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Home , Brethren of the Coast, Charles Vane, Christopher Condent, Edward England, John Martel (pirate), Lionel Wafer

Navy vs Pirates: The Golden Age of

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Table of Contents

3. Letter from Director 4. Introduction 5. Research Notes 6. Committee Structure 7. Queen Anne’s War 9. The Three Pirate Ports 12. The New World and Trading Routes 14. Piracy 21. Relations between Countries 24. Uniting the Pirates 28. The Bermuda Triangle 29. Mission Statement 30. Character Bios

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Letter from the Director Hello Delegates, I’d like to happily introduce you to Pirates vs . I am ecstatic to be able to dive into the world of swashbuckling and see what you guys can do as pirate captains. In this crisis committee you be representing some famous pirate captains who rocked the British, Spanish and French . Being pirate captains is the perfect scene for this as you can challenge the authority of the navy, wrestle with or unite the other captains or even discover the of the Bermuda Triangle. Due to this committee taking place during the Queen Anne’s War there will be war games. However, a big emphasis will be put on investigating and discovering the treasure of the Bermuda Triangle and trying to establish yourself as pirate king among all the captains through any means necessary. I hope to see many pirate expeditions and deals made to solidify power. This committee takes place over the course of a couple years during the time of the Queen Anne’s War so don’t be afraid to let your objectives span some time. If you have any questions about your character, the committee, or anything in general regarding this crisis, please email me. This committee is a bit unique in terms of objectives so please feel free to reach out if you are confused at all. Looking forward to this crisis, Marcelo Vargas [email protected]

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Navy vs Pirates: The Our committee is mainly based in the time period between the early 15thcentury to early 18thcentury; coined as the Age of Exploration, this time period marks the time when Europeans began exploring the world by sea for the purpose of gathering more gold, glory, and spreading the word of god. Encompassed mainly by the actions of the British, French, Spanish, and Portuguese, this time period holds the accounts of many interesting seizures of land and gold. Establishing trade and as the main school of economic thought, the 16thcentury encouraged more exploration to the West, and from the Protest revolution changing the sphere of authority of the Roman Catholic Church and the Ottoman empire continuing to expand, there was much reason for the European countries to pursue western expansion. In the Indian subcontinent, during this time period, the Mughal empire also grew mainly based under the roots of trade, exports, and war as well. The Age of Exploration has had much historical significance; being the time period that would later be the cause of Europe gaining many new “exotic” foods and sources of money, the Age of Exploration will later be the cause of much disease in the Americas as well as many more wars with the natives in the lands. The Age of Exploration is the cause of a civilization in the West later prospering to one day learn how to farm, make its own form of government, and bring the unfortunate aspect of to the West.1 During its later years this time period would also usher in the golden age of piracy where swashbuckling pirates would reign with nothing but gold and glory in mind. With all the prosperity brought in by the Age of Exploration pirates had amazing chances to marauder and take what they wanted from ships. With powerful pirates' captains with who want to amass their own fleets and crew: will pirates thrive in this age of exploration and piracy or would they be taken down by the countries who they chose to plunder from?

1 Briney, Amanda. “Discover the Age of Exploration.” ThoughtCo. ThoughtCo, January 24, 2019. https://www.thoughtco.com/age-of-exploration-1435006.

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Research Notes This background guide is meant to equip you with all of the basic knowledge you need to know about pirate operations before entering committee and I recommend that you read it before doing your own research so you can have a contextual understanding of what will be going on during this committee. This guide covers the life of pirates, where they operated from, the relationship between nations at the time, uniting against the nations and even the Bermuda Triangle. The alignment of how nations feel about pirates is given in the guide however these alignments are can be changed depending on what goes on during committee. If you would like to use other countries not directly mentioned in this guide it is recommended that you research them more with other sources and make sure they were involved during this time period when it came to pirates. In this committee you will be representing a pirate captain during the Golden Age of Piracy however, while these characters were real people and some even interacted with each other do not take these relationships that they had as fact as some characters were tweaked to make sense with these committees. I would recommend to instead focus on the relationships made in committee over those made before. That is not to say that you should not research your character as the more you know about your character the better you can represent them and their goals. The committee will begin in the year 1706. When doing research everything up to this date will be taken as reality. Any events that happen after this have not happened yet and as such may or may not happen in committee. Events that take place in committee will largely impact the turn of events that take place during this time period. Looking up and familiarizing yourself with a map of strongholds of Nassau, and would also be recommended as it will make visualizing the routes of pirates easier. It will also be recommended to investigate a map of the Bermuda Triangle which will be advantageous to finding it (this will be expanded on more later in the guide).

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Committee Structure and Notes In this committee you will be a pirate captain part of the Flying Gang. This was a group of ex- who operate out of Nassau (a port that will be expounded about more later) The Queen Anne’s War lasted 11 years and this committee will span a couple years of it towards the middle to the end of the war. Due to time constraints the committee will only be meeting at various points in time during these years. However, this does not mean that every committee session several years will have of passed. Delegates will receive a notice of how much time will pass before the end of each session so that they can plan their crisis notes accordingly. Due to this crisis arcs and notes that span long periods of time are encouraged as well that ones that take happen more rapidly. Since this committee takes place in war, we will be participating in war games. Each committee member depending on their character will command their own crew, ships and have a certain amount of money to spend on various things such as recruiting crew members or buying ammunition and such. Committee members will order their crew through crisis notes which will be carried out by their first mate. How much this crisis will be delegate-driven or crisis-driven is a huge part up to you, the delegates. We plan to use your own actions (such as crisis notes and resolutions) as much as possible when deciding the direction of the committee. Resolutions that are passed in the front room will have the most impact on committee as these will represent the body of what the pirate captains as a whole think is the correct form of action. However, while this committee can be largely delegate driven remember there will be some overarching goals to keep in mind during this committee.

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Queen Anne’s War Otherwise known as the War of Spanish Succession, Queen Anne’s War was a conflict between Great Britain, the Netherlands and several German states against and . It would include many raids and battles in North America by Britain and France. This 11-year war would not be the last time France and Britain would fight.2 As Spain’s heirless leadership, King Charles II, battled decreasing health conditions, many European leaders began to make claims to the throne. King Louis XIV of France wanted to crown his eldest son, a grandson of King Philip IV of Spain, as the next king. However, and the Netherlands, not wanting France to unify with Spain and hold the power of two nations, opposed this merge. But without interference and on his deathbed, Charles II named Philip, Duke of Anjou as his heir. Philip was a grandson of King Philip IV of Spain.3 Worried about France’s new power and ability to control Spanish possessions in the Netherlands, the English, the Dutch and German states in the Holy Roman Empire joined to declare war against France. They hoped to take the throne away from the Bourbon family and to gain possession of certain Spanish held locations in the Netherlands and Italy. This act began what would be called Queen Anne’s war in 1702. 4 After King William III died, he was succeeded by his sister-in-law Anne who was a daughter of James II from whom William had taken the throne. Queen Anne of England, for whom this conflict was named after, spent her war-time reign dealing through French privateering in the Atlantic and fighting between the English colonies and French and Spain. In the early years of the war, French and Indian forces repeatedly attacked New England colonies and in response the Colonies launched attacks on the French settlements of Nova Scotia. This back and forth between English colonies and French and Indian forces raged on and turned especially deadly when French and Indian forces attacked Deerfield, Massachusetts where they killed 53 settlers and took 111 prisoners. As a response to this the English colonies would make raids with their own Indian allies the Mohawk against the French. Many times, the French and Spain forces would try to capture towns of colonies but would be continually thwarted by the local militia until in 1709, they captured St. Johns the British capital of Newfoundland however they could not hold it and had to abandon it. During the war New England made conscious efforts to take Port Royal even blockading it once but theses attempts failed. It was not until the English helped the colonists by sending them 5 warships staffed with 400 marines that they could successfully take Port Royal. After the capture Port Royal was renamed Annapolis in honor of the queen.5 After attempts by the English to conquer Quebec and the French forces to retake Annapolis did the war end as in 1713 to 1715 England, France, Spain and the signed the Treaty of Utrecht, which was a series of individual peace treaties signed by various

2 Kelly, Martin. “Causes, Events, and Results of Queen Anne's War.” ThoughtCo. ThoughtCo, October 16, 2019. https://www.thoughtco.com/queen-annes-war-104573. 3 “Causes, Events, and Results of Queen Anne's War.” 4 “Causes, Events, and Results of Queen Anne's War.” 5 “Causes, Events, and Results of Queen Anne's War.”

