Issued by: Privateer Contract Office (Port Seabright Liaison Desk)
Circulation: Port Seabright, Southern Archipelago lanes, reef-corridor patrols
Status: ACTIVE — ESCALATION IN PROGRESS
The crew calling themselves the Monkey Paw Pirates have executed a precision interdiction in the Port Seabright lanes known as the Lanternwake Job. Contrary to initial assumptions, this was not drunken raiding. This was an engineered stop, escort-disable, tender seizure, and controlled withdrawal attempt.
They are now assessed as organized and growing, with an emerging pattern: target the system, not the ship.
Location: Lanternwake Corridor (deep lane between submerged reef spines)
Target Convoy: Shogunate tax movement routed off-schedule
Confirmed Sequence (Witness-Matched):
The Monkey Paw vessel (the Silent Bell) presented as disabled and lane-blocking.
A siren-class operative used harmonic deception to imitate structural failure (“dying merchant frequency”).
Escort vessel (The Sable Lung) broke formation and closed for clearance/salvage intimidation.
Escort was disabled in under a breath:
Pressure-disruption event consistent with sonic counter-resonance (Iron-Lung failure reported).
Single cannon shot severed steering/boom hardware.
Boarder action cut essential rigging; mainmast failure observed.
Tender (Ledger Sloop) was boarded and stripped; crew largely spared after surrender.
Custody container opened; an internal mechanism emitted a resonance alarm (“Witness-Scream”).
Result: Escort neutralized, tender compromised, custody assets stolen. Alarm broadcast confirmed.
Race: Baseline Human
Class: Pearl Hammer
Known Traits: Will-driven resonance manifestation; leadership beyond apparent age; intimidation events reported as “deep-pressure presence.”
Assessment: Primary strategic threat. Demonstrates restraint when surrender is offered. Displays preference for assets over slaughter.
Race: Baseline Human
Class: Blade Mastery
Identifiers: Missing right arm; Siddhi pearl in place of right eye; extreme mobility (parkour-style ship crossing).
Assessment: System-cutter. Do not offer “duel terms.” He does not require them.
Race: Pearl Beast (Siren)
Class: Pearl Hunter
Identifiers: Plum-toned skin, fins on limbs, black void eyes, kelp-and-silver hair.
Threat Note: Harmonic warfare confirmed. Causes pressure sickness, disorientation, and equipment resonance failure.
Assessment: Crowd-control and captain-disable. Treat as a ship-scale hazard.
Type: Stolen frigate, modified
Status: CONFIRMED KEEL-BIRTH INTEGRATION (stone-born hull conversion)
Figurehead: Hooded, faceless giant formation (ironwood/stone morphology)
Operational Note: Vessel is slow to accelerate but functions as a moving obstacle. Expect lane-denial tactics, reef-corridor traps, and momentum-based rams. Standard pursuit craft may fail to force engagement.
Item A: Imperial Black Ledger (sealed record book; treason-grade intelligence)
Item B: “Storm-Eater” — Large (8-slot) Meito Pearl
Elemental classification suspected: storm/pressure/lightning band
Fleet-grade capability indicated by resonance output
Item C: Heavy Brass Custody Key (chain-of-control breach)
ALARM NOTE: Custody Box contained a resonance witness mechanism. Open-event broadcast suggests external tracking/attention. Hunters should assume counter-parties already mobilizing.
Privateer Captain: Confirmed injured/disabled during escort engagement.
Likelihood: Retaliation extremely high. Any hunter encountering Xandar should expect unlicensed violence and collateral.
Capture Priority:
Kaio Veyra — Alive Preferred (interrogation value: ledger, pearl, keel-birth method)
Silent Bell — Seizure Authorized (Keel-Birth hull is a strategic artifact)
Storm-Eater Pearl — Return Mandatory (no private salvage rights)
Black Ledger — Return Mandatory (state security)
Engagement Rules (Practical):
Do not pursue into reef corridors without local charts.
Do not close within siren harmonic range without ear/pressure mitigation.
Do not assume the crew will slaughter surrendered personnel; they have demonstrated conditional restraint. That restraint does not extend to anyone who escalates.
Witnesses report the captain calling the ship:
“We’re a wall.”
“We’re going to be the cliff.”
“Not heroic. Not clean. But ours.”
This language is spreading fast. Expect copycats. Confirm identity by hull and figurehead, not slogans.
Southern Archipelago lanes, outward of Port Seabright route web. Likely moving to ground, hide, or seek tuning assistance after stone-hull strain.
IF SIGHTED: Do not attempt solo interception. Notify the nearest contract office or admiralty patrol node immediately.