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The description below is one of several available for this event.
Wars between colonial powers are bloody affairs that leave a legacy of devastation and villainy in their wake. Piracy has become rampant in the Caribbean. Former privateers have raised the black flag as they discover that peacetime is bad for profits, while naval captains disenfranchised by the outcome of the wars disavow their former sovereigns. The conflict between great powers has thus inadvertently ushered in a Golden Age of piracy.
Nassau has fallen! The pirates of New Providence have become so emboldened by the absence of civilized government in the Bahamas that they have overrun the fort and proclaimed a Republic of Pirates.
Chief among them is the pirate captain Benjamin Hornigold. Hornigold maintains a tenuous leadership over the traitors and criminals of the island; the ruthless lieutenants under his command watch him closely for signs of weakness.
This ‘Republic of Pirates’ is not only a violation of our sovereignty over the Bahamas, but an affront to all civilized peoples. Anarchy reigns in New Providence.
An unlikely alliance between the pirate captains Misson and Tew, as well as the Dominican priest Caraccioli, have united the pirates of Madagascar into a single community. Naming their colony ‘Libertatia’, the pirates appear to follow a utopian doctrine of radical liberty and communalism. The pirates consider slavery and statecraft to be anathema to their ideals. They govern through majority voting and bolster their ranks by recruiting liberated slaves from Angola.
While this ragtag republic will surely draw the ire of the European colonial powers, whose merchant vessels they mark as prey, this unruly crew of idealists may thrive under our protection.
The zealous Spanish Inquisition continues to ruthlessly purge and deport the Moriscos, the descendents of converts whom they suspect of hiding their Muslim faith. A large group of wealthy Moriscos from the province of [218.GetName] have fled [218.Owner.GetName] in anticipation of further oppression.
They have settled in Salé, where they have abandoned their former lives and adopted a new profession; high seas piracy. Joined by a host of piratical slavers, the newly formed Republic of Salé is led by the Dutch pirate Jan Janszoon, now calling himself by his Muslim name Murat Reis.
We should take these ambitious refugees under our wing. After all, the enemy of our enemy is our friend.
The prefect of Tétouan and ally of the Turkish corsair Barbarossa of Algiers is a menace to the fleets in the western Mediterranean Sea. Her name full name is Sayyida al-Hurra bint Ali ibn Rashid al-Alami, Hakimat Titwan - Sayyida al Hurra means "noble lady who is free and independent, the woman sovereign who bows to no superior authority." and Hakima Titwan roughly governor of Tétouan. She became governor when her husband, who she assisted in his business affairs, died. To avenge herself on the Christian enemy who had forced her to flee from Granada when she was but a child she turned to piracy. It provides an income with booty and ransom for captives and also keeps her dream of returning to Andalusia alive.
We have awarded a great number of letters of marque to enterprising privateers in the Caribbean with the goal of harassing [spanish_main_country.GetAdjective] shipping. These privateers have made their home in the town of Port Royal on [487.GetName], where they have found great opportunity for plunder.
The willingness of Port Royal’s authorities to deal in stolen goods has also attracted a less savory sort; pirates who bear no letter of marque and recognize no sovereign have begun to make their bases on the island. The appeals of lawlessness have not been lost on our privateers; several have already abandoned their commissions and turned pirate. The gossip in [Root.Capital.GetCapitalName] is that Port Royal has become a pirate utopia, a Sodom of the New World.
On the island of Tortuga, off the coast of Haiti, a clandestine gathering of pirates and privateers convenes for what will be the first of many such meetings. The assembled captains enter a makeshift cabin begin to draft an agreement.
Some hours later, the captains emerge from their conference and present to their crews the Pirate Code of the Brethren. With these Articles the Brethren of the Coast is founded and united by a code of conduct to be shared, with some modifications, among all crews.
The Brethren have made Tortuga their base of operations. From here they will set out under black sails to terrorize the Caribbean.
Palembang has fallen far from its time as capital of the great Srivijaya empire. The city has been abandoned by the collapsed Majapahit kingdom and for decades has been plagued by Chinese pirates who use the port as a base for their smuggling operations. When Admiral Zheng He weighed anchor in the city during his expeditions, he drove out the pirates and appointed Shi Jinqing to rule the city. But Zheng He and Shi Jinqing are now dead, and the pirates have to begun to gather once again. Left unchecked they will surely attempt to retake seize the city.
