Creative Corner

Sornieth doesna separate genders nor their roles in their clans, community, 'r th' world. Ye 'ave no need t' sneak aboard a ship pretendin' t' be a lad if'n yer a lass unless that ship be ordered t' be made purely o' males. Crippled dragons an' those with weaknesses be more likely t' be turned away an' considered bad luck, but not th' genders o' yer crew. In Sornieth, ye'll find only clans 'n crews with specific rules 'r laws 'll turn away lads 'r lasses but as a whole, it isna common.

When ye be haulin' barrels, weighin' anchor, 'r even swabbin' th' deck, ye canna afford t' 'ave clothin' get caught, get in th' way, 'r otherwise "inconvenience" ye. A wee bit o' researchin' 'll reveal t' ye that shirts, breeches, jackets, an' th' common kerchief 'round th' 'ead be th' notable attire o' sailors'n pirates alike.
I believe pirates be, in a way, like vikin's. They don' jus' use th' breeches, 'n what not, but whatever they might o' plundered that won' hinder 'em. Necklaces, wing rings, tail rings, steampunk material (save fer that tail thing), an' anythin' else that won' 'cause yer scallywag t' falter be jus' fine fer sailin'!
The cap'n might look like th' crew an' may'aps 'ave a hat though no cap'n should 'ave t' 'ave a hat t' prove their rank, savvy?
If ye fancy some examples o' pirates, either turn yer deadlights t'me crew.

Recent discov'ries 'ave found that pirates 'ave taken a likin' t' paintin' their wings with th' blood o' other dragons. Each 'ave their own reasonin' fer it whether it be th' blood o' a lost mate 'r a worthy opponent. Th' designs vary from claw prints t' intricate designs dependin' on if a diff'rent dragon does th' design. It won' stay on without magic so ye'd best 'ave an arcaner do somethin' t' keep it there though!
This isna a popular tradition among pirates though'n actu'lly used t' be more frequent in lairs than anythin' else. Aggressive Plague dragons were notorious fer paintin' their wings 'n it isna unheard o' fer wildclaws t' do it either. Most often it was t' display vict'ries but that tradition 'as since started t' fade away on land.
There 'as been rumor that some crews use th' blood 's a way o' markin' kills 'r rank on th' ship.

Th' Deadlights: As o' th' fifth anniversary o' Flight Risin' an' with th' grand event o' th' Bounty o' th' Elements new eyes 'ave come t' exist. While most be treated 's normal, a dragon with th' multi-gaze eyes be particularly favored up in th' crow's nest.

Any pirate can brag 'bout eggs they've plundered an' some might even mention one 'r two o' their own offspring but no sane dragon lays 'r hatches eggs at sea. While, some scoff it as superstition, others strictly adhere t' that rule. A clutch laid on a ship'n hatched at sea tends t' be both bad luck an bad fer th' hatchlin's. All that rollin' 'n rockin' o' th' ship durin' calm'n rough seas can'n will distort a hatchlin' both mentally an' possibly physically. So any dragon lookin' t' lay eggs'd best wait 'till port.

While not many ships sail th' seas 'r skies at this time, ye'll find those that do tend t' show their flight loyalty by decoratin' their ship. Sometimes that might influence 'ow it sails 'r what it does but most often, it simply be an appearance when th' kite isna flown. Fer example, a figurehead on a Wind ship either fer air 'r sea might look like th' Windsinger made o' reeds. A Plague ship might 'ave a replica o' th' Plaguebringer made o' rottin' things 's a figurehead an' give off a scent that'd kill a Nature dragon (weak senses'n all). A Water ship, with th' power o' Arcane possibly, might not only 'ave a figurehead made o' shells'n coral t' look like th' Tidecaller but might also be able t' sail under water.
Plundered flight-aligned ships might retain these looks t' fool others inna thinkin' they might be peaceful. I've not heard it done but it wouldna s'prise me.

Pirates tend t' be unwelcome t' clans an' most social gatherin's. Ye ever try t' go t' a festival fer a flight an' end up gettin' denied ev'rythin but th' kissin' booth? An' I was prepared t' steal most o' it an' may'aps pay with some coin...
Any'ow, that doesna necessarily include yer three primary points o' int'rest. I'll be goin' in-depth with each one sep'rately an' 'ow they might affect a pirate.

