Sailors in the meadhall at Jaalstead, Free Captains arguing over wine in the upper districts of Lerona Mere, Corsairs drinking liquor straight from the bottle next to their careened vessels on the coast of Mukarrem, all across The Concord these marine-souls share what they have seen. While it takes a decent bullshit artist to decipher truth from fiction, and hyperbole from whatever remains, it is essential that any Concordian that considers themselves ‘well-informed’ at least attempts to remain aware of what rumours pass for scuttlebutt these days.
The news from across the seas is hardly good, but thankfully very little of it appears to affect The Concord, at least directly. What follows within this Winds entry is valid information for any character who wanders the seas, who frequents dockside establishments, or at least wants to be informed of the goings on beyond the coasts of Southern Esterra.
My Six Sweet Children, How I Despise Them
For most sailors getting to the Bay of Promise Gold is simple; hug the coastline but stay well offshore as the winds can pick up unexpectedly and there are hidden rocks, and whatever you do, don’t let the islands get between you and the coast. The swell moving through the ‘Six Children’ is often unpredictable as storms and currents are split and curled around this stormwracked spits of earth and many a ship has floundered on their pitiful hides. As with all things in the Bay they exist in parallel history; one modern Artebazzani, now Lerona Mere, and one ancient and Valleyfolk.
In the east you have ‘The Young Children’; commonly known as Cassini, Tartassini, and Legassini, also known as ‘The Driftlings’ to the Valleyfolk who name them Halfdrott, Bloodsnaudr, and Jafnrot.
Cassini or Halfdrott is the smallest of the noted Bay Isles, a rocky black outcropping home to little more than seals, sea birds, and shipwrecks. In the distance it appears as a crude black crown discarded into the ocean by some giant. Legend has it that fishing near the isle is ill-fortune lest the wayward fisherfolk pull up the dead king from the depths. More pragmatic captains give the isle a wide berth as strong swell can nearly hide it from view in spray and fog.
Tartassini or Bloodsnaudr is a flat turtle-shaped island home covered in waist high grasses, clods of seaweed, and a stubborn herd of feral goats, left behind on the isle sometime decades ago after a failed homestead was washed away. Deposits of iron in the Isle give its shoals a foul red sheen at low tide that lend the isle its Iron Valley name; The Bleeding Tide.
Legassini or Jafnrot is the largest of the eastern isles and the only one to see any settlement. Previously a group of Valleyfolk Jarl’s who made their fortunes hunting toothed whales in the Icereach settled there in a hamlet named ‘Rookskein’. Now all that remains on this raised isle are the stone bones of that settlement, a raised standing stone that reads “Here the Sea Ends, and We Stand Tall”, and twinkling lights said to be long-dead whalers returning for their supper.
The Driftlings are broadly understood to be of little use except for somewhere suitably depressing to die. In truth the only use they have served is exactly that, a place for the Valleyfolk to maroon heinous criminals until they die by storm or sea.
In the west matters are different, with three larger isles of actual note and use. Known as ‘The Elder Ones’ Ventarossa, Kalicossa (and her child Vintassini), and Vulpossa to the Lerona Mere, these islands are lessons in foolhardy sailing and cautionary tales against greed. To the Valleyfolk they were ‘The Deepbound’, those ancient beasts that cast out their foolish children to the east and now slumber uneasily, known as Skevlaheim, Moldraka (and its child Grotknef), and Hraksol.
Ventarossa or Skevlaheim is the largest of all the Bay isles and home to a saltscorched wood of hardy pines and firs, and sits more than double the height of any other island. It’s staunch cliff-clad edges make mooring extremely dangerous and responsible for stopping any true settlement on this considerable piece of land. But those who do risk approaching can (supposedly) find rare herbs and might find secrets at a lost Bayfolk stone circle upon the island.
