The Pirate Freeholds

Overview
The Pirate Freeholds are a group of City States surrounding a Caldera in the seas to the east of Marnu Falmar. They are the largest Mercenary Navy on the planet, and quite possibly the largest mercenary force bar none. They have an entire code of Naval Combat that they follow to the letter, and their own traditions. Usually, when two countries wish to wage a naval war, they will hire ships from the Pirate Freeholds to supplement their navy. Hence the rules of engagement to ensure that the mercenary companies lose as few lives as possible to 'friendly fire.'



Creation of the Freeholds
Originally, the whole Caldera was a place where smugglers would hide out from the various navies of the world. However, each Pirate captain eventually needed a place to settle his family, and his crews family. Soon the Freeholds were born, huge cities that dot the inner ring of the Caldera. Though they still call themselves 'pirates,' they're anything but.

The Great Gamble
One notable event in history was when the Saxbourgs took over the throne of Marnu Falmar 80 years ago, Aleis' great-grandfather hired the entirety of the Pirate Freehold's fleet, nearly bankrupting the family (that was once as wealthy as the Allendales) in what has been referred to as "The Great Gamble". He hired all of them to blockade every port of Marnu Falmar so that no sea trade could occur. While Land trade still went on, Estelee-By-The-Sea is, as the name suggests, in close proximity to the sea. Every night the pirates would raid, and soon the old King was locked in a city full of people that hated him for not surrendering already. Thus, the Saxbourgs got their throne.

Reception
The average person from the rest of the world would believe that they've got some strange ideas, but their money's good. Consequently, any weird behavior by people claiming to be from the Freeholds would be passed off as odd pirate shenanigans. They do not actually speak with pirate accents, as many(?) might believe.