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Flintlock History: The Age of Piracy 1664-1674 In 1690, during the Golden Age of Piracy, Ms Annabelle Flint arrived in Tobago with her mother. ‘Twas a brutal uncertain time, with the Dutch, English, Spanish, Swedish, and French all fighting over the island, not to mention conflict with indigenous population. By the Time Ms Flint was fifteen (in 1694), the young rapscallion had decided her mothers’ life of drink, endless toil, and penniless hardship was not for her. No, ‘twas to be a pirates’ life. Joining up (dressed as a young boy) on the nefarious Black Flag, captained by the daring Captain Hawk, she scrubbed decks and hoisted sails. For all her powers of deception, she was eventually outed as a girl (or, by that time, more accurately a fair maiden). But by that time she had friends on the crew, grit in her mettle, and could handle the ship as well as anyone. Piracy, in them days, was open to women and slaves and all sorts. So competent was Ms. Flint that when the daring Captain Hawk was lost at sea, celebrating his latest victory by getting blind drunk and dancing on deck in the middle of a ferocious storm (with predictable “Man overboard” results), that Ms. Flint seized her opportunity to become Captain Flint, pirate of the Black Flag, at the “Tender” age of 22 (1671) And so began a three year history of the most successful plunder and loot, where Captain Flint and the Black Flag roamed the seas, changing allegiances from one European power to the next, and helping themselves to much bounty. History: The Island of the Unspeakable One (1674-1675) Not all good things last for ever. The rum and gold will run out soon enough. In this case, the end was from another pirate, the mysterious Captain Blood, who had had enough of the competition. The Black Flag had sunk many a pretender, but was undone by an equally cunning (or, in this case, more cunning) captain. Down it went, complete with all crew. Captain Flint survived, hiding under upturned wreckage. Her only hope was to swim the seas. Despite the odds, she made found her way to a small uncharted island, exhausted, hungry, and dehydrated. Here, her good fortune was to be marred by ill fate. The Island was home to a cult, who worshipped the Unspeakable one and all his unspeakable kindred. The cultists were odd, deranged, devolved, eating strange deformed fish, and howling simian songs. Initially, Captain Flint found herself in a robust iron pot, underneath a fire, ready to be literally cannibalised. However, she managed to persuade the cultist’s head sorcerer, Tul C’Tul, that she would be more useful as a serving wench than a meal. And so entered a year of horrible servitude to the mad sorcerer. Despite miserable circumstance, Ms. Flint was not to let opportunity waste. Instead, she studied the mad cultist, his ways, and his strange and horrible texts and tomes. She had an aptitude for such strange and horrible knowledge it seemed. For whence a year had passed, the young Ms. Flint caved in the head of Tul C-Tul with a blunt spoon. Sneaking of the vile island with a few of those horrible tomes, she set about summoning the deep ones, degenerate tribes of the deep sea, and bade them do her will. Into the seas they took her, till she had reached the very spot the Black Flag had sunk… History: Sailing strange Tides (1675 onwards) ...And using horrible magick, of which little should be said and less should be heard, a dreadful leviathan arose. In its mighty tentacles, the Black Flag, reborn. Blacker than ever, faster than ever, the Black Flag was manned with the undead, now more loyal than ever to the might sorcerer-pirate-queen of the seas. Plunder there was to be had, there was no doubt. But Captain Flint had changed on the island of the unspeakable one. She had seen horrors, terrors, and aberrations that could not be forgotten, and surpassed any mortal cruelty she had seen on the seas and oceans. With time, Captain Flint and the Black Flag changed course. Cults and degenerate tribes were broken and scattered. Horrible creatures banished. Sorcerers vanquished. Necromancers killed (well, killed again). Even other pirates fell to the cannons of the Black Flag and the sorcery of Captain Flint. And stranger shores beckoned. Firstly, the shores of all five continents. Then, beyond, into the oceans of other worlds and moons, of liquid ether and the void of the astral plane. To the plateau of Leng, to the piping madness in the centre of the universe. Over the years, Captain Flint has sailed countless seas and met countless mariners. She had a furious affair with Captain Nemo, drunk with Captain Ahab, visited Ry’leh and its dreaming horror, and navigated the jungle-rivers of Barsoom. Costume and Appearance Flintlock looks like a pirate, although she does vary her garb. On modern day Earth, for instance, she will sometimes dress as a sailor of modern times. She generally prefers pirate garb, however, with a nice pirate hat. Her appearance is of a tallish woman of average build, sun-browned, with dark red hair normally loose and long. She has a few tattoos of arcane or mundane type. She normally carries a flint lock pistol and a knife. For all her sorcerous power, Flintlock is reluctant to use such witchcraft, due to the danger to others and her self. If she can get away with a