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countries. The treaty made King Philip V, grandson of Louis XIV king of Spain. It forced France to give England some of its land in North America and the which included Newfoundland, Acadia, the Hudson Bay region of northeastern Canada and the island of St. Kitts in the . Spain was also forced to give England the island of Minorca and Gibraltar. However, even after this treaty tensions were very high and the fighting between the French and Indian and the English colonies would be ongoing. On top of this resentment over the terms of the Treaty of Utrecht would only grow until war would inevitably break out again.6

6 “Causes, Events, and Results of Queen Anne's War.”

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The Three Pirate Ports Nassau Near Island, the port city of Nassau is the capital of . During the Golden Age of Piracy, it was known as a pirate sanctuary. It acted as the capital of the “Pirate Republic,” a colony that existed in the Bahamas during the lack of English control between 1706 and 1718.7 This city was in a great place to enable piracy. It was in close proximity to all the shipping routes of all the nations as it was located off the coast of Spanish , with present day then known as Saint-Domingue to the south, and then to the north was North America which were where the English colonies were located. The also sailed through this area very often in its return to Europe from Havana.8 Port Nassau, arguably the most important of all ports during the Golden Age of Piracy, was home base for the disreputable Flying Gang, comprised of some of the most notorious pirates of the day such as Edward ‘’ Teach, ‘Calico’ Jack Rackham, , , and . Though they all pursued their own interests, chiefly increasing their own individual coffers, each member’s place in the gang signified their commitment to increasing the general prosperity of the port itself. Due to the port’s location in the Bahamas, North of Port Royal but also near enough to intercept and loaded ships making their way towards the port, Nassau became an ideal location for pirates to shore, eventually coming to offer many comforts most buccaneers were fond of.9 The Flying Gang, aware of the significance of such a safe, pirate-friendly outpost in the region, began capitalizing on the property and expanding Nassau’s influence. They did so through consolidating power via ownership and operation of taverns, brothels, ship repair businesses, and other necessary industries. Thus, the Flying Gang was able to secure the port for themselves as well as increase its economy. Furthermore, their position and influence in the region discouraged local disputes from becoming all-out conflicts. Even the infamous Edward Teach built a high tower on the coast to harass any incoming and passing ships, preemptively letting them know who ran the port. Through these measures, the Flying Gang established a sort of quasi-state, known as the .10 Ultimately, the Flying Gang’s chief opposition was not other pirates but rather other nations. The British Empire had particular interest in the occupation of Port Nassau as the Republic of Pirates had quite literally halted the Triangle Trade for a season. Thus, King George I (r. 1714-1727) called for the governor of the Bahamas to offer a Kings Pardon granting total amnesty before issuing the Blockade of Nassau. While many pirates, including Flying Gang members, such as Henry Jennings took the deal and eventually became pirate hunters themselves, others like Charles Vane fought against the pressures in many impassioned, yet ultimately futile, efforts. The British

7 “Nassau.” The Age of Pirates, 2019. http://theageofpirates.com/places/nassau/. 8 “Nassau.” 9 Humanity, History of. “Nassau.” History of Humanity - Golden Age of Piracy, 2013. https://www.goldenageofpiracy.org/locations/nassau.php. 10 History of Humanity - Golden Age of Piracy

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Empire’s use of “piracy to fight piracy” so to speak ended pirate occupation of Port Nassau, and by the end of 1729, pirate influence would be all but gone from the Bahamas.11 Tortuga Once a small Spanish colony, French buccaneers overran a garrison of Spanish soldiers in 1630 after a series of conflicts. Buccaneers from Western Hispaniola flocked to Tortuga, a nearby island, which would soon act as a and unifying force for the pirate movement.12 This pirate haven meaning turtle in Spanish, is an island off the norther coast of Haiti. During the Golden Age of Piracy, it was known as a pirate sanctuary. This rocky island had the protection of a strong fort and it gave safe anchorage for the French pirates in between the attacks on Spanish ships. It turned into a hub of illegal activity and a common destination for pirates, privateers, and smugglers from all nations.13Geographically, Tortuga was an ideal location for a pirate sanctuary and marketplace. For example, the island was situated close to the northern coast of Cuba, the jewel of the Spanish colonies. For the 2,000 pirates of Tortuga, this meant easy access to the northern towns of a wealthy and productive colony as well as a steady stream of merchant ships carrying valuable cargo like and jewels to loot. Tortuga is also relatively close to the southern coast of Florida and Puerto Rico, and is located between Port Royal and Nassau, two other notable pirate ports. The northern tip of the island was rocky and uninhabitable. Few trees and crop would grow here, and there was no location for a suitable harbor. This meant ports could only exist around the southern tip and the island was particularly defensible, especially after being armed with cannons by the French in the 1640’s. This south end was divided into three distinct territories: Basse-Terre, where most of the farmers lived; Middle Plantation and La Ringot where most of the tobacco was grown, and the mountain where the first plantations were made.14 Initially, after the Spanish were overcome in 1630, the island was mutually owned by England and France. Although, it soon became predominantly French, and French governor, Jean La Vasseur, was appointed to the territory in 1640. The French sanctioned pirate-like activity so long as the buccaneers provided protection for Spanish ships. Having a convenient base of operations for pirate activity meant that unlawful men looking for wealth and freedom knew exactly where to find it. While it may have made the movement a visible target for the English, French, and Spanish, it ultimately acted as a formidable center for recruitment and trade.15 More interestingly, the attraction of piracy and its unifying force can be aptly summarized by the words of famous pirate, : “In an honest service there is thin commons, low wages, and hard labour. In this, plenty and satiety, pleasure and ease, liberty and power; and who would not balance creditor on this side,

11 BBC. “History - George I.” History: George I. BBC, 2014. http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/george_i_king.shtml. 12 Humanity, History of. “Tortuga.” History of Humanity - Golden Age of Piracy, 2013. https://www.goldenageofpiracy.org/locations/tortuga.php. 13 “Tortuga.” The Age of Pirates, 2019. http://theageofpirates.com/places/tortuga/. 14 The Age of Pirates. The Age of Pirates, 2020. http://theageofpirates.com/places/tortuga/. 15 History of Humanity - Golden Age of Piracy

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when all the hazard that is run for it, at worst is only a sour look or two at choking? No, a merry life and a short one shall be my motto.”16 Piracy provided greater democracy, freedom, and wealth than civilization did for many of the men participating, creating a sense of brotherhood. Despite its seemingly immoral practices, piracy in the context of poor men living in a monarchy, was a very attractive occupation. Port Royal Port Royal was a city in southeastern . In the mid-1600s, the Jamaican authorities struck up a deal to allow the port for harboring pirates in exchange for protection from the Spanish. Many British and French privateers (along with some independent pirates) used the port as a staging ground. These pirates help prop up the local economy, with pirates spending money on lounging and food, but also at many taverns and brothels. Gambling, prostitution and alcohol became huge components of the local scene. Many pirates would lose lots of their newfound wealth overnight because of this.17 Called the “wickedest city on Earth” this port town was a pirate sanctuary which acted as the hub of operations for privateers and pirates who wanted to take Spanish ships and settlements. It was located near Kingston Harbor, one the biggest natural harbors on Earth. This port was in a perfect position, giving safe protection for pirates located in the center of the . They could use the westward-blowing crosswinds to go south to raid anything along the coasts of South America and , and then get back fast before the Spanish could retaliate. Likewise, the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexica was close, and pirates could get to cities incredibly quickly. The island’s closeness to Cuba also let pirates get easy raids on the island. This island was also near the French pirate sanctuary of Tortuga which was off the norther coast of Hispaniola. This let pirates from each nation to work together and recruit each other, this allowed for destructive attacks.18 On top of its amazing positioning many pirates were offered letters of marque near Port Royal which were official governmental licenses given to independent individuals, to attack and capture the ships and vessels that belonged to enemy nations of the nation that issued the letter. Many pirates would choose to accept offers of , mainly because of the additional opportunity it opened. With the letter, these pirates now had the backing and support of an entire powerful nation in an endeavor they were already interested in - attacking ships for plundering wealth. They could get support from nations to attack specific ships, including information they have about where certain ships may trek and other intel. The nations may also have provided general help they needed, in terms of resources and artillery for making their calculated attack. With this extra support, these individual pirates had a better chance of landing a successful attack. Once they presented their captured ship to a court, they could place a claim to much of the treasure captured, thus in effect, giving a good chance for pirates to increase what they could capture, since a nation would providing support for their endeavor - although it would specifically guide them to attack mainly ships of just enemy nation to that nation. So while the

16 “Bartholomew Roberts.” History of Piracy - Home, 2020. https://historyofpiracy.weebly.com/bartholomew- roberts.html. 17 Andrews, Evan. “6 Famous Pirate Strongholds.” History.com. A&E Television Networks, January 21, 2014. https://www.history.com/news/6-famous-pirate-strongholds. 18 “Port Royal.” The Age of Pirates, 2019. http://theageofpirates.com/places/port-royal/.

