Slavery in Eorzea and Abroad
Slaves are definitely a thing, despite slavery being illegal in all Eorzean nations. As such, they likely wouldn't have any distinguishing marks to separate them from paid workers so that such illicit activities could better fly under the radar. At the very least, if slaves are being branded, I wasn't able to find any evidence of such markings - though any hypothetical brands would be unique to each slave trading ring.
Here's what I could find on Eorzea's slave trade, though. Hope this helps!
Limsa Lominsa
The Code
Written by Admiral Agatzahr Roehmerlsyn in the Year 966, the "Code" is Limsa Lominsa's guiding constitution. It is composed of three very basic principles. Many admirals have introduced new laws (as well as establishing a Thalassocratic Charter) since, but what few true laws Limsa Lominsa has can all be attributed as addendum to the Code. Those who violate this simple ruleset face heavy consequences - exile or death at the hands of the 'Cuda or Upright Thieves (now known as the Dutiful Sisters of the Edelweiss). More lore on Limsa's government and the Code can be found here.
Slave Trade and the Black Market
Obviously, being a nation of pirates, marauders, freebooters, and convicts - there are more than a few who can't be arsed to follow even the limited infringement of the Code upon their personal liberties. There's only one thing Lominsans love more than loot, and that's their freedom! So there are those who infringe upon the freedoms of other Lominsans. These are the slave traders. They violate both the Code and Thalassocratic Charter to sell Lominsans and foreigners on the black markets to lands transmarine - possibly even to Garlemald.
While there are numerous independent pirate factions who do this, one of the biggest offenders are the Serpent Reavers, pirates who have sold their souls to Leviathan. While some of their captured slaves make it to market, others are kept as sex slaves (Sastasha), while others are given to the Sahagin to offer to Leviathan. All Sahagin worship Leviathan (yes, even Novv) and they believe drowning shorewalkers pays a due to their god.
As for Limsa's Black Market (or the Qiqirn Black Market), it's not entirely illegal transactions. There was a time in Limsa's recent history where Hawkers' Alley was nearly entirely "black market" goods. Merchants and arms traders from nations all over would come to Limsa to procure items they could not find anywhere else. While Mealvaan's Gate's assessors have limited a good deal of this trade (especially after Merlwyb became Admiral) some of it still goes on both in the city and in more discreet places around Limsa Lominsa and very little is done to stop it.
Carvallain's Pleasure Barges
Slavery may be illegal, but prostitution is not. That's not to say that there isn't a seedier side to Limsa's sex worker trade or that every sex worker is there by choice, but that the majority of the many "pleasure barges" operate legally. Afterall Carvallain, Captain of the Kraken's Arms, (who controls the majority of the sex trade) is all about "legitimate" business ventures. Speaking of legitimate businesses, Carvallain's exotic herbal remedy shop The Seventh Sage, which is a front for his less-legitimate business ventures, apparently sells some aphrodisiacal oils and herbs - a reference to his continued hold on the sex trade.
Examples of legal sex work can also be found in Gegeruju's Manor in Costa del Sol. According to various levequests by workers under his employ, the Ul'dahn plutocrat apparently pays quite well. It may be quite preferable to the pleasure barges in Galadion Bay? Anyways, not much obvious signs of slavery here.
Ul'dah
The Hecatoncheires
Ul'dah has a long history of utilizing slavery. One of the most well known examples are their use of beastmen, such as the Hecatoncheire Gigants. My theory is that, on top of mining valuable resources for Ul'dah during the Thorne Dynasty, they were also crucial in the relocation of the city-state to it's current location atop the recently conquered Sil'dih. More on this can be found here.
Amalj'aa and Slaves/Tempered Servants
While the act of tempering by any beast tribe can be viewed as slavery, the Amalj'aa take it one step above, many factions of their race believing all non-believers and races of man are "slave races" made specifically to be consumed by their primal god, Ifrit. Making the Amalj'aa likely one of the largest contributors to Thanalan's modern slave trade.
