The Magnus Praedo Event
"For being a Grande Pirate was worth more...! "
A pirate might have all the wealth and power to be seen as one of the greatest pirates ever; He could own vast areas of land, own hundreds of ultra-sized ships, and lead thousands of loyal men who see him as their true leader. He could live a life of luxury – like a king, yet, no matter how much wealth, power, or influence he had, he would not be recognised as a Grande Pirate until he succeeded in completing the deadly and horrific 'Magnus Praedo Event'.
This rare event, held once every hundred years and organised by Aegirson[The demigod son of Aegir, and supposedly the god of sea plunderers.], and his already established Grande Pirates. It was a brutal and dangerous test of strength, skill, and cleverness, meant to show which of the regular sea plunderers were truly worthy of becoming one of the esteemed Grande Pirates.
Yes, the event offered the opportunity to reach the highest level of pirate status, but it came at a high cost, as millions of regular pirates lose their lives during the event. Only the one who completed the deadly challenge alive earned the title of. 'A Grande Pirate' and joined the ranks of legends in pirate history.
The event is divided into different stages:
● The first stage of the Magnus Praedo, called the 'Harvest' :— In this stage, all participating pirates were required to possess an enormous fortune equal to five bars of 24-karat gold, each weighing 5 kg
● The second stage of the Magnus Praedo event, called the 'Trade' :— Having gathered the great fortune in the Harvest stage, the pirates now had to find their way through a complex network of trading points set up independently by the already established Grande Pirates. Upon arriving at one of these points, the pirates had to present their harvest to a henchman, chosen by a Grande Pirate, who managed the trade. The henchman would then examine the pirates' harvest and compare it to the standard of five bars of 24 karat gold (Each weighing five kilograms <5 kg>).
If the pirate's harvest met or exceeded the required amount, they would then receive a rare mystical item called 'The Messenger's Seed'. As the name says, the item was indeed a seed! But as small and invaluable as it looked, it was a very crucial key to the next stage.
This stage always took place within a day, making the event even more competitive, but however, the stage in itself was dangerous, as pirates had to stay on guard against the 'Snatchers' – These were sneaky pirates who had spent years waiting for this chance, aiming to steal the Messenger's Seed from those who had earned it and gain a simple entry into the event without working a single bit for a harvest.
● The third stage of the Magnus Praedo, called 'Aegir's Rainfall' :— Now holding the Messenger's Seed, the pirate(s) had to wait for the beginning of the main contest, and all the pirates who had the seed had to prepare for the miracle of Aegir, the Norse god of the sea.
On the appointed day, each pirate planted their seed and anticipated 'Aegir's Rainfall' – A miracle sent by the god on behalf of his demigod son. When the mystical rain touched the ground, something amazing happened: A plant called 'The Messenger' burst out from the soil, producing a beautiful bud. This bud, filled with an otherworldly aura, opened to reveal the knob of an ancient scroll. The pirate who planted the seed was expected to pull out the scroll from the plant, and as the scroll was removed, the plant would wither and die, having served its purpose of giving the pirate the required message.
● The fifth stage of the Magnus Praedo Event, known as 'Death Race' :—
This was the hardest and most merciless part of the contest! The scroll from the previous stage listed some items, chosen by the demigod himself before every hundred years. The number and type of items was randomised with each century, making sure that no two Death Races were ever the same.
Pirates who were bold enough to take on this stage had to go on a dangerous mission to find and collect these rare items while travelling through deadly waters. The moment a pirate laid his hands on even one item on the list, they became a target for thousands of other pirates(captains; not counting crew members). Those who managed to gather all the items on the list were chased without mercy, as almost every pirate around would stop at nothing to take these requirements for themselves.
One funny phenomenon about this stage was that an item hardly stayed with one pirate for long; They were constantly changing hands, as any pirate who owned even one of the items faced ambushes and murder attempts at every moment. This stage was a whirlwind of chaos and conflict, with millions of lives lost in the struggle.
In summary of it, the Death Race tested speed, alertness, and cleverness, as pirates had to outsmart and outrun their rivals to survive!.
But even in the midst of the chaos on the seas, and the waters turning red from blood, no matter how long it took, there was always one pirate who emerged victorious, possessing all items on the list! When this pirate entered "The Cove of Eternal Storm" the Death Race would end, initiating the start of the final stage of the Magnus Praedo Event.
● The sixth and last stage of the Magnus Praedo Event, called the 'Entertainment stage' :— Ironically, this stage was a stark contrast to the previous chaotic stages!
After the Death Race ended, the winning pirate was given the best possible care, so they could recover both physically and mentally. As a reward for their victory, they sat in an honoured spot near the high table with the top-ranked Grande Pirates and even the demigod himself!
In this grand finale, the victorious pirate was entertained with a show filled with different kinds of performers, both physical and metaphysical. The show wasn't just for the champion though; a large arena had been set up to also welcome and entertain all the pirates who survived the challenges and made it to the Cove.
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After the pre-stages and main stage of the Magnus Praedo Event ended, a private gathering took place for the Grande Pirates and the demigod, but it did not include the newly chosen member. This secret meeting was primarily set up to make plans for the next century and, secondly, for the initiation ritual; a sacred process meant to raise the new member to the high status of a Grande Pirate. The demigod designed this ritual to increase the new Grande's strength and skill as a pirate, granting him supernatural and godly powers with a longevity that rivalled that of the demigod himself.
The demigod usually decided how long this ritual took, often lasting several months. During this time, a special declaration was announced that paused all pirate activities. This declaration gave all pirates a break, meaning that no pirate could do any pirate-related illegal activities or face any punishment for past actions of piracy. This break allowed pirates to live freely for a while without worrying about the risks of their outlaw life.
This declaration actually served two main purposes. First, it gave the new member time to finish the initiation ritual while staying in the demigod's sanctuary. Second, it allowed the pirate community a break to recover from the violence of the Magnus Praedo Event and clean up the mess they had made on both the seas and the land. After the ritual ended, balance returned to the pirate community, and the declaration was lifted, allowing pirates to go back to their pirate(y) ways.
To regular people, the idea of pirates getting a break every century seemed strange and confusing, especially the fact that it was permitted by legal authority and world rulers. But for the pirates, it was a huge event – The start of a new era of fear, the transformation of a worthy regular pirate into a Grande Pirate. They understood that once the new Grande Pirate left the demigod's sanctuary via the Cove of Eternal Storm, they would be reborn, gaining unmatched power and respect. From that moment on, they would be honoured and feared as a Grande Pirate, with their name becoming part of pirate legend and striking fear into anyone who crossed their path!
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..... Speaking of storms.....!