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pirates may get a better chance at landing successful attacks, they were also limited in scope to who they could attack - so there is a trade-off they make - but there is most certainly a good opportunity for success for pirates who accept, which is why so many individuals gave their allegiances to these nations through these letters of marque. Additionally, there was a sense of pride some pirates were looking for in their lives intrinsically, outside of whatever they felt they achieved from just searching around for treasure. Accepting a letter of marque and becoming a for a nation was something many people viewed fondly, as opposed to regular piracy. Thus, the chance to materialize a sense of pride in the activity that they already put much of their life into also gave incentive to these pirates to accept letters of marque.19

19 “6 Famous Pirate Strongholds.”

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The New World and Trade Routes The settlement of the New World, or the settlement of North America, holds true as the first permanent settlement of the British, French, and Spanish. As time progressed, the survival rates of the pilgrims increased dramatically. Founded by Columbus, the town Isabella was quickly consumed with hunger, disease, and punishment. The colony Jamestown had marginally better survival rates, with about 20 percent of the original inhabitants surviving for 15 years. Finally, , populated by full families, was the first successful settlement of the New World; however, this accomplishment was marked by tragedy and required substantial time and effort.20 Although the numerous colonies that the Spanish, French, and British tried to create may have each had different leadership and goals, most, if not all of these colonies ultimately faced similar hardships in trying to establish legitimacy as a functioning colony; hunger, being an incredibly difficult obstacle in Hispaniola, Jamestown, New France, and Jamestown, was likely the most prevalent obstruction as it is known as the “starving time” and due to its ability to be the derivative of future war. However, the reasonings for these settlements outweighed any difficulties for these ambitious countries; with the desire to acquire more gold, to gain more glory, and to spread the word of god further, the French, Spanish, and British fully exerted their power, through guns and manipulation, on the Indian population of the New World.21 However, an important aspect as to how these settlements in the New World fully became established was due to extremely successful trade routes. With the triangular trade route being the most well-known trade and impactful route in the New World, the trade of slaves for material and goods from to Atlantic ports was neither uncommon nor unpracticed; however, this sequence of exchanging African slaves for labor in sugar plantations in the Caribbean for goods such as molasses was not the only one, with the Spanish, alike the British, taking part in creating slave economies from Virginia to Trinidad and Brazil. However apart from these three-way trade routes, many instances of bilateral trade existed; with products such as lumber, tobacco, rice, and dried fish to Britain and goods such as textiles and manufactured articles back to America. Some examples of Bilateral trade include the Kingdom of Spain, which extracted precious metals from Latin America back to the motherland, and France, with its exchange of heavy monetary funds for the processing of furs.22

20 “The Transatlantic Slave Trade.” Crispus Attucks, November 5, 2012. http://www.crispusattucksmuseum.org/the- transatlantic-slave-trade/. 21“The Transatlantic Slave Trade.” 22 “The Transatlantic Slave Trade.”

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Piracy Privateers, Buccaneers, and Pirates In order to understand the complex political and cultural interactions during the “Golden Age” of piracy, it is necessary to distinguish between the non-state actors known as pirates, privateers, corsairs, and buccaneers. Summarily, pirates can be generalized as any sea bandits, privateers as commissioned sea bandits, corsairs as commissioned sea bandits in the Mediterranean Sea, and buccaneers as hunter pirates in the .23 Pirates are the widest category of non-state actors in the realm of the Golden Age of pirates, and piracy has been practiced during almost every period of time with intense commercial or military maritime interactions. Without a precise definition, it is generally accepted that the term refers to groups of people who engage in banditry overseas. Common activities include pillaging ships and coastal towns, capturing civilians, seamen, and other pirates for ransom, and selling illegal goods and slaves for profit. Primarily, any greed-motivated maritime action is something that a pirate would likely participate in. Privateers, buccaneers, and corsairs all fall under the wider umbrella of piracy. Notable examples of pirates include Edward “Blackbeard” Teach and Captain Kidd — the most notable historical group are the of the Middle Ages.24 Privateering is a sub-category of piracy, where nations commission groups of pirates to pillage and raid vessels and coastal towns of rival nations. They can essentially be thought of as seaborne mercenaries. France, England, and Spain all readily participated in the practice of privateering during the 16th and 17th centuries. While morally questionable, the practice greatly increased the naval capacity and warring powers of the participant countries. Any one country who did not participate in privateering would have been at a significant disadvantage in terms of military power. However, privateering came with costs but also came with advantages. Firstly, the practice was more lucrative and less structured than ordinary participation in the navy, and so men who would otherwise be a member of the navy became privateers instead. After all, it was more economically sound but imposed upon their freedom. Secondly, privateering can be a loose and blurred relationship rather easily. Privateers would occasionally raid and pillage villages or vessels that they were not necessarily commissioned to, and normal pirates would occasionally receive tacit encouragement from governments to perform actions against rival states. The practice of piracy and privateering during this time were difficult to distinguish.25 Corsairs can generally be defined as privateers in the Mediterranean Sea with a religious connotation. From the 14th to the 19th century, conflict between the Ottoman Empire and European Christian state called upon local groups of pirates to assist in defeating of the opposing group. A greater connection between religion and piracy was present in corsair pirate groups. Notable groups include the Barbary Corsairs of northern Africa, who were affiliated with the

23 The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica. “Pirates, Privateers, Corsairs, Buccaneers: What's the Difference?” Encyclopedia Britannica. Encyclopedia Britannica, inc., 2019. https://www.britannica.com/story/pirates-privateers- corsairs-buccaneers-whats-the-difference. 24 “Pirates, Privateers, Corsairs, Buccaneers: What's the Difference?” 25 “Pirates, Privateers, Corsairs, Buccaneers: What's the Difference?”

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Ottoman Empire, and the Knights of St. John, a Christian privateering group based in Malta during the 16th and 17th century who would harass Muslim commercial vessels.26 Buccaneers can generally be defined as hunter pirates in the Caribbean Sea during the 17th century. Being originally based in the western side of the Spanish-controlled island of Hispaniola, the Buccaneers would subsist on hunting wild game and occasional village and vessel raids. Becoming progressively more multinational as different scoundrels and adventurers joined their ranks, the group decided to migrate to Tortuga, a nearby Spanish-controlled island in 1630. In perpetual conflict with Spain, the Spanish military nearly exterminated the wildlife of Tortuga to starve out the Buccaneers who heavily relied on their sustenance. However, this exacerbated the conflict, pushing the pirates to become even more dependent on their other source of income — raiding and pillaging Spanish territory. England and France supported the group in their efforts when possible, and in 1655 when England seized control of Jamaica from the Spanish, the Buccaneers relocated there instead. Notable Buccaneers include and .27 Why People Turned to Piracy In a time when not many people travelled, and younger men would have to work in seven-year apprenticeships before they could even start to have their own independent wage. Due to this many people wanted to sail on the seas anyway, though this was a rough life. Adolescents who wanted to leave could obtain a job on a sailing ship before they were adults. However regular sailors dealt with basic wages and were expected to have much discipline. Piracy on the other hand gave them the opportunity to gain riches fast and an uncommon chance to wield an amount of authority over others.28 Specifically, in London overpopulation and unemployment were incredibly high and wages for the poor could not match the need. People had to find a life for themselves. Poor people down in life were not just in a bad spot, they had no way of making a better living for themselves. Piracy gave poor people a chance to control their own lives for the better.29 Pardons In an attempt to finally alleviate the problems of piracy, governors of Britain and the New World began to issue full pardons to pirates who turned themselves in. Men were given the option to pledge to quit piracy and receive a full pardon for their crimes or to continue and risk being hanged. In fact, by 1717 in the Caribbean, the governor of the Bahamas, Woodes Roger, created a coalition of pirate hunters, privateers, and pardoned pirates to hunt down and hang all the remaining pirates who did not accept their pardon offer. While the was still in its infancy, Roger had the full economic and military might of England at his disposal to accomplish

26 “Pirates, Privateers, Corsairs, Buccaneers: What's the Difference?” 27 “Pirates, Privateers, Corsairs, Buccaneers: What's the Difference?” 28 “The Golden Age of Piracy.” Royal Museums Greenwich | UNESCO World Heritage Site In London, August 28, 2019. https://www.rmg.co.uk/discover/explore/golden-age-piracy. 29 “The Golden Age of Piracy.”

