Pirates 2: Return of the Kraken

[a_bert]

Pirates are really scuppering cool, you know? Roleplaying is cool as well (or so I've heard), and we already know people kind of like playing both at once. (Good job there Icu!) except now I'm in the mix. I'm the best mod cause I am a scuppering pirate so I know how this barnacle works.

 

What's the setting?

 

Caribbean. 1688. Henry Morgan has just died so there is a huge vacancy in the role of "Greatest living naval captain". It's up to you to see if you can step up to that!

 

But... Maybe that's not your thing. Maybe you want to build a trading empire (this is cooler than it sounds! build your OWN navy!). Maybe you want to be a captain in the employment of one of the powers! (Spain, Netherlands, France or England). Maybe you just want to be some dude in a tavern. It's all cool!

 

Rules

 

I'm the mod, you get one post arguing with me and if I say no then you shut up

 

thats it

 

cool stuff you can do

- build a fleet

- ravage a port

- have a family

- sell pineapples for rum

- design a bote if you really want

 

Starting:

You choose how you start..ish..

You can start as a captain already if you want but I will give you less of a cool ship than if you earn it by starting as a crew member of a ship already. Naval, pirate, trading, whatever!

 

Stuff you need to tell me:

Name

How you start

 

Stuff you might want to:

Personality

Looks

Goal

 

Stuff you could tell me

How much forward working you want me to do (how many clauses I do per update for your character).

 

"sessions"

 

screw sessions, I don't understand the point of them. I am online a lot of time. Post a lot of the time and I will respond. It doesn't matter if you're the only person

 

 

Oh and the other thing... There will almost certainly be pvp with "deadly" effects.

 

i'm not gonna tell you about deadly effects yet cause they're REALLY COOL! you will have to play to find out

 

ok so lets get this voyage started

 

A notepad file explaining all that has happened so far (roughly) and an idea of what things you can do.

[Icuownage]

Looking good thar!

 

Name

 

William Newport.

 

Personality.

 

A frill seeker who doesn't mind cracking a few jokes, along with a few skulls.

 

Looks

 

Brown medi-long hair, "normal" build and the average height.

 

Goal.

 

Who needs goals when you have wenches?

[a_bert]

hello there master newport!

 

you forgot to mention how you would like to start!

 

i will take a guess that you wish to be a crew member because that's the coolest way to start but you need to choose your line of work

 

pirate | navy | merchant

 

after you decide i shall describe your surroundings and or events that are happening around you and then we can just play if you are cool with that!

[Icuownage]

Merchant please :).

[Jehosaphat]

Name: Nathan the Rogue

How to Start: Crew member on a boat of some sort.

Personality: Nasty, sneaky man who works for the highest bidder.

Looks: Tan, with black, moderately worn clothing and a black hood. Carries an assassin's knife. Is somewhat short.

Goal: Thrive on payment for the death of others.

[a_bert]

ok everyone! I will edit this post in a minute with various options and stuff for you all!

 

Superb choice Master Newport!

 

You are a crew member of the ship "Delight". It is a two masted brig, with a crew of 42 - 4 guns on each side. The captain is a gentleman called Dwight Volk, a merchant who made his name in the transport of Coffee (just coffee!) from plantations in South America to the various ports of Europe.

 

Choose one of two options:

 

As the ships Quartermaster, it is your job to ensure that A) the right quantities of commodity is purchased when the ship puts into port, every member of the crew is given their allocated share, that the investors are happy, and that the ship is always in a seaready state. You are high up in the rankings, but not many people like you because of how closely you work with the money. Sailors are fickle.

 

As the ships navigator, it is your job to maintain heading and navigate through dangerous reefs. You have to work with charts and you are almost always at the wheel. The days are long but you are rewarded with a crew who praises you when you do well. As I mentioned before however, sailors are fickle. They do not take kindly to.. mess ups.

 

Ah yes, Nathan!

