Seventh Sea

[CosmicWeinerDog]

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We gave them no quarter and then we did hear​

That for to engage us they did volunteer.​

They trebled our metal with e'en two for one,​

But Fortune's kind favor saved Freedom's bold son...​

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Then Dighton cried out, "Now the battle is o'er,​

Let the Brits learn this lesson and teach it on shore,​

Go back to their country and friends and take care​

To treat well in future each prisoner of war!"​

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To conduct the Brits back we the Tiger then gave,​

Our seamen were generous and valiant and brave;​

Then down to Tortuga with our corvette we bore,​

And on the next morning we all jumped ashore...​

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Drink a health to each seaman that ploughs the rough main.​

May each, crowned with laurels, return home again.​

May the fair of our country some gratitude show​

To the sons of the ocean that fight the proud foe...​

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And as for brave Dighton, our true valiant friend,​

May glories pursue him while honors attend,​

And when he does die may each seaman draw near,​

Come kneel at his tombstone and let fall a tear...​

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- An Excerpt from Bold Dighton,​

Author Unknown​

I remember the Death of Tortuga...


It was a quiet death, not one of banners and bloodshed but rather one of paper. We had all seen it's coming. The turn of the decade brought acts of parliament under the English flag, forbidding sailing beneath foreign colors. It was ironic really, it hadn't been the first time a reign in was attempted. I was young when it happened, but I recall a time when boats of French prostitutes were shipped overseas in a means to normalize what was considered "unruly pirate life". Needless to say, the end result hadn't panned out the way it was initially planned. When sex doesn't work, does one resort to politics? Perhaps so...

For the better part of a half century, the island's colonies had been held independent of a standing army. France and England both made claim to the territories along the island but the hold was in name only. Privateers held the grounds, manned the docks and fueled the economy. An army of convenience; unpaid, unsupplied and maintained completely on it's own volition. Pirates, free men. The situation wasn't ideal for either empire, but the hold served as a barrier against the long reach of Spain. With that barrier came our Solidarity.





When the Spanish armada touched our beaches in 1654, it was our boots on the front lines. To those of us who laid our head on the shores of Tortuga, it was more than a haven between voyages. The island was home. Even so, the Spanish fleet proved too great. When the Docks fell to invasion, it was only a matter of time before a change in the colors.

It took the better part of a year for us to win the Haven back. Fighting from ditches and tree lines we outlasted the invading force as they struggled against their own limitations. Supplying a land war from across an ocean is never easy. Doing it when your enemy knows ever inch of the Island you happen to be trespassing on? Much less so. We earned back our home, but our stumble had caught the eyes of England and France. Slowly, the nations began a more active approach to secure their investment. Bastards.

1684 was the nail in the coffin. The year gave way to the Truce of Ratisbon and just like that Pivateering was made illegal. To fly beneath the protection of a foreign banner was punishable on penalty of death. Without what little protection that sovereignty gave us, our safety net was discarded. A few of the more resourceful lots banded together and set off for Port Royal. Rumor had it the dock was still untouched by the slowly encroaching imperialism, but no one knew for sure. Pirates too stubborn to give up their claim to the Island of Tortuga were easily picked off. The rest of us were forced to find our nitches as simple men. Blacksmiths and woodshapers. Innkeeps and masons.

But we never forgot our place on the high seas and we never forgave the bastards that took it from us.

-Rodger "The Codger" Vane

 

[CosmicWeinerDog]

Seventh Sea is a Reboot of the Kurosawa classic "Seventh Samurai" set in 1684 in the decline of the Golden Age of Piracy. It will semi closely follow the First Maroon War of Jamaica which lasted 76 years between the British and the Maroons, a culture of liberated slaves that broke from their bonds and took hold on the island.

Considering these themes, a disclaimer is to be had. This RP will deal in death, racism, nationalism and the lack there of, and make mentions to other less appealing topics the like of Rape, murder and genocide. It is, after all, a Pirate story.

Characters will be established Veterans of Tortuga. Each player in their own right will have been forcibly retired by either the French or English empire. Their assets removed, their weapons disarmed, their companies dismantled. Tortuga sits as a shadow of what it once was, doomed to fall in line beneath the banner of a nation from an ocean away. While I won't dictate how you create your character, there needs to be some sense of longing to have back the way things were before the change. Be that and anger at the nations that made the change, a longing to find yourself back at sea, or just the urge to plunder. In classic Seventh Samurai format, a handful of Maroons will find their way to Tortuga and recruit a crew of which to help stand against the English. I'd also like to avoid -good- characters per se though I'll let you be the judge of what that means. Redemption of past sins will be a loosely referenced underlined theme through out the story.