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this goal. A combination of pardons and state-supported attacks were relatively affective in diminish piracy, especially in the Caribbean under Woodes Roger.30 Types of Ships That Were Used Schooners: The schooner was a small ship weighing less than 100 tons and had a narrow hull. They were able to remain in shallow coves that allowed them to ambush their targets due to their shallow drafts. This ship is very quick and was big enough to carry a modest crew. It was a favored ship among pirates. They usually carried around 8 guns on their ships.31 For committee purposes they would take 1,000 gold pieces to construct.

Brigantines: This ship was a sailing ship with two square-rigged masts for improved maneuverability. During the Age of Sail, they were seen as somewhat quick and maneuverable and could be utilized as warships or as a merchant ship. They could carry up to 10 to 18 guns when used as warships.32 For committee purposes they would take 3,000 gold pieces to construct

30 Harvey, Ian. “Pirate Hunters Risked Their Lives to Bring the Golden Age of Piracy to a Close.” The Vintage News, June 6, 2018. https://www.thevintagenews.com/2017/02/09/pirate-hunters-risked-their-lives-to-bring-the- golden-age-of-piracy-to-a-close/. 31 “Pirate Ships.” , 2019. http://brethrencoast.com/Pirate_Ships.html. 32 “Pirate Ships.”

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Frigate: These ships were warships with a raised forecastle ad quarterdeck and were three- masted. They had anywhere from 24 to 38 guns and were faster than Man-O-War's. They were usually used to escort ships and to hunt pirates. They had anywhere from 24 to 38 guns and were faster than the ship-of-the-lines. Very few pirates ever controlled one as most would run when coming face to face with one.33 For committee purposes they would talk 6,500 gold pieces to construct

33 “Pirate Ships.”

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Galleon: These ships were huge ships whose purpose was to transport cargo. They were slow titans, not able to so deal with wind very well at all during sailing. Even though they were slow, they were not a harmless target as they could outfit them with heavy weaponry which means a frontal attack on them hard. They had two to three decks. These were incredibly dangerous yet non mobile ships.34 For committee purposes they would of take 12,000 gold pieces to construct

34 “Pirate Ships.”

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Intercountry Relations British- Spanish Relationship: The British - Spanish, otherwise known as the United Kingdom - Spanish, is undeniably a complicated one, embedded in many years of troubled history. The distinct British - Spanish rivalry began with the questionable King Henry VII. Being the monarch who became addicted to women and alcohol, Henry VIII eventually lost significant sums of land to the French and provided the lack of leadership that would lead England to its decline in substantial power. Unlike Spain whom had a prosperous and incredibly strong empire, the Tudor family did little to explore the ; however, when Catherine of Aragon, the daughter of the woman who backed Christopher Columbus on his voyage to the new world, agreed to marry Henry VIII, Henry VIII believed that he could now truly fulfil his duties of being a great monarch. However, when Catherine became incapable of providing Henry VIII with a male heir to take on his legacy as king, King Henry applied for a divorce, that the pope ultimately failed to approve. Launching his own Brexit, Henry VIII eventually led the path to much bloodshed between the British and Spanish. While Spain found itself immersed in great sums of wealth through the strategic planning that happened both domestically and internationally, it truly took the British years to achieve the same global prominence; however, with the rise in the British empire, the decline of the followed indirectly as well. The decline of the Spanish empire could be pointed to Dutch - English seize of Gibraltar, the barren rock in limited amount which ultimately provided an ideal location at the mouth of the Mediterranean Sea. Ultimately, the fact that both of these were very impactful countries, as time went on, had very similar goals has caused these countries to be in complicated and sticky situations in multiple instances. Embedded in the history of greed and power, both countries used many dirty tricks and manipulation for the simple reason of being ahead of the other. 35 French-Spanish Relationship Heavily tied to the relationship between Spain and England, Spain and France were allied throughout the most intense period of piracy (around 1700 to 1730). The War of Spanish Succession (1701 – 1714), brought about intense conflict between the Dutch Republic, England, France, and Spain, who all had differing motives that would allow them to divide Spanish territory favorable, considering the royal bloodline of the Habsburgs had ended in 1700 with a severely disabled Charles II. While a treaty was signed offering most of the territories, including Spain to the Holy Roman Empire, Leopold I demanded that all the Spanish territories be received intact. Consequently, a war began with France and Spain allying to defeat the Dutch Republic, England, and the Holy Roman Empire.36 The war raged on in Europe, where several German states joined the English alliance, and conflict spilled over into North America (Queen Anne’s War) and the Caribbean Sea colonies, where both sides would ally with varying native American tribes. Spain sought for the grandson of King Louis XIV of France, Philip V, to become the first Bourbon ruler of Spain, essentially a

35 Tremlett, Giles. “The Absurd History of British-Spanish Rivalry, from Henry VIII to Gibraltar.” The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, April 3, 2017. https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/apr/03/absurd-history-british- spanish-rivalry-henry-viii-gibraltar. 36 The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica. “War of the Spanish Succession.” Encyclopedia Britannica. Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc., June 17, 2019. https://www.britannica.com/event/War-of-the-Spanish-Succession.

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unification of sorts between France and Spain. Both sides heavily mobilized outside actors like native Americans and privateers to fight for them. The war ended with the Utrecht Treaty of 1713, allowing Philip V to continue to rule Spain, but with both Spain and France conceded territories to England, marking the rise of power of Britain and the British Colonial Empire.37 British-French Relationship The relationship between the United Kingdom and France - although for our purposes, we will mainly consider the England-France relationship - has an eventful and turbulent history to say the least. To start the two kingdoms faced many differences, such as the religious polarization in the 1500s. Following the English Reformation, most of England converted to Protestantism while France remained mostly Roman Catholic. There was some migration of Catholics to France and Protestants to England with this occurrence. The summit at the Field of the Cloth of Gold between King Henry VIII of England and King Francis I of France attempted to forge a greater sense of alliance and unity between the kingdoms but yielded relatively minor political effects. Additionally, Mary Queen of Scots (backed by the desire of many Scots to not be absorbed into France) worked with Protestant lords to drive the French out of Scotland and forge a stronger relationship with the English. This drove a wedge and created tension between these countries.38 The English found themselves siding with the French to act as a counterweight towards the power of the Spanish kingdom. In Oliver Cromwell’s post-civil war England, the kingdom backed the French in the last part of the Franco-Spanish war, which lasted from 1635 to 1659. Following the Treaty of Westphalia, which concluded the Thirty Years’ War, Spain found itself in a weakened state while France, under King Louis XIV, was more unified and turned to a more global, expansionist policy of operation. England was now concerned with limiting the power and influence of the French around Europe and around the globe, while France now saw England as an isolated nation dependent on its naval force and its privateers.39 England sided with the French, however, through the 1670 Secret Treaty of Dover, to fight back against the Dutch, as they fought together in the Franco-Dutch war, and the Third Anglo-Dutch war - in which the Dutch readily handled the English. The English backed out of their alliance in 1674, and helped the Dutch fight the French in 1678 at the closing of the Franco- Dutch war.40 The English found themselves in a coalition with the Spanish, Dutch, and the Holy Roman Empire against Louis XIV and the French in the Nine Years’ War (1688 - 1697) - a war

37“War of the Spanish Succession.” 38 Lambe, Simon LambeSimon. “'The Contending Kingdoms': England and France 1420-1700.” 'The Contending Kingdoms': England and France 1420-1700 | Reviews in History, 2009. https://reviews.history.ac.uk/review/802. 39 Jeffery, Simon. “A Brief History of Anglo-French Relations.” The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, February 4, 2003. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2003/feb/04/france.qanda. 40 Timeline Index. “Franco-Dutch War.” Timeline Index, 2019. http://www.timelineindex.com/content/view/3311.

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that not only took place in Europe, but in North America and India as well - and was spurned by a French territorial grab, and ended with the Treaty of Ryswick.41 In a post-unification (occurred in 1707) state, Great Britain also fought against the French in the War of the Spanish Succession (1702 -1713), where a vacuum of power following the death of Charles II of Spain left claims to the Spanish throne by the English, French and Dutch. The English overall saw France as a threat and do not want them to expand their power and reach. The war ended with the Treaty of Utrecht that gave claim to Louis XIV of France’s grandson, but in effect also allowed for the greater commercial expansion of the British interests and power. 42

41 Swift, Dean. “The Nine Years War.” General History, January 26, 2013. https://general-history.com/the-nine- years-war/. 42 “War of the Spanish Succession.”

