I've been working on planning a pirate campaign set in my homebrew world for a bit now. But I have been having a difficult time coming up with adventure ideas. The campaign is going to be more player driven and open world, but I still want to nail down some arcs and driving forces to keep the campaign interesting. I have a lot of world lore, but I'd like some ideas on campaign adventures with this lore. Also any critique on the campaign setting would be appreciated. Here is a short version of the campaign setting: 

• In the isles of Wessel, a giant field of gold ore mysteriously erupted from the ground on the main island, called the Wellspring. News about this newfound wealth spread across the world like wildfire, and everyone wanted some of it. A gold rush of sorts happened throughout the world as every country or rich person made a trading company to try to get in the newly flourishing market of Wessel. 
• The news of the Wellspring even reached the Khan of the plane of elemental earth, the Paradisha of the plane of elemental water, the Sultan of the plane of elemental fire, and the Caliph of the plane of elemental air. Each of these figures have more wealth and command more power than all of the nations of the world combined, and they each created trading companies to compete in Wessel's market. The portals to the elemental planes have been historically guarded by the Genasi people, who took the sacred oath to guard the portals and keep the world safe. The Paradisha and the Caliph have negotiated peace treaties with the water and air genasi cities who guarded their portals, the Sultan invaded the fire genasi city  and the Khan has had strict control over the earth genasi city for centuries. The Elemental Trading Companies dominate the market and command the most military power. 
• This tremendous competition propelled the world into "The Age of Enlightenment", an era of revolutions in technology, art, architecture, and education. New magitech inventions were coming out every day, and education is being provided to the masses. 
• Even before the Age of Enlightenment, Wessel was known for its greed and corruption and now it is even worse. In Wessel the wealthy rule, openly and without pretense. The government of Wessel is run by the Quorum, a group of 9 anonymous members comprising of nobles or powerful figures and a tenth public facing member called the President. The 9 anonymous members of the Quorum are chosen by the Quorum themselves, and every other public position is decided through a crowd funding campaign where votes are donations that are kept in a secret pot and counted at the end of the campaign run to see who wins. The judicial system of Wessel is called the Tribunal, which is a operatic performance instead of a fair court. They provide a dramatic show, and the audience votes on if the accused is guilty. The audiences' favorite drama is pirates. They love voting pirates to be hanged or imprisoned in the impenetrable Bastille prison. The Tribunal puts a lot of money into capturing pirates, often placing tremendous bounties on their heads and hiring mercenary groups to capture them. The most famous mercenary group is the Zhelezo, a group of bloodthirsty pirate hunters who want nothing more than to wipe every pirate off of the world. 
• Wessel's islands are incessantly assailed by unrelenting tempests, the notorious Aetherstorms. These tempests form a continuous wall of hurricane-like ferocity that sweeps relentlessly from east to west, leaving behind a swath of desolation in their relentless path. These tempests not only bring destruction but also unleash a mysterious and volatile energy known as Aether, saturating the Isles of Wessel with an otherworldly power. Creatures infused with this energy grow to colossal proportions, becoming Leviathans that continually grow larger as long as they live — the eldest reaching sizes comparable to entire islands.
• Those who can't afford protection from the Aetherstorms barely survive. They are called Drifters, and their only chance of survival is to live upon floating rafts and cling to survival as they cannot afford to live anywhere else. A majority of them are the native Locathah (fish people). 
• The gaping wealth disparity in Wessel has driven many towards piracy, and many to join the Maelstrom Alliance of Pirates. The Maelstrom Alliance seeks to dismantle the wealthy elite of Wessel, brutally and without mercy. They have no qualms with killing anyone they perceive to be the wealthy, often through the "Storms Judgement" where they tie the nobles to posts and hang them out towards an incoming Aetherstorm. Their leader, is known as Stormbeard and is said to be able to command the storms himself. 