Kalicossa or Moldraka is a trap. Its hooked appearance and sheltering islet (Vintassini or Grotknef) promises a sheltered bay away from the wind. But the bay itself is shallow and criss-crossed by rocky ridgelines crowned with a grey-white coral known as Jarlsteeth. Tavernside rumour has it that Kalicossa had more than a dozen shipwrecks in its bay alone and the isle itself is home to a savage culture of lost seafarers who eat their weak for sustenance. In reality it is likely a dangerous navigational hazard that lures in the greedy who want to harvest the storm-gray pearls that can be found in the oysters that cuddle the Jarlsteeth.
Last, and possibly least, Vulpossa or Hraksol is smaller than Cassini depending on squall and tide. Sour sailors have been known to curse Vulpossa in the same way some curse the Null or disloyal partners. ‘To Vulpossa with you!’ or ‘Vulpossa-blooded barnacle sucker!’ is a call that has started more than one fight in the Docklands and ‘You’ve got a Hraksol spirit; dark with no honour’ will get a Jarl’s axe to your throat quite quickly. The islet itself is almost entirely flat, frequently covered in seaweed, and is storm-gray. This, coupled with it being poorly mapped gave rise that it was an island that could move, hunting lost vessels and sending them into the cold, deep waters that surround it.
All of these things are old rumours and knowledge but over the last season discussions of the Bay Isles have become more common in the seaside towns of The Concord’s South. Further investigation is unlikely to bring much good, but The Concord has spent money on stranger endeavours.
Game Information
The Bay Isles that sit in the sea-territories of ‘Outer Isles West’ and ‘Outer Isles East’ have been further detailed here. All this information would be perfectly valid for any sailor who has spent time in the Bay of Promised Gold to know.
Major exploration and knowledge of the isles is limited for the reasons listed above and any sailor worth their salt has better courses to chart. However the Senate may commission a survey of any of the islands for the following costs:
| Island | Cost | Notes |
| Cassini / Halfdrott | 2 Vaults | Requires a total of 2 Tiers of Naval investments to undertake the survey as a special downtime action. |
| Tartassini / Bloodsnaudr | 1 Vault | Requires a total of 1 Tier of Naval investment to undertake the survey as a special downtime action. |
| Legassini / Jafnrot | 2 Vaults | Requires a total of 3 Tiers of Naval investments to undertake the survey as a special downtime action. |
| Ventarossa / Skevlaheim | 3 Vaults | Requires a total of 5 Tiers of Naval investments to undertake the survey as a special downtime action. DANGEROUS |
| Kalicossa / Moldraka | 3 Vaults | Requires a total of 4 Tiers of Naval Investments to undertake the survey as a special downtime action. DANGEROUS |
| Vulpossa / Hraksol | 1 Vault | Requires a total of 5 Tiers of Naval Investments to undertake the survey as a special downtime action. DANGEROUS |
The Serpent, Starved
Their letters are burned, their offers are scorned, and their very personage is insulted and belittled. Such is the drama of being a Hukari trader attempting to make in-roads with those moralistic Concordians. The spectre of slavery leeches into every word that these swamp-dwelling masters have penned and continued Concordian distance is hardly surprising.
Those sailors travelling north to the nearby Dendari Nations or hugging the east coast of Esterra before tacking east to Hildeblanc do bring news, news not corrupted by the malice of bondage.
224AE was a painful year where the Golden Fleet brought ruin and wrath to the coastline Kaludas of the Hukari people, siphoning off first ransoms for not attacking and then looting when they attacked regardless. While it is unknown to the Concord what occurred within the Hukari borders over the last year since these raids, what has been glimpsed from ships railing does not bode well.
Sailors report seeing nothing. The blocky outlines of the tall ziggurat Kaludas along the coast are visible but gone are their ramshackle fishing fleets, their heavy river barges, or their coloured silk garlands. Missing are the floating, bloated corpses that might indicate that a plague had befallen the slavers and their property, it simply appears that the coastal settlements have been abandoned.