Modern Slavery in Thanalan
Illegal, but when has that stopped anyone? The slave trade in Thanalan happens mostly under the table, and references to it here are much more scarce than they are in Limsa Lominsa. It's possible that the slave rings are related - Ul'dahn wealthy buying slaves from Limsa, or Lominsan slave traders taking slaves from Thanalan to sell elsewhere. We do know that the Brass Blades attempt to put a stop to any human trafficking rings they find, but are not always successful.
Ul'dahn Sex Trade and Pillowhouses
Again, exactly like it is in Limsa prostitution is a perfectly legal enterprise in Ul'dah. In fact, it's widely held that the quality of Ul'dah's pillowhouses far outstrip those of Limsa Lominsa. Indulging in said trade is going to cost a pretty sum - much like everything else in Ul'dah.
Amajina & Sons Mineral Concern on the Onyx Lane also employs “dancers†for the enjoyment of their miners and patrons. The vaunted Songstress of Ul'dah, F'lhaminn, was once one of these Amajina dancers. It’s also important to note that while some of the dancers were open to sex-work, the patrons were not allowed to touch them. And while the guild in ARR no longer plays host to the dancers, you can still find dancers in Amajina's employ distracting the crowds in the Ruby Road Exchange. More on that topic can be found here.
Noxius
While not strictly "slaves" the noxius are prison fighters on Ul'dah's Bloodsands. They are made to fight beasts, gladiators, and other noxius in order to earn winnings that can be put towards buying their freedom. Raubahn Aldynn himself was a noxius for eleven years until in 1570, after winning one thousand matches, earned not only enough money to buy his freedom from the Marasaja Pit, but also to buy the Coliseum and earn his seat on the Syndicate.
Garlemald
Annexed Slaves
Garlemald is perhaps one of the worst offenders of slave trading in Eorzea and the world at large. As annexed peoples have no rights or citizenship, the Garlean Empire has no qualms relegating them to camps and forcing them to perform hard labor or sex-work until they are spent.
While most of the firsthand accounts of this occurring come from Ala Mhigo, an actively defiant territory of the Empire, remember that both Legatii, Gaius van Baelsar and Nael van Darnus, were active participants in the annexation of Ilsabard and Othard, and that the treatment of the Ala Mhigans, likely reflects the treatment faced by many of the nations who resisted Imperial rule and were ruled over by Baelsar and Darnus until their demise.
And while Garlemald is never explicitly implicated in Limsa's slave trade, the quotes above often reference black markets far and abroad. Whether they mean Meracydia, the Near East, or the Far East is never said, but it's highly possible that the Empire still benefits from these illegal transactions.
(03-26-2017, 12:26 AM)Kelsor Wrote: Hello, I was wondering if anyone would know if slaves are a thing in Eorzea. If they are, how are these slaves distinguished from normal people? Do they have a certain branding on somewhere on their bodies?
Slaves are definitely a thing, despite slavery being illegal in all Eorzean nations. As such, they likely wouldn't have any distinguishing marks to separate them from paid workers so that such illicit activities could better fly under the radar. At the very least, if slaves are being branded, I wasn't able to find any evidence of such markings - though any hypothetical brands would be unique to each slave trading ring.
Here's what I could find on Eorzea's slave trade, though. Hope this helps!
Limsa Lominsa
The Code
Written by Admiral Agatzahr Roehmerlsyn in the Year 966, the "Code" is Limsa Lominsa's guiding constitution. It is composed of three very basic principles. Many admirals have introduced new laws (as well as establishing a Thalassocratic Charter) since, but what few true laws Limsa Lominsa has can all be attributed as addendum to the Code. Those who violate this simple ruleset face heavy consequences - exile or death at the hands of the 'Cuda or Upright Thieves (now known as the Dutiful Sisters of the Edelweiss). More lore on Limsa's government and the Code can be found here.
