Bull Roarer
The Bull Roarer is an Alperkin pirate who is regarded as a figurehead of the Noctic Fleet, a community of pirates based around Lake Morovia and the central Strait of Haifa which claims affiliation with the Alliance of the Bassarid Oceans.
Early Life
The Bull Roarer and his crew of vampiric maenads first appeared in the waters and swamps of Lake Morovia in the mid-39th Era PSSC. Prior to this, no details are known about the life of the Bull Roarer. The identity of the Bull Roarer is not known, although local authorities in Haifa and Vaeringheim have posited several likely suspects, foremost among them the eldest son of the half-brother of Heavenlet Sulféu III. Very few details known regarding the Bull-Roarer's life prior to his emergence in central Keltia, save for those which can be ascertained from his apparent devotion to the Dark Alp Goddess, Palina Palina. This mystery surrounding the Bull-Roarer's identity has fueled his rise in popular culture in Bassarid society. In 40.85, a wildly popular, brief documentary about the Bull-Roarer was released by the Eurani-based Truva Film Studio.
Melusinian Campaign
Battle of Lamian Groves
The Bull Roarer first rises to sudden prominence during the Battle of the Lamian Groves, the largest and most violent formal engagement between Alperkin and Morovian nationalist military forces in the Haifan Civil War. During this battle, in which Alperkin forces as a whole are ultimately roundly overcome, losing half a dozen vessels and over 300 soldiers, the Bull Roarer is said to have deterred Morovian forces for two full days as allies sought initially to capture, and later to burn the groves to the ground. Over the course of these two days, it is said that the Bull Roarer and his crew destroy as many as three Morovian warships, leading to the death or capture of at least 70 Morovian nationalist soldiers, and capture three more which, with their crews still aboard, are subsequently used as fire ships in an effort to destroy the docks leading to the Lamian Groves. Only after the Bull Roarer's retreat from the battle field which occurrs after his vessel collides with an unseen mine, are Alperkin forces overcome by Morovian re-enforcements. The Lamian Groves remain under Morovian control following the battle, though they endure such extensive damage that they are rendered mostly inoperable throughout the remainder of the conflict.
Bloodfruit Campign
After retreating from the Battle of Lamian Groves, it is believed that the Bull Roarer and his crew embedd\ themselves in the Southern Odiferae Wetlands, where they engage in small scale raids against a number of Morovian outposts. During this period, it is believed that the Bull Roarer connects with a number of "bloodfruit traders," selling a considerable number of captured Morovians and Bassaridians into blood slavery. A portion of the proceeds captured during by the Bull Roarer and his allies and supporters are funneled to the Alperkin government in order to support its campaign aimed at re-establishing Alperkin control over the Noctic-Rabrev trade. The remainder is used to repair damage to the Bull Roarer's vessel sustained during the Battle of Lamian Groves and subsequent raids, and to outfit additional ships which are soon dispatched to the southern shores Lake Morovia, where they expand their raids in the Morovian territories of Melusinia.
Mandate of Tarnation
For the remainder of the Haifan Civil War, the Bull Roarer remains in the Southern Odiferae Wetlands, continuing to engage in raids against the region's quickly dwindling Morovian nationalist outposts, and funneling money to the Alperkin government so as to support its efforts to re-gain control of the Noctic trade. In the aftermath of the war, the Bull Roarer departs from the wetlands and sails south, seeking to join his allies and partners in their campaign against Morovian settlements along the southern shores of Lake Morovia. During this period the Bull Roarer initially adopts tactics similar to those employed by Captain Ismael Hatch during his campaign in the region surrounding Vaeringheim. When these tactics fail to produce satisfactory results, the Bull Roarer changes tact, instead employing tactics far more savage and merciless. For the first time, the Bull Roarer begins a campaign of total war against remaining Morovian nationalist settlements, heavily depleted by the war and disconnected from avenues of foreign support by the New Zimian War League's ongoing blockade against Jezeraah, which continue long after the Haifan Civil War. Dozens of Norovian communities are utterly destroyed during this period by the Bull Roarer and his supporters, and their residents are forced inland, where they struggle in vain to re-establish themselves in preparation for a counter-offensive which never materializes. Those Morovians who are unable to escape the wrath of the Bull Roarer are captured and sold into Blood Slavery. With the Haifan Civil War now drawn to a close, the Bull Roarer opts to suspend shipments of funds accrued from the sale of blood slaves to the Alperkin government, preferring instead to keep his fortune to himself. No longer enjoying the flow of revenue which had sustained it through the war, the Alpazkigz turns its back on the Bull Roarer. When in 40.54 the Alpazkigz and the Odiferae agree to peace under the terms of the Mandate of Tarnation, Alpazkigz leaders insist on a provision to the treaty banning residents of the Alperkin region from harboring or providing aid to the Bull Roarer. Upon receiving this news, the Bull Roarer extends his operations to include raids against Bassarid settlements around Lake Morovia. Although he had until now refrained from assailing the Bassarids themselves, citing a desire to avoid drawing the War League into conflict against the Alperkin, the Bull Roarer now changes tact once again, launching assaults against communities surrounding the city of Lewisburg.
Vaeringheim Campaign
The Bull Roarer’s Vaeringheim Campaign stands as a pivotal moment in the tumultuous history of northern Lake Morovia. Waged with savage brilliance, his strikes target Morovian nationalist forces, Bassarid settlements, and the Alperkin elites who abandoned him following the Mandate of Tarnation. Operating from hidden inlets near Tadhkros Fjord, a secluded bay nestled to the south of present-day Erythros, the Bull Roarer orchestrates a campaign of terror and defiance. His actions devastate the region, but his cunning and moments of unexpected mercy leave a legacy that endures in myth and memory. Among his many exploits, three events stand out as the defining moments of his campaign.
