A History of the Oren Pirates
Introduction: A History of Oren and the Lynith Pirates
The history of Oren’s conflict with the pirates has not received much attention from Aisling scholars in the available history archives. Nor is there much written about the mysterious Great Power in the Oren fountain that is almost central to this conflict. My exploratory research led to my discovery that the Great Power and Oren are actually rooted in the ancient Kingdom of Niara. I also learned much about the long term and short term causes of Oren’s conflict with the pirates, who mostly all hail from an island state in Lynith known as Lycenia.
The objective of this history paper is to show how Oren’s conflict with the pirates is much more complicated than we initially thought. Both sides in this longstanding conflict can use history to argue that they are in fact the heroes. The paper also sheds more light on how the pirates were able to gain so much power and the threat this now poses to Temuair.
To learn more about Oren’s history from the perspective of the pirates, I donned my bandana and spoke with the pirate Oneaye on the Lynith pirate ship. Oneaye is extremely talkative compared to the other pirates. He was more than excited to regale me with stories when I brought him bottles of rum. I also found the logs of the captain from his quarters, where Aislings locate the map for the Oren sewer key.
Ironically, learning more about Oren’s conflict with the pirates from Oren’s perspective was way more challenging at first. I ran into a high ranking Oren aristocrat at the Oren Ball. He decided to go by the pseudonym Prada. Prada was very tightlipped until I told him what I was learning from Oneaye. Prada was worried about the pirates giving a biased perspective to Aislings. So Prada decided to explain much information as he was comfortable divulging.
Throughout this paper, I note where there are major disagreements between the accounts of Oneaye and Prada. Before talking to any Mundanes however, I first explored the Oren sewers to do an archaeological search and take note of anything with historical significance.
The next page is a timeline of relevant historical events. Readers will notice that some events already exist on the Loures Library Timeline of Temuair.
Historical Timeline
Danaan 1584: Foundation of Niara
Danaan 1980: Great War of Danaan and Chadul; Ravage of Temuair; the Leviathan Creant floods Lynith (southern Niaria)
Danaan 2800 – 3072: Rise of the Lynith island states; Oren and Lycenia emerge
Danaan 3072 – 3082: The Great Lynith War; Oren conquers Lycenia
Danaan 3150: Queen Lynthia I inherits Oren and Lycenia; the Lynith Empire established
Deoch 25: The Lycenian Revolution; Lynith Empire dissolved
Deoch 26: The Lycenian pirate rebels invade Oren
Deoch 27: Aislings come to Oren’s aid
Deoch 190: Low Tides: a new wave of pirates arrive in Lynith
Exploration of the Oren Sewers
The origins of the fountain have been an enigma to Aislings ever since we set foot in Oren in Deoch 26. It is well known to this day that those who are imbued with Deoch’s spark can drink from the fountain every four Deochs to permanently increase their health and willpower. What are the origins of this fountain? What are its properties? If the pirates used the Great Power to lay siege to Oren, why did Oren not use the Great Power to fight off invaders this whole time? These are questions for historians and philosophers alike. Oneaye the pirate tells all disguised Aislings aboard the Lynith ship that the Great Power is what gave the pirates the advantage to defeat the Oren army.
When I last explored the Orens sewers, I examined everything for clues and evidence. Baldo, the Mundane who guards one of the sewer entrances in Oren, explained to me that the sewer door is made of hy-brasyl and fortified by magic, making it virtually impossible to get into the sewer without the key.
Once inside the sewer, I took note of the elegant symbols and letters etched onto the sewer walls. Most of these etchings were obscured by sewer grime and rust. The symbols resembled an arrowhead with a large open circle in the middle and a small socket at each corner. Each socket was adorned with a different gem. The pattern of gems varied between the symbols. These symbols looked exactly like the ancient relics carried by the dark clerics in the Cthonic Remains. Paideia at Danaan’s Shrine in Blackstar tells Aislings that the dark cleric’s relics are an emblem for Danaan:
Besides the symbols, there were phrases too difficult to discern. The only intelligible phrases I could make out were: “Knights de Niara” and “may Her blessing never wane”. Moving deeper into the heart of the sewer, I noticed crumbling frescoes that did not age gracefully under the climate conditions of a city sewer. The crumbled ancient paintings showed soldiers in combat and rays of light. Anyone who travels through the sewer will surely marvel at the impressive labyrinth walls. I was not surprised to later learn from Prada that these labyrinths are the remnants of an ancient temple.
The fountain, which is the source of the Great Power, is the central altar of the whole labyrinth. The pristine fountain water radiates a glow that illuminates the surrounding altar. I never encountered anything quite as majestic as this fountain. Then again, I could be overstating its beauty after wading through a labyrinth full of murky sewer water.
The fountain was not the only artifact of interest in the altar. The wall opposite to the door has a plaque for mounting a trident. The outline of the mount has three prongs at the tip. The two outside prongs curve inward while the middle is straight. Despite this, I could not find a trident anywhere in the altar or labyrinth.
The Origins of Lynith and the Great Power, Danaan 1584 to Danaan 1985
After exploring the sewers, I shared all my notes with Prada. As I explained in the introduction, Prada is my contact from the Oren aristocracy. Prada told me that most of the inner sewer is the remnant of a temple from ancient Niara, which is one of the ancient Temuair kingdoms.
