Yor Sea Consortium
| Formation | 989 PS |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Kal, Salvainian Empire |
Seamaster | Crua Rinnirt |
Staff | 300 - 600 full-time associated merchants, thousands in associated gangs and pirates. |
A loosely organized semi-legal merchant syndicate based around the Yor Sea. The Consortium is legally headquartered in the city of Kal, under the auspice of the legal, registered Yor Sea Trading Company, known for their association with the The consortium consists of a banding of freelancing, independent pirates - mostly under the flag of the Kingdom of Amongko, and various cooperating merchants, smugglers in the richer country of Yor Sea. Their activities center around the transports of contraband, illegal alchemical substances (Often produced in Tu'perkan) into the richer country, and sales of slaves taken by pirates to a country they do not originate from. The organization's decentralized structure has made it hard to uproot, and many an official and merchants indirectly benefits from its presence, making it very resilient.
Description & Origin
The Yor Sea Consortium originated in 989 PS, after the collapse of the Silnarian Empire and Salvainian independence, with merchants taking place of relaxed Imperial controls and tariffs to make new trade in the Yor Sea areas. At that time, the House of Marna have newly sworn loyalty to the Salvainian Empire and needed a good source of revenue to ensure their continued political independence from the crown. The Yor Sea Trading Company was founded for this goal - controlling and managing the trade around the sea on behalf of the House of Marna, initially supplemented by a high amount of experienced treton and uzhi sailors and marines sourced by the house.
Soon, the Company came into conflicts with the pirates of Amongko, and after a few years of intermittent warfare and mutual capture of prize ships, both side decided to cut losses and co-operate, operating under a truce that promised not to attack each other's flagged ships. Soon, the relationship developed into a more amiable and sustainable one - the pirates started permitting YSC ships to sail to Tu'perkan and purchase smuggled goods and captives - reselling them in Salvainia for a high price, and several other smaller companies got involved, merging into YSC as a pseudo subsidiary. The Yor Sea Consortium soon ended up expanding out of Salvainia, with associated branches in the rich and prosperous Lymia, the war torn state of Ie, the Hombaxian States, Dezabia and trading outposts in Amongko - all of them under the pirate's protection.
The Yor Sea Consortium became rich from its smuggling activities, and most officials have refrained from cracking down on the consortium or its association too hard - so long as the consortium followed the rules of never selling back captives to their home country - and not doing anything overly egregious. As long as the bribe flows, the consortium persists.
Manpower
The Consortium is a loosely associated group of merchants and does not have a standing army per se. Its employee roster are as follow:
- 300+ full-time administrative staff in and around Salvainia, mostly around the city of Kal
- 20 - 40 captains with ship, and sailors of around 100 men per captain on average, plus hired ships.
In addition, Yor Sea Consortium are often associated with local gangs and pirates, which they occasionally hire to do their dirty work - if necessary, contacts might be made with local smugglers, deserters or brigands for armed work - the Consortium seldomly if ever get its own hands dirty. The most popular hire are Red Oni mercenaries through their many Amongko contacts.
Business Activities
The Consortium engages in a vast amount of business activities, including, but not limited to:
Legal
- Transportation of spices, pharmacological products
- Transportation of VIP, personnel, especially to viewing of arenas in Tu'perkan - the company run a regular ferry service to the island
- Collection of protection fee - allowing neutral merchant to put on a YSC flag and be under the company's protection in exchange for a fee, which is then partially paid to the pirates of Tu'perkan.
- Pleasure trips and cruise to Tu'perkan, on company's yacht Imperator, Star Splendour and Sapphire
Immoral
- Selling and ransoming of pirate captives and slaves, mainly sourced from Amongko
- Arms "Smuggling" - though many of them are done semi legally. The company sell good armaments - mainly Almain Rivet produced in Lymia and Salvainia to pirates and others that need it, and helping local rulers bypass buy home regulations if they can. They can occasionally serve as a foreign policy vehicle for the liberty - minded, like selling armaments on behalf of Lymia to the Kadrushian.
- Production and sales of banned or restricted pharmacological products - the consortium has a "No sales in country of production" and "No end point delivery" policy - meaning that where the drugs is produced, it will not be sold - and it will not be responsible for transportation at the end point - most transfers take place secretly at sea or not so secretly on the island of Tu'perkan - Lymian and Salvainian officials are paid a handsome fee and promised that the drug won't circulate in their locality, and then distributed to other countries - the drugs inevitably circle back, but usually in small enough amount to not cause great alarm.
The consortium take great care to not involve itself in activities it views as potentially compromising itself - like forgery of documents or impersonating government official - it is careful not to skirt the line and act directly against other's national interests, and portray itself as the better evil that pay its taxes. It always pay its taxes.
Locations
The company has two headquarters and center, and own numerous trading outposts.
Kal Headquarters
The Kal Headquarters is a HQ located next to the bazaar in the city of Kal and the slave market, where company affairs are handled - it is a walled, guarded complex of several buildings with an average height of two stories, and contains fortified archive.
Tu'perkan Market Headquarters
The Tu'perkan Market Headquarters is a HQ located in middle of Tu'perkan City, and is built off the ruins of a stone Silnarian castle, housing around 150 people - it is also conveniently located next to one of the major slave market, where slaves are bought or examined at the headquarter before being resold. It is heavily guarded by loyal Red Oni mercenaries, and a large amount of transaction take place as the company and associated merchants prepare for the next company shipment of goods.
Trading Outposts / Associated Slave Markets
The company is also associated with several outposts and slave markets across the Yor Sea:
- Lymia: An office in Pepor, and one office in Chiwonor. Both near docks
- Salvainia: A major office in Salvainia, smaller office in all coastal cities - Bati and Utupli
- Hombaxian State: There's an office in Nguldaz, Fondese and Doxawthi
- Dezabia: There's an office in Rakmurse - known for sourcing of legally bought Dezabian and Mattan slaves.
Important NPCs
To be filled out by GMs as interested
Ranks and Requirements
The Consortium has a simple rank system.
Company Rank
Seamaster
The leader of the company
Market Director
The director of a certain market or bazaar under company control
Associate Rank
Ranks for associated captains - however, these ranks are just for formality purpose in the title section of a character sheet - in truth a relationship between the consortium and its associated is based on personal relationship, trust and mutual favors - so simply being on the list mean the company know you and will rely on you for jobs.
Captain
An associated pirate captain that is known to be reliable, and can be sourced from for captives - usually with sweetheart deals between the company and them, and may occasionally be tasked to acquire very specific "specimen" required by certain clientale.
Associate
A person who is associated with the company - usually on an internal list of some sort, as someone who can be relied on to perform smuggling, or bash some heads in.