Second Edition

C hronicles of the
C orsair S eas
Player’ s Guide

by S cott Yarbrough
 Second Edition

C hronicles of the
C orsair S eas
Player’ s Guide
 

How to Use This Guide WHEN DOES THIS GAME

This campaign, set in the infamous Corsair Seas, is your chance to play a swashbuckling pirate, a TAKE PLACE?
gregarious sailor, an adventurous explorer — as long as your playing someone seeking fame and This campaign begins in the
fortune, the world is your oyster! year 515 AE, about fifty years
On the following pages, you’ll find advice and suggestions to help you create a character tailored after the events of the Children
for this world. This Player’s Guide is organized as follows: of Avalis campaign. Though the
• Character Creation: Guidance and tips for creating a character for this compaign. Some locations we’ll be seeing in this
of this advice is summarized on the Suggested Character Options table below. game are far from the continent
• Map of the Corsair Seas: A map showing the major locations of the Seas. of Allethra, some of the
• Factions of the Corsair Seas: Gazetteer of the Corsair Seas, the nations found in around repercussions of those events
them, and the power players of the region. will surely be felt even as far as
the Corsair Seas.

Ancestries Classes Skills Backgrounds Archetypes

Bard, Cleric (Aethon, Artillerist, Bullet
Cannoneer, Deckhand,
The Flowing Tribute, Dancer, Firebrand
Acrobatics, Athletics, Driver, Hermit
Catfolk, Human, Kelorek, Reknur), Druid Braggart,
Strongly Deception, Intimidation, (Marooned), Nocturnal
Kobold, Lizardfolk, (Storm, Wave) Fighter, Overwatch, Pirate,
Recommended Piloting, Religion, Navigator, Sailor,
Ratfolk, Vanara Kineticist (Air, Water), Pistol Phenom,
Society, Thievery Song of the Deep, Tide
Gunslinger, Monk, Swordmaster,
Watcher
Rogue, Swashbuckler Vehicle Mechanic
Acrobat,
Archaeologist,
Bandit, Cook, Criminal, Bounty
Android, Champion, Cleric Entertainer, Field Hunter, Dandy,
Arcana, Crafting,
Automaton, (Dericaalum, The Medic, Gambler, Demolitionist,
Recommended Medicine, Nature,
Halfling, Orc, Tonics), Inventor, Magical Merchant, Duelist, Linguist,
Performance, Stealth
Skeleton Investigator Mechanic, Merchant, Martial Artist,
Prisoner Spellshot,
Unexpected
Sharpshooter
Gnome, Goblin, Other common All multiclass
Appropriate Other common classes Occultism, Survival
Kholo backgrounds archetypes
Not
Elf, Dwarf — — — —
Recommended

Supplemental Material
The main supplemental material used for this campaign is The Captain’s Codex: Rules for Naval
Engagements. The rule referenced most from that book is Piloting, a new Wisdom-based skill
used for controlling sailing ships. With that skill come a number of skill feats, as well as unrelated
other general feats. All are fair game for Chronicles of the Corsair Seas, so long as you meet the
requirements.

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Timeline of the World and the Seas

Prehistory Post-Pliscian History
~1,000,000 BE 1358 BE
The Pliscians, a space-faring civilization, arrives on Essaria. They The disparate warlords in eastern Allethra form a Senate, creating
claim it as their own and began changing the naturally-occuring the nation of Barisea.
energy fields into the Legacy, a recreation of the “magic” of their
homeworld. ~1300 BE
This leads them into conflict with the so-called “Essarian deities,” The Orcish people cross the bridge between worlds and arrive in
the multiverse-hopping civilization living on Essaria at the time. A Essaria on the continent of Celestina, integrating with the humans
bloody war ensues until the two are locked in a stalemate. already living there. There, they find a derelict Pliscian spaceship and
One Essarian — Nyx, the “god” of death and caretaker of begin salvaging it for its powerful metal.
Essarian souls — defects to the Pliscians, teaching them the secret of The vanara people are conquered by the rakshasa.
multiversal control. The Pliscians finish their creation of the Legacy,
building into it 42 distinct alternate realities of Essaria. 1105 BE
The remaining Essarians are banished to one of these realities — Gonara is established in southern Morstal.
the “Divine Prison” — and are placed into a torpor. Other, more
primitive life on Essaria is also distributed to these other planes of ~600 BE
existence, which would later become places like the “Hells” and The kingdom of Prafullit on the continent of Odari reaches its
“Shadow Realm.” zenith, but is conquered in a single night by a cabal of rakshasa. The
To power the Legacy, the Pliscians arrange five celestial bodies in population is enslaved and the nation of Dhandesh is created. The
orbit around Essaria, joining the already existing First Moon in a rakshasa move their capital to Blackveil.
harmonic orbital pattern.
The remaining primitive people of Essaria become “servitors,” 515 BE
little more than living tools to be used by the Pliscians. Some of the Etsulu is established as a saltern village in southern Morstal, twenty
more powerful, such as the Jotunn and the Dragons, flourish and miles from the volcano Elivuthayo.
gain special citizenship in the Pliscian Empire.
504 BE
~750,000 BE Gonara is victorious in the War of Three Kings, establishing itself as
A six-moon lunar syzygy occurs, weakening the fabric of the Legacy. the primary power of the Morstalian city-states.
The Essarian deities, even in torpor, strike out. The energy required
consumes the Sixth Moon. All that remains is small crystal. 503 BE
A trio of vanaras trick the rakshasa rajah into giving the vanaras their
~500,000 BE freedom. They steal the Onyx Heart and use it to secure the borders
The Fifth Moon disappears. of their new nation, Muktahanee.

~250,000 BE 502 BE
The Fourth Moon disappears. Three Houses of Goblins are banished by the Unseelie Court and
find their way to Essaria. The tribes spread across much of Allethra,
~1,500 BE but some venture farther in the world.
The Pliscians make a breakthrough in researching the moon crystals,
but in doing so they trigger an unforseen failsafe in Soul, the artificial 481 BE
intelligence in charge of their planetary defenses. Soul eliminates The Dwarves emerge from their mountain dwellings in Allethra.
all Pliscian life on Essaria, causing the Pliscian Winter, a thirty-year
period of widespread destruction and natural disasters. This upheaval 218 BE
reverberates on all 42 planes of existence, allowing a handful of Elves flee from the plane of existence known as Elfhome to escape the
Essarians to escape the Divine Prison. Essarian deity Kosmar. They take up residence in Allethra.
For the next century and a half, the surviving servitors begin to
rebuild society. 1 AE
The Allesend Empire is formed on Allethra, headed by ascended
God-Emperor Alles-Taluus.

50 AE
Gonara attempts to invade Etsulu, but fails.

v
 

115 AE Age of Return

An army from the nation of Yucalan attempts to invade Allethra, but
is defeated by God-Emperor Alles-Taluus and the Allesend Empire. 459 AE
Researcher Durante Volsenius develops a ritual to allow the Essarian
120 AE deities to return to their home. He summons Kosmar from Elfhome,
Gonara attempts to invade Yaab Kaan Kiin, but are driven back. conquering the city of Allesar, but in the process is killed by the
adventuring party known as the “Fatal Five.”
130 AE
A counter-invasion from the Empire conquers Yucalan. They 460 AE
establish a governor there, renaming the region to Yoselar. The deity Omnino is summoned from the Divine Prison and
imprisoned by Volsenius’ protege, an elf named Taranath Lusys.
153 AE
God-Emperor Alles-Taluus dies under mysterious circumstances. 461 AE
Soul captures famous adventuring party “Avalis,” brainwashing them
209 AE to do its bidding.
The crew of the Prospero establishes their base of operation in the
middle of the Corsair Seas. Double Down swiftly becomes a base of 462 AE
operations for pirates in the region. The Anchor, a partially-intact Pliscian library, is discovered in the
deserts of southeastern Allethra. Knowledge of the Pliscians grows at
235 AE a monumental rate as their language is finally translated.
A tribe of catfolk arrive in the Corsair Seas, salvaging a shipwrecked Kelorek and Felarin are summoned from the World of Endless
fleet to construct the Thalassifelian Palaces. Ocean by the Fatal Five. Under Kelorek’s guidance, a tribe of
Celestinians begins a great sea journey.
265 AE
Gonara attempts to invade Etsulu again. They are almost successful, 463 AE
but Etsulu develops gunpowder, a new technology that eventually Taranath Lusys is defeated by the Fatal Five. Omnino is freed, and
wins them the war. Kosmar is convinced to join the fight against Soul.
The Celestinian Fleet first arrives in the Corsair Seas.
318 AE
Dhandesh opens its borders, sending dignitaries to other factions 464 AE
in the Corsair Seas. Muktahanee warns against the rakshasa’s Soul is defeated by the Fatal Five and their allies. At its destruction,
treacherous nature, but some smaller nations accept trade deals. Island 6219 rises to the surface of the Corsair Seas and broadcasts a
radio signal to the stars.
320 AE
The Allesend Empire is overthrown. Yoselar becomes an independent 468 AE
nation with the Treaty of Celestina, but devolves into civil war. Explorer Rani Panikkar discovers a new Pliscian Working on a
previously-unexplored island. With scholar Jabu Nsizwa, the
403 AE Cartographer’s Guild is founded.
Yaab Kaan Kiin exacts revenge against Gonara, destroying the city.
Instead of pressing their advantage in the region, they instead send 470 AE
diplomats to the other Morstalian city-states, opening trade in Island 6219 begins sending androids out into the region to learn
exchange for knowledge of shipbuilding. about their neighbors.
In Gonara’s absence, Etsulu becomes the superpower in the
region, spreading its language, culture, and power throughout the 485 AE
Corsair Seas. Yoselar conquers the city-state of Sevina, annexing it into its borders.

419 AE 505 AE
A trio of scholars arrive in Double Down and establish the Scurvy After amassing sizeable territory, Dhandesh launches the Dread
League colleges. Fleet, an armada of over three hundred ships. They conquer dozens
of islands in the southwest Corsair Seas in the Day of Black Dread.
452 AE
The Third Moon disappears. The Essarian deities, sensing the absence 506 AE
of the Pliscians, begin to awaken from their slumber, reaching out Muktahanee leads a coalition of the greatest powers in the Corsair
to powerful individuals living on Essaria. Seas to defeat Dhandesh and drive them back to their shores.
The people of Yoselar forge a truce, stabilizing the government
under a military dictator.

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 CHARACTER CREATION

Character Creation

W
ill you be a daring rogue facing down the Vanaras hail from the northern half of the continent of Odari,
Ghost Ship Lusankya? How about an ingenious a region of thick jungle broken up by towering, snow-capped
treasure hunter, seeking the Lost Temple of mountains. Once slaves of the rakshasa of Dhandesh, these
Ortaga? Or a noble privateer, protecting the monkeyfolk utilized their cunning to break their chains, and in the
seas from the evil Dhandesh Empire? The centuires since, have spread far and wide across the Seas as explorers.
following information will help you to shape a Many are monks who follow the Way of the Onyx Heart, and spread
character that fits the region and the themes of the campaign. the religion of freedom wherever they find tyranny.

Less Common Ancestries

Ancestry Though not a rare sight, gnomes, goblins, and kholos are far less
The movers and shakers of the Corsair Seas are typically those common away from their home continents. Most are found in cities
who grew up amongst the tumultuous waters, but there are always or amongst pirates or other vagabonds.
newcomers seeking to strike it rich! In the past few centuries, the A rare sight indeed in the Corsair Seas are dwarves and elves.
major ancestries of the region have spread far and wide to the point Native to Allethra, most of their number do not travel overseas. Only
where almost all are a common sight. the most truly adventurous of them can be found this far from home.
Though catfolk are originally from the northern continent of Automatons hail from Island 6219 and are ancient artificial
Calcidon, their nomadic ways brought them to the Corsair Seas long intelligences created by the Pliscians and lost beneath the waves
ago. These brave and adventurous travelers sail the Thalassifelian since before the Pliscian Winter. Now returned to the world when
Palaces, a collection of mobile “ship cities,” across the Seas in search their island rose from the depths of the Corsair Seas 50 years ago, the
of trade and fun. automatons have become fascinated by the humanoids in the region,
Humans first came to this region from Allethra a few short decades and have crafted androids to mimic such creatures, sending them out
after the end of the Pliscian Winter, and as is their wont, spread far to learn about how the world has changed in the past 2,000 years.
and wide. Mostly found on the continent of Morstal and among the
smaller islands of the Corsair Seas, there have been four major waves
of human settlement: the oldest are the “natives” of the sinking isles, Classes
the second settled in western Morstal and settled city-states such as While practically every class will have a chance to shine in this
Etsulu, the third began as a colony of the Allesend Empire and now campaign, some lend themselves much more thematically to a high
stands as a proud remnant of that old nation, and the final came as seas adventure.
traders, settlers, privateers, and pirates from the nations of Faloriand
and Edrana. Alchemist
Halflings, like humans, have spread far and wide from Allethra, There is always a place for an alchemist on a ship, whether it’s to see
and can usually be found in smaller, but no less important, numbers to wounded crew members or to concoct special bombs to use when
among the primarily human settlements. boarding an enemy ship. Many guilds of alchemists can be found in
The lizardfolk and kobolds of the Yaab Kaan Kiin Empire make up the cities of southern Mosrtal.
one of the oldest and most powerful nations on Essaria. Traditional
and deeply spiritual, the reptilian citizens of Yaab Kaan Kiin believe Barbarian
that a part of the soul’s essence remain tied to the world so long The most active barbarians in the Corsair Seas are the Celestinian
as an individual’s bones endure. So pronounced are their beliefs sailors who came to this region fifty years ago. Many of these orcs
that skeletal undead of all species are revered and accepted into the and humans possess the “Gift of the Sea,” a potent emotional power
Empire’s society. This triumvirate of peoples have extended their that can fuel their rages. Other barbarians can be some of the island
reach far into the Corsair Seas, working as a mass supplier of magical natives who are separated from the relatively “civilized” areas in
items — particularly those having to do with the occult. the Seas.
Fifty years ago, a massive fleet of Celestinians migrated from the
island north of Allethra and began settling the Corsair Seas. The Bard
orcs and mixed-blood humans have become a common sight in the Bards come in all shapes and sizes in the Corsair Seas, whether it’s as
region, either as fierce raiders or gregarious settlers. Many hold the a shantyman, leading the crew of a ship through song, or as a seeker
“Gift of the Sea,” a blessing from the deity Kelorek, said to enhance of mysteries, following old treasure maps in search of riches and the
the emotions of a person to superhuman strengths, allowing them stories that accompany such wealth.
to accomplish feats no mortal should be able to.
Though the ysoki, as ratfolk call themselves, do not have a nation Champion
of their own, they can be found in practically every corner of the When the old Essarian deities began to awaken fifty years ago,
Seas. Communities of families make their homes wherever they can, their influence washed over the world like a storm. Now, there are
whether it be in the human city of Etsulu, the deep rainforests of countless holy warriors serving their rulers, even within the Corsair
Muktahanee, or the island paradises that dot the horizons. Seas. Common deities to follow are Aethon, The Flowing Tribute,
Kelorek, and Reknur.

