TEXT: Introduction
  Although the start of the Golden Age of Piracy in the Caribbean is still two decades 
  away, the Mediterranean has been a battleground between ferocious Muslim pirates and 
  Christians for centuries. While the Europeans are slowly adapting to nautical warfare, the 
  early 17th century is the Golden Age of the Barbary corsairs. This supplement introduces 
  the Western Mediterranean coast as a new source of intrigue and adventure to the swash-
  buckling-horror world of All for One.
  Where is the Barbary Coast?
  The Barbary Coast extends from the Atlantic seaboard of Morocco westward along the 
  North African Mediterranean coast as far as Egypt’s western border. Contained within this 
  region are the four Barbary States—Morocco, Algiers (modern Algeria), Tunis (Tunisia), 
  and Tripolitania (usually referred to by its shortened name of Tripoli, and today known as 
  Libya).
  Of the Barbary States, only Morocco is a truly independent nation, ruled over by a 
  Sultan. The others are, on paper, subject to the laws and whims of the Ottoman Empire 
  and its Great Sultan, though in practice he rarely interferes in their affairs so long as the 
  annual taxes are paid on time.
  Except along the coast, the entire region is hot and arid. What little agricultural land ex-
  ists lies at the coast and along the scant rivers. The interior of all four States is dominated by 
  the mighty Sahara, a seemingly endless expanse of dunes, rocks, and mountains. Only the 
  desert nomads know how to navigate the barren wastes, and they guard their routes with 
  their lives, for it is this secret that enables them to dominate land trade in the region.
  A Brief Barbary History
  Barbary derives from Berber, the name of the native peoples, which in turn comes from 
  the Greek for “barbarian.”
  In the 7th century, the old cultures and faiths of the North African coast were swept 
  aside and replaced with a unified creed—Islam. Almost immediately, the new rulers set out 
  to spread the teachings of Mohammed, the great prophet, to the infidels of Europe. But 
  the history of the Barbary corsairs begins centuries later.
  After centuries of warfare, the Spanish finally drove the Muslims from the Iberian 
  201120
  PAUL “WIGGY” WADE-WILLIAMS
  r i c h e l i e u ’ s g u i d e  t o
  •        •
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  The Barbary Coast
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  Peninsula in 1492. Faced with the choices of conversion 
  to Christianity, execution, or exile, countless Moors (a 
  generic name applied to all Muslims from western North 
  Africa) fled back across the Mediterranean. Retaliations 
  soon followed; the Moors pillaging the Spanish coast.
  Spain reacted with equal aggression, its armies 
  conquering coastal town after coastal town in a bid to 
  prevent the raiders from having a safe harbor. After the 
  death of their leader, the Moors appealed to the Otto-
  man Sultan for support against the Christian invaders. 
  By 1529, the Spanish had been largely expelled, and the 
  region (excluding Morocco) fell under the partial control 
  of the Ottoman Empire.
  Until 1587, Algiers served as the regional center of 
  government, with power lying in the hands of local 
  military governors appointed by the Sultan. These gover-
  nors, known as beylerbeys, were nautical men, admirals 
  in charge of mighty fleets, and they quickly made their 
  presence felt across the Western Mediterranean. In 1587, 
  the Sultan imposed direct rule, replacing the beylerbeys 
  with pashas (a high-ranking political office) sent directly 
  from Constantinople. Initially they served a three-year 
  term, but over the decades this has been greatly ex-
  tended. Whereas the beylerbeys waged war for political 
  purposes, their successors quested only after wealth. So 
  began the rise of the true Barbary corsairs.
  Unlike later European pirates, the Corsairs were very 
  much organized bands, operating as legitimate business-
  es. Captains (reises, sing. reis) actively sought investors, 
  using the money to purchase ships and crews. In return, 
  the investors received a share of any plunder. By law, 
  10% of any prizes, whether ships, cargoes, or slaves, was 
  paid to the pasha. Thispayment legitimized the reises’ 
  activities.
  Although a reis could make a decent living attacking 
  ships, his greatest wealth lay in taking slaves. In 1544, 
  9,000 people, almost the entire population of Lipari, an 
  island off the north coast of Sicily, were enslaved in a 
  single raid. Less than a decade later, the Maltese island of 
  Gozo was raided, and another 6,000 Christians fell into 
  Muslim hands. It was a pattern that would be repeated 
  time after time. Financial gain was the major reason for 
  the enslavement, but it was not the only reason—the 
  Catholic monarchs of Spain’s forced conversion of Mus-
  lims had yet to be fully punished, and the raids served 
  as reprisals for Portuguese enslavement and massacre of 
  Muslims in distant India.
  Europe did not take the aggression lying down. The 
  Knights of Malta turned their attentions to combat-
  ing the growing threat of the corsairs, while European 
  shipbuilders devised a new breed of fast, maneuverable 
  galleys capable of giving chase to the larger Moorish gal-
  leys. Coastal churches became fortified redoubts, a chain 
  of new forts was constructed, lookouts were placed to 
  watch for approaching galleys, and local militia units 
  were raised. Despite sizeable investment, the measures 
  proved of only limited success—Europe had a long Med-
  iterranean coastline, militia were of little use if caught by 
  surprise, and the corsairs were master planners.
  The early part of the 17th century saw a dramatic rise 
  in corsair activities. Dutch pirates migrated to the region, 
  keen to take their war against the Spanish to the very 
  shores of Spain. Not only did the Dutch make alliances 
  with the Barbary corsairs, they alsp introduced them to 
  European tactics, ships, and cannons.
  Strengthened by their new allies, the corsairs extend-
  ed their reach beyond the Pillars of Hercules (Straits of 
  Gibraltar). Barbary Corsair vessels struck at the Atlantic 
  coast of Spain in 1617. Iceland was raided in 1627, and 
  Ireland in 1631.
  The year is now 1636 and the ugly world of politics 
  has entered the Mediterranean theater. France, now at 
  war with Spain, actively pays the pirates to raid Spanish 
  ports and shipping, while England and the Netherlands 
  offer incentives for the corsairs to strike at France.
  Slavery in the Mediterranean
  As noted elsewhere, slaves are the primary source of 
  income for the corsairs. While some are abandoned by 
  kith and kin, others are ransomed back for exorbitant 
  sums. The fate of a slave is varied, but always miserable.
  Many end up as galley slaves, for the corsairs need 
  great numbers of oarsmen, and slaves do not require 
  payment. Lashed to the oars until a ransom is paid or 
  they perish from exhaustion, malnutrition, mistreat-
  ment, or disease, the slaves are forbidden from leaving 
  the ship. Here they will eat, sleep, and defecate, all the 
  while reminded of their lowly status by a kiss of the lash. 
  Since Islam forbids the ownership of Muslim slaves, those 
  poor wretches who power the galleys to war against the 
  European nations are Christians.
  For all the suffering and misery a galley slave must en-
  dure, his life is comparatively easy compared to the poor 
  wretches sold in the slave markets. Most of these end up 
  toiling in the mines. Here slaves are seen as expendable 
  assets, easily replaced when the corsair fleets next dock 
  in port. The work is backbreaking, with long hours spent 
  under the gaze of the scorching sun.
  Europe is not faultless when it comes to slavery—
  Spain and Portugal already export great quantities of 
  Africans to their holdings in the New World and Far East. 
  Ironically, many European galleys are actually powered 
  by captured Barbary corsairs. The Knights of Malta are 
  the biggest Christian slavers in the Mediterranean. Aside 
  from capturing pirates themselves, their agents actively 
  trawl Mediterranean ports in search of fresh slaves.
  Corsair Ships
  The corsair ship of choice is the galley, a vessel ideally 
  suited to the Mediterranean. Although Dutch corsairs 
  favor typical European vessels, the French, Spanish, and 
  Knights of Malta all employ galleys in the theater. Rules 
  for nautical combat, as well as other types of vessel, are 
  presented in Richelieu’s Guide to Nautical Adventures.
  Fusta: A narrow, fast galley with a single mast. Like 
  All For One 
  
  
  most galleys, the sail is used when cruising, and the oars 
  when maneuvering in harbor or in combat. Its shallow 
  draft makes it perfect for raiding small harbors and sail-
  ing up rivers. Cannons: 2 to 3.
  Galiot: A galiot is a galley with 20 oars and one or 
  two masts, with both rowing and sail used for propul-
  sion, when the wind allows. In the French Oceanic fleet 
  the term describes a one- or two-masted sailing ship. On 
  two-masted vessels, the rear mast is always shorter than 
  the main mast. Cannons: 2 to 10.
  Galleass: A larger version of the galiot, boasting three 
  masts, 32 oars, and the addition of both a forecastle and 
  aftcastle. Heavily armed, their design makes them unsuit-
  able for the rougher waters outside of the Mediterranean. 
  Cannons: 50.
  Ship Reference Chart
  Vehicle
  Size
  Def
  Strc
  Spd
  Han
  Crew
  Fusta
  8
  6
  12
  12
  0
  25-40
  Galiot
  8
  8
  24
  8
  –2
  50-150
  Galleass
  16
  10
  30
  6
  –2
  500-800
  The Barbary Coast
  This supplement introduces an entire new realm to 
  the All for One setting. In many ways the Mediterranean 
  coast is the true cradle of western civilization, for on its 
  shores rose the great nations of the Phoenicians, Greeks, 
  Carthaginians, and Romans, all of whom had a guiding 
  hand in the settlement of coastal cities still occupied mil-
  lennia later. As well as the Barbary States, key European 
  islands and cities receive some attention.
  With a history dating back into antiquity, and relation-
  ships with and between the European powers a tangled 
  and convoluted mess of feuds, marriages, wars, and trea-
  ties, not to mention rule by powers outside the western 
  Mediterranean, the text is intended as a primer to the 
  complex history of the region, not a complete and in 
  depth study. Dates of rulers, when listed, are their reign 
  dates.
  Algiers
  Ruler: Yusuf II Pasha (1634-1645)
  Although Algiers has been occupied for countless 
  millennia, the country’s modern history begins with the 
  arrival of the Phoenicians, one of the greatest trading na-
  tions ever to sail the Mediterranean. Although Carthage 
  (in Tripoli) was their primary base in the region, they 
  founded several satellite ports along the Algerian coast. 
  Over two millennia have passed, yet the city of Algiers, 
  after which the country is named, holds true to its early 
  purpose, remaining one of the most important North 
  African ports.
  As Phoenician influence waned, so Carthage rose 
  to fill the power vacuum, its hand extending along the 
  coast to claim Algiers’ prosperous ports. Rome’s total 
  destruction of Carthage in the Third Punic War did not 
  lead to immediate settlement, and the land was occupied 
  by Berber tribes keen to enact revenge for centuries of 
  oppression. Only when Augustus sat on the throne as 
  emperor did Rome again cast her eyes to North Africa.
  As Rome became Christian, so the new creed was car-
  ried to its North African territories by eager missionaries. 
  Rome eventually went the way of Carthage, but Christi-
  anity flourished among resurgent Berbers until the 8th 
  century, when it was replaced by Islam. Dynasties came 
  and went, some by natural attrition and others by brute 
  force, but Algiers remained firmly in Berber hands.
  Its armies finally freed after the Reconquista, Spain 
  continued its war against the Moors, taking the conflict 
  to the Algerian coast. Over the course of four years the 
  Spanish succeeded in capturing several key ports, but 
  their victories were short-lived. Aside from a few en-
  claves, most notably Oran, the invaders were forced back 
  to the European side of the Mediterranean by 1554.
  Algiers’ victory came at a price—independence. Un-
  able to loosen the Spanish grip with his own forces, the 
  ruler was forced to seek help from the Great Sultan of 
  the Ottoman Empire. Algiers became an imperial prov-
  ince in 1517. Although it remains under imperial rule 
  under the watchful gaze of the pasha, Algiers is largely 
  left to its own devices.
  Algiers, City of
  According to myth, the city of Algiers was founded by 
  20 of Hercules’ companions. Its Roman name, Icosium, 
  is said to derive from the Greek word for twenty, though 
  it is more likely transcribed into Latin from the Phoeni-
  cian name, Ikosim.
  Founded by the Phoenicians to serve Carthage, Al-
  giers slid in to obscurity during Roman rule, its bustling 
  trading port reduced to a mere fishing harbor. Follow-
  ing the collapse of the empire, it was conquered by the 
  Vandals. Despite being attributed destructive tendencies 
  by Renaissance writers, the Vandals were no more rapa-
  cious than other tribes of the time, and successfully ran 
  a kingdom that dominated a large part of the western 
  Algerian coast and the northern tip of Tunis, as well as 
  Corsica and Sardinia.
  The modern city was founded in 955, by the founder 
  of the Berber Zirid-Sanhaka dynasty. It passed into the 
  hands of the Berber Almohades, and then onto the Abd al-
  Wadid sultans of Tlemcen (a town in northwest Algiers). 
  Because Oran was the main port of the Abd-el-Wadid 
  dynasty, it being closer to their center of power, Algiers 
  was largely governed as an independent city-state.
  Although heavily engaged in the Reconquista, Spain 
  found the resources to capture the islet of Peñón, which 
  occupied a prime position in front of the city’s harbor. 
  Quick to realize that the Spanish might try to sack Algiers, 
  the governor quickly entered into a trade agreement with 
  •            •
  Richelieu’s Guide to the Barbary Coast
  
  
  the conquerors. In an act of irony not uncommon in war, 
  Spain crushed the Moorish occupiers of the Iberian Pen-
  insula with one hand, and traded with their cousins with 
  the other, using the vast wealth the agreement generated 
  to fund its ongoing struggle for liberation.
  Although Spain profited greatly, Algiers remained a 
  secondary port to Oran. The winds of changes were be-
  ginning to blow, however. Eventually freed from the war 
  after its victory in 1492, Spain turned its full attention to 
  North Africa, quickly seizing several key ports, including 
  Algiers in 1510. Spain barely had time to celebrate her 
  victory before the Algerians, aided by Barbary corsairs, 
  recaptured the main city in 1516. Unfortunately, Otto-
  man support faded with the death of Sultan Selim in 
  1520, and the city fell to Berber Kabyles in 1524.
  Selim’s successor, Suleiman the Magnificent declared 
  war on the Holy Roman Empire in 1529, the same year 
  in which he sought to extended Ottoman power in the 
  Mediterranean. Dispatching an army and much needed 
  cash, he ordered the Barbary Corsair chief Khair ad-Din 
  Barbarossa to retake the city and secure its harbor for Ot-
  toman use. Bribery won him the main city, allowing him 
  to concentrate his might against the last Spanish bastion 
  in the city of Algiers, the now heavily-fortified Peñón. 
  After suffering 22 days of constant artillery barrage and 
  with just 25 men left under his command, the Spanish 
  governor surrendered the fortress.
  Celebrated as saviors, and seeking a safe harbor close 
  to Spain from which to conduct future raids, the corsairs 
  made Algiers their primary port. The population swollen 
  by refugees fleeing from Iberia, the corsairs found no 
  shortage of volunteers eager for revenge. The corsairs 
  exploded out of Algiers and into the western Mediterra-
  nean, raiding the Spanish coastline with ever-increasing 
  frequency and barbarity.
  Seeking to rid the world of the Barbary corsairs, 
  Charles V, King of Spain and Holy Roman Emperor, sent 
  an army of some 30,000 men against Algiers in 1541. The 
  invasion was ended by nature’s wrath, in the form of a 
  terrible storm, and corsair aggression.
  Technically part of the Ottoman Empire but with a 
  large degree of independence, the city’s inhabitants 
  increased their piratical activities while simultaneously 
  constructing impressive fortifications. Algiers now sits 
  behind a wall on all sides, including the seaward face.
  The city is a bustling hive of natives and corsairs, for 
  Algiers remains the corsairs’ most important stronghold, 
  boasting an impressive 8,000 pirates. Algiers also boasts 
  two harbors, both artificial, constructed by the corsairs 
  to suit their needs.
  Casbah: Built on the ruins of Icosium in 1556, the 
  Casbah, a city within a city, has been home to the rul-
  ing pasha for 80 years. Within its walls are found homes 
  and workshops, souks and mosques, palaces and courts. 
  The upper part of the Casbah (al-Gabal, “the mountain”) 
  is home not just to native Algerians, but Andalusian, 
  Jewish, Moorish and Berber Kabyle communities. The 
  smaller lower section (al-Wata, “the plains”) is the admin-
  istrative, commercial, and military hub, as well as home 
  to the social elite.
  Slave Market: Unsurprisingly, Algiers boasts the larg-
  est slave market on the Barbary Coast. Most Europeans 
  captured by the corsairs end up here, bound in chains 
  until sold or sentenced to the galleys.
  El Peñón de Argel: The word “peñón” means rock 
  in Spanish, and is applied to any fort built on a small 
  island. Construction began in 1510, following Spain’s 
  invasion of Algiers. Following its capture by the Turks, a 
  Islamic Dynasties
  Several Islamic dynasties are mentioned through-
  out the text. Although inconsequential to modern 
  affairs, they played an important role in the devel-
  opment of the Barbary States. Brief notes are given 
  below, along with the territories they ruled at their 
  greatest extent.
  Rashidun Caliphate (632–661): First Arab Caliph-
  ate, created after Mohammed’s death. Spread east 
  across Tripoli. Tunis was a vassal state.
  Umayyad Caliphate (661-750): Arab dynasty 
  whose territory stretched from Morocco to Persia, 
  and extended deep into the Iberian Peninsula.
  Abbasid Caliphate (750-1513): Arab successors 
  to the Umayyads. By the late 10th century they had 
  lost control of Iberia and Morocco.
  Caliphate of Córdoba (929–1031): Arab rulers of 
  the Iberian Peninsula.
  Fatamid Caliphate (909-1171): Arab dynasty. 
  Their territory covered the entirety of the North Af-
  rican coast from central Morocco across to the Holy 
  Land. They had no European territories.
  Almoravid (1040-1147): Berber dynasty whose 
  territories along the Barbary Coast included Moroc-
  co, Western Algiers, Southern Portugal, and Spain.
  Almohad (1121-1269): Berber dynasty. While they 
  lost much of the Almoravids’ southern territories, 
  they extended eastward to conquer all of Algiers 
  and Tunis, and half the coastal territory of Tripoli.
  Ayyubid (1171–1341): Dynasty founded by Sala-
  din. Their Barbary Coast territory included Tripoli 
  and Tunis.
  Marinid (1215-1465): Berber successors to the Al-
  mohads. Their territory covered Northern Morocco, 
  Algiers, and Tunis.
  Hafsid (1229-1574): Berber dynasty who split from 
  the Almohads. Governed Eastern Algiers, Tunis, and 
  Western Triploi.
  Ziyyanid (1235-1556): Berber dynasty. Their terri-
  tory extended only over Western Algiers.
  Ottoman Empire (1299-1923): Rulers of the East-
  ern Mediterranean, Black Sea, southern Eastern 
  Europe, and the North African coast as far as Mo-
  rocco.
  Saadi (1554–1659): Current ruling dynasty of Mo-
  rocco.
  All For One 
  
