Unfinished as yet. Saving here so it doesn't get lost from a blackout or something. (flag goes here, once I figure it out) "Red gold" The Guild of Traders, Raiders, and Pirates, Rulers of Freehaven [u] Nation Name [/u] The Pirate Republic of Freehaven [u] Ethnic Peoples [/u] Pirates of various cultural backgrounds, but mostly of Willic descent [hider=Culture] [hider=Geography] The land is simply ideal for sailing. The winds tend to blow southwards, and most of the borders are marked by sandy coastline. Perfect for a shipmaking and raiding culture. The sun does not seem to favor the land, however, and clouds hang low over the peninsula on a regular day. Thick fog would often cover the ground in the mornings, leading to the common saying "don't cast out [/hider] [/hider] [u] History [/u] The city known today as Freehaven has since the First age been used as a center of illicit dealings since the early Second Age. At the end of Ardall's Conquest, a governor of the empire was sent to manage the small peninsula in the west upon which the village of Willicik sat. Of course, this did not sit well with the Willic natives, and they quickly revolted and killed the governor and his small retinue. When the time came for the governor to report back to the emperor, the Willic chose from between themselves a local representative to speak at Rhaetia, under the claim of the governor catching a local sickness. Years passed, and this eventually became accepted among the lords at the capital. Willicik, after all, was a small and uncontrollable peninsula that had little in the way of tax or city development. Therefore, the Willic people enjoyed quite a bit of local autonomy, so long as the tax coins went back to the capital safely. On the few occasions when the emperors saw fit to attempt a takeover of the village, the Willic sent a small army to hold them at the pass, while everyone else simply hopped into their boats, made in a superior design to other boats of the First Age, and cast off to sea, untraceable by the Arda army. When they burned the village down and left, the Willic would simply return and rebuild. Eventually, the Arda culture diffused with the local Willic. The village grew into a trade town, and more and more of the locals began calling it Freehaven. During the Ardall Empire's years, Freehaven grew notorious for its free trade, which allowed for many objects to be bought and sold within its limits normally forbidden closer to the center. When the armies came to prevent such trading, they employed the classic block-and-ship strategy, and the empire could do nothing about it. A larger problem would always show up, and the town always sent its obligatory tribute, making it a rather small priority. It was in the Great Uprising that Freehaven showed its true affinity for the sea. In the beginning, Freehaven was theoretically on the side of the empire, but they made a token effort at best. However, where the loyalists saw a dirty uncivilized horde that clung too much to its First Age roots, the rebellion found a potential key factor in the war. They paid off the chief-elect to change sides, and soon the famous Freehaven ships created a huge blockade on major trade cities within the empire, sieging them at sea while the other powers did so from land. They sunk ships, burned docks, and eventually the cities were forced to surrender. When the chief heard of this, he saw an opportunity for wealth, and organized some of the most skilled of his raiders into a guild. Soon after the rebellion, the guild grew in power until they overthrew the chief, establishing the pirate republic. Still, after the fall of the Ardall Empire, Freehaven is a popular stop for its lax contraband laws, so long as the incoming ships wave the right series of flags to indicate trade. Otherwise, most tend to steer clear of the western seas, for fear of their ship's hulls becoming suddenly lighter. Guild Name The Guild of Traders, Raiders, and Pirates Guild Members Prinz-Elect Terry "Bloody" Akka Captain Eddie "Axegrind" Tiller Captain Charles "No-Scalp" Wheelwright Guild Words Red Gold - Simple and to the point, like the people of Freehaven, "Red Gold" simply means that if there is wealth, there will be blood. City Sigil Guild Centre Guild Heirloom City Themes Capital City Banner Ships The Guild has no vassals, per say, but registered captains all must pay a tribute to the Guild, and in turn, they may also fight in the cities name as well as their own. This mock vassalage of ship captains gives them rights within city limits that crew members or residents don't have, so arguably they are a pirate nobility of sorts. There are too many to count and label.