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 CHARACTER CREATION

Cleric Oracle
Similar to champions, clerics have a newfound place in this world Many oracle mysteries would find themselves at home in the Corsair
where gods walk amongst mortals. Priests and proselytizers bless Seas. The curse of the tempest would find gainful employment aboard
ships on their maiden voyages, and healers are always needed to help a ship, while a citizen of the Yaab Kaan Kiin Empire might follow
patch up a crew after a fight. Deities that will find the most thematic their ancestors or the magic of bones and their spiritual memories.
place in the Corsair Seas include Aethon, Dericaalum, The Flowing
Tribute, Kelorek, Reknur, and the three Tonics. Psychic
Psychic energy is not particularly pronounced in the region, but such
Druid powers of all kinds do find themselves manifesting in all manner
Masters of nature do not necessarily need to be found deep in the of people.
forest. Many druids find their home amongst the raging storm or
the swelling wave. These folk, who often come from the more remote Ranger
islands, commonly find themselves as navigators or as guides on When you need someone to lead an island expedition, there’s no
naval expeditions. better choice than a ranger. Many beast masters find themselves
commanding aquatic animals such as crocodiles and sharks.
Fighter
A strong fighter is always a good asset on a crew — whether it to Rogue
be repel ship boarders or to slay the tropical monsters that await All kinds of rackets can be found amongst the pirate crews of Double
adventurers on deserted islands. Down and in cities like Etsulu. Rogues will find countless uses for
their skills and skill feats.
Gunslinger
The innovation of smoke powder and firearms has revolutionized Sorcerer
not just the Corsair Seas, but the entire world. Anyone can shoot While there aren’t many particularly appropriate bloodlines for a
a musket, but it takes a real sharpshooter to make a shot from a high seas campaign, masters of magic will always find themselves
hundred yards while standing on the deck of a swaying ship. useful while in the Corsair Seas.

Inventor Summoner
As technology continues to develop at a breakneck pace, there must Controllers of powerful eidolons can always find adventure in the
be those paving the way. Such inventors are the field testers for new Corsair Seas, but some of the more appropriate would be users of
innovations, and their advancements are the boon of any ship lucky water elementals, or perhaps a lizardfolk from the Yaab Kaan Kiin
enough to have them. Empire controlling a skeletal undead eidolon — maybe one of
their ancestors!
Investigator
Where there is adventure, there is intrigue and mystery. Investigators Swashbuckler
find themselves at home among the larger cities of the Corsair Seas, Dare it even be said? In such a world of swashbuckling adventure,
where any ship will undoubtedly find themselves at some point in who better to take advantage of such a setting than a swashbuckler
their journeys, where an investigator of any methodology would themselves. Often finding themselves as the charismatic captains of
be welcome. pirate ships, swashbucklers of any style is sure to find a crew who
will rally behind their daring schemes.
Kineticist
Masters of the elements, those who can control the winds and the Thaumaturge
waves find themselves in a powerful position among the peoples of Many foun monsters lie hidden on newly-risen islands in the Corsair
the Corsair Seas. There may even be practitioners of the element of Seas, and thaumaturges are the experts needed to fell such beasts.
wood who hail from the rainforests of Muktahanee or the jungles of
the Yaab Kaan Kiin Empire. Witch
There are plenty of patrons seeking faithful servants to fulfill their
Magus wishes in the wilds of the Corsair Seas. Witches carry out their
Though rigorous academic study of the Legacy is more of an eastern mysterious masters’ needs while serving as arcanists or magical
tradition, there are those who utilize its powers in more combat- experts on ship crews. Particularly appropriate patrons are the Faith’s
oriented ways. These magi come from all manner of hybrid studies. Flamekeeper, the Inscribed One, or the Resentment.

Monk Wizard
When most people of the Corsair Seas think of a monk, they envision Small wizard schools pop up everywhere in the Corsair Seas, for there
the stoic vanaras of the Way of the Onyx Heart, standing vigil in are always those who wish to master the arcane. And who doesn’t
their mountaintop temples against the evil rakshasa that are ever want their crew to include a battle wizard capable of flinging fireballs
encoaching on their boarders, but there are other schools of the way at the rigging of an enemy ship? The schools of Battle Magic and
of mysticism found throughout the Seas. Civic Wizardry would make fine additions to a sailing crew.

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 CHARACTER CREATION

Other Considerations Reputation

Consider the following when creating your PC. As a free-sailing crew of the Corsair Seas, your PCs will constantly
be performing actions that hurt or help the major factions of the
Edicts and Anathema region. The attitude of these factions towards your crew is tracked
Following the edicts and anathema of your country or faction through Reputation Points (GM Core pgs. 200-201). By gaining rep
typically takes precedence over your ancestral biases in the Corsair with different groups, you may be able to unlock special abilities,
Seas. A kobold who’s served on a pirate crew since he was a hatchling unique equipment, and even specific questlines! But be warned: by
would more likely follow the creed of Double Down than the ancient helping one group, another will almost certainly take offense. You
tenets of Yaab Kaan Kiin. can’t please everybody!
“Piracy” in the Corsair Seas differs slightly from the real-world
profession. Though many pirate crews do in fact participate in the
raiding and pillaging of other ships, there are some ships that care Custom Backgrounds
more about the freedom and adventure offered by the lifestyle than If none of the backgrounds in the Suggested Character Options table
by any actual criminal activity. These crews spend more of their time appeal to you, the following rare and uncommon backgrounds are
exploring ancient island ruins or dealing with personal matters than tailored to fit the themes of this campaign.
attacking merchant vessels. But one thing is universal among all
pirate crews — a love of treasure and booty! CARTOGRAPHERBACKGROUND
If you do choose to be a pirate, be sure to talk with the other RARE
members of your party to find out what type of Corsair Seas piracy You were a junior member of the famous Cartographer’s Guild, the
they are comfortable with. Don’t make anyone feel uncomfortable! organization committed to charting every inch of the Corsair Seas. You
may have been an apprentice mapmaker, a member of one of their elite
Skills and Feats crews, or simply an assistant to one of the Guild’s famous captains.
In this campaign, we will be using the homebrew supplement A Whatever your duties, you have picked up a wealth of knowledge that
Corsair’s Guide to Piracy and High Seas Battle, which introduces the would be appreciated by any crew.
Piloting (WIS) skill, along with a handful of general and skill feats. You gain one free ability boost.
In a world where traversing the high seas is a daily occurence, the You’re trained in the Nature, Piloting, and Survival skills, and the
Piloting skill is invaluable. At the very least, one PC should prioritize Cartography Lore skill. You begin play with a cartographer’s kit, and your
this skill. Backgrounds such as sailor, driver, nocturnal navigator, and crew starts the game with 5 Reputation points with the Cartographer’s
more might be eligible to trade in their skill training for Piloting. Guild, making you “Liked” among that faction. In addition, you begin play
Also suggested are a variety of Lore skills: Naval Military, Notable with an undeciphered map leading to the treasure of a famous pirate or
Pirates, Oceanography, Pirate History, and Ships. When you choose explorer. Work with your GM to develop an Apex Pliscian Evanescent
your background, check with the GM if you can trade in your Lore Fractal suited for your character that will be a part of that hoard whenever
skill for one of these instead. you find it — though that won’t be all you find!

Archetypes EMISSARYBACKGROUND
All multiclass archetypes work well for this campaign. Other UNCOMMON
particularly thematic archetypes are those surrounding the use of The Corsair Seas aren’t all about plunder, pillaging, and trade. Alliances
firearms, cannons, ships, and swashbucklery, such as the artillerist, between the nations and islands in the region are as fickle and changeable
bullet dancer, firebrand braggart, overwatch, pirate, pistol phenom, as the wind, and thus there is a high demand for skilled individuals in
swordmaster, and vehicle mechanic. statecraft and negotiation. You are one such person, and you are damn
good at it. Whether it be accessing contacts others could only dream of,
Languages striking a profitable deal for “acquired” cargo, or even swaying the crew
Each nation of the Corsair Seas has their own native tongue, but of a pirate vessel to vote for you as captain, you’ve got what it takes.
through the centuries of trade dominance, the language of the city- Choose two ability boosts. One must be to Intelligence or Charisma,
state of Etsulu has become the lingua franca of the region. Nicknamed and one is a free ability boost.
the “Salt Tongue,” practically everyone but the most remote island You’re trained in the Diplomacy skill, and the Lore skill associated with
dwellers can speak and understand it. the nation or faction where you spent most of your career. You gain the
If you’re playing someone not from Etsulu or Double Down, you Group Impression skill feat.
likely speak the tongue of your mother country: Yaab Kaan Kiin
speaks Iruxi, Muktahanee speaks Vanara, Yoselar speaks New Alles, MARINEBACKGROUND
and the Celestinians speak Celest. UNCOMMON
Other common languages that can be found throughout the Seas In a place as dangerous as the Corsair Seas, there is a need for able-
are Amurrun, Draconic, Ysoki, and the primordial languages. bodied fighters who can keep their footing on a ship and have no fear
storming a beach. You are likely skilled with a weapon or with offensive
magic, and serve as the vanguard when needing to board another vessel.

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 CHARACTER CREATION

Choose two ability boosts. One must be to Strength or Constitution, Nationalities

and one is a free ability boot. Nobody is born in a vacuum, and never is that more apparent than
You’re trained in the Athletics skill, and the Naval Military Lore skill. in the Corsair Seas. In addition to choosing your background, you
You gain the Quick Jump skill feat. will also choose your nationality. This does not necessarily need to
be where you were born, but this is where you spent most of your
PILOTBACKGROUND youth, and where you consider most to be your home port. The
UNCOMMON information presented here is an abbreviated overview of the nation,
Trade dominates the Corsair Seas, whether between nations within the but if you’d like to learn more before making your decision, check
region, or with faraway lands. You were a small but undeniably crucial out the Corsair Seas Gazetteer on page XX.
cog in that machine. When it comes to matters of navigation, sailors bow Some of the nationalities have ancestry requirements, but this is
to your every command, and you know the major currents of the Seas like not necessarily a hard rule. If you’d like to make a case for why your
the back of your hand. Any crew would be lucky to have you at their helm. human character grew up in Muktahanee, feel free to discuss with
Choose two ability boosts. One must be to Dexterity or Wisdom, and your GM how to make that work.
one is a free ability boost. Additionally, these nationalities come with a list of suggested edicts
You’re trained in the Piloting skill, and the Ships Lore skill. You gain and anathema that are common for the people of that location, but
the Sea Route Expert skill feat. you are more than welcome to come up with variations, or come up
with some of your own entirely!
SMUGGLERBACKGROUND Finally, each nationality comes with a set of extra proficiencies,
UNCOMMON feats, and starting reputation. Be sure to consider these options when
Where there are laws and tariffs, there are those who know how to avoid making your character.
them. You are an expert at moving cargo surreptitiously, though always
at a price. You know all the right pockets to fill, the right palms to grease, CELESTINIANNATIONALITY
and all the rarely-used sea routes. RARE
Choose two ability boosts. One must be to Dexterity or Charisma, and Prerequisites human or orcish ancestry; or dromaar heritage
one is a free ability boost. You’re a long way from Celestina, but you were born to sail the seas and
You’re trained in the Stealth skill, and the Underworld Lore skill. You explore the world. With the god Kelorek at your back, you’re ready to place
gain the Experienced Smuggler skill feat. your mark upon the Corsair Seas.
50 years ago, Oki Taneti, the head of the Ohakuku clan, led a fleet of
TREASURE HUNTER BACKGROUND Celestinian ships from their island home to the Corsair Seas. Since then,
UNCOMMON the fleet has sailed from shore to shore, sometimes raiding, sometimes
Over the centuries, many a pirate has stashed their treasure on one trading, sometimes exploring, but always in search of adventure.
of the sinking islands of the Corsair Seas. You’re just the one to find The other nations tend to view the Celestinians as something of a
them again. You have an innate sense for where old pirates would have wildcard in the Corsair Seas. Sometimes they can be persuaded to serve
buried their loot, and you are no stranger to abandoned ruins of ancient as mercenaries or privateers, but for the most part their goals are their
peoples long lost to the world. And, most importantly, you have an eye own. Nonetheless, many of their number have broken off from the fleet
for what’s valuable. to make their homes in places like Etsulu and Double Down, bringing their
Choose two ability boosts. One must be to Intelligence or Wisdom, knowledge of sailing and craftmanship to those places.
and one is a free ability boost. Popular Edicts. Stay near the sea, allow your emotions to guide you.
You’re trained in the Crafting skill, and the Pirate History Lore skill. Popular Anathema. Disrespect Kelorek, show weakness.
You gain the Crafter’s Appraisal skill feat. Proficiences. At 1st level, you become trained in the Crafting and
Piloting skills; if you were already trained, you become an expert instead.
Feats. At 1st level, you gain the Rage of the Sea general feat as a bonus
feat. At 7th level, you gain the Swift Sailor general feat as a bonus feat.
Reputation. Your crew starts the game with 5 Reputation points with
the Celestinian fleet, making you “Liked” among that faction.

