"All Roads Lead to Zenithstrand"
THE KINGDOM OF BILEOSTRAV
OVERVIEW
Racial Breakdown: Orcs 40%, Ajaunti 15%, Einher 15%, Other 30%
Major Industries: Pirating/Privateering, Brewing, Slavery
Population: Larger than Acasa, smaller than Dominion/Sordestead/Nitrem
GOVERNMENT
Government: King > Record > Captains > Crew with Positions
Bileostrav is ruled by an elected monarch, previously the orc King Viktor Zolnerowich. The monarch’s main role is to provide a strong face to other Coalition members and nations, deal with foreign dignitaries, and take control of the navy in war. He attends the Coalition Council meetings.
The Record is responsible for documenting official conflicts and their resolutions. Some say it’s a glorified list of winners and losers, but in the illiterate society of Bileostrav, those who are not remembered may as well have never existed. Lucia “Lucky” Argentis is the Record.
Captains are the highest person in the chain of command for a ship, guild, or clan. In practice they have absolute control over their respective crews, though in theory they answer directly to the King.
Within a crew (a term which applies to ships as well as guilds and clans) there are multiple positions, namely Quartermaster, Sailing Master, Boatswain, Carpenter/Surgeon, Master of Arms, and Mates. These naval positions are also used in guilds and clans for positions with similar responsibilities. Within a specific crew the importance of these ranks may vary. Within the government structure, they support a Captain.
Current Ruler: King Malin Garthside
Military: Bileostrav loudly boasts unmatched naval prowess but lacks organization. Many individual pirate and privateer crews have the means and experience to fend off naval attacks but may not work well together.
The general population of Bileostrav has culled the weak from its ranks; even the slaves employed on the island are stronger and more able than most. They have no standing army and no discipline but are ready enough for a brawl.
Bileostrav hosts at least a few clans and crews competent with magic, but given the nature of their work, these resources have not been accurately documented.
GEOGRAPHY
Though its shores are rocky, Bileostrav has surprisingly fertile soil at the centre of the island, where the slave farms are located. The slave farms make use of slaves who have yet to go up for auction as well as ones purchased by the Brewhaha guild to tend crops of potatoes, rice, barley, and honey. The farms are ringed by the strongarms of the guild of brewers (the Brewhaha) as well as the largest distillation facilities on the island. As can be expected, much of these crops are converted to alcohol, but some is also reserved for exports to Coalition Islands who struggle to produce food.
Apart from the brewers, most buildings and establishments are located along the shores of Bileostrav. All shores are considered active ports, and most of them have docks and other infrastructure to make the process simpler for incoming vessels. Which faction has control over any given dock is in flux, and crewmen have to maintain a balance between crew at sea and crew maintaining their presence on the island’s docks.
The Pirate King’s port is at the southernmost point of the island and is the only dock whose authority is never contested. Though there is no palace, the Pirate King enjoys the use of the fastest yet sturdiest vessel, the Sea Lion, and claims sole use of this port for itself and important dignitaries. The Record has her own quarters within a building known as the Mausoleum. It is austere and fortified. Within lie all physical copies of the Record as well as the remains of those who have passed.
HISTORY
Bileostrav is the “Island of Bile,” both in terms of its appearances and its inhabitants. It’s racially diverse, home to many clans of pirates, privateers, ruffians, and the displaced Helgard Vanguard of Einher. Originally a pirate’s cove dominated by orcish seaferers, it is colloquially as “Spawningrad.” Bileostrav is host to frequent culture clashes, especially with the scrappy Einher of the Helgard Vangaurd.
Though it is a member of the Coalition of the Shadow Isles, Bileostrav’s history goes back long before the Coalition formed, with letters of marque from other city-states addressed to the clans of Bileostrav dating back a hundred years on record. It has been recognized as a sovereign member of the Coalition, but no one is entirely sure what Bileostrav should be allowed to get away with. Nitrem and Dominion are the biggest targets for raids within the Shadow Isles, though small-time crews will occasionally target trading vessels making for Acasa.
It has always been a safe haven for debauchery, but it was only formalized as a city-state with an elected monarch some 50 years ago, with the inaugural monarch Mother Bitch the Wild Elf Queen ruling for 3 straight terms. Because most monarchs itch to return to a more active service, few seek to retain the crown; there have only been 18 monarchs since this tradition began, and 13 of them have been orcs.
POLITICS
An elected monarch rules Bileostrav. Potential monarchs are nominated, typically with each clan or crew putting forward a candidate. Each candidate is presented with a ballot scarf to be prominently worn, and further “ballots” are earned by taking scarves from the other candidates. The King is the last contender standing who possesses all the scarves.
Although at one point any means were allowed to dispatch other candidates, after the memorable and destructive season of the Kobold King (who died prematurely in an acid trap), only fists are now acceptable. Since this law was revised, the King has typically been an orc. Kinghood is granted for two years before elections run again.
The city-state, however, mostly runs itself. The King’s role is to provide a strong face to the rest of the Coalition, deal with their politics, and lead in times of war. In the day-to-day the Record has more power.
The Record is a living memory for the entire city-state, and there is no set term for their service. Most Records are literate but are also required to memorize history passed on from the previous Record. Harming the Record before a successor has been trained is the worst crime possible to commit in Bileostrav. The current Record, known as Lucky, is a dark elf. Her predecessor died of natural causes just a single day after she was declared knowledgeable enough to succeed him.
For the most part each Captain and their crew will handle their own affairs. Going to the King to resolve a conflict would be shameful, but many make appointments with the Record to witness the resolution of continued blood feuds, smaller conflicts, and to register for a new rank.
