Wave Breakers
“Throughout history the good has always stood up for the weak against the forces of evil. This new era is no different!” shouted the crusader king from his pedestal. “There are forces out there seeking to destroy what good there is left in humanity. These monsters of men have abused the weak, took what is not theirs to take, and murdered countless innocence! This day… This day is where it ends! We will not kneel to those who wish to reign by tyranny and fear. We will stand up and fight. We will show them once again that good and order will always prevail against the chaotic evil they represent!” Drifting through the vast ocean in his floating fortress, the king rallies his followers to take arms against the pirate menace that plague the open seas.
The Wave Breakers seemed to have grown at an accelerated rate that other floating cities could never imagine. United by the common cause of rebuilding a society of honor and good, survivors flocked to this waterbound kingdom. The rules are simple: work hard and do no harm to others. However, there are many out in the world who don’t follow the same rules and must be stopped lest innocent people suffer. That is the ultimate goal for the king. He has seen far too much suffering at the hands of the Krakens to stand idly by.
The Wave Breakers are the watchdogs of the seas and aim to protect others from the Krakens and other threats. Respect is earned from doing good and helping people in need. Take in refugees, help other cities, treat others well, and – above all – defeat the Krakens at all cost.
The Krakens
“We’re not evil,” the leader smirks. “Those watch dogs and us, we just don’t see eye to eye. You see, good and evil are merely different sides of the same damn coin. There’s much more nuance than plain ol’ good and evil – righteous and sinners… Answer me this, ‘oh, righteous one’: if someone broke into your quarters and murdered your family, do you have the moral obligation to turn the other cheek? Do you let the justice brigade take its sweet time doing what you could have done while your family’s killer escapes into the vast uncharted ocean?” That overconfident smirk still rests on his face. “Or do you take them out, right then and there, with extreme prejudice?” After a pause, he continues, “The world we find ourselves in is a cruel one. You have to be strong to survive. In some cases, you have to be cruel. But once everyone falls in line… Well…” His smirk grows into a toothy grin, “Then that’s when we can rebuild.”
For the Krakens strength breeds respect and if you can garner that respect, you’ll find an armada of thieves, barbarians, and tacticians standing with you as you create the greatest stronghold that this world has seen.
Despite the rumors from the so-called “Wave Breakers”, the Krakens are not a group of anarchists – though they do enjoy creating chaos wherever they go – and act closer to a military force. Their savagery is a necessity to adapt and survive on the unforgiving seas. A strict hierarchy is in place that each Kraken follows and any who step out of line will be swiftly punished.
Sea Trade Federation
After the catastrophic events that left the world drowned under its own oceans, survivors began emerging from the wreckage. Using what little they had to stay afloat in this new aquatic world, the survivors began to rebuild civilizations. Some chose to try to rebuild technology to better suit this world, others embraced the anarchy while some attempted to bring order to the chaotic world. A small, yet growing, community of independent traders found it beneficial to set up a trading network between the various factions regardless of affiliations and affairs.
These traders formed what is now known as the Sea Trade Federation – a governing entity that creates laws for merchants to follow and keep safe while establishing trade routes. Any laws set by the federation must first be approved by a majority vote of a representative congress.
The Sea Trade Federation encompasses several merchants who work of their own accord. Some merchants follow the laws closely and others tend to disregard them entirely. Their goals are the same nevertheless: gather resources, use those resources for influence, and use influence to gain power.