Cao: Difference between revisions

Starting in the 1200's the island of Cao was colonized by a separate polity called the Axolotl who named the island, Uxma. The Axolotl were closely related with the Mixcala tribe which would later wholly join the [[Northern Confederation]] on the mainland, the cause for the separation is not a topic well explored by historians. The Axolotl repelled several Mixcalan attempts at reintegration through force and as a result of these attacks became involved in piracy as a form of retaliation. Raiding the Mixcala and their neighbouring tribes as well as the coasts of [[Quetzenkel]], the Axolotl became a regular plague upon local trade, with plunder and slaves becoming a mainstay of the local economy. Many of the slaves taken by the pirates of Uxma ended up sold in the bazaars of [[Varshan]], and Varshanis were allowed to join pirate ships as crewmen. Several attempts at quashing piracy were made in the early 1500's, most notably by Quetzen chiefdoms, and they succeeded in temporarily curbing the raids. During this period the island seems to have been directly ruled by the four strongest captains, who convened into the Council of High Captains to apportion trade routes and raiding zones, discuss common defense and settle disputes between lesser crews. Over time the position of High Captain became a hereditary one, passing from fathers to sons. It could also be inherited by killing the previous holder of the office, this was by far the most common method of the two. The Axolotl raids also seemed to have included a religious component to them as a certain proportion of a captured ship's crew would always be taken to be used in distorted [[M'acunism]]'s rituals. Records sporadically show the existence of a 'High Celebrant' who appears to have been a position of great religious significance and also of political influence, eclipsing the pirate council at times. There are fragmented records of individuals claiming the title of High Celebrant off the back of popular revolts at least four separate times before being overthrown by other fanatics or killed by the high captains. The island during the era of the High Captainship is one of the few instances of a true piratocracy in known history. The last great Axolotl pirate captain of Uxma was Morokei, who led his fellow captains against the Qian.