  
  lighthouse was erected on the site of the battered forti-
  fications in 1544. The islet is connected to the mainland 
  by a thin mole.
  Corsica
  Located in the central Western Mediterranean, Cor-
  sica’s strategic position made it an ideal location for the 
  early civilizations. Originally settled by the Greeks, his-
  tory saw it settled successively by the Etruscans, Carthag-
  inians, Romans, Vandals, Byzantine Empire, Lombards, 
  and the Holy Roman Empire. 
  It’s value as a staging posts for invasions of Western 
  Europe led to 150 years of intermittent raids by the 
  Moors, though by the time of the First Crusade that 
  threat had diminished considerably.
  Freed from external threats, the feudal lords turned 
  their attentions inward. While the nobles fought political 
  and military battles for supremacy, the common people 
  beseeched the Pope to act. In 1090, he assigned adminis-
  trative control of the island to the Italian city-state of Pisa. 
  Peace was short-lived, though. Determined to dominate 
  trade in the Western Mediterranean, Genoa went to war 
  with its rival, and Corsica was a valuable prize. Corsica 
  eventually fell to the Genoese in 1282.
  Genoese rule was far from absolute, and often far 
  from competent. Whenever the Doges of Genoa became 
  distracted, rival families clashed for dominance of the 
  island. Tired of the constant conflict, the citizens again 
  took matters into their own hands, this time requesting 
  protection from the Bank of St. George, Genoa’s major 
  creditor. In return for protection, the bank became the 
  island’s de facto ruler. Not wishing to alienate its mon-
  eylender, Genoa’s government agreed to the takeover. 
  Driven by profit, the bank invested heavily in its new 
  property, securing the ports, expanding the defenses, 
  and importing Genoese colonists.
  Although the people of Corsica had requested the 
  bank’s protection, the deal proved less than satisfactory. 
  Key posts were assigned to Genoese newcomers, who 
  were largely kept segregated from the natives inside pur-
  pose-built walled cities, and taxes were raised. 
  In a bid to weaken the Hapsburg hold over Southern 
  Europe and strengthen French domination, Henry II of 
  France declared war against Charles V of Spain, the Holy 
  Roman Emperor, in 1551. The battleground was to be 
  Italy and the Western Mediterranean.
  Behind Henry’s back Marshal de Termes, prompted 
  by Corsican exiles, ordered an invasion of Corsica in 
  1553. Invoking the terms of a Franco-Ottoman alliance 
  negotiated in 1536 (a scandalous act referred to as the 
  “impious alliance”), the French army was transported to 
  Corsica by Barbary corsairs under Dragut (Turget Reis), 
  the moat famous corsair of his age. 
  The initial stage of the invasion went well, but barely 
  two weeks into the endeavor the Ottomans withdrew, 
  leaving the French to fight alone. Stripped of manpower, 
  the French resorted to political machinations, turning 
  the feudal lords against each other in a bid to prevent 
  them putting up a unified defense.
  On learning of his general’s act, Henry made immedi-
  ate representation to Genoa, but his attempts to secure 
  peace came too late. Angered, the Genoese dispatched 
  their most renowned admiral to clear out the French, an 
  act he had largely achieved by the spring of 1555. Corsi-
  can rebels bravely fought in the island’s rugged interior, 
  but thoughts of victory were crushed when an Ottoman 
  reinforcement fleet sailed home, its crew sickened by 
  plague yet all the richer for the Genoese gold they had 
  accepted in bribes. In 1559, France handed over all rights 
  to Corsica to the Genoese.
  Bastia: Originally a fishing port for the city of Cardo, 
  the Genoese rulers transformed the small harbor into 
  their capital. Named for its bastiglia (citadel), the city 
  is now the island’s capital, main port, and home to its 
  Genoese governor.
  Malta
  Ruler: Antoine de Paule (1623-1636), Jean Baptiste 
  de Lascaris de Castellar (1636-1657)
  Malta holds the distinction of having possessed an ad-
  vanced Stone Age culture. These early colonists erected 
  massive stone temples and cairns, many of which are still 
  visible in the 17th century (though their purpose is little 
  understood). Obviously organized, and capable of trad-
  ing with the mainland, the culture nevertheless vanished, 
  the island becoming largely depopulated.
  Greek colonists arrived in 8th century BC, though it 
  was the Phoenicians, who arrived a century later, who 
  brought the island into the ancient world. Located almost 
  exactly in the center of the Mediterranean, it became a 
  valuable trading hub. Carthage inherited the island next. 
  Rebelling against Carthaginian rule during the First Pu-
  nic War, the Maltese openly allied themselves with the 
  emerging superpower of Rome during the Second Punic 
  War, earning exemption from taxation and Roman law 
  as reward. After enjoying the benefits of the later Roman 
  Empire, Malta became part of the Byzantine Empire in 
  395, remaining in the hands of the eastern empire until 
  870, when it became a Moorish territory.
  Unlike many other major islands, Malta was back in 
  Christian hands by 1091, conquered by the Normans 
  during their campaign against Sicily. Subsequent rulers 
  included the Holy Roman Empire (who ruined its trade, 
  expelled the Muslims, and imported new Christian set-
  tlers), the House of Anjou (who placed crippling tax 
  burdens on the population), and the Aragonese.
  Charles V gifted Malta to the Knights Hospitaller, 
  who had recently been expelled from their previous 
  headquarters on Rhodes by the Ottoman Empire. But 
  the Ottomans were not content to let the knights rule 
  peacefully. 
  In 1551, the entire population of the neighboring 
  island of Gozo was enslaved by Barbary corsairs, a stark 
  warning to Malta that it was next. Sure enough, in 1565 
  Richelieu’s Guide to the Barbary Coast
  
  
  the Ottoman Empire launched a massive invasion. The 
  story of the siege is described on page 14.
  The Knights of Malta, as the order is now known, still 
  govern Malta, its Grand Master also being the head of 
  state. Rebuilt and heavily fortified, it is a lone bastion 
  against the power and aggression of the Barbary corsairs, 
  a beacon of hope in a region sliding into darkness.
  Valletta: Named after Jean Parisot de la Valette, the 
  Grand Master who led the defense of the island in 1565, 
  Valletta is less a city and more a massive fortification. The 
  city’s official name, given it by the Knights of Malta, is 
  Humilissima Civitas Valletta (“the Most Humble City of 
  Valletta”).
  Freed from the restriction of having to adapt an exist-
  ing city, Valletta was purpose built to be spacious and 
  heavily defended. Although Malta is largely considered 
  a cultural backwater, Valletta’s palaces, public squares, 
  churches, and cathedral rival any of the great cities of 
  mainland Europe. Built at great expense and employing 
  all the latest innovations in defensive warfare, it is both a 
  testament to the wealth of the holy order and the threat 
  posed by the Barbary corsairs.
  Valletta sits upon a peninsula. To the north is Mars-
  amxett Harbor, home to Malta’s mercantile and fishing 
  fleet, while to the south is the Grand Harbor, which is 
  home to the knights’ galleys.
  Auberges: Following the construction of Valletta, the 
  Knights of Malta built two “inns,” one for the langue of 
  Castille, and another for Italy. The word “inn” is mislead-
  ing, for the structures are more akin to fortified palaces 
  in size and majesty. They serve primarily as the quarters 
  for visiting knights, but are also open to important digni-
  taries who require hospitality while in Malta. Hospitality 
  comes at a price, though. Should the city be attacked, 
  those enjoying the knights’ protection are honor-bound 
  to join its defenders on the ramparts.
  Fort Saint Elmo: Originally a watchtower overlooking 
  the entrance to both harbors, the defensive works were 
  massively expanded in the early 16th century. At the time 
  of the Great Siege, the solitary watchtower had evolved 
  into a star fort. The scene of intense fighting during the 
  Ottoman invasion, the fort was little more than a pile of 
  rubble, its garrison of 800 reduced to just nine, when the 
  siege was lifted. The fort has since been rebuilt, its im-
  posing structure now part of the city’s seaward bastion.
  Fort St Angelo: A fortification has stood on the site of 
  this castle for centuries, although who erected the first 
  one is no longer remembered. The castle served as the 
  original seat of the Grand Master of the Knights of Malta, 
  and was, until the years following the Great Siege, their 
  strongest fortification. Valletta was built on the other 
  side of the harbor, prompting the Grand Master to move 
  his headquarters. Badly damaged in the siege, the castle 
  has yet to be repaired.
  Treasury Library: The brainchild of Claude de la 
  Sengle, Grand Master of the Knights, the Treasury Li-
  brary houses all books bequeathed in wills by Knights of 
  Malta. Access is restricted to members of the order and 
  honored guests.
  The Grand Master’s Palace: One of the first build-
  ings constructed in Valletta, the palace is the home of 
  the Grand Master. It also houses the council chamber of 
  the Sovereign Council, thus making it the seat of Malta’s 
  government.
  Sacra Infermia: The Sacred Infirmary is the center of 
  the knight’s Hospitaller activities. Constructed adjacent 
  to Fort Saint Elmo, it is currently undergoing work to 
  enlarge it. Capable of housing over 800 patients, it is at-
  tributed to be the best hospital in the whole of Europe.
  St. James Cavalier: Constructed during the building 
  of Valletta, St. James is a gun platform built facing the 
  landward approach to the city. Whereas Fort Saint Elmo 
  is a masterpiece of defensive technology, St. James is a 
  no-nonsense, functional bastion.
  Marseilles
  France’s major Mediterranean port, Marseilles, the 
  oldest city in France and the first settlement to be granted 
  city status, was founded by the Greeks in 600 BC. Faced 
  with Etruscan, Carthaginian, and Celtic aggression, the 
  city allied itself to the fledgling Roman Republic, a move 
  which also gave Marseilles access to Rome’s trading net-
  work. With Italy cut off from the rest of Europe by the 
  Alps, Rome hungry for slaves, and the Gauls keen to pro-
  cure Roman wine and goods, Marseilles boomed. The 
  city remained independent of Roman rule until 49 BC, 
  when it picked the wrong side in the civil war between 
  Caesar and Pompey.
  After a brief period under Visigoth rule, Marseilles 
  was consumed into the Frankish empire. After a tempo-
  rary lull, the city’s fortunes were revitalized in the 11th 
  century. A constant stream of foreign traders brought 
  new wealth and new ideas, but also something unwant-
  ed—plague. 
  The first outbreak occurred in 1348, the city suffering 
  frequent outbreaks until 1361. Its population reduced 
  by more than half, the city had barely began the arduous 
  climb back to prosperity when the Aragonese sacked it 
  in 1423. Yet despite these seemingly crippling setbacks, 
  Marseilles bounced back.
  Following its acquisition by the Count of Provence, 
  later King of Sicily and Duke of Anjou, Marseilles was 
  fortified and transformed into a naval base. By the 
  1440s, Marseilles had overcome the disaster of previous 
  decades and regained its prominence for trade. Used to 
  the relaxed governance of its feudal overlords, the city 
  developed a reputation for birthing rebellion after being 
  incorporated into France in 1481.
  Following a siege by the Holy Roman Empire in the 
  late 15th century, the French entered a treaty with the 
  Ottoman Empire. For the first time in history, a main-
  land European port served as home to a fleet of Barbary 
  Corsair ships. Although spared the privations of the Ot-
  toman pirates, Marseilles could not escape the return of 
  the plague as the 16th century waned.
  Chàteau d’If: Built to deter seaborne invasion, the 
  All For One 
  
  
  castle sits on a small rocky island a mile off the coast. 
  Thanks to strong currents and steep cliffs, it is regarded 
  as being escape proof. Inmates are religious and politi-
  cal prisoners rather than common criminals. Considered 
  traitors to God and King, their life is a living hell. Bribery 
  is useless, as wealth buys nothing here, save contempt 
  and aggravated beatings from the cruel jailors.
  The Port: With France busily constructing a new 
  Mediterranean fleet, the existing harbor is undergoing 
  major renovation work. Like most ports, Marseilles is 
  multi-cultural, catering to merchants from as far away as 
  the Holy Land.
  Morocco
  Ruler: Sultan Al Walid ben Zidan (1631-February 
  1636), Mohammed esh Sheikh es Seghir (1636-1655)
  As elsewhere along the central and western North 
  African coast, the early foreign colonizers occupied only 
  a thin strip along the coast and the fertile banks of the 
  rivers, leaving the harsh desert interior to the native 
  Berber tribes. Already trading with distant Britain, the 
  Phoenicians founded a number of colonies beyond the 
  Pillars of Hercules. 
  Whereas the Phoenicians ignored the Berbers, their 
  successors, the Carthaginians, negotiated dialogue, pay-
  ing the natives an annual tribute both for protection 
  and to secure them as a workforce. Despite Carthagin-
  ian dominance of the coast, scattered Berber kingdoms 
  began to develop inland.
  The shadow of Rome’s eagle fell over the region in 
  the early 1st century. Whereas the Carthaginians ruled 
  through diplomacy, Rome enforced rule through the 
  might of its legions. Although she claimed the entire 
  region, Rome extended rule only over the economically 
  viable lands.
  With Rome’s wings well and truly clipped, control 
  passed to the Vandals, Visigoths, and Byzantine Empire. 
  And yet the Berber tribes, safe in the mountainous inte-
  rior, remained unbowed, even after the arrival of Islam 
  in the late 7th century. Unified by a common faith, the 
  Berbers nevertheless retained their own laws and cul-
  tural identity. Indeed, relations between the Arabs and 
  Berbers were less than cordial.
  Openly rebelling, the Berbers threw off Arab rule in 
  742. As a result, Morocco devolved into a series of minor 
  kingdoms. Anarchy continued throughout the 10th cen-
  tury, with foreign invaders coming and going, yet none 
  establishing a firm grip over the independently-minded 
  Berbers. Throughout the 11th and 12th centuries Mo-
  rocco was ruled by a succession of Berber dynasties. 
  Even then, disparate cultural identity prevented true 
  unification.
  In 1554, the southern Moroccan Saadi dynasty struck 
  north, seizing control they have yet to relinquish despite 
  Ottoman aggression. Between 1631 and February 1636, 
  Morocco is ruled by Sultan Al Walid ben Zidan. His rule 
  ends by the blades of French renegades.
  Tetuan
  Located on the other side of the peninsula from Tang-
  ier and opposite Gibraltar, the earliest ruins date from 
  Carthaginian times. The current city, though, dates only 
  from the 14th century. A major corsair port, the activities 
  of its inhabits angered the Spanish enough that in 1400 
  they leveled the city. 
  As Spanish dominance over the Iberian Peninsula 
  neared completion, refugees fleeing the fighting settled 
  here, creating a new city behind fortified walls. Although 
  Morocco is not allied to the Ottoman Empire, Tetuan 
  continues to serve as a minor corsair base.
  Republic of Bou Regreg
  In 1610, Muslims who had converted to Christianity 
  (moriscos) were finally expelled from Spain by royal de-
  cree. Initially settling in the Moroccan city of Salé, they 
  were quickly forced to move on again. Heading south 
  across the Bou Regreg river, they settled in Rabat, at the 
  time an almost completely abandoned settlement home 
  to barely 400 souls.
  Soon after, Salé became home to a corsair fleet com-
  manded by a Dutchman, Jan Janszoon van Haarlem, who 
  went by the name Murat Reis the Younger. Captured by 
  Barbary corsairs in 1618, Janszoon converted to Islam 
  and joined on with a corsair captain, another Dutch con-
  vert and, coincidentally, an old friend. Assuming com-
  mand after his friend and captain was killed in action 
  soon after, Janszoon sailed the small fleet to Salé.
  Franco-Ottoman Alliance
  Signed by Francis I of France and the Great Sultan 
  Suleiman the Magnificent in 1536, the Franco-Ot-
  toman Alliance was regarded as a scandalous act in 
  Europe, marking as it did a union between Chris-
  tians and Muslims. Although ideological enemies, 
  France and the Ottomans share a common enemy—
  the Hapsburgs, rulers of Spain.
  Despite a few mishaps, the pact has served both na-
  tions militarily and financially, and it continues to 
  do so. Under terms negotiated in 1604, for exam-
  ple, all nations save England and Venice who wish 
  to trade with Istanbul must fly the French flag and 
  submit to their protection, which naturally comes 
  at a cost.
  The accord only affects Barbary corsairs from Al-
  giers, Tunis, and Tripoli, three nations under Otto-
  man control. The pirates of Morocco have no such 
  union with France, and are thus free to plunder 
  French interests as they see fit. Despite sharing a 
  common enemy, the Moroccan corsairs have no 
  wish to become French lackeys.
  Richelieu’s Guide to the Barbary Coast
  