Encyclopedia Eorzea Wrote:From a buccaneer background himself, Admiral Agatzahr invited the strongest of the warring crews to the negotiation table. Through bartering and threats, he secured their solemn oath to put an end to the fighting. More miraculously, however, he put forth a code of conduct which every corsair would have to honor: No crew would cheat another of its plunder, nor rob a fellow Lominsan, nor sell fellow men into slavery.
Though the code itself was revolutionary, its enforcement was perhaps more so. The best of all crews came together and founded the Upright Thieves, a shadowy organization that punished those who broke the code. Admiral Agatzahr’s rules became as law to the pirates not because they were imposed from above, but rather because they were enforced in every back alley and bad tavern. Thanks to this, peace returned to Limsa.
Jacke Wrote:Now, most folk, an' I'm assumin' yer among 'em, know that not long after Limsa's foundin', the city was overrun by a motley collection o' pirates an' thieves. But as wild as that lot were, it soon became clear that they'd all end up killin' each other if they didn't lay down a few rules─an unspoken code o' conduct, as it were.
One, ye don't bite the purses o' yer fellow Lominsans; two, ye don't rook a crew out o' their spoils; an' three, ye don't trade culls like they was chattel. I'll admit the finer points o' the Code are a mite murky, but most agree on those three, at least. Now, ye might be thinkin' none o' that amounts to a sack o' dilberries now the Admiral's outlawed piracy, but in the back alleys an' black markets where Merlwyb's grip ain't so tight, the code's still alive an' well. An' just as the law is enforced by the Yellowjackets, the Code is regulated by us rogues.
Slave Trade and the Black Market
Obviously, being a nation of pirates, marauders, freebooters, and convicts - there are more than a few who can't be arsed to follow even the limited infringement of the Code upon their personal liberties. There's only one thing Lominsans love more than loot, and that's their freedom! So there are those who infringe upon the freedoms of other Lominsans. These are the slave traders. They violate both the Code and Thalassocratic Charter to sell Lominsans and foreigners on the black markets to lands transmarine - possibly even to Garlemald.
While there are numerous independent pirate factions who do this, one of the biggest offenders are the Serpent Reavers, pirates who have sold their souls to Leviathan. While some of their captured slaves make it to market, others are kept as sex slaves (Sastasha), while others are given to the Sahagin to offer to Leviathan. All Sahagin worship Leviathan (yes, even Novv) and they believe drowning shorewalkers pays a due to their god.
As for Limsa's Black Market (or the Qiqirn Black Market), it's not entirely illegal transactions. There was a time in Limsa's recent history where Hawkers' Alley was nearly entirely "black market" goods. Merchants and arms traders from nations all over would come to Limsa to procure items they could not find anywhere else. While Mealvaan's Gate's assessors have limited a good deal of this trade (especially after Merlwyb became Admiral) some of it still goes on both in the city and in more discreet places around Limsa Lominsa and very little is done to stop it.
Ginnade Wrote:Few pirates sink to such depths of depravity as Doesmaga. It has been six years now since he was exiled from Limsa Lominsa for engaging in the worst kind of black market trading.
Thubyrgeim Wrote:So, the Yellowjackets told you something of her history with Doesmaga, did they? Perhaps it would be best if I told you the entire tale. Doesmaga's banishment was the result of a surprise inspection that revealed his involvement in an underground slave trade. The assessor that stepped aboard the pirate's merchant ship spoke of finding dozens of unwashed unfortunates crammed into that squalid hold. Among these prisoners was a young Miqo'te, destined for some black market auction block.
Maelstrom Officer Wrote:That we do. From the descriptions given to us by the escaped villager, we've determined that these lawbreakers are members of the Jolly Merchants─a pirate crew in possession of an official privateering license. ...'Twould appear, however, that privateering has been naught but a screen behind which to hide their illicit activities. One can only imagine how many other Lominsan citizens have fallen prey to these wicked slavers...