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Uniting the Pirates: Preparing for Battle Innately separated, the British, French, and Spanish, have fallen under the obstacle of having great controversy with each other. The stakes and the reasonings for controversy between the ports hold strong; the desire for power and wealth has caused the outcome of war to seem to be the only option left possible. The key to each nation winning a war, which in its nature is one that is truly greater in both grandeur and violence, as each nation has within itself distinct resources that allow it to show unique advantages against the others, is for pirates, whom are specific to one of the three ports, Tortuga, Port Royal, or Nassau, to team up with other pirates from the respective country they are from and combine resources. It is no mystery that each pirate brings to the table a different types or amounts of resources, whether it be money, military experience, or simply special backgrounds, and the key to winning this battle between three great nation is for pirates to put their differences aside and fight for the common goal. With each port in this committee offering distinct advantages, another important task is for pirate clusters of pirates from the same nation to unite their gathers across all three ports, including booty or knowledge that was acquired, to gain an advantage over other nations. The outcome of this war ultimately reflects on the nation whom have hired these pirates as well as the pirates themselves, causing there to potentially be conflicts continents away.43 With this being said it is up to you pirates from stopping this war from taking away the Flying Gang’s influence and power. With many pirates being hired by Spain, Britain and France to attack each other this is leading to rogue pirates attacking each other in the name of these countries. As members of the Flying Gang you must take charge and establish yourselves as leaders to stop these pirates from attacking each other at any cost because this could lead to pirate anarchy and more fights between pirate gangs that could disrupt the pirate lifestyle. Not only that but it could cause other pirate gangs to rise up and try to take over your sphere of influence. Less Infighting Consider that one approach to the pirates’ situation is to put aside differences and individual desires for riches from any source possible. When pirates attack less discriminately, as in including attacks on other (independent) pirates, the chaos in the region of these fights likely tempers the desires for merchants from independent nations to run their shipping routes through that region. These nations transport vast quantities of resources, wealth and riches ripe for plundering though their naval endeavors. So, when pirates fight amongst themselves, it lowers the overall ability for the pirates to reach their potential in terms of total wealth acquired. Thus, it may be in the best interests of pirates to agree to not fight each other, and create an illusion of calm in a sense, from the viewpoints of nations such as Britain, Spain and France. When these nations decide to start running their trade routes in closer regions because of this, then pirates will have an improved opportunity to attack the ships of these nations, and potentially collect greater wealth than they would have if they just attacked each other.

Diplomacy Between Nations and Pirates

43 Boundless. “Boundless US History.” Lumen, 2020. https://courses.lumenlearning.com/boundless- ushistory/chapter/the-exploration-and-conquest-of-the-new-world/. 24

Diplomacy with pirates was always a touchy game for the Spanish, French, and British Empires. To help unblur the lines, they all hired privateers, who were, in essence, “pirates with papers.” These were not naval officials however they also were not ordinary citizens--they had the legal backing to use their armed ships to plunder pirates, less-armed merchant ships, and settlements of specified nations. As such, obtaining a commission from a government meant easily accessible wealth and amnesty. Much to the chagrin of the employing nations, amnesty also led to many privateers going beyond their commissions, for which there was very little the employer could do. The employing government also had the issue of pay for their privateers. Naturally, to retain each privateer, a salary must be involved which diverted important and often exorbitant funds from the navy, on top of losing commission from seized wealth. Thus, the costs of privateers remained incredibly high, only outweighed by the benefits of having privateers on-staff.44 Privateers were not bound by the conventions of statecraft which their employers were. Thus, they could act as diplomatically or violently as they pleased, often choosing the latter, in their interactions with merchants. This resulted in high reward for the privateers and one less carrying ship for the employers to worry about. Privateers had more an incentive for swashbuckling behavior than common decency! However, it is for this behavior that they were also made targets of navies. Being under such constant threat led to their advancement and high organization--to the point where due to their ability to mobilize quickly and capture ships, they were more effective than the navies of the day--leading to more strict anti-piracy laws as well as the ultimate banning of privateers.45 Despite privateering being one of the most lucrative tactics against enemy profits, each empire engaged with privateering differently. Typically, those being pillaged and plundered were less like to hire privateers. Whether this is due to their complex relationship with essentially guerilla bandits or deeper trust in their military, the Spanish were particularly less inclined to use privateers against other nations than against pirates as pirate-hunters. The French and British, conversely, often used privateers against their originally richer competitor, the Spanish Empire. However, after the end of the Anglo-Spanish War with the (Godolphin Treaty) in 1670, which granted ownership of most of the Caribbean to the British Empire, the English mostly stopped employing privateers against other empires but rather as pirate hunters.46 Diplomacy Between Nations: French Most interaction with pirate-French interactions occurred in Tortuga. The French controlled Tortuga under Governor Jean La Vasseur who supported buccaneering in exchange for protection by the Brethren of the Coast, a prominent group of buccaneers base out of Tortuga. Tortuga was a city of sin, and it featured gambling, prostitution, and taverns, which would both tame the pirates and generate revenue. The French amassed enough wealth from the island to

44 The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Pirates, Privateers, Corsairs, Buccaneers: What's the Difference?” Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica, inc., 2020. https://www.britannica.com/story/pirates-privateers- corsairs-buccaneers-whats-the-difference. 45 “The Buccaneers.” The Buccaneers - History of Piracy - The Way of the Pirates, 2020. http://www.thewayofthepirates.com/types-of-pirates/buccaneers/. 46 Ayala, Pedro, Lazaro Vallejo, and Hernando Costilla. “Spanish-English Rivalry in the Caribbean, 1498-1670.” Spanish-English Rivalry in the Caribbean, 1498-1670, 2020. Spanish-English Rivalry in the Caribbean, 1498-1670. 25

establish the colony of Saint Domingue in Spanish-controlled Hispaniola, which represented about 1/3 of the island. Ally ship in this way enabled the pirates to legitimize the sale of the goods they acquired. Without the sanctioning of a port like Tortuga, stolen goods could not be sold, and the fantasized “sin” of pirate life would not be possible. Pirate cooperation allowed a strong economy to develop and increased their raiding capacity significantly. Buccaneers allied with the French would attack and plunder nearby Spanish ships and settlements, sometimes annihilating coastal towns completely. Successful raids continued to legitimize pirates as a threat, which created a realm of fear for villages which were more likely to concede than resist. Both sailors and colonists alike would prefer to avoid or meet the demands of pirates, who had become increasingly infamous for their brutality and success raids. Not to mention, because pirates are generally lawless, are non-state actors with loose affiliation to others, and are difficult to identify, they would also raid and pillage ships of neutral or allied nations.47 Diplomacy between Nations: British Through Triangular trade and direct trade from Africa to the Americas, the influx of slaves has increased by large scales as time went on from the 1600s to the late 1700s. The influx of slave ships arriving at the harbors of new land grew exponentially compared to the time when there were close to none, at the time when the lands were inhabited by Native Americans; this brought along the concept of much profit for Europeans for not much more than the initial expenditure of transporting slaves. These slaves provided the double benefit of being both ship hands as well as being those that provided good labor in the new land, while working under horrible conditions in both situations. However, due to more and more slaves being imported and due to conditions becoming worse, slaves found mutiny between themselves. Their desire to go home grew; however, with greedy countries all trying to attain gold, glory, and spread their ideals about god, slavery in the new world became much worse. A key contributor of this was the British who took good use of transporting slaves to the new land. Although runaway slaves were an issue and indentured servants did exist, slavery rose and with it came not only between slaves themselves, who believed they were wronged, but also between countries themselves who became greedier for money and power-hungry. The British with their strong navy always had great capability and little sensitivity to the pain and unfair treatment of slaves; however, this eventually let them reside as a great power in the new world as well as throughout the globe as well.48 This growing wealth coming from the slave trade from the British made them a great partner for pirates to work with as they were paid handsomely for their work. However, with the mistreatment of slaves many pirates saw this as an opportunity to take on slave ships and free slaves in exchange for them to become part of their crew. Diplomacy Between Nations: Spain When one nation has complete monopoly over all incoming gold and silver for the better part of a century, there are more than a few reasons to raid properties of that nation. This is largely the situation of the Spanish found themselves in during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. They had possessed all legal rights to the New World since 1494 with the Treaty of Tordesillas--though

47 History of Humanity - Golden Age of Piracy 48 ushistory.org. “Britain in the New World.” ushistory.org. Independence Hall Association. Accessed January 3, 2020. https://www.ushistory.org/us/2.asp. 26

exceptions would arise following increased conflict with other empires. The Spanish made a fortune through South American gold found in rivers and silver mines. Since 1500, these minerals floated across the Atlantic and into Spanish ports. Naturally, the vessels carrying the treasure became easy targets. The Spanish response to such attacks were larger, more armed ships, developing their most effective defense, a 130-ship fleet in 1588. Such a development, however, did not quell attacks and piracy is estimated to have cost 10% of Spanish gold.49 Besides the threat of death due to attack looming over their heads, pirates also faced a more unseen threat, disease. Many pirates died not in battle but rather of dysentery and tuberculosis, not to mention various other complications resulting from lack of resources and extremely poor sanitary and hygienic conditions where diseases like scabies could prevail. As such, when a ship was captured, its surgeon was spared and taken aboard the captor’s ship to serve, or more often replace a lost, surgeon. Pirates, though they brought European diseases like smallpox to the New World, had no immunity to tropical diseases such as Yellow Fever and therefore outbreak could decimate ships as well as a cannon.50 Due to this while it was incredibly lucrative to attack Spanish ships it also made sense to work with the Spanish to avoid such fierce counterattack and disease.

