The Characters of ERAs 2
- This topic has 1 reply, 1 voice, and was last updated 9 years, 10 months ago by
.
-
-
So here is a list of the Characters of GOF ERAs2 with their bios as they appear in the game. As I continue to build the illustrated game guide book (that will be in PDF and downloadable), there will be portraits posted with each bio. There are 15 more being developed but I am keeping them all a secret right now. If a celebrities face was used to make the character, I have listed the name of the person to the right of each character name in parenthesis. Some faces no longer look like the people I took them from because I had to stretch the faces over the model meshes. There are others, but I may have used eyes from one – and lips from another, etc… I reused George Clooney’s eyes on numerous characters – and his hair as well. LOL
If you have ideas for more characters please let me know. MK
Peter Blood
hero_1 {A character for the Expert player… Rafael Sabatini’s famous fictional character Peter Blood was a skilled and compassionate Irish doctor who was seized during the “Bloody Assizes” for giving medical treatment to rebels. 1400 men lost their lives charged with treason. Blood managed to escape the headsman’s axe but was sentenced to be a slave in the Caribbean for the rest of his life. Though fate has dealt him the cruelest of hands, he can escape, using all his wits to solve riddles of survival and face insurmountable odds to gain his freedom. But what then? Will he continue to strive for good, or surrender to revenge and evil?
}Nicolaus Van Hoorn
hero_2 {Van Hoorn started his career in the Dutch merchant service earning enough to buy his own vessel. From there Van Hoorn became a true Vrijbuiter(freebooter) trading with and privateering for numeous Caribbean cities. Extremely crafty Van Hoorn amassed a fortune, sometimes turning on the ships charged to his protection. Ordering a special ship armed with heavy armaments from England (The Saint Nicholas Day), Van Hoorn began trading in slaves & became a full fledged pirate. His fortune made him one of the most successful pirates in history until he teamed up with De Graaf and Andrieszoon in the sack of Vera Cruz in 1683.
}Diego Espinoza
hero_3 {A character for an Adventurous player… \nWhere does a man find power? In money and in might. And where does a man find those? In his knowledge and skill, or in the skills of others. A knack for finding the right solutions, and a passion for wealth, have led our hero on an strange adventure in the Caribbean. Working under special secret orders from the Escorial itself, Espinoza is charged to work with Spanish governors to find and rid Nova Espania of any discovered piratical plottings.
}Roc Brasiliano (Temura Morrison)
hero_4 {Roc Brasiliano is a notorious Dutch pirate born in Groningen. As a youth his family moved to Dutch occupied Brazil & his real name is lost to time. He bagan his career as a Dutch Privateer but soon found himself in the employ of Henry Morgan with the English as well as Francois L’Olannais and the French. Roc’s preferred prey are Spanish ships & towns. Roc hates Spaniards so visciously he regards them lower than animals. Quite possibly insane, Brasiliano’s record of cruelty is unsurpassed in the pirate annals. He is known for torturing captives, cutting off pieces of their flesh with his blade & roasting them alive on a spit.
}Jacques Cassard
hero_5 {Captain Jacques Cassard is perhaps the most successful French privateer in history. Leading privateer fleets of combined navy and buccaneer forces he is extremely popular with his men and his bravery is unequalled. As just a young officer he led the successful French assault on Santo Domingo in 1697. He has successfully captured scores of rich prizes and raided dozens of Dutch & English towns during the Nine Years War and the War of Spanish Succession. His most daring acts were the ransoming of Surinam and seizure of Curacao in 1713. How sad that such great men as this are so easily and quickly forgotten.
}Antonio de Soto Meyor
hero_6 {An Inquisitor player for the Holy Catholic Church… After completeing several trials in Cartagena de Indias, Antonio has decided to spend some time in the Caribbean before returning home to Seville. Armed with a law degree and the Holy Scriptures, he has made it his mission to help the faithful by testing the strength of their faith – as well as rooting out witchcraft, Lutheran and Protestant heresy wherever they may be revealed throughout Nova Hispania.
}William Kidd (Sean Penn)
hero_7 {An infamous Scottish Privateer and Pirate born in 1645, Kydd’s career spanned the globe. He started in the Caribbean in 1689 where he first led a mutiny and took command of the Blessed William. Kydd acted as part of a Privateer fleet out of Nevis preying on French shipping. For a while Kydd hunted pirates, but over time he succumbed to pressure from his crew and turned pirate himself. His greatest prize was the American ship Quedagh Merchant under French letters. What will become of him?