• Despite global peace, internal strife within the Church of the Silver Flame ignited the War of the Roses between Archera and Estium. The Rose Orders, six militant factions of the Church, each trained to battle different extraplanar threats. The Red Rose (The Dominion) fights fiends, the Blue Rose (The Inqusition) fights evil mages, the Green Rose (The Delian Order) fights evil fey, the Black Rose (The Champions Vigil) fights undead, the Grey Rose (The Huntsemen of Saint Perrault) fights lycans, and the White Rose (The White Wings) fights evil dragons. The schism stemmed from the Red Rose's use of blood magic, seen as necessary by some and heretical by others, leading to excommunication and war. 
• There are 15 noble houses in Wessel that are richer than any other, called the Aetherborn houses. Each of the Aetherborn houses are known for owning very powerful magical artifacts that randomly rain down from Aetherstorms, called Aethershards. These Aethershards can be made into Aetherplate or Aetherblades. These artifacts are made of living and breathing mimic flesh and can be commanded to perform tremendous acts of strength, and if one is to find one they could sell it for a tremendous amount of money. The Aetherborn Houses each hold a monopoly on their specific market: 
  • House Sivis: Communications and Media. They run the media and news of Wessel and exploit it by pushing propaganda, they also own Spectoshow Halls which are illusory movie theaters that play the courtroom dramas of the Tribunal. They sell magitech devices such as Sivis Talkers, which are long range mobile communication devices. 
  • House Lyrander: Air transportation. They own nearly all airship manufacturers and the Omniport, a teleportation circle that can teleport entire ships. They charge tremendous fees for travel, and have exploitative labor practices. 
  • House Montclair: Ground transportation. They own motorcarriage manufacturers. They inflate the price of motorcarriages so they are not affordable by the common folk, and work their factory workers to the bone. 
  • House Rochefort: Sea transportation. They own ship manufacturers and control sea routes. They impose heavy tolls and make ships too expensive. 
  • House Cannithe: Weapons and Security. Maker of magic weapons, rifles, golems, and fund mercenary guilds. They engage in war profiteering. 
  • House Kundarac: Arcana. They own the Stormspire (the magical way to be safe from the Aetherstorms) and they own the major school of arcana in Wessel. They only sell Stormspires to cities who provide large donations additionally to the price of the device. They also charge a lot for education. 
  • House Vandalis: Textiles and Fashion. They own magic clothing and run sweat shops.
  • House Patfolio: Agriculture. They own magical farming and keep people in indentured servitude and slavery. 
  • House Vintmire: Real Estate. They own most of the land of Wessel, and charge a bunch of money to rent to the people. 
  • House Althorien: Energy. They own Aether infused energy, which can make lights and many other magical artifacts. They are known to be an open thieves guild and smugglers. 
  • House Pentwarden: Medicine.  Charges exorbitant amounts for magical healing services, making healthcare inaccessible to many. Controls the supply of vital potions, creating dependencies. 
  • House Martel: Banking. They mine the Wellspring and own banks. They give out predatory loans with high interest. 
  • House D'Argent: Tithes. The people of Wessel take a unique approach to religion. In seeking divine guidance, protection, or aid, individuals offer tithes to a specific god whose domain aligns with their present or anticipated challenges. These offerings take place in sacred buildings known as Reliquaries, housing a diverse array of effigies and statues representing nearly every god imaginable. This creates a transactional connection with the deities, allowing worshipers to offer Tithes to specific gods like The Mourning Storm for a safe sea journey or the Grinning Sailor for good fortune in the gambling hall. House D'Argent collects these Tithes and keeps the money. 
  • House Dubois: Restaurants. Engages in exploitative labor practices in kitchens and controls the restaurant industry, influencing culinary trends to favor the elite.
  • House Blanchard: Trade. Manipulates trade routes and influences markets for personal gain. Exploits insider information to benefit from stock market fluctuations.

I have more world lore if anyone is interested here. Though it is a bit wordy. 

The party wants to become pirates, and they are each working on making characters now. But does anyone have any ideas on what I could do for this plot? 

As long as you have a fun treasure for them to find (preferably with clues spread out across various ports or islands), and a crazy admiral that is hell-bent on tracking them down for some reason or another (did one of the party member sleep with the admiral's sibling(s) or is he just got a hard-on for hanging pirates?), then everything else should fall into place as pirate-like hijinks ensue. 