49 The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Treaty of Tordesillas.” Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica, inc., July 17, 2019. https://www.britannica.com/event/Treaty-of-Tordesillas. 50 Sandler, Eric, Alex Bentley, Johnston Farrow, Tarra Gaines, Steven Devadanam, Nicole Jordan, Ken Hoffman, et al. “Ship Rats, Scurvy & Amputations by Saw: The Dark Side of a Real Pirate Ship.” CultureMap Houston, January 10, 2011. http://houston.culturemap.com/news/city-life/01-10-11-ship-rats-scurvy-and-amputations-by-saw-the- darks-side-of-a-real-pirate-ship/#slide=0.

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The Bermuda Triangle The location known as the Devil’s Triangle or more famously known as the Bermuda Triangle covers around 500,000 square miles of ocean off the southeastern tip of Florida. It is the subject of most controversy and talk as many a tragedy and disappearances have taken place in this area. “The Tempest” a play by William Shakespeare which some intellectuals claimed was based on a real-life Bermuda shipwreck, may have boosted the Bermuda’s Triangle air of mystique and caused its infamy to grow as many pirates went through its area.51 A couple people have said that the disappearances go beyond the lengths of human error. More specifically they could be hurricanes due to them being incredibly strong storms which take place in the Atlantic near the equator which historically have caused thousands of deaths and billions of dollars in damage. On top of hurricanes people may have been hit by extremely giant waves that can show up at random times even in calm seas. Research has shown that rogue waves can be up to 30 meters (100 feet) tall, which are able to take down the biggest ships within a very short time and can happen at a moment's notice. These waves have been thought to be the cause for many losses in the Bermuda Triangle over the years. Other people have said they have seen portal opening in cloudy skies-unusual lights at times coming with sounds- temporal distortions- electromagnetic warps known as “electronic fog” which can cause a supposedly time storm and leads to disappearances of ships. This can go back to explorers such as Christopher Columbus and his crew who have seen this event.52 During Christopher Columbus’s journey through the Bermuda Triangle area, he said that a great flame of fire (which was probably a meteor) plummeted into the ocean one night and due to this an unusual light came into view a couple weeks later. Columbus also reported about inconsistent and radical compass readings which was probably due to at the time a part of the Bermuda Triangle was one of a couple places on Earth where true north and magnetic north lined up.53 Some people even thought that it could be due to sea sirens. In some of the youngest Greek myths, sirens were portrayed as beautiful women who laid on the shores of the sea, singing songs of love and even at times playing instruments. Men who had heard their song became entranced and went towards them only to die by drowning or even being eaten alive. At times they were seen as sea mermaids, but most times they were winged women whose song caused ships into rocky shores or led entranced men to fall from high cliffs and mountains. People thought that people who brought their ships into the Bermuda Triangle were being murdered by sirens.54 It could also be attributed to piracy which at its core is defined by taking a ship on the high seas which is still going on today. What could stop a pirate from camping out on the Bermuda Triangle and taking a ship under the guise of the paranormal, or natural for their own personal

51 History.com “Bermuda Triangle.” HISTORY. A&E Television Networks, October 7, 2010. https://www.history.com/topics/folklore/bermuda-triangle. 52 “The Bermuda Triangle, Columbus, Devil's Triangle, Columbus, Famous Triangles.” Crystalinks, 2020. https://www.crystalinks.com/bermuda_triangle.html. 53 “Bermuda Triangle” 54 “History of Sirens.” Siren - History of Sirens, 2020. http://www.realmermaids.net/mermaid-history/siren-history/.

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gain? Especially due to the triangles location it could be lucrative to take out other pirates who are carrying valuable booty with them.55 While it seems like the Triangles location and many incidents should deter the bravest of people from ever travelling across it there is still something keeping pirate souls out there. Something that is letting people to try and engineer ways to get through the triangle. A rumor surrounding this area that has made more pirates coming back. There is a rumored treasure that nobody knows exists but just the chance of its existing makes it worth it as it is rumored to have untold riches and the infamy it would bring to any pirate captain that obtained would be beyond comprehension. Some say it is a sunken treasure galleon or even a pirate king’s treasure. It is only known for sure that if it real it is something many people would kill to get their hands on. So even in the face of deadly sirens that can drag people to their dooms with their looks and songs, rogue waves that can capsize even the sturdiest of ships, hurricanes that can tear battleships to shreds, other pirates who want this treasure or just want the loot you have on board or even maybe a paranormal fog that messes with even the most experienced of travelers. This treasure is something that is desired for good reason and any pirate who can get their hands on it will have a great chance to become pirate king.

Mission Statement As a pirate in this age you are poised to plunder and travel with your own agenda. However, during this process, you have been caught in the middle of the war and are in the middle of going to your own war with Spain, Britain and France. In the coming days you going to need to work together with other captains to defend yourself against this oncoming threat, unify the pirates and accomplish your own goals or else you will be wiped out and your days of sailing the seas will be over. Be strong and steadfast and be sure to protect the pirate way of living.

55 “The Bermuda Triangle

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Character Bios Edward Teach Otherwise known as Blackbeard, little is known about Edward Teach’s beginning, although it is rumored that he had served as a privateer during Queen Anne’s War before turning to piracy, even helping to establish Nassau. Those that join his crew, whether by choice or by force, know that Blackbeard rarely loses a battle and even more rarely takes prisoners. For this reason, the British navy is easily spooked when they catch sight of his sails, and pirates - especially those fleeing Britain - are willing to join his crew. But Blackbeard’s reputation extends beyond his sea- presence; many know that extreme maltreatment of his crew leads to dissent in his ranks, which is quelled with violence before mutiny can break out. Blackbeard sees his disciplinary measures as necessary to reach his ultimate goal of ruling the seas by becoming pirate king through capture of the Bermuda Triangle treasure, for which he will make no compromises. Powers I. Lone pirates will always want to join his crew* II. Good with women III. British navy intimidated Goals I. Rule the seas by finding the Bermuda Triangle treasure and become pirate king II. Destroy British navy Stede Bonnet, otherwise known as the “The Gentleman Pirate,” belonged to wealth even before his pirate days. Bonnet, who originated from an island in Barbados to an English family, was, during the beginning of the 1700s, content with his wife, plantation, and wealth. However, despite his lack of sailing experience and the many struggles he had to overcome to become a pirate, Bonnet now finds his happiness in the sea and her prospects. Bonnet, who due to the experience he gained from Blackbeard and his fortunate past, is both capable of using his own reserves of gold for funding as well using his charismatic personality and relationships with naval authorities to overcome certain difficult situations. Now based in Nassau, Captain Bonnet still supports his wife at home with the money from his pirate conquests With the ultimate desire to set sail on the sea with little to no responsibilities and a want to map, charter, and sell more efficient trading routes, Bonnet both believes he has the social, economic, and political power to achieve these goals. Powers I. Can draw upon reserves of gold from home for funding II. Can often talk himself out of situations with naval authorities III. Cartography skills* Goals I. Be free to sail around without responsibilities II. Wants to map, charter, and sell more efficient trading routes

