The Sea of Bartel, with major ports on its shores and rich trade routes going through its waters, is one of the most well-traveled waterways in the northwest. For just the same reasons, it has its fair share of pirates, thieves, and other criminal scum. Here are a few of the most wanted names in the Levic Marches.
Perhaps the most storied of the Lionsails - the privateers hired by the Levic Marches to defend their trade routes in a past war, only to turn to piracy afterward - the tales of Johann Storzenbecher's exploits on the high seas can be heard in many a tavern. Though many of the legends are quite embellished, there is some truth to them - even to those that might seem outrageous. All agree that Storzenbecher is a very large man, of great appetites and of great mirth (his name comes from one of his favorite tricks, in which he can empty an entire mug of ale in a single gulp), but one who possesses a firm code of honor, treating his men as though they are his brothers. This, in fact, ties into what is perhaps Storzenbecher's most bizarre quality. When he was captured by authorities from the League of Three Crowns and sentenced to death, he secretly made a pact with a demon while awaiting execution, promising his soul in exchange for the ability to survive a beheading. Before being placed on the chopping block, he asked the executioner to set free any men who he could walk past after being beheaded - something the executioner, seeing it as a clearly foolish request, agreed to, only to be baffled when the pirate's headless body stood up and walked past the rest of his men. Now, Storzenbecher operates out of the city of Trudebeck, which shields him thanks to his reputation as a folk hero, and continues to terrorize the coasts from his ship, the Horn of Plenty, raiding League ships and distributing the wealth among the rural poor, who his crew are devoted to standing in defense of. He has reclaimed his head, but uses a girdle to attach it to his neck - if the girdle is loosened, both head and body will remain alive and conscious, but separate. Storzenbecher, of course, would never allow this to happen, and if it does, his crew would go to the ends of the earth to retrieve their captain's head.
Owing to their proximity to the lands of the Northmen, the Levic Marches are a frequent target of raids, and their longboats are a common sight in summer months. It is rarer, however, for Northmen to decide to settle. But Gunnar Vidarsson, better known by his title Gunnar Half-Troll, is one infamous exception. Already celebrated as a great warrior in his homeland, and boasting of many heroic deeds - his title is in fact a mistranslation; he is not actually half troll, but instead once cut a troll in half with a single blow of his mighty axe - he commanded many incursions into the Levic Marches, burning entire villages and bringing back great wealth to his clan. But this all changed when, in one raid gone wrong, his ship was sunk and his entire crew perished beneath the waves. Only Gunnar survived, clinging to a piece of driftwood that escaped the attention of the navy until he washed up on shore. Surviving by his wits and force of will, Gunnar wandered the Levic Marches until he came upon a village of orcs and decided to storm in and challenge their chieftain to a duel. The orcs, amused by the sight of a wet and unkempt man daring to challenge them, mocked him - until Gunnar disemboweled their leader right before their eyes. Under orcish custom, this meant Gunnar was the new chieftain of the clan, and they swore their loyalty to him as a greater warrior than their last. In the years since, Gunnar has managed to secure a new ship, the Wolfshead, and commands a crew of orcs to terrorize the seas. However, the Northmen back home believe him to be dead, for he has not set foot on the shores of his native land ever since his defeat - he knows that if he does so, he would be shamed for his failure in battle and for bringing his men to their deaths. Instead, he and his orcs lay claim to a number of caves and fortresses along the coast, which he travels back and forth between to hoard his treasure and evade the attention of the law - of course, even if discovered, one would have to contend with his ferocious orcish warriors.
The pirates of the Sea of Bartel come from all walks of life. Many are disenfranchised peasants or runaway slaves who have no other option. Many others are merchants who decided that taking the wealth of others by force was a quicker way to fortune than following the longer path of commerce. Others were mercenaries who, when spurned payment for their services, took matters into their own hands. But Alwilda, the so-called Princess of the Pirates, came from a much different origin - she is, in fact, the long-lost Princess of Kvesland. When arranged to marry a foreign king she did not love in order to further their families' ambitions, Alwilda instead set off on her own, together with a cadre of her handmaidens. They disguised themselves as men and snuck aboard a ship, taking it around the Sea of Bartel to several ports, until they came upon a pirate crew who had lost their captain and now languished without someone to guide them. Though she had turned her back on royal life, Alwilda still possessed a fine grasp of manners and had a mind for strategy, and the pirates quickly grew to recognize her as a natural-born leader, taking her as her new captain. She commands the Iron Helm, a ship known for the ironclad battering ram mounted on its bow, but, inspired by the name, she and her handmaidens donned iron helmets that covered their faces, both protecting their identities and giving them a fearsome appearance in battle. Fearing both the law and discovery by the Kvessian royal house, they travel back and forth between whatever ports will accept them, carrying most of their treasure on their ship so that they can flee on short notice if it becomes necessary.
The Sea of Bartel is rightfully feared as a sea of pirates, but things further inland are not much safer. Even the wealthy League cities are rich with histories of thieves and cutpurses - and for nearly a hundred years, even the great city of Hynden has been struck with periodic heists performed by a phantom thief known as the Black Adder. The Black Adder has struck the treasuries of many nobles and temples throughout the city, stealing everything from priceless paintings to the relics of saints and leaving only a scroll with the image of a serpent in place of their quarry to make their activity known. No one has seen the Black Adder in the flesh, but such thefts have been going on for far longer than anyone could possibly be alive and active. Rumors abound - some believe the Black Adder must in fact be a guild of thieves that have been operating through the years, while others suspect a vampire is behind the crimes. The truth is not as elaborate - the original Black Adder made such an impact on the city that they became cemented in local folklore, and through the ages, many would-be burglars have styled themselves after the phantom thief as a means to add more mystique to their operations. Currently operating as the Black Adder is Esmerelda Rosavald, the daughter of a noble family housed in the city, who grew bored with a life of etiquette and idle pleasures and trained herself to keep the legacy of the phantom thief alive. She dresses in a black cloak and carries a rapier with her, but she hopes to rely on her reputation to back her up - she is not trained in swordplay and hopes that merely dramatically announcing herself as the Black Adder if caught will be enough to scare off any prying eyes. So far, she hasn't had the need to do such a thing, but only time will tell if she can carry on the legendary mantle she's assumed.
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