 

Undoubtedly you are a member of the royal navy, however your position is somewhat that of an outcast. You have few (or none, if you'd like!) trusted friends, and you are dealt with by distaste by the admiralty - though your fellow crew members respect you. However your skills are unquestionable, and as such they have assigned you as a crew member upon the sloop "Acheron" - a 16 cannon ship, a small, one masted ship which patrols the seas in (which nations!) name.

 

As a rigging boy, you are deft and light. You spend a lot of the time climbing the ropes, your arms are sore as a result of it. Your nimble stature means you are perfect for this job, and you have no trouble working the ship in storms. You are often sent to the crows nest, a lonely job but one which you excell at.

 

As the ships Overseer, you keep everyone in line. You are not afraid to beat people who get in your way or harm the ship. Nobody likes you, and your job does not fulfil the ache in your heart for something more. Yet it pays well, and your body gains strength from the badassery you display on deck.

 

Oh, hello, Mr Teaves!

 

A pirate captain by day.. a pirate captain by night. A buccaneer since you stepped upon a boat, you are the captain of the Sloop "Vexed", an 18 gunned beauty with one mast! You have a crew of 32, and for the most part they adore you. Your job is to provide your crew with booty foremost, but beyond that, who knows? The crew will appreciate you for your work when it pays off, but sailors are fickle.. You may find yourself facing mutiny if you can't keep everyone inline!

 

As it is, Mr Teaves, you are drifting around the waters of Portobello, just waiting for a juicy target to come into your sights..

 

And lo! There it is! A two masted treasure galleon, a dangerously large crew of 48, sailing around the nearby corner, around 2 miles from your ship. You cannot make out her number of guns, but the Spaniards rarely leave their treasure unguarded.. What say ye, captain?

 

 

- apologies if this was slow, I wanted to try and "think"

[Icuownage]

Quatermaster

 

First action is to find out income, wages for sailors, cargo.

[Seraphi]

Isaac Whitethroat III.

 

I don't know any good names from that era so I used a generator. Bleh.

 

Long black coat and a tricorn hat. Several flintlock holsters strapped across the front of the coat, and like 5 belts around the midsection of the coat. Boy, I can hardly get any more cliches in here.

 

Privateer, please.

[Jehosaphat]

Whichever country bid highest.

 

And I'll take rigging boy.

[a_bert]

Ah yes, Quartermaster Newport! I remember it now.

 

Well, your income very much depends on the success of the voyage! If your crew falls prey to pirates.. if pirates fall prey to you! But let's keep it simple to start with.. You have just left Port Royal to return to England laden with coffee, worth at least 56,000 pesos in the British markets! However.. the coffee cost the ship 17,000 pesos to buy in Port Royal. Your investors require at least a 10,000 pesos return.

 

Every crew member (of which, excluding you, the captain, and various other ranked people, there are 38) requires 500 pesos wage for the voyage, a total of 19,000 pesos! This means the profit (once the investors are paid) is 10,000 pesos! A glorifying ammount..

 

You have a choice. You either share the whole thing between the 4 of you who are officers, or you can share a smaller ammount and use more to fund a larger expedition next time..

 

Let me be clear on the ramifications: You stand to walk away from this voyage with 2,500 pesos.

 

Let us say that to buy a ship like Delight costs 100,000 pesos. You would need to do this a lot.

 

However... If you divide less now, and sell more next time.. you will make more pesos! This seems shallow. Be careful though. I'm a madman.

 

God this is a wall of text. I apologise! Also it's a bit math heavy. I will try to fix that.

 

Oh my, hello everyone! Getting to you now. In order of posts.

 

Hello, Master Whitethroat!

 

Do you have a nation you would like to side your allegiance to? If not, let us consider your main enemy to be the dastardly dutch! Indeed, you are in a similar position to Master Teaves, commander of a sloop with a crew of 32, 18 cannons and it is delicately named "Vulture".

 

You have weighed anchor just off the island of St Martin, waiting anxiously for your prey.. And lo! A ship has just left the port, a Dutch ketch, 2 masted, with just 14 guns and a crew of only 38! A small plunder is to be had, but a safe one..