The notorious Chinese pirate Lin Daoqian and his ruthless band of cutthroats have made port in Pattani, where he seeks an audience with [Root.Monarch.GetTitle] [Root.Monarch.GetName]. Lin is renowned for his brutality. It is said that in Taiwan he massacred the native people and used their blood as caulk to seal a leak in his ship.
He states that his purpose in Pattani is to offer his services to the [Root.Monarch.GetTitle] in exchange for sanctuary from Chinese authorities. By his reputation and the size of his fleet however, it is likely that his true ambitions in the city extend beyond what he claims.
After the Korean invasion of Tsushima in 1419, the So clan signed the Treaty of Gyehae in which trade with Korea was legitimized in return for the cessation of piracy. By controlling Japanese-Korean trade, the So clan enjoyed huge profits and became highly respected in the Shogunate as specialists in Korean diplomacy.
With the Shogunate weakened, some now suggest that the clan should return to the old tradition of piracy. The leader of the upstart pirates claims to be the reincarnation of the legendary pirate Akibatsu Matsura, who led a fleet of 500 ships to raid the Korean coast.
The Baltic Sea has been home to piracy since time immemorial. Among the sailors and fishermen of Rügen, there are many who fondly tell stories the days long past when Klaus Störtebeker and his band of Likedeelers sailed the seas and made themselves rich by robbing all unfortunate enough to encounter them. Compared to the tedium of normal life, the excitement of privateering seems curiously appealing to many - even knowing that the Likedeelers would eventually pay for their deeds with their lives, a fate which may well await them too. Led by a former naval officer who claims to descend from Störtebeker himself, they have managed to gather together several warships and are ready to lift the black flag again.
Shall we side with the would-be pirates?
Since we gained autonomy from the Kingdom of England, the profession of privateering has become a massive source of income for people living in our [Root.GovernmentName]. Penzance has become a port of great fortune for smugglers and privateers alike, and our exploits in both the North Sea and the English Channel have become legendary and nobody dare sail those seas without an escort for fear of the wrath of the Cornish.
However, the influence of these men of low character within our nation is becoming quite worrying, and recently a group of powerful captains have marched on [Root.Capital.GetCapitalName] with their crew and are threatening to overthrow the [Root.Monarch.GetTitle] and take control of the [Root.GetAdjective] [Root.GovernmentName].
A promising captain arrived in Penzance not long ago, and immediately began proudly boasting of his exploits across the world. He claims to be not just a great admiral, but the very model of a modern major general. Furthermore, he claims that his travels have given him an intricate knowledge of all subjects from vegetation and animal husbandry to geology. Not only that, but he has met with Kings and Emperors, and has personally partaken in every major battle from the last hundred years. He also claims to be an expert in mathematics, though we’re unsure of what benefit that holds to a privateer. Many doubt the legitimacy of his claims, but he said it in such a charming way we can’t help but be enraptured by this peculiar man.
Rumors abound that the location of a sunken treasure fleet has been discovered. Wrecked by a raging hurricane, the lost galleon is said to have taken some one thousand sailors and millions of [sunken_ship_country.GetAdjective] dollars to its watery grave.
Now that its purported location is widely know it is sure to attract opportunistic salvagers and perhaps even the [sunken_ship_country.GetAdjective] authorities seeking to recover their gold.
When a pirate captain flies the black flag he must invoke terror in the hearts of all who lay eyes upon it. But he must also command the respect of his crew, and at least in theory commands the ship with their consent.
Captain [Root.captain_name.GetName] of the [Root.GetRandomShipName] has gained for themselves a cruel and tyrannical reputation. The punishments they mete out for even the most minor and unsubstantiated offences are excessive even by the standards of lawless men. Unrest is growing, and it is only a matter of time before the crew take matters into their own hands.
Our latest prize turned out to be carrying a much more valuable cargo than expected. This fact has not yet been revealed to the crews, who would expect and demand that the additional plunder be added to their share. The captains of the involved ships wish sequester the money to refit their ships and purchase additional cannon, while the fence’s representative argues that it is best spent on bribing officials in legitimate ports. As an argument breaks out, a drunken crewman stumbles into the room and hears too much.