The Plundering of Salain’s Landing
The campaign begins with a raid on Salain’s Landing, a Morovian nationalist stronghold located near present-day Luminaria. The settlement, named for Salain, the High Alp of Fishermen, thrives on its rich waters and fertile lands. As a key supplier of food and resources to Morovian forces, Salain’s Landing becomes an immediate target of the Bull Roarer’s wrath.
Under a moonless sky, his fleet emerges, cutting silently through the lake’s still waters. At dawn, his men descend upon the harbor with brutal precision, destroying granaries, commandeering cargo ships, and overwhelming the settlement’s defenders. The Bull Roarer himself leads the assault, accompanied by his legendary white lion companion, wielding a vicious blade and bellowing commands that echo across the waters.
Yet, amidst the chaos, he spares the fishing fleet and leaves the settlement’s shrine to Salain untouched. “The gods are not our enemy,” he declares to his men, “but those who defile their gifts.” Before withdrawing, he orders half the captured supplies distributed to nearby Alperkin villages. Though the town smolders in his wake, this act of generosity inspires admiration among the impoverished, who begin to see him as a reluctant protector even in the face of his savagery.
The Siege of Akor's Promontory
Located near modern Symphonara, Akor's Promontory is a towering Bassarid fortification overlooking the Yoghridge Inlet. The promontory, named for Akor, the High Alp of Strength, serves as a vital checkpoint for trade routes connecting Morovian forces. Its strategic position makes it an obstacle the Bull Roarer cannot ignore.
For three relentless days, the Bull Roarer lays siege to the promontory. His fleet bombards its stone walls with stolen siege engines, while his men attempt to scale the cliffs under the cover of darkness. Despite their tenacity, the defenders, armed with superior weapons and fortified by the promontory’s natural defenses, hold their ground. Frustrated but undeterred, the Bull Roarer devises a daring plan.
On the final night of the siege, he detonates barrels of blackpowder at the base of the promontory’s outer wall, creating a massive breach. His forces pour into the stronghold, cutting down defenders in a brutal melee. In a final act of defiance, he orders the destruction of the signal tower that connects Akor’s Promontory to the larger Bassarid network. Yet, he spares the settlement’s noncombatants, declaring, “Your lives are spared not for your masters, but for the gods who see your suffering.”
The ruins of Akor’s Promontory remain a stark symbol of the Bull Roarer’s power, and the locals whisper tales of the pirate who toppled the bastion of Bassarid authority.
The Raid on Tharsyr Shoals
The climax of the campaign unfolds at Tharsyr Shoals, near present-day Delphica. This salt-mining settlement, named for Tharsyr, the Alp of Prosperity, is controlled by Alperkin elites who have grown rich from its lucrative trade. The shoals’ overseers, once allies of the Bull Roarer, now profit from the Mandate of Tarnation, exploiting enslaved workers to maintain their wealth.
Disguising his fleet as merchant vessels flying neutral colors, the Bull Roarer slips past the shoals’ defenses and lands his forces on the settlement’s beaches. The attack is swift and merciless. His men destroy the saltworks, loot the overseers’ luxurious manor, and execute its Alperkin leaders as a public display of vengeance. Yet, when he encounters the enslaved miners, his demeanor changes, and he frees the captives and ensures their safe passage to nearby villages.
As a final act of defiance, the Bull Roarer orders the salt mines flooded, rendering them forever useless to the Alperkin elites. The destruction of Tharsyr Shoals reverberates across the region, both as a warning to those who profited from his betrayal and as a story of liberation for those who lived under their yoke.
Legacy of the Vaeringheim Campaign
The Vaeringheim Campaign leaves an indelible mark on northern Lake Morovia. Salain’s Landing is reduced to ruins, but the supplies left for its surrounding villages sustain them through the chaos of war. Akor’s Promontory, once an unassailable fortress, becomes a haunting reminder of the Bull Roarer’s relentless might. Tharsyr Shoals, now submerged beneath the lake, lives on as a tale of justice delivered to the oppressed.
Through these actions, the Bull Roarer reshapes the region’s power dynamics, targeting the Morovian nationalists, Bassarid occupiers, and the Alperkin elites who have betrayed him, with equal ferocity. His legacy, both feared and revered, transcends the devastation he leaves behind, cementing his status as a symbol of defiance and resilience for the downtrodden of Lake Morovia.
Legacy
The Bullhanu
The Bull Roarer - regarded by some practitioners of the Reformed Stripping Path as a manifestation of the Host Spirit - is worshiped by a cult of assassins based in the city of Erythros, known as the Bulhanu, or the Bull-Headed. Members of this secretive cult of highly trained assassins, disguise their identities by wearing masks resembling the head of a bull. Rumor holds that during specific times of the year, when certain Host Stars are visible, select members of this cult are able to transform themselves into fierce Adlets.
It is said that during the Alperkin Cricket-Rise Festival, the Bulhanu engage in a ritual at their temple, in which they ritualistically burn the heads of the strongest male livestock in Erythros. The burning of these heads is believed to represent a profound offering to the Host Spirit, and to Glinos, the Planetary Divine with which the cult is the most closely associated. Although not confirmed, it is believed that this ritual is frequently attended by Fái Tahop, the immortal high priestess of the Mystery of Red Mirth.
