Imaculata
Hero
The beliefs and philosophies of various cultures, is one of the core topics of my current pirate campaign.
There's the Speakers of the Dead, a race of necromancer pirates, who believe their women are a direct connection to the gods. This is why they allow only female captains (who are also witches), and they try to keep their women pleased, for fear of angering the gods. This belief informs the difference in occupations between men and women in this culture, how they dress, how they prepare for war... everything. The Speakers strike terror in the hearts of their enemies, by dressing as the very definition of death incarnate. They paint their teeth and eye sockets black, and cover their clothes in human and animal bones and lots of skulls and spider imagery. The Speakers worship their women as gods, if not more than the gods themselves.
Then there's the Kooghans, who fear a placed called the Eternal Depths. They fear that if you drown at sea, you go to this hellish frozen place at the bottom of the ocean. And so they all wear fabrics that float, and they are all excellent swimmers. They use animal symbolism in their clothing and ship design, and are very close to nature. The Kooghans use scarification on their skin as part of their many rituals, similar to some African tribes. The Kooghans worship the main pantheon of gods, but also the three holy serpents, which are the spirits of their island. The Kooghans do not believe in any form of government. Their leaders are hand chosen by the people, and easily replaced.
The Gongya An are asian pirates who fled the oppressive rule of a powerful empire. They are all fiercely independent, and distrust anyone that would try to impose rule over them. They make their clothes from the fearsome sea creatures that they hunt, and travel the oceans with a giant floating city on the back of a massive sleeping turtle.
The Oarsmen are a tribe of nautical dwarves (or dwarf pirates), who specialize in undersea exploration and salvaging. None of them grow beards, and they don't like being called 'dwarf'. They cover themselves in tattoos, and are very focused on ancient tradition. The Oarsmen are extremely loyal, but often this loyalty must first be earned. The Oarsmen have strong isolationist tendencies. Some of their ancestors are very important in their teachings, but a strong divide in their various ancestral philosophies has created an internal rift between their current leader, and other captains.
All of these people worship the established pantheon of gods, though some may worship additional gods, saints, or specific gods that are important to their culture. One deity that is worshiped by many, is the Lady of the Waves, who is a local (lesser) sea deity that is not part of the official pantheon.
There's the Speakers of the Dead, a race of necromancer pirates, who believe their women are a direct connection to the gods. This is why they allow only female captains (who are also witches), and they try to keep their women pleased, for fear of angering the gods. This belief informs the difference in occupations between men and women in this culture, how they dress, how they prepare for war... everything. The Speakers strike terror in the hearts of their enemies, by dressing as the very definition of death incarnate. They paint their teeth and eye sockets black, and cover their clothes in human and animal bones and lots of skulls and spider imagery. The Speakers worship their women as gods, if not more than the gods themselves.
Then there's the Kooghans, who fear a placed called the Eternal Depths. They fear that if you drown at sea, you go to this hellish frozen place at the bottom of the ocean. And so they all wear fabrics that float, and they are all excellent swimmers. They use animal symbolism in their clothing and ship design, and are very close to nature. The Kooghans use scarification on their skin as part of their many rituals, similar to some African tribes. The Kooghans worship the main pantheon of gods, but also the three holy serpents, which are the spirits of their island. The Kooghans do not believe in any form of government. Their leaders are hand chosen by the people, and easily replaced.
The Gongya An are asian pirates who fled the oppressive rule of a powerful empire. They are all fiercely independent, and distrust anyone that would try to impose rule over them. They make their clothes from the fearsome sea creatures that they hunt, and travel the oceans with a giant floating city on the back of a massive sleeping turtle.
The Oarsmen are a tribe of nautical dwarves (or dwarf pirates), who specialize in undersea exploration and salvaging. None of them grow beards, and they don't like being called 'dwarf'. They cover themselves in tattoos, and are very focused on ancient tradition. The Oarsmen are extremely loyal, but often this loyalty must first be earned. The Oarsmen have strong isolationist tendencies. Some of their ancestors are very important in their teachings, but a strong divide in their various ancestral philosophies has created an internal rift between their current leader, and other captains.
All of these people worship the established pantheon of gods, though some may worship additional gods, saints, or specific gods that are important to their culture. One deity that is worshiped by many, is the Lady of the Waves, who is a local (lesser) sea deity that is not part of the official pantheon.
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