  
  Arriving in 1619, he declared the city an independent 
  republic, to be governed by 14 pirate chiefs, one of 
  whom would hold the title President and Grand Admi-
  ral. Janszoon was elected as the first Grand Admiral. So 
  began the privations of the much feared “Salé Rovers.” 
  The Sultan of Morocco, in a bid to save face, acknowl-
  edged the Dutchman as his governor in 1524, though 
  the role was purely ceremonial. In return for keeping 
  his nose out of their business, the sultan was to be hand-
  somely paid. Salé thrived under his leadership, rapidly 
  growing rich on the plunder brought back by the corsairs. 
  Indeed, Janszoon was so successful that he was forced to 
  take on a vice-admiral to help share the workload. As 
  tensions between Salé and Rabat worsened, Janszoon 
  returned to Algiers with his entire fleet.
  In 1627, Salé and Rabat united to form the Republic 
  of Bou Regreg (also known as the Republic of the Two 
  Shores and the Republic of Rabat-Salé). Although the 
  young republic still engages in piracy, it is already weak-
  ening thanks to government greed and a lack of skilled 
  captains.
  Spanish Territories
  The following entries are all properties of Spain, and 
  ruled, ultimately, by Philip III. As Spanish territories, they 
  are at war with France in 1636.
  Cadiz
  Nestled between high walls, as it has been since an-
  tiquity, Cadiz is not situated on the Spanish mainland. 
  Rather, it occupies the end of a narrow spit of land that 
  juts into the Bay of Cadiz.
  As with many maritime cities in the Western Mediter-
  ranean, Cadiz began life as a Phoenician trading post. 
  According to ancient records, the maritime merchants 
  sought to trade with the inhabitants of Tartessos, a city 
  whose location has been lost in the mists of time. Under 
  the Phoenicians, the city was known as Gadir (“walled 
  city”). According to the Greeks, who called it Gadira, the 
  city was founded by Hercules, who came here to rest 
  after his epic battle against the triple-torso, triple-headed 
  giant Geryon. According to one legend, a large tumulus 
  on the nearby mainland marks Geryon’s grave.
  Half a millennium before Christ, Cadiz’s streets echoed 
  to the footsteps of Hannibal and his Carthaginian horde. 
  From here the great general launched his conquest of 
  southern and eastern Iberia, a campaign which would 
  open the way for his legendary march toward Rome. 
  Having successfully halted Hannibal’s rampage through 
  their homeland, the Romans set about destroying Car-
  thaginian interests in Iberia. Cadiz fell to Rome’s mighty 
  legions in 206 BC. Renamed Gades, it served Rome as a 
  major naval base. Such was the city’s prestige that by the 
  reign of Augustus it boasted more upper class citizens 
  than any cities save Rome and Padua.
  As the Empire slid into terminal decline, so too did 
  the city’s importance wane. The death knell rang out 
  in 410 AD, when the city was razed to the ground by 
  the rampaging Visigoths. The specter of Rome returned 
  briefly in 550, when Emperor Justinian added the city to 
  the Byzantine Empire, but his reach was overextended, 
  and the city was back under Visigoth control within a 
  generation.
  From 711, Cadiz was under Moorish rule. Known as 
  Qadis, from where the modern name derives, it was liber-
  ated by Alphonso X of Castille in 1262. Cadiz prospered 
  again in the 15th century, for it was from here Columbus 
  embarked on his second and fourth voyages to the New 
  World. Later, it became home to the Spanish treasure 
  fleet. The prospect of capturing the treasure ships proved 
  too much for the Barbary corsairs to resist. Throughout 
  the early part of the 16th century they repeatedly tried 
  and failed to take the city. What steel could not achieve, 
  the elements could—much of the old town was razed by 
  fire in 1569. 
  Then England, seemingly perpetually at war with 
  Spain, turned her attentions to the city. Two decades 
  after the disastrous fire (1587), the English privateer Sir 
  Francis Drake launched an audacious assault, success-
  fully occupying the harbor for three days, during which 
  time his fleet sank 31 Spanish ships and captured six 
  others. His assault proved more fortuitous than he could 
  ever imagine, for the destruction he wrought delayed the 
  launch of the Spanish Armada by a year. A mere nine 
  years later the English returned, this time in the form 
  of the Earl of Essex and Sir Charles Howard. During an-
  other successful assault, the English sank 32 ships and 
  occupied the city for the best part of a month. With their 
  occupancy untenable in the long term and the Spanish 
  having refused to pay a ransom to have the city returned 
  to them, the English put Cadiz to the torch, hoisted their 
  sails, and returned home. 
  The last English raid occurred in 1625. Whereas the 
  previous expeditions had been outstanding successes, 
  Ottoman Currency
  The main coins of the Ottoman Empire are the gu-
  rush and akche, though Venetian ducats are used 
  for trading with foreign nations. Both native coins 
  are silver, though the actual silver content of the 
  akche has fallen by an astounding 90% in recent 
  decades. Within a few years of 1636, the Otto-
  man mints cease producing the akche, which is no 
  longer considered legal currency. As a result, the 
  economy spirals into chaos, and the political strife 
  caused by having to use foreign coins only adds to 
  the empire’s growing problems.
  Morocco uses the Ottoman coinage, but Spanish 
  coins are accepted in Tangiers and Oran.
  Ottoman Empire: One gurush = 120 akches
     Exchange rate: 1 livre = 0.5 gurushes
  All For One 
  
  
  this attempt ended in failure, the English having missed 
  the prize they so keenly sought—the treasure ships from 
  the New World.
  Puerta Real: The city of Port Royal sits on the Span-
  ish mainland, directly across from Cadiz. Keen to play 
  an active role in the lucrative trade Spain had developed 
  with the Barbary States, and with the other major Span-
  ish trading ports already firmly held by noble families, 
  the Spanish monarchs Ferdinand and Isabella founded 
  the settlement in 1483.
  Santa Catalina Castle: Santa Catalina was erected in 
  1598 in direct response to the English invasion two years 
  previous. It sits on the southern side of the city, its guns 
  trained on the Atlantic approach.
  Casablanca
  Situated west along the coast from Tangier, Casablan-
  ca’s early history mirrors that of many other Barbary Coast 
  cities. After the Romans it remained an independent city, 
  albeit an Islamic one, until 1068, when it was conquered 
  by the Almoravid dynasty. Ideally suited as a harbor from 
  which to attack the Iberian Peninsula’s Atlantic coast, it 
  became a haven for corsairs.
  In response to the growing number of raids, Portugal 
  destroyed the city in 1468. The Portuguese then became 
  settlers, using the rubble to construct an impressive for-
  tress. Due to the Iberian Union, which merged Portugal 
  and Spain (1580-1640), Casablanca is currently a Span-
  ish territory. The city, such as it is, comprises the fortress 
  and a small village.
  Gibraltar
  Often referred to as an island, but actually connected 
  to mainland Spain, Gibraltar was yet another Phoeni-
  cian trading center. Following what by now had become 
  something of a tradition, the Greeks later identified the 
  Rock, the mountain that dominates the area, with Hercu-
  les, insisting it was one of his two Pillars.
  Carthaginians, Romans, and Vandals continued the 
  age old tradition of taking the settlement from their 
  predecessors, before it ended up a part of the Visigothic 
  Kingdom of Hispania. Visigoth rule ended in 711, re-
  placed by the Moors. Named Jabal Tariq (from where the 
  modern name derives), Gibraltar would remain in the 
  hands of successive Moorish dynasties until 1309.
  Following a month long siege, the Spanish finally 
  wrested control from the Moors. Isolated on the south-
  ern tip of Spain, few colonists were attracted to the rug-
  ged site. King Ferdinard IV endeavored to make the area 
  attractive by promising settlers who remained there for 
  a year and a day exemption from justice, but the move 
  proved largely unsuccessful. In 1333, it was once again 
  back under Moorish dominion, and would remain that 
  way until 1462.
  Previously considered undesirable, Gibraltar’s strate-
  gic position prompted King Henry IV to assume the title 
  King of Gibraltar, though he ceded control a mere six 
  years later, handing control to the 2nd Duke of Medina 
  Sidonia (a rising family of Andalusian nobles), who took 
  the title Marquis of Gibraltar. The marquis sold Gibraltar 
  to converted Jews in 1474, on the condition that his 
  troops maintain the garrison for a period of two years. 
  When the time expired, the nobleman seized control 
  again, expelling over 4,000 Jews in the process. Passing 
  back to crown control in 1501, Gibraltar, which lies a 
  mere 14 miles from North Africa, has become a strategic 
  port, and a prime target for corsair raids.
  In a bid to thwart the latter and protect the harbor, 
  the Spanish are hastily erecting new fortifications.
  Ibiza
  In keeping with the other islands and major cities, 
  Ibiza’s early past followed the time-honored route 
  through history of Phoenician, Carthaginian, and Roman 
  rule. The Vandals and Byzantines both laid brief claims to 
  the island, but it fell to the expansionist Moors in the 8th 
  century. The next to invade were not the nearby Spanish, 
  but the Norwegians, who arrived in 1110 while en route 
  to crusade in the Holy Land. The Vikings did little more 
  than plunder, and it would be another century before 
  European rule was re-established.
  An important and powerful center of trade through-
  out much of its history, it was a prize valued by the Span-
  ish. Having all ready conquered Majorca and Minorca, 
  James I of Aragon turned his ambitions toward Ibiza. 
  Ibiza’s impressive walls were not breeched by Spanish 
  military might. Having argued over a woman, the brother 
  of the Moorish ruler betrayed his countrymen, revealing 
  to the Spanish a secret tunnel that led into the town. 
  After five centuries of Moorish rule, Ibiza was returned 
  to European control in 1235.
  Ibiza passed to the control of the Kingdom of Majorca 
  in 1286, though it remained a largely independent is-
  land. Its people enjoyed many privileges, such as sharing 
  in the profits from the lucrative salt pans, and, for a brief 
  time, life was good. Plague struck in 1348, leaving the 
  once bustling island with a population of less than 3,000 
  souls. The island suffered again in 1518, this time at the 
  hands of Spanish troops stationed here while awaiting 
  the repair of ships intended to take them to Algiers. Un-
  paid, the troops mutinied, laying waste to much of the 
  island before peace was restored.
  Although Ibiza has new walls and a regenerated popu-
  lation, it is subject to frequent Barbary corsair raids. 
  Majorca
  Also known as Mallorca, Majorca follows the typical 
  pattern already detailed above. It grew prosperous un-
  der Roman rule, its olive groves, vineyards, and salt pans 
  proving major sources of income. Even its soldiers were 
  prized assets, being widely regarded as among the best 
  slingers in the ancient world.
  Sacked by the Vandals in 426 and annexed to their 
  kingdom in 465, it enjoyed a brief cultural resurgence 
  Richelieu’s Guide to the Barbary Coast
  
  
  in 534, when it became part of the Byzantine Empire. 
  Still considered wealthy, it was preyed upon by Barbary 
  corsairs from the early 8th century, before falling to the 
  Caliphate of Cordoba (a Moorish province in Spain) in 
  902. Although widely feared as rapacious savages, the 
  Moors were at the height of their civilization. Investment 
  in agriculture and industry opened new trade routes, 
  and the economy boomed.
  The Caliphate perished in the early 11th century, and 
  with it Ibiza’s fortunes worsened. Palma, the main city, 
  was besieged and sacked by a joint Pisan-Catalonian 
  force in 1114, but they made no attempt to govern. In-
  stead, the Moorish Almoravid dynasty stepped in to fill 
  the void, only to be replaced by the Almohads in 1176. 
  Moorish rule continued until 1229, when King James I of 
  Aragon conquered the island. Following a brief spell as 
  part of the Kingdom of Aragon, Majorca was granted the 
  status of a separate kingdom in 1276. That rule ended in 
  1344, when Aragon again invaded. 
  Frequently attacked by corsairs, the island was forti-
  fied and a series of watchtowers erected. And yet this did 
  little to halt the plundering. Indeed, by 1570 the situation 
  was so bad that the Spanish king seriously considered to-
  tal removal of the inhabitants to spare them the corsairs’ 
  wrath. Majorca remains settled, and its population is still 
  subject to frequent raids.
  Minorca
  With the destruction of Carthage, the great maritime 
  superpower of its age, piracy became rampant in the 
  Western Mediterranean. Minorca’s strategic location 
  made it an ideal base, and the pirates were quick to take 
  advantage. Rome quickly developed the skills necessary 
  to dominate the sea, and by 121 BC the island was firmly 
  under Senate control.
  Vandals conquered the island as Rome weakened, 
  though its successor, the Byzantine Empire, made amends 
  for its loss. By the early 10th century its fate was the same 
  as the other major Mediterranean islands—Moorish rule. 
  Following the loss of Majorca to the Christians in 1231, 
  Minorca survived as an independent Islamic state, lasting 
  a mere six years before falling to Aragonese forces.
  After a century as part of the Kingdom of Majorca, 
  Minorca was eventually absorbed into the newly uni-
  fied Spanish kingdom. Although small, Minorca was not 
  spared the privations of the Barbary Corsairs. As Spanish 
  rule over parts of Algiers ended in bitter defeat, so the 
  corsairs, freed from the fighting, sailed north. In 1535, 
  a fleet of pirates sacked the main city, dragging 6,000 
  unfortunate souls back to Algiers to endure a life of slav-
  ery. A second raid, this time in 1558, saw another 3,500 
  Minorcans enslaved. 
  Máo: Minorca’s location is not the only reason it has 
  been highly prized as a territory—it boasts the second 
  deepest natural harbor in the world. Despite the harbor 
  being in Máo, Ciutadella de Menorca is actually the capi-
  tal of Minorca, an honor it has held since antiquity.
  St. Philip’s Castle: In response to the corsair raid 
  two decades earlier, the Spanish began the construction 
  of a new castle in 1554. Although it lacks the refinement 
  of the Maltese fortifications, which date from a similar 
  era, it has served to deter the corsairs.
  Oran
  Ruler: Governor Antonio de Zúñiga y de la Cueva, 
  Marquis de Flores Dávila (1632-1639)
  Founded in 903 by Moorish traders from Andalusia 
  (Islamic Iberia), Oran’s location placed it at the junc-
  tion between competing dynasties. Over the course of 
  six centuries it was successively ruled by the Umayyad, 
  Fatimids, Almoravid, Almohad, Ziyyanid, and Marinid 
  dynasties. Although it briefly flourished for a time under 
  the Abd-el-Wadid sultans of Tlemcen, its status as a major 
  and prosperous trading center came in 1250, when the 
  ruler negotiated a 40-year trade deal with Genoa and 
  Venice, Italy’s greater maritime republics.
  Oran’s newfound wealth and prestige came at a price, 
  for it proved an irresistible lure to the Portuguese, who 
  tried and failed to capture the city in 1501, and the Span-
  ish, who succeeded in 1509.
  The Ottomans, having rid the rest of the country of 
  the Spanish, finally turned their attentions toward Oran 
  in 1554. In a shrewd move, the city’s governor, Count 
  d’Alcaudete, forged an alliance with the neighboring 
  Moroccan sultan, stymieing the Ottoman advance. Oran 
  remains in Spanish hands (and will do until 1792).
  Forts: To protect their valuable prize, the Spanish 
  spared no expense in erecting three mighty forts. The 
  Fort Santa Cruz (completed in 1604 and boasting 15 can-
  nons), which also serves as the governor’s residence sits 
  1,300 feet above the city. Fort de la Moune (12 guns) pro-
  tects the western end of the harbor, and Fort St. Philippe 
  (6 cannons) dominates the city center. A network of tun-
  nels runs beneath the hills and streets, connecting the 
  three forts.
  Naples, City of
  Ruler: Viceroy Manuel de Acevedo y Zúñiga (1631-
  37), Ramiro Núñez de Guzmán (1637-1644).
  Capital of the Kingdom of Naples, the earliest city 
  is actually of Greek origin. Still in Greek hands during 
  the Punic Wars, the Greeks wisely allied themselves with 
  the Roman Republic. After falling to the Samnites, who 
  inhabited Southern Italy, it was captured by Rome and 
  brought into the growing republic. Although pillaged by 
  the Ostrogoths, Greek influence returned through the 
  Byzantine Empire.
  Naples became a duchy in the 7th century, after rebel-
  ling against imperial rule, and fully changed allegiance 
  from the empire to the Papacy in the 9th century. Be-
  tween 840 and 1137, when the Norman warlord Roger 
  II of Sicily conquered it, the city was ruled as an inde-
  pendent state. Control briefly switched to the Germanic 
  Hohenstaufens in the 13th century, before passing to the 
  House of Anjou after the Germans failed war against the 
  All For One 
  10
  
