Pirate

Naval warriors who raid ships, towns, and other targets.

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Loza

The Red Grith employs three kinds of pirates: those who gain power from their travels and movement ("rovers"), those who are connected to past pirate "ancestors" for power ("loza"), and those who are favored by the Cang's Hooded Shadow ("reivers"). The latter are elite pirates who are called upon by the Cang when an especially nice target comes available.

Loza are pirates who are part of a long line of pirate traditions, and thus able to tap into a form of ancestral memory tied not to their bloodline, but their crew, usually connected to their flag. The flags of the three crews known for using this power are a red field with a burning skull ("the Burning Skull"), a red field with a dagger and a pistol crossed ("the Red Terror"), and a red field with a black rose ("the Red Queen's Revenge"). Those who swear oath to one of those flags may be able to tap into the ancestral memory of the crew to draw from their experiences, skills, knowledges, and more.

The ritual needed to be able to tap into ancestral memory varies by culture, but among the Red Grith, it involves potent drugs, a blood oath, and an elaborate dance. During the dance, they fall into a deep trance because of the drugs, and they must fight the memory-keeper, a spectral figure of one of the ancestral pirates who tests them. If they win, they awaken with the ability to draw from the memories. If they fail, they are out of the crew.

Drawing from ancestral memory has different difficulties depending on what is drawn and from how far back. The rule of thumb is that for every generation back after the first dead generation (living people cannot be drawn from), it is a +2 difficulty to draw, with a base of 8 for the first dead generation. The Burning Skull has been around for twelve generations. The Red Terror has been around for nine generations. The Red Queen's Revenge has been around for seven generations.

• Drawing basic skills is a +1 difficulty for every 3 points drawn
• Magical or advanced skills are a +3 for every 2 points drawn
• Languages are a +1 for every 4 points drawn
• Memories are +1 per minute of memory
• Simple knowledge is +1 for every 3 points drawn
• Complex knowledge is +2 for every 3 points drawn
• Magical lore is +1 per every point drawn

They cannot draw physical abilities or features, supernatural inborn powers, emotions, or anything not learned.

If a loza offends their ancestors, they may lose their powers at any time.

PRO +2 ATH +1 STR +1 AWA +1 WIL / PRS +1 STH /

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Pinuan

Pirates were an early part of the Blue Grith, as their attacking of slave ships was critical to the mission. Since the early days, their targets have evolved to include merchant ships, corporate vessels, and military targets. Pirates of the Blue Grith draw magical skills from one of three areas: their bravery (those who target military ships often use this) or from music (ship's musicians are critical and often use spellsongs to make the rest of the crew more powerful).

The pinuan are pirates who rely on audacity for magical powers. They target powerful ships, raiding military and slaving ships. They choose the most fearsome opponents and draw strength from doing so.

In order to tap into the magic of bravery, they must be acting without desire for personal gain. They must be acting against an oppressor, exploiter, or abuser, and they must be acting with intention to help others. They must feel both fear and confidence, and they must act in spite of the former. These feelings become their fuel. They tap into them as they fight, and the emotions manifest as scarlet flame. To do this, they must act purely from feeling, letting it guide them, and they must become completely focused on their targets. If they can achieve this, their weapons ignite in the scarlet flame of valor.

Mechanically, this requires them to spend their first round against an opponent with 3 or more above their scores in PRO, ATH, and/or STR attacking without bonuses while feeling their emotions (AWA roll with their attack). Their next round must be spent focusing (WIL roll along with their attack). On the third round, their flames will come, giving them bonuses to PRO and/or stun/wound equal to how much they are outmatched in PRO, ATH, and STR, and another +3 if the opponent has infernal powers (+6 if that power is fear-based). On each subsequent round, another point of bonus will come to their stun/wound or PRO.

If they are attacking multiple opponents, their average scores are used, but the necessary gap goes down by point per opponent, even going into the negative if there are four or more.

If they defeat an opponent who is 6 or more above them in PRO, ATH, or STR, they gain a special power:

• Scarlet wave: a ranged attack that hurls a wave of scarlet flame at foes in a 10' arc.
• Bold leap: if moving toward foes, they can jump over them and move twice as fast, effectively +6 ATH.
• Reverse intimidation: their audacity in attacking a target so much more powerful than they are intimidates the target.
• Heartening call (or laugh): the pinuan may shout or laugh and allow all their allies who can hear it to break free of fear or intimidation.
• Direct strike: calling a shot to an opponent's strong point gives them +6 stun/wound instead of targeting a weak point.
• Ferocity: on the sixth round of combat, if their scarlet flame is present, they may take on the form of a large predatory animal.

