THERE IS MUSIC Hoist the colors by ? --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lore: Aethum Ocean: The world is dominated by the Aethum Ocean, a vast, tumultuous body of water unlike any other. Legend says the Aethum is alive, and its currents carry a subtle, arcane energy to the Hydro-Aether. Aether All unique abilities in this world stem from the Hydro-Aether. Individuals who spend their lives on the sea or who have a strong, innate connection to it sometimes manifest incredible powers. These powers are often thematically linked to the sea and its inhabitants (weather control, water manipulation, enhanced physical traits, communication with sea life, etc.). The strongest abilities are drawn from rare, fluctuating currents known as Aether-Flows. The MacGuffin: The Sunken City of Eldoria. The greatest treasure isn't gold, but the location of the Sunken City of Eldoria. Eldoria was an ancient civilization that mastered the Hydro-Aether. It's rumored to hold schematics for creating permanent Aether-Flows, granting limitless power, or perhaps, a way to control the entire Aethum Ocean. Every pirate group seeks the scattered Eldorian Relics that act as keys or navigational aids to the city. The six Pirate Groups: Each group has a unique philosophy, power specialization, and goal in the hunt for Eldoria The Tempest Tide (The Traditionalists)Ideology: Chaos is the True Freedom. They are the archetypal, brutal pirates, looters, raiders, and iconoclasts. They believe the Aethum demands respect through fear and destruction. Power Specialization: Weather Manipulation & Energy Projection. Their captains can summon localized squalls, hurricanes, and wield bolts of lightning and compressed air/water energy. Goal: To conquer and claim the Aethum Ocean for themselves, using Eldoria's power to create unchallengeable, permanent super-storms that protect their territory and sink all rivals. 2.The Starlight Crows (The Strategists)Ideology: Knowledge is the Only Compass. They are less about raiding and more about espionage, trade control, and ancient knowledge acquisition. They are the most organized and often wear dark, uniform clothing adorned with astral symbols. Power Specialization: Mental Influence & Clairvoyance. Their abilities focus on manipulating perception, predicting Aether-Flows, reading minds, and tactical illusions. They often have skilled navigators who can 'read' the future currents. Goal: To find Eldoria, not for the power, but for the lost knowledge and technology it contains, intending to sell it to the highest bidder (often mainland governments) to gain political and economic control of the seas. 3.The Coral Guardians (The Zealots)Ideology: The Deep Must Be Protected. They are a fiercely protective, almost cult-like group who believe the Aethum is a divine entity being corrupted by mainland industry and the greed of other pirates. They view themselves as the sea's immune system. Power Specialization: Aquatic Symbiosis & Biomancy. They can communicate with and summon massive sea creatures, grow sharp coral armor, and manipulate the density and temperature of the water around them to crush ships. Goal: To seal Eldoria away permanently, or destroy it, believing its power is too volatile and would be used to enslave the Aethum. They frequently clash with mainland navies and The Tempest Tide. 4.The Iron Vipers (The Innovators)Ideology: The Aethum Is a Resource to Be Harnessed. They dismiss traditional sailing and magic, favoring steam, steel, and gunpowder. They see the Hydro-Aether as a fuel source, not a divine gift. They often sail heavily armored, smoke-belching ships. Power Specialization: Physical Enhancement & Aether-Tech Integration. Their powers are often limited, but they compensate with technology. They can channel the Aether through advanced, steam-powered gauntlets for super-strength or utilize devices that siphon the Aether to power massive cannons. Goal: To unlock Eldoria's secrets to industrialize the Hydro-Aether, creating mechanical ships that do not rely on wind or sails, thereby dominating naval warfare and trade. 5. The Crimson Drifters (The Displaced)Ideology: Loyalty is the Last Harbor. They are a motley collection of former slaves, exiles, and those wronged by the mainland empires or the other pirate groups. They operate like a large, nomadic family, often taking on desperate passengers. Power Specialization: Support & Healing/Siphoning. Their powers are often defensive: rapid healing, creating temporary force fields of water, or 'siphoning' a small amount of power from others to boost their own crew's abilities. They are incredibly resilient. Goal: They seek Eldoria as a potential, undisputed safe haven, a permanent territory far from the reach of the empires and the escalating pirate wars. They only fight when necessary to protect their people.