A trap? An arcane curse? A wise choice to avoid future maritime malady? Who is to say. Most of The Concord is content to leave these brutal rulers and their unfortunate victims to be out of sight and out of mind.
But there are those who never learned how to leave well enough alone. Those people for whom every misfortune is a chance for glory and riches. Those people who fear nothing except being forgotten by glory, legend, and their favourite bartenders;
Concordian ship captains.
Game Information
The Hukari appear to have abandoned their coastal settlements. As such ‘Trade with Foreign Ports: Hukari’ will no longer be available. Not that it had ever been taken.
In its place will be the ‘Plunder Hukar’ special action for this season. Any naval investment may take this action. It has moderate danger and unclear reward. The action will involve naval investments sailing to the coastal Kaludas and attempting entry to steal whatever riches and information they can find. The Hukar are not enemies of The Concord so a particularly dedicated (or vengeful) individual could argue that this action is the crime of theft on a large scale, so take this action at your own risk. Or request the senate to rule such actions are not criminal.
Life is the Misery we Endure between Disappointments
In the same way that 224AE was disastrous for the Hukari, it was insulting and disastrous for the Fealties of Drummond. The Golden Fleet sank the fleet of House Rayleigh at anchor in Crownsport, sacked part of the city and raided up and down Seahaven before being defeated by a combined army from Duchy Forsworn and Duchy Valorcrest at the failed siege of Thornhowl Castle. These piratical raids were expensive and of questionable worth for the Stormqueen of the Golden Fleet, but shuffled the balance of power in Drummond immensely.
House Rayleigh, once one of the greatest houses owing to its fleet and control over the western entrance to the continent was embarrassed and wounded, leading other houses to pull strands from their legacy for their own glory. House Rottmour, the Dukes of Manacle Harbour and Duchy Artallian now control the greatest fleet in Drummond and the young Duke Alswin Rottmour is the undisputed master of the Drummondite seas. House Cadoc of Valourcrest and House Silas of Forsworn have created a powerful southern bloc that, while militarily mighty, struggles for influence and wealth.
But a year has seen these wounds scab over, become aching scars rather than fetid wounds. Sailors travelling too and from Drummond report that entry into Seahaven or Manacle Harbour is of little major concern. Ale is plentiful, chances to repair your ship, and good Drummondite wares are certainly present, and it feels much as it was. If you can ignore the sense that the whole western portion of Drummond is poised on a longsword’s edge, ready to fall into war or quiet resentment with equal likelihood.
What is perhaps most interesting is that Duke Jeryn Silas, Master of Thornhowl Castle, and Duke of Forsworn has opened up the port town of Bleakstarbe to Concordian ships. Situated a few days travel from Thornhowl Castle in The Carrion Barrows Barony, Bleakstarbe is a town to Crownsport or Manacle Harbours cities, and Duchy Forsworn hardly promises great riches, but a chance to perhaps entreat with ‘The Barbed Wolf’ and gain influence with this rising power appeals to some, as does the chance that no one else will make the journey, leaving all the riches for you.
Game Information
Trading with the Fealties of Drummond remains open, and while the nation remains as stable as it ever is, the feeling on the wind is that it cannot remain so for long.
Concordian ships will have three options for trading with the Fealties this season:
- Manacle Harbour in the northern Duchy Artallian, a wealthy archipelago city, ruled by House Rottmour. This journey is harsher and longer, ships are recommended to be at least Tier 2 to expect to make the journey with any hope of survival.
- Crownsport in the West in Duchy Seahaven, a once-great city, ruled by House Rayleigh. Any ship can make this journey.
- Bleakstarbe in the southern Duchy Forsworn, ruled by House Silas. This journey will likely return less wealth than either of the above options but this port was recently opened, with opportunities for adventure and information.
The Dead are Fearless and I Don’t Care to Join them
Almost all of The Concord’s sailors who are trying to make their money in trade make their way east, braving seasonal storms and harsh winds around the Cape of Bailes. It is a dangerous journey, but one that can become routine, to the point where some Lerona Mere are known to mark their forearms with storming cloud once they have made thirty such journeys.