There is not much information about the geography of Niara in our history essays except that it was located in southern Temuair. According to Prada, Niara Kingdom at its peak encompassed a larger landmass that connected the main continent to Oren and other territory. Most of this land is now submerged below Lynith sea. This lost territory, which included Oren island, was a southern region of Niara known as Lynith. Lynith remained a part of Niara from its foundation in Danaan 1584 until the Great War of Danaan and Chadul in the Danaan 1900s. This was one of many moments in Niara’s history where the kingdom fell and rebuilt itself many times.
Prada described a renowned order of elite Niaran soldiers called the Knights de Niara that formed during Temuair’s struggle against darkness in the eighth aeon. The Knights de Niara’s mission was to vanquish the Dubhaimid in the north that threatened to tear everything asunder. Niara joined forces with the people of the north to save Temuair.
The Knights constructed many temples to show their devotion to Danaan. Some of these temples were erected in Lynith. When Niara prayed to Danaan for aid in the war against the Dubhaimid in the eighth aeon, she answered their supplication by pouring the essence of life itself into the fountain of a temple in Lynith. Danaan formed a holy bond with the Knights that enabled them to receive her blessing. And so, the tale goes, the warriors were reinvigorated after drinking from the fountain. The older warriors especially felt like they aged backwards to their prime years with newfound strength, health and most of all, fortitude against all odds.
The tale of the Knights’ blessing ends on a bittersweet note. The Knights held their ground in a war of attrition against the Dubhaimid despite being outnumbered. However, the forces of darkness also had a secret power that altered the tide of war. The Dubhaimid summoned a serpent creant of the sea called the Leviathan. Prada described the Leviathan as a serpent beast that wore a hy-brasyl helmet with a three-pronged visor. The Leviathan had the ability to summon torrential storms and feed coastal territory to the sea.
Some Mundanes of Oren have a great knowledge of the creants that invaded the lands of Temuair long ago. The Nobis Mundane Brilann says that no one knows exactly what realm they came from. Aislings are familiar with many of them already, like the four that Aislings summon to obtain the Grand Master armor. To date, we have not heard about the Leviathan.
The Dubhaimid unleashed the Leviathan into the realm of Temuair but neither needed nor cared to tame it. The Leviathan creant buffeted Lynith with heavy floods, plunging villages into torrential waters. It is said that Oren, a low-ranking member of the Knights de Niara blessed by Danaan’s fountain, shot a fiery arrow directly into the left eye of Leviathan from the crow’s nest of his ship. The creant serpent of the sea collapsed into a flooded village, where the creant was then slain by the Knights.
Prada said that so much of Temuair was ravaged by the aftermath of the Great War of Danaan and Chadul in the Danaan 1900s. The ancient kingdom of Niara collapsed in the end. Niara made a huge sacrifice to repel the Dubhaimid ripping apart Temuair.
Lynith was lost to the depths, save for a collection of disparate islands. Miraculously, the temple holding Danaan’s blessed fountain on Oren island stood firm. The temple sank lower into the ground because of the flooding, but it did not collapse. It is rumored that the Knights salvaged the body of the Leviathan creant, and then forged the visor of the serpent’s helmet into a trident spear. If this historical account is accurate, this is probably the trident that went missing from the fountain altar.
Prada said the Oren royal family trace their lineage to the Knights that were blessed by Danaan. Despite this alleged connection, Prada refused to confirm whether King Oren, or anyone else in Oren, can harness the power of the fountain. This might be because the royal aristocracy does not want to leak intel to the pirates. Seeing as how the Oren monarch Oren has been in hiding for about 174 Deochs now, it is probable that they cannot harness the Great Power.
Refusing to take Prada’s tales for granted, I consulted the history archives. While there is not much about Oren, historians like Chloe Ta’Null and NitroTFD discussed Niara to some degree. I discovered that the artifacts in the sewer and Prada’s story align very closely with the description of Niara in NitroTFD’s essay, “Niarian History”. Piecing everything together, I was able to ascertain more concrete timelines below.
NitroTFD goes into good detail about the “Knights de Niara'' in his essay. The Knights formed in Danaan 1705 to join the resistance against the Dubhaimid. Niara came to the aid of Finach. By Danaan 1758, Finach’s war with the Dubhaimid reached a stalemate, even with the aid of the Knights. After the birth of Chadul, the forces of Niara and Finach were doomed without Danaan’s aid:
When the Dubhaimid came screaming across the hills, the Crimson Guard, Knights de Niara and the warriors of Finach were not ready. Back at the Niarian camp, a brutal battle was fought, one that even Niara had a hard time holding back. There were more Dubhaimid to come and Niara was weakened by the first assault. Quickly, seeking guidance, the people of Niara and Finach once again returned to Danaan for help. and she answered. Soon after the first battle with Chadul, the last one would be fought. The Dubhaimid came in full force and the Niarian forces charged in under the guidance of Danaan. The warriors of Finach, also under her guidance, ran in, ready to protect what was theirs. The battle ravaged all of Temuair and shook the very foundation on which it stood on. When it was all over, Niara was lost, crumbled under the immence battle, but the Dubhaimid lay dead, Chadul traped in the underworld, powerles and the dark element contained, for now…
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NitroTDF, “Niarian History”
Prada’s stories are evidently consistent with NitroTDF’s overview of ancient Niara’s history in the eighth aeon. I believe there is support for the theory that the Oren sewers is an ancient temple constructed by the Knights de Niara, where Danaan answered their supplications by blessing the fountain. The exact date of Danaan’s blessing is not known; it likely occurred during the Great War of Danaan and Chadul in the 1900s and before Tenes rose to power in Danaan 2421.