  Papacy. Naples enjoyed a short period as part of the King-
  dom of Siciliy before the union was sundered (1284) and 
  Naples became the seat of a separate Angevin kingdom.
  Angevin rule lasted until 1442, when the city fell to 
  the Aragonese. Now under new management, Naples 
  flourished thanks to trade with Spain and cultural pa-
  tronage. France, whose kings had never given up their 
  claim to the city, seized control in 1495, but within a few 
  years Spanish suzerainty had been restored. Although 
  still technically a kingdom, its king would now be the 
  Spanish monarch, not a separate client king. Since the 
  king could rule effectively from Iberia, he instigated rule 
  through a viceroy. Early Spanish rule proved a boom 
  time. Although taxation was high, the city underwent 
  massive urban renewal and fortification. Cultural patron-
  age continued, the city attracting many of the great paint-
  ers, writers, and philosophers of the day. Today, the city 
  is overcrowded and subject to a more oppressive regime. 
  The embers of rebellion have been ignited.
  Castel dell’Ovo: Formerly the city’s main defensive 
  structure, the Castle of the Egg, which sits on a small 
  island, was replaced in importance by Castel Nuovo. Its 
  name comes from a legend that a magical egg was placed 
  in the foundations of the earliest structure, a Roman 
  watchtower, to strengthen its defenses.
  Castel Nuovo: Built in 1279 as both a fort and royal 
  residence, the New Castle has been continually upgraded 
  to match developments in artillery. In the current age it 
  serves purely in a military capacity.
  Sant’Elmo: Another Angevin construction, the castle 
  was been fortified and reshaped into the distinctive 
  star pattern favored by architects of the age in the 16th 
  century. Since 1604 it has served as a prison for political 
  dissidents opposed to the viceroys.
  Underground: Sprawling beneath the city’s bustling 
  streets are miles of tunnels hewn out by generations of 
  miners. Other levels include the city’s ancient cisterns 
  and a network of catacombs.
  Sardinia, Kingdom of
  Skipping through the list of Phoenicians, Carthagin-
  ians, Romans, Vandals, and Byzantines, Sardinia began to 
  suffer Moorish privations from the 8th century. Although 
  never conquered by the Moors, their assaults made 
  foreign rule impossible, and after the fall of Sicily, the 
  emperors left the island to its own devices.
  Divided among a new hereditary ruling class known as 
  giudicati, or judges, Sardinia, now effectively five states 
  in one, trotted quietly through history until the 13th 
  century, by which time four of the five judges’ territories 
  either annexed internally or in the hands of the Pisans. 
  Following much political maneuvering, which saw the 
  island used as a pawn in the war between the Angevin 
  and Aragonese dynasties, finally became part of a united 
  Spain in 1479 (having been under Aragon’s rule since 
  1323). Spanish rule has not been entirely successful.
  The final loss of independence coupled with Euro-
  pean feudalism, Spanish heavy-handedness, and the 
  discovery of the New World prompted many Sardinians 
  to leave their island. Constant attacks by the Barbary cor-
  sairs, despite the creation of fortifications after the failed 
  1541 attempt to capture Algiers, and plague in 1582 only 
  exacerbated matters.
  In 1637, a French fleet, aided by corsairs, attacks and 
  sacks the Sardinian city of Oristano as part of the war 
  between France and Spain.
  Sicily
  Following the conquest of North Africa, Arab traders 
  began stretching their trading routes into the Mediter-
  ranean. Whereas their armies conquered many islands, 
  their interaction with Sicily, then part of the Byzantine 
  Empire, was purely mercantile. Tired of Byzantine rule, 
  the inhabitants rebelled in 827, actively courting Moorish 
  support for their cause. Although they met with strong 
  resistance, Arab persistence led to total dominion over 
  Sicily in 965. 
  Far from being cruel tyrants, the Arab influence over 
  what became an independent emirate led to land reforms 
  and increased agricultural productivity. Inhabitants loyal 
  to the Byzantines frequently rebelled, and Arab domi-
  nance over portions of the island ebbed and waned. 
  Sample Barbary Names
  Male: Ahmed, Aziz, Badr, Butrus, Dawud, Fais-
  al, Faris, Fudail, Ghassan, Hadi, Hanif, Hisham, 
  Husam, Imad, Ismail, Jabbar, Jibril, Jubair, Kadir, 
  Kaliq, Karim, Khalid, Kutaiba, Lahab, Mahmoud, 
  Malik, Masruq, Munir, Muti, Nadhir, Najjar, Nasser, 
  Nur, Omar, Qadir, Radi, Rashid, Riyad, Salah, Samir, 
  Sayyid, Shakir, Suhail, Sulaiman, Tariq, Thabit, 
  Umar, Utbah, Wahid, Wakil, Yasser, Youssef, Yushua.
  Female: Aabidah, Afeerah, Aliyah, Amal, Asma, Ba-
  reea, Emna, Faitma, Hafeza, Hana, Jasmina, Mer-
  iem, Nadine, Nawel, Nesrine, Rania, Salima, Shas, 
  Soraya, Yalda, Yasmine.
  Surnames are uncommon. Most citizens use the 
  name of their father prefixed by “ibn” or “bin.” Both 
  mean “son of.” A nobleman may list multiple names 
  to denote his ancestry. Females use “bint” (daugh-
  ter of) and then the name of paternal relatives. One 
  might also use “min” followed by one’s place of ori-
  gin. Slaves and servants use “abd” followed by the 
  name of their master after their given name. “Abu” 
  means “father of.” Largely used as an honorific, so 
  noting the father’s siring of an heir, it is also used 
  by fathers whose offspring have risen beyond them 
  in reputation. “Umm” means “mother of.” “Beni” 
  means “children or descendants of,” and is always 
  followed by the name of a famous ancestor. Rather 
  than listing the male line, a family may adopt this as 
  a sort of familial name.
  Richelieu’s Guide to the Barbary Coast
  11
  
  Moorish suzerainty lased until 1091, when Norman 
  mercenaries conquered the island in a bid to stamp out 
  the pirates using Sicily as a base. Rather than stamping 
  out the Islamic influence, the new rulers adopted cer-
  tain elements into their culture. So successful was the 
  cultural union, Sicily became renowned far and wide as 
  a center for poets and artists, scholars and scientists. By 
  1130 Sicily had risen from an insignificant island to a rich 
  and vibrant kingdom rivaling many large nations.
  Following the death of the last Norman king, ruler-
  ship passed to the Hohenstaufens through marital suc-
  cession. German rule was short, and in 1266 the Pope 
  handed Sicily to the French. Unlike the Normans, the 
  French were intensely disliked by the native, multicul-
  tural population.
  Pushed to breaking point, the islanders rose up 
  against their new masters in 1282, putting most of the 
  French population to the sword. Rebuked by the Pope 
  when they sought his support, the people turned to 
  Peter III of Aragon, son-in-law of the last Hohenstaufen 
  king, to govern the island. War raged on and off until 
  1302, when a peace treaty ceded the island to Peter’s 
  son, making it an independent kingdom. A century later, 
  it was made a part of the Kingdom of Aragon.
  Today part of the unified Spanish kingdom, Sicily re-
  mains a key player in European trade. Formerly a major 
  producer of wheat, it is now a major exporter of silk. 
  Tangier
  Ruler: Governor Count de la Torre (1628-1637), 
  Count de Sarzeda (1637-1643)
  Located on the northern tip of Morocco, Tangier was 
  a Carthaginian port before coming under Roman rule. 
  Successive rulers saw the repeating pattern of Rome, 
  Vandals, and Byzantines rule found elsewhere in the re-
  gion, before the city become part of the expanding Arab 
  world in the early years of the 8th century. 
  The city is currently a Spanish territory thanks to the 
  Iberian Union (1580-1640). After an abortive attempt in 
  1415, the Portuguese captured the city in 1471.
  Tripolitania
  Ruler: Pasha Mehmed Saqizli Pasha (1633-1649)
  Better known as Tripoli, Tripolitania’s history is 
  largely centered on its capital city, also known as Tripoli. 
  As such, this entry relates to the city.
  Attracted to the area by its natural harbor, the Phoe-
  nicians established the first city. They were supplanted 
  by the Greek, who in turn gave way to the Carthagin-
  ians. Roman rule came next, then that of the Vandals, 
  and after them the Byzantines. In the early 8th century 
  it became an Arab territory, ruled over by the caliphs of 
  Cairo. In a turn of fortune, the Tunisian Fatamid dynasty 
  conquered the city, eventually expanding their rule as far 
  east as Syria. Under their guidance, the port became a 
  thriving center of corsair activity.
  Spanish troops gained control of the city in 1510, 
  but by 1523 they had handed control to the Knights of 
  St. John, a branch of the Hospitallers of old who would 
  go on to become the Knights of Malta. Surrounded by 
  hostile forces, the knights quickly began fortifying their 
  holding. In 1551, the knights were finally forced to 
  capitulate to the army of the renowned admiral Turgut 
  Reis, withdrawing to the island of Malta. Ironically, Tur-
  get Reis would end his days on Malta, killed during the 
  Great Siege of 1565.
  Now in Ottoman hands, Tripoli has once again be-
  come a haven for corsairs.
  Tunis
  Ruler: Yusuf Dey (1610-1637)
  Founded by Berbers in the 2nd millennium BC, Tunis 
  eventually fell under the influence of nearby Carthage. 
  At the end of the Third Punic War both Carthage and the 
  largely inconsequential Tunis were put to the torch by 
  the victorious Romans. While the ruins of Carthage were 
  left as a reminder of Rome’s might, Tunis was rebuilt 
  under Roman occupation. After the Arab invasion, Tunis’ 
  fortunes were reprieved as a naval base for operations 
  against Christian interests in the Mediterranean. 
  The city changed hands many times as dynasties came 
  and went, but it remained an Islamic center until 1270, 
  when Louis IX of France conquered both it and Carthage. 
  Unfortunately, Louis’ army succumbed to dysentery, and, 
  after Louis’ death shortly after, the French abandoned 
  their claim.
  Ottoman rule began in 1534. Ironically, the last 
  sultan of the ruling Hafsid dynasty fled to the court of 
  the Spanish king and Holy Roman emperor, Charles V. 
  As a corsair port, Tunis had been responsible for many 
  attacks against Spanish interests. The sultan was offered 
  a deal—the Spanish would put him back in power, but 
  only as a puppet ruler under Spanish control. Charles 
  led the invasion personally, his forces capturing Tunis in 
  1535. It fell to the Ottomans in 1569, and then moved 
  back to Spanish suzerainty in 1471, before passing back 
  to the Ottomans again in 1574.
  The pashas have already lost much of their power. 
  In 1591, the Janissaries’ (Turkish troops) junior officers 
  revolted. After overthrowing the senior officers, they 
  forced the pasha to grant one of their own the title of 
  military commander (Dey). 
  The Dey, elected by the deys, became the de facto 
  ruler of Tunis, taking under his control military matters 
  and law and order in the capital. The pasha’s council was 
  abolished, and the pasha reduced to a puppet, kept in 
  place only to prevent the Ottoman sultan from making 
  direct intervention.
  Tunis is currently embroiled in political machinations 
  equal to those plaguing France. The pasha’s right hand 
  man, the bey, has turned native Tunisian opinion against 
  the Dey, increasing his own power at the expense of the 
  usurpers.
  All For One 
  1
  