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III. Gold laundering “Calico” Jack Rackham After manipulating his crew to force out his old captain and promote himself as the new captain, “Calico” Jack set forth on his mission to make his fortune by preying on smaller ships which allowed him to slowly build his reputation, fleet and crew, often recruiting from his home port of Nassau. Through this tactic Jack also came up with the idea of using rowboats to sneak up behind ships and then be able to ambush them to capture them. Due to his in-depth knowledge of the Articles, Jack can get his crew out of any trouble by leaning upon his diplomatic skills to talk his way out of potential situations. He also uses his verbal skills to manipulate other pirates to complete his own ends and accomplish his own agenda. However, Jack does not forget that at the beginning of his career that he was embarrassed by the and wants revenge for this slight against him. Not only that but he does not like the overbearing British authority and wants to humble them through plundering in plain sight of them. Powers I. Great depth of knowledge of the Articles allows for heightened argumentative skill II. Manipulation of pirates to achieve own ends Goals I. Revenge on the Spanish navy for his embarrassment II. Plunder in plain sight of the British After being captured by pirates, he quickly became a first mate, and then a captain of his own. Rising in the ranks, he acquired notoriety and allies, even gifting a ship to now Captain . Now, he turns his attention to the future, hoping to become the one true pirate king through traditional means. Hoping to establish a pirate colony as a safe haven, he has taken port in Nassau to observe its policies. Furthermore, with the establishment of a pirate colony, Edward wishes to promote free-trade piracy, in which non-contracted seamen are able to make a legitimate income without being bound to the dues of a particular country. Given Edward’s background, his skills in shipbuilding are unparalleled with his ships reflecting his ingenuity. Similarly, he and his crew are close, and Edward’s charisma can easily quell any potential mutiny on his own ships. Edward’s words and intentions can also be spread by an old friend who runs a printing press, broadening his influence beyond the seas. Powers I. Can double as a captain and shipmaster II. Is easily able to build hidden compartments into ship, increased cannon efficiency, etc III. Has access to a British printing press and can publish writings IV. Can quell personal mutinies on his own ships

Goals I. Become pirate king through proving his worth through traditional means

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II. Wants free-trade piracy III. Establish a pirate colony (seafaring) Mary Read Plagued by tragedy her whole life, Mary Read was forced to dress as a boy ever since her mother died at a young age in order to receive her inheritance. She continued to implement her advanced disguise skills born out of years of practice to join the British navy, but was soon found out due to a mysterious disease that swept along the ship, selectively killing the sailors who were cruel to Mary and the rumors that spread with it. After her rejection from the navy, Mary stumbled into piracy and quickly took to it. Embracing the freedom from the pirate life, she took up residence in Nassau and built up funds and a loyal crew. Now Captain Read, she is torn between finding a man to settle down with outside of naval reach and becoming pirate queen by defeating male combatants in duels. Powers I. Can make any man sick due to a special feminine power II. Has mediocre disguise skills III. Has an ongoing romantic manipulation of a Spanish official Goals I. Find a nice man, pirate or not, and settle out of the eye and reach of the naval powers II. Become pirate queen by defeating male challengers in a duel Growing up an orphan Benjamin Hornigold fell in love with the idea of the noble pirates who acted as “Robin Hoods” to people like him. With that in mind Hornigold became a privateer to learn how to sail and fight. After gaining much experience and becoming a respected captain Hornigold assembled a small crew of youths who grew up in circumstances similar to his own. Due to being the only family they had ever known, Hornnigold’s crew will gladly die for him. Often docking in Nassau, Hornigold encourages his men to build relationships with the locals there, with unneeded caveat to come back aboard. Hornigold can also use his experience in privateering to train any new crew members of his in dueling however training men to be just as good as their captain may be a mistake. Hornigold at heart still remembers the dreams he had as a kid of the noble pirate “Robin Hoods” which he wants to be through acquiring a large fleet and becoming pirate king through fair duels to establish pirates as people who can be noble. Powers I. Has advanced and sophisticated dueling skills II. Any member of his existing small crew would die for him (inspires loyalty) III. Can train any new members of his crew [at his own risk] Goals I. Acquire and lead a large fleet of ships II. Become Pirate king through honorable duels

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Anne Bonny With quite the unfortunate past, Anne Bonny can be described as a pirate with strong dedication and will. Bonny, whom was born as an illegitimate and the sole heir of a wealthy British family, spent her childhood life pretending to the boy that would inherit her father’s estate and business; however, when her step-mother realized Bonny’s true identity, Bonny’s stepmother soon faked Bonny’s death and Bonny was left homeless on the street. Upon Bonny’s father having never recovered her from the streets, Bonny both abandoned her familial heritage and pursued piracy as an outlet for the frustration. However, despite gaining a disreputable reputation amongst the outside world due to her difficult past, Bonny’s close relationship with her crew of all women, whom serve as surrogate mothers for nobility, allows her to gain substantial power. Due to the undying loyalty that Bonny’s crew displays for Bonny and the fact that Bonny’s crew now holds one favor from the British, French, and Spanish navies, Bonny has garnered substantial influence in the pirate world, and used it to gain herself reputation in Nassau. With her strong desire to destabilize formal society by targeting vessels carrying nobility, Bonny has within herself a strong want for revenge. Powers I. Crew of all women who have served as surrogate mothers for nobility II. Undying loyalty born out of an emotional kinship III. Her crew has garnered one favor each from BFS nobility Goals I. Destabilize formal society by targeting vessels carrying nobility Bartholomew “Black Bart” Roberts. An educated commoner through his position in the English navy, Roberts began his career as a navigator. After leaving the navy for freedom and higher wages, he first earned the respect, then the trust of his captain before being gifted his own ship. Beginning by only stealing enough for him and his crew to live, he quickly got greedy and starting raiding for fun and in turn antagonized the naval powers that be. Now, Roberts wants to develop sophisticated and potentially devastating technology and weaponry for his business and personal use. He has the schematics and skill to do so but lacks the resources to put his prowess to use. Additionally, Roberts’s ambition fuels him in his quest to become the first to navigate the Bermuda Triangle— not for power, but fame. This elevated reputation would undoubtedly make him the most revered pirate captain in not only his home port Tortuga but across the seas. Powers I. Has special cannonballs that catch fire upon impact II. Has the schematics and skill but lacks the resources to make technologically advanced ship quality Goals I. Wants to develop increasingly sophisticated weaponry for piracy for both personal and business use II. Be the first to navigate through the Bermuda Triangle for fame and not power

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Thomas Tew , also known as the “Rhode Island Pirate,” who took part in two main voyages, one eventually leading to his death, was a pirate born from a wealthy French family and the pirate whom was accredited with the discovery of the Pirate Round Route. Having moved to Bermuda in 1691, after having been rejected by his wealthy French family due to his “wicked proclivities,” Tew struck out on his own to become a privateer, only to one day be enlisted by the governor of Bermuda to attach French ships. Having much innate talent and reaching much success in naval warfare, he later turned to piracy as a form of freedom, and often returns to port in Tortuga, having taken a liking to its disreputable nature. Thomas Tew, with his somewhat complicated ties to the French government, has limited pull with French nobles, being able to antagonize some nobles and ask for certain favors. Additionally, with his difficult relationship with both his parents and the wealthy in France, Tew wishes to destroy the as well as transcend the French nobility rankings of his parents. Although his desires may seem hefty, Tew’s sphere of influence in the Bermuda, such as requiring pirates to pay Tew whilst exploring or passing the Bermuda, gains Tew significant power. Powers I. Has a limited pull with French nobles (can antagonize some, can ask for help from others) II. Bermuda = sphere of influence, pirates go through Tew for a price Goals I. Destroy the French navy II. Wants to transcend the French nobility ranking of his parents Born into poverty and running away for work in a shipyard at the tender age of 9, John Martel is no stranger to fending for himself and himself alone. Having saved money from his work, at age 18 Martel bought his first ship, a small sloop, and secured a young, yet loyal crew. After a few raids, he was able to trade up to larger and larger ships and began building a fleet with the best ships he was able to afford to keep. Martel’s youth taught him that paranoia pays off and he is not above using dangerous tactics, such as booby-trapping islands with personal cannons, to secure his treasure. This mindset has allowed him to port without negative implications in Tortuga. He also learned the value of knowing his enemy and has his first mate keep tabs on all ships they come across, allowing him to easily able to tell the value of most ships. Ultimately, Martel seeks to solidify his place in this world and the next by becoming the pirate king through amassing a large fleet and eradicating any one of the naval powers, potentially securing a comfortable retirement. Powers I. Can tell the value of a ship based on a ledger guarded by his first mate II. Has schematics to booby-trap islands with personal cannons Goals I. Become pirate king by amassing a large fleet and eradicating one of the naval powers