NitroTDF and Prada both say that Niara has a long history of collapsing, dissolving, and rebuilding. The Niaran region of Lynith is no exception.
Niaria once again without a homeland, dissapeared and seemed they died a long time ago. This is not the case, we are the Lords de Niara, we have been long in hiding, once again to build our forces, once again to strengthen our soldiers, once again to combat darkness, whereever it may fall...
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NitroTDF, “Niarian History”
Neither Prada nor any of my other sources know much about the history of Lynith until the rise of the Lynith Island States by the end of the ninth aeon. However, Prada said that northern Niara reformed much more quickly due to the population size and available land in the north. Lynith turned into a sea of scattered islands after the floods. By the time Ainmeal conquered Tenes in the tenth aeon, Niara (to the north) and the islands of Lynith (to the south) preferred isolation from the rest of Temuair. In “the Blood of the Forgotten Empire”, Chloe Ta’Null notes that Niara made it clear to Ainmeal that they wanted nothing more to do with the unrest of the North.
Rise of the Lynith Island States, Danaan 2800 to 3072
In modern Temuair, the archipelago of Lycenia lies to the north-east of Oren island. This cluster of islands is not to be confused with Karlopos. Unlike Karlopos, Aislings have not been granted easy travel to the Lynith Archipelago due to a raging conflict in the Lynith sea between Oren and the pirates. In fact, no merchant would dare charter a ship to those perilous waters. The pirates aggressively prowl the depths, waiting to loot outsiders and wage war against Oren sailors.
Following the Great War of Danaan and Chadul in the eighth aeon, ancestors of the fallen Kingdom of Niara resettled on the islands. Among all the polities that sprang up, the Kingdom of Oren emerged the most powerful.
Modern Oren is believed to be the location of the biggest city in ancient Lynith (southern region of Niara), where some temples of the Knights de Niara were rediscovered. According to Prada, it was in these temples that many historical records and artifacts were recovered, such as the battle against the Leviathan creant.
Oren was formed out of the union of multiple villages on that island around Danaan 2800. The inhabitants of this island recognized King Oren I as the rightful sovereign because of his alleged direct bloodline to the Knights de Niara blessed by Danaan. King Oren I spoke of a quest to one day reunite the whole of Lynith to establish a south Niaran kingdom.
Prada gave me a list of Oren sovereigns dating back to Oren’s founding in Danaan 2801. By tradition, the regal names of monarchs are names of famous Knights de Niara. In fact, many of these names are mentioned in “Niarian History”. King Oren V is the current sovereign of Oren, although he is still in hiding. Readers may wish to refer to this list as we explore Oren’s political history up until present time:
The Princedom of Lycenia, as it was originally called, was the other major Lynith island state that emerged. Lycenia was second only to Oren when it came to military strength and economic prosperity. Lycenia exerted control over the Lynith Archipelago, meaning that it also controlled the most prized resource in all of Lynith: the enchanted sugar cane.
Enchanted sugarcane is used to produce what most merchants say is the finest alcohol in all of Temuair: Lyceanian rum, or pirate’s rum if you want to go by the modern colloquial name. Aislings who fought in the recent battles against the pirates on Lynith’s shores in Deoch 190 and 198 are already familiar with this beverage. The pirates hold this rum in their treasure. Most Aislings shout in disappointment when they find rum instead of other valuable treasure but only because they do not know its significance! The enchanted sugarcane used to make this prized rum only grows in Lyceania. This sugarcane will not grow anywhere else in Temuair, including Oren island.
Oren and Lycenia fostered a cooperative trading relationship from about Danaan 2800 until the onset of the Shadows War in Danaan 3058. The few remaining independent politics were closely aligned with either Oren or Lycenia. The mainland of Temuair was always seen as a possible threat after the rise of darkness and Loures’ influence. During this period, Oren’s population and economy grew at an unmatched pace compared to the other Lynith island states.
Oren naturally became the trading center of Lynith and a bastion of culture with its impressive architecture, cuisine and luxurious jewelry. To this day, Oren is unique in having a jewelry shop. Oren island is blessed with raw metals for industry and has a naturally higher population. Lycenia, which never grew as economically diverse as Oren, always relied heavily on agriculture. The enchanted sugarcane is Lycenia’s most valuable agricultural resource.