The Mainland Factions These groups represent the established powers and counter-forces on the continents surrounding the Aethum Ocean. 1. The Grand Aethum Armada (The Empire)Identity: The primary naval and military force of the largest, most established mainland empire (e.g., the Kaiserian Empire or the Solarian Dynasty).Ideology: Order Through Naval Supremacy. Their goal is to crush piracy, secure trade routes, and eventually annex all coastal territories. They view the Hydro-Aether as a chaotic weapon that must be contained or, ideally, monopolized by the state.Role: The main antagonist/obstacle for all pirate groups. They field massive fleets, highly trained marines, and often employ their own restricted, government-approved forms of Aether-tech (often supplied covertly by The Iron Vipers).Stance on Eldoria: They want to find Eldoria to use its power to create a naval blockade so absolute that no pirate ship could ever leave the high seas, cementing their global dominance. 2.The Coastal Trading Conglomerate (The Merchants)Identity: A powerful, shadowy consortium of bankers, shipping magnates, and port authorities from several free cities. Their power is purely economic.Ideology: Profit Above All Else. They see pirates (like The Tempest Tide) as a cost of doing business and the Armada as an overreaching bureaucracy. They prefer to bribe or negotiate rather than fight.Role: They finance both sides, often using private military contractors (PMCs) for security. They are the information brokers of the mainland, controlling commodity prices and influencing local governors. They frequently employ The Starlight Crows for discreet transport and espionage.Stance on Eldoria: They don't care about the power, only the economic opportunity. If Eldoria can stabilize trade routes or offer exclusive resources, they want controlling interest. 3. The Royal Aetheric Academy (The Researchers)Identity: A state-funded (but often independent-minded) institution of scientists, mages, and engineers dedicated to studying the Hydro-Aether.Ideology: Understanding for Control. They are detached from politics and focused purely on empirical study. They view both the pirates and the Armada as crude, violent experimenters.Role: They operate research vessels (often protected by the Armada) and have highly specialized, non-combat powers (data recording, chemical analysis, Aether measurement). They are the world's experts on Aether-Flow dynamics.Stance on Eldoria: They believe Eldoria is the ultimate research subject. They want to fully map its design principles and reverse-engineer its technology for peaceful, widespread application across the mainland (e.g., clean energy, instantaneous communication). 4.The Free Coast Settlements (The Civilians)Identity: A decentralized network of smaller, independent fishing villages, secluded farming communities, and sovereign island nations along the coast.Ideology: Survival Through Isolation. They want nothing to do with either the Empire or the pirates, only wishing to be left alone to live off the sea and land. They are the primary victims of coastal raids and forced conscription.Role: They provide safe harbor and supplies for groups they trust (often The Crimson Drifters or, secretly, The Coral Guardians). They are a source of local knowledge, myths, and uncorrupted sailing skills.Stance on Eldoria: They view Eldoria as a myth a source of current misery that keeps bringing dangerous seekers to their shores. Their goal is simply to survive the conflict between all the warring factions. 5. The Aethum Privateers' Guild (The Mercenaries)Identity: A highly professionalized, officially licensed organization composed of former pirates, disillusioned Armada veterans, and skilled bounty hunters.Ideology: Licensed Violence for a Price. They are the 'safe' version of pirates, working primarily for The Coastal Trading Conglomerate or local governors who can't afford the Grand Armada's protection.Role: They hunt specific pirate captains (especially from The Tempest Tide) for bounties, enforce local laws, and patrol smaller trade routes. They possess powerful, well-trained, but generic Aether abilities.Stance on Eldoria: They see the hunt for Eldoria as the ultimate job opportunity. They seek to secure Eldorian artifacts for their employers, or, if the reward is high enough, secure the entire city and sell it back to the highest paying mainland faction. ((I'll make a sign up sheet for this))