Excellent choice, Captain Teaves!

 

And might I say, Sir, your pirate smile is looking superb today.. You lift anchor, and raise the flag, and a roar goes up from your sailors! The Spaniards reply immediately, raising their message flags: The warning is clear - "Do not attack. We are armed." Being a badass pirate, you ignore this nonesense!

 

Your sloop sails towards the galleon, and your crew momentarily falters as the enemy number becomes clear. Yet you are a pirate! You do not back down. The maneuverability of your sloop comes into it's own, as you pull ahead of the Galleon, and fire a broadside (juicy broadside!) into the front of the Spanish ship.

 

Luck is on your side, Master Teaves! The main mast of the Spanish ship has fallen, significantly hampering it's movement!, and 4 of their now visible 24 guns have been taken out! Their crew still vastly outnumber yours though, and your guns are loading!

 

You must choose your move: Do you continue to use roundshot, and try to remain infront of the galleon so it's broadsides cannot hit you? Or do you sail around it in a circle, unloading your cannons all over the ship - or do you do the dastardly thing! If you switch to grapeshot, and try to take out as many members of their crew before you come alongside and board?

 

Ahoy there Rogue,

 

Ah yes, of course, the Spanish navy. They always do seem to have the most coin.. A small way south of Tortuga your ship is waiting for a French boat to emerge, with the goal to sink it..

 

A small ketch soon appears, an equal measure for your own navy ship! Due to the sizes of your ship, you easily grapple the enemy! As you did not choose a role, I'm afraid I shall cast you as a rigging boy because this way you can ride the ropes to the enemy boat and land deftly on the deck of the French ketch! You are at the back of the ship, and as you gather your bearings you notice several things.

 

First, the most obvious, two rather smelly French sailors are bearing down upon you with their rapiers out. They look angry.

 

To your right, you see a stack of barrels, one which looks to be holding them all in place is being held up by a rope. To your left is the anchor. Not much use there, I imagine. Behind you are sacks of grain. Your only weapon is your dagger!

[Icuownage]

This is interesting.

 

I ask the navigator how long we're going to have until we get back to England, I then walk around the ship checking it's condition.

[Seraphi]

Loving the long posts. I don't care if it takes a little longer, it's worth it.

 

I command the crew to stay in position until they are farther out, then give chase, turning starboard and firing the starboard guns. They are to be aimed (As much as one can aim a cannon, which I assume isn't much) at the mast, captains quarters, and the opposing cannons.

[a_bert]

Thank you guys!

 

Update coming up Icu!

 

Ah, yes, Master Newport, how can I help?

 

"Captain, how long do you think until we reach glorious England once again? I yearn for a good cup of tea!"

"Just three weeks now!" (call it two updates time, one if I'm not very imaginative!)

 

Wonderful, you think to yourself! You can already feel those pesos weighing your pockets down. What will you buy? A ship of your own? Or perhaps just a few hours with one of those lovely english girls... Bah! Such thoughts should not bother you now.

 

You begin your rounds, and everything looks in order... The ship is shipshape indeed! The only possibly problem is that it could do with an extra layer of paint.

 

You go below deck, and you see several members of your crew crowded around. You walk forward to see what is going on.. The ship is fine, it seems, but a card game is going on. You are offered the chance to play one round.. the stakes are: 500 pesos buy in, 1000 if you win.

 

The game is higher or lower. Ace is high. The card drawn is the Jack of Diamonds. Play or not?

 

beware.. pirates are swindlers..

 

Welcome back, Master Whitethroat!

 

Superb orders, captain! The crew follows them to a letter. You watch the French ketch idly sail away from it's safe harbour, and after a most suitable distance you give the order to raise anchor and chase that juicy booty! Hahar!

 

You keep your flag low, after all, you are a most gentlemanly privateer (That is: a bastard). The french don't know what's coming! When you reach 400 yards distance, you lower the starboard sail (I think this would turn in the right direction, forgive me!..) and come up alongside the back of the the ketch. Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! (cue baldric). Indeed, your aim was poor, but you did manage to blast two cannonballs through the captains quarters, to a huge roar from your crew!

