Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve Jackson
... I have no idea how much water Tro is on, but it's big enough to support commerce because Podliforku supports pirates. But it's probably not beg enough to support a major naval power because Podliforku has not been burned to the ground. Or maybe it has, and recovered?
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In my campaign, it was a large ocean called the Ardonoles Ocean, which extended farther than I ever mapped, to the east and south. The Duchy of Bolors and the Duchy of Nerit to the north of it both had smallish navies of galleys with rams and catapults (I used the Ramspeed rules to resolve naval combats). There were quite a few other nations mostly with similar navies or smaller along the coasts in either direction, but there was not a lot of naval warfare.
Players did sometimes question the existence of a known pirate base at Podliforki (the name I used for it since that's what the map seemed to show - I thought Podliforku was
a typo). The players never really investigated to see what was up, but there were several contradictory rumor-level explanations:
* The Duke of Dran is unconcerned with the pirates, preoccupied with events on land, and doesn't consider the pirates worthy of prosecution by his army or navy, and/or perhaps not his people's direct responsibility or concern.
* The Duke of Dran, and/or his local delegate the admiral and/or mayor of Tro, have some covert mutually-beneficial arrangement with the pirates in Podliforki.
* The pirates in Podliforki have been clever enough to evade whatever prosecution attempts there have been, and/or have some sort of informants that have warned them.
* Podliforki generally seems to be a small fishing village and no one credible has ever said they've actually seen the reputed pirates there.
* In any case, Podliforku is so small that there can't be too many pirates based there.
* The pirates actually aren't based there.
* The pirates are actually Elyntian privateers or special forces.
* The pirates are some other sort of private sea adventurers, and have never been caught pirating anyone.
* Podliforku just doesn't or wouldn't turn away pirates, but there aren't any with any roots there. There are some pirates in the Ardonoles Ocean, and they've sometimes come to Podliforku, but that's about it.