Th' Auction 'Ouse: Located where th' Sea o' a Thousand Currents an' th' Tangled Wood meet, th' auction 'ouse be one o' th' busiest places in Sornieth. It takes up most o' th' largest island an' can be reached by way o' a large bridge from land. It 'as docks set up fer both flight ships an' "unmarked" ships. Th' diff'rence be that flight ships be docked closer t' one o' th' many entrances. Pirate ships dock among th' "black market" o' th' auction 'ouse. Ye won' find too many nobles struttin' about that way.
There be a method t' th' place's madness, though. Ye'll find th' auction 'ouse be sorted by what o' thing ye be wantin' t' sell whether it be a dragon, egg, 'r otherwise. Those sellin' food, materials, an' other odd things actu'lly arna separated. Ye'll find those sellin' a little bit o' ev'rythin an' others who sell strictly food. They might 'ave ev'rythin in a pile 'r actu'lly 'ave a tent 'r stall set up.
In regards t' dragons an' familiars, they be separate. Those sellin' dragons an' familiars be located on th' otherside o' th' wooden fence that separates th' livin' product from th' inanimate. Ye'll find sev'ral rows o' dragons bein' sold an' some clans don' stay t' make sure they be sold. Rather, they put a 'caretaker' in charge t' send most o' th' money earned back t' th' clan (save fer th' partin' fee). Th' more rebellious dragons that don' intend on bein' sold tend t' be chained t' th' ground 'r t' th' stage if they be featured. Familiars be 'bout th' same way though stalls can be set up t' sell th', often-caged, scallywags.
In regards t' th' new auction 'ouses (th' in-flight an' th' private), I won' go describin' either though if'n yer crew makes it far enough inland t' try an' pillage these, I'd tip me 'at t'ye. I don' fancy they'd put their in-flight auction 'ouses close t' th' borders o' their territ'ries 'cause o' flight battles.

Th' Marketplace: Significantly smaller than th' auction 'ouse but rarely do th' prices fluctuate. Ye'll find there isna one marketplace but rather multiple ones scattered throughout th' mainland. Th' friendly crew that works at them may 'r may not deal with pirates dependin' on who be workin' th' stalls, o'course. There rarely 'ave been pirate attacks on th' marketplace considerin' if ye attack one, ye'll find th' rest won' do business with ye. While they be in diff'rent locations, those who run each marketplace communicate with each other ('specially when stock runs low in one location an' not in th' other) an' a pirate might intend on sellin' t' 'em what useless trinkets they plundered. Noneth'less, it isna unheard o' fer some pirates t' 'ave attacked th' markets.

Th' Tradin' Post: Few pirates waste time travelin' t' th' tradin' post an' fewer be welcome. There only be one an' while I fancy that it might be somethin' o' a travelin' caravan, pirates arna welcome. Those who work th' tradin' post 'ave seen their share o' scallywags an' while Swipp isna opposed t' makin' a shady deal from time t' time, th' rest don' care fer pirates. Thus far, I havna heard o' 'em bein' pillaged by pirates, though.

Clans 'ave their own systems fer disciplinin' dragons an' with such a wide variety o' clans an' their lore, it can range from one extreme t' another. Yet, there be a diff'rent crew at work where the clans don't stick their snouts inna.
Th' 'authorities' as I fancy callin' 'em be a clan o' their own sorts that deal with dragons who break laws, rules, standards, etc. If a clan sends word t' 'em 'bout an unruly 'r dang'rous dragon they 'ave, th' authorities arrive t' take th' dragon an' sometimes even pay 'em fer th' scallywag.
Their presence exists heavily in th' auction 'ouse an' there be rumors o' a prison below th' massive gatherin' place where they stick pirates, exiles, murderers, an' other dragons. In th' auction 'ouse they keep an eye out fer thieves, trouble makers, an' even runaway hatchlin's 'r dragons that were goin' t' be sold. Th' runaways be returned t' their sellin' spot if they be caught an' usu'lly chained but th' rest disappear...
Aye, there 'ave been more than a few cases where these authorities 'ave let a sly dragon slip through their claws 'r lost a battle t' more'n one mate but what they do with th' others be a myst'ry. There 'ave been one 'r two who swear they've escaped from th' authorities an' others who mention somethin' 'bout it but be too tortured t' speak o' much.
They be referred t' by most as th' SLW. No clan title by any means, Sornieth's Last Wall be th' last crew any pirate would want t' run in t'. It 'as been an on-goin' rumor that if they suspect a dragon be a pirate, they abduct that dragon. There 'as been no dragon t' disprove it...'r prove it nor 'ave there been any that want t' investigate it.

T' be exalted be th' highest form o' honor t' serve yer diety...so why would ye exalt a thievin', murderin' scallywag?
Th' answer be that ye wouldn't. As a pirate, yer crew wouldna be exalted. There might be pirates out there that don' pillage their own flight an' it be possible that those pirates can be exalted. Yet, if'n a hand wanted t' leave th' ship, they wouldna be walkin' off o' it 'r flyin' fer that matter. They'd be sinkin'. O'course, th' only way t' do that be by hittin' th' 'exalt' button but ye jus' remember that there be no diety that'd want such a bilge rat servin' 'em.
When it comes t' other clans "exaltin'" a law-breakin' dragon, well...that all depends on their choice o' lore 's well. Some clans might not exalt dragons but rather kill 'em, others might banish 'em, an' so forth. Th' thing t' remember be this: Would ye want this dragon servin' th' diety yer goin' t' exalt it t'?