 

Alas, the french ketch's mast remains tall, and their cannons are still strong. Yet the wind is on your side (as much as it can be!), and you can still close on them.

[Jehosaphat]

Jump, grab the rope connecting the barrels, and cut it! (Continue holding onto the rope as necessary)

 

And yeah, long posts ftw.

[archimage_a]

Name:

Lord Bartulus of Kent(Bart for short)

 

How you start:

Start! How dare you my brain twixed fellow! For I am Lord Bartulus, Governor of Saint Kitts, of his Royal Majesty King James the Second Glorious Nation, the Kingdom of Great Britian and Ireland.

So do not 'Start' with me, or I shall have you thrown in gaol you wretched little oik.

 

Stuff you might want to:

Personality-

Characterized by exaggerated stateliness; pretentious, as in speech or manner; self-important

 

Looks-

 

Goal-

Defeat the Pirate Scourge!

[Icuownage]

"What is this tomfoolery? Harr Harr, I only kid. Gentlemen, prepare to be amazed *Places 500 pesos on the table* I think it's going to be lower"

 

(Thinks it's a tarp)

[a_bert]

Of course, Captain Teaves! A faultless choice!

 

Your crew do not let you down, and your cannons ring out, all hit! The galleon is severely wounded, and they waited too long to fire! Of the 9 guns that still were operational on their side, you managed to take out a huge 5! Damned Spaniards!

 

Still, they return fire. Three of your crew members are wounded and one cannon is lost! Avast!

 

The Galleon now only has 15 operational guns, however 11 of them are on their starboard side - the side you are now sailing toward! It would surely be risky, though perhaps it would pay off, to go up alongside them again, or you could board now! You are outnumbered by 44 sailors to 29 now, yet the Spaniards are dispirited, their ship has been so damaged that any return to port would be humiliating to them!

 

What say ye?

 

Oh you are a wise one, and a good hint taker, Nathan!

 

The rope dislodges the barrel, and the stack rolls across the deck, knocking both the sailors down! Strike one! You stab one in the neck with your knife (because you can't miss against enemies who are dazed, i mean c'mon!), and laugh as you decide to humilate the other by strangling him with the rope!

 

A glorious sight indeed! Two dead Frenchies, one victorious rogue! However, the rest of your crew is not faring so well.. You will need to do something drastic to save the fight!

 

You look around the ship, and notice the gunpowder store. It is guarded by one dangerous looking Frenchman, a tall man, with a huge cutlass. He has an evil look in his eyes. Yet if you managed to get access to the gunpowder, the French ship would be sunk and the battle won!

 

On the other hand, you can see two of your crewmates fighting off three french sailors looking to get the better of them. If you manage to kill the attacking sailors, you could use your crewmates to attack the store with you! But by then it might already be too late.. And you could always lose the fight against those frenchies!

 

There is one other option... As a boy of the rigging, you could climb the mast of the ship and cut down the sails, blinding the French sailors and almost certainly winning the fight.. that is, if it doesn't land on your own troops!

 

Choose wisely, young rogue!

 

Ah.. yes.. Governor Bart. How wonderful to meet you.

 

As governor of Saint Kitts, you are the most important person on an island of 600! Congratulations. (You will have to forgive me not extensively researching the island, allow the role play to prevail, I beg of you!). A military port in nature, the harbour is guarded by a coastal garrison of 100 soldiers. King James has demanded an end to acts of piracy against the English crown, and it is YOUR job to deliver to him! Lest ye be REPLACED!

 

But alas, you do need to start somewhere (do not be angry, Governor!).. You could comission a brig to sail for you, though that might not satisfy your most governor like urges.. Perhaps you would like to spend a while drawing a spreadsheet for the transport of British troops around the carribbean? No.. thought not.. Well, Governor, may I suggest to you that you order out a raid on the natives discovered to the west of the British settlement? Word is they have some lovely sugar there...

