Though details are sketchy, there is seldom a human in all of the Old World who has never heard of Sartosa. Everywhere, curses and cheers ring out for the infamous tales of pirate captains. In the courts of the Empire and Bretonnia, balladeers write romantic melodramas starring such famous figures as Black-Wyrd and glorify them as roguish heroes, when in fact they are often drunken, cowardly, and dishonest to the core.

Still, the song of the sea and the allure of the pirate life often call eager souls from all over the Old World. Dishonoured lords, court-martialed soldiers, mercenaries, or plain old farmers, all walks of life meet and thieve as one class of free men in Sartosa. Some of these sailors abandon their former nation, and get violent at any landlubber foolish enough to ask personal questions. Some openly embrace their old heritage, seeing themselves as privateers and warriors of their homeland (even during peacetime). An angry few openly curse their past life, actively seeking out victims from their former homeland, in a deadly spiral of vengeance. Whatever the cause, the pirates of different lands often have a different style of pirating, and different strengths and weaknesses.

The oldest and truest strain of pirates, they are formed from native Sartosans or an amalgamation of pirates from across the map. They swear allegiance to none but the Pirate King, and sail under the banner of King Death. They are pirates till they die, and woe on any who stand in their way. Welcome to Sartosa, where life is vibrant and painfully short. Keep your cutlass sharp, and your powder dry, and you just might survive till sunrise.