  Barbary Characters
  This section briefly looks at creating characters native 
  to the Barbary States, and Knights of Malta.
  As well as corsairs, notes on which can be found 
  below, players can take the role of nobles, scholars, 
  scientists, healers, magicians (see the sidebar on page 
  15), courtiers, poets, entertainers, thieves, diplomats, 
  bureaucrats, and soldiers, just as with French characters. 
  The character generation guidelines found in the various 
  Richelieu’s Guides apply equally to Barbary characters. 
  The same rules on female characters apply as in All 
  for One—use common sense. Nothing prevents a corsair 
  from being female, but it is very unlikely a woman will be 
  found serving in the army or as a bureaucrat.
  Because of the Franco-Ottoman Alliance, under which 
  Marseilles and neighboring Toulon continue to serve as 
  a joint French and Barbary corsair port, Barbary Coast 
  characters (except Moroccans, who are not part of the 
  treaty) can be added to an existing campaign with mini-
  mal difficulties. Unless a Muslim has renounced his faith 
  and adopted Catholicism (a very rare voluntary act), he 
  cannot enlist in the King’s Musketeers.
  However, Cardinal Richelieu has recently negotiated 
  a pact with the Ottoman pashas that allows French and 
  Ottoman soldiers to train with each other. Ostensibly this 
  is to help the soldiers of both nations better understand 
  each other’s ways, thus increasing efficiency in joint op-
  erations. In reality, it is intended to create religious strife 
  in France, further adding to the turmoil already wrack-
  ing the beleaguered nation. Barbary characters assigned 
  to the Musketeers are permitted to guard the king, but 
  must be unarmed when doing so—Richelieu isn’t quite 
  ready for the uproar allowing an armed Moor so close to 
  the king would create.
  Language: Whereas all French characters are as-
  sumed to speak French as their native tongue, characters 
  hailing from the Barbary Coast speak Arabic. In order to 
  communicate, at least one character in a culturally mixed 
  group is going to have to take Linguistics at zero-level or 
  have sufficient raw Intelligence to learn another tongue.
  Barbary Nobility
  Unlike in Europe, the nobility of the Barbary States is 
  more political than feudal. Titles indicate social position 
  and favor, not ancestry or wealth. In the Barbary States, a 
  peasant can, in theory, rise from the gutters to become a 
  general or governor (though it remains an unlikely pros-
  pect). Except for sultan, titles are rarely hereditary.
  Corsair State pirate captains, military officers, court-
  iers, and diplomats need to invest in Status rather than 
  Rank. Increasing Status leads to higher accolades, even if 
  it does not bring with it any financial gain.
  The highest rank in the region is sultan, but this is 
  used only in Morocco, which remains independent of 
  Ottoman control. The title stems from the word masdar, 
  which means “strength” or “authority.” The sultan’s posi-
  tion places him on par with the monarchs to France and 
  Spain socially. No character can hope to attain this posi-
  tion simply through expending Experience points.
  The highest achievable noble title is that of pasha, a 
  title bestowed on ambassadors, generals, admirals, and 
  governors. It has no direct equivalent feudal rank in 
  English. In the Barbary States, the pashas are technically 
  answerable to the Great Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, 
  but in practise are independent overlords.
  Bey traditionally applies to the ruler of a tribal group, 
  making it a true feudal rank. However, it is also used 
  militarily and politically. In the former, it represents a 
  high-ranking officer (roughly equivalent to a colonel), 
  whereas in the latter it is given to district governors. Ti-
  tleholders are roughly equivalent to dukes in European 
  terms. The territory ruled over by a bey is a beylik. The 
  sons of a bey are permitted to use the title beyzade, an 
  honorific.
  Miralai is both a rank and social position. It is held by 
  members of the military, and equates to an army captain 
  or naval commander. As in European armies and navies, 
  titles and military experience do not always go hand in 
  hand. As such, the title can be awarded to anyone as a 
  mark of distinction. Titleholders may actually nevercom-
  mand any troops in battle.
  Dey is a title awarded to military officers (roughly 
  that of an army captain or lieutenant), and junior bu-
  reaucratic functionaries. It is also the title wielded by the 
  effective ruler of Tunis.
  Aren’t Corsairs Evil?
  Historically, corsairs were branded as evil men, 
  prone to plunder, slavery, and barbaric acts. This, 
  of course, is the European viewpoint, and one writ-
  ten about an enemy people. However, in the same 
  way that Blackbeard would later taint the name of 
  all pirates as bloodthirsty curs, so the actions of a 
  small number of corsairs brand the entire occupa-
  tion. Unless a character takes an appropriate Flaw, 
  such as Callous or Sadism, then he needn’t follow 
  the stereotypical image of a corsair anymore than a 
  Musketeer has to be brave and heroic.
  Although mankind is entering a new age of scien-
  tific and philosophical advancement, the specter of 
  the Crusades still lurks in the hearts of men. This is 
  still an age where Muslim is pitted against Christian. 
  While some corsairs do fight a holy war, most are in 
  the game to get rich, and their faith plays no part in 
  their actions. We strongly suggest that religious in-
  tolerance be kept out of the game. In the same way 
  that a player can take the role of a Catholic Muske-
  teer without advocating the Catholic Church or hav-
  ing to know much about the faith, so he can play a 
  Muslim corsair without being a follower of Islam or 
  stereotyping worshippers of the faith.
  •                   •
  Richelieu’s Guide to the Barbary Coast
  1
  
  Agha means “master” or “lord.” The title is given to 
  administrators, court officials, low ranking military of-
  ficers (lieutenant), and corsair reis. An agha governing 
  territory for his superior is in charge of an agaluk.
  Efendi is a generic title used to show respect to an 
  honored person, such as a notable scholar, diplomat, 
  or even a corsair officer. It grants no political power 
  or wealth. It is also used generally by the lower classes 
  when speaking to those of higher social standing. In this 
  circumstance it is equivalent to calling someone “sir.”
  Barbary Coast Status Table
  Unlike in Western Europe, these honorifics go after 
  the holder’s given name, not before.
  Rank
  Example
  0
  Efendi
  1
  Agha
  2
  Dey
  3
  Miralai
  4
  Bey
  5
  Pasha
  Playing a Barbary Pirate
  All Musketeers receive four zero-level Skills and two 
  zero-level Resources. Barbary corsairs receive the same 
  general benefits, but with a few key differences.
  A corsair must take Seamanship, and one Skill from 
  Fencing, Firearms, Gunnery, and Melee at zero-level. His 
  remaining two Skills are his choice, but should be used 
  to indicate background and upbringing.
  Corsairs have virtually no ranks, though they use posi-
  tions aboard ship to denote special duties. As such, nei-
  ther Rank nor Status is required to play a corsair. Status 0, 
  however, indicates a senior position, such as the captain’s 
  right-hand man. A reis needs Status 1. Fame actually best 
  represents regular corsair crewmen—it can also be used 
  to indicate notoriety among one’s enemies.
  Most other Resources have their value. Contacts might 
  indicate fellow corsairs, traders willing to purchase your 
  plunder or slaves, or perhaps even traitors in foreign 
  lands who provide information in return for coin (or 
  perhaps are serving you to try and secure the return of 
  a loved one from the galleys). Patron is perfectly suited 
  to corsairs. As businessmen with investors, a patron can 
  represent the moneyman funding your expeditions. 
  Since powerful reises often commanded multiple ships, 
  it may also indicate a captain you serve indirectly.
  Ally might represent a fellow corsair, a government 
  official, or even a military officer. As with Contacts, it 
  could even be a foreign national you bribe or coerce 
  into serving you from time to time. Every corsair needs 
  somewhere to hide, relax, conduct business, store his 
  wealth, or repair his ship. Thus, Refuge covers a variety 
  of uses. Wealth is a no-brainer is terms of an acceptable 
  Resource—it simply represents income earned from mi-
  nor raids during downtime.
  Knights of Malta
  While the European states wage brutal war over mat-
  ters of faith and hungrily turn their gaze toward the rich 
  territories overseas, the defense of the Mediterranean 
  has fallen largely to the last remaining bastion of Catho-
  lic crusader militancy, the Knights of Malta.
  History
  The earliest incarnation of the Knights of Malta was 
  formed shortly after the First Crusade as the Knights 
  Hospitaller, an order of monastic-knights. Initially they 
  operated hospices and infirmaries catering for the physi-
  cal and spiritual needs of pilgrims traveling to Jerusalem, 
  but they quickly expanded into armed escort services.
  As a religious order, the Hospitallers answered solely 
  to the Pope, allowing them to ignore the dictates and 
  demands not only of the nobility, but also of local bish-
  ops. Exemption from taxation and tithes enabled them 
  to construct huge fortifications alongside hospitals. Its 
  fame and influence spread far and wide—The Holy Ro-
  man Emperor, Frederick Barbarossa, swore to protect 
  the Hospitallers, and the King of England and Duke of 
  Normandy welcomed their presence in their lands.
  Yet despite the best intentions and will of the Crusad-
  ers, the Holy Land was fated to belong to the Muslims. 
  The city of Jerusalem fell in 1187, less than a century after 
  Languages
  Characters wishing to explore the Mediterranean 
  now have a choice of three more languages.
  Arabic: The native language of the Barbary cor-
  sairs. Arabic is spoken from Morocco to Persia, and 
  is the lingua franca of the Ottoman Empire. Arabic, 
  like French, is not a unified language; almost every 
  country has its own variant. However, aside from 
  sounding like a yokel in a different Arabic nation, 
  this has little effect on game play.
  Berber: While Arabic is the language of govern-
  ment, Berber is spoken by the common people. As 
  with Arabic, there are numerous dialects, but these 
  are ignored for game purposes.
  Corsican: A Romance language spoken on Corsi-
  ca. It is closer to Italian than French, but follows a 
  unique syntax and pronunciation.
  Maltese: The language spoken by the inhabitants 
  of Malta. Maltese is a Semitic language derived from 
  Arabic but uses the standard Latin alphabet in its 
  written form.
  •                   •
  All For One 
  1
  
  the Hospitaller’s foundation. Fate played its final hand in 
  1291, when Acre, one of the last remaining outposts of 
  Christian might, fell to the Saracen armies.
  With the Holy Land overrun, the knights retreated to 
  Cyprus. Embroiled in local politics against their will, the 
  Grand Master turned to a new goal—the creation of a 
  temporal domain. After two years of bloody conflict, the 
  island of Rhodes fell to the Hospitallers in 1309. God, it 
  seemed, was smiling benevolently on the order, for three 
  years later their bitter rivals, the Knights Templar, were 
  dissolved. The great majority of their estates became 
  the property of the Hospitallers, vastly increasing their 
  wealth overnight.
  The knights meteoric rise and continued crusading 
  fervor had not gone unnoticed by the emerging pow-
  ers of the Middle East. Although small in number, the 
  knights defeated an invasion by the Sultan of Egypt in 
  1444, and by Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II in 1480. The 
  latter was especially poignant, for Mehmed, conqueror 
  of Constantinople, had made the eradication of the 
  Christian knights a top priority.
  Although the Ottoman’s nose had been bloodied, they 
  were far from defeated. Having secured new territory in 
  Eastern Europe, the sultan again turned his attentions 
  to the small island and its belligerent defenders. Seek-
  ing total victory, Suleiman the Magnificent dispatched an 
  army of 200,000 men aboard a fleet of 400 ships. The 
  defenders of Rhodes, a few hundred knights and 7,000 
  men-at-arms, withstood the assault for six months before 
  capitulating. Magnanimous in victory, Suleiman allowed 
  the surviving knights to depart the island unmolested.
  For seven years the order traveled around Europe, 
  homeless but not broken. In 1530, Charles V of Spain, 
  Holy Roman Emperor, and King of Sicily bequeathed the 
  knights the islands of Malta and Gozo (part of the same 
  archipelago) and the port of Tripoli (control of which 
  was lost in 1551) in perpetuity. In return, the knights 
  were to send the king a single Maltese falcon each year.
  Keen to continue their crusade against the Barbary 
  pirates, and eager for revenge for their defeat at the 
  hands of the Ottomans, the knights adapted their mili-
  tary force to nautical warfare. Although small, the fleet 
  quickly became a thorn in the side of Suleiman, who still 
  ruled as Sultan. Hoping to rectify his early mistake of al-
  lowing clemency, and keen to capture a new stronghold 
  from which to assault Europe, Suleiman sent a 40,000 
  strong army against Malta. Arrayed against them were 
  700 knights and 8,000 men-at-arms.
  The Ottomans swiftly gained the upper hand. Un-
  able to stem the invasion, the knights retreated, ceding 
  territory, losing cities, and suffering terrible losses. The 
  knights turned to the Viceroy of Sicily, King Philip II of 
  Spain’s governor, for aid, but their pleas went unan-
  swered. Unsure whether victory was assured, the Viceroy 
  dithered, and kept his men in their garrisons lest Malta 
  fall and the Ottomans seek to strike against his domain.
  Vastly outnumbered, short of supplies, suffering the 
  ravages of hunger and disease, the defenders of Malta 
  somehow clung on. While the Ottomans pounded the 
  walls of the last fortification by day, the knights repaired 
  them by night. As much as the knights suffered, the Otto-
  mans were faring worse. Disease had taken old, supplies 
  were slow in coming, and the army’s inability to crush 
  the pitiful Christian force sapped morale.
  The Ottomans could have won, were it not for one 
  act. In June, a lone cannon ball sailed over the harbor 
  and into the massed fleet, killing Dragut, admiral of the 
  Ottoman fleet, a corsair, and a talented commander. His 
  replacements lacked both his strategic mind and lead-
  ership abilities. The Ottoman fleet remained at anchor, 
  they made no attempt to acquire reinforcements from 
  their North African holdings, and they failed to keep an 
  eye on Sicily.
  On September 8, the Viceroy of Sicily’s reinforce-
  ments finally arrived. Although the force was more a 
  token gesture than a true army, their presence finally 
  broke Ottoman morale. Of the defenders, fewer than 
  600 were capable of wielding arms. The Ottoman army, 
  once 40,000 strong, had been reduced by two-thirds.
  Aside from the fortifications, the last standing city on 
  Malta was a ruin. A new city, named Valletta in honor 
  of the Grand Master who oversaw the defense of the 
  island, was constructed from the rubble. In addition to 
  new buildings and streets, the knights constructed a vast 
  fortification, insurance against future attacks.
  The future of the Knights of Malta seems uncertain. 
  Many of their northern European holdings have been 
  confiscated by Protestant rulers seeking to rob the 
  Catholic Church of power.
  Unable to fulfill their original mandate of protecting 
  pilgrims, and with the Europeans crowns unwilling to 
  support fresh Crusades to liberate the Holy Land, the 
  knights turned their attention to policing the Mediterra-
  nean against the growing threat of the Barbary corsairs. 
  Bolstered by their victory and boosted by the Christian 
  victory over the Ottoman fleet at Lepanto in 1571, the 
  knights switched from protecting pilgrims to protecting 
  Islamic Magick
  Magick in the Barbary States is as much a blasphe-
  mous act as it is in France. The sole exception to 
  this is Alchemy, the roots of which stem from Islamic 
  culture. In the Barbary States, Alchemy is very much 
  a science, and one valued by those in or seeking 
  power. However, alchemists must tread carefully, 
  for those accused of misusing their craft are subject 
  to cruel punishments.
  Whereas Western European magicians enforce their 
  will on spirits and elementals in order to work 
  magick, the sorcerers of the Barbary Coast haggle, 
  con, trick, and intimidate genies and other spirits. As 
  such, except for Alchemy, the Magick Skill is based 
  on Charisma for these characters, not Willpower.
  Aside from these small changes, the rules for magick 
  remain unaltered.
  Richelieu’s Guide to the Barbary Coast
  1
  
  merchant shipping and liberating Christian slaves taken 
  by Ottoman pirates.
  Despite breathing new life into a fading order, the 
  knights struggled financially. Changes in religious views 
  robbed them of many of their northern European hold-
  ings; fluctuations in exchange rates ate at their trading 
  income; the cost of building and maintaining a large 
  fleet devoured their reserves; their tiny island had few 
  resources and was little suited for agriculture; and the 
  great nations of Europe have lost interest in supporting 
  an order they assume is making a fortune from its nauti-
  cal activities.
  As Europe fragments because of religious differences, 
  so the knights are losing their faith and moral way. Slowly, 
  the knights have turned away from their holy purpose. 
  Enemy ships are plundered, the cargoes sold to fund the 
  knights’ lifestyles, which grow more extravagant by the 
  year; the old vows of chastity are being cast aside with in-
  creasing regularity as more and more knights take wives; 
  and its members can now be found serving as gold-hun-
  gry mercenaries in the expanding navies of Spain, France 
  (the most popular choice), and even Russia. Ironically, 
  France has signed a peace treaty with the Ottoman Em-
  pire, and thus the Barbary corsairs, technically making it 
  an enemy of the knights. 
  Organization
  Although Malta is the order’s spiritual and temporal 
  home, it recruits from lands across Western Europe. In 
  1301, the knights created langues, a word derived from 
  “language.” Although the langues refer to distinct geo-
  graphic regions, they are not political divisions. Rather, 
  they represent the native language or dialect. Each 
  langue contains a number of provinces, known as prio-
  ries, governed by a prior. Within each priory are the indi-
  vidual buildings owned by the order. These are known as 
  commanderies and governed by a commander.
  Although politics and religion have changed the face 
  of Europe and stripped the order of its power and in-
  come in Protestant areas, the langues of 1636 are still 
  those used when the system was last altered (1492)—
  Provence, Auvergne, France, Castile (includes Leon and 
  Portugal), Aragon, Italy, England (includes Scotland and 
  Ireland), and Germany (listed in order of precedent).
  The head of the holy order and supreme commander 
  of its impressive military might is the Grand Master. He is 
  elected to office for life by the Sovereign Council of the 
  Knights of Malta. Unusually, the Grand Master cannot be 
  forced from office, though he may abdicate. As of 1630, 
  the Grand Master is styled His Most Eminent Highness, 
  having been granted the same ecclesiastical status as a 
  cardinal. He is also a Reichfürst (Prince of the Holy Ro-
  man Empire), though the order has no holdings of any 
  note in Germany at present.
  Beneath the Grand Master are the High Officers. Each 
  is the head of a langue, which is turn determines their 
  title. In addition to these titles, each holds the office of 
  Grand Prior of their langue. Together, the High Officers 
  form the Sovereign Council. Even the langues currently 
  not part of the order have a figurehead Grand Prior.
  High Office Table
  Langue 
  Office Held 
  Governance
  Provence 
  Grand Commander 
  Chief religious officer
  Auvergne 
  Grand Treasurer 
  Finances
  France 
  Grand Hospitaller 
  Hospitals and charity
  Castile 
  Grand Chancellor 
  Diplomacy
  Aragon 
  Grand Admiral 
  Navy
  Italy 
  Grand Drapier 
  Supplies and stores
  England 
  Grand Turcopolier 
  Recruitment
  Germany 
  Grand Castellan 
  Fortifications
  Members
  Knights, who must be of noble birth, are divided into 
  Knights of Justice and Knights of Devotion. Knights of 
  Justice are chaste, whereas Knights of Devotion are mar-
  ried (usually for reasons of furthering the dynastic line). 
  Knights of Devotion may never become High Officers, 
  but are otherwise treated the same as their chaste kin.
  Non-nobles, married or otherwise, serve the order as 
  sergeants. Through distinguished service they may be 
  appointed a Knight of Grace. Although honored, they 
  may never become Knight Captains or higher (regardless 
  of marital status), and cannot command companies or 
  ships. In modern terms, they serve as non-commissioned 
  officers.
  Because the order recruits from across Europe, it uses 
  Latin as its common tongue.
  Rank Table
  Knights add “of Justice” or “of Devotion” after their 
  rank, as appropriate. Knights of Devotion are limited to 
  Rank 4. Non-nobles may only hold Rank 0 unless they 
  are appointed a Knight of Grace, in which case they are 
  limited to Rank 1.
  Rank
  Example
  0
  Sergeant or Knight
  1
  Grand Knight
  2
  Knight Captain
  3
  Knight Commander
  4
  Grand Knight Commander
  5
  High Officer
  Playing a Knight
  All Musketeers receive four zero-level Skills and two 
  zero-level Resources. Knights of Malta receive the same 
  general benefits, but with a few key differences.
  With the order devoted to maritime activities, all 
  Knights must have Seamanship. As warriors, they must 
  also take Fencing or Melee. While any other Skill can be 
  All For One 
  1
  
