Brief Interview with the Sailors of High Rock
##[Once a month, the Lucubrate Lion newspaper of Wayrest features articles from their Adventure-Correspondents, who travel the world to bring interesting stories to the good people of High Rock. This month we welcome Adventure-Correspondent Aurelius Aelius, as he brings us interviews with three very different sailors of the high seas.]
[Subject: Privateer Andover DuBois, “Agile Andy:]
[Location: The Rosy Lion, Daggerfall]
[24 Rain's Hand, 2E 583]
Thank you for taking the time to speak with me. Most of the sailors I’ve spoken to today have been far less amicable.
Aye, most sailors have more important things on their mind than talkin’ when they’re at port. But I’m not set to leave for a week or more, so I have time enough to spare. And your drinks are welcome.
Happy to oblige. So, you introduced yourself as a Privateer. Could you tell me a bit about that?
Ah, yes, privateering. Basically, we’re sailors given licence to behave with extreme aggression towards wartime enemies we encounter on the seas. It’s common for merchant-galleons to double as privateering vessels, especially on return voyages after large deliveries of cargo are made.
How exciting! I imagine the Three-Banners War has increased your demand quite a bit.
Indeed. The threat of the Dominion Navy has increased dramatically over the years, but the Daggerfall Covenant has raised a force well-prepared to match it. King Emeric has the Royal Navies of both High Rock and Hammerfell weaving a web of power and influence across the seas, with ships like mine filling in the cracks. Nothing has been seen like it since the Navy of Admiral Olo, Kynareth keep him.
I’m glad you mentioned the Goddess. Rumor has it that sailors allow no whistling aboard their ships, lest they incur Kynareth’s rage. Is there any truth to that?
Half-truth. We sailors spend much time beneath Kynareth’s sky, and at the mercy of Her breath. We know Her ways, and whistling is one of the strongest ways of getting Her attention. We don’t whistle at sea for fear she might whistle back! A few Redguards take objection with this, claiming their bird-goddess loves their whistling. and that it’s good luck. More often than not they’re outvoted, forcibly if need be, so most simply keep their mouth shut.
Do sailors tell tales of ships that were lost in this way?
Ha! Many of them, but those are nothing but ghost stories, nothing much to hear.
Ghost stories are exactly what I want to hear.
Oh, really? Well, fetch me another drink and I’ll tell you the only true one I know.
Ah, thanks. Now, this tale was told to me not a year ago by a trusted friend within the Royal Navy, First Mate Brody Fleur. His and five other ships were ordered to sail west, to survey the current state of the Thrassian Archipelago. The isles’ve been presumed destroyed for over a thousand years, but plagues and cultists stirred a fatal curiosity in the King. For three nights all went well, but on the fourth the unending storm began. Things only worsened as the fleet continued forward. The fifth day brought a stench of rot that seemed to come from the rain itself. On the sixth, disaster struck. They encountered a field of whirlpools, with ghostly ships spinning endless inside. One opened up directly beneath the fleet, sucking in three of the ships. After that, the remaining ships naturally decided to turn back, but as they retreated, a bolt of pitch-black lightning struck the other ship, engulfing it in flames. Only one ship returned. Brody claimed that in the false light of the thunderbolt, he could see a giant swath of black fog far beyond the whirlpools.
By the Eight! What became of your friend?
He left the Navy, returned to his home with a terrible fear of the sea. And who can blame him? I’m told the King and council were dubious, but they didn’t know Brody. He was a fine seaman. Takes more than a storm to scare the sea outta a man like that.
Oi! There’s the lass I’ve been lookin’ for! Gotta go, friend; first-come, first-serve, eh? Thanks for the drinks.
Wait! One more question, please! What would you tell the young men and women of High Rock considering becoming privateers?
‘T’s a hard life, but a better one I can’t imagine. The glory of a soldier, the freedom of a sailor, and coin! What’s not to love?
Thank you for your time.
*
[Subject: Merchant-Captain Benjamin Sieyes]
[Location: Cloudy Dregs Inn, Wayrest]
[26 Rain's Hand, 2E 583]
Thank you for speaking with me, Captain. So, how long have you been a sailor?
All 49 years of my life. My family has owned and sailed galleons for hundreds of years. My father preferred the administrative roles of merchant-hood, but my passion is for the seas. I served as crewman of the Gardner’s Glory for 6 years before my father gave me command of a vessel, and I’ve been at the Emilia’s helm ever since. When my father passed, the business passed to me, but Mara blessed me with a fine husband who keeps the books in Wayrest.
I’m glad you mentioned the Divines. As a devout follower of the Eight, you undoubtedly pray to Kynareth for safe travels; do you believe She rules the seas as well as the sky?
Ah, Aedric philosophy! Well, no, lad. The seas have been contested land since the Dawn; man or mer, Divine or Daedra, none can truly claim the sea. Kynerath blesses us with the speed to cross it swiftly, for we do not truly belong there, and can never remain for long. Akatosh’s Covenant with Alessia protects all of Nirn, but the oceans border on that which is no longer Nirn.