If the pinuan is in a pirate crew that is a third or more pinuans, all of these powers and abilities may be applied on a whole-ship level. The Blue Grith arranges this intentionally, so their pirates may take on warships.

Part of the Commitee for Liberation or the Committee for Warfare.

PRO +3 ATH +3 STR +1 AWA +1 WIL / PRS / STH /

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Popinjay

Pirates were an early part of the Blue Grith, as their attacking of slave ships was critical to the mission. Since the early days, their targets have evolved to include merchant ships, corporate vessels, and military targets. Pirates of the Blue Grith draw magical skills from one of three areas: their bravery (those who target military ships often use this) or from music (ship's musicians are critical and often use spellsongs to make the rest of the crew more powerful).

The ship's musician on any pirate vessel in the Blue Grith will be a popinjay. Popinjays are charismatic pirate musicians who use their music to empower and protect the crew, to entertain and keep up morale, and to wield celestial sound. All music is inherently magical on Shem. Music made in groups can bond those groups magically. Popinjays use their magical music to bond whole pirate crews. They learn their music from mentors from the Blue Grith, and they are often given special magical instruments as well.

To wield celestial sound, a popinjay must be a believer in and practicer of harmonic living. They must live musically, and they must not use their powers to cause harm.

Popinjays learn special songs to use for different circumstances:

• Song of Harmony: the song that bonds the crew together. It must be sung and performed together to form the bond, but so long as it is sung once a day, the bond is maintained. This allows them to communicate with one another via magically sung rhymes that others cannot understand, allows them to remain in rhythm with one another (giving them simultaneous attacks in battle), and hearing bonuses.
• Song of Syncronicity: the song that makes work easier to do together. If sung and performed while doing mundane tasks, the tasks become synchronized and thus easier to do.
• Song of Doldrums: the song that breaks doldrums. If sung and performed when the winds are down, the song can pick the winds back up if and only if they can replicate the music of the winds.
• Song of Storms: the song that protects from storms. If sung and performed during a storm and synchronized to the storm's rhythms, it can direct the storm's rhythms to miss the ship with the worst of wind, rain, and lightning.
• Song of Waves: the song that protects from waves. If sung and performed in the rhythm of the oceans, it can direct those rhythms to keep rogue waves from destroying the ship.
• Song of Uplift: the song that lifts hearts. The popinjay performs this alone to uplift any member or members of the crew who need it.
• Song of Relaxation: the song that soothes mind and body. The popinjay performs this alone to help other members of the crew relax.
• Song of Repelling: the song that repels evil. If sung and performed while under attack by infernal powers, it can counter those powers.
• Song of Battle: the song that enhances the good fight. If sung and performed during a battle, all members of the crew who participate will gain bonuses to PRO, ATH, AWA, WIL, PRS, or STH, as per the wishes of the popinjay.
• Song of Memory: the song that brings memories back to mind. The popinjay peforms this alone to help others remember those they love back home, giving them comfort while lonely at sea.
• Song of Fins: the song that speaks to the beasts of the sea. If sung and performed while an animal is near, the song can influence the animal to do as the popinjay pleases. Sea birds, dolphins, and whales are especailly susceptible.

Other songs are possible. Consult with the GM.

Part of the Commitee for Liberation or the Committee for Warfare.

PRO +2 ATH +3 STR +1 AWA +2 WIL +1 PRS +2 STH -2

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Reiver

The Red Grith employs three kinds of pirates: those who gain power from their travels and movement ("rovers"), those who are connected to past pirate "ancestors" for power ("loza"), and those who are favored by the Cang's Hooded Shadow ("reivers"). The latter are elite pirates who are called upon by the Cang when an especially nice target comes available.