knee to the nether regions or a shot of her pistol, then that is what she would do. Summoning the horrors beyond the mortal veil. (Powers) Flintlock can summon and command arcane creatures from other dimensions (or even our own). Such horrors are usually used to spectrally manipulate; grasping, biting, crushing, throwing, holding inanimate or animate things. For instance, a ghostly leviathan might wrap spectral tentacles around a man, and haul him to the skies (or crush the air from him). She can also use such horrors to possess a man, driving him mad, insane, or filling him with passion (of one sort or another). Flintlock’s spirit can also leaver her body, travelling the world (and many worlds) on the astral plane. The Black Flag The Black Flag is a medium sized privateer from the Golden Age of Piracy, and a fine ship she is. She has a rather black appearance, and a jet black flag. It is armed with port and starboard cannons that are enchanted and powerful. The Black Flag can skim through even rough waters at amazing speed, and can easily outrun even the fastest marine vessel. It can summon rough storms around it to improve its advantage, since it simply cuts through waves without difficulty (whilst other vessels will be thrown by such weather). The Black Flag is manned by Captain Flintlock herself, and ten undead crew (the “Skeleton Crew”). It also has a pet parrot, Beaky. The Skelton Crew (of the Black Flag) Then Skeleton Crew are the ten undead crewmembers of the Black Flag. The appearances given below are of their “alive” appearance, an illusion that masks the rotting flesh and bones that are there true (and horrific) appearance. Handsome Jack, First Mate German. Handsome Jack is a middle aged bald man. His already unattractive face is further distorted by a “X” of scars running lopsided over his face. Handsome Jack is, however, an expert sailor and knows how to handle maritime war. “Lash”, Carpenter / Shipwright Freed-Slave, Lash is a large, rotund man with jet black skin and a loud laugh. His back is a network of livid scars. Despite his jocularity, he will come down hard on anyone who does not pay respect to the Black Flag. He uses a whip instead of a sword; perhaps because he used to have a particularly cruel “master” when he was a slave. Sweet Jennie, Gunner Swedish. Sweet Jennie is a petite woman with almost platinum blonde hair and shining blue eyes, who wears formless and unattractive clothes. Sweet Jennie is a dour sarcastic woman with a cruel tongue, who is generally nasty to everyone. Her only love are the cannons of the black Flag, which she dotes on almost romantically. Monkey Spike, Lookout English. Spike the Monkey is the lookout of the Black Flag, nearly always manning the Crow’s Nest. He is a thin, wiry fellow of young years. He has very tall, spiked red hair. Spike the Monkey is quite at home in the Crow’s nest, with good eyes and a natural flair for climbing rigging. Gaston “Gutboy”, Cook French. Gutboy is short and fat with long greasy grey hair and a stained apron. He was the ships cook. Now, he only occasionally cooks for Captain Flintlock (the only person who actually needs to eat). He fancies himself as much more of a cook than he is, although truth be told he is not actually that bad. One-Eyed Pete, Ship-hand English. One-Eyed Pete is an average build man with an eye patch and a pony tail of dark hair. He always carries around a pack of thumbed cards and some dice. He has a habit of licking his lips around money or wealth in a rather unbecoming way. Perhaps the greediest of the Black Flag, One-eyed Pete loves to gamble, and loves to cheat at cards (which is how he lost his eye in the first place…) Ginger Rose, Ship-hand Irish. Ginger Rose is a pleasant looking red haired woman, slightly short and slightly plump, fairly easy on the eye and probably the nicest member of the Black Flag. Ginger Rose looks after the Black Flag’s parrot, Beaky. Thin Lucy, Ship-Hand Ex Slave, Lucy is tall and obese, dark skinned and dark haired, but surprisingly agile for her size. Not the hardest worker of the crew, Lucy loves music and dance, often leading the crew in a song (and distracting them from other tasks). She carries a beaten up fiddle. She uses a stout wooden stick to fight with rather than a cutlass. Billy the Fish, Ship-Hand Ex-Slave, A capable strong, even handsome young man with long black hair and a deep brown colour to his skin, Billy the Fish is a jovial crewman, who is a natural underwater. Now he no longer needs to breathe, he is often found swimming the shallows, exploring the seabed contentedly. Billy is a strong contender for the nicest member of the Black Flag, one who does not actually enjoy piracy or violence (or even drink) but has fallen in love with the sea. Razor Renzo, Ship-Hand Italian. Razor Rezno is a short white haired middle aged man of average build and dark eyes. He has weathered brown skin. He is all smiles and charm initially (or at least, he thinks he is charming) but is also deeply paranoid. “Razor” is wanted for several counts of murder as well as Piracy (admittedly, three centuries ago), and whilst loyal to the Black Flag, is, as they say “a nasty piece of work” who thinks nothing of cutting throats and back stabbing. Fortunate, it is, that Captain Flint has the Skeleton Crew tightly bound and commanded by her magicks…