Sea Princes Nobles 576 CY - Commodore Silas Oratero

Welcome back to another installment of the Sea Princes Nobles of 576 CY. According to the Living Greyhawk Gazetteer there is 30 noble domains, so yes, I will be doing 30 nobles in the long run. My previous posts were about the two top nobles, the Princes of Port Toli and Monmurg. Today I present Prince Jeon II's most trusted advisor and friend, Commodore Oratero. This character is taken directly from my own Sea Princes campaign, and I hope he will come in handy for your Greyhawk game as well. Enjoy!

His Mighty Nobility, Silas Oratero, Commodore of Jetsom Isle; Monitor of the Lion, Captain of the Rhola Prince. (House Rhola, Prince’s Fleet, Fighter 14)

As the greatest naval captain Jetsom Isle has ever known, Silas Oratero once took on a young and adventurous Prince Jeon II as his first mate aboard the Rhola Prince. Now older, he has been promoted to commodore of the Princes’ Fleet, and his grand caravel is well-known along the Keoish coast. The distinguished commodore and his family have been loyal to House Rhola for many generations. Indeed, he is presently married to Viola of Monmurg (fighter 2), a first cousin of the prince. Their home for many years is a humble villa built well inland from the bustling southern coast of Jetsom Isle. Commodore Oratero however is more often found at sea, or across the strait in Monmurg conferring with his fellow commodores on matters concerning the Hold of the Sea Princes.

Politics and Intrigues: Due to the commodore’s unimpeachable service to the Hold, and his long history with Prince Jeon it is generally accepted in the House of Peers that Silas Oratero can speak on authority for the Prince of Monmurg. He wisely does not exercise this authority very often and is seen as trustworthy even by the captains of the rival Keoland Navy. Silas is on good terms with the commodores of Flotsam and Fairwind Isles (both in the Toli Armada), this has kept inter-fleet fighting at a minimum for a long time. Lately he has grown concerned however, that the Toli Armada has allowed too many of their ships to mutiny and join the hated Crimson Fleet. As commodore of the Princes’ Fleet, he will always command a medium to large-sized fleet in times of war.

Commodore Oratero makes a good contact for mid-level adventurers who need a base of operations in the Hold of the Sea Princes to launch their own nautical voyages or take on swashbuckling missions on behalf of the prince. Players who pledge their own sailing vessel to the Princes’ Fleet will certainly earn the respect of this ranking noble.

House of Peers in the Sea Princes
The Hold of the Sea Princes comprises thirty domains, divided amongst a dozen noble houses. A few of these houses can trace their lineage back hundreds of years to the first Suel migrations, while most are merely fabricated hereditary titles of pirate captains who settled down a century ago. While the Hold is currently ruled by the Prince of Monmurg, the Prince of Port Toli has led the House of Peers for much of the Holds’ history. In political situations, the twelve houses are evenly divided between naval factions called the Princes’ Fleet and the Toli Armada. Those Sea Princes captains who choose to avoid house politics, nominally defer to a fleet named the Hold Flotilla in times of war.