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  1. Oyster Pearl(In Beta 1.5)
  2. Lore

THE CRACKED CROWN CREW — CREW PRIMER

THE CRACKED CROWN CREW — CREW PRIMER

Field Dossier / Pirate-Hunter Circulation Copy
Primary Target: Captain Sable Renk, “The Crown-Breaker”
Threat Class: Civilian Predator / Orchard-Raider / Ship-Thief
Known Waters: Northern Abyssal Sea → fringe lanes → drift toward Southern Archipelago
Signature: Broken crown over a grinning skull (missing teeth), black sailcloth


I. CAPTAIN PROFILE

Sable Renk — “The Crown-Breaker”
Baseline Human male; late 20s–mid 30s (estimated).
Build: lean, efficient; moves like a dockhand who learned fencing.
Marks: shaved scalp with a single braided topknot; scar line ear-to-jaw; one gold tooth.
Dress: coin-plated inner coat (quiet armor—clinks when he wants you to notice).

Command Style:
Renk does not “rage-lead.” He directs. He treats cruelty like doctrine, using calm voice + structured teams to keep his crew obedient and the victims psychologically shattered. He is known to stand still during violence, watching like an inspector.

Core Method:

  1. Arrive under false signals and fog.

  2. Isolate civilians with bridge-cuts / lash-line sabotage.

  3. Loot resin, dampeners, charts, food, and “quiet cargo.”

  4. Leave a message (burn marks, dead bodies placed as warning).

Known Fixation:
Renk is obsessed with “uncrowning” local protectors—anyone claiming to shelter civilians (merchant lords, neutral holds, “civilian kings”). He wants reputations to bleed.


II. CREW COMPOSITION

Estimated active crew: 18–26 (varies by job).
Core always present: 10–12.

Primary Vessel: Candy-Gallows — fast brigantine with expanded cargo belly.
Support Craft: 2 longboats + 1 reef-sled skiff (low profile, shallow-water capable).

Primary Trades: ship theft, resale, extortion, orchard raiding, chart trafficking.
Criminal Pattern: prefers targets with repair materials and quiet exports (resin, dampeners, timber, rope, preserved food).


III. KEY OFFICERS & NAMED MEMBERS

1) FIRST MATE — “PENNY” GORRAN (Quartermaster / Whistle-Boss)

Female, baseline human; tall, wiry; hair in tight ropes.
Wears a sash of sailcloth with tally slashes (counts raids or sales).
Carries a boatswain whistle used as a battlefield metronome.

Role: logistics + extraction timing.
Behavioral Note: speaks in cargo terms (“quiet cargo,” “breakdown,” “stacking”).
Why she matters: she keeps Renk’s cruelty efficient—without her, the crew becomes sloppy.


2) VICE-CAPTAIN — HARK VOM (Boarding Ram / Intimidation)

Male, heavy build; chain-pattern jaw tattoo.
Weapon: belaying pin / club; favored for breaking bones and morale.

Role: front-line enforcement, hostage control, “make them kneel.”
Tell: spits before he hits. Loud. Wants witnesses.


3) VICE-CAPTAIN — “LILT” SANDARA (Bridge-Cutter / Terror Specialist)

Female, baseline human; pale eyes; half-mask.
Known for cutting lash-lines, dropping bridges, and dividing crowds.
Wears a necklace of fingerbones or carved replicas (unconfirmed).

Role: sabotage + panic shaping.
Why she’s feared: she doesn’t just win—she separates people so nobody feels protected.


4) “SACKHANDS” (Twin Cargo Men / Loot Specialists)

Two near-identical males (suspected brothers).
Canvas gloves stained with tar; handles resin, rope, dampeners, and toolkits.

Role: theft efficiency; fast loading; inventory stripping.
Weakness: tunnel vision—if their cargo plan breaks, they freeze.


5) THE “CHART PRIEST” (Unconfirmed / Rumor Node)

Multiple reports mention a thin man with map ink up to his wrists who mutters routes like prayers. Some crews claim he is the reason fog approaches “feel pre-planned.”

Status: not confirmed as real—may be a rotating role (any navigator they hire).


IV. TACTICS & SIGNATURE PLAYS

1) False Lantern Line
They copy safe approach markers and use mismatched colors to lure ships/holds into the wrong cut. Survivors consistently report the same trick.

2) Lash-Line Guillotine
They target bridges, nets, rigging pins, and rope ladders first. The goal is to separate defenders before any fight begins.

3) “Soft Hands, Hard Mouths”
First minute: quiet. Second minute: screaming. They manufacture chaos in phases.

4) Cargo Priority
They are not “treasure pirates.” They steal materials that become power:

  • seal resins

  • dampener reeds/slabs

  • timber

  • rope stock

  • repair tools

  • charts and route ledgers
    Then sell ships and supplies through fences.


V. REPUTATION

Among pirates: “profitable, disciplined, ugly.”
Among civilians: a nightmare name (spoken like a curse).
Among hunters/privateers: high-value but politically annoying (because he provokes collateral scandals and fear).

Most common warning phrase:

“If you see a broken crown, cut your lanterns and pray the fog isn’t listening.”


VI. LIKELY HIDEOUTS & FENCES

  • Trench-lane floating markets (Northern Abyssal edges)

  • Drift coves near the Southern Archipelago (ship resale)

  • Neutral repair ports where stolen hulls can be “reborn” with new paint

Fence Behavior: they sell fast and cheap—Renk prefers motion over hoarding.


VII. BOUNTY NOTES (FOR YOUR WORLD’S NOTICE BOARDS)

Capture Priority:

  1. Penny Gorran (breaks the crew’s extraction discipline)

  2. Lilt Sandara (stops bridge-cuts and panic shaping)

  3. Sable Renk (ends doctrine; may fracture into smaller gangs)

Engagement Advice:

  • Don’t chase into fog cuts without your own markers.

  • Guard your lash-lines like they’re lifelines—because they are.

  • Hit the support craft first; strand them away from the brigantine.

  • Expect hostage play. They will use civilians as moving cover.


VIII. WHAT MAKES THEM “VILLAINS” IN ONE SENTENCE

The Cracked Crown Crew doesn’t raid ships to survive—
they raid protectorates to prove that protection is a lie.