Oren viewed itself as “first among equals” between the other island states. However, Oren’s relationship with Lycenia began to deteriorate at the onset of the Shadows War in Danaan 3085. According to Oneaye, the trading relationship became one-sided in favor of Oren. Prada argued that Lycenia was intent on undercutting Oren to supplant its place as the rightful successor to Lynith. Whatever the case may be, Queen Andrilarch I of Oren was committed to fulfilling her ancestral destiny of politically reuniting Lynith.
Queen Andrilarch I’s late father was one of the Temuair kingdoms to ally with Empress Ealagadh. Ealagadh, also known as the Steel Swan, went on a mission to reform Tenes’ alliances “to the glory of Danaan'' in Temuair. Chloe details the history of Ealagadh in "the Blood of the Forgotten Empire". Andrilarch drew much inspiration from the Steel Swan. Ealagadh’s success in forming alliances with the other kingdoms in Temuair emboldened Andrilarch’s own political ambitions. Andilarch felt the time was nigh to unify Lynith and abandon splendid isolation from the rest of Temuair.
Under Andrilarch, Oren’s naval presence increased dramatically. At the outset of the Shadows War in Danaan 3058, Andrilarch provided naval support to Loures in the assault against the strongest Dubhaimid stronghold to the north: the Isle of Man. Loures did not face much resistance until the Dubhaimid unleashed Madness upon Temuair:
The insanity came in waves, and affected all in its invisible path…soldiers, farmers, even the beasts of the field. Cows became carnivorous, young girls acted like old men, soldiers shot flowers instead of goblins.
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The Blood of the Forgotten Empire, Chloe.
Prada believes that the Lynith islanders were not spared the Dubhaimid’s engrossing affliction. The Madness exacerbated tension between Oren and Lycenia.
The Great Lynith War, Danaan 3072 – 3082
A combination of factors are believed to have caused the great conflict between Oren and Lyceania during the Shadows War. Unforgiving weather conditions reduced the supply of enchanted sugar cane, which in turn increased its price. This infuriated Oren merchants. The short supply lasted a very long time due to drought and powerful hurricanes assailing the agriculture industry between Danaan 3058 and 3067.
A climate of Madness unleashed by the dubhaimid during the Shadows War and growing economic troubles in the Lynith isles gave rise to a growing problem: piracy. When the Madness did not subside, Andrilarch accused Lyceania of price gouging Oren merchants and hiring buccaneers to raid merchant ships. Oren believed that Lyceania was also failing to do its part in supporting the ongoing war in the Isle of Man through troops and armaments. The Lyceanian Prince Bennetto, ruler of Lycenia, strongly denied Andrilarch’s accusations. He also stood firm in his view that Lynith needed to fight the darkness ravaging Lynith first before worrying about the needs of Loures.
An incident in Danaan 3072 escalated tensions between Oren and Lycenia to the point of war. On a foggy summer day, two of Oren’s galleys blockaded a small fleet of merchant ships from entering Oren’s waters for inspection. Unbeknownst to Oren’s naval soldiers, the merchant ships were full of pirates waiting to ambush Oren’s crew. The pirates seized the two ships and took the soldiers hostage.
An embarrassed Andrilarch would not tolerate losing her ships to a ragtag band of pirates. Queen Andrilarch again claimed that Lycenia was behind the pirates’ scheme, arguing that there was no way a group of unaffiliated pirates would have succeeded in seizing Oren galleys. Whether or not Lycenia had any involvement, this incident led to a naval battle in the Lycenian channel between the two powers. Andrilarch was now adamant that Prince Bennetto of Lycenia was the only thing standing in the way between her and a reunited Lynith. And so began the Great Lynith War in Danaan 3072.
The Great Lynith War lasted 10 long Danaans. The open sea battle in the Oren channel barely lasted one Danaan starting in Danaan 3072. Oren subdued Lyceania’s inferior naval fleet and then formed a naval blockade around Lycenia. Over the next 9 Danaans, the Oren navy carried out strategic raids along the archipelago to gradually weaken Lycenia. The Lycenians nicknamed Andrilarch “Queen Arachnid the Wicked” because of Oren’s tactic of casting a web of ships around Lycenia to slowly ensnare the princedom into paralysis.
After Prince Bennetto of Lycenia surrendered in Danaan 3082, Andrilarch immediately seized control of the enchanted sugarcane farms and imprisoned Bennetto in Oren. Andrilarch later arranged a royal intermarriage between her son, Great Duke Alleno, and Bennetto’s daughter, Princess Blasia, who was next in line to inherit the throne of Lycenia.
Queen Andrilarch’s plan was for the offspring of Alleno and Blasia to inherit both his or her parents’ kingdoms. From Prada’s account, this was meant to create peace once and finally reunite Lynith. From Oneaye’s point of view, Oren wanted to justify colonizing Lycenia and pillage its resources. Lycenian felt the royal marriage was a deceitful way to give Lycenia no choice but to accept their fate as a subordinate colony, for how could they reject their royal bloodline? Many Lycenians rejected the legitimacy of this marriage forced upon them by “Queen Arachnid the Wicked”.
Duke Alleno ascended to the Oren throne as King Oren III following his mother’s death in Danaan 3092. The daughter of King Oren III and Princess Blasia inherited both Oren and Lycenia by Danaan 3150. The daughter assumed the title Queen Lynthia I. Queen Lynthia I also started the tradition of adopting a second title to reflect her rulership over a reunited Lynith: Empress of Lynith. In practice, the monarch of Oren was also the Emperor or Empress of Lynith. At this point, the Oren royal family had finally reached its ultimate goal: reuniting Lynith.