  useful, those most ideally suited are Athletics, Diplomacy, 
  Firearms, Gunnery, Intimidation, and Warfare. One of 
  the above Skills must be taken at zero-level, representing 
  rudimentary training. 
  Unless the character has Intelligence 3, he must 
  devote his fourth Skill to Linguistics—all Knights are 
  required to speak Latin, the order’s common tongue. 
  Otherwise, his fourth Skill is his choice. Ideally it should 
  represent his background and upbringing, but this is not 
  a strict requirement.
  A Knight has no choice when it comes to his zero-
  level Resources. First, he must be of noble birth, which 
  requires Status 0. Second, he must hold a title within the 
  Knights of Malta, and thus requires Rank 0.
  Sergeants must have Seamanship and Fencing or Me-
  lee, but are free to pick their remaining two zero-level 
  Skills. Unlike Knights, they do not need to speak Latin—
  except in dire emergencies, Sergeants are assigned to 
  Knights who speak their native tongue. For Resources, 
  Sergeants need only take Rank 0 due to their common 
  birth. Their second Resource is open.
  As nobles, Knights are expected to provide their own 
  equipment. Typically, a character begins play with a me-
  lee weapon of his choice and a wheellock pistol for his 
  armaments. Armor comprises a metal helmet (treat as a 
  metal cap) and a plate cuirass.
  New Academies
  This section introduces two new fencing academies 
  open to native Barbary Coast characters and one special-
  izing in a weapon now regarded as primitive—the sling.
  La Escuela Balear
  Fencing Style: None
  Prerequisites: Archery: Slings 4
  Fencing Style Bonuses: Since the school focuses 
  purely on slings, it grants no fencing bonuses.
  The most skilled slingers of the ancient world were 
  those from the Balearic Islands. They served with the 
  Carthaginians and later the Romans to great effect. While 
  islands still employ slings, they are primarily used for 
  hunting. However, the Balearic School teaches how to 
  use them to deadly effect in battle.
  The only school can be found on Majorca, the main 
  islands of the Balearic archipelago. Membership is open 
  to anyone, but the instructors only speak Spanish.
  Suggested Talents
  With the school’s sole focus being on wielding a sling 
  to maximum effect, characters should consider Accuracy 
  and Long Shot essential Talents.
   Students can learn Knockout Blow, Lethal Blow, and 
  Staggering Blow for use with the sling. Archery: Slings 
  replaces the listed prerequisite. To avoid confusion, add 
  “Sling” before “Blow.” Ricochet Shot can be learned us-
  ing similar notes.
  Double Load
  Prerequisites: Archery: Slings 4
  The character has learned to launch two stones simul-
  taneously at the same target.
  Benefit: Your character may make a Flurry Total At-
  tack using his sling.
  Normal: Your character may only make one attack 
  per turn with a sling.
  Advanced: You may purchase this Talent three times. 
  Your character ignores two points of penalties when 
  making a Total Attack with his sling at second level, and 
  four points at third level.
  The School of Aejej
  Fencing Style: Dervish
  Prerequisites: Acrobatics 4
  Fencing Style Bonuses: Disarm: –1, Feint: +1, Parry: 
  0, Thrust: –1, Slash: +1
  The school takes its name from the Moroccan word 
  for a desert whirlwind. The style’s name, which is one 
  given it by Europeans, stems from the mistaken belief 
  the school’s whirling style of combat originated with the 
  movement of the aesthetic whirling dervishes. Unlike 
  L’École de Danse, to which this style bears superficial 
  resemblance to the untrained eye, Dervish also incorpo-
  rates acrobatic flips, tumbles, and somersaults.
  Founded in Morocco during the 12th century, it has 
  since spread throughout the Barbary States. Unfortu-
  nately, its reliance on mobility makes it a poor choice 
  for the corsairs fighting on crowded galley decks. It has, 
  however, caught on with courtiers, who find it most use-
  ful in the sprawling palaces and courtyards that adorn 
  Barbary cities.
  As the style name implies, movement is key to the 
  style. It relies on graceful, fluid motions that carry the 
  character over, around, and beneath his opponents 
  combined with furious, lightning-fast slashes. Students 
  begin not by mastering the sword, but with a gymnastics 
  regime intended to make them strong and supple. In 
  order to ensure they learn quickly, students are attacked 
  with wooden staves as they move around the floor.
  The next stage involves training with short staves—
  somersaulting or tumbling while simultaneously making 
  an aggressive slash with a sharp sword has cost more 
  than one ill-prepared student a slice of flesh. Only then, 
  after years of training, is he entrusted to wield a blade.
  Suggested Talents
  The style relies on agility rather than strength to de-
  feat foes. Finesse Attack allows the character to switch 
  his Fencing to Dexterity, an attribute that also affects 
  Defense. For added emphasis, consider investing in Agile 
  •                  •
  Richelieu’s Guide to the Barbary Coast
  1
  
  during character generation. Combat Skill and Skill Ap-
  titude for Acrobatics increase the character’s gymnastic 
  prowess.
  Given its reliance on rapid attacks, both Florentine 
  and Flurry are invaluable. Vigorous Defense perfectly 
  reflects the constant movement and awareness of the 
  swordsman. Riposte works well with the style, though it 
  is only truly effective when combined with Parry. Savvy 
  Fighter and Swift both fit the style’s focus on awareness 
  and movement, though the latter is less useful once me-
  lee commences. The style’s reliance on acrobatics makes 
  Rising Handspring an ideal choice for swordsmen, and 
  Jump has its uses in and out of combat.
  Acrobatic Defense
  Prerequisites: Fencing: Dervish 4
  The character has learned to avoid attacks by leaping, 
  somersaulting, and tumbling out of harm’s way.
  Benefit: The character substitutes his Acrobatic rat-
  ing for his Active Defense in his Defense roll when using 
  either the Block, Dodge, or Parry maneuvers (pick one 
  when this Talent is taken).
  If your character loses his Active Defense for any rea-
  son, he may not make this substitution.
  Normal: Your character substitutes his Athletics, 
  Brawl, Fencing or Melee rating for his Active Defense in 
  his Defense roll, depending on whether he is dodging, 
  blocking, or parrying.
  Advanced: This Talent may be purchased three times. 
  Your character picks a second defensive maneuver at sec-
  ond level. Your character uses Acrobatics in place of his 
  Active Defense with all three maneuvers at third level.
  Acrobatic Strike
  Prerequisites: Fencing: Dervish 4
  By somersaulting over or tumbling under his oppo-
  nent, the swordsman can inflict a slash attack that runs 
  from his opponent’s head to groin or vice versa.
  Benefit: Your character can exert (taking one point 
  of nonlethal damage) to use Acrobatics as a Skill Synergy 
  with Fencing: Dervish. This bonus may only be used to 
  make attacks—never to block, dodge, or parry.
  Normal: Your character cannot use Skill Synergy with 
  Acrobatics to boost his Fencing: Dervish Skill.
  Advanced: You may purchase this Talent three times. 
  Your character gains a +4 Skill Synergy bonus at second 
  level and a +8 Skill Synergy bonus at third level.
  Backflip Kick
  Prerequisites: Fencing: Dervish 4
  Students are taught how to follow up stunning blows 
  with a kick while performing an athletic backflip. 
  Benefit: If your character makes a Fencing: Dervish 
  attack and stuns an opponent, he may make an immedi-
  ate kick to deliver a 0N strike (using Fencing) against 
  the same target as a free action. The free attack suffers a 
  –4 penalty and must be a straight attack—no maneuvers 
  (such as Called Shot or Total Attack) can be used in con-
  junction with it.
  Normal: Your character cannot follow up an attack 
  with a free action attack.
  Advanced: You may purchase this Talent up to three 
  times. Your character gains a +2 bonus to his Fencing 
  roll to deliver the kick at second level and a +4 bonus 
  at third level.
  Special: If your character has the Florentine or Flurry 
  Talents, he may perform a kick after each attack that 
  leaves his opponent stunned. The Flurry penalty applies 
  only to the initial attacks, not the follow-up blows.
  Deceptive Strike
  Prerequisites: Fencing: Dervish 4
  The swordsman has learned to lead with a false weak 
  attack, opening his opponent’s defense in preparation 
  for a second, more powerful strike.
  Benefit: When making a Fencing: Dervish Florentine 
  or Flurry Total Attack, your character rolls the first attack 
  as normal. However, the attack does no damage. Instead, 
  any damage applies as a bonus to his second attack.
  Normal: Your character deals damage with both at-
  tacks separately when using Florentine or Flurry.
  Advanced: You may purchase this Talent three times. 
  Your character ignores two points of penalties when mak-
  ing a Deceptive Strike at second level, and four points of 
  penalties at third level.
  The School of Quwah
  Fencing Style: Quwah
  Prerequisites: Strength 3
  Fencing Style Bonuses: Disarm: +1, Feint: –1, Parry: 
  0, Thrust: –1, Slash: +1
  When Europeans first heard of this school during the 
  latter days of the Spanish Reconquista they assumed “qu-
  wah” was the name of the founder, and thus named the 
  style accordingly out of respect. In fact, quwah means 
  strength in Arabic, and relates to the school’s single-
  minded philosophy to combat.
  Supposedly founded in Cairo by one of Saladin’s 
  generals, the school teaches that victory comes through 
  strength of arm, not subtlety. While some schools favor 
  thought and tactics to expose a weakness, Quwah relies 
  on smashing through an opponent’s defenses. Although 
  now a general style open to anyone, it was originally de-
  signed for Muslim warriors in heavy armor. With fatigue 
  and heat stroke an ever-present danger in the arid Holy 
  Land, soldiers were taught to end combat as quickly as 
  possible.
  Since the style focuses on physical strength, students 
  undergo regular and tiring exercise as well as swords-
  manship training. Although armor has fallen out of favor 
  on the battlefield, practitioners of the style often train in 
  armor as part of their exercise regime. Those who cannot 
  All For One 
  1
  
  afford armor have been known to strap stones to their 
  torso and limbs.
  Following the forging of the Franco-Ottoman Alliance, 
  students of Quwah and Tarrasque, both of which follow 
  the same basic principals, have began trading secret 
  techniques, improving both styles. Watching swordsmen 
  of the two styles fight is a fascinating if short-lived spec-
  tacle—two irresistible forces clashing in a tremendous 
  exchange of raw power.
  Suggested Talents
  With its focus on brute strength over finesse, both 
  Strong and Strong Defense play to the student’s advan-
  tage. A high Initiative greatly benefits one of the school’s 
  special talents, so Quick Reflexes is a must.
  Students can take Knockout Blow and Staggering 
  Blow with regard their fencing style. Fencing: Quwah 
  replaces the Brawl prerequisite. To differentiate the Tal-
  ents, add “Quwah” before “Blow” in each case.
  In addition, the Beat Talent (see Tarrasque in 
  Richelieu’s Guide to Fencing School 2) is available to 
  students.
  Gathering the Storm
  Unique
  Prerequisites: Fencing: Quwah 4
  Your character has learned to focus his energy into a 
  powerful blow, but at the expense of striking first.
  Benefit: At the start of the turn, before any combat-
  ants act, your character can voluntarily lower his current 
  initiative score to gain bonus dice to his attack. 
  For each two points your character lowers his current 
  initiative score, he adds +1 to a Fencing: Quwah attack 
  made in the same turn. Your character’s initiative score 
  cannot be reduced below zero, and the attack must be 
  a single strike (i.e., it cannot be used with Florentine or 
  Flurry). Your character’s initiative remains at its reduced 
  score until increased by normal means (i.e., by holding 
  his action and then interrupting an opponent’s action 
  later in the combat encounter).
  Normal: Your character cannot lower his Initiative 
  score to gain bonus attack dice.
  Supreme Focus
  Unique
  Prerequisites: Fencing: Quwah 4
  As well as focusing his physical strength, the character 
  has learned to harness his mental strength, adding even 
  more power to his strikes.
  Benefit: Your character can exert (taking one point 
  of nonlethal damage) to add his Willpower rating to one 
  Fencing: Quwah attack. This bonus may only be used to 
  make attacks—never to block, dodge, or parry—and can-
  not be combined with Florentine or Flurry.
  Normal: Your character cannot add Willpower to his 
  Fencing: Quwah attacks.
  Wounding Disarm
  Prerequisites: Fencing: Quwah 4
  The character has learned to disarm an opponent by 
  striking his opponent’s weapon, employing such force 
  that the blow can break bones.
  This Talent is open to students of the Tarrasque style.
  Benefit: When you make a successful Disarm attack, 
  each extra success above your opponent’s Passive De-
  fense rating inflicts a nonlethal wound.
  Normal: Your character inflicts no damage when per-
  forming a Disarm maneuver.
  Advanced: This Talent may be purchased three times. 
  Your character gains a +2 bonus to Disarm a foe at sec-
  ond level and a +4 bonus at third level.
  Special: Fencing style bonuses apply as normal. 
  Friends & Foes
  Although France is beset by numerous secretive orga-
  nizations working for and against its best interests, the 
  Barbary Coast has not been spared such machinations, 
  either. Described below are two of the more notable so-
  cieties found in North Africa and one minor organization 
  with parallels in France.
  The Brethren of Solomon
  Evil spirits have plagued mankind since Adam was 
  molded from clay. But since the 10th century BC man-
  kind has not stood alone. Watching over him from the 
  shadows is an order dedicated to the destruction of de-
  mons and those who traffic with them.
  History
  The Brethren date back to the age of King Solomon, a 
  figure who appears in the sacred texts of the Christians, 
  Jews, and Muslims. During his reign, mankind was sorely 
  plagued by devils. Possessed of many gifts, Solomon 
  warred with the spirits who would not accept God’s rule, 
  arraying before them a mighty army of animals, genies, 
  and men. Victorious on the battlefield, Solomon gave 
  the renegade spirits a choice—bow down before God 
  or face imprisonment until judgment day. True to his 
  word, Solomon cast unrepentant spirits to the ends of 
  the earth, imprisoning them in glass bottles and copper 
  jars, or chaining them up in the most desolate wastes.
  For all Solomon’s wisdom and might, he could not 
  bring every spirit to justice. A mortal man of finite years, 
  as laid down by God, Solomon foresaw a time in which 
  the evil spirits would once again rise up to tempt man-
  kind. In ensure that God’s will be done, Solomon laid 
  down the foundations for a society that would follow 
  after him and continue the struggle against evil. Thus 
  was born the Brethren of Solomon.
  Throughout history the Brethren have kept to their 
  •                 •
  Richelieu’s Guide to the Barbary Coast
  1
  