Piracy is a dangerous business, but smuggling can carry just as much risk if the proper precautions are not taken. Our smugglers make their profits by purchasing stolen goods from pirate crews and selling them on for profit in legitimate markets. To sell these illegally acquired goods the smugglers must bribe port officials to ignore their origin or else present passable documents that proclaim their legitimacy.
[Root.skilled_forger.GetName], a skilled forger, has recently entered our service and procured for us a number of documents that should be accepted in almost any port, ensuring that our operations will continue to run smoothly.
The privateer Captain [Root.defecting_privateer.GetName] has made quite a name for himself in the service of the [privateer_origin_country.GetAdjective] Navy. The payment he has been receiving for his prizes however is much less than the full value of the prizes themselves. Like many savvy privateers, [Root.defecting_privateer.GetName] has realized that he could make a greater profit by turning pirate. He has tossed his Letter of Marque overboard and made port in [Root.Capital.GetCapitalName]. As a pirate of [Root.GetName] he will be free to plunder to his heart’s content and keep the spoils he has rightfully stolen.
After boarding our latest prize we discovered the cargo holds to be packed with captive slaves. Many among our crews have experienced the horrors of slavery for themselves, and naturally their first instinct was to demand that the slaves be freed and incorporated into the crew.
The less scrupulous crewmen with a particular lust for gold would prefer to instead treat these people as cargo and sell them on to the fence as such. There will be nothing in the way of moneyed compensation for their efforts to take this prize, they argue, if we refuse to profit from trading in slaves.
It is time once again to careen the ships. This arduous process requires the crews to drag the ships onto a secure beach at high tide and safely lower them onto their sides to expose the hull for repairs. It is a task dreaded by every pirate, not only because the risk of damage to the ship and injury to the crew is high but because of the backbreaking labor they must perform to see the job done right. Several advocates among the crew feel that a more relaxed approach should be taken to careening, despite the captain’s insistence that failing to make the proper repairs will cause far more problems down the line.
Even at the best of times there it is difficult to smuggle contraband into foreign ports. These are most certainly not the best of times. Many of our smugglers are returning to [Root.Capital.GetCapitalName] having had their goods confiscated. Some do not return at all and await the gallows.
As the previous quartermaster of the [Root.GetFlagshipName] appears to have taken a long walk off a short plank, we find ourselves in need of a new candidate for the role. A quartermaster has a unique position on a pirate ship. Elected by the crew, he is expected to be their representative and to champion their needs against the often arbitrary authority of the captain.
Two candidates immediately present themselves. [Root.crew_representative.GetName] is a true advocate for the crew; he has both the humility to listen to their concerns and the fortitude to stand up to the captain. Meanwhile [Root.captains_puppet.GetName] is firmly in the Captain’s pocket; he is skilled at manipulating the crew into believing that the Captain’s wishes are also their own. Who will win the hearts and minds of the assembled pirates?
The crew of the [Root.GetRandomShipName] are a menace. Though they have an excellent record of delivering prizes, as soon as they make port their drunkenness and violence cause so much damage and disruption in [Root.Capital.GetCapitalName] that many wonder if they are worth the trouble they cause.
After a particularly destructive episode, the local smuggling consortium has decided to blacklist the entire crew, making them unable to sell their plunder anywhere in [Root.GetName]. This has caused upset among the pirates that call the island home; they believe their natural rights to live as they please are being violated, and several rabble-rousers compare the smugglers to snobbish aristocrats.
Piratical events[1] are events around pirates and pirate republics.
