02 - Iron Kingdoms W.. - Captain Spud Is Amazing

108.1.141.197
that the raids, most of them ConCentrated sinCe the sCharde
invasions of 584–588 ar, are part of a systematiC esCalation
of hostilities. rebald’s report has resulted in an ongoing
debate regarding the proper response to this dark threat
from the sea.
Piracy does not always result in outright bloodshed.
Most of the piracy in the Gulf of Cygnar consists
mainly of smuggling operations. The Cygnaran Navy
at Sentinel Point keeps Caspia and the Black River free
of the more hostile pirates from the sea, but the town
of Clockers Cove is a genuine haven for smugglers.
Elsewhere in Five Fingers and Berck smuggling is also
widespread, although it seems Ord does not put forth
a very sincere effort to discourage it. Perhaps there is
some truth to the rumor that King Baird was himself a
pirate and smuggler in his younger days.
Because of all the illicit activity on the seas, this
is truly the era of the privateer. Legally, private ship
owners bearing Letters of Marque that authorize them
to “make prizes” roam the seas in search of vessels to
plunder. These ships and their crews are generally
called privateers. This name, strictly speaking, is
reserved for private armed vessels carrying no cargo
and devoted exclusively to warlike use. The current
king of Ord, Baird II, is known for giving his express
permission for Ordic sailors to rob Cryxian vessels
or Mercarian ships traveling in Ordic waters, and in
return for this privilege his majesty expects to receive
one quarter of the spoils. It is rumored that the king
himself captains privateer excursions from time-totime,
though the Ordic court denies such assertions.
World Guide 109