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Henry Avery Henry Avery is likely one of the most mysterious pirates with the most perplexing pasts. Infamously known as one of the few major pirate captains to escape with their loot, without being arrested or killed, Avery is very skilled at convincing crews to commit mutiny and elect them as their next leader. Although these skills of manipulation first allowed Avery to enter piracy, his innate talent allowed Avery to eventually be the first mate aboard on Charles II and be able to raid a convoy of Grand Mughal vessels. Ultimately his mystical past allows Avery to have the unique talent of being able to protect his crew from problems at sea, such as being able to predict a storm coming and making proper arrangements afterwards as well as having special aromatics that can be burned to increase a person’s susceptibility and gullibility. Many suspect him to have contacts in Tortuga that taught him these skills. Avery’s desire to become one of the most powerful pirates to roam the seas and to become rich are paired with his want to remain cryptic while he achieves these pirate goals, by any means possible. Powers I. Can sense a storm coming (and then make the proper arrangements) II. Has aromatics that can be burned to increase a person’s susceptibility and gullibility Goals I. Discover the treasure of the Bermuda Triangle II. Amass a large amount of money Also known as Billy One-Hand, Captain Christopher Condent is known to pirates the world over for ruthless and effective capture techniques. Many fear capture by the Captain because they know of the mistreatment and horrid conditions of being within the Captain’s hold. Strangely, though, Condent is extremely diplomatic and is often able to satisfy his endless greed and escape punishment through his words and deep pockets. Similarly, Condent is able to double any profit margins, making him one of the richest men of the seas. With the intent to ease his plundering ability, Condent has made it his mission to remove naval presence, particularly the British, from the . He also has begun to look to New World to establish a slave-run dictatorship colony where he can secure his profits and power. This goal has prompted him to often dock near Port Royal in an effort to gain information from the British. However, the Captain’s greed has led his crew to be quite weary of his ideals and with every bold move the shadows of a potential mutiny darken. Powers I. Is often able to double his profit margins on raids, and therefore has large coffers at his disposal. II. Can escape minor punishment often with bribery Goals

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I. Remove naval presence (especially British) from the Indian Ocean to ease plundering ability II. To establish a slave-run dictatorship colony in New World

William Kidd Once a successful privateer based out of New York, was a content man with a wife, children, and property. When English officials learned of his success, they recruited him to wipe out piracy in the Indian Ocean, providing him with a large warship and other resources. But when he was boarded and threatened one night by Edward Teach, they found common ground and became fast friends and allies against the British navy. Now openly a pirate, Captain Kidd still carries remnants of his former life with him, including his family, contacts in the New World interested in maritime trading, and a ledger with unsavory information about British officials located in his Port Royal office. With his resources, he hopes to protect his family, now moved to the safety of Nassau and destroy the British naval presence. Powers I. Has contacts in the New World with information on maritime trading routes II. Has a ledger with knowledge on British officials in England Goals I. Destroy British navy II. Protect his family who now live in Nassau Charles Vane It was not until his captain took a pardon that Charles Vane set sail with his own crew and gained notoriety for being a scourge of the sea. This included the capture, torture and murder of his prisoners regardless if they surrendered or not. Due to his reputation many smaller ships immediately surrender to him in the hopes that he will be lenient to them. Vane is also known to do whatever needed to gain an advantage in battle no matter how awful. He does so without any backlash from his crew, as they expect this behavior and would rather remain quiet than risk the punishment for speaking against Vane. Seeing taking pardons as disgraceful Vane is determined to hunt down former pirate captains who have taken pardons because they are traitors to him. In fact, he often docks near Port Royal in an attempt to catch and punish pirates seeking letters of marque. Vane also wants to establish himself as Pirate King through degradation and spreading fear in all who oppose him for Charles Vane is not one to be taken lightly. Powers I. Small ships will often surrender to him in the hopes of leniency II. Can often employ extreme and cruel methods to gain a tactical advantage without backlash Goals I. Hunt down former pirate captains who have taken pardons II. Become Pirate king through fear and degradation

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Walter Kennedy Growing up in the streets and sewers of London, spent his childhood lockpicking and stealing. After the untimely death of his father, to whom he was apprenticed to, Walter Kennedy wandered into the British naval forces, where he was awed by the stories about the independent ferocity of pirate captains. Soon after, he deserted to pursue a career in piracy and got himself a position as a deckhand on a ship. After an untimely disease swept across his ship, taking most of the lives on board, he was elected captain by the few survivors. Upon discovering that the only connection between himself and the survivors was the cleanliness of their childhood environments, he recruited new crew with a similar background and compiled information from his men to learn basic plant-based medicines and poisons. Captain Kennedy wants to somehow use his skills to minimize British naval losses without jeopardizing piracy, potentially by turning the French and Spanish navies against each other. Still with a few ties to low-ranking British navy men, he can usually dock in Port Royal without fear. Powers I. Cannot get diseases due to a rough childhood II. Has limited medicinal skills, both for healing and poison Goals I. Turn the Spanish and French navy against each other II. Minimize British naval losses, but not at the cost of pirate lives Not much is known about the upbringing of Henry Morgan only that he was born in southern Wales and always had a knack for sailing and a want of money. It was not until he exploded onto the sea into the scene of piracy by raiding and taking Spanish ships did people learn his name and to take him seriously. While the life of piracy was a fun one as Morgan got up there in age, he decided to retreat and retire himself to British controlled Jamaica who received him with open arms for he did wipe out many a Spanish ship, where he could sit on his wealth and even started up a plantation. Though after hearing of a treasure of imaginable levels he decided to risk it all and go out for one last ride to capture this wealth. This old seadog may not be able to learn new tricks, but he will use everything at his disposal to capture this wealth. Powers: 1. Starts with a steady amount of gold and a passive income of gold due to his plantation 2. Has sway with British officials who see him as a war hero for fighting on their behalf against the Spanish Goals: 1. Find the treasure of the Bermuda Triangle to add to your own personal wealth 2. Find somewhere new to retire or keep your relations with Britain good enough to stay in Jamaica once you retire for good

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Thomas Pound Born in England Thomas Pound was raised to be a member of the British navy just like his father before him and he was more than willing to follow that as his destiny. Excelling in his training to become a member Thomas quickly ascended the rank to become an officer. Thinking pirates were nothing more than garbage Thomas did his part in fighting them. It was not until during an extremely strong storm where his ships capsized leaving him the sole survivor marooned on an island. He was picked up by a pirate crew who took him in with open arms under the condition he would join their crew which he did but only to save his own life. Sailing with the crew quickly grew on him and just like in his Navy training he quickly learned and when his captain was sadly killed in a battle with his former navy the British, he was voted new captain of the ship. Now sailing the seas with his crew Thomas wants to avenge his former captain who exposed him to his new life and what better way than taking out where his former loyalties lied the British. Powers: 1. His original crew is very skilled in seafaring combat and dueling combat due to his tutelage 2. Is incredibly charismatic and can more easily recruit people to his crew 3. Any officers he recruits from any navy is just as skilled as he and his original crew is Goals: 1. Wipe out British forces and presence from the sea 2. Convert more people from the navy be it from Spain, Britain, or France to your pirate cause. Lewis Guittar Growing up in Paris an orphan and Lewis did not care for the stories of Robin Hood or the Good Samaritan because to him they were not real and were in any way realistic. The only person who could do anything for him was himself because he had been shunned his own people and not given any help. Cheating, lying and stealing his way through his childhood the idea of being a pirate was not anything harrowing to Lewis because he had already in his opinion done worse. After being under a captain who led him and his shipmates into endless bloody battles Lewis had enough and led his crewmates to mutiny against his captain. Assuming power Lewis decided that naval warfare was not in his interests, so he instead made it a habit to take fights with ships under the guise of darkness with quick strikes similar to guerilla warfare. Having heard of the treasure of the Bermuda Triangle it is in the best interests of Lewis to never allow himself to be vulnerable like he once was by claiming this treasure and making sure to use it to make himself powerful. Powers: 1. Can sneak attack ships to make your attacks much more effective and destructive 2. Has taught his crew very well in the art of deception, and pickpocketing which can be used to great effect for stealing or getting out of dangerous situations. Goals:

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1. Claim the Bermuda Triangle treasure and establish yourself as pirate king to establish your power 2. Wipe out and rob many French ships to take revenge against them for your childhood Maniac, Chaotic, Unhinged, Loose Cannon. These are all words that can be used to describe Edward Low who growing up very poor in Westminster, London did not start off this way. Said to be a very optimistic and bright boy albeit one with a darker moral code than others. Edward planned to put his hard past behind when moving to Boston, Massachusetts with his pregnant wife. However, he could not escape it as in a sad twist of fate Edward’s wife and child died due to complications in birth. Mentally snapping Edward left Boston and became a pirate. Low embraced life of a chaotic evil pirate who was willing to do whatever grotesque thing he wanted if it brought a smile to his face. Unlike many other brutal pirates Low was brutal for the thrill of it not for the advantage it granted. Seeing many people overlooking pirates Edward wants to establish pirate kind as people to be feared. To that end, Edward wants to become pirate king for who else could establish his kingdom of derangement and chaos besides a man with nothing to else to lose. Powers: 1. Your crew is incredibly loyal to you due to them either sharing your ideals of chaos 2. No ship will attack you at first in fear of the brutal retaliation that will come. Goals: 1. Establish yourself as pirate king to usher in an age of pirate superiority 2. Create as much as chaos as you can within the royal navies.

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