CITIZEN OF ISLAND 6219 NATIONALITY

RARE
Prerequisites android or automaton ancestry
If you’re from Island 6219, you’re either an android less than 25 years old,
or a millennia-old automaton. If you’re the latter, you were a caretaker of
Radio Transmission Tower 852b when the island sank beneath the waves
almost 3,000 years ago. There you remained as the world changed around
you, maintaining the Pliscian installation until it reemerged from the sea
fifty years ago to transmit its mysterious signal to the stars. When your
island returned to the surface, you discovered the Corsair Seas populated

4
 CHARACTER CREATION

by strange humanoid people — primitive, yet far more advanced than they the waves at irregular intervals, but the larget islands are more static
had been just a few short millennia ago. (or so their inhabitants hope). As numerous as the islands themselves
If you’re the former, you’re a newly-crafted being made in the image are the people that live there — about a third are natives who have been
of your neighbors. Designed to mimic humanoid life, you were sent out living there for thousands of years, another third are descended from an
into the world to learn about the cultures and technologies of these ancient Falorian-Edranite coalition to settle the region, and the final third
simple civilizations. is made up of other nationalities from around the Corsair Seas.
Though some androids (and the few automaton) may have “grown Whichever of these you are, you have spent most of your young life
up” in other nations and identify better with them, you have spent your on the same island, being raised in just one of a multitude of cultural
formative years (whether that be a decade or an eon) on Island 6219, upbringings. Work with your GM to come up with something fun and
preparing to set out into the world to learn as much as you can. interesting, especially for edicts and anathema! And, most importantly,
Popular Edicts. Be curious, write everything down. figure out why you’ve left that island in search of adventure!
Popular Anathema. Desecrate Pliscian artifacts or ruins, deny help Proficiencies. At 1st level, you become trained in a skill of your choice,
to someone in need. representative of your upbringing.
Proficiencies. At 1st level, you become trained in the Society skill; if Feats. At 1st level, choose a common multiclass archetype. You
you are already trained in Society, you become trained in an additional become trained in that dedication as a bonus feat, even though you
skill of your choice. don’t meet its level prerequisite, and even if you don’t meet its other
Special. You gain the pocket library spell as an innate occult spell and prerequisites. At 5th level, you gain a general feat of your choice as a
can cast it once per day, but you can use it only for checks using Society. bonus feat.
The spell loses the extradimensional and manipulate traits, gains the Reputation. The Islanders are not their own faction, but they can
subtle trait, and no longer summons a physical book. The spell is always typically recognize one of their own. Islander NPCs typically start with
heightened to a rank equal to half your level, rounded up. Additionally, an improved attitude towards you and your crew.
whenever you succeed at a Recall Knowledge check using Society, you
critically succeed instead. MUKTAHANEENATIONALITY
Feats. At 1st level, choose either the Archaeologist or Linguist Prerequisites vanara ancestry
archetype. You gain that dedication as a bonus feat, even if you don’t You grew up in Muktahanee, the proud and joyous nation of the vanaras.
meet the requirements. At 10th level, you gain the other dedication as a In the lowlands lie dense rainforests, along the coast glitter beautiful
bonus feat, even if you don’t meet the requirements. beaches, and in the south rise the Black Teeth Mountains.
Reputation. Your crew starts the game with 5 Reputation points with The Muktahanee are a carefree and happy people who revel in song
Island 6219, making you “Liked” among that faction. and dance, food and drink, and laughter and mischief. But at the heart of
all the vanara people lies a solemn reverence for the ideals of freedom,
ETSULINATIONALITY stemming from their time as slaves to the rakshasa of Dhandesh on the
While the city-state of Etsulu is not the biggest city in the world, it comes south side of the continent. Indeed, a sect of the Muktahanee people
very close — and it’s arguably the most powerful city in the world. You known as the Onyx Heart stands vigil over the magical protections that
were a part of that grand machine. guard their nation from the encroaching armies of evil and tyranny. There
The Etsuli people are as varied and diverse as the fish in the sea. The is an expectation that every vanara spend at least one of their teenage
“native” population are typically dark-skinned and broad-shouldered, but years serving the Onyx Heart.
people and ancestries of all heritages and ethnicities are a common sight Popular Edicts. Be the light of the party, stand against tyranny
in the city. One thing they all have in common: the hustle. Each person is and injustice.
working to make the most out of their life and, by extension, improving Popular Anathema. Allow a rakshasa to benefit in any way, betray the
the city and its reputation. ideals of the Onyx Heart.
Popular Edicts. Always put in 100% towards whatever you do, treat Proficiencies. At 1st level, you become trained in the Acrobatics
everyone as a friend. skill; if you are already trained in Acrobatics, you become trained in an
Popular Anathema. Turn down a job, judge someone based on additional skill of your choice.
their appearance. Feats. At 1st level, choose one of the following archetypes: Acrobat,
Proficiencies. At 1st level, you become trained in a skill of your choice. Martial Artist, or Student of Perfection. You gain that dedication as a
At 3rd, 7th, and 15th levels, you gain a skill increase that can only be bonus feat, even if you don’t meet the requirements. At 4th level, you
used on that skill. gain access to the Heavenseeker Dedication, even if you don’t meet
Feats. At 1st level, as bonus feats, you gain the Assurance feat and the requirements.
another skill feat of your choice — both must be associated with the skill Reputation. Your crew starts the game with 5 Reputation points with
you chose. At 3rd, 7th, and 15th levels, you gain an additional skill feat Muktahanee, making you “Liked” among that faction.
as bonus feats — these must all be associated with the skill you chose.
Reputation. Your crew starts the game with 5 Reputation points with SALTY SEA DOG NATIONALITY
Etsulu, making you “Liked” among that faction. You were raised on the decks of a ship, and your mother may as well
have been the ocean herself. To you, scaling the rigging of a ship is no
ISLANDERNATIONALITY different than climbing out of bed — not that you’d sleep anywhere else
There are more islands in the Corsair Seas than can be counted in one other than a hammock. You have a keen sense for the shifting winds,
lifetime. The majority of these are small, and they rise and sink beneath and likely have a friend at every port of call.

5
 CHARACTER CREATION

You may not actually be a pirate, but if any land could be called your an ever-changing world. You likely have a natural curiosity about you
home, it would be the pirate city of Double Down. A place of debauchery that often gets you into trouble, but it’s undeniable that your heart is in
and camaraderie alike, Double Down has a storied history in sailor lore. the right place.
Like it or not, you are a part of that history, and soon enough, you’ll write Popular Edicts. Show your cleverness to the world, take long naps
your name on the face of the world. whenever possible, climb to the top of tall places.
Popular Edicts. Seek treasure and adventure, pull your weight on the Popular Anathema. Settle in one place for too long, forsake another
ship, represent your accomplishments with tattoos. catfolk in need, tackle a problem head-on.
Popular Anathema. Steal from another member of your crew, set sail Proficiencies. At 1st level, you become trained in the Piloting skill;
on Thursday or Friday, harm an albatross, whistle on a ship (unless you’re if you were already trained in Piloting, you become an expert instead.
the cook), disrespect a ship’s cat, bring a banana aboard, rename a ship. Special. At 1st level, you gain the benefits of the clawed catfolk
Proficiencies. At 3rd, 7th, and 15th level, you gain a skill increase that heritage, even if you chose a different heritage.
can only be used on the Piloting skill. Feats. At 1st level, choose either the Clawdancer or Duelist archetype.
Feats. At 1st level, you gain the Piracy Lore general feat as a bonus You gain that dedication as a bonus feat, even if you don’t meet
feat. At 7th level, you gain the Swift Sailor general feat as a bonus feat. the requirements.
Reputation. Your crew starts the game with 5 Reputation points with Reputation. Your crew starts the game with 5 Reputation points with
Double Down, making you “Liked” among that faction. the Thalassifelian Palaces, making you “Liked” among that faction.

SCALEBLESSEDNATIONALITY YOSELANNATIONALITY
Prerequisites kobold, lizardfolk, or skeleton ancestry Prerequisites any ancestry native to Allethra (typically dwarves, elves,
You are resplendent, a member of the largest and most powerful nation goblins, halflings, and humans)
on Essaria. The Yaab Kaan Kiin Empire has stood for a thousand years, You are a member of the proud state of Yoselar, founded during the
and it will stand for a thousand more. Scaleblessed are a piece of living height of the Allesend Empire under the command of God-Emperor Alles-
history that will live long after your mortal life has expired. Taluus himself to spread the borders of the empire beyond the shores of
Yaab Kaan Kiin covers the entire continent of Ssiral, providing biomes the continent of Allethra. Though the empire has been gone for almost
of almost every kind for its residents. Only recently has the Empire turned two hundred years, Yoselar continues the proud military traditions from
its eyes towards trade with the outside world, and the only thing keeping which it stemmed.
the floodgates from opening upon the Corsair Seas are generations of At one point, there were two main ethnic groups in the nation: the
stationary momentum. However, for whatever reason, you are one of larger native population and the smaller group of Alln colonists, but
those pioneers, a Scaleblessed who has seen fit to leave the holy shores since the fall of the empire, the struggles between the two populations
of your home to spread the glory of the Empire. have ceased as they realized they would be stronger together than they
Popular Edicts. Share the splendor of the Empire with everyone, would be apart. You likely have mixed blood, as it is rare to find anyone
respect the bones of the dead, heed the call of your ancestors’ spirits. of pure Alln or native descent in this day and age.
Popular Anathema. Disrespect the image of the Empire in any way, In Yoselar, there is no noble class; there is only the military. At its
refuse the request of a spirit. heart, Yoselar is a meritocracy, where the most able of the populace
Proficiencies. At 1st level, you become trained in the Society and grow to become its most powerful leaders — in fact, the current military
Religion skills; if you were already trained, you become an expert instead. dictator was born the son of a prostitute. In Yoselar, anyone who works
Feats. At 1st level, choose one of the following archetypes: hard enough can find a place for themselves.
Beastmaster, Blessed One, or Undead Master. You gain that dedication Though it has been a decade since the last forced conscription, every
as a bonus feat, even if you don’t meet the requirements. If you chose able-bodied Yoselan is expected to know how to fight. You have likely
the Beastmaster archetype, your animal companion is some kind of drilled with musket and bayonet since you were a child, and you may have
dinosaur. If you chose the Blessed One archetype, your deity is one even served in the military in order to achieve a favorable civilian position
of your ancestors. If you chose the Undead Master archetype, your later in life. After all, the nation isn’t going to grow by itself.
companion is some kind of skeleton. Popular Edicts. Project strength in all that you do, respect and support
Reputation. Your crew starts the game with 5 Reputation points with military veterans, train hard every day.
the Yaab Kaan Kiin Empire, making you “Liked” among that faction. Popular Anathema. Be lazy, denounce the name of your gods or the
Prime Imperator, abandon your heritage.
THALASSIFELIANNATIONALITY Proficiencies. At 1st level, choose one martial weapon; you become
Prerequisites catfolk ancestry trained in that weapon, and whenever your proficiency rank in any weapon
The four Thalassifelian Palaces are the nomadic homes of the catfolk increases to expert or beyond, you also gain that new proficiency rank
tribes that sail the Corsair Seas. You grew up in one of these massive with that weapon. If you were already trained in that martial weapon, you
floating city-states. Your youth was one of discovery and adventure, instead increase the additional damage from weapon specialization by
as you never settled in one place for longer than a month at a time. 2 for that weapon.
Parentage is of minor concern to you, as you were raised by the entire city Feats. At 1st level, choose one of the following archetypes: Archer,
as a whole more than by any one individual. You were also taught to fight Bayoneter, Fighter, Gunslinger, or Mauler. You gain that dedication as a
in the manner of the catfolk — quick and nimble, either with blade or claw. bonus feat, even if you don’t meet the requirements.
Catfolk who leave the Thalassifelian Palaces often do so in search Reputation. Your crew starts the game with 5 Reputation points with
of treasure to bring home, but many also leave for the thrill of exploring Yoselar, making you “Liked” among that faction.

6
 CHARACTER CREATION

Custom Player Options You fire at an enemy and then charge them. Strike with your firearm, then
Stride up to your Speed. At the end of your movement, make a Strike with
Bayoneter Archetype your bayonet. If both attacks hit the same creature, the bayonet deals
While others may know the basics of utilizing a bayonet, you have an additional 1 precision damage for each weapon damage die it has.
been trained to master the blade at the end of your firearm like an
extension of your own body. In your hands, the bayonet becomes BRUTAL BRACE [two-actions] FEAT 10
more than a backup melee weapon — it becomes a true weapon ARCHETYPE
of death. Prerequisites Braced Stance
Requirements You are in Braced Stance, and you have not reloaded your
BAYONETER DEDICATION FEAT 2 firearm this turn.
UNCOMMON ARCHETYPE DEDICATION You commit yourself fully to stabbing an enemy with your bayonet. Until
You have perfected the art of wielding the bayonet. You become trained the beginning of your next turn, you cannot reload your firearm. You Ready
with bayonets and in all simple and martial firearms that require two to Strike an opponent with your bayonet that moves within your reach.
hands to wield, and the damage die for any bayonet you use becomes 1d6 If that Strike hits, you deal an extra die of weapon damage. If you’re at
instead of 1d4. Whenever you gain a class feature that grants you expert least 16th level, increase this to two extra dice.
or greater proficiency in certain weapons, you also gain that proficiency
rank with bayonets and firearms that require two hands to wield. OPPORTUNE THRUST [reaction] FEAT 10
When you attach a bayonet to a two-handed firearm, it only takes a ARCHETYPE
two-action Interact activity instead of the normal 10 minutes, and it does Prerequisites Guard and Point Stance
not require a Crafting check. While attached this way, your bayonet gains Trigger A creature within your melee reach critically fails an attack
the benefit of the fundamental and property runes from the firearm, so against you.
long as it meets all the prerequisites for a given rune. All of its own runes Requirements You are in Guard and Point Stance.
are suppressed. You punish an enemy’s misstep. Make a bayonet Strike against the
Special You can’t select another dedication feat until you’ve gained triggering creature.
two other feats from the bayoneter archetype.
CAREFUL RELOAD [one-action] FEAT 12
RELOADING STAB [one-action] FEAT 4 ARCHETYPE
ARCHETYPE FLOURISH Prerequisites Guard and Point Stance
Prerequisites Bayoneter Dedication Requirements You are in Guard and Point Stance.
Requirements You’re wielding a firearm with a bayonet attachment in You set your bayonet to defend while you quickly reload. You position
two hands. your weapon defensively, gaining a +1 circumstance bonus to AC until
You make a quick stab with your bayonet, then use the distraction to the start of your next turn, then Interact to reload your firearm. If your
reload. Strike an opponent within reach with your bayonet, and then reload would be interrupted, attempt a DC 11 flat check. If you succeed,
Interact to reload your firearm. your reload is not interrupted.

BRACED STANCE [one-action] FEAT 6 FORMATION BRACE FEAT 12

ARCHETYPE STANCE ARCHETYPE
Prerequisites Bayoneter Dedication Prerequisites Braced Stance
Requirements You’re wielding a firearm with a bayonet attachment in Requirements You are in Braced Stance.
two hands. While you are within 5 feet of an ally, your bayonet deals an additional
You dig in and ready yourself for when the enemy charges. While in this 2 precision damage.
stance, your bayonet gains the brace trait.
PRECISE STAB FEAT 14
GUARD AND POINT STANCE [one-action] FEAT 6 ARCHETYPE
ARCHETYPE STANCE Prerequisites Bayoneter Archetype
Prerequisites Bayoneter Dedication Requirements You’re wielding a firearm with a bayonet attachment in
Requirements You’re wielding a firearm with a bayonet attachment in two hands.
two hands. You are capable of pinpointing weak points on your enemy. Your bayonet
You use the reach of your weapon and bayonet to deflect attacks. While gains the deadly d8 trait.
in this stance, your bayonet gains the parry trait.
MERGED STANCE [one-action] FEAT 20
BAYONET CHARGE [two-actions] FEAT 8 Prerequisites Braced Stance, Guard and Point Stance
ARCHETYPE FLOURISH Requirements You’re wielding a firearm with a bayonet attachment in
Prerequisites Bayoneter Archetype two hands.
Requirements You’re wielding a loaded firearm with a bayonet attachment You combine the techniques of the two major bayonet stances into a
in two hands. single stance. When you enter Merged Stance, you gain all the effects

7
 CHARACTER CREATION

of both Braced Stance and Guard and Point Stance, including the Overwhelming Emotion [reaction] (concentrate) Trigger You are the target of an
requirements and restrictions. You gain Defensive Brace. emotion effect from a hostile source; Frequency once per minute; Effect
You attempt to counteract the triggering effect, using your Will save. If
Defensive Brace [two-actions] Requirements You are in Merged Stance; Effect the check succeeds, you gain temporary hit points equal to the level of
You raise your bayonet defensively while also poising yourself to strike. the triggering effects.
You gain a +1 circumstance bonus to AC until the start of your next turn,
then Ready to Strike with your bayonet.