Perimu Haurimu Wrote:Ye'd think these pirates'd never even heard o' the code. Pillagin' honest culls an' dippin' their wicks in the slave trade? They're headed the right way for a good stabbin'.
Maelstrom Officer Wrote:Your aid─and confidentiality─in this matter is greatly appreciated. We can now focus on coordinating with the Yellowjackets to free those unfortunate folk already sold into slavery.
Jolly Merchant Pirate Wrote:Listen, we're 'eaded to Aleport, all right? That's where me an' me shipmates gather to take stock o' the “merchandise,†an' decide what gets sold where. Ye see, some buyers want only lads, while others is lookin' for lasses. As long as we keep these rich bastards 'appy, we make more coin than we ever did scrappin' with the Empire's war galleys! Not that you care about that, I s'pose. What matters to you is that ye'll be loaded onto the Jolly Merchantman, sailed off to gods know where, and Limsa'll be a distant memory.
Jacke Wrote:Hmph. Hidin' their operation in plain sight. Bold as brass, aye, but it's an old slaver's trick. See, even if some cull recognizes the “merchandise,†only a single handler gets boned. The rest o' the crew just whistles, all innocent-like, while their mate is marched off to cry cockles.
Carvallain's Pleasure Barges
Slavery may be illegal, but prostitution is not. That's not to say that there isn't a seedier side to Limsa's sex worker trade or that every sex worker is there by choice, but that the majority of the many "pleasure barges" operate legally. Afterall Carvallain, Captain of the Kraken's Arms, (who controls the majority of the sex trade) is all about "legitimate" business ventures. Speaking of legitimate businesses, Carvallain's exotic herbal remedy shop The Seventh Sage, which is a front for his less-legitimate business ventures, apparently sells some aphrodisiacal oils and herbs - a reference to his continued hold on the sex trade.
Midlander Pirate Wrote:I'm stiff as a rock.
Seventh Sage Saleswoman Wrote:There are oils which can help...
A Roseling By Any Other Name Wrote:Known for its aphrodisiacal properties, sap from the vines of the rarely seen ocean roseling has become increasingly popular on the pleasure boats anchored in the bay off the Captains Ward. The Brugaire Consortium will handsomely reward anyone willing to travel to Bloodshore and procure several specimens.
Triaine Wrote:Captain Rhoswen says she'll let me choose our next target, and I've already got my eye on a pleasure boat run by the Krakens.
Ahldskyf Wrote:And with the coin made from the beans, I should have enough to fill the Orion's hold with Thanalan tea leaves, which I will bring back here to Limsa Lominsa - tea being the preferred drink of the city-state's many pleasure barge patrons.
The Orange Boxes Wrote:Crates of freshly picked oranges waiting to be delivered to Galadion Bay's pleasure boats are in danger of being infested by rats lured by the sweet smell of the fruit. Drive back the vermin until the chocobo caravan arrives.
Paramour Bed Wrote:A plush heart-shaped bed far more sophisticated than those found on Limsa Lominsa's pleasure barges.
Celie Wrote:Ah, feisty. We'll fetch a fine price for that one from the pleasure barge captains.
Quimperain Wrote:May I ask, were you, at any time, able to discern who these pursuers were? The amount of effort put into your capture would suggest they are more than mere pirates looking to sell you to slavers.
V'kebbe Wrote:Didn't see where that other fair-skinned lass buggered off to. Ones as that, though, oft end up on the pleasure barges, if ye catch me drift.
Jannequinard Wrote:Me? As much as I would like to indulge myself on the pillows of Rhotano pleasure barges, there is a congress to be held in the Vault, and all the prominent houses have been summoned.
Merlwyb Wrote:Our warships may as well have been bloody pleasure barges for all the good they did. Seven hells...
Examples of legal sex work can also be found in Gegeruju's Manor in Costa del Sol. According to various levequests by workers under his employ, the Ul'dahn plutocrat apparently pays quite well. It may be quite preferable to the pleasure barges in Galadion Bay? Anyways, not much obvious signs of slavery here.