Contents
id
Election in the Pirate Republic
The description below is one of several available for this event.A Captain rules over a nation of thieves and murderers whose sole political desire is to not be ruled at all. It is talk comprable to herding sharks, yet some brave or foolhardy soul must fill the role. The time has come once again to elect the Captain and $MONARCH$ does not plan on giving up his authority. $MONARCH$ must convince the assembled pirates through persuassion or dread intimidation that his rule is preferable to that of her/his rival.
| Trigger conditions
The country:
If the country is led by a “Mutineer Council” then
|
Is triggered only by
one of the following:
|
 Keep $MONARCH$ [Root.Monarch.GetName] ([Root.Monarch.GetAdm] £adm£ / [Root.Monarch.GetDip] £dip£ / [Root.Monarch.GetMil] £mil£ ) remains ruler. The current ruler gains:
If the ruler is not a historical pirate then:
The country:
One of the following happens at random:
An up-and-coming pirate. A new ruler comes to power with the following (fixed) attributes:
The country gains
A well-connected smuggler. A new ruler comes to power with the following (fixed) attributes:
The country gains
An experienced and dreaded captain. A new ruler comes to power with the following (fixed) attributes:
The country gains NB Depending on the capital location, culture and year, a range of historical pirates is available. For the Caribbean these are Blackbeard,Calico Jack, Anne Bonny, Mary Read, Charles Vane, Black Caesar, Laurens de Graaf, Michel de Grammont and Piet Heyn (the last requires Dutch culture). For the Mahgreb region, Jack Ward / Yusuf Raïs is available. Chinh Shih is available for countries with their capital in the East Indies, China or Far East superregions. Finally, Grace O'Malley is available to Irish Culture pirate republics. Note that all of these historical pirates have specific dates between which they become available, based on the period they lived in. | |
Enabled if:
the country:
id
The Golden Age of Piracy
 |
Available only with the Golden Century DLC enabled. |
This event happens only once during a campaign.
| Trigger conditions
The country:
|
Mean time to happen
3 months |
 A great annoyance. Or perhaps a great opportunity? The Golden Age of Piracy triggered modifier will be available for the next 50 years. | |
Formation events[edit]
id
The Pirate Republic
Chief among them is the pirate captain Benjamin Hornigold. Hornigold maintains a tenuous leadership over the traitors and criminals of the island; the ruthless lieutenants under his command watch him closely for signs of weakness.
This ‘Republic of Pirates’ is not only a violation of our sovereignty over the Bahamas, but an affront to all civilized peoples. Anarchy reigns in New Providence.
|
|
Available only with the Golden Century DLC enabled. |
This event happens only once during a campaign.
| Trigger conditions
Either the country:
or one of its subjects:
One of the following must be true:
The |
Mean time to happen
12 months |
| Immediate effects
Bahamas (482):
| |
A pirate's life for me! The owner of Bahamas (482):
The human player plays as
They will hang for this! The owner of Bahamas (482):
| |
id
Libertatia
While this ragtag republic will surely draw the ire of the European colonial powers, whose merchant vessels they mark as prey, this unruly crew of idealists may thrive under our protection.
|
|
Available only with the Golden Century DLC enabled. |
This event happens only once during a campaign.
| Trigger conditions
One of the following must be true:
European countries:
The |
Mean time to happen
12 months |
| Immediate effects
Maroantsetra (4024):
| |
A pirate's life for me! The country:
The human player plays as
They are welcome to settle on our shores. The country:
| |
id
The Republic of Salé
They have settled in Salé, where they have abandoned their former lives and adopted a new profession; high seas piracy. Joined by a host of piratical slavers, the newly formed Republic of Salé is led by the Dutch pirate Jan Janszoon, now calling himself by his Muslim name Murat Reis.
We should take these ambitious refugees under our wing. After all, the enemy of our enemy is our friend.
|
|
Available only with the Golden Century DLC enabled. |
This event happens only once during a campaign.
| Trigger conditions
The country:
Privateers have at least 5% trade power in the trade node of Salé (4563). |
Mean time to happen
12 months |
| Immediate effects
Salé (4563): | |
A pirate's life for me! Salé (4563):
The country:
The human player plays as
Let us make friends of these pirates. Salé (4563):
The country:
| |
id
The Pirate Queen of Tétouan
|
|
Available only with the Golden Century DLC enabled. |
This event happens only once during a campaign.
| Trigger conditions
The country:
Privateers have at least 5% trade power in the trade node of Tétouan (4561). |
Mean time to happen
12 months |
| Immediate effects
Tétouan (4561): | |
A pirate's life for me! Tétouan (4561):
The country:
The human player plays as
Let her reign from Tétouan. Tétouan (4561):
The country:
| |
id
The Pirates of Port Royal
The willingness of Port Royal’s authorities to deal in stolen goods has also attracted a less savory sort; pirates who bear no letter of marque and recognize no sovereign have begun to make their bases on the island. The appeals of lawlessness have not been lost on our privateers; several have already abandoned their commissions and turned pirate. The gossip in [Root.Capital.GetCapitalName] is that Port Royal has become a pirate utopia, a Sodom of the New World.
|
|
Available only with the Golden Century DLC enabled. |
This event happens only once during a campaign.
| Trigger conditions
Either the country:
or one of its subjects:
The country's privateers have at least 5% trade power in the trade node of Jamaica (487).