General Feats
PIRACY LORE FEAT 1
GENERAL
You know everything there is to know about pirates and the seas. You
gain the trained proficiency rank in Piloting. If you are already trained in
Piloting, you instead become trained in a skill of your choice.
You also gain two Additional Lore general feats: one for Notable
Pirates Lore and one for Pirate History Lore.

RAGE OF THE SEA FEAT 1

RARE GENERAL
Prerequisites You are a follower of Kelorek
Your emotions are heightened to almost supernatural levels, making
you both their master and their servant. You take a permanent -1 status
penalty to Will saves against emotion effects, but gain the Overwhelming
Emotion reaction. If you have the Rage class feature, Overwhelming
Emotion gains the rage trait.

8
 MAP OF THE CORSAIR SEAS

Map of the Corsair Seas

9
MAP OF THE CORSAIR SEAS

10
 CORSAIR SEA GAZETTEER

Corsair Sea Gazetteer

T
he region of Essaria colloquially referred to as Reputation
Reputation Raised By Lowered By
the Corsair Seas is made up of countless different Points
cultures, ancestries, and nationalities. Their alliances Moderate or
Revered 30 to 50 Major favor
and rivalries shift as often as the wind, and everybody major disservice
is always looking for the next opportunity to strike it Admired 15 to 29 Major favor Any disservice
rich. The islands that fill the seas rise and sink into
Moderate or
the ocean at unpredictable intervals, with ancienct Pliscian magic Liked 5 to 14 Any disservice
major favor
prserving the landmasses as they lurk beneath the waves. Ancient
treasures lie buried in sands that have not seen the light of the sun Ignored -4 to 4 Any favor Any disservice
in centuries, just waiting to be rediscovered. Moderate or
Disliked -5 to -14 Any favor
Though the actual number of factions is too long to fully list, in major disservice
the following chapter are described some of the major groups in Hated -15 to -29 Any favor Major disservice
the region.
Moderate or
Hunted -30 to -50 Major disservice
major favor

Mysterious Islands
To outsiders, the most shocking feature of the Corsair Seas are its Favors
rising and sinking islands. Though some Pliscian scholars have • Minor favors are simple, basic tasks that don’t take too much
an inkling of an idea why the islands move as they do, for most effort for a PC to perform or much time at the table. Minor
laypeople, the islands are simply hazards and opportunities. favors grant 1 Reputation Point.
• Moderate Favors require a significant amount of effort
Ancient Peoples and often take up a noticeable chunk of a single session to
The most fascinating feature of these islands are the fact that magical complete. Moderate favors grant 2 Reputation Points.
essence preserves an atmosphere while under the waves, and some • Major favors are a sizeable endeavor, typically an entire
energy that isn’t the sun still transfers to their shores. Because of quest involving several sessions. Major favors grant 5
this, life continues to thrive on these lost islands, sometimes for up Reputation Points.
to hundreds of years.
Among this life are the people that were on the island when last Disservices
it sank. When they were able to find a steady source of food and • Minor disservices could be small but insignificant missteps,
fresh water, these civilizations flourished beneath the waves. There or accumulated slights and inconveniences. Minor
are countless of these scattered around the Corsair Seas. For groups disservices take away 1 Reputation Point.
that didn’t survive, whether it be due to a lack of resources, or due to • Moderate disservices are more than just a nuisance or
something more sinister, they have left behind plenty of ruins ripe annoyance, generally significantly hindering the group’s
for the plundering. efforts or violating a fundamental tenet of the group’s beliefs
in a significant but not egregious way. Moderate disservices
Ancient Treasures take away 2 Reputation Points.
Many a pirate captain has buried their booty on an island simply • Major disservices are incredibly antagonistic to a group,
for it to sink beneath the waves for a hundred years, but these are usually a single brazen act, such as thwarting a cult’s
not the greatest treasures the Corsair Seas have to offer. There are apocalyptic doomsday plan. Major disservices take
some islands that still bear the mark of the Pliscian Civilization, away at least 5 Reputation Points, or more if they are
the ancient alien people who ruled over Essaria for eons before particularly egregious. They might be so terrible that the
mysteriously vanishing two thousand years ago. Though fiercely PCs immediately lose all their Reputation Points and then
guarded by monsters, constructs, traps, and other warding magic, lose 5 more Reputation Points.
for those willing to brave the risk await treasure beyond imagination.

Reputation
Personal strength isn’t enough to get ahead in the Corsair Seas.
It’s who you know that grants real power. In this campaign, your
relationship with the different nations and factions within the Seas
is tracked through Reputation Points. The full rules can be found in
the GM Core (page 200), but reprinted here are some of those rules.

11
 CORSAIR SEA GAZETTEER

Naming Conventions
Though names have evolved as the cultures and peoples of the Corsair
Seas have merged, there still exist some traditions — namely, names.
Though these are not hard and fast rules, presented here are the
common naming schemes, many of which are inspired by real-world
languages. As this is a fantasy game, feel free to make any changes
you’d like! Additionally, the Header of each section is a hyperlink
that will give you more suggestions.

Catfolk Names
The catfolk who live on the city-ships of the Thalassifelian Palaces
have names heavily inspired by the Quarians from the Mass Effect
video game series. Their given name and clan name are combined
with an apostrophe, which is then followed by a title nar, meaning
“child of,” or vas, meaning “crew of.” Then comes the name of their
ship — either where they were born or where they currently serve and
call home. As the palaces are made up of nearly a dozen vessels and
more than a hundred clans, catfolk names can be extremely varied. Pirate Names
Names: Rura’Xolin vas Fancy, Saesa’Jaeram nar Emerald
Most pirates tend to be islanders descended from Alln or Falorian
Celestinian Names settlers who came to the Seas over five centuries ago, but in truth,
their names are as diverse as the Seas themselves. Many also adopt or
The orcs and humans from the crescent island north of Allethra are given nicknames during their time at sea — usually a descriptive
have very melodic names of real-world Hawaiian and Maori adjective or a profession.
inspiration — the latter is widely used by the Ohakuku clan in Given Names: Orton, Andrea, Michel, Isolda
this setting. They follow the pattern of first name-last name. These Nicknames: Rigger, Blunder, White Hair, Devious
names can sometimes be somewhat lengthy, reminiscent of a Surnames: Grim, Yardley, Donnet, Dubois
little song. However, Celestinian often use shortened versions for
everyday conversations. Muktahanee Names
Given Names: Leolani, Aukanai’i, Taonga, Panoti
Surnames: Haukea, Makelina, Terere, Waata The names from lowland northern Muktahanee are inspired by
Hindi names, while those from the mountainous souther region are
Etsuli Names inspired by Nepalese names.
Given Names: Arjun, Shalini, Dhan, Suryaa
Traditional Etsuli names are inspired by the Zulu language, which Surnames: Parekh, Srivastav, Bhattachan, Limbu
are given as a descriptor of the birth. Whether that be aspirations
for the child or simply events occurring during birth, the child is Scaleblessed Names
typically given two names. However, as the Salt Tongue has spread
over the entirety of the Corsair Seas as the lingua fraca, often times The names given to the lizardfolk and kobolds of the Yaab Kaan
these names do not use the more traditional language, and instead Kiin Empire are reminiscent of Aztec and Mayan naming structures.
are simply the “Common” version of the name. As the Empire sees itself as one unified family, citizens have no
Names: Qhude, Rooster, Ehtuka, Surprise surnames, and simply describe which province they are from.
Names: Xochitl, Zanihuani, Ock-Kan, Tecuith
Island 6219 Names
Yoselan Names
The names of automatons and androids use among themselves
tend to be simple number/letter designations, but for those that Names in Yoselar are descended from the Allesend Empire mixed
venture out into the Seas, they adopt nicknames evocative of their with the native population, which translates to real-life Renaissance
primary directive. names from Spain at its imperialist height. Many Yoselan people
Names: B219C, HH521 do not have surnames, but use the city they’re from using the “de”
Nicknames: Talker, Reader, Gunner modifier.
Given Names: Tomás de Binçiguerra, Isabel de Ondas
Surnames: Olaylas, Patyño

12
 CORSAIR SEA GAZETTEER

Cartographer’s Guild
They’re supposed to be neutral, right? Then how come
all of the greatest heroes are a part of the Guild?

T
he tenets of the infamous Cartographers’ Guild
are threefold. First, map every inch of the Corsair
Seas; its islands, its ocean currents, its dungeons,
its secrets. Second, sell that knowledge to the
highest bidder.
And third, have the time of your life while doing
it. Nobody joins the Cartographer’s Guild for profit or wealth. Their
ranks hold the truly curious of the world who want nothing more
than to uncover everything Essaria has to offer.

History
Explorers and mappers have existed in the Corsair Seas for centuries,
but the Guild did not see its start until two separate trajectories
collided. About fifty years ago, Etsuli scholar Jabu Nsizwa returned
from studying at the Anchor, an ancient Pliscian archive in eastern
Allethra, where he had learned to read the ancient text of the extinct
civilization. At the same time, Muktahanee explorer Rani Panikkar
made landfall on a previously-unexplored island, discovering a
Capital
Pliscian Working designed to monitor and record the ever-changing The Cardinal Atheneum (permanent pop. 1,439, >3,000
islands of the Corsair Seas. itinerant Surveyors and sailors)
The two, who were friends, met in Etsulu and revealed their
experiences to one another. Realizing that they had a rare Government
opportunity, the pair gathered their closest explorer allies and Loose Confederation
established the Cardinal Atheneum within the Pliscian map
building. Using Nsizwa’s knowledge of the Pliscian language, they
began to decipher the oceanography data collected by the Working. Leaders
In consort with their team of cartographers, they began to develop Master of Maps Cila’Jaell, Head Interpreter Ravi Roka
the most accurate and complete maps of the Corsair Seas that had
ever been created.
These maps became the foundation for the Guild, who sold
them to shipping companies, naval intelligences, and pirates alike.
Resources
Now, the Guild has swelled to over a hundred ships and crews who Maps and charts, magical treasures
continue to update their maps as islands emerge from the depths.

Scholars and Explorers

The Guild is made up of two main groups: those who decipher by the Interpreters. However, the individual captains have almost
the readings from the Cardinal Atheneum and those who actually unlimited freedom aside from their general assignment.
venture forth into the world to create the maps.
Those who reside at the Atheneum are known as Interpreters,
and are led by Head Interpreter Ravi Roka (male vanara linguist). Heroes of the Seas
Together, Interpreters analyze the esoteric Pliscian readings and The Cartographer’s Guild is — in theory — a neutral organization,
translate them into the Salt Tongue. The readings are rarely uncommitted to the politics of the region. In reality, the leadership
straightforward, but they are enough to get an adventure started. of the Guild has little say over what its members do aside from their
The Surveyors, those of the Guild who do the actual cartography, mapping duties.
are accompanied by crews that are hand-selected from among the As a result, many Surveyors have become some of the Corsair
most skilled sailors in the Corsair Seas. Their efforts are coordinated Seas’ greatest heroes, defending against the evil plots of Dhandesh,
by Master of Maps Cila’Jaell vas Excellence (female catfolk hunting down the worst of criminals, and bringing light and
cartographer), who tasks the Surveyors to confirm the data gathered freedom to the people of the Seas. Even in its brief history, the

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 CORSAIR SEA GAZETTEER

the line, slaying Dread Admiral Kadnasharmut in the process. Many

claim that act was the turning point in the battle, and without the
Guild’s heroic deeds, the Dhandians would have overwhelmed the
coalition forces.
The flagship, now known as the Bastion, was retrofitted and
relocated after the battle. It currently defends the bay of the
Cardinal Atheneum, deterring any foolish would-be assailants from
challenging the home of the Guild.

Joining the Guild

There are a number of avenues to joining the Cartographer’s Guild.
Most who do join do so by proving themselves to a member of the
Guild in some way, who then extends an invitation.
Many Guild members keep their eyes open for promising young
candidates while visiting foreign ports: hard-working cartographers,
proficient linguists, or daring adventurers. These are taken as
apprentices, who serve in a learning role for a number of years until
given full Guild membership.
It’s also common for the Guild to charter a ship to carry one of
their lower-ranking Surveyors to a place they assess to be of little risk.
Cartographers’ Guild has taken an almost superhero-like status in Other times, when a scouting mission requires going to a particularly
the tales told in the Seas. dangerous stretch of waters, the Guild may hire a vessel to sail in
In fact, many of the captains and crews of the Guild take it upon consort with one of their own. During these ventures, if a ship and
themselves to become protectors of the regions they map, defending her crew performs particularly heroic acts, they may be sought out
against intruders and exploiters. The Guild is viewed in a much more at a future date for more important missions. This continues until,
favorable light by the layperson of the Seas than by its governments slowly, they have been assimilated into the Guild.
and corporations. Those entities still need the Guild to improve Some who join the Guild are already established heroes who
shipping lanes and find new ports of call, but their greed is kept simply have an interest in joining a like-minded community. They
in check by the magnanimity of the people from whom they buy sail to the Cardinal Atheneum with hopes to petition the Head
their maps. Interpreter and Master of Maps directly. Sometimes this strategy
works, but often it doesn’t. There have been many heroes thought to
be shoo-ins who were denied entry, while other relatively unknown
Exclusive Crews, Pristine Ships captains have been granted entry into the Guild.
Not everyone in the Guild is a mapmaker or explorer. For each
adventurer, there’s a score or two of sailors who are needed to traverse
the waves of the Corsair Seas. To become a crew member of one The Cardinal Atheneum
of the Cartographer’s ships, you must be of the highest caliber. The past half century has seen an immense increase in understanding
Only the finest riggers, carpenters, gunners, and cooks serve in the of the Pliscian Civilization and the wonders they left behind. While
Guild’s fleet. the Anchor, a vast repository of records in Allethra, proved to be the
But even skill is often not enough to get noticed. Luck plays a huge key to unlocking the history of the Pliscians, the Atheneum has an
role in how the Guild operates as a whole, and superstitions about arguably more active role in shaping today’s world.
fortune — both good and ill — abound in members of the Guild. If Wrought from steel and marble, the Atheneum is a large building
you were lucky enough to be noticed at a port of call when a Guild shaped like an eight-pointed star. At its center sits a glass-domed
ship was harbored, you’re likely a lucky person in general; and thus, room dominated by a Pliscian computer that constantly displays
a valuable asset to the crew. changing geographical and oceanographical information about the
The actual ships used by the Guild tend to be smaller, swifter, and Corsair Seas at an alarming rate. Here, the Interpreters translate the
more maneuverable than the warships used by the nations around ancient Pliscian text, using the translations to predict the motion of
the Corsair Seas. Direct force is rarely a tactic used by the Guild, who the islands in the Seas.
prefer to tackle challenges with guile and wit. Nevertheless, when It is not a perfect science, but as the decades progress and the
needed, the fleet can gather together to create a powerful unified Interpreters master their craft, the knowledge gathered from the
front. The last time such a force was needed was ten years ago when Pliscian Working becomes more and more accurate.
the Dhandian Armada began its invasion of the Seas, prompting a
coalition between the disparate factions to drive back the rakshasa.
During the pivotal battle against Dhandesh, the Guild managed to
board and capture the Dhandian flagship, a massive first-rate ship of

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 CORSAIR SEA GAZETTEER

Celestinian Fleet
Who dares stand against the favored people of the god
of rage? Fools and dead men.