Reivers are pirate crews who all wield the Cant and the Hooded Shadow. There are seven crews of reivers in the Red Grith:

There is an ancient cant, a variation on language, a secret code and a dialect and a pidgin, a set of rhymes and ciphers, that only those who have been pushed outside the law may wield. The Cant derived from the first people who had to steal from other mortals to survive, and it grew into a complex, panlingual cryptological esoteric puzzle. The Cant cannot be understood by anyone who serves the laws of the state that make people criminals, and it gives those who speak it special powers. To access it, one must have committed a crime in a place one has been, knowingly, and one must have done so without other esoteric power. One must have committed this crime for purposes neither related to upholding the oppressive structures nor overthrowing them. The crime must violate a law existing on the books in the place it was broken, and it must be knowingly committed. If the crime is later decriminalized, it will still empower the reiver. If the crime is unknowingly committed, but the criminal later discovers it was/is illegal, they have a brief window to take advantage before they lose access to the cant (until they commit a crime again). In that brief window, they will see a shadow, and if they follow that shadow, they will begin to see things they never noticed before. As pirates, their Cant is more influenced by other places than others in Haenor.

For a reiver, their first crime should be either piracy, something nautical (stealing a small boat), or something adjacent to or useful to piracy. It will mark them as a potential reiver. If they follow the shadow, it will lead them to the closest wielder reiver or other wielder of Cant, who, if they are recognized as someone exposed to the shadow, will recruit them. From there, they will be trained in the Cant, and eventually tested in the work of the crime family. If they pass, they will be initiated into the Hooded Shadow, the power of concealment from the law and empowerment of crimes. Their initiation will be joining a pirate raid on a town or ship, during which, their teacher will guide them in how to wield the shadow.

