The law
The Articles of Agreement
Before anything else, the Heart Shot Pirates are a crew under Articles. Eight articles, sworn and signed by every mate — the law that makes a company of equals out of fourteen separate souls.
The eight articles
- Article IThe Colours of the VesselThe flag we sail under, and what she means to the crew who fly her.
- Article IIVoting and the Chain of CommandEvery mate who has signed holds an equal voice in affairs of moment — and in the hour of battle, the Captain's word is absolute law.
- Article IIIProtection of the DeepWe are pirates, but we are also wardens of the waves. The ocean is our provider and our home; to pollute her is a crime, and those who dump their waste in her water are granted no quarter and no safe harbour near our vessel.
- Article IVRivalries and EngagementsThe sea is vast, and we share it. Scores are settled on the water, face to face, with the proper honour of the brethren — never by backstabbing in the shadows.
- Article VShares and SpoilsAll plunder goes to the common chest. A strict thirty percent is taken for the ship — her upkeep, provisions, and handsome compensation for any mate injured in her defence — and the remaining seventy is split equally among all who were on the voyage.
- Article VIShip Upkeep and ReadinessEvery mate keeps their weapons ready — a rusted or neglected weapon is an insult to the crew. No lights burn after the evening bell, and disputes are settled ashore, never by brawling on the main deck.
- Article VIITreason and DesertionStealing from the common chest, or abandoning post to conspire with land-dwelling enforcers against the crew's freedom, is the highest form of treason.
- Article VIIIMutinyConspiracy against the Captain is judged by the vote of the loyal crew — and to hear of a plot and stay silent is to share its guilt.
The oath: "By oath, by iron, and by swearing upon our very hearts, we bind ourselves to these laws. Long live the Heart Shot Pirates."
The Articles stand word for word in the Codex, where they are kept as the crew's law: Read Book the Second — the Articles in full