Pirate Mafia - Character Thread

Captain's Name: Nova Piestewa
Ship's Name: Powaqa
Ship Type: Sloop
Nationality: American, bitches!
Flag: An orange spiral on a red field

History:
How did Nova Piestewa of the desert become Lady Nova of the High Seas? Well it started with a bottle of rum. Yo ho ho, and all that. Nova got pulled into the smuggling ring when she was just a young girl, due to the influence of her rather nasty older brothers. Of course she started off on dry ground, as a lookout girl. One night she sat holding a bottle of smuggled rum and began thinking about all the places said bottle had been. Deciding that the idea of alcohol seeing more of the world than the person drinking it was total bullshit, she left her post in the dead of night, taking the bottle with her, and started off on a life of adventure.

Of course, it wasn’t that easy. Nova has a lot of personality, but it takes more than that to become a great pirate. Fortunately, she discovered that many other abilities came naturally to her, such as leadership, and the ever-important ability to hold one’s drink – a key point in earning the respect of her crew. The rest, she learned in time – some lessons the easy way, but most the hard, because in spite of being a pretty bright young woman, she could be pretty thick skulled. She stole from others, and had others steal from her. Most of the time she seemed to break even, but those who were acquainted with her claimed that she always seemed to be having a good time. Those who knew her well might later whisper that she was a little bit of a lunatic, that she was motivated not by booty, but the thrill of the chase, that she captured prisoners and tortured them by talking nonstop until they leapt off the plank of their own accord.

Whatever else you may hear of Lady Nova, this much is true – when her temper flares, she’s a force to be reckoned with. Stories of ‘softness’, of her letting prisoners go instead of killing them, of caring for her crew a little too much and a little too well, may fool some, but always, there is a storm under the surface, just waiting to be unleashed. The drink may calm her, that and the sight of gold, but best ye stay out of her way should ye find her dry and empty handed.

Yar!

Captain's Name: Devilish Mary (Mary Williamson)
Ship's Name: Eros
Ship Type: Brigantine
Nationality: Irish
Flag: Black field, large red heart with two swords plunged through it

Brief History: Mary was a good lass, in love with and engaged to a fine young man by the name of Billy Thomas. Billy however was conscripted into the royal navy. Like any good woman in love, she was willing to wait for her love to return. And wait she did, weeks, months, a year. Finally, Mary disguised herself as a boy and jumped a ship taking a place as a cabin boy. Keeping her true identity (and gender) a secret she worked her way up the ranks, learning to sail, navigate, read, fight just as any boy would eventually becoming first mate on a ship all the time seeking her Billy or word of his fate.

One day on shore leave, she found Billy. Unfortunately, Billy had found some other sweet young thing and was sitting in a tavern laughing with her right there. Years of searching and dreaming were shattered and Mary went into a rage casting aside her carefully created identity and revealing herself to Billy. She didn’t, however, give him a chance to explain or apologize but drew her pistol and with unnerving accuracy shot Billy dead. Having murdered her love she returned to the ship staged a mutiny took over the Eros as captain and turned pirate.

She’s now something of a force to be reckoned with viciously perusing and capturing weaker, and some times even better armed ships.

Captain's Name: Gentleman Jack Morgan
Ship's Name: The Screaming Man
Ship Type: Brigantine
Nationality: English
Flag: Three black daggers in a row, pointing down, set against a crimson field
Brief History: The Gentleman is something of a contradiction. To his victims and enemies, he is one of the most brutal and ruthless men on the Spanish Main. To his crew and friends, he is fair and honest by any standards, and is especially so for a pirate.

Jack's career at sea began in the British navy, where he was subjected to working conditions that bordered on slavery. After months at sea and watching many of his fellow sailors succumb to starvation, scurvy, and exhaustion, Jack led a successful mutiny against the tyrant captain. When it was done, the disposed captain was not subjected to the usual fate of being hung from the highest mast. Instead, he was whipped until most of his skin was flayed off and then thrown into the sea. The sounds that the man made when his open wounds were exposed to the salty seawater were the inspiration for the ship's new name: The Screaming Man.

Those members of the crew who participated in the mutiny yet wanted nothing to do with a life of crime were dropped off at the nearest port and sent on their merry way. Jack took the remnants and began of campaign of classic piracy - burning, raping, and pillaging his way up and down the Spanish Main. It was here that his reputation was made. Those ships and towns that yielded were plundered for everything they were worth, but were otherwise unharmed. Those that resisted were made brutal examples of. It is even rumored that the Gentleman once ate a baby just to prove a point, but this is hearsay and has never been confirmed.

Although the civilians and merchants fear him, his crew loves him. Any plunder is distributed generously, the crew is always well fed and properly drunk, and those who work hard are rewarded with advancement. Only those who show disloyalty are subjected to the Gentleman's notorious wrath.

Physical Appearance: The Gentleman was never a handsome man, and he was made even less so on the night that he took an axe to the face while scaling a fortress wall during a raid. The wound was horrific, leaving the gentleman with one eye, no nose, and four lips. Even though a full beard would do much to hide this wound, the Gentleman is one of very few clean-shaven pirates. Despite his terrifying visage, the Gentleman's dress is more suited to a European noble than a pirate baron and he speaks English, Dutch, and Spanish elegantly and articulately. The Gentleman is a well-built and strong man, yet not exceptionally so. He is a competent swordsman, but his true strength in battle comes from his savagery and raw animal cunning.

Captain's Name: Captain Jack Blackwater
Ship's Name: The Bloody Rose
Ship Type: Sloop
Nationality: British
Flag: red rose crossed with a dagger on a black field

Brief History:

The sight of The Bloody Rose is something that has always evoked fear in those that see her. Captain Jack Blackwater is well known to take no prisoners. A pirate as old as the sea itself many would claim, but as there have been precious few to live to tell the tale, any description of him has varied widely. In truth he is a massive man, well over 6 ft and seemingly as broad shouldered and brawney as he is tall. Jet black hair, wild and unkempt, adding to his savage appearance, shining black eyes peering from his bearded and olive skinned face, a long white scar starting over ihs right eye and running across his crooked nose to his left cheek a reminder of one of the many close calls he has faced. His ship is fast, silent, and light, attacking with deadly stealth and speed. Merchant ships are often times boarded and taken over before the ominous flag is ever seen, its crew sent to the depths below, ship and cargo plundered and sold.

Captain's Name: Captain Bloody Rich
Ship's Name: The Elusive Princess
Ship Type: Schooner
Nationality: British
Flag: A skull sitting on a pile of gold on a black field.

Brief History:

Richard Smith was born into a fishing village and from a very young age was more at home on the water than on land. A lucky find of oysters afforded him to purchase his own ship he called the Peal Princess to commemorate the very treasure that allowed him to get the ship.

Richard was no longer happy just bringing in just fish and spent extra time at sea looking for other riches the sea might offer up. He and his crew ventured from the safe waters near home to further his search. It was on one such outing that the Peal Princess was boarded and siege by pirates. Richard and what was left of his crew were left marooned on a near by island.

After a few days they were able to signal a passing patrol ship and were taken to a safe port. Richard managed to bargain for passage for him and his crew, where may have just gone home and started over if his very ship was not the one that tried to over take the vassal he was on.

After a fierce battle the heavily damaged Peal Princess was his once more. Richard was shocked at the feeling got from taking his own ship back. After repairing the ship he renamed it to The Elusive Princess and took on a new crew and a new name.

Captain Bloody Rich is a fair captain and shared the wealth with his crew.

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