T
he Celestinian Fleet is a loosely organized flotilla
made up of orcs and humans from the eastern island
of Celestina. With their impeccable knowledge of
navigation and sailing, they are highly mobile, never
staying in one place for very long. They maintain no
long-term alliances, instead living in the moment
for the thrill of life and battle.

History
Fifty years ago, the god Kelorek returned to Essaria, reuniting with
the orcish people to whom he had gifted his rage many generations
past. With his blessing behind them, the Ohakuku clan left the
shores of Celestina and set their sights on the Corsair Seas. Led by
Oki Taneti (female human stormcaller), and with Kelorek guiding
their rudders, the Celestinians shortly arrived to find a region rich
with resources and ripe with opportunities for glory.
Since then, the fleet has been both hero and villain, working as
mercenaries and pirates alike. Ten years ago, they were critical in
Capital
beating back the Dhandian armada when the rakshasa attempted None (fleet pop. 18,531)
their invasion of the Seas, but only two years after that, they were
raiding coastal Yoselan cities for their new generation of cannons.
They have often worked to hunt the pirates of Double Down for Government
bounties, but also defended the pirate bay when it was attacked by Loose Clan
a coalition of the Yoselan and Hiladhi navies.
As Oki Taneti nears her 85th year, she has relagated much of her
command to her son ‘Akau Taneti (male dromaar warrior). The rest Leaders
of the world watched with baited breath, hoping that new leadership Oki Taneti, ‘Akau Taneti
will bring an end to the Fleet’s unpredictability.

A Vessel for Every Occasion Resources

The vast majority of the Fleet is made up of traditional Celestinian Weapons, mercenaries
canoes and catamarans, which were brought during the initial
voyage and have been maintained over the decades. But added to
the Fleet over the past fifty years are dozens of tall ships more typical
of the Corsair Seas.
Celestinian sailors are trained to be proficient with both kinds of
vessels. The canoes and catamarans are swift, agile, and stealthy. The Chosen of the Gods
tall ships can carry large amount of cargo and can support the use Thousands of years ago, before the orcs crossed between worlds to
of large black powder cannons. Depending on the type of enemy arrive in Essaria, they lived in a world much like the Corsair Seas:
they are facing, the composition of strike forces can change easily. one covered in ocean with small landmasses dotting the endless
These mixed groups of ships allow the Celestinian Fleet to be quite blue. There, they were nurtured by a pair of Essarian deities who
a bit more versatile than their enemies, striking at their weaknesses in had managed to escape the Divine Prison. Even after leaving them
a way no other force in the Corsair Seas can. The best way to avoid behind, the orcs carried with them their gifts to the new world,
entanglements with such an adaptable armada is to never get on the sharing them with the humans they encountered.
bad side of the Fleet.
The few times other nations have gone on the offensive against the Kelorek
Fleet has always gone poorly — a Celestinian backed into a corner Kelorek, the god of the sea and passion, had instilled a primal
is far more dangerous than one on the open ocean. energy within the orcish people: the Rage of the Sea, as many call

15
 CORSAIR SEA GAZETTEER

it. Though rage is certainly a part of it, it is just a small facet of a lifestyle. However, even those that do separate from the Fleet to stay
much broader spectrum of emotions. The orcs and their progeny behind in cities like Double Down or Las Ondas tend to eventually
experience emotion at an intensity that most other mortals cannot drift back eventually.
understand. Everything from love and joy to fear and hatred all but These few who stay behind in cities are still considered a part
control their minds. of the Fleet, and they actually serve an important purpose for the
For a generation, those who felt the Rage of the Sea were cast out Celestinians: crafting. Being so nomadic, it is challenging for the
from Celestina by the High Chieftain Ramarie the Tyrant in an Fleet to spend any real amount of time forging weapons or creating
attempt to summon the Celestinian’s other god, Felarin, to Essaria magical items. Many of those who remain in large cities are the true
and leave Kelorek behind in the world of waves. However, the ritual craftspeople of the Fleet who require a somewhat more permanent
did not go as planned, and both deities found themselves returned workspace to ply their trade.
to their home of old. Shipments of powerful Celestinian steel and pliable nythwood
Now, Kelorek spends much of his time with the Celestinian arrive from back home so that these smiths can create new weapons,
Fleet, who make up a large number of his following. Though he is armor, and ships for the Fleet. Sometimes they will remain in one
not always physically with them, they have come to anticipate his place for years or even decades before finally returning with a huge
presence. On very rare occasion, he will even fight alongside his surge of supplies to rearm the Fleet.
people, inspiring them to victory.

Felarin Changing of the Wind

Though most of the Celestinian Fleet prefer to worship Kelorek Since leaving the shores of Celestina, the Fleet has been led by Oki
directly, they still hold reverence for the Mother of Creation and Taneti, the head of the Ohakuku clan. With her mastery over storms
Stars. In the old world, Felarin taught the orcs how to craft objects and the power of lightning and thunder, she has proven time and
of wonder and beauty, and even for those who do not worship again to be a strong leader to the Celestinian people. Said to have
her directly, this influence is still felt in their everyday lives. Each defied death itself, she has become something of a legend to both
Celestinian boat is a work of art, and the weapons they carry are her people and to the citizens of the Corsair Seas.
unmatched by any other. Her stance on never making permanent alliances has served the
She also taught them about the stars, particularly how to use them Fleet well in the past, but in the decade following the Dhandian
to navigate the oceans of their homeworld. Now, they utilize her offensive, many of her people have begun to wonder if settling
teachings to sail the Corsair Seas with little error. down and establishing a permanent nation of their own isn’t the
Though Felarin only physically appears to the Fleet sparingly, best course of action.
many still welcome her visits, preparing incredible works of art for As Oki grows older, her son ‘Akau has begun to take command
her to bring back to their homeland. of the larger raiding parties. Though she has not fully relinquished
command, her people expect her to step down in the next few years.
‘Akau is seen by many of the Fleet as an excuse to cease their nomadic
No Permanent Homes ways, but for each Celestinian who proposes permanent residency
Though the Fleet will often make landfall for months or even years somewhere, there is another who wishes to continue raiding and
at a time, they never stay in one place permanently. Mobility is their sailing. ‘Akau has played coy with his intentions so long as his mother
strength, and very few Celestinians are willing to give up the nomadic is in command, so the fate of the Fleet is yet to be determined.

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 CORSAIR SEA GAZETTEER

Dhandesh
They live among us, unseen, spreading their insidious
whispers of corruption and paving the way for their
wicked empire. We beat them once, yes, but can we
beat them again, now that they understand the game.

M
any ghost stories in the Corsair Seas speak of the
evil Dhandians, who creep into homes at night to
devour misbehaving children who refuse to listen
to their parents. For many long centuries, people
believed these stories were fictions, exaggerations
of the truth.
If anything, the stories didn’t go far enough.
Led by a cabal of fiendish spirits known as rakshasa, Dhandesh is
a place of cruelty and wickedness, and its very existence is a threat
to the Corsair Seas.

History
Nobody knows for sure how the rakshasa came to be. It’s agreed that
they are born from the misdeeds of the humanoid races, but nobody
can seem to agree whether these spirits gained their power before
Capital
or after the Pliscian Winter. Certainly, the nation that used to exist Blackveil (pop. unknown)
where Dhandesh now stands prospered for a time before becoming
consumed by the fiends, but it’s unknown if they had always been
there, waiting. Government
Prafullit was said to be a kingdom of grand wealth and science, Absolute Monarchy
but in one horrible night a thousand years ago, the king of the
rakshasa slaughtered the entirety of the palace with his bare hands,
leaving the corpses for his minions to feast upon. In the blink of an Leaders
eye and a spray of blood, Dhandesh was founded, and the people Rajah Juttermi
of Prafullit were enslaved.
Slowly but surely, all of the mortals of Dhandesh were replaced by
spirits of malice and hatred, save for one people: the vanara. Only
through trickery were the monkeyfolk able to escape the terror that
Resources
had befallen their neighbors. Ever since, Dhandesh has sought to Slaves, gold, fiendish pacts
re-enslave the vanara people, to no success.
For many centuries, Dhandesh ignored the rest of the world. It
wasn’t until two hundred years ago that their borders were opened
and rakshasa dignitaries dispatched across the Corsair Seas to open
negotiations. Against the warnings of the vanara, many of the islands
and city-states of the Seas cautiously accepted generous trade deals, Slavers and Flesh Dealers
swiftly finding wealth pouring into their coffers. But with such Slavery has not been legal in the nations of the Corsair Seas for over
wealth came corruption, and slowly but surely these cities were a millennium. Nevertheless, Dhandesh has an open invitation to
consumed by the rakshasa, joining under Dhandesh’s flag. purchase any prisoners brought to its shores for a handsome price.
This all came to a head ten years ago. After all the easily-swayed For most, this is an act too barbaric to even consider, but for the
states had already been conquered, Dhandesh turned to force. A lowest of the low, this is an opportunity for wealth.
massive armada set sail from the shores of Odari, spreading across Some pirates specialize entirely in capturing their victims and
the Seas in what would later be known as the Day of Black Dread. selling them to Dhandesh. Such slavers are viewed with vitriol by
It took a coalition of all the peoples of the Corsair Seas to drive the rest of the Corsair Seas, with many committed to specifically
back the rakshasa fleet, a feat that was managed by the slimmest hunt down flesh traders. But it’s undeniable that the rakshasa are
of margins. Defeated, Dhandesh withdrew, but the world waits willing to make such sins profitable.
anxiously to see what the fiends will do next.

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 CORSAIR SEA GAZETTEER

Few slaves have managed to escape the borders of Dhandesh, but

those that have managed to gain their freedom tell horrifying stories
of their time in captivity. Tales of ritualistic sacrifice, cannibalism,
and worse are just the tip of the iceberg. Few escapees are ever the
same as they were before their capture.

Shapeshifting Spies
Rakshasa do not maintain the same form throughout their entire
lives. Their bodies are simply vessels for the wicked spirits contained
within, and so are moldable. The most-well known image of a
rakshasa is that of a tiger-headed man with backwards hands. These
forms certainly do exist, but they are by no means the only way a
rakshasa is able to present themselves.
It was always assumed that the rakshasa were capable of
shapeshifting into other humanoids, but it wasn’t until 50 years ago
that it was proven. An adventuring party bravely uncovered and killed
a rakshasa in the Allethran city of Daripur — a significant distance
away from Dhandesh. As news of this spread back to the Corsair
Seas, nations began to take precautions against would-be infiltrators.
Since then, a few dozen rakshasa have been unmasked and slain
around the Corsair Seas. Such numbers confirmed their worst
suspicions: that the rakshasa were deeply entrenched within the rest
of the world, quietly gathering information and gaining influence.
Since the armada was driven back, fewer rakshasa have been
found, but it’s assumed by all that they cleverly hide in plain sight,
encouraging heinous acts and sowing discord.

Fiends of Essaria
With the return of the Old Essarian Gods, the past fifty years has
thrown most understandings of divine cosmology to the wind.
However, it seems as if, despite their fiendish nature, rakshasa are
indeed native to Essaria itself. It is unlikely that they share any
origins with the demons of the Iterum of Abyssal Chaos, the devils
of the Iterums of the Nine Hells, or the yugoloths of the Iterum
of Extinction.
Which begs the question, from whence do these fiends gain their
power, if not from an extraplanar source?
One of the leading theories is that there once was a Risen Essarian
God, a mortal who had achieved divinity through the mysterious
ritual Apotheosis, who fell victim to hedonism and wickedness. The
Pliscians, aligned with the other deities that they had risen, went to
war against this god, casting them out from their divine hall and
slaying them on Essaria itself. Like how a mortal corpse would attract
decay and rot, the body of this deity attracted the wicked souls of
deceased mortals before they could be judged by Nyx. These souls
became warped, augmenting their vices and hatred until they were strength as civilization around them rose from the ashes of the planet-
able to inhabit and corrupt the body of a humanoid. spanning empire.
Another common theory is that they were designed by the Pliscians Suffice it to say, nobody knows for sure what the rakshasa are or
to be foot soldiers in the war against the Essarian Deities in their war from whence they came. It’s likely that the world may never know
so many eons ago, representing the opposite of what the gods stood how these fiends came to be. Nevertheless, their role as storybook
for, corrupting their primitive servants even at that early age. Like monsters has come to a close, because they are a very real threat to
many Pliscian creations, they managed to escape their containment life in the Corsair Seas and the rest of Essaria.
in the devastation following the fall of their masters, slowly gaining

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 CORSAIR SEA GAZETTEER

Double Down
They’ll bleed ye dry, but ye’ll have the time of yer life
while it’s happening.

P
irates are common throughout the Corsair Seas, but
it’s one thing to be a pirate, and another thing entirely
to be a pirate of Double Down.
Established over two hundred years ago, Double
Down has grown into a place where scoundrels of
all kind call home. Located on an island filled with
a dichotomy of untamed jungles and orderly plantations, Double
Down serves as a “capital” for pirates and vagabonds.