I will start the IC thread as soon as I have six players (Seven counting Vane).

I'd also very much like -one- of the seven to be aloof, or particularly different from the rest of the characters in some manner. Kurosawa did this by making Toshiro Mifune's character a drunkard, which was drastically different than the other Noble samurai that made up the lot. This story kind of reverses that play, but I won't dictate how you establish said character. The thirteenth warrior did it with Eben, an Arab among Vikings. Samurai Seven did it with Katsushiro, a young and inexperience Samurai who wanted to be a focal character's student. The possibilities are endless. Keep in mind there's only room for one character that fits this role and the slot is first come first serve. Regardless of the placeholder, that character will play a vital role in the dynamics of the group and the telling of the story.

Character format will be as follows:

Name: What they call you

Appearance: What you look like. Feel free to provide a picture, but don't skimp on the actual description.​

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Former occupation: What you did before the Truce​

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Current Occupation: What you're doing now and how you got there.​

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Itch: What calls you back to the way things were.​

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Quote: Something you'd say given the opportunity.​

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Which should, when it's all done, look something like this:​

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Name: Rodger Vane. Also known as "Rodger the Codger" "Codger Vane" or "The Codger"​

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Appearance:​

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The first thing that you notice as you look at the Codger 's face is a long black beard that's started to grey in more than a few places. Something that the man doesn't take kindly to when it's pointed out. Never one for Elaborate clothing or flashy appearance, the man appearance isn't something you'd expect of a retired Pirate captain. His hair is consistently matted, his clothes often riddled with dust and dirt, and he smells like salt and bourbon left out too long in the sun. A stout man, though the well defined lines of muscle do not show themselves quite like they used to. He looks worn, not in a battered way but more so like a race horse might after being locked up for good following a broken leg.​

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Former Occupation: A few years prior to the Spanish raid of Tortuga in 1654, Rodger commanded a ship called the Mid Summer Night's Queen Which served as a smuggling vessel of plundered cargo back and forth from modern day Cuba. The ship was an inheritance from his father who had died early from a similar occupation. During the raid, the Codger sat as one of the front line ships that established the initial bulwark baring the Spanish Armada.​

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Current Occupation: Not much of anything. Shortly following the initial onslaught, Vane's ship was torn through and left for to float aimlessly in the sea surrounding Tortuga. The battered captain managed to limp the Vessel back to shore, waterlogged and barely held together. It was here the ship was beached as the Captain joined the Guerrilla tactics of the ground forces against the Spanish. When the invasion was finally quelled, the beached ship evolved into a sort of house for the vet. The Captain contracted himself to other ships when the opening presented itself, but the Midsummer never sailed again. Over the years as the Empire's rules became more strict, Vane slowly began repairs on the ship to make it more fitting as a domicile. The only reason further regulation hasn't come down on the transport, is that it hasn't moved in 30 years. When the need demands itself, the Codger works his hand at wood craft. Usually though, he sticks to the ruins of the Midsummer, disgruntled and angry.​

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Itch: Vane remembers a time where man with enough Grit and some ambition would answer to no one. Nationalism be damned. The days where a cheat could either be shot or bought a drink considering the circumstance. As Tortuga becomes more Civilized, he finds himself more and more an outcast. Unable to discard the creeds of a Privateer from which he based the best years of his life upon.​

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"When sex doesn't work, does one resort to Politics?" ​

 

[CosmicWeinerDog]

Rules are as follows!

1) Obey the rules of Iwaku. Violators will be thrown Overboard.

2) Don't God Mod, I will punch you in the eyeball.

3) No character is accepted until I like it.

4) I very much appreciate dolled up posts. Feel free to get fancy with colors, pictures and fonts.... even though the new site format makes it a touch difficult. While they are appreciated, they are not required.

5) OOC commentary will be posted and displayed here. PLEASE use it. This is a story being told as a group. If you have questions, comments, lines of advice, be open to share it and it might change the direction of the story.

6) Any particularly graphic scene like Sex and the like should be referenced passively and held to a "Fade out" written style.

7) This will be a literary driven RP on the Intermediate/advance level. While I don't mean to ward anyone off, things like one sentence posts will likely offset the pace of the narrative. Please avoid these.

8) I usually update my RPs at a semi leisurely pace. Generally once a week but occasionally twice with the occasion really calls for it.

9) While totally not required, I encourage folk to check out the following wikis:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tortuga_(Haiti)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Ratisbon

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Age_of_Piracy
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Maroon_War

 

[Z'Greel]

Name: Jeremiah Silver. Also known as "Shiny Jerry", "That rich git", or as he prefers "The Trader of Marques."

