"We spied this juicy ripe sloop on its way to Carroburg just as night was falling, and lit some fires on the left bank to make them think the village was a few hundred yards closer. They tacked to starboard just like we planned and hit the sand bank dead on. Sweet as. How were we to know the boat was transporting a company of pistoliers?"
- —Greta Lachsmann, shortly before her hanging[2a]
A wrecker of the Old World
A wrecker is a pirate or bandit who seeks to lure vessels travelling on rivers and/or the seas to their doom so that they might loot those vessels' cargoes for their own gain. The long rivers and coastlines of the Old World can be dangerous places, made all the more so by wreckers.
Role[]
"In the distant past there was a dastardly Sartosan master who sailed several seas in his mighty galley. He cried “Avast! Avast me hearties!” he cried at last. “We’ll bring nasty merchants to their knees and seize vast hordes of booties ‘n’ rubies.” His crew, being ghastly, they all agreed."
Wreckers are river and coastal pirates who seek to sink vessels and then raid the wrecks. Their techniques for doing this vary, although most lure the unwary into rocky shallows to hole their hulls. Although only interested in cargo, some wreckers make a habit of killing, wary of escapees that may inform Riverwardens of their identities or locations.[2a]
In lean times, it is not unknown for entire communities to turn to wrecking to feed their starving families. Whilst most of these are desperate and only "short-term" sorts, some wrecker crews are very experienced, targeting even well-guarded traders. Such crews rarely stay in one place for any length of time, for their activities soon draw attention from Riverwardens, Bounty Hunters and local militiamen.[1a] However, some expert wreckers have become adept at making their work look like an accident.[2a]
Bands of wreckers work around the coasts of all the realms of the Old World. They live by salvaging cargos from stricken vessels. Although there are some wreckers who live by treacherous lengths of coastline and wait patiently for ships to run aground, they may even manage to keep on the right side of the law as they do so, informing the authorities of their actions but seeking a legal cut of the salvage.[3a]
But such people are not archetypal wreckers. The enterprise of wrecking is usually an opportunistic and criminal one, and the name is associated with those who take an active role in ensuring a steady supply of ships to wreck and plunder.[3a]
Tactics[]
Wreckers take advantage of treacherous stretches of river and coasts, luring riverboats and ships to their doom on rocks or sandbars so that they can move in and steal the cargoes. Some allow their victims to escape before moving in, while others prefer to leave no witnesses. Wreckers' tactics depend on their location and temperament. A few of the more common tactics employed by wreckers are listed below.[4a]
Wreckers using artificial hazards to trap their prey travelling down a river.
- False Beacons - This method is normally used only at night, although some gangs have been known to use a daytime variant, moving flags that are set up to warn river traffic of a hazard. The wreckers' false beacons of flags seem to mark out a safe route through a series of rocks or sandbanks. In fact, they lead boats onto them, and once a vessel runs aground the wreckers emerge from the shadows on all sides and seize the cargo. In most cases, they offer an unresisting crew the chance to escape, knowing that they and the cargo will be long gone by the time anyone comes back to the scene with the river patrol.[4a]
- Bogus Pilot - As a vessel approaches a treacherous stretch of river, a huffer approaches in a small rowing-boat, offering to guide the boat through for a standard fee. If the deception is not discovered, the wrecker then guides the boat straight onto the rocks or sandbank, jumping overboard at the last minute. The wreckers will then surround the boat as described above.[4a]
- Artificial Hazards - Some wreckers go so far as to create hazards of their own if the river does not provide anything for them. The crudest versions consist of artificial reefs made of rocks and other debris dumped into the river; more sophisticated versions include removable log barriers, which are sometimes fitted with iron spikes, or heavy chains that can be laid across the river to block passage. Unless the wreckers are working with a local robber baron, these traps are usually cleared by the river patrol as soon as they are reported, but since they do not appear on river charts and the locals either do not know of them or choose to say nothing, they can be a nasty surprise for unwary navigators.[4a]
Sources[]
- 1: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 2nd Edition: Warhammer Companion (RPG)
- 1a: pg. 24
- 2: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 4th Edition: Core Rulebook (RPG)
- 2a: pg. 100
- 3: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 4th Edition: Sea of Claws (RPG)
- 3a: pg. 78
- 4: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 4th Edition: Death on the Reik (RPG)
- 4a: pg. 79