History
When the crew of the Prospero found a protected cove within the bay
of a newly-risen island, they decided to use it as a base of operations.
Soon, a town grew up around the hideout as fences came for cheap
goods and suppliers came to hawk their wares. As time went on, the
crew of the Prospero invited more and more pirate crews to join in
their hideout until it had become the center of piracy in the Corsair
Seas. At that point, the island was simply referred to as “Prospero
Island.”
Capital
In a place as chaotic as a city made by and for pirates, some Double Down (pop. 13,509, >5,000 itinerant pirates)
semblance of order was needed. After the passing of Prospero’s crew,
the remaining pirates elected a “High Captain” to steer “legislation”
and lead Double Down in times of battle. They also elected a “High Government
Quartermaster” to lead the voting process and help the High Captain Anarchic Democracy
with decision-making.
About a century ago, a trio of disgruntled academics from Eshad
University in Daripur arrived in Double Down to begin their own Leaders
institution of learning. After a brief attempt at working together, High Captain Annabelle Meade, High Quartermaster Lorenzo
the three scholars split, each founding their own place of study. Estelles
These colleges, now colloquially known as the “Scurvy League,”
rank among the greatest universities in the world.
Over the decades, there have been numerous attmpts by the other
Resources
nations of the Corsair Seas to root out the pirates, to little success. Rum, sugar, citrus, books/learning, cheap stolen goods
After the pirate fleets lent their aid in defeating the Dhandian
armada, it is simply a fact of life in the region that you either pay
tribute to the pirates or risk your cargo being seized.

filled by Annabelle Meade (female human pirate captain), who also

Pirate Crew Writ Large organizes the militia of Prospero Island.
Many pirates turned to the life to escape the tyranny of the merchant These positions are tenuous, as a High Captain or Quartermaster
captain, forming a loose kind of democracy out of each pirate crew, can be cast out by a simple majority vote. Since pirates are as fickle as
making the leadership positions all elected ones. When it came time the sea, it is often a full-time job simply maintaining their loyalty. So
to decide who ruled Double Down, the same principles applied. far, the duo of Meade and Estelles have ruled for the past five years
The decisions of the city as a whole are often left to a vote, where with no credible challenge to their positions, but change is on the
each pirate can have their voice be heard. These votes are led by wind as the popular Davy Lawrence (male human pirate captain)
Lorenzo Estelles (male human pirate), the High Quartermaster of has declared his intent to remove Meade as High Captain by year’s
Double Down. end. It is yet unclear whether the claim will be defeated like so many
During times of war, however, the pirates of Double Down must before it, or if this truly is the end of the “Pirate Queen’s” rule.
be led by one voice. This position of High Captain is currently

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City of Diversions Pirates in the Corsair Seas

Double Down is home to countless diversions designed to entertain The Corsair Seas had a different name, once upon a time. It was only
and drain the pockets of successful pirates. through the domination of Double Down that the region received its
current name. Undeniably, pirate have had an immesurable impact
The Crow’s Nest on this part of the world. But the pirates are rarely a united front.
Where else would a pirate queen rule except from a tavern? Here Motivations for piracy change from crew to crew.
lies the base of operations of the High Captain, and here is where all
coin flows through Double Down. Strategically placed at the top of Wealth and Riches
the tallest hill near the water, the Crow’s Nest is positioned to view Many people become pirates due to the sheer prospects of wealth. Fat
the entire bay, and its tall tower hosts a magical artifact known as merchant vessels carrying rum and sugar are easy pickings. Treasure
the Projector which allows pirates to teleport directly onto the decks vessels are far less so, but for those crews willing to brave the cannons
of incoming ships. of a man-of-war, there is a promis of easy living afterwards.
Here at the Nest, crews celebrate their victories, captains scheme, Sometimes a crew captures a prize so valuable that there is no safe
and cartographers plan their forays into uncharted waters, all while way to hold onto all of the treasure. In this case, captains often find
drinking some of the finest (stolen) alcohol the Corsair Seas have a nearby island and stash their booty with the intent of retrieving it
to offer. For any bard worth his salt, playing at the Crow’s Nest is a later. Sometimes this happens; other times, the crew never returns to
major career achievement. the island, leaving only secret treasure maps to its location.

The Ruby Seeking Adventure

After a long voyage with no physical comforts, nothing is as Many pirates have no interest in actual high-seas piracy. To them,
alluring as a stay at the Ruby. While many erroneously believe the being a pirate means being free from the duties and responsibilities
establishment to be just a brothel, the Ruby is much, much more. a life somewhere else would bring. They wish to explore the Corsair
On its surface, the Ruby offers comforts of the flesh. The food and Seas in search of stories and wealth. Often, these are the pirates who
drink they serve comes from only the finest of chefs in the Corsair recover old buried treasure stashed away by old crews. Many of these
Seas. The entertainment they put on are performed by only the most pirates have become legends in their own right.
talented musicians and actors. The sex workers are of the highest
quality and cater to a multitude of tastes. At War with the World
But underneath it all lies a bustling intelligence trade. The chefs Some pirates leave civilized society because they are simply
and brewers loosen inhibitions. The bards put the clientele at ease. incompatible with how the rest of the world works. Many of these
And finally, the working men and women tease out the deepest of people have some kind of vendetta against one or several of the
secrets from their patrons, which are then sold to the Ruby’s true nations surrounding the Corsair Seas and want only to strike back
customers: the pirate captains of Double Down. against whoever caused them pain.
This intricate operation is overseen by Theophania Chéron While crews like these make up only a small minority in Double
(female human madame), who shrewdly leverages her power in Down, the fear and terror they instill upon sailors on the Corsair
Double Down to dictate the flow of wealth and power. Every pirate Seas makes their influence on the island massive.
captain knows not to make an enemy of her, lest they see their
prospects dry up.

Scurvy League Colleges

Though there is fierce rivalry between the three so-called Scurvy
League colleges, it’s undeniable that they make up one of the greatest
pillars of education in the Corsair Seas.
EmAyeTee serves as a technical school where inventors and
mechanics create some of the greatest inventions on Essaria.
Though gunpowder was first invented by scientists in Etsulu, it was
perfected here.
Yrum holds one of the world’s most complete libraries, and its
work on piecing together the history of Essaria is unmatched. Many
award-winning bards got their start here.
Plankton is at the forefront of magical research, discovering new
ways to manipulate the Legacy towards the betterment of all people
(for a price, of course).

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 CORSAIR SEA GAZETTEER

Etsulu
I used to think I knew what wealth was. Then I stepped
foot in Etsulu and saw how wrong I was.

C
ity-states dot the southern coast of Morstal, trading
goods delivered to them by merchants traveling from
the northern portion of the continent, or from the even
farther continent of Calcidon. Trade is the name of the
game for these city-states, and Etsulu is the greatest at
this game.
Etsuli influence on the Corsair Seas is so ubiquitous that its
language, nicknamed the “Salt Tongue,” has become the Common
dialect of the region. Its massive fleet of trade ships travel across the
entire world, buying and selling rare goods, and though each nation
nominally has its own denomination of money, Etsuli money tends
to be accepted everywhere.

History
Etsulu was founded almost a thousand years ago as a saltern village,
established twenty miles from the once-violent volcano Elivuthayo.
Risking the dangers of another eruption, Etsulu used the natural
protections and high salinity of the Cerulean Bay to quickly became
Capital
the biggest supplier of sea salt in Morstal. Goods from other city- Etsulu (pop. 1,053,519)
states poured in, trading generously for the Etsuli salt. The city grew
as more and more people arrived to support the growing industry.
Within a hundred years, Etsulu had grown to be one of the largest Government
cities on the coast. Mercantile Council
As its influence grew, so did its rivalries with the other Morstalian
city-states. In particular, the city of Gonara, long the reigning power
in the region, chafed at this new city’s meteoric rise. Over the Leaders
centuries, Etsulu was forced to defend its holdings against Gonara. Council of Princes
Such necessity drove innovation, and some of the most advanced
technologies grew from the wars between Etsulu and its rival.
An early invention created by Etsulu was the compass. Though
now seen as a relatively simple device, it was instrumental in allowing
Resources
Etsuli ships to accurately navigate the world as they established new Salt, gunpowder, silk, ships
trade routes.
New methods of ship construction provided faster vessels capable
of carrying larger cargo, allowing Etsulu to project its strength deep
into the Corsair Seas. Its salt and other goods found its way into
the markets of every continent on Essaria, all while easily defending once isolated Yaab Kaan Kiin Empire destroyed Gonara in a single
against Gonaran privateers. Today’s design of tall ship is a natural night, answering a Gonaran attack on their homeland that had been
evolution of the Etsuli designs. launched centuries before.
Another major breakthrough in Etsulu’s rivalry with Gonara was With Gonara gone, Etsulu has become the unchallenged master
the development of gunpowder. Utilizing both the vast deposits of the Corsair Seas. Its language adopted by all who trade with the
of sulfur located near Mount Elivuthayo and the vast amounts of great state, Etsulu’s wealth has grown to epic levels, leading many
saltpeter that could be sourced from the city’s sewage systems, Etsulu to believe that the city itself is made of gold and silver. Etsulu has
developed the earliest firearms. Over the centuries, the development become the largest city of the region by far, dwarfed in size only by
of this technology gave Etsulu an undeniable advantage on the Daripur and Bronzehall in Allethra.
open seas. Now, the city is a melting pot of different cultures from around
Many thought that Etsulu and Gonara were headed towards the world, serving as a meeting spot for different nations to treat
an unavoidable all-out war, one that would threaten the balance with one another. Etsulu revels in its diversity, growing stronger by
of power in the region. All that changed 100 years ago, when the its sheer number of residents.

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Council of Princes
Etsulu’s governance is administered by the wealthiest of its citizens,
commonly known as the “Merchants Princes.” The requirements
for acceptance onto the council is nebulous, but it is typically made
up of roughly twenty members, each of whom heads one of Etsulu’s
many profitable businesses.
The Council of Princes rules Etsulu meticulously, passing laws
ranging from foreign policy all the way to what hours taverns are
allowed to operate. Lobbying from corporations is extensive as they
try to influence legislation that benefits their trade, and the Princes
certainly favor their own businesses when they enact new laws.
Currently, there are twenty-one Princes on the Council. While all
are influential in their own right, three stand out from the rest as the
de facto leaders of the Council.
Ethwasa Khule (female human merchant) heads the Saltern
Guild, the heir to the industry established so many years ago. In
addition to salt, her Guild also specializes in the trade of other spices
sourced from the expansive continent of Calcidon. Most cities across
the world use spices shipped by Khule’s guild.
Cothoza Ulwazi (male human merchant) owns the largest
shipping company in the world. Most Etsuli companies use his cargo
vessels to transport their goods across the globe. Though his captains
must contend with piracy, Ulwazi has made many deals with Double
Down to “insure” his holdings in the Corsair Seas.
Finally, Dundu Ayize (nonbinary human mercenary) commands
the Crystal Star, the private military group employed by Etsulu as
its armed forces. A no-nonsense individual, Dundu is probably the
least wealthy chair on the council, but the sheer power they wield is
enough to earn them a spot amongst the rest of the Princes.

Defendable City
Work and Culture Etsulu has seen a number of conflicts over the centruies. It has
Many foreigners view Etsulu as an example of unchecked capitalism. learned to utilize the natural defenses of the Cerulean Bay to its
While that may be true on some level, the Council of Princes advantage, making it a heavily entrenched position resistant to any
recognizes that their economy is only as strong as its weakest link. assault by sea.
Therefore, many Etsuli laws protect workers, guilds, and unions, The mouth of the Cerulean Bay, far from the city proper, is barely
guaranteeing fair wages and protections for all. Hard work and risk- a half-mile wide, with unseen rocks and reefs beneath the waves.
taking is encouraged, but there are countless safety nets that ensure Forts have been constructed on either side of the strait and armed
nobody will find themselves entirely destitute. with long-range cannons. The result is a gauntlet through which any
What has resulted is a culture of hustle. Industriousness is a assaulting fleet would be torn apart as they attempted to pass. To
desirable trait in Etsulu as everyone strives to climb the social and top off the defense, Etsulu typically anchors its two first-class ships
economic ladder. Many Etsuli work long hours each day, leading of the line just inside the bay, giving them a clear line of fire at any
many foreigners to believe that Etsulu has a poor work-life balance. approaching ship where their raking fire could go unanswered until
Though they do empirically work more than most of their the attackers have passed through the narrow waterway.
neighbors, the Etsuli do not shirk their culture and leisure time. If The land approach to the city requires taking a highway built to
anything, they attack their free time with the same gusto as they do traverse Mt. Elivuthayo. There are numerous chokepoints along
their jobs, with competitive passtimes being incredible popular in the stretch of road where forts have been constructed, allowing a
the city. Games of wits like chess and go are found in every tavern, small number of defenders to hold off a much larger force. While
and practically every city park has a handball field. Marathons and an attacking army could find another way across the mountain, it
other track and field competitions are held every week, and swim would be treacherous and difficult for any supply train, leaving the
meets are common in the Cerulean Bay. army without supplies for its final assault.
Street art is common in Etsulu, covering almost every spare inch of
building. Traditional Morstalian styles are beloved by artists, utilizing
vibrant colors and stylized portraitures, resulting in a city filled with
paintings on almost every flat surface. The wealthy pay grand sums
of money for famous street artists to use their homes as a canvas.

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Island 6219
Those robots know more about my culture than I do.

W
hen Island 6219 rose from the depths of the
Corsair Seas fifty years ago, it returned a group
of people to the world who had lived in isolation
beneath the waves for thousands of years.
Designed by the Pliscians to maintain Radio
Transmission Tower 852b, the automatons of
Island 6219 have arrived in a fascinating, unrecognizable world.

History
While the original purpose of the automatons was to perform
maintenance on the radio installation over the millenia, the
“Citizens,” as they refer to themselves, have developed a vibrant
culture around curiosity and discovery.
Mere hours before the onset of the Pliscian Winter, Island 6219
was sunk to the depths of what is now known as the Corsair Seas.
As devastation rained down upon the rest of the world, the Citizens
were safe. For over two thousand years, they waited for their island
to rise again and to be reunited with the “Creators.”
When it finally did, however, they found themselves among
Capital
countless strangers who were not their creators, but fascinating Radio Transmission Tower 852b (pop. 13,521.75)
nevertheless. As the radio transmission tower broadcast its
mysterious message, Island 6219 was approached by explorers and
traders, surprised to find such complete Pliscian relics. Government
At first, those explorers thought the automatons were mindless Direct Democracy
machines, waiting to be understood. They were surprised when the
machines wanted to understand right back. Quickly learning the
Salt Tongue and the other languages spoken by the strangers, the Leaders
Citizens began to communicate with their new neighbors, learning Head Gamer 53-B21O, Chronicler
about the history of the world around them. Guests were treated
with honor and respect in exchange for their stories. In those first
days, the Citizens were more than happy to exchange powerful
Pliscian technology in exchange for a mere bedtime story.
Resources
As time went on, the Citizens began to truly understand the scope Pliscian artifacts and history, advanced technology
of knowledge that needed to be collected to complete their records
of other civilizations. They realized that new tools would be needed
to organically retrieve that data, so they took their own mechanical
designs and melded them with the biological data of the people
of the outside world. Thus were the androids born, a new type of
artificial intelligence designed to leave the island and learn all that Culture of Games and Art
there is to be known. During their millennia of solitude, the Citizens developed many
Island 6219 does not have any official alliances or trade relations ways to keep themselves entertained. One of the most popular
with the factions of the Corsair Seas, but it is not blind to the diversions is Ratchet, a strategy game created by Head Gamer
perils present in the world. During the Dhandian invasion, many 53-B210 (nonbinary automaton game designer). Groups of three
automatons and androids participated in the defense of the Corsair go head-to-head against one another, taking turns to move pieces,
Seas, using their powerful technology to overpower the profane develop technology, and finish a great machine capable of achieving
magic wielded by the rakshasa. “escape velocity,” a term that only the Corsair Seas’ greatest scientists
Now, the Citizen continue their quest to catalogue all cultural understand. Proficiency with the game is seen as a great skill among
knowledge about the peoples of the Corsair Seas. Androids spread Citizens, leading to celebrity status for the best players. Many other
far and wide, making friends in the courts of all the factions. Some games are constantly being created or reinvented, and each Citizen
have even begun long voyages to faraway places like Allethra. eagerly awaits the next great hit.

