It is the year 1717 A.D. As the world recovers from the War of Spanish Succession, many former soldiers have found themselves without a job or home. In England or France, they would turn to petty vagrancy. Here, in the Caribbean, these former sailors and privateers turn Pirate. It is a hard life, with only a few good years to make your fortune before you're struck down by Nature or the Privateers. But to many, the risk is worth the reward. As famed Pirates such as Benjamin Hornigold and Blackbeard begin to make their mark on the world, so too do you. As a Pirate, it is up to you to make your fortune... and then get out of the profession as fast as you can.
Times are changing in the Caribbean, however. Despite the legendary plunder and riches you can obtain, the Golden Age is coming to an end. The great Empires of Britain, Spain, France, and the Netherlands will not long abide the continued harassment of their trade ships. But there is more to worry about than the barrels of a First-Rate, for here, there is more than meets the eye. In this land, the shadows are a little longer, the wine a little sweeter, and men's hearts, a little darker. Do you have what it takes to survive in such a world? Come then, to Nassau, and we shall see.
The Sea Lords is an open world adventure roleplay, set during the tail end of the Golden Age of Piracy. While there is a story, it can be completed by one player, or twenty (though, a single player will find it incredibly difficult, and may fail along the way).
Players can do almost anything they could desire, and go wherever they wish. Despite this being a Pirate RP based in the Caribbean, it is entirely possible to leave if one wishes. If you can manage to get from A to B, the world is your oyster. New York, Vienna, Paris, Moscow, Portuguese Brazil, even India and China — all are open to a player who decides to venture there, though the way is treacherous, and one should be wary to risk their crew, their ship, and their own lives. You do not even have to be a Pirate, if you so wish. Though everyone will start out as one, it is entirely possible for your character to settle down, or to get pardoned by one of the Governors, becoming a Pirate Hunter. Should one of your characters die, you can of course make a new one.
The world of The Sea Lords is not ours. There may be numerous small differences (mostly accounting for characters), but there will be several major ones. Ahistorical events may happen — perhaps, thanks to player action, the British invade Nassau in early 1717. Perhaps Spain and the Netherlands go to war. Many things will be affected by player actions and DM choices.
On the edges of society lurks the major difference in our worlds — magic.
The early 18th century marks a period of radical change for the world and, in particular, Europe. Old powers are faltering, as new ones arise to take their place. In Eastern Europe, with the fall of Belgrade into Austrian hands, the Ottoman Empire continues its slow, occasionally-interrupted retreat from Balkans. On its northern border, the Russian Bear rises slowly, gaining strength at the expense of the Turks, and of their fellow Slavs. The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth is increasingly faltering in the face of Russian expansion.
In the German heartland, the Holy Roman Empire still reels from the effects of the Thirty Years' War, with the empire becoming increasingly stratified between the largely-Protestant north and largely-Catholic south. Austria reasserts itself as the most powerful nation in Central Europe, recapturing a number of key cities from the Ottomans.
In northern Europe, Prussia, which is to form Germany in over one hundred and fifty years from now, begins its ascent to power, under the stern leadership of Frederick William I, the Soldier King. Further north, the Great Northern War rages, pitting Sweden against the might of the Russian Tsardom.
Turning now to Western Europe, which is to play a greater role in the West Indies than the East could ever hope to achieve, France, Great Britain and the Dutch Republic, only a few years ago having fought each other in the War of Spanish Succession, have enrolled into an alliance, to curtail Spanish power. Regarding Great Britain, the Royal Navy is the largest single navy in the entire world, with command over a vast number of ships, stationed in various locations throughout the globe. Having shattered Dutch dominance of world trade only a few years ago, the country looks to exploit its new position as the global naval hegemon. Great Britain has only recently seized a number of possessions from Spain and France, including Gibraltar, the Balearic Islands and the Caribbean island of St. Kitts. Despite this position, tensions on the continent arise once more, and Great Britain may once again be thrust into a war with Spain.
If such an occasion is to happen, it would surely provide the waiting opportunist with an open shot at wealth and fame.
Magic in The Sea Lords exists, but only on the very fringes of society. Though in ancient times magic is believed to have existed (The book A History Of Roman Magic by Plutarch records that the Roman Emperor Tiberius employed the use of a magician from Macedonia to kill his adopted son Germanicus), it fell into a terminal decline by the time of the Renaissance. Indeed, by the 1700s, it has all but died out, and that which was once so prominent is now almost regarded in the same way as we view Dragons or Faeries, and those that study it are ridiculed. Despite this, several prominent European monarchs still keep Court Wizards on hand, though it is feared that eventually, magical bloodlines will entirely die out.
Despite this growing skepticism, those that venture into wild and untamed lands—such as traders, explorers, and indeed, pirates—see things that cannot simply be explained by the growing rationale of science, or indeed, the Church. In the New World, Asia, and Africa, the contemporary demonologist John P. Smyth contends that magic is almost as strong as it was in antiquity. Furthermore, he states that the advent of Abrahamic religion en masse in Europe and the Near East may be reducing magical potency. This accusation is fiercely argued by many other demonologists, who point to Socrates' theory that magic represents chaos, and that it will inevitably decline as civilisation is established, as the likely answer.
The nature of magic is equally as obscure as its use, but those who have seen it describe it as thus: an infinitely powerful, metaphysical force, that can create, destroy, and manipulate the physical reality. Most experts cite early, primal traditions as the closest vehicle for magic, and many say its powers are most easily observed in the deepest wilds, and darkest corners of the planet. In Europe, this tradition sparked again with the advent of alchemical practices, but the alchemical form has since been corrupted and standardized, its mythical attributes all since lost to the ages.
So, do watch closely: as magic is a non-physical entity, it can affect your lives without your knowledge. As the New World's mythos grows, so does the potential for new magical practice, and the ancient art is all but predictable in the explorer's wilderness.
You and your fellow players won’t be magicians - at least, not right away. You will encounter magical forces, however, and it may be that one of you discovered hidden magical potential.
You are a pirate, of any background, and of any skill. You and your fellow players have found themselves in Nassau, a so-called Pirate Republic, and the capital of the Bahamas. The legendary pirate Benjamin Hornigold has called a meeting in the town square to discuss a problem - a rather large one. Rumour suggests that the British may be planning to take Nassau back for the crown, and drive the pirates out for good. That’s not all, however. Reports of a ghost ship have been trickling in over the past weeks. A mighty galleon, crewed by dead sailors. The ship’s got Dutch markings, and is becoming a problem in the area. It is believed by you and your fellow sailors that the de-facto leadership in Nassau (that is, Hornigold, Edward Teach, and others) may be interested in dispatching someone to investigate these concerns, if only to report back that it is naught but a mirage, and everything is fine. Traders will simply not leave Nassau when they believe such a ship is on the loose, and their vessels are crowding up the docks.
At least, that’s what you think Hornigold’s going to say. The truth might be quite different...
CASPIE
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POMC S117
VirtualWeasel
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By the way some of your bold tags end in [/i].
Hope the dog and parrot is ok. 