Raiders of the Waking Sea

The Raiders of the Waking Sea is a loose confederation of ships and piratical raiders who ply the numerous seas and coasts of Thedas. The organization has no known leadership. It is instead a collection of ships, each its own sovereign vessel with its own rules, people, and leader.

Background
Llomerryn has become a haven for raiders, as well as brigands and various criminals, due to its location as a port city, and its political neutrality. The markets and bazaars of the city feature goods pillaged from distant lands.

The nearby island of Estwatch is also a stronghold for raiders.



The Raiders of the Waking Sea, or more simply "the Raiders," is the more commonly known name given to an association of pirates called the Felicisima Armada. Once upon a time these pirates were little more than opportunists, individual ships based out of the coastal city of Llomerryn that preyed on sea traffic and which were frequently the target of concerted efforts by the Orlesians and Free Marches cities to destroy them once and for all. After each such effort, new pirates would appear to fill the vacuum and thus the cycle continued.

During the Exalted Marches against the Qunari, however, the nations of Thedas found themselves in dire need of every ship they could muster against the massive power of the Qunari dreadnaughts. The Llomerryn pirates were faced with a difficult decision: band together under one flag and fight with those they had previously preyed upon or face conversion and annihilation by the Qunari. Thus the Armada was formed at 7:55 Storm. The pirates brought their knowledge of stealth and trickery to bear, plaguing Qunari supply lines and even launching seaborne invasions against the Qunari coast. At 7:78 Storm the raiders managed to defeat the Qunari in a massive naval battle and then take Estwatch from them, an island with strategic importance. After the signing of the Llomerryn Accord at 7:84, they maintained their association rather than disband—much as others might have hoped.



Wealthy merchants often pay the leaders of the Armada, rather than risk having their ships commandeered and their merchandise stolen and sold on the black market. They're hardly unified, and bloody battles between Armada leaders are frequent, but any attack by outsiders will cause them to instantly put aside their differences and close ranks, and thus the raiders have become far more of a plague in the last century than they ever were before.

Known raiders

 * "Ser" Tadeus: A raider rumored to run the Armada. Notable for having sunk half a dozen Orlesian frigates.


 * Lachlan Poole: A wealthy raider who owns a trading company in the Free Marches.


 * Ianto: Called the "Talon," "Terror of Llomerryn" and, perhaps facetiously, "That Crooked Bastard What Might Kill You in Your Sleep." A known slaver and murderer.


 * Isabela: A pirate and former slaver. Self-proclaimed "Queen of the Eastern Seas."

Trivia

 * The name Felicisima Armada is Spanish. In 1588 Spain had amassed a fleet made up of 150 ships with the purpose of invading England. It became known as La Felicisima Armada; "The most fortunate fleet". At the time, it was the largest fleet ever seen in Europe and Philip II of Spain considered it invincible.