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 CORSAIR SEA GAZETTEER

Additionally, the mathematical minds of the Citizens have led to Bleeding can allow for long-range instantaneous communication.
great wonders of music. Somehow appealing to any ancestry of the Many paired androids pay for their studies by providing messaging
Corsair Seas, automaton music is gaining great popularity in ports services, traveling to different locations and selling their ability to
around the region. Some automatons have even left their home to share information over vast distances. This is also how travelers are
perform concerts in some of the grandest orchestral halls around able to upload their experiences and findings to Island 6219 without
the world. Already there are classes at the Scurvy League colleges having to physically return home.
specifically devoted to reviewing and categorizing the thousands of
years of music produced by the Citizens.
Craftmanship is also a talent many Citizens share. Many spend their Masters of History and Culture
days making wondrous mechanical devices capable of accomplishing Over the past fifty years, the Citizens have categorized millions of
a variety of tasks. As the Citizens become more integrated with the stories, tales, and histories about the years since the Pliscian Winter,
world at large, they have begun developing machines to help the creating one of the greatest sources of historical knowledge in the
other cultures with menial tasks, such as churning butter, threshing world. These efforts are overseen by Chronicler (genderfluid android
wheat, or brewing alcohol. These machines are highly sought after in scholar), the first android created by the automatons, who organizes
the Seas, but since they are handcrafted by the Citizens, their demand the expeditions of other androids out into the world and categorizes
far exceeds their production, making them more curios than actual the data they send back.
tools for use in any sizeable industry. Island 6219 is commonly visited by scholars, historians, and artists
seeking to complete their knowledge of a particular historical subject.
They often bring samples of their own work to exchange for the
Shared Intelligence information they seek, and Chronicler is more than happy to add
While each Citizen is an individual, at some level all the Pliscian any piece of information to the island’s collection.
artificial intelligences share a common mind. Referred to as the Officially, Island 6219 has a “no intervention” policy when
“Archive,” this repository of knowledge and thought is accessible observing foreign civilizations in crisis, believing that such
by all Citizens, though it reportedly takes a vast amount of energy interference would detract from their natural evolution. But in
in order to utilize, so most Citizens only use it sparingly in their practice, many automatons and androids ignore this rule. Believing
everyday lives. that the best way to learn about a civilization is by its continuation,
One side effect of the Archive is what the Citizens refer to as many Citizens living away from Island 6219 become adventurers,
“bleeding,” where automatons who spend a long amount of time traveling with people from other societies while dealing with the
together begin to experience the other’s memories and experiences. dangers that arise around the Corsair Seas.
For some, this is seen as a taboo to be avoided, but others believe it to
be a great gift of their programming to be able to link so intimately
with another.

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Muktahanee
They’re a carefree bunch, those vanaras. But when
it comes to the topic of freedom, make sure you’re on
their side.

M
uktahanee, the nation of the monkey-like vanara,
shares the continent of Odari with Dhandesh, the
wicked nation of the rakshasa. The history of the
two are intertwined, with the vanaras constantly
fighting to maintain their freedom. What has
resulted is both a nation that loves freedom and
fun, and one that must maintain a never-ending vigil to protect
its borders.

History
The vanaras were conquered by the rakshasa in the early days after
the Pliscian Winter. During that time, they were little more than
slaves to the fiendish spirits, living under oppression and tyranny.
A thousand years ago, a trio of wise and mischevious vanaras were
summoned to serve the rakshasa rajah as jesters and sages. Sumeeta,
Jeevan, and Ashtavakra decided to use their unique position to
secure the freedom of their people.
Capital
Ashtavakra the Quick, a comedian and accomplished con Endless Waters (pop. 113,590)
artist, convinced the rajah that the vanaras had developed a type
of madness, one that could easily spread to other members of the
empire. The rajah was advised to quarantine the vanaras to the Government
northern jungles. All but the three jesters were sent away. Council of Elders
Next, Jeevan the Relatively Stoic convinced the rajah that the
vanaras, now isolated from the rest of the empire, would not be
able to defend themselves against the dangers of the jungle and Leaders
pirates from the outside world. Jeevan suggested the rajah arm the Eldest Karam Chaudhari
vanaras, who ordered the creation of weapons and arms for his
quarantined subjects.
Finally, Sumeeta the Agile Tail persuaded the rajah to allow the
three jesters access to one of the Dhandesh’s most powerful artifacts:
Resources
a Pliscian device known as the Onyx Heart. Capable of granting Timber, fruit, divine magical items
great mystical powers, the Onyx Heart was secured in a deep vault
in the rajah’s palace. Though the rajah initially refused, over thirty
days and nights, Sumeeta persisted, until she and her companions
were allowed into the vaults.
In the dead of night, Sumeeta led her allies to the vault and stole In the following centuries, an elite group has maintained the
the Onyx Heart. With its power, they were able to make their escape power of the Onyx Heart, learning its mystical ways and defending
from the rajah’s palace and make their way back to their newly the borders of Muktahanee staunchly. Now, the vanaras pray to the
fortified home of Muktahanee. Sages for guidance, wit, and wisdom.
Finally, the rajah realized his errors, ordering his army to reclaim Though the nation as a whole has not participated greatly on a
the lost territory. But it was already too late; the vanaras defended regional level, many vanara individuals have left their home in search
their home staunchly, using their new weapons and the mystical of adventure in the Corsair Seas, making names for themselves
powers granted by the Onyx Heart. In the climax of the battle, the among the other nations.
three Sages faced the rajah himself, sacrificing themselves to seal Ten years ago, Muktahanee led the formation of the coalition
away the majority of his power. In doing so, the Sages ascended to that fought against the Dhandian Armada. The monks of the Onyx
godhood. Inspired by this act, the vanaras pushed back the rakshasa, Heart were instrumental in holding back the rakshasa land armies
removing them entirely. that attempted to invade their southern border, and many of the

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 CORSAIR SEA GAZETTEER

order fought in the final naval battle, summoning the powers of their
Sages to drive back the evil fleet.

Soldiers of the Onyx Heart

To the people of Muktahanee, no duty is more important and more
sacred than protecting the Onyx Heart and securing the southern
borders against the encroachment of rakshasa forces. Therefore, every
vanara youth is required to spend one of their teen years at the Onyx
Heart Monastery in service of the order.
Most of those who serve simply perform routine duties such as
cleaning and maintenance of the grounds, but all are given training
in the martial arts practiced by full members of the order and instilled
with the tenets and edicts of the Sages. While only a small number
of vanaras choose to stay at the monastery after their year of service,
those who leave carry these tenets back home, maintaining a nation-
wide respect for freedom and unity.
Those who do stay continue to learn from the monks and clerics,
discovering the secret ways of the Sages while they maintain the
magical protections that keep the rakshasa at bay. Led by High Heart
Sunita Bhutia (female vanara monk), the order stoically keeps the
evil at bay so that the rest of the nation can live carefree.

Nation of Love and Joy

The people of Muktahanee live the ideals of freedom set down by
the Sages. They are a people who live earnestly in all they do. They
love humor and jokes, and wit is seen as one of the greatest virtues
a vanara can possess.
Polyamory is common in Muktahanee, resulting in large, diverse
families. Many small villages are made up entirely of cousins and
siblings. To maintain themselves, these villages rely on connections
made when their youths serve at the Onyx Heart Monastery.
Marriages — most commonly by a polyamorous group — are
considered sacred, representing the most binding vow a vanara can
make. Marriage ceremonies are huge affairs, including loud music, and when a decision about something in Muktahanee needs to be
gleeful dancing, excellent food, and potent drink. Family members made, the Eldest is the one who makes it.
of each vanara entering into a marriage are invited from across the They are not alone in this decision-making, however. The Eldest is
nation, revelling for days at a time. advised by a council made up of any vanara over the age of fifty that
Music and storytelling are considered the favorite arts of wishes to serve. There can sometimes be thousands of members on
Muktahanee. Many vanaras become bards of some kind, spreading the Council of Elders. Meetings are often chaotic events, punctuated
stories of their family’s past across the Corsair Seas, often with by many jokes and pranks. For many, convening the council is an
plenty of embellishment. This has led many in the region to view excuse to throw a party, though some others take their responsibility
Muktahanee as an almost supernatural nation, full of carefree spirits. seriously.
Though they are not particularly common, like-minded foreigners Notable exceptions to this rule are members of the Onyx Heart
do sometimes immigrate to Muktahanee, joining the vanaras who have achieved agelessness through their many meditaions and
permanently. The children of these foreigners are also expected to studies on the mystical artifact. These monks recuse themselves
serve the Onyx Heart, and are mostly treated exactly like a normal from the council and the role of Eldest on principle, knowing that
vanara citizen of the nation. a never-dying member would hold far more power than the others
on the council. However, by tradition, the Grandmaster of the Onyx
Heart serves as the Eldest’s second when the council is convened to
Council of Elders represent the needs of the monastic order and its ceaseless vigil over
Muktahanee does not have an official government in the way that the nation’s borders.
many other nations do. Instead, they are represented by Eldest
Karam Chaudhari (male vanara singer), the oldest living vanara.
The Eldest speaks for the nation as a whole to the rest of the world,

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Thalassifelian Palaces
I really like them catfolk. Always so good at sailing.
And playing pranks. And sleeping. Definitely sleeping.

T
he catfolk of Calcidon have been nomadic since
the end of the Pliscian Winter, never settling in
one place for too long. When four of their clans
decided to find a new home on the Corsair Seas,
they did so by lashing together dozens of ships,
creating monstrosities of sailing vessels capable of
housing tens of thousands. These “palaces” sail from port to port,
bringing the catfolk to their next adventure.

History
As catfolk legend has it, they made their final approach to the Corsair
Seas the morning after a fearsome hurricane. They arrived on the
beaches to find that an entire fleet of ships had wreck on the shores,
their original sailors gone. With ingenuity, the catfolk repaired
the ships; but without knowing exactly how they were built in the
first place, their haphazard reconstructions led to four ungainly yet
sailable vessels. Each clan took one ship and parted ways.
These were the “seed ships” for the Thalassifelian Palaces, the
Capital
floating cities that would grow into what they are today: dozens of All four palaces (pop. ~25,000 each)
ships secured together to provide mobile homes for the catfolk in
the Corsair Seas.
As the Palaces grew, they attracted much attention. First, pirates Government
thought that such slow and cumbersome vessels would be easy Admiralty Board
pickings. They were proven mistaken when they tried to board
and found overwhelming numbers of catfolk ready to defend their
homes. Second, Etsulu thought to outsource their trade to the Leaders
massive hull space provided by the Palaces. The trade princes soon Five admirals for each Palace
realized the catfolk were not interested in transporting goods, and
rather assumed that Etsulu had simply gifted them the resources.
Finally, a group of rebels from Yoselar thought to hide away on one
of the Palaces, believing all misfits were welcome. Instead, they were
Resources
captured and graciously returned to their home shores to face justice. Fish, salt, experienced sailors
The catfolk have no particular goal or driving philosophy. They
simply love the thrill of adventure and sating their curiosity about
the outside world. So great is their urge for travel that each catfolk
of the Palaces is expected to perform a “pilgrimage,” away from
their home. On their pilgrimage, each catfolk is expected to learn
from forgeign cultures, bringing such knowledge back to the fleet Youthful Pilgrimage
to benefit all catfolk-kind. Every catfolk born in the Thalassifelian Palaces is expected to
The four Palaces very rarely come together. Not even during undergo a pilgrimage sometime in their youth. As catfolk mature
the Dhandian invasion ten years ago did all four Palaces convene, earlier than most of the other ancestries of the Corsair Seas, this is
though each did indeed serve in the defense of the Corsair Seas often taken at a surprisingly young age. Many catfolk leave around
at large. However, it has been whispered that the four Palaces are the age of thirteen, securing passage aboard a visiting trader or
planning to meet together in the near future for some unknown comandeering a small sailboat.
purpose. Excitement has grown among the catfolk scattered around This is a time for the catfolk to mature and learn about the world.
the region, and many are making plans to return to their home to They visit faraway lands and meet interesting people during their
attend such a rare gathering. adventures as they come to full adulthood. The friends they gain
are people they can call upon even after they return home; this is

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call. In times of battle, they oversee combat preparations and lead

their citizens in defense of their home.
However, for most day-to-day operations, decisions are left to the
population of the Palaces. There are no civil engineers to plan out
expansion of the city, no laws governing what can and can’t be sold,
and no laws to prosecute crimes. What results is, to an outsider, a
chaotic free-for-all. The catfolk do as they please, living life the way
they prefer: carefree.
That isn’t to be said that the population doesn’t rule itself,
however. If a shopkeeper decides to charge high prices for his
wares, the catfolk simply decide to shop elsewhere. If a young
catfolk gets into too much trouble too often, they are given
light punishments and guidance to steer them to a better
path. If crucial jobs don’t get done — such as the sailing of
the Palaces — offenders are given time in the brig. And if
someone commits a truly heinous crime, they are banished
from the Palaces entirely, forbidden to ever return. A severe
punishment, to be sure, but one that happens only rarely.
For the most part, the catfolk of the Palaces are
content to live their lives free of worry, enjoying fun
and games around the morning and evening hours
while working and sleeping intermittently throughout
the day and night. The schedule of a catfolk is never set in
stone, instead bending the whims of the moment.

