DE 4 Piracy

Shipping costs have skyrocketed since DE2 because piracy has spread across the Centerranian Sea! Five attacks in the last 3 months have occurred in the Khuris Strait, resulting in significant losses to Orissa (2 ships, 200 ER loss), Khulna (2 ships, 200 ER loss) and Donethal (1 ship, 100 ER loss) –to be taken from their current DE4 resource totals. A decade ago, Prenza and Dacca also suffered from multiple instances of piracy in the Southern Tempran Sea and the Central Commerce Canal’s southern entrance. This led to Cavan, Dacca, and Prenza’s formation of the Joint Canal Authority, a joint militarized patrol and toll-enforcement operation in the Commerce Canal. Nations that regularly used the Canal to access southern ports, now had to pay significant tolls to the triopoly controlling the Canal.

As some nations balked at the tolls, shipping increased through the Khuris Straits and pirates seized the opportunity. Although the pirate vessels vary, survivors of the pirate attacks claim that the pirates appear to be from the Birshin Isles. Birshin Isle leaders reject this claim but applaud whoever is “redistributing the wealth from the imperialist oppressors and tyrants to the suffering, voiceless Zemians.”

Objective: Each nation must protect themselves from piracy in the Centerranian Sea either through paying for protection from the pirates or bribing/supporting the pirates. If the UN learns that a nation/group is supporting pirates, it can organize a collective embargo and determine a related ER penalty. Here are some options:

● Naval Bases: Nations with naval bases (Cavan, Dacca, and Kurgan) can protect themselves if they pay 300 resources in upgrades and they do not need to join one of the coast guards. Nations without naval bases must purchase coast guard protection from the UN or another group.

● UN Coast Guard: The UN could build up a fleet of ships that can act as a Coast Guard and protect shipping lanes and coast lines. These ships are ready but need funds to deploy. To fund this effort the UN needs a total of 1000, and signatures and contributions from at least 4 nations.

● Delian League Alternative International Coast Guard: An alternative to the UN Coast Guard offers an inter-governmental force to patrol the waters. This requires at least three nations’ signatures and the minimum charge for each participating nation is 450 resources. Agreements that include Cavan, Dacca, and/or Kurgan reduce the cost to 350 each.

● Promote piracy/share plunder: Some nations/groups may choose to support the pirates and risk UN economic sanctions. If the UN and an Alternative Coast Guard are prevented and 3 or more groups give 200ER to the pirates’ Robin-Hood cause (i.e., secretly through email to Dr. Lennon, with a public DAR indicating protection through another means) then the recent pirates’ plunder (500 ER from Orissa, Donethal, and Khulna) could be shared among fellow supporters. This would work as insurance against piracy (i.e., DE points below for “obtain protection” are still awarded in full).

● Other options?

(Note: Winners of the State Games must have a positive budget balance at the end of DE4.)