#ezza yaps

What is the faction?

The Pirate Lords of Rivain (usually referred to simply as the Pirate Lords or Lords) are a faction based in, you guessed it, Rivain. Known for their prowess on the seas & their knack for treasure, if you want to become a legendary hero? The Lords are your best bet.

Despite their home base being Rivain, 90% of the Lords' forces are comprised of their fleet of ships, Brigantines, Galleons & Sloops alike, all roam the waves in the name of the Lords. Uncovering the sunken secrets of the past, as well as fighting the myriads of sea monsters known only as myths for the land-loving folk.

The Pirates Lords make their home away from the Sea in the infamous Hall of Valour, an abandoned grey warden fortress, conveniently featuring a crashed ship the lords have turned into a tavern (think Jorrvaskr from Skyrim, upturned ship as the roof, etc.). The fortress itself is where the Lords hold their “Arena” battles, where pirates settle their differences in hand-to-hand combat, winner takes all. Losers buy the next round.

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Titles within the faction

Pirate Lord The heads of the faction, known for being a beacon of hope on the sea’s (quite literally, thanks to the amount of gold they adorn themselves with), they’re the heads of the guild and currently in 9:52 Dragon, there exists a total of 6 Pirate lords, all spread out on the seas of Thedas & usually in charge of a Galleon

The most known Pirate Lord is Isabela, who holds down the fort in the Hall of Valour on Rivain’s shores. The others are known through only reputation- as they rarely dock their ships unless the threat calls for it.

Pirate Captain The second in command of the Lords, Captains are known for their seafaring skills & their big hats, to fill their ego. They work under lords, with usually 4 or 5 captains under one lord. Captains are typically in charge of a fleet's Brigantine.

Captains can take lead of a fleet or the faction as a whole should a Lord be out of commission for any reason and its more common to see them on land at the Hall of Valour or another outpost, dealing with trade deals and selling any findings.

Marauders A nice middle ground, Marauders captain sloops within a Pirate Lord's fleet and are one of the most numerous of the Lord's armada. These pirates spend more of their time on land, striking trade deals and claiming abandoned forts as new outposts for the Pirate Lords.

Taash is counted amongst the many Marauders, though they don’t captain a vessel of any kind.

Swabbies/Sailors An affectionate term for the “lowest” ranking members of the guild, Sailors- or Swabbies- are the newest or least experienced amongst the lords, given various odd jobs in the Hall of Valour & on the ships of the fleet. They’re also often given the less glamorous contracts & bounties, usually accompanied by a Marauder or a captain.

(Rook can be amongst the Swabbies- though in this hypothetical rewrite, the player has the choice to be either a Swabbie or a Marauder- if we want to be ambitious, I’d also give the player the chance to customise Rook’s vessel if they wish to have one)

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Miscellaneous factoids (Story-wise)

The Lords are VERY welcoming of magic, trusting mages wholeheartedly on ships for protection, healing & specifically acting as flares on the ship, sending large balls of light into the sky during times of trouble.

Despite being known for well… being pirates, the most well-known amongst the ranks of the Lords are typically bards, who sing shanties of their heroic voyages and the riches they’ve earned. Being good with their hands both on a ship & while handling a lute or a concertina.

The insignia of the Pirate Lords is still the tentacled creature- though in this iteration, the Lords specifically refer to it as the “Flag of the Kraken”- the guild adopted this symbol as their logo after the First Pirate Lord was said to meet his end against the underwater fiend.

Like the infamous bards of the Lords, all those who work in the Hall of Valour’s tavern are treated as members of the guild as well, no matter if they undergo voyages or fight on the seas. Gotta respect the barkeep making your drink if you want to make it to your next voyage after all. Plus, they make useful spies.

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Miscellaneous factoids (Gameplay-wise)

Like mentioned in the ranking sections, the Player would have the option to make Rook either a swabbie or a Marauder- the story of how the get kicked out is mostly the same, with the understanding that they don’t disapprove of their actions, besides, helping stop the dreadwolf from ending the world means the lords owe you free drinks for the rest of your days.

Strength & approval with this faction would be gained through fighting in the hall of valour like with the original LoF, but instead of random enemies, you’d fight specialized enemies that only show up in the arena, being ranked from Bilge Rats, Swabbies, Marauders, Captains & Finally being able to fight Isabela herself in the Arena, with each fight gaining more strength.

Strength in this faction would also be earned by clearing out caverns & fortresses of undead, allowing the Lords to expand their outposts across the coast.

The armours of the Lords are based more on your typical pirate attire (like Pirates of the Caribbean, or the more colourful clothes found in Sea of Thieves), but heavy armour sets take more inspiration from ancient Greek armours, with the leather & cloth tunic skirts & golden helmets with plumage & golden chest plates.

Just in general, the patrons of the Hall of Valour will recognise Rook as one of their own more often, especially if the player has chosen for their Rook to be a Marauder. Isabela specifically refers to Rook with their last name a lot more often- though often refers to them as “Sailor” and other nicknames, with Rook eventually being thrown in the fray as the story goes on & it becomes more of a title than a name.