Consigned, Sealed, and Undelivered Wrote:An important client of Master Gegeruju's─one Aismurl Goldmember─is visiting Costa del Sol to complete a sizable business transaction. To ensure that things go smoothly, the master has prepared a special incentive for his guest...and she requires proper escort to Hidden Falls.
Ul'dah
The Hecatoncheires
Ul'dah has a long history of utilizing slavery. One of the most well known examples are their use of beastmen, such as the Hecatoncheire Gigants. My theory is that, on top of mining valuable resources for Ul'dah during the Thorne Dynasty, they were also crucial in the relocation of the city-state to it's current location atop the recently conquered Sil'dih. More on this can be found here.
Encyclopedia Eorzea Wrote:Similar to the giants, the hecatoncheires were also once thralls of the gigas. Some three hundred years ago, however, history tells that these gigants were sold as slaves to the Thorne Dynasty. Their monstrous strength controlled by means of ensorcelled helms, the hecatoncheires were forced to toil with pick and hammer in Copperbell Mines.
Amalj'aa and Slaves/Tempered Servants
While the act of tempering by any beast tribe can be viewed as slavery, the Amalj'aa take it one step above, many factions of their race believing all non-believers and races of man are "slave races" made specifically to be consumed by their primal god, Ifrit. Making the Amalj'aa likely one of the largest contributors to Thanalan's modern slave trade.
Bazaar Blood Triangle Wrote:A unit of Amalj'aa raiders has forced their way into the Golden Bazaar in search of slaves and supplies. Aid the Brass Blades stationed in the hamlet in fending off the attackers.
Hamujj Gah Wrote:Each new fire-seared slave feeds the inferno of their god's powers, and, in turn, the flames of Ifrit's altars bless the zealots of Zanr'ak with unholy strength.
Zagozz Teh Wrote:They are naught but ghosts of a fading past─so lacking in strength they resort to consorting with the slave races.
Zagozz Teh Wrote:M-Mercy! Mercy, I beg you! The will of our god is overwhelming! Spare my life, and I shall become your slave instead!
Modern Slavery in Thanalan
Illegal, but when has that stopped anyone? The slave trade in Thanalan happens mostly under the table, and references to it here are much more scarce than they are in Limsa Lominsa. It's possible that the slave rings are related - Ul'dahn wealthy buying slaves from Limsa, or Lominsan slave traders taking slaves from Thanalan to sell elsewhere. We do know that the Brass Blades attempt to put a stop to any human trafficking rings they find, but are not always successful.
Tataramu Wrote:From providing deadly force to both sides of a bloody conflict to selling beggars and orphans as glorified slave-soldiers─Ul'dah has its share of unscrupulous merchants, but none have made dealing in death their business quite like Memeriga.
Captain Leofric Wrote:Aye, we've no shortage of greedy sods, some who'd probably sell their own mothers into slavery if the price was right.
Hunberct Longhaft Wrote:Prone to bouts of sibling jealousy, those two, but they're good girls at heart─all the more admirable considering their origins. Stolen from their parents when they were just babes, and sold into a trade where no woman deserves to go. My unit found and freed them, but sadly, the Brass Blades are not in the habit of taking in children. Granted their freedom, they made their living on the streets. Where many turn to selling their bodies, they honed their smarts and their fighting skills. When they returned to me years later as women grown─strong and beautiful─I swore that I would have them! In my regiment, that is...
Ul'dahn Sex Trade and Pillowhouses
Again, exactly like it is in Limsa prostitution is a perfectly legal enterprise in Ul'dah. In fact, it's widely held that the quality of Ul'dah's pillowhouses far outstrip those of Limsa Lominsa. Indulging in said trade is going to cost a pretty sum - much like everything else in Ul'dah.
