear, it seems as though Libertalia cannot get a reign on him. Be begins to campaign around the Break that Libertalia had gone weak and lost the true way of pirating. He seems to be recruiting to wage revolution.

 

In 665, the Pirates send a task force to take down the Barracuda. Four major ships, led by Captain Charles Loane, one of Libertalia’s best. Stutter is hunted to No Man’s land, where a ferocious battle sinks three out of the four hunters. Much of the task force, including Loane, and the other three captains are killed. Stutter is killed in battle shockingly by the young Quartermaster of Reckoning, John Nichols. Nichols will eventually be known as “Jackknife” and become the most feared pirate on the Break, possibly ever. 

 

Libertalia’s exact structure is unclear, although it appears to be run by a governor and council of captains, and it is believe they are all elected.