Thanks! And I guess I'm overcomplicating it a bit. Do you have any examples of treasure quests? 

Sure. There are rumors that a star recently fell from the Astral Sea and landed somewhere among the islands in the region that the party is sailing. Legends say that if you find a fallen star, you are granted a wish. Many other pirates, local navies, merchant princes, and scholarly organizations are also looking for the star, as well as some dangerous monsters, like a family of dragons. Some islands were "dusted" by shards and crumbles of the star as it passed by, causing all manner of strange things to happen in the wake. Clues to the star's whereabouts can be determined by solving problems at various islands and maybe analyzing the star fragments left behind, or if enough are collected, maybe some sort of compass can be fashioned to point the way to the star's final resting place. 

Pirate quests? Ye scurvy dog, the world of entertainment's gots ya covered.

Arrrrr. Watch any pirate movie, read any pirate book, play any pirate game... and steal be inspired by their plots 

An don't ye be forgettin' this newfangled AI stuff. Ifn ye ask ChatGPF or Bing nicely, they'll give yer more than enough ideas.

_____

Seriously, I just asked Microsoft Copilot "arrrrr matey i need 5 pirate plots for a rpg" and got back this wonderful answer. No editing on my part (except for removing links) - this is exactly what Copilot gave me. :-) 

Ahoy, me hearty! Ye seek tales of high-seas adventure and treacherous plots? Well, splice the mainbrace and hoist the Jolly Roger, for I’ve got five swashbucklin’ pirate plots fit for a rollickin’ RPG:

1. Buried Treasure Map:

   • The crew stumbles upon an ancient parchment with cryptic markings—a map to buried pirate treasure! But beware, mateys, for other cutthroats seek the same loot. Where be the treasure hidden? Who else be huntin’ it down? And why has it remained elusive all these years? Arrr, the race is on!
   • Questions to Consider: Where is the treasure located? What be the prize? Who else be searchin’ for it? Why’s it been so elusive?

2. Identity Theft:

   • A rival pirate ship approaches, crewed by doppelgängers—exact replicas of our own scallywags! These imposters claim to be the real deal, and accusations fly. Why do they target our crew? What deeds have they done in our name? Unravel the mystery before the cannons roar!
   • Questions to Consider: Who be these imposters? Why’ve they singled us out? What devilry have they wrought while wearin’ our faces?

3. Cursed Artifact:

   • The crew unwittingly acquires an ancient relic, cursed to bring calamity upon its bearer. But this ain’t your run-of-the-mill undead curse, savvy? It twists fate, warps reality, and drives sailors mad. Can they break the curse’s grip? Seek answers, lest they become spectral mariners themselves!
   • Questions to Consider: What ill effects plague those who bear the artifact? How might the curse be lifted? Be it one artifact or many?

4. Get Wrecked:

   • Caught in a tempest’s fury, the ship crashes upon a seemingly deserted island. But appearances deceive! The island teems with secrets: ancient ruins, forgotten civilizations, and perhaps a ghostly crew cursed to haunt its shores. Can our pirates survive, repair their vessel, and escape this watery purgatory?
   • Questions to Consider: What mysteries lie hidden on the island? Who be the spectral crew? And can the ship be salvaged?

5. Mist of Madness:

   • A dense, eerie fog envelops the ship, distorting time and space. The crew glimpses ghostly ships, hears distant cannon fire, and encounters long-lost pirates from different eras. As they sail through the mist, they unravel a cosmic enigma—a rift in reality itself. Can they mend the fabric of existence and find their way home?
   • Questions to Consider: What causes the mist? Who be the lost souls trapped within? And what cosmic truth awaits beyond the veil?

So there ye have it, a treasure trove of pirate plots! May the winds favor yer sails and the tides carry ye to adventure! 🏴‍☠️⚓

Slave ships bring slaves to sugar plantations where they are exchanged for precious bags of sugar. The party can choose when they want to intervene.