 

I mean, what does a governor do? Anything they want, I suppose. Being a governor. Enact reforms on your island of 600, Governor! Teach them to be civilized. Actually no, don't. Just kill some pirates.

"What is this tomfoolery? Harr Harr, I only kid. Gentlemen, prepare to be amazed *Places 500 pesos on the table* I think it's going to be lower"

We wish you the worst of luck, Quartermaster..

 

Your brow drips with sweat as a young sailor named Jeremy places his fingers on the deck, and painstakingly slowly turns the card over...

 

Alas... it is the Ace of Clubs. Higher! Too bad, Mr Newport. Too bad..

 

If you choose to do so, you can contest the bout! It would not do to start a fight, but you could choose one of two things..

 

Double or nothing! Risk it all for just one more go! Win 2000 pesos.. or lose another 500

 

Or the gentlemanly approach... Challenge young master Jeremy to a duell when you return to England. The winner takes the pot! 1500 Pesos!

 

As you deliberate, you hear the crows nest shout land ahoy. It seems you are nearly at port, Master Newport!

 

Port.

[Seraphi]

I order the men to lower the main sails and speed up, turn to portside and try to get in front of them before firing all cannons, which should have been reloaded by now.

[Jehosaphat]

Climb the mast and cut down the sails.

[Icuownage]

Double or nothing!!!!

[a_bert]

Oh, Master Teaves! You are a tricky one.

 

The pirates of the Vexed seem to be making more noise than is humanly possible, and the nifty little sloop sails once more in turn to the starboard of the Galleon. You load the grapeshot into your cannons, but the Galleon has learned from it's mistake! It fires earlier. But too early! Those Spaniards really can't do this shooting business can they. Of the 11 cannons they fired, only 6 managed to connect!

 

Yet it was still a painful volley. The Vexed loses one cannon, leaving just 7 operational on the broadside.. But grapeshot is a nasty piece of work, and with perfect timing unheard of in a crew of pirates, your cannons fire onto the Galleon. 12 men are wounded, a huge toll!

 

Your 29 men now face 32 sad Spaniards! Surely Teaves will grapple now? Or does he want to go for another volley?

 

Ah, a good choice Captain Whitethroat

 

A clearly experienced captain, and crew - your sloop swiftly moves to the front of the ketch, but not fast enough! The ketch fires it's broadsides, the 7 dutch cannons thundering the air. But they were too slow, only 4 connect. But while not numerous, they are potent. Of the 9 cannons you have on your broadside, two are taken out. It's 7 on 7!

 

But your aim is true as well, and your cannonballs race across the deck of the Dutch ship. The main mast is hit! A roar goes up, as the Dutch sails fall into the ocean. Amusingly, one cannonball smacks into a dutch sailor who is carried overboard by it's velocity!

 

Immobile, crewed by 37, and without a captains quarters, the dutch ketch looks sheepishly close to surrender! What move do you make? Do you board and risk casualties? Do you fire another broadside, risking your cannons, but probably forcing a dutch surrender?

 

Of course Nathan, the logical option

 

Bam! One french sailor is so amazed by the speed with which you climbed the rigging, and as he stands still in shock, he is gutted by one of your crew mates. 3-0!

 

You begin to cut loose the sails, and wisely you grip it in your hands, waiting for the opportune moment to drop. You call out to your crew to push the French under the sails, and they oblige.. Superb. 12 French sailors are now poised to be blinded! You grip hold of a rope hanging from the mast, and swing from the main mast to the stern mast, holding the sail, and as you land on the branch, you let go and the sail falls down onto the frenchies!

 

Your captain claps, and the 12 french sailors are mercilessly executed by your crew. The fight is now visibly in your favour, and the remaining enemy sailors are backing away from your crew, and they surrender! Ah ha! The fight is won.

 

You slide down the mast and meet up with your crew, who are in the process of tying up the prisoners.

