Piracy in Aeia

The era of Piracy in Aeia began in ancient times and continues today in places such as the western Jade Ocean, Majulan Ocean, Columbian Sea, and Iranic Sea, despite strong government efforts to quell the practice globally. The period during which pirates were most successful was from the 1500s to the 1800s, especially in the Columbian Sea. Piracy flourished in the Columbian because of the existence of pirate seaports such as Costapunente in Isolaprugna, Miyakan on the Daskovi island of Dorisene, and San Ricardo in Lacayuna.

History

Columbian Sea

The first Asurans arrived in the Vestro-Rennekkan hemisphere in the late 1400s. At first colonization and exploration was conducted almost entirely by Veleaz, starting in Rennekka and gradual expansion to the Columbian Islands. Their largest rival was Hergemoth which gradually expanded through Ovandera and Wobia. The first examples of piracy in the area were Hergic explorers who had gone rogue without a frequent connection to government. Examples include Johann Vestrim, nephew of famous explorer Alfred Vestrim. Johann's activities included the plunder of several merchant ships and coastal villages between 1507 and 1510. He was captured and beheaded in 1511. But his career inspired further nautical crime in the Columbian. The main source of Veleazan piracy in the region was renegade conquistadors, pillaging native settlements and fishing boats. Privateering evolved partly from this; sailors were hired by the Crown to destroy native settlements and acquire gold. Veleazans, needing less costly ways of subjagating further territory in the region, hired mercenaries to attack natives throughout the Sea between 1500 and 1600. Many of these mercenaries were not satisfied with the wages from Veleaz and turned to piracy, especially around Lacayuna. In Ovandera, further piracy from former associates of Johann Vestrim continued to cause criminal chaos, spreading into the barely explored Wobian and Otamukaland areas. Notable pirates from the 1500s included Karl Ischbin, Juan La Polsta, Hertzhog Vestrim, Jose Cibros, William Ormond, and more.

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Johann Vestrim besieges Arscheserrik, 1510.

As Newrey and Midrasia began to take interests in the area, a new period emerged for local pirates. Midrasians secured the island of Sant Masllorenç in the early 1600s, while Newrey colonized parts of Lacayuna and the Mania Islands. William Ormond's attack on Costapunete in 1605 led to the gradual decline of the already detrimental settlement into a "pirate republic", controlled by Newreyan criminals. Many gold-laden Aquidish galleons made piracy and plunder popular in the region around Isolaprugna and Almira, leading to several conflicts between Aquidneck and the Costapunete Pirates between 1610 and 1650. The Midrasian monarchy began coming to the sea in 1630s, leading to a significant disapora of wealthy Midrasians. But many former Royalist soldiers, plantation workers, and servants did not stick with the exiled nobility and began the Midrasian Corsairs.

Jade Ocean and Yidao

Piracy began in the western Jade Ocean when the first Asurans arrived in the 16th century. Newrey's weak hold on Burmondsey led to the rise of Ashiharan pirates in the area, who held a bitter rivalry with the poor white privateers. Many "junk wars" were fought in the 1600s in which huge fleets of Yidaon junks fought Newreyan privateers in and around Burmondsey. Notable is the Kyukyo Feud, in which around 100 local junks faced off against just 5 Newreyan men-o-war which blockaded and attacked the city in 1635. The Midrasians also took a large interest in the area, colonizing Savai and multiple islands in the Jade. Locals were quashed quickly, but the corsair movement spread from Vestrim to Savai and an era of plunder and pillaging began, especially on Kwangeux villages and fishing posts.

Filibusting

Mahisialand

The practice of filibusting or freebooting occurred in and came from Mahisialand on numerous occasions. Although Mahisialand was not independent until 1902, the freeing up of Vvardreni land in 1795 and the presence of stateless natives across large swaths of land made the area ripe for filibusting. Early examples include Karl van Lieel, a Leidenese explorer who led a mercenary force into former Vvardreni territories between 1799 and 1804 when he was executed. Van Lieel created the short-lived Republic of Ayoubia between 1800 and 1802. Later on, Vestric Republic slavers attempted to extort Mahisialand in the 1830s, leading to a brief war with the Red First Ayoub and Swift Wolf tribes, which the Vestrics lost upon intervention of the UKL. Into the 1850s and 60s, the Lhedwinic colonists gradually eroded native control and by 1899 controlled almost all of modern Mahisia. In the 1850s, Gustaf Indriks, later Colonel, was paid to lead 400 mercenaries into the last of the Avalanche Diachoric tribal regions and suppress them. This was the first of the Mahisian Frontier Wars. Indriks' lieutenants disobeyed Lhedwinic orders and founded the North Mahisian Republic, which was in turn erased by Indriks and the Midrasian Henri Baptiste-Morgan 18 months later.

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Baptiste-Morgan's mercenaries opening fire at "Northern Republic" desserters at the Battle of San Cedrico Barren

Modern

The issue of piracy still causes issues for ships on the high seas, particularly in the Jade Ocean around the lesser Savai Island chain. The Commonwealth of Democratic Nations and the Savaian Alliance both have naval task forces in the Jade Ocean (also known as the Green Ocean in some nations). The navies of Aquidneck and Newrey are both heavily involved in the Jade Ocean region. Aquidneck has the Archimede Unit and Newrey the Burmondsy Squadron. The Commonwealth also has a Arabekhi Anti-Piracy Task Force which is based out of Oshaxas, Onza and patrols the waters around West Arabekh.