The Lycenian Revolution, Deoch 25
The new Lynith Empire almost survived almost 150 years. While it is true that Queen Andrilarch succeeded in her plans to reunite Lynith, it can be argued that she succeeded only in title, for the people of Lycenia were united in their brewing hatred towards Oren.
After the Great Lynith War, the enchanted sugarcane farmers lost ownership of their farms. The Oren navy also conscripted many Lycenians. The Oren monarch continued to control its military under the title of Oren despite the fact that they held the title Emperor of Lynith. Oren was the de facto controlling power in Lynith. In Deoch 3, King Oren V ascended to the throne.
There was also major advancement in naval artillery that occurred near the end of the Danaan age. Thanks to breakthroughs in alchemy using blue powder, Loures and Oren began using a new weapon called the cannon. An explosive powder is ignited in cannons to fire a projectile, usually solid balls of talgonite. (( In case readers believe cannons are heresy, they can be seen on ships in Dark Ages. ))
Piracy on the high seas also soared to new levels. The pirates were a constant thorn in Oren’s side. They became better organized during what became known as the hy-brasyl age of piracy. Many Lycenians saw the pirate as a positive symbol worthy of admiration. Lycenians romanticized the life of a pirate rebelling against Oren’s domination, stealing from the greedy Oren merchants that colonized everything from Lycenia.
There are three historical figures of importance that rose to prominence leading up to the Lycenian rebellion in Deoch 19. First there was Lorenzo Sanctus, a commodore in the Oren navy who came from a disenfranchised family of Lycenian farmers. The Sanctus family clan had a huge stake in the enchanted sugarcane trade for generations until the Great Lynith War ended in Danaan 3082. Lorenzo was conscripted into the Oren navy at a young age. Proving to be a tactical genius, Lorenzo climbed ranks quite quickly. He reached the rank of commodore by Deoch 15.
The second important person that played a big part in the Lyceanian rebellion was the notorious pirate Captain Redshank, whose real surname was Jones. According to Oneaye and Redshank’s own logs I found on his ship anchored at Lynith beach, Redshank led the pirates to seize the Great Power in Oren. All that is known about Redshank’s early life is that he was a privateer under Lorenzo’s command by Deoch 17. The Oren navy hired Redshank as a privateer with the agreement that Redshank could plunder enemies of the empire without consequence.
Before he became a privateer, Redshank gained the reputation of being the scariest pirate on the Lynith seas who ironically never resorted to murder. Prada and Oneaye both acknowledged this reputation. “Redshank be many things, but a murderer ain’t one. A liar, thief and a cheat to get what he wanted, but never a murderer.” It is also said that Redshank wielded an enchanted cutlass that transformed into flames from the sword tip to the hilt whenever drawn for battle. This cutlass was useful to instill fear and intimidation.
Together, Redshank and Lorenzo devised a plan in secret to rebel against Oren. The plan was to assemble enough pirates and Lycenian soldiers in Oren’s navy to retake Lycenia. Lorenzo wanted to secede from the Lynith Empire and declare Lycenia a republic. Their biggest fear was a repeat of the Great Lynith War that lasted ten long Danaans. However, a third important individual gave Redshank all the leverage he needed to swiftly take Oren after retaking Lycenia: Redshank’s first mate, Savage.
Oneaye tells all Aislings disguised as pirates how Redshank’s pirate crew was on the verge of mutiny in Deoch 20 before Captain Redshank led them to the Great Power. The logs of Captain Redshank suggest that Redshank reluctantly worked with Savage to get to the Great Power. Savage apparently knew how to harness the Great Power. The early logs of Captain Redshank go into more detail about his first mate than Oneaye could.
Redshank wrote his logs right before starting his quest to find the Great Power in Oren. I believe he wrote these logs in the event that he did not survive and wanted his tale told. Interestingly, he always signed them with his surname, Jones. The opening page has only one message: “If you’re reading this, I’m probably a goner. Let the truth drift free. Dead men tell no tales.” Here is the first log:
My first mate is truly an enigma. Leapt from the shadows with a lingering dark energy about him. Says he’s a mage from the mainland who holds the wisdom of countless centuries. And you know what? Man’s got a face so weathered it dismisses any doubt about that!
It was Savage who confided in me about the Great Power from ancient Niara. Claimed to know the location and would share it with the Lyceanian people. He sees us as the rightful rulers of Niara. In exchange for showing us, he wanted a safe escort and chance to drink from the fountain to cure his ailment. Funny, his rugged, ugly face hasn’t disappeared yet! Does strength come first and youthfulness later? Who knows.
Why does this landlubber mage of the north care for our plight? Odd that after all these years the imperial Oren family couldn’t figure out the Great Power yet this man could. One night of heavy drinking, Savage let it slip that he lost control of his fate after signing a pact with the devil. Is that his ailment? He grew dead silent after that slipup. Can ye believe the bloke wouldn’t tell me his true name?
