Fire Ant Corsairs of Mobile – Google Docs
The Fire Ant Corsairs of Mobile
City: Mobile, Alabama
Population: 3,000
Controls: Mobile, and some of the coastal waters
Government: Squatters (various corsair groups)
Problem: Unrest
Heroic Opportunity: Mercenary Work
City Aspect: Lawless and Murderous
The city of Mobile was drowned in the Serpentfall, but the dry dock facilities there proved to be surprisingly functional afterwards. Unfortunately, the people that discovered this first were pirates; the facility and the shantytown surrounding it are now the domain of the ‘Fire Ants,’ a set of corsair gangs who raid the Caribbean for loot and slaves. The Fire Ants keep a few, and sell more to anyone willing to make the trip. None go into Mobile voluntarily; even the anonymous slaver networks who find the town increasingly useful refuse to personally attend the auctions there, using instead the dregs of their own organizations to arrange deals and whatnot. The town itself is already infamous for being a warren of sin and despair, and grows worse every year.
If you can stomach it, there’s always work there for a desperado; but even the less reputable mercenary organizations avoid doing business in Mobile if they can help it. Mobile is squarely in the Drowned Coast, and the land and water are both corrupt and polluted in every possible way. The Fire Ants are not immune, either; their ships are feared throughout the Gulf of Mexico for their playful cruelty and casual murderousness. When another ship sees the fire Ant flag (think the Jolly Roger, only with an ant head for the skull and two burning brands for the crossbones), they either flee, or prepare for a fight to the death.
It’s increasingly likely that somebody will eventually invade, burn Mobile to the ground, and seed the ground with salt. This does not exclude the Konfederacy; unlike Birmingham, Mobile is uninterested in someone’s skin color before they slap a slave collar around his or her neck. The Fire Ants also have an egalitarian attitude towards piracy; they prize ruthlessness and violence over race in their members. There are even all-women corsair ships!