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.[1]
Background[]
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.
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.[2]
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.[3] The markets and bazaars of the city feature goods pillaged from distant lands.
The nearby island of Estwatch is also a stronghold for raiders.
History[]
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.[2]
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 in 7:55 Storm.[4] The pirates brought their knowledge of stealth and trickery to bear, plaguing Qunari supply lines and even launching seaborne invasions against the Qunari coast. In 7:78 Storm the raiders managed to defeat the Qunari in a massive naval battle and take Estwatch, an island with strategic importance, from them.[5] After the signing of the Llomerryn Accords in 7:84, they maintained their association rather than disband—much as others might have hoped.[2]
Involvement[]
The strange, new darkspawn that Elgar'nan and Ghilan'nain had deployed to southern Thedas have spread fear and corruption greater than any previous Blight in history. The Free Marches have suffered greatly from this invasion. By 9:52 Dragon, acting Viscount Aveline Vallen led the evacuation of Kirkwall. She took her people and what's left of her army to help Prince Sebastian Vael keep Starkhaven.[7] Sometime later, Antaam corsairs harass shipping out of Ostwick.[8]
As the Veilguard continue to disrupt the Antaam's operations in the North, some of the Antaam in the South were recalled back to the North, thus easing the assaults on the South's trade routes. Admiral Isabela has directed the Felicisima Armada's piracy at the Antaam as well, thus diminishing the Antaam fleet.[9]
Known raiders[]
- Anselmo – a member of Isabela's crew; also notable for being married[10][11]
- Brand – a member of Isabela's Crew[12]
- Casavir – Isabela's first mate on the Siren's Call
- Castillon – a wealthy Antivan raider leader
- Celso – a member of Isabela's crew[13]
- Hayder – a member of Isabela's crew; henchman of Castillon
- Ianto the Talon – also known as "the Terror of Llomerryn"; facetiously known as "That Crooked Bastard What Might Kill You in Your Sleep"; a known slaver and murderer[1]
- Isabela – a pirate and former raider; Captain of the Siren's Call; self-proclaimed "Queen of the Eastern Seas."[1]
- The Jackdaw – a raider who helped Isabela locate a crew and work when she began raiding; according to rumor he and Isabela were involved in a passionate love affair before he vanished from Llomerryn[14]
- Jim – a member of Isabela's crew who was injured in a knife fight[15]
- Knife-Eared Jan
- Paisley Pete
- Left-Hand Rawley
- Martin – a former subordinate of Ianto; he survived the slitting of his throat by his superior after he started questioning slavery as his new business
- Lachlan Poole – a wealthy raider who owns a trading company in the Free Marches[1]
- Leandro – a member of Isabela's crew[16]
- Captain Revaud – father of First Enchanter Rivella of the Dairsmuid Circle of Magi in Rivain[17][18]
- "Ser" Tadeus – a raider rumored to run the Armada; most notable for having sunk half a dozen Orlesian frigates[1]
Codex entries[]
- Codex entry: The Raiders of the Waking Sea
- Codex entry: The Annulment at Dairsmuid
- Codex entry: Notorious Raider Trash
Note texts[]
See also[]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Dragon Age: The World of Thedas, vol. 1, p. 81
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Chris Priestly (January 27, 2011). "On Templars, Raiders, City Guards and The Coterie" BioWare Blog. Retrieved on August 12, 2013.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Dragon Age: The World of Thedas, vol. 1, p. 82
- ↑ Dragon Age: The World of Thedas, vol. 1, p. 115
- ↑ Dragon Age: The World of Thedas, vol. 1, p. 120
- ↑ Note: Banner of the Blind Men
- ↑ According to the Inquisitor's dialogue in Dragon Age: The Veilguard
- ↑ Missive: Message from the Front: The Fight for the South
- ↑ Missive: Message from the Front: The Tide Turns
- ↑ Dragon Age: The Silent Grove
- ↑ Isabela refers to his bachelor party in Dragon Age: The Silent Grove.
- ↑ Dragon Age Library Edition Volume 1, pg. 82, annotation by David Gaider.
- ↑ Dragon Age: The Silent Grove
- ↑ Dragon Age: The World of Thedas, vol. 2, p. 168
- ↑ Mentioned in Dragon Age II during a conversation between Isabela and Fenris.
- ↑ He perished during the events of Dragon Age: Those Who Speak.
- ↑ Codex entry: The Annulment at Dairsmuid
- ↑ Dragon Age: The World of Thedas, vol. 1, p. 102