Jones
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The logs of Captain Redshank, Deoch 27
One can make a compelling argument from Redshank’s log that Savage was another member of the Pact of Anaman. This would not be the first case that an Anaman Pact member played a pivotal role in shaping Temuair history after being granted a 1000 year lifespan. In the “Night of Tagor”, historian Vendes documented journal entries authored by the Lord of Tagor. Here is one passage:
The year of Danaan, 2933
It has been twelve long years since our defeat at the hands of Ainmeal. Twelve years, such a short time, almost of no consequence, when I face a lifetime of a thousand years. Those of us who remain have gone into hiding, with the destruction of Tenes. Like the others, I too will hide my name and where I once came from, at this time. It is no longer important…
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Night of Tagor, historian Vendes
Is Savage a fellow pact member? Is he Lord Tagor but adopted another new name? Was the Great Power his next quest as he neared the end of his 1000 year lifespan? We cannot know for sure based on the information available so far. There is a chance that a member of the Pact knew how to harness the Great Power in a way that Aislings are unaware of. Aislings gain health and willpower while pirates gain strength and power.
Whatever Savage’s true nature, Savage, Redshank and Lorenzo coordinated an uprising in Deoch 24 when the opportunity presented itself. In Deoch 24, fall, King Oren V’s only son and heir to the throne, Prince Nerio, visited Lycenia with a fleet of ships. Several pirate crews joined with Redshank to seize the ships. Thousands of Lycenians rebelled under Lorenzo’s to take over the archipelago.
The rebellion was mostly successful. Lorenzo’s forces took command of the islands while Redshank and Savage seized all of Oren’s galleys. Many lives were lost while the battle waged for several moons.
Prince Nerio got close enough to Lorenzo to slay him in battle. However, Nerio was then completely surrounded by rebels by the time Redshank closed in on the mainland. At this point, the rebels looked up to Redshank to lead the rest of the war against Oren. Oneaye gave me a dramatized telling of Redshank’s capture of Prince Nerio:
…Redshank gave a big speech to the rebels while holding Prince Nerio with one hand and a bottle of rum with the other. “My fellow countrymen. Troublesome peasants. Loathsome pirates. Here stands before you Oren royalty, accused of plundering a kingdom dry and torturing its people and taking their livelihood. By the just laws of Niara, what be the charge?”
The crowd broke into a chant: “Piracy! Piracy! Piracy!”
Redshank then spoke after taking a long swig of his rum. “Piracy? Now, that not be an accusation we should make lightly. Ashamed as I am to admit I don’t come to the table with clean hands, I don’t trust our benevolent colonial court. Tell you what; we’ll take our grievance to the emperor himself. Who be with me?”
The crowd cheered as several hundreds joined the pirates on ships, wearing their bandanas to support the rebellion. Redshank guided the rebels to the docks with the trail of smoke coming from his fiery cutlass. The fiery cutlass became the symbol of the rebellion.
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Oneaye, pirate of the Lynith pirate ship
Redshank now had a massive crew and fleet at his command. He guided the crew towards Oren through the Oren channel, sinking many Oren galleys that were unprepared for the surprise attack along the way.
The Invasion of Oren, Deoch 26
The Lycenian rebel forces engaged the Oren ships stationed along the perimeter of Oren island. The rebels, who knew they were outnumbered, used a tactic of “kiting” their targets. The rebels lured the Oren fleet away from the docks with ranged attacks. This tactic allowed a rebel ship to drop off Captain Redshank’s ground force at a pier. The ground force included Redshank, Savage, several pirates and their hostage, Prince Neiro. The ground force would have been killed very quickly if Savage did not cast a veil spell to hide the crew.
After the crew boarded the pier, completely veiled by Savage’s spell, they entered the Oren jungle from the west side and then made their way towards the throne room located in the north of Oren city. As the crew expected, there was a heavy presence of Oren guards stationed around the palace. When they closed in on the palace, half the crew unveiled themselves and engaged the guards. With the guards focused on the visible threat before them, Redshank led the other half of his veiled crew into the palace unnoticed.
Inside the throne room, Savage broke the group veil when he inflicted a temporary curse of blindness on the royal guards. The guards had no time to react. The pirate crew subdued the guards and tied them up with rope. There was no one else standing between Redshank and King Oren V.
Redshank threatened to slay the King’s heir if he was not given the location and key to the sewers. Left with no option of escape, King Oren V complied. Although Savage and some crew members wanted to murder the royal family right then and there, Redshank was a man of his word, likely never truly planning to kill any of them. Fear alone was his preferred weapon. Redshank allowed the King to unbind his royal guards while he set the throne room on fire with his fiery cutlas. Redshank then used the key to enter the secret sewer entrance in the palace.
Inside the sewers, the pirates reached the fountain altar room. Savage performed a ritual that was needed to harness its essence. Redshank recorded his observation in his logbook:
Never had I witnessed such magic. This was black magic. Savage enchanted the fountain water with a cryptic spell from that rugged tome of his. The water took on a dark hue and began sloshing around violently. I’ll never forget the site of those ghastly fanged faces forming in the water. I’ll tell ye no fib; watching Savage dirty the pristine fountain like that made me want to puke. Could we trust him?
