Piracy has always been a danger for shipping around the world. Throughout history merchants have been preyed upon by desperate or greedy fishermen, by rogue naval ships acting as privateers, as well as organised fleets dedicated to larceny.
There are numerous modern hotspots for piracy throughout the Civilised Worldplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigCivilised World
The Civilised World refers to the known regions of human civilisation, notably the continent of Anásthias, the Natorn Archipelago and surrounding islands.
Gastrinimer's 3rd century BME Map of the World, showing Anásthias and the Natorn Isles. Note: old maps place north to the right.AnásthiasAnásthiasAnásthiasAnásthias. The Spines is a tradition lurk for pirates, hunting traders between Anrel with Anásthiasplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigAnásthias
Anásthias [a-NAS-thee-ass / ænæsθiːæs], or [an-ass-THEE-as] is an equatorial island continent, heart of the Civilised World. The north straddles the equator and is hot and humid, while most of the equatorial centre is an upland plateau with fertile river valleys, and stretches of arid plains and desert in the shadow of the mountains. The south is temperate but more wild, separated from the civilisations of the north by the almost impassable Harthera. Piracy particularly increased after the Hartheranplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigHarthera
The Hartheran Union, commonly named Harthera, is an imperialist maritime nation state dominating the northeast of Anásthias. It is one of the two great powers of the modern epoch, arguably the most technologically and militarily powerful nation in the world, only matched by the vast size and wealth of its neighbour, viridOrorrMEOrorrOrorrOrorrOrorr invasion of Besoa, when the few remaining ships of the Besoan naval fleets took refuge in islands of the Spines, launching attacks on lone Hartheran vessels whenever they could.
The southern coast of Munatanplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigMunatan
Munatan [Moo-Nah-Tahn] is the southernmost region of Anásthias, south of the Dun Trisan mountains. The name possibly derives from a ancient Thalsic, meaning “Land of One Sun”, since the daystar is not visible in the southern hemisphere. Or it may be a reference to the Manthi people who were once the majority population of western Munatan. The term is an OrorrOrorrOrorrHartheraHartheraOrorrOrorrOrorrHartheraHartheraHartheran is particularly known for piracy, with its constant petty wars between local nations being a present danger for merchant ships. Even on the northern coast of Anasthias, the border coasts between Ororr and Harthera, and the isolated northwestern Cape Cadal, are a known risk to shipping.