The |
Mean time to happen
12 months |
| Immediate effects
Jamaica (487):
| |
A pirate's life for me! The owner of Jamaica (487):
The human player plays as
We must restore order in Port Royal. The owner of Jamaica (487):
| |
id
The Brethren of the Coast
Some hours later, the captains emerge from their conference and present to their crews the Pirate Code of the Brethren. With these Articles the Brethren of the Coast is founded and united by a code of conduct to be shared, with some modifications, among all crews.
The Brethren have made Tortuga their base of operations. From here they will set out under black sails to terrorize the Caribbean.
|
|
Available only with the Golden Century DLC enabled. |
This event happens only once during a campaign.
| Trigger conditions
Either the country:
or one of its subjects:
Tortuga (489):
One of the following must be true:
The |
Mean time to happen
12 months |
| Immediate effects
Tortuga (489): | |
A pirate's life for me! The owner of Tortuga (489):
The human player plays as
We will eradicate these criminals. The owner of Tortuga (489):
| |
id
Piracy in Palembang
|
|
Available only with the Golden Century DLC enabled. |
This event happens only once during a campaign.
| Trigger conditions
The country:
It is before 1446. |
Mean time to happen
1 months |
A pirate's life for me!
They will find no refuge in our city.
| |
id
The Lin Daoqian Band
He states that his purpose in Pattani is to offer his services to the [Root.Monarch.GetTitle] in exchange for sanctuary from Chinese authorities. By his reputation and the size of his fleet however, it is likely that his true ambitions in the city extend beyond what he claims.
|
|
Available only with the Golden Century DLC enabled. |
This event happens only once during a campaign.
| Trigger conditions
The country:
It is at least 1563 but before 1590. |
Mean time to happen
12 months |
A pirate's life for me!
They will find no refuge in our city.
| |
id
Return to the Wakou Era
With the Shogunate weakened, some now suggest that the clan should return to the old tradition of piracy. The leader of the upstart pirates claims to be the reincarnation of the legendary pirate Akibatsu Matsura, who led a fleet of 500 ships to raid the Korean coast.
|
|
Available only with the Golden Century DLC enabled. |
This event happens only once during a campaign.
| Trigger conditions
The country:
Any country has or had the “Wokou Pirates” incident or had the event “Wokou”. |
Mean time to happen
12 months |
A pirate's life for me!
We are traders and diplomats, not pirates.
| |
id
The Pirates of Rügen
Shall we side with the would-be pirates?
|
|
Available only with the Golden Century DLC enabled. |
This event happens only once during a campaign.
| Trigger conditions
The country:
If
|
Mean time to happen
6 months |
A pirate's life for me!
The laws of the land must be abided by.
| |
id
The Pirates of Penzance
However, the influence of these men of low character within our nation is becoming quite worrying, and recently a group of powerful captains have marched on [Root.Capital.GetCapitalName] with their crew and are threatening to overthrow the [Root.Monarch.GetTitle] and take control of the [Root.GetAdjective] [Root.GovernmentName].
|
|
Available only with the Golden Century DLC enabled. |
This event happens only once during a campaign.
| Trigger conditions
The country:
|
Mean time to happen
12 months |
Time to abandon ship.
Rename the capital of Cornwall (233) to ‘Penzance’. We shan’t become slaves to thieves and brigands!
| |
Further events[edit]
id
A Model Admiral
|
|
Available only with the Golden Century DLC enabled. |
This event happens only once during a campaign.
| Trigger conditions
The country:
It is at least 1500. |
Mean time to happen
12 months |
He could advise the [Root.Monarch.GetTitle].
