Some things are good, some are bad - all in all, there is always a need for balance. In this world, in these lands, in the souls inhabiting them. Otherwise they will all devour each other and themselves. Everything around would get consumed by chaos, followed by death and emptiness. A fine line of balance separates a blind wanderer from stepping into the abyss to which they need a perceptive guide to mentor them. Yesterday, now, forever… The dull echo of a thump coming from a staff’s pole suddenly broke through the veil of space and time, thereafter came the cry of a lone raven flying over a roadside tavern. A few moments later and the ruckus of intoxicated voices accompanied by the cheerful tunes of wandering bards was diluted by the sly speech of a cunning swindler with a distinct island accent…
Attention, Lords and Ladies! There are rumors going around about pirate recruiters reappearing in taverns all across the Empire, luring travelers into their ranks with talk of easy profits and fast ships with experienced crews. Exercise caution!
Excerpts from the new Pirate Code:
1. According to the Pirate Code of Honor, only experienced captains of combat level 5 or higher are permitted to raid enemy ships, and all raid battles are fought 1 on 1.
2. Only the crew that fits on your ship can put to sea. All others can bunker down in an inn or tavern.
3. Use the spyglass to assess your target’s strength before engaging. If the ship's defenders are beyond your crew's ability, you might want to look for an easier target. But remember, the weaker the victim, the smaller the profit.
4. Important! From now on, not only Imperial merchants can be attacked, but also sea smugglers and even the pirates of Redbeard. Catching their ships won't be easy, because they have their own agenda, but if they do get caught, let them know that these waters are now the domain of the Free Sails Pirates!
5. Given the risks of the trade, you’ll need to enter combat in standard shop equipment. And remember, enchantments have no effect in sea raids.
6. Important! Your faction abilities have no effect either, as you’re a pirate now! Most of your talents work as usual, but don’t you go casting magic or pulling any tricks. Pirates are above that kind of razzle-dazzle, and besides, do you really want to risk damaging your ship and spending weeks patching it up? Concentration is another exception worth noting — you won’t have any need for that, as pirates are always focused and ready to go! To sum up, don’t waste any points on magic talents, central talents, or Concentration, as they’ll be as much use to you as wet powder!
7. Important! You are limited to 21 raid attempts and 14 successful raids each day. Don’t run your crew into the ground — try to keep them fresh. All of your unspent attempts will carry over to the next day, though. All in all, 84 victories and 126 attempts are your maximum.
8. There will be 6 main days to raid the open seas, through January 17. 3 more days will be granted to use up any remaining attempts, through January 20 inclusively.
9. Important! After winning a sea battle, make sure to grab anything that shines, rings, or rattles, be it silver, creature armaments, MG elements, diamonds, or artifacts with reduced durability. However, according to the new rules, the crew now gets the first spoils and only then begins sharing with the captain. This means you will only start receiving MG elements and artifacts after you accumulate 10,000 silver in the pot, err, I mean chest.
10. For each successful raid you will also earn 1 point toward Thieves’ Guild or +0.5 points toward Hunters’ Guild.
11. Important! Do not forget about the mercenary market, where you can hire additional crew members for silver. The recruiting rates have recently stabilized, so playing the market is no longer that lucrative, but the upside is that you’ll always know what you’re paying for. All the recruits know their stuff and are worth every silver coin! If you feel like letting a few recruits go, more power to your elbow! You’ll get your silver right back, no fees charged!. All for the people! Want to see everyone? That's easy! Just don't lose your eyes, or you won't be able to catch them.
12. If you happen to collect more silver than you know what to do with, you might as well splurge on a bigger ship or add more cannons to your ship.
13. The more powerful your ship, the more crew and cannons it can fit on board.
14. The cannons’ parameters depend on their upgrade level and your combat level, but not on your character’s primary parameters.
15. After the sea raids are over, the pirates of the Free Sails will reward the worthy ones with artifacts from their loot, as well as exchange the looted silver with gold according to the pirate exchange rates adjusted to combat level and status!
16. To boost morale, you will receive a bottle of hearty rum for your 15th, 30th and 50th victories, as well as a Golden scroll of calling for your 75th victory!
| For 15 wins | | For 30 wins | | For 50 wins | | For 75 wins |
And one more thing! A little bird told me that some of the ships will be carrying valuable cargo — parts of Fear Cloak and parts of Fear Scythe. Loot as much as you can and you’ll be sure to get your hands on some of these treats!
For 10th win: 1 part
For 20th win: 2 parts
For 30th win: 3 parts
For 40th win: 4 parts
For 60th win: 5 parts
For 70th win: 5 parts
After the sea raids are over, the pirates of the Free Sails will additionally grant you up to 5 parts of Fear Cloak.
- The top 75 military clans and all of their active members will earn the respect of the pirates and stand to receive yet another reward. The rewards will be determined by the clan rankings where a clan’s final result will equal the total silver looted by its 100 highest-scoring members;
- All unblocked Lords and Ladies of successful military clans will receive the award if they manage to loot at least 4,000 silver for their clan.
- If a member leaves or is expelled from their military clan, the clan loses all of that member’s points earned for the clan. If the member rejoins the clan, the clan will get their points back.
- Leaving the clan on the last day of the event and before the award ceremony will be forbidden.
- Admission to military clans from the second day of the event and onwards will be limited to three Lords or Ladies per day.
- Important! Lords and Ladies who achieve 42 and more victories, will not be able to join any military clan until the event is over.
Reward for active members of top-ranking military clans:
| Clan rank | Reward | Glory | | 1 | | 1,500 | | 2 | | 1,300 | | 3 | | 1,100 | | 4 | | 1,000 | | 5 - 8 | | 900 | | 9 - 13 | | 800 | | 14 - 20 | | 600 | | 21 - 30 | | 500 | | 31 - 45 | | 400 | | 46 - 60 | | 250 | | 61 - 75 | | 100 |
Personal reward for the best 5,000 Lords and Ladies based on the event results:
| Lord/Lady rank | Reward | | 1 - 50 | | | 51 - 100 | | | 101 - 200 | | | 201 - 400 | | | 401 - 650 | | | 651 - 1000 | | | 1001 - 1500 | | | 1501 - 2250 | | | 2251 - 3000 | | | 3001 - 3750 | | | 3751 - 5000 | |
All aboard! |