There was no turnin back now. We each drank from the fountain and filled as many jugs as we could. We immediately felt a rush of energy surge through us. We felt a newfound strength and desire to dominate. My mightiest guards were so deeply affected that their nature turned to darkness! What have we done to ourselves? Before long, the fountain turned back to its pristine state.
I helped myself to a peculiar lookin relic on the wall while Savage worked his magic on the fountain. Some kind of hy-brasyl trident. Thought it was an elegant spear til the gems in the prongs started glowing on my ship. What magic is this? The gems only glow close to the sea. Going to keep it under wraps for now.
Jones
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The logs of Captain Redshank, Deoch 27
After Redshank’s crew exited the sewers, he hid the key. Without the key, it would be very difficult for anyone to access the sewers. As mentioned by Baldo during my archaeological exploration of the sewers, the doors to the sewers are made of hy-brasyl and fortified by magic.
It is also important to note that Redshank clearly wrote in his above log entry that he took the trident from the altar room. The trident emitted some type of magic energy. Interestingly, Prada did not seem aware the trident had any mystical powers.
For the remainder of Deoch 26, Oren city was brought to the brink of collapse, unable to fend off the rebel pirate invaders. The pirates shared the Great Power with their fellow raiders to build their ranks. King Oren V and his son escaped into hiding. Their whereabouts remain unknown.
Aislings Come to Oren’s Aid, Deoch 27
In a desperate attempt to survive, the Mundanes of Oren cried out to Aislings for help. Oren was aware of Deoch’s spark. Traveling merchants shared countless stories about the Aislings with Oren. Oren diplomats wasted no time searching for these Aislings on the mainland, posting news announcements and promising new adventures to build their legends.
The Aislings answered the call. In the spring of Deoch 27, the Aislings formed a counteroffensive under Mundane Baldo, guardian of the Oren city sewer entrance. Even with the Great Power, the pirates stood no chance against the Aislings. One can argue that this was in large part because the pirate rebels were too disorganized to keep up a military offensive. The pirates had no operational objectives.
The whereabouts of Redshank and Savage are as mysterious as King Oren’s. Oneaye tells every Aisling disguised as a pirate about his last encounter with Redshank:
Aye, you need the key. The Captain buried the key in the waters nearby. When visitors calling themselves Aislings started to kill some of me mates in Oren, the Captain went to fetch the key. Haven’t heard from him since. The Captain has a map that leads to the buried key.
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Oneaye, pirate of the Lynith ship
There are two additional sources of information that shed more light on what may have happened. First, this is Redshank’s last log:
Can’t believe it. Oren opened its doors to the meddlesome Aislings. They’re coming to the aid of the backstabbing colonialists? Really?! They know nothing of the legacy of Queen Arachnid the Wicked, may her soul rot in Chadul’s realm.
Savage says he must step away. Not without me he ain’t! What does he think? That he can leave us to fend for ourselves an’ abscond with the Great Power? He don’t care for Lycenia. Can’t trust that conniving sea skrull. Or should I say, that lich? That’s right. I stole his tome of black magic; studied it and snatched the relic contained within.
We’re retrievin the key to harvest more of the Great Power first. We set sail at noon.
Jones
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The logs of Captain Redshank, Deoch 27
That was the final log entry by Redshank, or Jones if you go by the name he used to sign his logs. There is another source of information that hints at the fate of Redshank: the prisoner Aislings come across in the pirate’s brig in Lynith.
When I snuck into the brig on the Lynith pirate ship, I asked the prisoner about his backstory. I unequipped my disguise to show I was not a pirate. The prisoner is an Oren sailor whose ship was hijacked by the pirates during the pirate invasion. He and other prisoners were transferred to a ship where they witnessed a mutiny, led by the captain’s first mate. From what he recalls, the pirates were headed towards the northeast to obtain a key. He has a vivid memory of the captain’s last words when he was forced to walk the plank. The prisoner recited the captain’s last words:
I saw it comin a mile away! This ain’t the last ye heard of me. I learned your own secrets, and soon so will all of ye who can’t resist the urge to cheat death. One day, we’ll all be reunited! In my locker beneath the sea!
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Memory shared by the prisoner in the pirate brig
The prisoner did not know the name of the captain or his first mate who led the mutiny. There is a good possibility it was Savage leading a mutiny against Redshank. Redshank previously claimed that he stole Savage’s tome to learn his secrets.
I asked the prisoner why he does not try to escape after all these Deochs. He would not disclose why. I have one theory that I do not want to discuss. If my theory is correct, it would make the prisoner an obvious target.
Aislings have continued to drink from the ancient fountain since Deoch 27. The exact effect on Aislings is well known. The Great Power enhances the health and willpower of Aislings. For the pirates however, the Great Power enhanced their raw power. According to historical accounts shared by Prada earlier, the effects on the Knights de Niara who were blessed by Danaan included youthful rejuvenation, strength, health and a sense of fortitude. Is it possible that Deoch’s spark and Savage’s dark magic were each only capable of harnessing one or some of these attributes? That would also explain why Redshank did not notice any reverse aging.