• Intimidation: a wreath of shadow forms around the reiver, adding to their intimidation score. This costs 1 shadow point per 2 points of intimidation per use.
• Assault: the weapon of the reiver becomes harder ot see because of the shadow, giving them bonuses to hit. This costs 1 shadow point per 1 bonus point to hit per use.
• Sailing: the ship becomes enshadowed, making it harder to follow or track. This costs 12 shadow points per 1 point of ship's STH for an hour.
• Rigging: the ship's rigging is doubled with shadow ropes to make it easier to climb. This costs 1 shadow point per rope, for -1 to difficulty for climbing each.
• Lookout: the lookout's attention focuses with shadows around their eyes, making it easier to scan for what they are seeking (land, enemies, targets, etc.). This costs 1 shadow point per 30 seconds of use, giving +6 AWA to finding the target for that time period.
• Rationing: the ship's food and water is filled out with shadows, making it last longer. This costs 20 shadow points per meal per individual.
• Blacksmoke: the thick smoke formed during a gun- or cannonfight turns shadowy, giving extra cover to the reivers while emphasizing their targets. This costs 8 shadow points for 10 reivers and 1 ship or 10 enemies for the duration of the smoke.
• Flag:
• Melee: during a melee battle, all reivers are enshadowed, making them harder to hit and easier for Canters to identify. This costs 3 shadow points per 2 crew members enshadowed for the duration of the battle.
• Gunfire: during a handheld gunfight, all reivers are are enshadowed, making them harder to hit and easier for Canters to identify. This costs 3 shadow points per 2 crew members enshadowed for the duration of the battle.
• Shipstrike: during a ship-to-ship fight, the targeted ship is enshadowed, making it scarier for occupants and letting cannonballs or ballista bolts or other ship-targeting weaponry hit it more easily. This costs 16 shadow points per 8 points of intimidation to the crew and 1 point of bonus to hit the ship for all ship-targeting weapons for the duration of the fight.
• Landing: when docking, making port, or coming ashore, all reivers or their ship are enshadowed, making them harder to see but also harder to accidentally hit (for the ship or away boats). This costs 3 shadow points for +4 STH for each reiver for 10 minutes, or it costs 20 shadow points for the ship or away boats for the duration of time in port, harbor, or by land.
• Identify : the shadow covers the eyes, allowing the wielder to only see the target. This costs 1 shadow point per 30 seconds of use, giving +6 AWA to finding the target for that time period.
• Appraise : the shadow fills the mind, allowing the wielder to know the wealth of those they are observing. This costs 1 shadow point per 15 seconds of use, giving +6 AWA to gathering value for that time period.
• Darkwater: shadow infuses the currents, calming them if they are too choppy or strenghtening them if they are carrying the ship the right way. This costs 12 shadow points to calm the sea, another 6 if there is a mild storm, 12 if a strong storm, 18 if a weak hurricane, 24 if a moderate hurricane, 30 if a major hurricane. Tsunamis are also another 12. If strenghtening a current, it's 10 shadow points per point of ship's speed per hour.
• Shadowstorm: a storm is infused with shadow and compelled to surround the ship protectively. This costs 50 shadow points per hour for a mild storm, plus 6 for every level of strength above that, capping at another 48 points.
• Shadowwind: the winds are enshadowed, drawing them in during doldrums or strenghtening weaker ones. This costs 10 shadow points per point of ship's speed per hour.
• Maroon: a marooned individual is enshadowed, preventing anyone from finding them. This costs 4 shadow points per inflicted 3 points of STH on the target for an hour per 4 points.
• Plank: shadows rise around the plank or into the minds of targets (filling them with thoughts of it) or the waters below it to make it more intimidating, to make an uneasy crew more afraid of the wielder. This costs 1 shadow point per point of intimidation for 15 seconds, per targeted individual.
• Lashing: a stun-only 11/17/23/29 lash made of shadows forms in the hands of the wielder. It leaves no marks, but causes immense pain. This costs 5 shadow points per use, and can add more stun power for 3 shadow points per point of stun power.
• Capture: shadowy strands capture either an individual or a ship. For an individual, this costs 3 shadow points for a strand with STR of 8, plus 2 further points for each point of STR above 8 wanted, lasting 20 minutes. For a ship, this costs 50 shadow points for a STR of 30, plus 10 further points for each point of STR above 30, lasting an hour.
• Capsize: shadow rolls under the target ship and flips it over. This costs 60 shadow points for a shadow strong enough to capsize a medium-sized ship. For a small boat, it is 10. For a huge ship, 100.
• Sink: shadows dissolve the underside of the ship, causing it to sink. This costs 75 shadow points for a shadow strong enough to capsize a medium-sized ship. For a small boat, it is 25. For a huge ship, 200.
• Raiding: during a raid, shadows enshroud the reivers, giving them bonuses to STH, intimidation, and PRO for the duration of the raid. This costs 10 shadow points for +1 STH, +1 intimidation, and +1 PRO for up to five reivers, with any increase in any number costing an extra 2 points each.
• Anchor: the anchor becomes enshadowed, allowing it to take purchase on nothing and be redrawn swiftly. This costs 10 shadow points per hour.
• Mutiny: if all of the crew except leadership agrees to cant together, they may wrest leadership away at a cost of 10 points of shadow per leader they are targeting.
• Escape: the shadow opens a path to escape. This effecitvely gives the wielder +3 sailing per 8 shadow points used for 30 minutes per 8 points.
• Distract : the shadow spreads around, distracting the target ship or those chasing the wielder. This effecitvely gives the wielder +3 STH per 5 shadow points used for 10 minutes per 5 points.

Any other criminal activity tasked to the reiver by the Red Grith can be enabled, empowered, or otherwise supported by the shadow. Consult with the GM for other potential uses.

In order to wield it, the reiver must use the correct canting rhymes, which reivers usually sing. For every three reivers singing the same rhyme, there is a -1 to cost in shadow points for that effect. Each individual reiver has shadow points, but so does the crew as a collective whole. The latter can only be used if the whole crew cants together.

They must maintain the Hooded Shadow by remaining outside the law, never cooperating with the authorities, and never going straight. This does not mean never following any law, but rather, never betraying the Red Grith or especially their crew, never ratting out the Red Grith, and never surviving off anything but criminal gains. Any violation will destroy the Cant immediately. The more crimes they knowingly commit, the higher the score they have in the shadow, but any use depletes it, meaning they have a limited amount of shadow to use. Furthermore, though simply being a pirate is a crime, shadow does not accumulate just by existing. Each act of piracy is a separate crime to be drawn from. Rape and sexual assault do not generate the Hooded Shadow, as these are infernal acts. Only criminal acts tasked by the Red Grith generate shadow.

PRO +3 ATH +2 STR +1 AWA +2 WIL / PRS +1 STH +1

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Rover

The Red Grith employs three kinds of pirates: those who gain power from their travels and movement ("rovers"), those who are connected to past pirate "ancestors" for power ("loza"), and those who are favored by the Cang's Hooded Shadow ("reivers"). The latter are elite pirates who are called upon by the Cang when an especially nice target comes available.

