Dardianazăr Tăndi

Dardianazăr Tăndi
Born	7 May 1531 Kastero Region, Ranaella Province
Died	26 October 1589 (aged 58) Zaclaria
Cause of death	Execution
Criminal charge(s)	Grand piracy (18x); grand treason (1x); desertion of the Legion (1x); desertion of the Imperium (1x); immoral and indecent behavior (14x)
Piratical career
Allegiance	Imperial Legion (1531-1561) Društvari Pirates 1561-1573)
Years active	1531-1573
Base of operations	Lake Duranis

Dardianazăr Tăndi (7 May 1531- 21 October 1589) was a Caphiran pirate leader, privateer, and former military commander of the Imperial Legion during the 16th century. Born in the southern border province of Ranaella, Tăndi would join the ranks of The Legion at age 16 and devote 6 lustra (30 total years) of his life fighting primarily against Sarpic barbarians in and around Duranis Lake. During a routine patrol, Tăndi witnessed a pirate group pillage a nearby village and went to intervene. The pirates, however, had paid off most of the legionaries prior and were confused at the lone soldier defying them. Tăndi was surrounded and taken captive by the pirate group, who then tortured him until he agreed to join their ranks. Tăndi would then spend the next decade engaging in all acts of piracy against Caphiria. Tăndi played a pivotal role in starting the so-called Truffle Wars, a series of conflicts between Caphiria and Burgundie to locate, cultivate, and harvest rare truffles around the world.

Life as a pirate

Capture in Töröm

In 1560, a small naval force led by Észükséges of Volon on behalf of Caphiria found Tăndi and a dozen of his men stationed at Töröm, a port town in the western part of the Duranis controlled by the Duchy of Volonia. In a twisted irony, Tăndi's ship had been disabled by a traitor who had been giving information to Észükséges, who cast molten lead into the links of the chain which controlled the ship's rudder. Tăndi and his crew were captured and brought to the nearby Duchy of Volonia, where they were tried for piracy. According to legend, Tăndi offered a chain of gold long enough to enclose the whole of Volonia in exchange for his life and freedom. The Duke entertained Tăndi by asking how Tăndi could possibly accomplish this, to which he replied simply,"tuber." Referring to truffles, Tăndi explained to the Duke that he could smuggle several species from the other side of the world - in Zaclaria. The Duke was impressed with Tăndi's plan and agreed to let him and his 28 men free on one condition: They were to swear allegiance to Volonia, but if they were caught by the Audonians, they were to say they were working for the Imperium. As much as the Duke supported Tăndi's plan, he knew Volonia did not need to pick a fight with the Audonians.

In Audonia (1564-1572)

Tăndi and the Društvari Pirates first in Audonia in 1564. After raiding several coastal towns and ports, Tăndi began to bribe the local population for any intelligence they could give him. He was particularly obsessed with spying on the movements of the imperial powers, gathering intelligence on their plans and movements in order to protect his own interests and prepare for any potential conflict with them. Before long, Tăndi and his crew had a well-organized intelligence network, which included both local informants and spies placed within the imperial powers. Tăndi also formed alliances with local leaders and tribes, using them as a base of operations and a source of resources and information.

One such spy was a young man named Farid, a young man from a small village in Audonia, who was recruited by Tăndi and his crew to gather intelligence about the Burgundian's truffle-hunting operations. Farid joined the crew of a Burgundian truffle-hunting ship, posing as a sailor. Over time, he gained the trust of the crew and the captain and was able to gather valuable information about the Burgundian's hunting grounds, schedules, and the size and quality of their truffle harvest. Farid's information was crucial for Tăndi's operations, as it allowed him to plan his own truffle-hunting operations more effectively and to stay one step ahead of the Burgundians. Tăndi was able to avoid areas where the Burgundians were hunting and to focus on areas where the truffles were abundant and of high quality. This gave Tăndi and his crew a significant advantage over the Burgundians, and they were able to harvest a greater quantity and quality of truffles than the Burgundians. The Burgundians, however, were not aware of Farid's true allegiance and believed him to be a loyal member of their crew. They were puzzled by Tăndi's success in truffle hunting, and they suspected that there was a spy among them. They launched an investigation, but Farid was able to cover his tracks and avoid suspicion.

Farid's role in Tăndi's intelligence network was not limited to gathering information about the Burgundians. He also provided Tăndi with valuable information about the movements of other imperial powers, such as Caphiria, and about the activities of rival pirate groups. Farid's intelligence helped Tăndi to maintain his control on the truffle trade and to protect his interests from his rivals.

Eventually,Tăndi had a truffle monopoly in the region. He used his control of the trade routes to restrict the flow of truffles and to drive up prices. This made him extremely wealthy, but also made him many enemies among the local traders and merchants.In addition to truffle trade, Tăndi also engaged in other forms of piracy, such as attacking ships carrying valuable cargo and raiding coastal towns and villages. However, his primary focus was always on truffles, as they were the most valuable and profitable resource in the region.

Personal life

The exploits of Tăndi were often retold in hyperbolic stories around the Duranis. It is unclear if Tăndi himself paid for these stories to be told or if the details just changed naturally. The most famous legend of Tăndi relates to the story of his capture in Töröm. Tăndi is said to have asked the Duke of Volonia to release as many of his companions as he could walk past after being beheaded. Following the granting of this request and the subsequent beheading, Tăndi's body arose and walked past eleven of his men before the executioner tripped him with an outstretched foot. Nevertheless, the eleven men were executed along with the others. The Duchess asked the executioner if he was not tired after all this, but he replied he could easily execute the whole of the ducal court as well. For this, he himself was sentenced to death and executed by the eldest son of the Duke.