You make the seas sound very foreign, Captain.
As they are, and we should have a healthy respect for that. The Iliac, the Topal, even the Abecean are fairly benign, but the deep ocean and its dwellers are foreign to us by their nature, and often dangerous. Look to the Maormer, the Akaviri, the Ynesleans, the Sload; all are strange by the standards of men.
The Ynelseans?
A tale for another time, lad; they’ve little to do with most sailors.
As you wish; tell me, how has the Three-Banners War affected your trade?
Dramatically, to say the least. The seas are thrice as full of pirates and murderers as they were nigh a decade ago. The King enlists all who will answer his call into military action, be it privateering or the ferrying of soldiers and supplies. In that regard, business is booming. But with the risks being greater than ever, everything becomes more costly. Added costs of security and travel lead to an increase in the price of general goods, which leads to general and widespread discontentment throughout the land. I’ve taken to sailing my galleys in pairs, but the mounting costs make it difficult to move goods rapidly.
Indeed, war is stinging all the regions of High Rock, and well beyond. Do you think the Covenant can truly win this war?
With a certainty. The combined skills of the Bretons, Redguards and Orcs make this alliance the mightiest force on Tamriel. It’s only a matter of time before the Aldmeri Dominion crumbles and the Ebonheart Pact eats itself alive. Word from Solitude is that the Nords there have strong sympathies for the Covenant, and when Cyrodiil is liberated of the cultists ruling it, the noble Imperials will flock to the Lion banner.
Your confidence is infection, Captain. One last question. What would you tell the young men and women of Wayrest who were considering the fine profession of sailing for a merchant vessel?
I would tell them to do exactly that! Our Daggerfall Covenant is the strongest union in the world, but it must be continually reforged by youth in order to stay strong! The seas are a violent place, but they are also a turning point, the place where the Tamriel Covenant will truly be forged.
Thank you again for your time, Captain. I’m certain my readers will be delighted.
[Subject: Emberheart Pirate. Alias: John]
[Location: cave several miles west of Evermore]
[3 Second Seed, 2E 583]
Thank you for taking the time to meet with me, John.
You paid for it.
Indeed I did. Tell me, how does one become a pirate?
There are two ways. One is luck: meeting the right people at the right time. The other is by force.
Ah, I see. And how common is the latter?
More common than Imperials like you would like to think.
Tell me, has the War been good for your, er, business?
That’s what everyone assumes, but not at all. Merchant ships are more heavily armed than ever; escorts are becoming common. You’re more likely to come across an armed warship than a loaded galley these days. Frankly, more than one crewman has deserted to take on banditry; they say it pays better. That is, unless you get in with the wrong kind of people.
What do you mean by that?
You’d be surprised at how often pirates are approached by members of various governments, seeking our services as “privateers” or “raiders”. Many captains are tempted by the gold. Easy way to get burned, that. Not to mention the cultists. Several factions of cultists have approached my captain, seeking services of some kind, She’s told them to shove off every time. She’s a wise one.
You seem to abhor the cultists; do you worship the Eight Divines, then?
I believe in what I see. In 12 years at sea, I’ve never seen a prayer to Kyne bring or take the winds, but I’ve seen tidal waves, squalls, and all manner of conjurings performed in the names of the Daedric Lords. Never benign things, but things nonetheless.
Wouldn’t that kind of power be desirable to a pirate?
Not when it tends to backfire almost as often as succeed. Only the reckless and foolhardy invite the Princes into their affairs. Pirates worth their salt get by on their wits and might.
What’s your opinion of the Three-Banners War?
Asinine. Hypocritical. Pirates are declared outlaws for taking what isn’t theirs, but when Kings and Queens do it, it’s “honorable warfare”. Rubbish! It’s all an excuse to steal from each other without calling oneself a thief. I need no such delusions.
One last question. What would you tell the young men and women of Wayrest who were considering piracy?
Ha! Now there’s a question I’ve never heard before! Why on Nirn would you ask me that?
Journalistic integrity demands all viewpoints be taken into consideration.
Fair enough. I’d tell them to prowl the docks of Stros M’kai or Anvil. Look for ships with armor-plating and find a way to-
Ahem. Less of a how-to guide, perhaps? Maybe your generalized thoughts on the subject?
Ah. Well, I suppose everyone has their own reasons for embracing piracy; every pirate has a story, and it often only takes is a bit of ale to learn it. Being a pirate is dangerous, dishonorable work, but the coin is good, and there’s a loyalty in it. A proper crew will become family, and family will do anything for each other. They may call you a whoreson, or cheat you at cards, maybe even steal your rations, but they’d take a knife for you just as quickly.
Thanks for talking with me. Rest assured, your name will be altered at print. I’ll conclude my business with your captain at our meeting place this evening.
See that you do.