Furry pirates on Monster Islands Sea

The Monster Island Sea was largely ignored by the great naval powers of the world. It was too far away and too dangerous. The Canine Empire was far to the west, the Feline Theocracy began leagues to the east and the Equine Collective positioned far to the north.

The sea had temptation though. Each of the three powers denied engaging in any trade with one another but if for whatever reason they did want to send a merchant vessel or two, perhaps carrying silk, spice or salt, then the Monster Islands Sea was a short cut and attractively discreet.

Equally, the smaller powers only sailed into the Monster Island Sea when they had a pressing trade reason. The Bovine Herd and Porcine Understanding used the dangerous straits more than most, the close partners often sending supply ships and couriers to one another through the choppy waters.

Who sailed the Monster Island Sea the most? Private trading Houses did. The Four Paws Trading Company maintained a steady stream of silk vessels, often travelling in convoy, to take the fine creations of the weavers in the east to the nobles in the west. The White Tail Merchant House used the outer rim of the Sea to save weeks on their shipments of spices produced by the grazers of the Equine Collective to the descendant restaurants that the cats so favoured. Smaller trading houses used the Sea far more often, to take the risk in order to turn the profit but willing to pay well for maps and security.

And the pirates. Where ever there was naval trade there would be pirates. The pirates of the Monster Islands Sea were considered the most fierce and feared in the whole world. The powers knew of at least two rival fleets, each in command of more than a dozen ships, but also of dozens of individual captains who seemed supernaturally able to out think and out manoeuvre the navy.

The pirates waged a clever battle of wits against the three powers and the trading houses. Sailors knew the stories well; if you did not resist the pirates then you would be free to go but if you fought back and survived you would be held captive and sold to the dreadful Reptilian Tribes in South.

Of the pirate captains that installed the most fear there were three; Red Tail the Fox, the Bison known only as Black Hooves and the renegade Panther known only as Shadow.