River Pirates...

[Otto Von Lanstien]

The name seem a bit misplaced for how I think of them. Personally I've always thought of them as escaped galley slaves - or prehaps outlanders who live in the marshes.

The question is - what do you guys think? Surely if they can afford a boat they can afford better clothes and equipment, thus my logic dicatates they clearly aren't rich enough to be "pirates" and so must be something else.

I'm not really bothered, I even like the name - just curious; how do you guys picture them?

 

[OddjobXL]

Can't think of a good historical analogy but there probably is one. To my mind they're folks who likely work as fishermen, bargemen or boatmen when trade's good and when it's bad they prey on whatever happens to be near the river. A boat capable of travelling on a normal river needn't be expensive. They're often built communally and then handed down and patched up for a generation or two. I suppose the closest example I can think of would be the tribal pirates native to Indonesia (or Malaysia?). Back in the old days they preyed on local traders and, even to this day, they're active with motorboats and M16s instead of dugouts and machetes.

 

[nox]

I picture them as the odd-jobbers that hung out near the base of the mississipi during the 1800's. They worked as loaders, laborers, smugglers and slave handlers - whatever needed doing for the boats that came in from the gulf.

One of the big smuggling spots was the red stick, or "Baton Rouge" - which is now the capital of Louisiana - so named after an indian practice of putting lodge-poles covered in blood to mark territory.

I think the river pirates should have a city called "Red Stick" near the mouth of the river where you can buy and sell illicit items, slaves, and other goods.

 

[Kniggit]

I always pictured them as runaway bums from zendar that got tired of bieng poor and decided to do something about it.

 

[JohnathanStrange]

I see river pirates as misguided youths who with a little understanding and compassion for their wretched lives could be persuaded to give up their violent tendencies and become decent, upstanding citizens.

If not we'll cut 'em to ribbons and grind their bones to make our bread.

 

[Wicked]

I see them as heartless scum who chased my poor frightened first-attempt priest straight into a party of sea raiders...other than that...no problem with 'em...unless of course you count the time my heavy charger went lame after chasing 2 of them off what I *thought* was a small mound of dirt next to a ditch...and turned out to be a cliff overlooking a river...

 

[Sir Saladin]

I really think the name "river pirates" was created by a bunch of rich people. But I like Motorhead.

 

[okiN]

I dunno, but I agree that the name "river pirates" makes no sense. First of all, the thing next to Zendar is, in fact, not a river. It's a fjord and YES, there is a difference. Second, they don't look or act like pirates. They run around all over the country, far away from the aquatic environments usually preferred by pirates, and indeed the whole ridiculously-poorly-equipped-and-half-naked -look doesn't really fit the image of fearsome and dangerous buckaneers that pops into my head when I think of the word "pirate". I just think of them as general scalleywags who've gotten the wrong end of the stick throughout their miserable lives.

 

[Sir Saladin]

Those poor bastards can't even rob and pillage properly? ****, that must be a terrible thing to try and explain to a future Mother in law. I would just tell her that I'm studying anthropology. And then I would sell her some Miracle Clean.!

 

[Skyrage]

Good enough name and looks...last thing I wanna see is pirates going "aarrrrr" and look like they were hauled straight from the Carribean...

 

[Sir Saladin]

AArgh. Pirates have been around as long as forever, but I like those goofy river pirates the best because its fun to kill them. They just run around half-naked and they even attack me even though My knights will cut them into ribbonns. I wish I could be so brave sometimes. (No Joke)

 

[hijks]

Perhaps they swim...