In centuries past there would be small cliffside hamlets where Iron Valley Jarls could pick up raw timbers, furs, and craftworks to bring back to Lerona Mere or Bolsterlee. A small route but one that could be relied upon to bring in some amount of income. A quiet route for those saltsails who have had their fill hunting sea monsters and icebergs out in the Reach. But such trades are long since cold. Ever since the Illsevir brought death to the Bailites and they vanished from the world, the cliffs along Masa Vull, Masa Niam and Stormbreaker have been empty and abandoned.
But over the Winter season, those sailors who made the journey and were blessed by clear days were able to spot life returning to these lands. Particularly in Masa Niam, Stormbreaker, and Masa Sirisse there are signs of rehabilitation; small jetties holding firm against the squall, the light of fireplaces on the highlands, and even the occasional fishing skiff battling the winter waves.
While contact is not made, and ships flying Iron Valley colours make particular effort to stay distant, is appears that the new Bailite Kingdoms under their ‘High King’ Alabaster Morgan are setting and have spread their influence into all three of the previous Bailite regions (Baile Lochra, Baile Fein, and Baile Fealtoiri). It remains unclear what sort of people these new Bailites are, and how many of their ancestors' secrets or grudges they hold dear. But The Concord certainly has a new Southern neighbour.
Game Information
Sailors report seeing regular signs of habitation and work being done on the southern reaches of the Cape of the Bailes. The new Bailite Kingdoms have laid successful claim to all three of the old Bailes as far as can be seen. The Concord should consider at least Baile Lochra and Baile Fealtoiri as Bailite regions, although the extent with which they are controlled or developed is unknown.
As it stands this has no impact on Concordian efforts and the cold regard that the Bailites hold the Concordians in currently forms a barrier against economic boon, but it is unlikely that these peoples future will remain separate from The Concord’s for long.
I Have Always Done the Same Thing; Exactly what I Pleased
For the would-be pirate or corsair, there are plenty of grand targets for raiding in Southern Esterra. The west coast of Aprivano is full of wealthy corsair-havens for the taking, Legend City is the ultimate prize and if it can’t be taken its outer towns are growing wealthier, Jaalstead is sleepy and unlikely to raise much of a fuss until it is too late, wonderful takings all round!
But if you were a piratical storm-queen bound by treaties, agreements, and more than a little bit of coin, the options begin to fade quite quickly. These tempting targets become hospitable havens that are well and useful for trade and shipworks, but less so for the forcible acquisition of lucre.
Such is the quandary faced by Ophelia Diablos, the Storm Queen of the Golden Fleet and her fifteen-thousand pirates and raiders. After spending two seasons resting at home after a (mostly) successful year raiding the Explorer’s Sea in the East, it appears that the murderer of the previous Artebazzani Emperor is through with waiting for more glory and riches.
Concordian sailors across the seas of Southern Esterra report the return of the Golden Fleet to the waves, albeit not in the same manner it did so last year.
The grand fleet has broken up into two halves, one travelling north under the command of the Stormqueen herself, rounding the rocky coast of Adan’s Watch and beyond common knowledge, and the other passing through the Icereach Eaves and trekking east. Neither half has made any attempt to harm Concordian ships and appears to be honouring the treaties between The Concord and these violent raiders, but it remains to be seen what danger these two forces pose for the rest of the lands around The Concord.
Game Information
Two fleets have departed Banathea off the west coast of The Concord and have journeyed over the horizon in pursuit of wealth at the end of a sword. While not directly The Concord’s concern, the violent actions of the Golden Fleet and The Concord’s friendly relationships with them have been an issue in the past, but also a source of income. Characters who have allies in other nations that may be at risk of violence from the Golden Fleet may do well to consider if warning them is in The Concord’s best interests.