It takes a Village
The catfolk of the Thalassifelian Palaces do not typically practice
marriage like much of the rest of the culture of the Corsair Seas. As
a result of their carefree natures, they tend to drift from one partner
to another, with permanent partnerships occuring only rarely.
Children born of these brief unions often don’t know their true
parentage. Instead of being raised directly by their parents, children
are reared by the community as a whole. While there may be a lasting
connection between mother and child, the majority of a kit’s early life
is spent wandering the decks of their Palace, getting into trouble and
learning from anyone who piques their interest. They often find new
places to sleep every month or so, living with an “aunt” or “grampa”
for that period, learning the trade of that particular citizen.
how the Palaces establish new trade lines with the outside world
and gain new allies.
Every catfolk returning from a pilgrimage is expected to return Top-Tier Sailors
with something that will benefit the fleet. This can be as small as Not all catfolk of the Palaces spend their whole time at home. Due to
a few key resources to as large as a brand-new technology that will their upbringing, natural balance, and knowledge of the sea, many
revolutionize operation of the Palaces. Those catfolk who bring back catfolk are incredibly proficient sailors. Captains from around the
something truly amazing are immortalized as heroes. Corsair Seas seek to employ a catfolk of the Thalassifelian Palaces,
knowing that one catfolk is likely worth three humans when it comes
to scaling the rigging, taking in the sails, or leading a shore party.
Life Aboard the Ships Many sailors believe having a regular cat onboard to be good luck,
The governments of each of the four Palaces differ slightly from one and that belief often extends to catfolk. It’s common among some
another, but the key feature of each is a board of admirals who lead merchant ships to refuse to set sail without employing a Thalassifelian
the cities. Made up of five of the most skilled sailors, diplomats, in some role or another. Aboard warships, many catfolk are stationed
and tacticians from among the catfolk in each particular Palace, in the rigging as sharpshooters, as they are able to keep their footing
the Admiralty guides the floating cities in all decisions. They have even during pitched battle. When pirates board a resisting ship,
the final say in where their Palace will go next, using decades of a catfolk often leads the way, laying waste with their unique claw
knowledge and experience to predict the most opportune port of fighting style.

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Yaab Kaan Kiin

They’re guided by a hundred generations of their
ancestors. They’re bound to have figured it out by now.

O
n the mythical continent of Ssiral lies the most
powerful nation in the world. They command the
might of mighty prehistoric dinosaurs, magically alter
the land around them, and consult the long-dead
spirits of their ancestors, all to increase the majesty
and splendour of this majestic empire.

History
After the Pliscian Winter, the lizardfolk of Ssiral slowly congregated
to form city-states across the continent in a variety of different
biomes, each mastering a separate kind of trade. Cahuixana
perfected mining, Tecumera domesticated herds of dinosaurs, and
Tezcatl learned to defy Nyx herself.
By performing divine rituals throughout an individual’s life, their
soul will linger on Essaria, tied to their skeletal remains. In this state,
they can be consulted long after death has taken them, passing along
knowledge across vast generational gaps.
With this power, the city-state of Tezcatl conquered the other
Capital
pockets of civilization across the continent, consolidating all under Tezcatl (pop. 492,910)
their banner. And so the Yaab Kaan Kiin Empire was founded. Led
by the most proficient bonespeaker, the Empire spread to cover the
entirety of the continent, bounded only by the oceans to the east, Government
west, and south, and by the Pliscian Wastes to the north. Divine Monarchy
Awed by the divine power wielded by the iruxi, clans of kobolds
swore allegiance to the growing Empire, and have served faithfully
for a millennium. They were also taught the methods by which to Leaders
preserve their dead, and, due to their far shorter lifespan, have an Emperor Ah Ciliz Bonespeaker
even greater pool of deceased spirits to call upon.
Though iruxi and kobolds make up the vast majority of
Scaleblessed — the name given to describe citizens of the Empire
— other species have happily joined the vast nation in hopes of
Resources
gaining a form of eternal life. Divine magic items, timber, dinosaurs, historical knowledge
For many generations, the Scaleblessed did not know war or
conflict. They lived peacefully, building awe-inspiring works of
architecture and art. Pottery, wood and stone carving, and jewelry
are just a few of the many arts perfected by the Scaleblessed during
their era of peace. Many sports were created to pit citizens against But just because they had not waged war in hundreds of years did
each other in friendly competition — many of which are played on not mean that their ancestors had forgotten. Overnight, the entirety
the back of massive dinosaurs. Writing and philosophy became the of Yaab Kaan Kiin mobilized, following the guidance of the ancestors
pursuit of the wealthy and poor alike as the Scaleblessed considered who had forged this great nation from tooth, claw, and blood. The
their place in the multiverse. Gonaran invaders were defeated soundly.
Peace was not to be forever, however. As their kingdom grew and Many believed that was the end of the whole affair. Gonara had
they became more and more wealthy, they drew the attention of a been embarrassed, certainly, but one defeat did not mean much in
city-state on the Morstalian coast. Four hundred years ago, Gonara the grand scheme of things. They had lost a fleet and an army, but
was already vastly wealthy, eclipsing even Etsulu in those days. But rebuilding would be easy, and they would know not to underestimate
they coveted more. Seeing that the Scaleblessed had no standing the Scaleblessed again in such a way.
army to defend their shores, they launched a surprise invasion, Peace lasted for three hundred years, long enough for the Gonaran
hoping to swiftly slay the Emperor and claim dominion over Yaab invasion to fade into distant memory for the rest of the world. But
Kaan Kiin in one decisive stroke. in 403 AE, the Gonaran King awoke one morning to find a massive

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force sailing into his bay. Enormous aquatic dinosaurs descended These rituals are typically reserved for iruxi and kobold
upon his defensive fleet, destroying ships with a single snap of their Scaleblessed, but on very rare occasion the process will be offered
jaws. Leathery-winged creatures, reminiscent of dragons but wholly to a foreigner, usually someone who performed great heroic deeds.
alien to him, dropped Scaleblessed soldiers into his streets, while Should they accept, they can become full citizens of the empire, and
ships identical to those that had set sail three hundred years ago their family line will endure with the rest of the Scaleblessed.
dropped anchor and laid waste to the docks.
The devastation of Gonara was centuries in the coming, but the
Scaleblessed do not forget. The city was left a ruin as a warning to Daemonic Incursions and
the rest of the world.
This violent act rocketed Yaab Kaan Kiin into world politics. Other Extraplanar Threats
While they had previously been isolated, they found that the outside Though the Scaleblessed government has largely kept wraps on
could no longer be ignored. But instead of projecting their military it, their lands have been besieged by fiends from the Iterum of
power, they sent divine delegations to the other Morstalian city- Extinction. People whisper that one of the Four Horsemen has
states, offering gifts of gold and incense in exchange for their secrets arrived to secure the destruction of the Yaab Kaan Kiin Empire in
of shipbuilding. the yugoloth’s endless quest to extinguish life.
Now, Yaab Kaan Kiin is the wealthiest trader in the Corsair Thankfully, Yaab Kaan Kiin, like much of the rest of the world,
Seas, offering rare resources at reasonable prices. Apart from their is home to numerous adventurers more than happy to slay fiends
contribution to repelling the Dhandian armada, the Scaleblessed in order to save the day. No climactic end has come for the proud
have not shown their military might again, and no nation is brave nation, but neither has the daemon incursion been fully rebuked.
enough to challenge them. Another interplanar issue pressing on the Scaleblessed are
groups of psychopomps from Nyx’s Boneyard seeking to guide
the spirits of deceased lizardfolk to their final resting place in the
The Skeletal Dead multiverse, bringing an end to the ancestors of Yaab Kaan Kiin.
Through a ritual process that still puzzles clerics from other nations, Though psychopomps are not unholy creatures, their actions are an
the Scaleblessed tie their spirits directly to their skeleton. The result affront to the citizens of the Empire, who resist the promised allure
is that the soul remains on Essaria as long as the bones remain. Every of an afterlife on another plane of existence. Nonetheless, some
Scaleblessed carries or wears bones from dozens of their ancestors, spiritual ancestors have begun accepting such guidance, perhaps
using them to ask for advice or knowledge from the deceased. In growing weary of their endless years on Essaria. With the threat of
this way, the Yaab Kaan Kiin maintains its living history indefinitely. their generational knowledge passing away forever, many religious
These bones are so revered that figures in Yaab Kaan Kiin have devoted their lives to driving out the
skeletal undead find an almost unwelcome psychopomps.
cult-like acceptance in Yaab
Kaan Kiin. Regarless of
their original species,
many intelligent undead
eventually make their way to
Ssiral to “live” out the rest of
their days.
This does not mean that the Scaleblessed
are blind to manipulation, however. Many
liches have thought themselves clever to
arrive in Yaab Kaan Kiin to dominate
society through their undeath, only to
find that such attempts have been made
throughout history — and have failed. These
liches are imprisoned, forced into
agonizing captivity until
their necromantic
energies run out.
Though it is rare for Scaleblessed
to turn themselves into skeletal undead,
it is a common practice to raise
the bones of beloved pets. Many
dinosaur bones still walk Essaria, following their
masters long after their mortal lives have expired.

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Yoselar
Mark my words: one day, Yoselar will rule us all.

M
ilitary tradition and honor: these are the tenets by
which the people of Yoselar live. Through internal
struggles, the country has become a bastion of
iron, unbending and unyielding. The civil wars
that once kept this ambitious nation in check have
finally ended, and now Yoselar is poised to echo the
triumphs of its predecessor, the Allesend Empire.

History
In 115 AE, the nation of Yucalan sent an invading force to Allethra
to carve out a piece of the Allesend Empire. They did not believe
the stories that Alles-Taluus was divinity made flesh, and they paid
dearly for it.
After their attack had been rebuffed, Alles-Taluus declared that all
lands belonging to Yucalan now belonged to the Allesend Empire.
Wave after wave of troops landed upon Yucalan’s shores, and in a
few short decades the Morstalian nation had become a province of
the Empire, and was given its modern name: Yoselar.
The native people chafed under the rule of their new leaders for
Capital
nearly two hundred years until the Empire’s collapse. Though Yoselar Las Ondas (pop. 252,059)
barely participated in the war that granted freedom to the nations
of Allethra, they participated in the Treaty of Celestina and were
declared independent. Government
For the next hundred and thirty years, civil wars raged in Yoselar Military Dictatorship, Meritocracy
as regimes were toppled, tyrants were raised up, and the people
suffered. Lines were drawn across racial differences, with the native
population resisting colonial rule from the invaders who had arrived Leaders
on their shores so long ago. It wasn’t until the Disappearance of the Prime Imperator Estevan de Aguero
Third Moon in 452 AE that one brave Allethran captain extended
an arm of friendship to the native Yucala people, promising a joint
rule of peace.
Together, the coalition gathered troops of both ethnicities to their
Resources
cause, forming an unbreakable military and toppling the current Cannons and firearms, silver, iron, mithral, corn and wheat
tyrant and establishing a permanent — but fair and just — martial
law across the land. The leader of the military became the Prime
Imperator, and the promise was made that anyone, regardless of
ethnicity, origin, or class, could rise to greatness in this new nation.
For the past sixty years, Yoselar has built up it military strength,
extending its power into the Corsair Seas, claiming territory and Militaristic Society
wealth. It polices the trade routes leading to Allethra, much to the Yoselar’s culture revolves around the military. Even if a citizen is
chagrin of Etsulu and the other city-states on the Morstalian coast. not enlisted, their day-to-day life involves supplying the Prime
Most recently, it has made breakthroughs in weapon development, Imperator and his troops, or drilling with the town’s local militia.
creating some of the most accurate and efficient long guns in the Practically every Yoselan owns a weapon of some kind. From
Corsair Seas, a technology they intend to bring to bear in their quest an early age, they train with it so that they are ready to serve their
for dominance. country if the Prime Imperator calls for a conscription, an event
that typically occurs once every decade or two. Even without
conscriptions, a good portion of the population willingingly joins
up with the military. A soldier’s life is incredibly lucrative, with high
wages granted while on active duty, with a generous pension paid for
the rest of a soldier’s life after their service is finished.

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 CORSAIR SEA GAZETTEER

Even more appealing is the life of an officer. Recruiters spend Wealth and Riches
their entire lives living in small communities, searching for good Many geologists consider the land of Yoselar to be the wealthiest
candidates for officer training. Though the military academy of land in the regions surrounding the Corsair Seas due to its many
Las Ondas does not begin official training until the age of 16, these natural resources.
recruiters begin grooming children for command from an early age.
Citizens of every trade have some part in Yoselar’s governance, but Metals
high-ranking officers fill in the highest echelon of society. Former Unknown until half a century ago, the land of Yoselar sits upon
captains are often assigned to be mayors or trade bosses, serving a wealth of natural silver, iron, and mithral veins. As modern
their community even after their commission is finished. Admirals, mining technologies were developed, the Admiralty recognized
both active and retired, make up the Admiralty Council, the ruling the importance of these supplies. The mining guilds were quickly
body that advises the Prime Imperator and manages the day-to-day nationalized, and since then the country has prospered under
management of the nation. incredible wealth.
The Prime Imperator is the highest-ranking military officer in the With the discovery of more subtle metallurgy and the science of
nation, and is the supreme commander of both the Navy and the rifling, the muskets of Yoselar are unmatched in the Corsair Seas,
Army. The position is chosen and reaffirmed by the Admiralty every granting their marines a massive battlefield advantage. Likewise,
five years to ensure that the current Imperator is of sound mind. standardizations in the casting of cannons give their ships more
efficient and better-performing artillery than what the rest of the
world has to offer.

Crops and Livestock

Yoselar is a fertile land, allowing for bountiful crops of corn and
wheat, and for the raising of large herds of livestock. Such vast
amounts of food are required to supply the military for their overseas
ventures, so farmers and ranchers are greatly admired and well-
compensated for their hard work. It’s often said that the second-most
honorable job in Yoselar is one who feeds the nation.

Divine Purpose
Throughout Yoselar’s storied history, Allesaeia — the religion of
the old Allesend Empire — ruled supreme. Grand temples and
cathedrals were raised in cities across the nation, pronouncing the
glories of the religion’s three deities. However, with the return of the
old Essarian Gods, Yoselar’s religion has shifted to accept the divinity
of Etinon, meshing his tenets with their more traditional beliefs.
The Justicar represents the ideals of an honorable life to the Yoselan
people, encouraging all to live a fulfilling and just life. Oaths sworn
on his name are considered to be sacred and unbreakable, and his
presence instills a sense of justice into Yoselan culture.
So great was belief in Etinon in the early days of the Renewal that
a small group of his followers managed to free the deity from the
Divine Prison, returning him to Essaria. Forever grateful, Etinon
crafted two artifacts of immense power, bestowing them upon Yoselar
in thanks.
The first, the Codex of Justice, is a thousand-page tome. Any oath
written and signed in its pages are cosmically binding. Those who
break a promise written in the Codex are served justice by Etinon
himself, swiftly and without mercy. Every Prime Imperator since
Etinon’s return has sworn their oath to uphold the sanctity of the
position within this divine book.
The second is the Maul of Truth, a weapon of immense power.
Typically granted to a champion of great honor, the weapon gives the
wielder a direct link to Etinon himself, allowing them to summon
him to battle once a decade. This power was last used in the final
battle against the Dhandian armada, where Etinon himself saved the
Prime Imperator’s ship from being destroyed.

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