The Tortuga People are the civilian and military population of Tortuga, the last major settlement in Windrose still resisting Blackbeard's undead forces. They are a mixed population of former pirates, merchants, soldiers from the destroyed British Navy, and civilians who have gathered behind Tortuga's walls. The faction serves as the primary buyer of trade goods and the central hub for faction questlines.
Population and Composition
Tortuga shelters survivors from across the Caribbean. Unlike the historical Tortuga (a freewheeling pirate haven), the game's Tortuga is a besieged outpost where the living make their last stand against the dead. NPCs in Tortuga offer quests, sell goods, and provide information about the wider world. The population includes vendors, quest-givers, recruitment NPCs (for the Farming Contractor and similar settlement workers), and defenders who maintain the town's walls and harbor cannons.
Gameplay Role
The Tortuga People faction serves as the central hub for the following in-game functions:
Primary buyer of trade goods (Naval Supplies, Medical Crates, Contraband, Piastres)
Recruitment Vendor hires NPC workers for 10 gold coins (Farming Contractor, other specialist NPCs)
Faction questlines unlocked at higher reputation tiers (~500 rep threshold per community reports)
Crafting recipes unlocked via faction reputation
Quest-givers for the main story's later chapters
Access to faction-specific equipment not available from player base merchants
Relationship With Other Factions
Faction | Relationship |
|---|---|
Historically based at Tortuga; surviving Brethren shelter here | |
Trade partners; Buccaneer ships dock at Tortuga | |
Hostile; Tortuga's defenders actively resist Blackbeard's undead fleet | |
Complicated; historical remnants of British authority shelter at Tortuga after the Royal Navy's destruction | |
The player | Ally once Tortuga is reached in the main story; primary faction for mid- and late-game progression |
Tortuga's Defenses
The settlement maintains fortifications against both land and sea attacks. Walls, cannon emplacements, and a small defensive fleet protect the harbor. The Tortuga People are described as "a besieged outpost, where the living hold defense against the dead," indicating active military resistance against Blackbeard's undead forces. The state of these defenses likely changes as the story progresses, with the player's actions potentially strengthening or failing to prevent incursions.
Pre-Tortuga Storage
Because Tortuga is gated behind main-story progression, players should stockpile trade goods (Naval Supplies, Medical Crates, Contraband) at their base storage in the early game rather than selling at lower prices to base merchants. When Tortuga unlocks, the full stockpile converts into a large Piastre payout. A dedicated chest for trade goods is a common community recommendation.
See Also
Tortuga - location article
Factions - faction overview
Trading and Merchants - trading system
NPC Crew - recruitable NPCs