Appearance:
Jeremiah is a man who takes good care of his looks, especially compared to most other occupants of Tortuga. He makes sure to keep his hair and mustache well kept, and not too long, almost giving him the appearance of a high-ranking officer from a navy, rather than a privateer.
He tends to wear rather expensive boots, a fine pair of leather pants, a white shirt, a dark blue coat, with a yellow lining, as well as a big, fancy hat that matches his coat. All of which are kept clean, and again, making him look more like a officer of a navy, rather than his true profession.


Former occupation:
Formerly a merchant, who turned to privateering, not as much for profit, as for the excitement. His attacked both the French and the British, like so many others, with his flagship, "The Eternal Revenge." He had gotten said ship from his father, who was a very rich merchant. He made sure to commandeer a few of the ships he attacked to do legal mercantile business for him, ensuring a income for him, even when the British and French didn't hire as many of his kind.


Current Occupation:
Currently, Jeremiah is a trader. What was once a feared ship for all traders is now just another trader. Just another, larger, and better protected trader. One that deals mostly with local trade, with the odd sailing to Europe for when he has a large enough stock of tobacco and spices for it to be worth it. He earns plenty of money for a comfortable living, having a modest estate and the finest of many things. But still just a trader, just like any other...

Itch:
...And he loathes it. No longer is he a man who strikes fear into the hearts of merchants. No longer can he get a very unfair advantage on his opposition by raiding them, and them specifically. No longer can he enjoy the thrill of battle, unless he is attacked by pirates.
At least not without becoming a outlaw, which he damn well is not!

Quote:
"Any man can become rich. Yet only those who truly enjoy it can become feared."

 

[CosmicWeinerDog]

Heh, a crooked merchant. Yeah that'd fit proper decent. Be interesting to see the dirty side of Commerce in a pirate crew.

I might fanangle you to add a little bit more to the Occupation sections as to flesh out the character, but I like the premise. Looks good.

 

[Z'Greel]

Yeah, I suppose that one is a bit short. But I could add some more about what kind of merchant he is. What wares he traces, and whatnot.

But thankies for the comment :3

 

[CosmicWeinerDog]

That'd be great. I'd appreciate it. Would give me fodder of how to interact with your character as far as the environment goes.

 

[Z'Greel]

Added a bit more. Don't really know what else to add to it :P

 

[CosmicWeinerDog]

That works for me, I appreciate it :P

 

[Z'Greel]

Hey, no worries :3

Now we just need the 5 others <.<

 

[CosmicWeinerDog]

Looks like this is a bust for the time being Ded.

Gonna scrap this in the meanwhile and build up rep for it. When Diana brings back the banner advertisement system, I'll give it another go. Appreciate the interest and we'll get it off the ground, just have to wait for the summer rush I think.

 

[Requiem]

(Note, I'm tired and it's 3:30 in the morning, and I'll be going to sleep soon, I just wanted to post a bio before I did because this got my attention pretty strongly.)

Name: Zaigou "Requiem" Mortalis

Appearance: The marks along his arm that are glowing are obviously not. They are tattoos, dark, deep, and black. I'd edit it to show as much, but I lack the skill to do so. His hair is longer as well, and darker. He keeps it tied back and out of the way most of the time, though he doesn't ever seem to cut it as he considers himself to look better with it longer. He stands at an even six feet tall, and his eyes are a dull grey colour.



Former occupation: Zaigou's family emigrated to Spain a few generations back, losing almost everything from their heritage but the language. As such, they always named their children with words from the old language. Zaigou was the oldest son, born out of wedlock, and so in keeping with tradition, gave him a name that fit. Sin. This didn't phase him though, and Zaigou led a simple life. He built coffins for the dead, and the living in their preparations. When times changed, he changed with them, taking up a long rifle, he found that he could kill people on opposing ships more accurately than many using their cannons could. It was during his service as a rifleman that he earned the nickname Requiem, as every shot he rang off resonated with the force of the old church Requiem Bells. He found the ease of pulling the trigger to actually be relaxing, and found himself killing more and more opposing units with less difficulty, loading, setting, and firing within moments of each other.

Current Occupation: Zaigou returned to building Coffins, making them slightly more decorative. When he wasn't building coffins he was usually engaged in light drinking, or carving the coffins into unique designs, sometimes both. He plays chess occasionally as well. Occasionally, when the mood strikes him, and he finds he can get away with it, he indulges in his need to kill, a little more silently. Cutting people open while they're still alive, just so he can see how their body's work. He's cold when he does it, methodical. Like skinning a deer. When he's finished, he just digs a new hole, drops the body in one of his coffins and buries them up. Sometimes they're still alive, but his coffins are solid, and he knows that nobody would ever be getting out.