Amajina & Sons Mineral Concern on the Onyx Lane also employs “dancers†for the enjoyment of their miners and patrons. The vaunted Songstress of Ul'dah, F'lhaminn, was once one of these Amajina dancers. It’s also important to note that while some of the dancers were open to sex-work, the patrons were not allowed to touch them. And while the guild in ARR no longer plays host to the dancers, you can still find dancers in Amajina's employ distracting the crowds in the Ruby Road Exchange. More on that topic can be found here.
Tutubuki Wrote:Here, this is your reward. I suggest you enjoy yourself while in Ul'dah. Partake of our fine food and drink, the gambling halls, the pillowhouses. The city is your oyster!
Nhagi Amariyo Wrote:You flatter me, dear. If it’s a touch you want, might be your coin’ll buy it? Shall I wait for you ‘round the back then?
1.0 Lodestone Wrote:So wealthy is Ul'dah that coin has become not only the city’s primary means of social stratification, but how disagreements are settled and even, in many instances, the guiding principle of its ethics. No vice is barred to those who can afford them; in fact, they’re no vice at all once paid for. Drinking, gambling, and whoring are all perfectly acceptable to anyone who can afford to indulge — in fact, even encouraged by the Order of Nald'thal. After all, what moves coin drives commerce. Even crimes can be overlooked for a substantial enough fee, provided they don’t inhibit trade: Ul'dah’s only unforgivable sin.
Noxius
While not strictly "slaves" the noxius are prison fighters on Ul'dah's Bloodsands. They are made to fight beasts, gladiators, and other noxius in order to earn winnings that can be put towards buying their freedom. Raubahn Aldynn himself was a noxius for eleven years until in 1570, after winning one thousand matches, earned not only enough money to buy his freedom from the Marasaja Pit, but also to buy the Coliseum and earn his seat on the Syndicate.
Encyclopedia Eorzea Wrote:In the Coliseum, spectators are driven to a frenzy by bloody competitions ranging from single combat betwixt gladiators, to bouts pitting ill-equipped prisoners against terrifying beasts from exotic lands. Illegal gambling on the outcome of matches is a favorite Ul'dahn passtime, as well as the city's worst-kept secret.
Galeren Wrote:Aye, they let criminals take to the bloodsands now an' again - them what's caught murderin', thievin'. piratin', an' whatnot. Ain't winnin' what gets 'em turned loose, though. Fight's got to turn enough profit for them to buy their freedom. And that ain't no modest sum.
Garlemald
Annexed Slaves
Garlemald is perhaps one of the worst offenders of slave trading in Eorzea and the world at large. As annexed peoples have no rights or citizenship, the Garlean Empire has no qualms relegating them to camps and forcing them to perform hard labor or sex-work until they are spent.
While most of the firsthand accounts of this occurring come from Ala Mhigo, an actively defiant territory of the Empire, remember that both Legatii, Gaius van Baelsar and Nael van Darnus, were active participants in the annexation of Ilsabard and Othard, and that the treatment of the Ala Mhigans, likely reflects the treatment faced by many of the nations who resisted Imperial rule and were ruled over by Baelsar and Darnus until their demise.
And while Garlemald is never explicitly implicated in Limsa's slave trade, the quotes above often reference black markets far and abroad. Whether they mean Meracydia, the Near East, or the Far East is never said, but it's highly possible that the Empire still benefits from these illegal transactions.
Urianger Wrote:All men seek truth, be they children of Eorzea and freedom, or slaves born into imperial bondage.
Glaumunt Wrote:When Ala Mhigo fell, they put my family in a camp. Bein’ a lad, I was made to do hard labor, while my mother an’ sister were made to do far worse…
Cid Wrote:He spoke of rapid fortifications being made in Ala Mhigo, and of Ala Mhigans being driven by lash and brand to make them. He painted a godless picture, and I fear the reality of it even worse. A spy must needs smother his own feelings─to deny all that defines him. He had to stand by and watch Ala Mhigans beaten and worked and starved to death. It is enough to drive any man mad…