Rovers are pirates who draw power from their travels. There are two crews of rovers among the Red Grith: the Cutting Vermilion and the Guns of Yojast (Yojast is a founding member of the Red Grith, the first of their pirate captains).

In order to draw power from travels, rovers must attune themselves to movement itself. To do this, they spend hours learning to move with the flow of the ship. They engage in an intricate series of ritual movements every day until they can sense every movement of their bodies, down to the blood flowing in their veins and the beat of their heart, every twitch of muscle and organ. If they can achieve this, they become attuned to movement and able to draw power from certain aspects of it. Specifically, as sailors of the seas, their journeys to other places allows them to gain powers the further afield they go and the more places they go to.

• 10 non-Endruinite locales or 500 miles: +3 sailing, swimming, and rope-climbing
• 20 non-Endruinite locales or 1,000 miles: +3 speed, reaction, and dodge
• 50 non-Endruinite locales or 5,000 miles: controlled movement (+3 PRO) once per day
• 100 non-Endruinite locales or 10,000 miles: control inertia once per week (WIL)
• 200 non-Endruinite locales or 15,000 miles: rapidstrike (hit seven times in one round) once per day
• 500 non-Endruinite locales or 20,000 miles: superspeed once per day (42 speed for 30 seconds)
• 1,000 non-Endruinite locales or 25,000 miles: flight or teleportation (within seven miles) at will

Furthermore, certain kinds of location give them special abilities:

• Their first enemy ship: +1 PRO
• Their first captured ship: +1 dancing
• Their first shipwreck: +3 escape (to any stat used while escaping a trap, fight, or sinking ship)
• Their first foreign port: quick-learning the local language
• New oceans or seas: +3 to avoiding doldrums, storms, or rogue waves (to any stat used while avoiding these dangers)
• New ports: 6 in local language for first 24 hours OR +3 to finding a safe location in the city to sell goods
• Under the sea, 1,000+ feet: +3 swimming
• Underground, 500+ feet: +3 direction sense
• In the sky, 5+ miles: leviation (7 minutes) or featherfall
• Upper orbit: space survival
• The moons: spacejumping
• In the solar system: +7 ATH
• Another planet, mesoplanet, or asteroid: varies by orbital body
• Beyond the solar system: lightspeed travel
• Another plane: varies by plane

The downside is, if they are ever imprisoned, shackled, or otherwise held, paralyzed, or pinned, they will start losing their sanity rapidly. After one round, they lose -1 WIL and start believing they are irrevocably trapped. After seven rounds, they lose -2 WIL and lose vision beyond 10'. After seven minutes, they lose -3 WIL and have a panic attack. After 77 minutes, they lose -4 WIL and lose muscle control. After seven days, they die.

PRO +2 ATH +5 STR +1 AWA +1 WIL / PRS / STH -1

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Scourge

Piracy is used by the Green Grith to target ships of major polluters, usually taking them hostage and bringing them to shore to safely dismantle them and cleanse their polluting cargo. Pirate ships among the Green Grith operate as large cells. They command thunderstorms to sail under and attack with. Green Grith pirates call themselves the Scourge.

Weather magic is controlled by the use of special staves called vanes (which are literally wind vanes atop a staff), made of special metal called birinj. A scourge gains a vane from the Green Grith after they are tested, and then taught how to use it by a mentor within the crew they sail with.

The learning process involves attuning to nature, specifically to different forms of weather, by meditating in them, using various ingredients including animal parts, plants, and special rituals to better attune to it, and by learning special spells (kept in ancient books called synnegrims). After years of study, a scourge must sail out into a storm and perform a ritual to capture it in their vane. If they succeed, they then practice for years to perfect their wielding of it. Wielding it eventually uses it up, so they must seek out and absorb a storm every so often. Many store multiple storms to be ready. With multiple crew members using this magic, they can perform more powerful spells.

Scourges practice many specific spells to help with sailing, with raiding, with warfare, and with cleansing pollutants.