Itch: Once he had killed, he couldn't stop. It was in his blood. It came too easy for him, and once he'd started he was hooked. He was always on edge, finding himself having dreams about the men he'd killed. Not nightmares, dreams. He could still feel the calm that took him as he killed the enemy soldiers. He wanted that back, the peace and quiet that only killing a man could give.

"I build coffins like you've never seen, perhaps one day I'll build yours."

(And now that I've finished it's nearly four in the morning, and I'm off to bed, good night)

 

[Z'Greel]

Well, it seems its not completely dead. So... Do we hope for more, or do we let the new guy put it in a coffin.

 

[CosmicWeinerDog]

Lets give it a bit longer then. See where it takes us.

APPLICATIONS ARE OPEN FOR FOUR MORE SLOTS :D

 

[Z'Greel]

COME ON PEOPLE! YOU CAN BE MIGHTY PIRATES! DOING PIRATY STUFF! YOU KNOW YOU WANT TO!

 

[CosmicWeinerDog]

http://www.iwakuroleplay.com/threads/mo-frakkin-pirates.27384/

Can you say shameless self advertisement?

Oh yeah, I totally went there. I'mma have this premise rollin' yet.

 

[Requiem]

Nice. I also sent out an invitation to a writer friend of mine. She's quite talented, just waiting on her to get online.

 

[Iron Men And Saints]

Name: Lucifus Cromwell

Appearance: He was a very fancy dressing man. He looked like nobility or an officer of some sort. He bore no signs of Nationality though. He had brown hair and brown eyes. His face was rigid and he had a look in his eye that meant business. He was a small man but his coat made him look more menacing. He had a certain swagger when he walked that gave off the essence of someone important or some form of command. He wore a sword and you wouldn't doubt that he knew how to use it based upon his demeanor.

Spoiler

Former occupation: Before the truce Lucifus was a bounty hunter. He would be hired by pirates and governors to capture someone. Dead or alive. He would take requests and find plenty of posters of people that had a price on their heads. He was good at what he did. Lucifus had built up a reputation for being Tortuga's best bounty hunter and assassin. He would be often seen in the corners of bars or hitching a ride on the strangest of privateer's ships. It was all of course to add an air of mystery which was needed for his job. Your target didn't need to recognize you from a mile away. He knew how to stand out and be obscure. To say the least he was good at what he did.

The story of how he started was a complicated one. He grew up under a Irish - English family that was rather poor. He lived on the streets and eventually made a gang. He learned how to murder and do it cleanly. He then got the idea to make a quick coin for bashing peoples heads in. Pretty soon he was captured by the local guard for being an assassin and the Lord offered him a deal. If he would stop brutally killing random people and started to kill people with bounties on their heads, he would be free to go. Agreeing quickly to this he was set on the job. He finally earned enough coin and learned how to be a noblemen from the Lord he was servicing After a few years he began to move around from England to other countries and as a young lad he traveled to Tortuga to make his living. He figured Privateers had enough coin to pay off killing whoever they wanted and that he had earned his freedom. He decided he would make the most money in the Caribbean. Once he arrived he soon engaged himself in the community and make a living.

Current Occupation: Because France and England disliked assassins or bounty hunters that didn't work for them specifically it wasn't the most smiled upon occupation. Soon he decided it would be better to looked at as a normal citizen. Law abiding. So he stopped with the killing business and moved into private security and escort work. He figured it would keep his whits sharp and make him enough money to survive. Lucifus would act as a body guard for people around Tortuga and soon enough he was running a small company that had hired plenty of big strong men to help people through the city and avoid being mugged or worse.

Itch: There wasn't much money in the security guard occupation. While he had made enough to survive he wasn't living in Wealth like he had before. He missed the anticipation of the fight or putting someone in chains and taking them off to serve their sentence. It was a personal thrill for him. But not with the new laws and customs he wouldn't be able to run it and make a profit. Money was first for him.

Quote: "Every man dies just as much as the next man does."

( I would be happy to make any revisions, it was rather quick. Any questions, concerns, comments, constructive criticism and compliments are welcome and will be replied to! )

 

[CosmicWeinerDog]

If you don't mind, I'm going to request a slight revision.

An assassin/bounty hunter role is completely fitting, however there's a few places in the description that my nitch for realism is bugging me. Keep in mind, not trying to write your character, but I'm trying to keep it in the realm of being semi historically possible.

