| Dra’emi Confederacy | |
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| Capital | Rilscha |
| Government | Mercantile Council Speaker of the Chamber Condara Caetano |
| Languages | Trade Common |
| Inhabitants | Humans |
| Currency | Dra’emi Gold Mark |
| Formation | Luck 22, NE 102 Coalition of Silverstrand Pirate strongholds |
The Dra’emi are a nation of pirates. The Dra’emi “Navy” is infamous for patrolling free waters all over the west, accosting ships and taking “taxes,” in the form of cargo, crew, or entire ships. This makes their capital of Rilscha the home to the second-largest slave market in the world, and fine goods of all kinds are easily obtainable in the city’s many bazaars and markets. The only trouble is getting there with all your possessions… and your life.
History
In the collapse of the Water War and the Fever Year, the nations of the Silverstrand Isles were among the first to disintegrate. With little farmland, the isles’ populations tend to rely on trade to import food. With imports unavailable, government fell apart and people starved en masse.
The few strong survivors tended to be isolated groups – and the islands had a strong pirate presence. The secluded coves which made pirate havens were perfect places for crews to ride out the terrible afflictions. When the world began to recover from the horrors, the pirate crews of the Silverstrands stepped in as the only regional authorities. They formed enclaves around their bases and surviving civilians flocked to these pockets of relative security. The pirate strongholds raided traffic which passed by, and more often each other.
In 102 NE, some of the more powerful pirate captains met in the small town of Rilscha to discuss an alliance. The captains agreed that raiding outsiders would be far more profitable than continuing to raid one another over dwindling resources, and the Dra’emi Confederacy was born. Many other enclaves joined the successful captains’ venture, and those who refused were sent to the bottom of the sea or chased out of the islands. Within 25 years the Confederacy had become a true nation.
People
Among the Dra’emi, honesty isn’t a terribly common trait, and only very canny merchants come out even in dealings with Dra’emi. While the Confederacy has quite a reputation, not all the inhabitants are pirates and rogues. There are some Dra’emi who aren’t outright cheats or conmen – and those Dra’emi tend to be free-spirited adventurers. They may not always adhere to the letter of the law, but they can have a well-developed sense of justice.
Politics
The Dra’emi Confederacy is ruled over by the Chamber of Merchants, a mercantile council consisting of the most successful guild leaders, a few very rich individuals, and several of the more powerful navy admirals. The Dra’emi tend to avoid large-scale conflicts, though they are often found in all manner of business when other nations have a scrap – transport, weapons dealing, holding prisoners, fencing loot, providing non-weapon materiel, and Dra’emi mercenary companies are found on both sides of any conflict.
Chamber of Merchants
Unlike many lands, the members of the Chamber of Merchants are expected to maintain their normal careers, running businesses, captaining their ships, and maintaining their estates. The Dra’emi believe that only the most canny business minds are qualified to run the financial edifice that is the Confederacy. Therefore, the council member who can demonstrate the most net profit in the previous fiscal year is often chosen to be the Speaker of the Chamber. The Speaker directs council meetings, has the final say over war and peace, and often plots the general direction and aims of the large Dra’emi tax collecting fleet.