• Thunderhead shroud: a massive black storm cloud surrounds the ship to hide it. This requires at least four scourge casting at once.
• Galeforce sails: the sails are pushed by galeforce winds. The more scourge casting, the faster it goes, but it can be done with just one.
• Cannon thunder: cannons are empowered by magical thunder to add extra damage. The more scourge casting, the more cannons affected (one caster per cannon).
• Ball lightning: electricity dances throughout the ship, empowering weapons and objects. The more scourge casting, the more people or targets can wield this power.
• Waterspout leap: a waterspout carries the ship over a short distance, effectively making it jump. This requres at least four scourge casting at once.
• Storm rush: a full storm is summoned to push the ship and sea along, creating waves as a harbinger of the ship, to hit enemy ships or settlements as a preamble to a raid. This requires at least eight scourge casting at once.
• Catapult hail: hailstones fall as catapulted materials fall, enhancing their damage. This requires one scourge per catapult.
• Imbalancing torrent: a torrent of rain is directed at one side of a ship to capsize it. This requires at least six scourge casting at once.
• Cleansing downpour: a downpour of rain cleanses any pollutants in the area. The more scourge casting, the larger the area can be affected. At least two must cast.

Individual spells include the following:

• Lightning lash: a whip of lightning, damage 20/25/34/43.
• Thunder gun: the scourge's gun is as loud as thunder and shatters eardrums in a 20' radius, adding electrical damage to the shot +3.
• Cloud coat: a dark cloud forms around the scourge's upper body, giving them +3 dodge, +3/+3 more toughness.
• Slick rigging: a blast of rain slicks the rigging of an enemy ship.
• Waterproofing: the scourge's clothing and weapons become waterproof.
• Hailstone shot: a single shot from the scourge's gun is a hailstone that causes cold damage and gains an extra +3/+3.
• Wind jump: the scourge is buoyed by strong winds while jumping or swinging from ropes, +3 ATH.
• Skycutter: the sword of the scourge causes the sky to open up with rain and lightning when they first swing it in battle.
• Dark cloud: a dark cloud gives the scourge a +3 bonus to STH.

Not all pirates on the crew are scourge, but many are.

PRO +2 ATH +2 STR +1 AWA / WIL +1 PRS +1 STH /

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Swashbuckler

The Violet Grith's pirates are larger-than-life swashbucklers whose adventures are the stuff of legends - literally.

Take every pirate adventure story you've ever heard with every bit of bombast and folk heroic exaggeration, with every bit of rope-swinging, cutlass-slashing, jib-cutting grandiosity, and that is a swashbuckler. Their powers are entirely from the tales of the sea, which they gain by swearing to live by her - the story of the sea - for their entire lives. If they do this and start to live the life of a swashbuckler, the price is that they begin to lose themselves to the piratical story they have chosen to embody.

To start, a swashbuckler has four of these powers:

• Dance in the rigging: the swashbuckler can move through rigging, rafters, or other abovehead matrices with no ATH roll needed.
• Land, ho!: the swashbuckler gains +3 AWA when scanning for a safe location to dock - or hide a group, if on land.
• Flying rope: the swashbuckler gains +3 to hit if attacking from swinging on a rope with no need to roll ATH.
• Jolly roger high: if flying the pirate's flag from their ship, the swashbuckler gains +3 intimidation.
• Walk the plank: the swashbuckler can escape death at the last minute if they choose to do something absurdly audacious.
• Where away?: the swashbuckler may call "where away?" and someone will answer a direction (in nautical terms) to tell the swashbuckler where to go next.
• Polly want a cracker: the swashbuckler may call a non-native animal such as a parrot, monkey, warthog, lemur, civet, or jaguar to their aid temporarily.
• Hook hand or peg leg: the swashbuckler may have a hook hand or peg leg without penalty to movement or combat.
• Eyepatch: the swashbuckler may be missing an eye and use an eyepatch that gives them resistance to fear.
• X marks the spot: the swashbuckler may remember up to three different places they have hidden treasure over the course of a campaign.
• Triple duel: the swashbuckler may fight up to three people at once without penalty to parrying.

Other powers may be possible. Consult with the GM.

As the game continues and they use their powers, they roll PRS vs. the power of the story for every seven, then three, then every one use of their powers. As they fail, they gain more powers, but lose their personality and become a pirate stereotype, until they fade entirely into story forever.

PRO +2 ATH +2 STR +1 AWA +1 WIL -1 PRS +2 STH -1