Golarion Help Needed- Shackles Hierarchy

[ArendK]

HAYULP!

Running Skulls and Shackles for my online group, and I just realized something that might be critical to explain. I want to make sure I have the hierarchy of the Shackles understood from the pirates perspective. This is what I've got, level of importance from top to bottom.

Hurricane King- Big cheese, el jefe, the boss. Still limited by the Pirate Council at times, but largely what he says goes throughout the Shackles. Kerdak Bonefist

Pirate Lords- "True" Free Captains who through sheer might, political savvy, or winning the Free Captains Regatta, have a seat at the Hurricane Kings table. They make up the Pirate Council, and in their homeports and maybe a little of the surrounding waters, what they say goes. There are 30 of them based on the Price of Infamy book. Tessa Fairwind, the werewolf captain, Master of the Gales, Barnabas Harrigan, etc. fall into this category.

"True" Free Captains- Those who possess a Shackles Letter of Marque from the Hurricane King. Shackles LoM basically says you can do what you want as a pirate in the Shackles, but the consequences are YOUR problem based off the resources of the person you robbed, it will not protect you from their retaliation. Shackles Letters of Marque are easy enough to obtain (I think I read it was like 250-1000 gp, depending on the port to obtain one). The Letter of Marque typically means that Free Captains of the next group can swear loyalty to a bearer in exchange for protection (essentially a pirate gang or alliance). Captain Merrill Pegsworthy and most other pirates operate as these.

Free Captains- Pretty much any idiot with a boat and a crew can call themselves a Free Captain. These are the captains without the Letter of Marque. Truly free, but also equal prey to anyone else. Most major ports require a token tax from these captains (usually just a single gold piece to the harbor master as a token of respect to the Hurricane King) upon docking.

I think that covers it, but I can't remember my sources for most of them, just things I remember reading. If it's not canon, is this workable?

[legomaster00156]

That's about how the general heirarchy works. It's also notable that many Pirate Lords have other Free Captains (or even other Pirate Lords) aligned with them, or even in their fleets. For example, most of Motaku's Pirate Lords and Free Captains align politically and strategically with Tessa Fairwind, even though they aren't obligated to do so. I typically run fleets as flying the colors of their leaders' flag just above or below their own flag on their masts.
It's also implied that there are also more than 30 Pirate Lords, but only 30 are known to sit on the Pirate's Council.

[ArendK]

Appreciated. I figured alliances went without saying (which is how "law enforcement" is handled in the Shackles for the most part).

[Florian]

The Shackles showcase how the liberal and unchecked use of "Might Makes Right" works.

You have the power you are now the Alpha dog and in charge, aka Lords and Bonefist.

It also showcases the power of alliances or unions to create something mightier than the individual by pooling resources. This is exemplified by the Council and will play a major role in parts 5 and 6 of the AP.