Harrek the Berserk and his Wolf Pirates cast a looming shadow over Dragon Pass from 1625-1627.
There are some 60+ ships with some 3100+ Wolf Pirates following Harrek. The average Wolf Pirate ship has on average 50 warrior-rowers, 1 captain, and 5 officers. Each ship has a small Dormal shrine and a protective spirit housed in the figurehead on the prow. They are pretty much all veteran to elite warriors, many (most?) having followed circumnavigated the Homeward Ocean with Harrek (and Argrath). When led by Harrek they are a match for the best Lunar guard units led by Jar-eel.
Harrek is the Sea-King and acknowledges no overlord – mortal or divine. He’s best thought of as a “mercenary for the gods”. And he always expects to get paid, one way or another.
The Wolf Pirates are expensive to keep together. A steady flow of rewards is needed to keep that many mercenaries disciplined, loyal, and on task. Remember, the Wolf Pirates are radically democratic. They choose their own leaders, and they follow Harrek because they choose to.
Gold-Gotti probably came up with the current plan. Squeeze the Holy Country hard and force those rich merchants to pay tolls to the Wolf Pirates in order to enter or leave the Choralinthor Bay. Since Nochet is the center of sea-born commerce in Glorantha, that’s a lot of cash.
And it is certainly easier than Harrek’s plan – seize Nochet and force it to give up its riches. He knows how rich the city is – he drank it dry in late 1624. He then sacked the City of Wonders and gave away the treasure to his men. Harrek is nothing if not generous to his followers! Harrek no doubt tries in 1626, but once again the walls hold out. But Gold-Gotti’s plan lacks action, something Harrek, Gunda, and the Wolf Pirates need to keep their esprit de corps going.
Here’s another problem – the longer the Wolf Pirates do this, the less trade comes in through Nochet. Handra starts looking better and better as a port of commerce. It becomes harder for Nochet and the other Holy Country rulers to pay Harrek’s tribute.
The rise of Argrath in Sartar creates opportunities. He was Harrek’s friend and companion. He also defended Nochet from the Lunar Empire. And he has his own army.
As an aside, Argrath likely brokered the deal between Broyan and Samastina, and Harrek. Harrek is only too happy to fight the Lunar Empire – he has a personal vendetta against the Red Emperor – but he also needs to get paid. And after Pennel Ford, the Lunar Empire was no longer in the Holy Country. And the next year it got kicked out of Sartar (and it is not like Kallyr was going to invite Harrek and his mercenaries into Sartar!).
Was Kallyr more careful about her choice of allies than Argrath? Hardly. Kallyr was unwilling to work with the people she desperately needed to. She was too proud, too arrogant, and too righteous to the end. But you can see the seeds of that in the Sartar High Council. That she got so far is testament to her POW, her CHA, and her skill (and being able to trace your lineage to that of the Sartar Dynasty didn’t hurt). Without Nochet’s aid, Boldhome’s finances are insufficient for the coming war. Without Harrek’s aid, it is doubtful it could even stand against the Red Emperor and Jar-eel.