The Blacksand League is an confederation of the major pirate factions of the Kilche Sea. Though they do not fully control the islands, the pirates use ports within the Blacksand Archipelago as their bases of operation. The League is tenuous at the best of times, though the fleets usually manage to keep each other in check.
Geography, flora, and fauna
The Blacksand Archipelago is a semi-tropical group of islands within the Kiche Sea, not far offshore from Tarkuus. Though most of the islands have a volcanic origin, there are few active volcanoes in the archipelago today. A small number of the islands are artificial, having been built by Tarkuus for unknown purposes then later abandoned.
The archipelago is named for the distinctive magnetic dark sand that makes up many of its beaches. Though this magnetism is mostly quite weak, sailors have learned to avoid certain islands due to their tendency to interfere with compasses.
The Two Halves is a rather unusual island within the archipelago. Originally a single volcanic peak rising from the sea, at some point in the distant past the island was split in two in a jagged line down the middle. In most places this channel is less than a hundred feet across, decreasing to twenty at the narrowest.
Most islands in the archipelago have either a dry climate with little plant life or are covered in tropical forests. Traveler's palms are one of the most distinctive trees that can be found in the Blacksand Archipelago, joined by a number of other species.
Though many non-native animals have been introduced to the islands, most destructively pigs, the archipelago has a highly distinctive set of native wildlife. Lemurs, fossas, tenrecs, and dwarf hippopotami are found on the islands but almost nowhere else in the world. A great variety of seabirds nest in the mountains and coasts of the islands as well. In the ocean off shore from the islands, both among the coral reefs and in the open ocean, lives a massive variety of sea life.
Sea drakes are relatively widespread around some of the islands in the archipelago. Largely solitary, they are little threat to the pirate crews of the League as long as the ships do not venture too close to their dens.
Rope dragon infestations are common in the ports of the archipelago. Though generally harmless, they are a nuisance to some crews.
Factions
The following are the current major factions within the League, alongside a number of smaller fleets. The factions vary in size, from a few dozen ships on the one extreme to hundreds on the other.
Alliance of the Red Banner
See also: Alliance of the Red Banner
The Alliance of the Red Banner, known colloquially as the Red Flag Fleet, carries with it a reputation as both the most aggressive and most successful of the pirate factions. The faction leader Shiyang is known for her unconventional approaches to warfare and diplomacy.
Four Thousand Eyes
See also: Four Thousand Eyes
The Four Thousand Eyes under Samudra Raksa has given itself the task of protecting the ports of the Blacksand Archipelago. Ships of the Four Thousand Eyes guard the islands from outsiders who would seek to control the pirates and their enablers, effectively privateering the privateers. Raksa has drilled the pirates under her command to be extremely coordinated, implementing a military-like command structure.
Lost Winds
See also: Lost Winds
Perhaps the most eccentric of the factions, under Yawad Hava's leadership the Lost Winds have become a motley group of misfits, outcasts, and those that could or would not conform themselves to the standards of other pirate groups. Among the other pirates, the Lost Winds have an only partially deserved reputation as slothful, preferring to stay in port and drink over plying the seas.
Orange Lotus Fleet
See also: Orange Lotus Fleet
While many pirates pay at least passing homage to Besmara, those of the Orange Lotus Fleet are Besmaran devotees. Mera Munia has turned the pirates of the faction into an effective force that is loyal to Besmara and the fleet but little else. Individual Orange Lotus ships and crews are renowned for their ability to hit far above their weight, even capturing massive, fully armed and crewed Kea Rachan warships alone.
Santelmin Order
See also: Santelmin Order
The Santelmin Order is the smallest of the major factions of the Blacksand League. All members of Santelmin crews are casters, and the faction does not openly recruit. Rather, to join the Order, one must be specifically selected by the pirate admiral Heshwen. Most Santelmin ships are magically automated, driven and maintained by constructs, animated objects, or undead. The Order serves as something of the kingmakers among the League factions - when they deign to speak on a matter, the others soon fall in line.
History
Despite its inherent instability, the Blacksand League has managed to survive the last few hundred years. An outgrowth of earlier efforts between pirate admirals to forge alliances for mutual gain, the League has successfully brought together the major pirate forces of the Kilche Sea.
While some factions, most notably the Orange Lotus Fleet and the Santelmin Order, have managed to remain united and cohesive upon the deaths of their commanders, most quickly fall apart and scatter once rendered leaderless. These now faction-less ships and crews gradually coalesce again, merging into other factions or forming new ones. The number and strength of factions within the Blacksand League has varied greatly over time as allegiances shift.
The islands of the Blacksand Archipelago have been inhabited for centuries. Trade routes through the Kilche Sea have long carried goods going north and south, and gradually communities and ports were established to support this trade. Pirate activity in the Kilche has grown and ebbed over the years, causing the ports to slowly change in character from respites for merchants to pirate coves and back again.
Demographics
The ports within the Blacksand Archipelago are inhabited by individuals of many ancestries. Humans account for a plurality of the population. Joining them are large populations of tengu, tieflings, half-elves, half-orcs, halflings, catfolk, ratfolk, dhampirs, ganzi, and undine.
The crew of the pirate fleets tend to be similarly diverse.
Culture
Technology
Some pirate crews, especially those of the Santelmin Order use cutlass spiders aboard their ships. These constructs are bristling with weapons and can make short work of any foe, though they are quite expensive to build.
Government
Within the Blacksand League, the pirate factions maintain an uneasy balance of power. Each faction governs itself as it sees fit, refraining from interfering in the affairs of others. The basic terms that govern the League are codified in the Laws of the League:
- The crews of each faction can live as they see fit, following their own laws and rules.
- Disputes between factions are arbitrated between a council of faction representatives.
- Outright conflict between factions is strictly forbidden, on punishment of being removed from the League.
- The ports of the Blacksand Archipelago are neutral ground. Pirates are not allowed to fight within the towns or their harbors, and neither are they allowed to control the lives of their inhabitants.
One notable omission in the Laws is any mention of who it applies to - participation is voluntary, but not adhering to the rules means forgoing the relative safety it brings. The requirements for a faction to be allowed to bring representatives to League councils is similarly vague, and is essentially down to having the force to back it up.
It is broadly understood that Tarkuusan administrators maintain regular contact with the faction leaders, though the exact extent of this relationship is not known to most. Certainly it seems like ships that sail under flags more subservient to Tarkuus are targeted less by the pirates.
Economy
The people of the Blacksand Archipelago depend heavily on the activity of the pirates. When the pirates do well, so do the communities of the islands. The ports trade with and supply the pirate crews, allowing both sides to prosper. Some merchant ships still make port within the archipelago, bringing additional trade and opportunities with them.
The archipelago also has some natural wealth, most notably the beaches of black sand, some of which are composed of a magnetic mineral valued for some specialized applications.