  sacred path, facing down evil in all its forms. During 
  the Crusades they waged war against the Christians, not 
  because of their faith, but because they brought with 
  them many devils. Despite differences of ideology, the 
  Brethren and their Christian counterparts, the Knights 
  Templars, frequently cooperated, exchanging cultural 
  ideas and spilling blood as brothers in arms, united by 
  higher common purpose rather than divided by faith.
  In recent years they have detected an increase in de-
  monic activity in France. Although largely unwelcome in 
  Christian lands, the Brethren have made inroads thanks 
  to the Franco-Ottoman Alliance.
  Organization
  The head of the Brethren is the Keeper of the Seal. 
  His title comes from the belief that he guards the Seal of 
  Solomon, a magical ring which gave the king power over 
  demons. According to tradition, the ring was given to the 
  first Keeper, to be protected, but never used, until the 
  rightful heir of Solomon was sent by God. The Keeper is 
  based in Jerusalem, Solomon’s seat of power.
  Each Islamic country is watched over by a vizier, ap-
  pointed personally by the Keeper. In order to protect 
  the Keeper’s identity, and prevent the unworthy taking 
  control of the ring, only the Viziers ever meet with their 
  superior, whom they are also responsible for electing.
  Each vizier commands a number of subordinates 
  known as Knights of the Grand Seal, each of whom is 
  responsible for a single geographic region within his 
  superior’s larger territory.
  Further divisions exist at a local level, these being com-
  manded by a knight. Knights are graded by experience, 
  with those of the Greater Seal ranking above those of the 
  Lesser Seal. Each knight in turn commands a number of 
  brothers, the rank-and-file of the Brethren.
  Social status means nothing among the Brethren. 
  Promotion is based on experience, understanding of the 
  order’s foes, and loyalty. The only requirement is that 
  members must be worshippers of God. Non-Muslims are 
  permitted to join, but may never rise above the rank of 
  Brother. A brother who converts to Islam is allowed to 
  achieve any rank.
  Brethren Rank Table
  The ranks below are the English version. As devout 
  Muslims, the order speaks Arabic as its native tongue.
  Rank
  Example
  0
  Aspirant Brother 
  1
  Brother
  2
  Knight of the Lesser Seal
  3
  Knight of the Greater Seal
  4
  Knight of the Grand Seal
  5
  Vizier
  Members
  Brethren can fill a number of roles. While the order 
  needs soldiers to carry out the dirty work, it also needs 
  tools and information. As such, it recruits armorers, al-
  chemists, scholars, and spies.
  The order permits sorcerers within its ranks, but only 
  those who practice Theurgy, and only if they are devout 
  Muslims. However, there always remains a degree of 
  mistrust, and those who traffic with demons, even to 
  command them into servitude, are prohibited from ris-
  ing beyond the rank of Brother.
  While the brethren do have full-time operatives, most 
  of their members hold other occupations, answering the 
  call-to-arms only when summoned, but ever vigilant for 
  signs of deviltry in their homeland.
  Jubal Dey
  A diplomat in the service of the Pasha of Algiers, 
  Jubal’s true loyalty lies with the Brethren of Solomon. 
  His ancestors have served the great cause for genera-
  tions, never faltering in the face of evil, and Jubal was 
  groomed to take his place from a young age. Although 
  not the most physical specimen, he has a sharp mind and 
  winning personality, both vital assets in the endless war 
  against the forces of Iblis.
  Despite his protestations, Jubal was recently sent to 
  France as part of a minor embassy to the French court 
  (neither nation has a permanent embassy on the other’s 
  soil). As the land was supposedly Christian, he believed 
  France would be a God-fearing country. Alas, instead of 
  men of faith he has found a nest of vipers. Noblemen 
  cavorted with devils; priests recited hollow words, their 
  faith a meaningless title; and the peasants made unholy 
  pacts with the forces of damnation, forfeiting their im-
  mortal souls in return for prosperity in the short lived, 
  earthly domain.
  With no vizier governing France, and with little chance 
  of receiving extended support from his comrades in the 
  Ottoman Empire, Jubal has taken upon himself to recruit 
  locally. Of course, such hirelings cannot be made aware 
  of their true purpose and, as much as he dislikes dis-
  honesty, he has little choice but to manipulate outsiders 
  into serving the Brethren. Those who survive are well 
  rewarded, and Jubal is convinced God will reward them 
  in the next life.
  Patron 2
  Archetype Noble
  Motivation Duty
  Style: 2
  Health: 5
  Primary Attributes
  Body: 2
  Charisma: 4
  Dexterity: 2
  Intelligence: 4
  Strength: 3
  Willpower: 3
  Secondary Attributes
  All For One 
  0
  
  Size: 0
  Initiative: 6
  Move: 5
  Defense: 4
  Perception: 7
  Stun: 2
  Skills
  Base
  Levels
  Rating
  (Average)
  Academics: 
  Occult
  4
  2
  6
  (3)
  Art: Writing
  4
  2
  6
  (3)
  Bureaucracy
  4
  2
  6
  (3)
  Diplomacy
  4
  3
  7
  (3+)
  Empathy
  4
  2
  6
  (3)
  Investigation
  4
  3
  7
  (3+)
  Linguistics
  4
  2
  6
  (3)
  Melee
  3
  4
  7
  (3+)
  Talents
  None
  Resources
  Rank 1 (Brother; +2 Social bonus)
  Status 2 (Dey; +2 Social bonus; bonus Resource)
  Flaw
  Fanatical (+1 Style point whenever his devotion causes 
  harm or he converts someone else to his way of think-
  ing)
  Weapons
  Rating
  Size
  Attack
  (Average)
  Punch
  0N
  0
  1N
  (0+)N
  Long sword
  3L
  0
  10L
  (5)L
  Typical Members
  The foot soldiers of the order are required not only 
  to bear arms against their infernal foes, but also to root 
  out and understand the many guises of their enemies. 
  As such, they must be men of learning and guile as well 
  as warriors.
  While the soldiers are pragmatic enough to use any 
  weapons available, they favor daggers and swords, the 
  traditional weapons of their order. The blades of these 
  weapons are inscribed with passages from the Qur’an, as 
  well as the Seal of Solomon.
  Ally 1
  Archetype Soldier
  Motivation Duty
  Style: 0
  Health: 4
  Primary Attributes
  Body: 2
  Charisma: 2
  Dexterity: 2
  Intelligence: 2
  Strength: 2
  Willpower: 2
  Secondary Attributes
  Size: 0
  Initiative: 4
  Move: 4
  Defense: 4
  Perception: 4
  Stun: 2
  Skills
  Base
  Levels
  Rating
  (Average)
  Academics: 
  Occult
  2
  2
  4
  (2)
  Athletics
  2
  2
  4
  (2)
  Investigation
  2
  2
  4
  (2)
  Melee
  2
  2
  4
  (2)
  Stealth
  2
  2
  4
  (2)
  Talents
  None
  Resources
  Rank 1 (Brother; +2 Social bonus)
  Flaw
  Fanatical (+1 Style point whenever his devotion causes 
  harm or he converts someone else to his way of think-
  ing)
  Weapons
  Rating
  Size
  Attack
  (Average)
  Punch
  0N
  0
  0N
  (0)N
  Dagger
  1L
  0
  5L
  (2+)L
  Long sword
  3L
  0
  7L
  (3+)L
  The Sisters of Roxelana
  Among the many other organizations not detailed 
  here are ones which bear close resemblance to one’s 
  already detailed in All for One. One such example is the 
  Sisters of Roxelana, known more generally simply as the 
  Sisterhood.
  Named after the wife of Grand Sultan Suleiman the 
  Magnificent, a harem girl renowned for her intrigues, 
  they fill a role vaguely similar to the Daughters of Medea. 
  Unlike the murderous Daughters, the Sisters are social 
  climbers first and foremost, using feminine wiles and 
  poisoned words, and occasionally a blade, to secure 
  positions of status, and then protect them.
  The Whisperers
  Damnation begins not with a fell deed, but with the 
  thought behind the deed. But who is it that plants the 
  seed of that thought in the mind of God-fearing men and 
  turns them from righteous behavior toward the infer-
  nal pit? Since time immemorial, that vile role has been 
  played, at least in part, by a mysterious organization 
  known as the Whisperers.
  History
  As written in the Qur’an (sometimes spelled Koran), 
  Richelieu’s Guide to the Barbary Coast
  1
  
  God made Iblis (Satan) and the genies from smokeless 
  fire. A former servant of God, Iblis’ fall from grace came 
  when he refused to prostrate himself before Adam, a 
  creature molded from the earth, and thus, in Iblis’ eyes, 
  his inferior. Cast out from Heaven for his arrogance but 
  spared eternity in Hell until the Day of Judgment, Iblis 
  vowed that he would spend his allotted days leading 
  men astray, guiding them down the road to Hell, where 
  he would greet them when the time came for him to take 
  up residence.
  Iblis’ only power over mortals is to speak wickedness 
  into their ears in the hope of deceiving and corrupting 
  them. Indeed, Iblis and his minions are sometimes re-
  ferred to as “whisperers” in Islamic tradition, and it is 
  from this belief the organization takes its name.
  The Whisperers have always existed in one form or 
  another, though few know of the name beyond vague 
  stories. Secretive and sly, they operate from the shadows, 
  gently nudging men into Iblis’ clutches, hiding their 
  lengthy plots and evil intent between soothing words 
  and subtle insinuation. Hidden by shadows, they have 
  created and sundered dynasties, caused wars and reli-
  gious strife, and condemned countless souls.
  It was they who led Solomon (who appears in Islamic 
  tradition) to turn to idolatry (a fact not recorded in the 
  Qur’an). It was they who caused the king of the Arabian 
  Nights stories to marry virgins, deflower them, and then 
  execute them the next day. More recently, it was the Whis-
  perers who turned the deys of Tunis against the pasha.
  Organization
  A shadowy individual who goes only by the name the 
  Great Shaytan leads the Whisperers. Although there are 
  parallels with the name Satan, shaytan can be used to de-
  scribe any devil, not just their chief. As a noun, it means 
  “mischief,” while its adjective form means “adversarial.” 
  Thus, the title can be translated very loosely as the Great 
  Mischief-Maker or Great Adversary.
  His role is more one of advisor than direct ruler. 
  While he occasionally orders members to corrupt a spe-
  cific person, most times Whisperers are left to their own 
  devices, free to corrupt whomever they wish by whatever 
  means they think will work on their chosen victim.
  Although some members are just plain evil, on the 
  road to damnation but eager for company when they fall, 
  most are misguided fools who, having been corrupted by 
  a fellow Whisperer on the path, believe that they will be 
  given special treatment when they die.
  Members
  There is no such thing as a typical Whisperer. None 
  are immune to their machinations, and their ranks are 
  filled with peasants and nobles alike. What they all share 
  is a penchant for being able to deduce or wheedle out 
  a man’s deepest wants and base desires, and the sly 
  tongue necessary to make a man turn from God’s grace 
  into utter darkness.
  Mundane Threats
  Below are some of the mundane opponents heroes 
  may face while adventuring on the Barbary Coast.
  Barbary Corsair
  Whether an Ottoman ally, or an independent Moroc-
  can raider, the corsairs dominate the Mediterranean.
  Ally 1
  Primary Attributes: Body 2, Dexterity 2, Strength 2, 
  Charisma 2, Intelligence 2, Willpower 2
  Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 4, Perception 4, 
  Initiative 4, Defense 4, Stun 2, Health 4
  Skills: Firearms 4, Gunnery 4, Intimidation 4, Melee 
  4, Seamanship 4
  Talents: None
  Resources: Rank 1 (Corsair; +2 Social bonus)
  Flaws: Callous (+1 Style point when he does some-
  thing particularly selfish)
  Weapons: Punch 0N, Saber 6L, Pistol 7L
  Beggar
  Ally 0
  Primary Attributes: Body 2, Dexterity 1, Strength 1, 
  Charisma 2, Intelligence 1, Willpower 2
  Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 2, Perception 3, 
  Initiative 2, Defense 3, Stun 2, Health 4
  Skills: Con 4, Melee 2, Streetwise 3, Survival 2
  Talents/Resources: None
  Flaws: (Choose a physical flaw; +1 Style point when 
  this flaw causes an inconvenience beyond any penalties 
  that the flaw already grants)
  Weapons: Punch 0N, Concealed Dagger 2L
  Janissary
  Janissaries are the professional soldiers of the Otto-
  man Empire, and as such can be found in Algiers, Tunis, 
  and Tripoli, where they nominally serve the pashas. 
  Taken as Christian youths, they are taught the way of 
  Islam. Although supposedly loyal to the sultan, like the 
  Praetorian Guard before them, they have become a force 
  unto themselves, and have dethroned or appointed a 
  growing number of sultans in recent years.
  Ally 1
  Primary Attributes: Body 2, Dexterity 2, Strength 2, 
  Charisma 2, Intelligence 2, Willpower 2
  Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 4, Perception 4, 
  Initiative 4, Defense 4, Stun 2, Health 4
  Skills: Athletics 4, Firearms 4, Intimidation 4, Melee 
  4, Survival 4
  Talents: None
  Resources: Rank 1 (Janissary; +2 Social bonus)
  Flaws: Loyal (+1 Style point when his loyalty causes 
  problems for him or his allies)
  Weapons: Punch 0N, Hand axe/saber 6L, Musket 7L
  All For One 
  
  
  Ex-Galley Slave
  Archetype: Soldier 
  Motivation: Revenge
  Style: 3
  Health: 8*
  Primary Attributes
  Body: 3
  Charisma: 2
  Dexterity: 2
  Intelligence: 2
  Strength: 3
  Willpower: 3
  Secondary Attributes
  Size: 0
  Initiative: 4
  Move: 5
  Defense: 5
  Perception: 5
  Stun: 3
  Skill
  Base
  Levels
  Rating
  Average
  Athletics
  3
  3
  6
  (3)
  Brawl
  3
  1
  4
  (2)
  Firearms
  2
  2
  4
  (2)
  Gunnery
  2
  3
  5
  (2+)
  Intimidation
  2
  2
  4
  (2)
  Linguistics
  2
  1
  3
  (1+)
  Melee
  3
  3
  6
  (3)
  Seamanship
  2
  2
  4
  (2)
  Talents
  Combat Skill (+2 Defense when using Athletics)
  * Robust (+2 Health rating)
  Resources
  Followers 0 (Ship’s carpenter)
  Rank 0 (Certified mate; +1 Social bonus)
  Flaw
  Envious (+1 Style point whenever his envy causes 
  trouble for him or his companions)
  Weapons
  Rating
  Size
  Attack
  Average
  Punch
  0N
  0
  4N
  (2)N
  Small sword
  2L
  0
  8L
  (4)L
  Wheellock pistol
  3L
  0
  7L
  (3+)L
  “I’m not at war with the 
  Turks; just the swines who 
  chained me to an oar.”
  Character Background
  When I hear the priests speak of Hell in their sermons 
  I cannot but raise a wry smile. You see, I have been to 
  Hell, and I have emerged stronger. Another lifetime ago 
  I was a humble clerk in a merchant’s company, filled with 
  aspirations of foreign travel and promotion. I convinced 
  my master to let me sail to the Levant, for I hoped to see 
  the holy places of our Lord.
  Driven south toward the Barbary lands by a sudden 
  squall, we were attacked by corsairs. My captain surren-
  dered quickly, hoping that our attackers were Ottomans 
  who had somehow failed to see our flag, but it was not to 
  be—our attackers were Moroccan pirates, and they held 
  no loyalty to the union between Frenchman and Turk.
  Young and fit, I was sent to the galleys. Chained to 
  an oar, I spent four years in Hell. Constantly exhausted, 
  whipped by my cruel masters until my back was a bleed-
  ing sore, forced to urinate where I sat, I helped power 
  the galleys to war against my countrymen. Death of the 
  body was of little concern, for that would, at least, be 
  a release from the torment. No, death of the soul was 
  my biggest fear. While others succumbed and perished, 
  I kept my faith, and maintained the belief that I would 
  one day return home at the forefront of my mind. To 
  say I prospered for doing that would be a lie, but I grew 
  stronger.
  Eventually a ransom was paid and I was set free, at 
  least in body. During my captivity, all thoughts of return-
  ing to my family and work had been stripped from my 
  soul, replaced with a burning desire to punish those who 
  had enslaved me with such cruelty. On reaching France I 
  at once headed to the naval docks in Marseilles. Strange 
  though it might seem, I volunteered for the French gal-
  leys, a free man willing to work alongside convicted 
  prisoners. The officer at first thought me mad, but once I 
  explained my enforced servitude and desire for revenge 
  he welcomed me aboard. Although I would take my 
  turn at the oars, my knowledge of corsair tactics would 
  ensure I was treated as a true son of France, not one of 
  its undesirables. I have killed many corsairs since, but it 
  is never enough. The fires of Hell rage strong, and they 
  desire more fuel; fuel I am happy to provide.
  Roleplaying
  Your desire for vengeance has robbed you of a normal 
  life. While others have wives, children, and aspirations, 
  you seek only to punish your captors. That you cannot 
  have what others possess is yet another reasons to hate 
  those who made you what you are.
  Richelieu’s Guide to the Barbary Coast
  
