Revision 1

The British East India Company is one of the major factions in Windrose. They are a merchant-military organization that has come into possession of several missing pages from Columbus's Book of Prophecies. Their interest is commercial: the pages describe a treasure that could grant control over the seas, and sea control means trade control.

Motivations

The Company's goals are mercantile rather than ideological. They do not care about defeating Blackbeard out of principle or saving Tortuga out of compassion. They want the treasure described in the Book of Prophecies because oceanic dominion translates directly into commercial power. This makes them unpredictable allies: helpful when their interests overlap with the player's, dangerous when they diverge.

Relationship with the player

The Company's relationship with the player likely shifts between cooperation and competition depending on circumstances. They have information and resources the player needs (the pages they possess), but the player is also seeking those same pages. Whether interactions are resolved through trade, quests, negotiation, or theft probably depends on player choices.

Historical basis

The real East India Company (founded 1600) was one of the most powerful commercial entities in history. It controlled trade across the Indian Ocean and had its own private army and navy. By the early 1700s, the Company had significant Caribbean interests. Windrose uses the Company as a stand-in for organized colonial power, distinct from both the anarchic Brethren of the Coast and Blackbeard's supernatural forces.