 

Your captain walks up to you and praises your work, and asks if there is a reward you might be interested in..

 

It's your loss, Master Newport!

 

Double or nothing it is.. Of course.. the odds are in your favour this time, as you can't really go higher than an Ace. And duly, the cards deliver, a Jack of Spades is drawn.

 

2000 pesos! Lovely money.

 

Aww scupper. Congratulations you limy bastard.

 

You grin and collect your winnings, walking back up to top deck and joining the captain at the wheel. The ship is arriving at Southhampton, the port where the investors designated the coffee to be sold.

 

Ah, glorious England! It is good to be back. The smell of glory is already filling your nostrils.

 

The captain interupts your daydream, and offers you the chance to go ashore first, to seek out a buyer for the cargo. He explains that after you have found a buyer, you will be given a few weeks time off while the next voyage is planned and you are due to return to prepare the ship for passage to the Americas again.

[Jehosaphat]

Hmm. A reward... Well, a sword of some sort would be nice.

[archimage_a]

Lord Bartulus takes tea in the summer house and requests his servents bring up a port report, indicating profits, ships as his disposal and defensive fortifications.

[Seraphi]

I shout "All Dutch are ordered to remove their weapons and put their hands behind their heads! Make a single move, and you will be killed!"

 

If the dutch agree, I order my crew to board, but make sure they keep their weapons drawn in case of an attack. All the dutch crewmen will be tied up, and the cargo transferred to the Vulture.

[a_bert]

Of course, Nathan, that is no problem!

 

The Captain presents you with a fine Spanish military sword, a dirk of medium length and sharp edges. You feel it will serve you well in the next few years. If you live that long!

 

You are told to guard the prisoners while their cargo is carried aboard your ship. Can't be too hard, can it?

 

They are French though. They smell quite a lot, and they're insulting. You feel your blood boiling, as a cold killer this doesn't happen often, so they must be insulting your muscles! Bastards.

 

Well, we can't be having that? Do you execute the prisoners with your new dirk, or do you show restraint and just give them a kick?

 

Most Governorlike, Governor.

 

I will do my best, guv'nor!

 

Yearly comission from England: 1,000,000 pesos.

As a brand new (cmon) military fort, this is your only income so far.

 

The coastal fort has 30 cannons, enough to see off any minor attack but certainly not enough to hold the town against an organized attack by several pirates working together!

 

The fleet in port is this:

One Ketch, "Arvingald", 16 guns, 34 crew.

Two Brigs, "Hindside" and "Runt", 32 guns, 58 crew.

One Frigate, "Valour", a huge 48 guns, and 80 crew. Your pride and glory.

 

A small fleet at the moment! But I am sure that governor will know how best to increase it's size.

 

You will forgive the arbitaryness of things at first, I will try to keep a standard across the board. I already said that a brig with 8 guns costs just 100,000. However, it is a merchant ship with no guns. For a brig with 32 guns, we will call it 400,000.

 

Most cutthroat like, Master Whitethroat

 

Upon hearing your offer of surrender, the thoroughly beaten Dutch put their hands up. Your crewmen board, and the dutch make no movements as they are tied up and put in a corner, like little toys. Silly Dutchmen.

 

Your crewmen explore the ketch, looking for plunder, and indeed you do find a large quantity of sugar cane, but it is largely dissapointing, and no cash is found at all.

 

You decide this is odd, and explore the ketch, and enter the captains quarters, where the captain of the Dutchman lies wounded on the floor. Ah, that would be why they surrendered then.

 

You lean down to him, and ask him where the money is. He spits defiance in your face, and you sigh. You pull your blade out, and demand to know where his comission is. Fear enters his eyes, and he tells you.

 

You walk over to it's hiding place, and smile as you open his chest, revealing a comission of some 15,000 pesos. Not bad for a days work. You return to the captain, and realise you have a choice.

 

You can leave him here, with his crew to heal and limp back to port. Or you can define yourself, and finish him off on the floor of his cabin.

 

Your move, Whitethroat.