Overview

Half of Season Three of A Dream, Awakened takes place in the brutal pirate nation of the Windfall Archipelago. Once home to an ancient civilization of dragonborn that has long since dwindled, Windfall remained sparsely inhabited by scattered Dragonborn tribes and criminals in hiding. However, following the formation of the Republic of Hallea, the Archipelago saw rapid growth as it became a haven for pirates, smugglers, and cutthroats seeking to illicitly profit off the newly born trading nation.

The Windfall Archipelago sits to the South of Port Drast in the Essarian Sea, about a month’s journey by ship from the Hallean capital of Evershoal. It consists of nine islands in total, with eight smaller islands encircling a larger island known as Mara’s Fang. Though many smaller ports are scattered throughout its islands, the crown jewel of the Archipelago is the aptly named capital of Visceras, located on Mara’s Fang. Here, the vilest of pirates congregate to sell their ill gotten goods, replace lost crew members, and most importantly, pay tribute to the Pirate Queen herself. 

Visceras sits on the river valley delta of the Dragon’s Blood river that feeds out into the waters of the Archipelago. Constructed out of condemned ships and whatever other materials could be scavenged over the years, the city is a patchwork maze of narrow streets that any newcomer will surely find themselves lost in. Standing above the miasma of the city is the Crow’s Nest, a grand lighthouse that is home to the throne of the sovereign of Windfall. From here, the dreaded leader of the Archipelago carries out their brutal rule, ensuring that the pirates follow the few but firm codes that keep the nation together.

Windfall Archipelago, Politically

National Structure: The Windfall Archipelago is a loose dictatorship in which the most powerful pirate captain, i.e. the one with the greatest number of ships and resources at their disposal, enforces a loose rule of law to keep the nation from descending into complete chaos. Beyond this, there is a general code of conduct known as the Scoundrel’s Charter to which denizens of the Archipelago must adhere or risk being banished or worse. Most importantly among these codes of the charter is that regardless of the circumstance, Windfall is to always remain neutral with regards to the greater politics of Hallea and the kingdoms beyond.

Local Structure: There is very little in the way of local structure throughout the nine islands of the Windfall Archipelago. Beyond the codes of the Scoundrel’s Charter, denizens are left to organize as they see fit, whether that be through savage force of will or peaceful organization. For this reason among others, many of the remaining independent Dragonborn tribes that exist throughout the islands are widely left alone.

Windfall Archipelago, Economically

As one would expect, the primary source of income for the Windfall Archipelago comes through piracy and related trades. Whether it be plundering merchant ships for their goods, ransoming off unlucky nobles who find their way into the Archipelago’s waters, or extorting passing ships for “protection” money, the vast majority of the wealth gained in the nation is ill gotten. However, for those less prone to illegal acts, more honest trades exist in the form of dock work and ship maintenance, fishing and whaling, and general mercenary work. Regardless of one’s trade, however, all captains and crews of the Windfall Archipelago are required to provide a percentage of their fortunes and goods, ill gotten or otherwise, as tribute to the current ruler, the one exception to this being the native Dragonborn tribes.