While help from Aislings turned the tide of the war in Oren’s favor, the battle on the seas is an ongoing stalemate. The political status of Lycenia is not certain. Oneaye and Prada both speak of a coalition of pirate lords that exert control over the Lynith seas and remain committed to taking down Oren, undoing the unforgotten legacy of “Queen Arachnid the Wicked”. This coalition is the Pirate’s Court, also known as the Comrades of the Coast. It is believed the Pirate’s Court took over administration of Lycenia from the colonial court in Lycenia. Lycenia is probably under control of the pirates who possess the Great Power.
Low Tides: Pirate Reinforcements Arrive, Deoch 190
There are very few historical developments concerning the Oren pirates between Deoch 27 and Deoch 190 to report. During this time, the Aislings significantly reduced the number of pirates on Oren island. The Orern aristocracy started holding a seasonal Oren ball to commemorate the Aislings for their help. The Oren citizens were convinced that King Oren’s return to the throne was imminent. This state of affairs continued almost 160 Deochs until a Mundane news announcement shocked the Kingdom of Oren:
“Several pirate ships have run aground near North Lynith Beach! Join the pillaging chaos now!”
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Mundane news announcement, Deoch 190 and again in Deoch 198
Without hesitation, the Aislings rushed to square off against this new wave of pirates that arrived in Deoch 190 and again in Deoch 198. In both cases, the Oren guards were ready to escort the Aislings to the battlefield from Lynith beach. The pirates were far more powerful than any one individual Aisling could handle. Aislings banded together in big groups to thwart the pirates from establishing a beachhead.
I and many other readers are in a unique position envied by many historians writing about their topic: we participated in the pirate battles in Deoch 190 and 198. All Aislings who joined the battle should be familiar with Captain Jarrow, a privateer of Oren. In both battles, we helped Jarrow recover his coins from pirates who made their way into mainland Temuair.
When I spoke with Jarrow during the battle in Deoch 198, he explained to me that the pirates are able to control the tides at will, which I assume is why he titled his report to the Mundanes “low tides”. Jarrow assured me that he witnessed a pirate mage summoning torrential waves from afar with what looked like a three-pronged staff in hand.
Jarrow said that the pirates use the trident to lower the water to create landing spots where the raiders can assemble on land. While Oren’s city limits are well-fortified by high cliffs, watch towers and barbed obstacles to stop intruders, there are traversable landing spots available if the water level is lowered.
Jarrow is also confident that the pirates are using this ancient trident to keep Oren’s naval forces away from Lycenia. With the relic, the pirates can summon massive tidal waves to deter Oren’s vessels. This would explain how the stalemate between Oren and the pirates on the Lynith sea has persisted. In fact, Jarrow has also witnessed the pirates using the trident to splash Aislings who steal their treasure back onto Lynith beach. If this is true, it appears the trident’s magic power is the Leviathan creant’s own abilities. This must have been the mystic energy that Redshank described in his logs.
I did not hesitate to bring up Jarrow’s intel with Prada, who was already well aware of everything. Prada said that the raw strength of this new wave of pirates confirmed the Oren aristocracy’s worst fears: the pirates have been rationing the Great Power every four Deochs since Deoch 26. If Aislings did not also grow in power over the Deochs, Deoch 190 would have spelled the end of Oren and possibly of Temuair.
It is extremely probable that these pirate raids will continue for the foreseeable future. In my view, one thing is for certain. The pirate threat cannot be truly extinguished as long as they hold onto this mystical staff.
Conclusion
The objective of this paper was to show how Oren’s conflict with the pirates is much more complicated than we initially thought. The island polities of Oren and Lycenia share a common history. These island states emerged long after Lynith, the former southern region of Niara, was lost to floods during the Great War of Danaan and Chadul. The relationship between these two island states deteriorated during the Shadows War, leading to conflict ever since. Although Oren established the Empire of Lynith for some time, the Lycenians rebelled.
Following the Lycenian rebellion, the pirates found a way to harness the Great Power of the Knights de Niara and bring Oren to the brink of collapse. With the aid of the Aislings, Oren prevented this collapse. However, Oren continues to wage its war against the pirates.
Many unresolved mysteries remain. What is the fate of Redshank and Savage? Did Redshank turn himself to a lich using Savage’s magic? Is or was Savage a member of the Pact of Anaman? Can the Aislings retrieve the stolen trident from the pirates? Can Aislings use this relic of Leviathan to summon the creant like how we summon the other creants for Grand Master armor? Will Aislings one day find their way to Lycenia?
Thank you for taking the time to read.
Xoody D Ekadant
Bibliography
Mundane testimony
Baldo, guardian of the Oren city sewer entrance
Oneaye, the Lynith ship pirate
Prada, Oren aristocrat from the Oren Ball
Prisoner, hostage in the Lynith ship brig
“Low Tides”, Mundane news announcement (( September 2022 and September 2023 ))
Transcripts
The Logs of Captain Redshank
Ancient scrolls of the Knights de Niara (shared by Prada)
Aisling works cited
“Niarian History”, by NitroTFD
“The Blood of the Forgotten Empire”, by Chloe Ta’Null
“The Night of Tagor”, by Vendes
