Pirate Code

There are many Pirate Codes across the universe, with each vessel or fleet possessing its own 'Articles of Employ', which establish rules and enforcement for their crews. Further, some pirate organizations (especially those in the Deep Shroud) have established their own legal systems, and rules of law. Pirate Codes may establish law and punishment aboard a vessel, and they may also enumerate how leadership is chosen, plunder divided, and how crew are compensated.

History
Pirate Codes as a concept date back to the golden age of Piracy centered around the late 17th early 18th century on Terra. Pirate ships were often chaotic, anarchic, and highly democratic organizations which required some form of central governance to effectively operate. The first Pirate Codes were created to act as a sort of 'Ship's Constitution', establishing laws and rules for the vessel and its crew. In addition to this Codes would be used to establish how plunder would be divided, and frequently doubled as a contract of employ for the crew joining the vessel.

In the present day, piracy in space has become exceedingly more complex than in the past, with ships crews often reaching well into the hundreds or even thousands in some rare cases. And ships frequently work cooperatively, with entire fleets of vessels operating together over a large region of space. As such, the need for a complex system of organization and law has become necessary for the largest piratical organizations. Modern Pirate Codes on the small scale can be simple single page documents that simply establish ground rules for a crew, but others can become incredibly complex and intricate constitutions which establish a pseudo "Nation-of-the-Void". Today the largest and most famous Pirate Code is the 'Articles of the Brotherhood', the central binding constitution of the Brotherhood of the Void, a Pirate Republic consisting of many billions of independent ships, fleets, and sailors.

Brotherhood of the Void
The Brotherhood of the Void is the largest Pirate Republic in the known Galaxy. The Brotherhood consists of several billion pirates spread across the Deep and Near Shroud, with its government centered around the Seven Coves, a series of great pirate safe harbors constructed deep in the Shroud. The Brotherhood serves the role of both a loose confederation, and as a protector of the extremely volatile balance of power in the Deep Shroud. Pirates who align with the Brotherhood are barred from attacking one another in or around the coves, and must abide by a strict code intended to maintain the greater stability of the region and trade.

In addition to it's rules in establishing a basic form of law and order for members of the Brotherhood, the 'Articles of the Brotherhood' establish the means through which the seven Pirate Lords of the great coves are elected, and how they in turn are able to modify the articles themselves. In addition to this, the Articles establish the right of the Lord's Conclave to summon a joint-fleet of the seven coves for the purposes of defending itself.

Articles of the Brotherhood
I. Each soul whose name inks these pages is 'of the Blood', and is bound to these rules so writ.

II. Each soul -- of blood or of other -- shall be given grace of life, and none shall be degraded into servitude or slavery be it in recompense or prize of war.

III. No ships guns, bombs, cannon, nor arms may be borne 'gainst other craft of blood when in the orbit or realm of one of the seven cove.

IV. Each of the Brotherhood must obey rules of Parlay first before hostilities are borne. Prey must be given the choice to meet demands first, unless they are first to engage in hostilities.

V. When hostages are to be taken, terms should be negotiated before, and their rules must be obeyed so long as their contract is honored.

VI. When marooning one of blood, provisions must be made for their survival -- including a hospitable world for their stranding.

VII. Where duels are to be between members of blood, both parties must be in agreeance for their results to be honored.

VIII. Division of plunder as agreed to in each crew's writ must be honored to the full truth of text. Robbery of earned due is to be seen as a crime of robbery against the Brotherhood itself.

IX. None shall desert quarters in battle or in fear of such.

X. When moored in Cove, each is to honor the code of cove, so far as that cove is one of blood.

XI. Each who is to be hijacked into duty shall be given rights to sign ship's articles, and be taken aboard as equal part to their crew.

XII. From the captains of each cove, one shall be chosen in their own means as the Lord of the Cove

XIII. The Lord of each of the Seven Coves shall posses one of the seven rights of election for the Brotherhood.

XIV. Changes to these articles shall be make by majority of 5 of the voting rights.

XV. The summons of all fleets loyal to all the coves for purposes of war or defense may be ordered by the largest share of votes of the lords.