  
  Islamic Doctor
  Archetype: Doctor 
  Motivation: Glory
  Style: 3
  Health: 5
  Primary Attributes
  Body: 2
  Charisma: 3
  Dexterity: 2
  Intelligence: 3
  Strength: 2
  Willpower: 3
  Secondary Attributes
  Size: 0
  Initiative: 5
  Move: 4
  Defense: 4
  Perception: 6
  Stun: 2
  Skill
  Base
  Levels
  Rating
  Average
  Academics: 
  Phi-
  losophy
  3
  1
  4
  (2)
  Craft: Medicines
  3
  3
  6
  (3)
  Diplomacy
  3
  2
  5
  (2+)
  Linguistics
  3
  1
  4
  (2)
  Magick: Alchemy
  3
  3
  6
  (3)
  Medicine
  3
  4
  7
  (3+)
  Natural 
  Philoso-
  phy: Chymistry
  3
  3
  6
  (3)
  Talents
  Herb Lore (Always considered to have supplies when 
  making Medicine rolls)
  Magickal Aptitude (Alchemy)
  Resources
  Followers 0 (Scribe)
  Status 0 (Doctor; +1 Social bonus)
  Flaw
  Intolerant (Western European medicine; +1 Style 
  point whenever his intolerance causes trouble, or he 
  convinces someone else to detest the same thing he 
  does)
  Weapons
  Rating
  Size
  Attack
  Average
  Punch
  0N
  0
  0N
  (0)N
  “Are those leeches? In the 
  name of Allah, are you trying 
  to kill him or cure him?”
  Character Background
  I was born and raised in Algiers, the son of a minor 
  functionary. Although a Berber by ancestry, my father 
  wanted me to advance within Ottoman society and to 
  have a position of social importance. Thus it was I was 
  sent to Istanbul to study as a doctor. I studied not only 
  the texts of the Greeks and Romans, in whose languages I 
  became proficient, but also the Arabs and even the recent 
  advances made by Europeans such as Paracelsus. Taking 
  to the latter’s arguments of scientific methodology, I also 
  studied the art of alchemy and the crafting of chemical 
  medicines. Once my education ended, I returned home 
  to set up a practice and begin my career. I had barely set-
  tled when the pasha announced our corsairs were to set 
  sail against the Spanish with our French allies, and the 
  fleet was short of doctors. I volunteered at once, seeking 
  not only to put my skills to the test, but also to make my 
  skills known, for it was widely known the pasha was a 
  generous patron.
  Our fleet was victorious, though there were many 
  casualties. Considered a junior doctor by dint of my age 
  and lack of experience, I was assigned to a French phy-
  sician. One of our patients had received a vicious gash 
  to the leg, caused I believe by a wooden splinter sent 
  flying by a cannon ball. I agreed with my counterpart 
  that the only way to save the man’s life was immediate 
  amputation. I stood back to make room for my colleague 
  to begin the grisly but necessary work, but he looked at 
  me as if I had gone mad. Instead, he summoned another 
  to perform the amputation, a man who I was to discover 
  later was a barber. A man who cuts hair, and with no 
  medical knowledge, performing surgery? Allah be mer-
  ciful! These people were still living in the distant past. 
  Alas, the man died a week later from an infection.
  So it is I have made the best of our alliance with the 
  French and come to their cold, wet country, a place not 
  conducive to good health. I am not here to study, you 
  understand, but to educate the unenlightened physicians 
  who proscribe herbs and the surgeons who practice arts 
  closer to butchery.
  Roleplaying
  You want your name to be remembered forever. Not 
  for being an explorer or a great hero, but for devising 
  treatments and medicines that benefit all of mankind. 
  Unfortunately, your work is being hampered by an influx 
  of European texts, many written by so-called doctors 
  who espouse treatments your people considered bar-
  baric centuries ago.
  All For One 
  
  
  Janissary
  Archetype: Soldier 
  Motivation: Duty
  Style: 3
  Health: 5
  Primary Attributes
  Body: 3
  Charisma: 2
  Dexterity: 3
  Intelligence: 2
  Strength: 3
  Willpower: 2
  Secondary Attributes
  Size: 0
  Initiative: 5
  Move: 6
  Defense: 6
  Perception: 4
  Stun: 3
  Skill
  Base
  Levels
  Rating
  Average
  Athletics
  3
  2
  5
  (2+)
  Diplomacy
  2
  2
  4
  (2)
  Firearms
  3
  3
  6
  (3)
  Gunnery
  2
  2
  4
  (2)
  Linguistics
  2
  1
  3
  (1+)
  Melee
  3
  3
  6
  (3)
  Survival
  2
  2
  4
  (2)
  Warfare
  2
  2
  4
  (2)
  Talents
  Long Shot (Double weapon ranges)
  Musketeer (Reload weapon in half the usual time)
  Resources
  Fame 0 (Parisian celebrity; +1 Social bonus)
  Status 0 (Janissary; +1 Social bonus)
  Flaw
  Culturally Condescending (+1 Style point whenever 
  he proves someone else’s culture inferior or estab-
  lishes his own as superior)
  Weapons
  Rating
  Size
  Attack
  Average
  Punch
  0N
  0
  0N
  (0)N
  Axe, hand
  2L
  0
  8L
  (4)L
  Matchlock  mus-
  ket
  3L
  0
  9L
  (4+)L
  “Try doing it our way; you will 
  find it is much more efficient, 
  my French friend.”
  Character Background
  Although I am a devoted servant of the Great Sultan 
  and a follower of the prophet, I was born a Christian. 
  Like all my brothers, I was taken into the service of the 
  Great Sultan at a young age, taught the ways of Islam, 
  and trained to serve as a brave and honorable soldier.
  Several years ago my unit was transferred to Algiers to 
  protect the sultan’s interests. I was in the pasha’s palace 
  when a French emissary arrived, a tall, bearded man in 
  robes of brilliant red. Word soon spread that he was a 
  prince of the Catholic Church, second in power only 
  to the French king. He spoke with the pasha at length, 
  in fluent Arabic I noticed, suggesting that our military 
  forces learn from each other, so as to improve our ef-
  ficiency when engaged in joint campaigns. The pasha, 
  in his wisdom as a servant of the Great Sultan, agreed. I 
  was selected to join forces with soldiers called the King’s 
  Musketeers. At first I found the Musketeers resentful of 
  my presence, and for my part I had little interest in coop-
  erating with them more than I had to—despite the union 
  between our nations, there has been bad blood between 
  Christian and Muslim for many centuries, and old habits 
  are hard to break. Worse, they frequently whored and 
  drank, all unbecoming for a man of my faith.
  That was until the night of foul smoke. We had been 
  ordered to investigate the disappearance of monks from 
  a small, rural monastery. Leaving aside the investigations 
  we conducted, we eventually discovered that one of the 
  monk’s had made a pact with Iblis, whom Christians call 
  Satan or the Devil, and had brought forth a terrible genie, 
  a creature of stone skin wreathed in choking sulfur.
  We battled hard and caused the creature to take flight. 
  As it fled into the night sky, I took aim, calling on Allah 
  to guide my hand against Iblis’ fell spawn. My comrades 
  urged me to save my ammunition, for the creature had 
  made much headway on its great wings, yet I would not 
  be deterred. My ball struck the creature in the shoulder, 
  shattered one of its wings and causing it to fall. On hit-
  ting the ground it shattered into a thousand pieces, its 
  infernal soul condemned back to the pit of damnation. 
  Since then, the Musketeers have treated me as a brother. 
  Their ways are still strange, but I shall change them.
  Roleplaying
  The ways of the French are strange and more than a 
  little backward. Although you must obey the wishes of 
  the pasha and treat your French counterparts cordially, 
  you see it as part of your duty to introduce them to more 
  enlightened ways.
  Richelieu’s Guide to the Barbary Coast
  
  
  Lapsed Knight of Malta
  Archetype: Noble 
  Motivation: Greed
  Style: 3
  Health: 5
  Primary Attributes
  Body: 3
  Charisma: 2
  Dexterity: 2
  Intelligence: 2
  Strength: 4
  Willpower: 2
  Secondary Attributes
  Size: 0
  Initiative: 4
  Move: 6
  Defense: 5 (9)*
  Perception: 4
  Stun: 3
  Skill
  Base
  Levels
  Rating
  Average
  Athletics
  4
  2
  6
  (3)
  Fencing: German
  4
  3
  7
  (3+)
  Firearms
  2
  2
  4
  (2)
  Intimidation
  2
  2
  4
  (2)
  Linguistics
  2
  1
  3
  (1+)
  Seamanship
  2
  4
  6
  (3)
  Warfare
  2
  3
  5
  (2+)
  Talents
  Sweep (Ignores up to a –2 penalty for sweeping)
  Resources
  Follower 0 (Street urchin)
  Rank 1 (Grand Knight of Devotion; +2 Social bonus)
  Status 0 (Chevalier; +1 Social bonus)
  Flaw
  Lustful (+1 Style point whenever his overactive libido 
  gets him or his companions into serious trouble)
  Weapons
  Rating
  Size
  Attack
  Average
  Punch
  0N
  0
  0N
  (0)N
  Great sword
  5L
  0
  12L
  (6)L
  Wheellock pistol
  3L
  0
  7L
  (3+)L
  * +4 Passive Defense from plate cuirass
  “I’ll take a seat at God’s 
  table later. For now, I’ll take 
  your gold and be happy.”
  Character Background
  What’s a German nobleman doing joining a Catholic 
  holy military order but serving as a French mercenary? 
  Ha, buy me a drink and I’ll tell you my story.
  My family is indeed from the Holy Roman Empire. 
  From Trier, to be precise. A good Catholic family, but 
  with only a minor title and few prospects for advance-
  ment. I left home two years before the current war be-
  gan, driven by a youthful desire, now faded, to seek a life 
  of adventure and glory. My first port of call was to see the 
  Pope and receive a blessing—no point in dying for some 
  earthly cause without a place at God’s right hand, right? 
  I never got as far as Rome.
  While staying at an inn in northern Italy I got talking 
  to a fellow traveler, a man bearing the Maltese cross on 
  his cloak. I knew a little of the Knights of Malta from their 
  reputation and we got talking, fellow noblemen on the 
  road and all that. Now there was a life I could under-
  stand! A devout cause, a position of leadership befitting 
  a knight, and a chance to actually see battle, albeit at sea. 
  Without further ado I set sail for Malta to take my vows.
  Although I was granted the title of knight on swearing 
  fealty, it was a year before I took to the seas, for first I 
  had to learn the skills necessary to command a galley. I 
  quickly made a name for myself as a fearless commander 
  and foe of all corsairs. It was a hard life, and certainly a 
  dangerous one, but a worthy one. At least… it was.
  Apathy set in, not just with myself, but many of my 
  comrades. It’s not surprising really. Here we were fight-
  ing and dying for God against the heathens, yet receiving 
  nothing in this life besides orders and strict codes of con-
  duct. So it was that three years ago I joined the French 
  navy as a mercenary. Oh, I know they have a truce with 
  the Ottomans, the great enemy of my order, but there 
  are still plenty of other pirates to fight, and French gold 
  is as good as any. Yes, I could have joined the Spanish, 
  but the Hapsburgs are arrogant dogs, and the way I see 
  things, Spain’s star is fading while France’s is on the rise. 
  That the French pay better may have swayed me slightly, 
  I admit. Anyway, drink up lad! Our ship sets sail before 
  dusk and I have a little money I need to spend on some 
  female company, lest it be my last opportunity.
  Roleplaying
  Although a knight in a holy order, like many of your 
  brethren you are serving as a mercenary with the French 
  navy. You firmly believe your occupation will earn you a 
  seat in Heaven when the time comes, but for now you 
  intend to enjoy the material pleasures in life.
  All For One 
  
  
  Sample Lackeys
  Barbary Corsair
  Follower 0
  Primary Attributes: Body 1, Dexterity 2, Strength 2, 
  Charisma 1, Intelligence 2, Willpower 1
  Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 4, Perception 3, 
  Initiative 4, Defense 3, Stun 2, Health 2
  Skills: Firearms 3, Gunnery 3, Melee 4, Seamanship 
  3
  Talents/Resources: None
  Flaws: Callous (+1 Style point when he does some-
  thing particularly selfish)
  Weapons: Punch 0N, Saber 6L, Pistol 6L 
  Barbary Diplomat
  Follower 0
  Primary Attributes: Body 1, Dexterity 1, Strength 1, 
  Charisma 2, Intelligence 2, Willpower 2
  Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 2, Perception 4, 
  Initiative 3, Defense 2, Stun 1, Health 3
  Skills: Bureaucracy 4, Diplomacy 4, Linguistics 3, 
  Talents/Resources: None
  Flaws: Stubborn (+1 Style point whenever his inflex-
  ibility causes him trouble, or he forces others to go along 
  with his idea)
  Weapons: Punch 0N
  Former Galley Slave
  Follower 0
  Primary Attributes: Body 2, Dexterity 1, Strength 2, 
  Charisma 1, Intelligence 1, Willpower 2
  Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 3, Perception 3, 
  Initiative 2, Defense 3, Stun 2, Health 4
  Skills: Athletics 4, Brawl 4, Seamanship 2
  Talents/Resources: None
  Flaws: Sickly (+1 Style point whenever he suffers 
  from his illness)
  Weapons: Punch 4N
  Harem Girl
  Follower 0
  Primary Attributes: Body 2, Dexterity 2, Strength 1, 
  Charisma 2, Intelligence 1, Willpower 1
  Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 3, Perception 2, 
  Initiative 3, Defense 4, Stun 2, Health 3
  Skills: Con 4 (Seduction 5), Performance 4 (Dancing 
  5)
  Talents/Resources: None
  Flaws: Gossip (+1 Style point whenever she spreads 
  gossip that inadvertently causes trouble for herself or her 
  friends)
  Weapons: Punch 0N
  Imam/Religious Scholar
  Follower 0
  Primary Attributes: Body 1, Dexterity 1, Strength 1, 
  Charisma 2, Intelligence 2, Willpower 2
  Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 2, Perception 4, 
  Initiative 3, Defense 2, Stun 1, Health 3
  Skills: Academics: Religion 5, Diplomacy 4
  Talents/Resources: None
  Flaws: Fanatical (+1 Style point whenever his devo-
  tion causes harm or he converts someone else to his way 
  of thinking)
  Weapons: Punch 0N
  Islamic Poet
  Follower 0
  Primary Attributes: Body 1, Dexterity 1, Strength 1, 
  Charisma 2, Intelligence 2, Willpower 2
  Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 2, Perception 4, 
  Initiative 3, Defense 2, Stun 1, Health 3
  Skills: Academics: Literature 3, Art: Poetry 4, Perfor-
  mance 4
  Talents/Resources: None
  Flaws: Vain (+1 Style point whenever he steals the 
  spotlight or is forced to confront his shortcomings)
  Weapons: Punch 0N
  Knight of Malta
  Follower 1
  Primary Attributes: Body 2, Dexterity 2, Strength 2, 
  Charisma 2, Intelligence 2, Willpower 2
  Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 4, Perception 4, 
  Initiative 4, Defense 4 (8)*, Stun 2, Health 4
  Skills: Linguistics 4, Gunnery 4, Melee 4, Seamanship 
  4, Warfare 4
  Talents: None
  Resources: Rank 0 (Knight of Malta; +1 Social bo-
  nus); Status 0 (Chevalier; +1 Social bonus)
  Flaws: Condescending (+1 Style point whenever 
  he proves someone else wrong or establishes his own 
  superiority)
  Weapons: Punch 0N, Long sword 7L
  * +4 Passive Defense from plate cuirass
  Ship’s Gunner
  Follower 0
  Primary Attributes: Body 1, Dexterity 2, Strength 2, 
  Charisma 1, Intelligence 2, Willpower 1
  Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 4, Perception 3, 
  Initiative 4, Defense 3, Stun 1, Health 2
  Skills: Firearms 4, Gunnery 5
  Talents/Resources: None
  Flaws: Hard of Hearing (+1 Style point whenever his 
  poor hearing gets him into trouble or causes a critical 
  misunderstanding)
  Weapons: Punch 0N
  Richelieu’s Guide to the Barbary Coast
  
  
  Map of the Barbary States and the 
  Western Mediterranean, c. 110
  All For One 
  
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Triple Ace Games/All For One/Compendium 3 [split]/201120 - The Barbary Coast.pdf