The Alliance of the Red Banner, sometimes known colloquially as the Red Flag Fleet, carries with it a reputation as both the most aggressive and most successful of the pirate factions of the Blacksand League. The faction leader Shiyang is known for her unconventional approaches to warfare and diplomacy.
Location
The Alliance of the Red Banner is mostly active within the Kilche Sea, preying on the merchant vessels that travel its busy trade routes. Alliance ships frequently visit the ports of the Blacksand Archipelago, which are widely considered safe havens for pirates.
History
Though the Alliance is primarily associated with its current leader, having grown markedly in prominance under her, it predates Shiyang by a number of decades. Originally a more disorganized group led by her husband, and her husband's father before him, Shiyang took command after his death.
Interests and activities
Under Shiyang's command, the Alliance's primary purpose is to increase the personal power and wealth of its leader. Shiyang uses the Alliance's considerable strength and capabilities to pursue any who would challenge her, neutralizing enemies by either forcing them to join or putting them to death, whichever is most convenient.
Ships
The flagship of the Alliance is the Perfidious Storm.
The Alliance uses a variety of vessels, with a preference for mid-sized junks. Recently the Alliance has begun experimenting with and deploying ships armed with alchemical weapons - those that refuse to surrender frequently find themselves ablaze.
Notable individuals
See also: Shiyang
Many of the high-ranking captains within the Alliance are part of Shiyang's extended family. Despite this blatant nepotism, incompetence is not tolerated, and those that fail to perform are quickly tossed aside.
Relations
The Alliance is frequently at odds with the other factions of the Blacksand League, as Shiyang's drive to grow her fleet in numbers and ability often runs counter to the goals of others. Small skirmishes between Alliance vessels and those of other factions, especially the Four Thousand Eyes, are not uncommon. The Alliance stops short, however, of full scale war against its rivals in the League.
Relations between the Alliance and Tarkuus are very strained, to the point where Tarkuusan assassins have eliminated Shiyang's past lieutenants in order to send her a message. Alliance pirates continue to prey on ships under the protection of Tarkuus, and some suspect it is only a matter of time before the forces of the undead empire will seek to eliminate the faction entirely.