RELIGION
Baagh is among the gods most often prayed to on Bileostrav, but one’s crew often comes before one’s god on the high seas. Some of the more prominent factions are:
Baagh’s Blood (pirates)
This ship bears a white flag spattered with blood, and the wood itself is a dark red. Everyone on the Ghost Sea knows to fear this ship above all others because it alone can move at full speed even when the winds are dead, for its greenskin crew are rippling with muscle and can oar the ship along like no other. They are faster and stronger, and there are no tales of survivors once they’ve boarded their prey.
The Brewers of Dimskull (guild)
The best and worst brewmasters work together to set rates and occasionally swap recipes (though these are usually guarded quite closely, especially for the good stuff). Without this guild, most brewers wouldn’t have the means to open up shop. They also maintain the slave farms and production of alcohol on the island. Upsetting the Brewers of Dimskull can lead to being blacklisted from nearly every drinking establishment in Bileostrav.
La Fierté Féroce (privateers)
La fierté is an expensive group of privateers who use magic to make precise and devastating strikes. They have a long record of successful conquests and are known for their professionalism and ruthlessness; however, these traits come at an exorbitant fee.
Due to the price of excellence, La fierté spends most of its time in port. The mostly high elven crew keeps to itself and is cold and snobbish to outsiders, even employers.
Fine Time (clan)
In Bileostrav, having a Fine Time has a rather specific meaning. This clan operates most of the Bileostravan brothels. They deal in men, women, and animals for the right price, but their operation is clean and safe for both clients and sexworkers. It protects its own through its brute security but also through collected sensitive information.
Helgard Vanguard (clan)
After their brethren disappeared without a trace from outposts on Zenithstrand, the Einher started to use Bileostrav as an outpost to launch attacks against and prevent attacks from the Ice Elves. With renewed colonization efforts on Zenithstrand, the Helgard seek to return there and renew their defence against the ice elves and uncover the mysteries behind their comrades’ disappearances.
The Motley Company (privateers)
The mixed crew of the Company are new to the scene. Their flag is a dirty motley that looks like it was taken from a scandalous jester and the ship has seen better days, but it’s serviceable and can move slightly faster than the average ship.
Their rates are low, though they aren’t hired by those who can afford better. They are picking up nearly all low-end contracts at present, though they still find ample time for drinking, whoring, and bragging.
Punch of KaBOOM! (pirates)
A group of kobold pirates with a high turnover rate that correlates with the mortality rate. This ship sports a singed red flag and is heavily laden with canons, so it moves slowly and does not stray far from shore most of the time. The crew uses canons and launches traps to bring down its prey, of which there is usually little left and therefore little profit to be had.
The crew is more interested in explosions than plunder, which makes others wary of them; however, the Punch of KaBOOM! occasionally works with other companies who lack the firepower to bring down another ship… though reigning them in can be a challenge.
∇ (unknown affiliation)
Those who do not serve on a crew are known as the Unsigned. Though most simply didn’t make the cut, a few of the Unsigned refuse to join any crew and refuse what little order is imposed in Bileostrav. One such radical group is only known by the “∇” they mark where they have presumably been.
SOCIETAL VIEWS
If a law cannot be enforced, it doesn’t exist. Decrees and maxims have little meaning to the populace, and they only respect those strong enough to defend their own rights and beliefs.
Bileostrav is a moral cesspool. You are just as likely to make a quick coin as you are to have your throat slit in most parts of the island, and if you defended yourself poorly people are more likely to spit than to cry or to care. However, so long as both members in a conflict can prove their strength, the result is rarely death, as Bileostravans respect strength.
Because people are more interested in personal gain than in anything else, many operations that are illegal or frowned upon elsewhere thrive in Bileostrav. It has healthy industries in slavery, brothels, breweries, pirating, and privateering.
ECONOMY
Exports: Beer, ale, spirits, food, slaves, bullion.
RANKS WITHIN DOMINION
Ranks within Bileostrav:
King > Record > Captains > Crew with Positions > Crewmen > Unsigned > Slaves > Untested > Purged
All Bileostravans who have been “tested” fall into the following tiers:
Battle-scarred, or “Scarred” > Bloodied > Battered
To become Battered, you must stand and win a fight. To become Bloodied, you must kill a worthy opponent. To become Battle-scarred, you must be added to the Record for a particularly memorable feat. A petition can be made to see the Record and allow her to witness the result of a testing for title directly or an appeal made to register a title after the fact.
The King is the highest authority in Bileostrav, closely followed by the Record. Captains rule over their ranking crew members, who in turn have more specialized relationships with the crew. Although Bileostrav seems at first glance to be an “every person for themselves” place, belonging to a crew is a matter of pride. Crewmen have greater respect and authority than others.
Those without a crew are known as the Unsigned. Though Unsigned usually have not made the cut due to sickness, injury, age, or otherwise, some few people are Unsigned because they refuse to join a crew. The Unsigned are second-class citizens at best.
Slaves are not considered full citizens. Some slaves are put to work within Bileostrav, and these are strong and earn more respect than slaves prepared for international auction. The strong thrive in Bileostrav, but other types are unwelcome and sold off at the first opportunity.
Beneath even the slaves are the Untested, those in the population who have not achieved the rank Battered, Bloodied, or Battle-scarred. The Untested are not treated like people and are subject to heavy disdain.
Below even these are the Purged, those who have committed an offense so great that they have been stricken from the Record. For all intents and purposes, the Purged don’t exist.
CONTRIBUTORS
Wes Gunn