No qualms on the appearance. If you wouldn't mind I'd like you to flesh out the current occupation aspect a little bit. If your character runs a Private Security Firm, I might write it in that the company is a major plot point and use it extensively in the storyline. You mentioned it briefly, but I need an understanding of size, staffing, job outreach, client base, and limitations invoked by the treaty (Which I can help you with if you want)

Though the one that's not sitting snug is the former operation bracket, mainly some of the coming of age aspects of the paragraph. I'll run a line by line. Don't get me wrong, I like the premise and you clearly put work into. It's because the sucker has quite a bit potential that I'm interested in it's refining :)

Before the truce Lucifus was a bounty hunter. He would be hired by pirates and governors to capture someone. Dead or alive. (So he was a freelance thug. Understandable especially considering the lawless aspect of the region) He would take requests and find plenty of posters of people that had a price on their heads. (Here's my first issue, I'm all for the classic wanted poster but you have to keep in mind that the workings of Tortuga were very much based in Corrupt applications of power during the Golden Years of Piracy. Things functioned much more on a Private scale Vs. an acting government. In a weird way, the outlaws that held the region kept it protected from the threat of invading countries (Specifically Spain). Now in an active Government, putting up a poster for a bounty on an established criminal can work because the Government is an organization that pretty much has expanded past the victimization through Blackmail, extortion, or personal threats (Usually). Usually however, this practice is frowned upon as soliciting vigilante justice on judicial criminals carries a bad image. To a citizen, seeing that creates an understanding that the government is incompetent and is unable to catch outlaws. On a private scale however, putting up a poster saying you want someone dead not only advertises the person the contract's listed to, but also advertises the person offering the bounty. In a place like Tortuga and how I'm planning the description of the Golden Age, It's much more likely that these exchanges of "Marking Targets" were very much cloak and dagger and done under the table. This practice was and is likely carried out both the private sector and the public sector) He was good at what he did. Lucifus had built up a reputation for being Tortuga's best bounty hunter and assassin. (In the business of contract killing, this is not a good thing. Being famous means being available as a target. Easy to track. Facial recognition) He would be often seen in the corners of bars or hitching a ride on the strangest of privateer's ships. It was all of course to add an air of mystery which was needed for his job. (Mystery isn't so much needed for the job of assassination. That's more the Mob boss, gang leader, crew chief role. Anonymity is.) Your target didn't need to recognize you from a mile away. He knew how to stand out and be obscure. To say the least he was good at what he did.

The story of how he started was a complicated one. He grew up under a Irish - English family that was rather poor. He lived on the streets and eventually made a gang. He learned how to murder and do it cleanly. He then got the idea to make a quick coin for bashing peoples heads in. Pretty soon he was captured by the local guard for being an assassin and the Lord offered him a deal. If he would stop brutally killing random people and started to kill people with bounties on their heads, he would be free to go. (Eh... Keep in mind you're living in a time period where being caught for Theft warranted you the loss of your pinky and ring finger on your non dominant hand. Being caught for murder as an un established peasant? Likely wouldn't have ended well. There needs to be something more fitting here.) Agreeing quickly to this he was set on the job. (Even if such was the case, that's not likely something that would have happened without some semblance of verification. "Guard: Hey, you should only kill people with bounties." "You: Okay. Want me to check in with you on a regular basis to see that I'm sticking to our deal?" "Guard: No, that's cool. You run off now." See my meaning?) He finally earned enough coin and learned how to be a noblemen from the Lord he was servicing After a few years he began to move around from England to other countries and as a young lad he traveled to Tortuga to make his living. He figured Privateers had enough coin to pay off killing whoever they wanted and that he had earned his freedom. He decided he would make the most money in the Caribbean. Once he arrived he soon engaged himself in the community and make a living.

Not to be a nag, but you're falling into a practice that's very common with the trends of modern media. You have an unrealistic expectation of what it is to be a contract killer. This isn't a bad thing, and if the game were more based in a "Romp" sort of fashion, rather than one of historical relevancy, I'd be all for it. I can't shake the mindset through that if I allow this, it'll make for problems in the future. If you could retool the idea a bit and let me know, I'd much appreciate it. Also, if you need a hand at all in the creation process, I'm more than happy to give you my two cents. :D

 

[The Great Me!]

I'll join soon! Wanted to do my bio tonight but I have a splitting migrain that keeps persisting and can't seem to decide which character of mine I want to use just yet(though I have a good idea which ones to choose from). Just wanted to let you know and hopefully take one of the spots before it disappears XD

Question: Are we limited to one character or is two allowed? I figure only one to allow everyone to play one of the seven but I figured I'd ask since it'll effect what character(s) I play.