He should become the [Root.Monarch.GetTitle]! | |
Pirates factions events[edit]
id
Sunken Treasure
Now that its purported location is widely know it is sure to attract opportunistic salvagers and perhaps even the [sunken_ship_country.GetAdjective] authorities seeking to recover their gold.
|
|
Available only with the Golden Century DLC enabled. |
| Trigger conditions
The country:
A subject nation of a European country:
If the
|
Is triggered only by
Base weight: 100
|
Arrange an ambush for would-be salvagers.
Lower the diving bell. The gold will be ours! The country:
| |
id
The Tyranny of Captain [Root.captain_name.GetName]
Captain [Root.captain_name.GetName] of the [Root.GetRandomShipName] has gained for themselves a cruel and tyrannical reputation. The punishments they mete out for even the most minor and unsubstantiated offences are excessive even by the standards of lawless men. Unrest is growing, and it is only a matter of time before the crew take matters into their own hands.
|
|
Available only with the Golden Century DLC enabled. |
| Trigger conditions
The country:
|
Is triggered only by
Base weight: 100
|
Mutiny! The country:
The captain's word is law. The country:
| |
id
Division of Plunder
|
|
Available only with the Golden Century DLC enabled. |
| Trigger conditions
The country:
|
Is triggered only by
Base weight: 100
|
Divide it evenly amongst the crew. The country:
The fence will take their cut. The country:
The Captain will receive an extra share. The country:
| |
id
Forged shipping Manifests
[Root.skilled_forger.GetName], a skilled forger, has recently entered our service and procured for us a number of documents that should be accepted in almost any port, ensuring that our operations will continue to run smoothly.
|
|
Available only with the Golden Century DLC enabled. |
| Trigger conditions
The country:
|
Is triggered only by
Base weight: 100
|
This is good for business. The country:
| |
id
Privateer Defects
|
|
Available only with the Golden Century DLC enabled. |
| Trigger conditions
The country:
|
Is triggered only by
Base weight: 100
|
To profit and plunder! The country:
| |
id
Slave Ship Captured
The less scrupulous crewmen with a particular lust for gold would prefer to instead treat these people as cargo and sell them on to the fence as such. There will be nothing in the way of moneyed compensation for their efforts to take this prize, they argue, if we refuse to profit from trading in slaves.
|
|
Available only with the Golden Century DLC enabled. |
| Trigger conditions
The country:
|
Is triggered only by
Base weight: 100
|
Option conditions
Liberate them! Let them live free in [Root.GetName]. The country:
They are just cargo to be sold for profit. The country:
| |
id
Careening
|
|
Available only with the Golden Century DLC enabled. |
| Trigger conditions
The country:
|
Is triggered only by
Base weight: 100
|
Ensure the crews do a thorough job. The country:
Let the crews relax. The country:
| |
id
Smugglers Struggling
|
|
Available only with the Golden Century DLC enabled. |
| Trigger conditions
The country:
|
Is triggered only by
Base weight: 100
|
Unfortunate. The country:
| |
id
Electing a Quartermaster
Two candidates immediately present themselves. [Root.crew_representative.GetName] is a true advocate for the crew; he has both the humility to listen to their concerns and the fortitude to stand up to the captain. Meanwhile [Root.captains_puppet.GetName] is firmly in the Captain’s pocket; he is skilled at manipulating the crew into believing that the Captain’s wishes are also their own. Who will win the hearts and minds of the assembled pirates?
|
|
Available only with the Golden Century DLC enabled. |
| Trigger conditions
The country:
|
Is triggered only by
Base weight: 100
|
[Root.crew_representative.GetName], a voice for the crew. The country:
[Root.captains_puppet.GetName], the Captain's puppet. The country:
| |
id
Crew Blacklisted
After a particularly destructive episode, the local smuggling consortium has decided to blacklist the entire crew, making them unable to sell their plunder anywhere in [Root.GetName]. This has caused upset among the pirates that call the island home; they believe their natural rights to live as they please are being violated, and several rabble-rousers compare the smugglers to snobbish aristocrats.
|
|
Available only with the Golden Century DLC enabled. |
| Trigger conditions
The country:
|
Is triggered only by
Base weight: 100
|
Maintain the ban. The country:
Lift the ban. The country:
| |
