<aside> 💡 The only people who would want to be a part of this mission would be those who are very loyal to the king and planet OR hate it here and want off. And, publicly, this is a mission of diplomacy - piracy is never mentioned. So, no one would join for "excitement in the stars" or whatever. Most people who live on Drinax would surely trip over each other (and maybe even betray one another) to get on this mission just to get off the planet and out of the over-crowded, hungry, sleeping-on-the-floor life they've been trapped in all their lives. Soooo, that's three reasons why all the crew would be from Drinax. There would have to be a good reason to replace a Drinaxi with an off-worlder.
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<aside> 📖 The following is taken from The Pirates of Drinax, Book 2 - The Trojan Reach, Chapter 4 -Starting the Campaign, Page 18
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King Oleb offers you – and the other Travellers – a chance for glory!
He will give you the Harrier as your ship, and more, he will give you a letter of marque and reprisal. This document gives you the right to prey on merchant and military shipping within the borders of the old Empire of Sindal that does not carry the proper documentation.
The King grins at you.
<aside> 📖 “Of course, no-one’s carried those papers in bloody centuries. Every ship in space is your legal prey – but I don’t want cutthroats and murderers. I want thieves!”
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He gestures at a map of the Trojan Reach. On one side, there’s the great red expanse of the Third Imperium. On the other, the golden glow of the Aslan Hierate. Between the two are dozens of points of light, each marking a different independent star system. Threads of commerce and trade run between the two empires like arteries.
So, something like this…
see also our campaign map.
<aside> 📖 “Once, every world along that trade route shared in the bounty. The traders paid taxes to use our space and our starports. Then, because my ancestors were greedy bastards, everything fell apart. The Kingdom collapsed, and that meant those cold-blooded Vilani snakes picked the Trojan Reach apart. It’s every world for themselves out there right now, and solitary worlds can’t bloody hold out against a godscursed empire!”
He throws himself heavily into the armoured bulk of the Dragon Throne.
“So, here’s what we’re going to do. You take the Harrier and you cut a bloody swathe across the stars. Attack shipping, raid starports, hit fuel depots. Take what prizes you can. Don’t kill anyone you don’t have to, though – we want to bleed the merchants until they go crying to the Imperium, not start a bloody war. Pirating is part one of the plan.
Part two is all those worlds out there. We make them our allies. Sell stolen goods there, defend ‘em from raiders, recruit crew, give them a taste of wealth, and bring them back under the banner of Drinax. When the time comes, we offer the Imperium a deal – the pirate attacks stop if they recognise the Kingdom of Drinax and give me my rightful due.”
He slams his meaty fist into the arm of the throne.
“We do this right, and we’ll show there’s life in this old empire yet. “Now, the terms. We keep this a secret from the Imperium for as long as possible – and that means you keep that letter of marque hidden until we sign a peace. The ship’s being loaned to you – you’re responsible for repairs and maintenance, but she’s coming home at the end. “Ten percent of any money you make comes to me. Spend as much as you can spare on the colony worlds and curry favour with them. We’ll need them on our side if this isn’t going blow up in our faces.”
He leans back in the throne.
“If this works... then you’ll be made dukes of my court.”
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• Go privateering across the Trojan Reach • Disrupt trade between the Imperium and the Aslan Hierate • Establish alliances with independent worlds and factions • Make your fortunes and rebuild the Kingdom of Drinax!
<aside> 📖 The following is taken from Drinaxian Companion, Chapter 3 - How to Build an Empire, Page 9
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Oleb’s plan, in very general terms, is to engineer a situation where the cheapest and easiest option for the Imperium (and probably the Aslan Hierate too) is to recognise a resurgent Kingdom of Drinax as the protector of its trade through the region.
That means creating sufficient threat to trade that protection is necessary and at the same time increasing the power of Drinax to the point that it is more useful to co-opt and recognise it than to swat the upstarts and return to the previous status quo.
It must be recognised that the Imperium and/or Hierate will, sooner or later, find out that Drinax is behind the upsurge in piracy and raiding.
By the time that happens the kingdom needs to have sufficient protection – which can take many forms – that recognition is the most cost effective solution. Similarly, the fledgling kingdom needs to be a hard target for Aslan clans that might decide to conquer or just obliterate it.
<aside> 📖 And pages 9 and 10 of the same book have a full explanation...
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