Abyssal Sacrifices: If ye've read 'r 'eard o' th' Abyss ye be aware that th' mere mention o' it can cause both pups 'n old sea dogs t' tremble in their skins 'n mumble a prayer t' th' tides'n gods. It isna unheard o' fer pirates both supersitious'n not t' make sacrifies t' th' Abyss. Th' belief be that any sacrifice, 'specially those in larger quantities o' livin', breathin' dragons might bless th' ship'n its crew safe travels, large amounts o' booty, among other things ye might consider lucky at sea. Hatchlin's be a fav'rite t' sacrifice believin' that their youth might keep th' sailors energized'n in good spirits.
While this isna a common practice o' pirates, those that do perform these sacrifices make them at th' Abyss's Maw.

[center][b][font=papyrus][size=5]Drinkin' an' th' Drunken Sailor[/size][/font][/b] [size=2][i]He drinks like a fish and drowns like a dragon.[/i][/size][/center] One primary icon o' pirates be th' drinkin' aspect. Ye'll find there be no ref'rences t' alcohol 'r its effect on dragons in any real Flight Risin' lore. While there isna any rum 'r anythin' in th' Flight Risin' world, there be other "bev'rages" that'll provide th' same intoxication. Me bev'rage o' choice be th' [item=Unstable Serthis Concoction] an' ye'll find th' serthis be capable o' brewin' up more'n that. Fer that reason, pirates 'ave been known t' deliberately seek out serthis encampments in order t' plunder a variety o' liquids. Sometimes, ye'll find the liquid ye might drink on rare occasions be th' same one ye poison yer sword with. Dragons produce their own sorts 's well. Th' clans 'r dragon that does tend t' be very wealthy an' deal with repeat buyers. A fav'rite among taverns be a beer-like substance topped off with cerdae dust t' give it an unnatural glow.

Sailors be well known fer bein' superstitious which can aid 'r hinder a crew at sea. While not ev'ry crew sets sail believin' that there be a drivin' force o' luck or evil fillin' their sails it be picked up o'er time on voyages. Not all beliefs be shared by ev'ry ship'n sailor but some be more well-known than others an' luck isna jus' fer th' ship. Sailors also believed certain 'tattoos' 'r designs upon their bodies might save 'em from a murky death 'r bless 'em with riches whether it be a good catch 'r a good plunder.

Luck o' th' Ship:
-A hearty shanty durin' storms be thought t' 'elp calm th' rough waves whether it be sung by one dragon 'r all o' 'em (mind followin' orders from yer superiors though o'course).
-Seaglass swimmers be good luck t' spot an' it be believed they'll bring good fortune, but they bring quite th' opposite if they be killed.
-Miniature potash peaches be considered good luck t' bring aboard an' (this next part isna widely known 'r believed) if ye suck on one 'fore ye mate aboard th' ship it'll rid ye o' th' ill effects o' 'avin eggs aboard th' ship.
Bad Luck o' th' Ship:
-T' set sail durin' a new moon be considered bad luck.
-T' catch sight o' a mantarune, 'specially swimmin' alongside a ship be considered bad luck. This be true 'specially if they be big enough t' attack a ship but th' common belief be that they bring storms with 'em.
-Don' bring birds aboard a ship t' eat 'r kill. It be thought that killin' birds takes th' wind out o' a ship's sails whether t' eat 'r not.
-T' kill a hatchlin' on board a ship be extremely bad luck an' it be believed that in doin' so th' fate o' th' ship lies in th' Abyss then.
-T' 'ave more than one mutiny aboard a ship on one voyage be considered an omen o' th' ship's future.
-A dragon with th' ghost gene be considered immensely dangerous t' 'ave aboard a ship. It be believed they bring death an' misfortune aboard th' ship th' moment they set claw upon its deck.
Luck o' th' Sailor:
-Certain tattoos, accents, 'r 'skins' be considered lucky. A compass on th' wings be thought t' 'elp guide a sailor 'n increase th' chances o' a ship lost at sea o' bein' found. Marks pertainin' t' th' sea itself (but not th' Abyss 'r any o' th' Flight relevant locations) be believed t' 'elp a dragon swim 'n keep 'em from drownin'. Th' name o' a dragon's mate on any part o' their body be believed t' guarantee a safe voyage home (fe sailors o' th' flights th' same can be said fer flight relevant symbols on th' body an' th' mate thing be applicable 's well).
-Wing bangles not only be considered lucky but also marks a dragon's devotion t' th' sea.
Bad Luck o' th' Sailor:
-Th' ghost gene fer a sailor often means more'n jus' bad luck fer a ship. A dragon hatched with th' ghost gene ('specially ones with sailors fer parents) 'r believed t' 'ave nothin' but misfortune in their lives. Often this be true o' those hatched from sailors 'cause they be cast off 'r killed. While it be bad luck t' kill a hatchlin' aboard a ship there be nothin' 'bout them bein' thrown o'erboard t' let th' sea determine their fate.

'Ave somethin' ye consider lucky 'r unlucky? Post 'ere 'r message me an' I'll add it an' credit ye!