}John Morris
hero_8 {John Morris is a man’s man and not prone to dandee fancy frivolous fandangery. One of the oldest privateers in the Carribean, John has hunted pirates for Governor Moodyford for years. Morris arrived in the “early days” and is a trusted agent of both Sir Christopher Myngs and Sir Henry Morgan – fighting by their sides many times. A capable commander, Morris took part in the great raids at Porto Bello, Maracaibo and Panama – but he is best known for his own brave raid on Villahermosa in 1665. Manuel Ribeiro Pardal is his sworn enemy.
}Eduardo Blomar
hero_9 {Sometimes ones own nationality means nothing when it comes to riches. Eduardo the Spaniard is an infamous freebooter that successfully carried out numerous raids against his own countrymen on both the Pacific and Atlantic coasts of New Spain. In 1679 Eduardo along with Bortolome Charpes and Juan Guartem carried out the famous Chepo raid in Panama. They were never caught…
}Michiel Andrieszoon
hero_10 {Michiel Andrieszoon is a well known Dutch privateer that has spent the majority of his time as Laurens de Graaf’s (“number one”) 1st Lieutenant. Under the great de Graaf he has learned his trade well and was one of the primary captains that made the great 1683 raid on Vera Cruz so successful. Michael was also there for the famous battle outside Cartagena where they were far outnumbered by Spanish forces. Andrieszoon fought by De Graaf’s side in the taking of his famous “Christmas Present”, the galleon San Fransisco from the Governor of Cartegena and he drafted the letter “thanking” the Governor for the Spanish ships.
}Juan de Alarcon
hero_11 {Born into a noble family, Juan de Alarcon is a fine military officer & loyal Spanish Privateer hailing from Havana Cuba. With commissions issued by Governor Jose Fernandez de Cordoba, de Alarcon is charged with keeping northern Caribbean Spanish sea routes clear of pirates – a daunting task indeed. De Alarcon’s greatest success was the 1684 destruction of Charles Town colony in the Bahamas. English Governor Clarke was captured & burned at the stake for harboring pirates. The town, surrounding settlements & defenses were demolished – 700 captured colonists were taken back to the Inquisition in Cuba – fates unknown.
}Blaze Devlin
hero_12 {Captain Blaze Devlin is the main hero of the Age of Pirates game series. Young, handsome, adventurous, and daring, he seeks his fortune as he attempts to unravel his families mysterious and hidden past – and its close ties to piracy. Brave and skilled with a blade in battle, Devlin remains one of the best and most balanced choices of RPG characters in the game. Don’t forget that he has a step-sister and when they team up they are a powerful force indeed.
}Bartholomew Sharp
hero_13 {An English buccaneer born around 1650, Bartholomew Sharp was once an honest seaman, bosun, and navigator until he inadvertently fell in with pirates. He came to be elected as Captain by his cutthroat mates while sailing around the Horn of South America from the East Indies. Sharp is credited as the 1st Englishman to round Cape Horn from the east. After making the Caribbean, Sharp & crew took some 25 Spanish vessels and plundered dozens of Spanish settlements. When not pirating, Sharp is known to haunt the Danish settlement at Saint Thomas in the Virgin Islands.
}Olivier Levasseur
hero_14 {Olivier Levasseur was born of a wealthy French family in 1688. He obtained a commission in the French Navy and a Letter of Marque to privateer from King Louis XIV. Once the War of Spanish Succession ended he embraced the life of a corsair joining up with Benjamin Hornigold. He earned the nickname “La Buse or La Bouche”(The Buzzard) because of the speed and stealth with which he always attacked his enemies. He was a terror around Africa, Madagascar and the Indian Ocean, known for taking one of the Great Moghul’s treasure ships. Not historically a Caribbean pirate, he’s here in honor of his role in the classic “Captain Blood”.
}Sir Robert Holmes
hero_15 {Sir Robert Holmes is a notorious English Naval officer. Noted for his bravery both on land and sea, he ascended the ranks quickly to become Admiral. He’s a favorite of the Restoration government & King Charles II. His seizure of Dutch forts in Guinea, the destruction of Terschelling and 150 Dutch ships torched at Vlieland (the famous “Holmes Bonfire”), have made him severely hated by the Dutch who sent DeRuyter himself after the renegade into the Caribbean. Holmes hatred of the Dutch, and his reputation of fighting until ships are no longer seaworthy make him both feared and respected.
}David Marteen
hero_16 {Captain David Marteen has done it all. A famous Dutch privateer for hire, Marteen has sailed for the Dutch, French, & English. Though spending much of his time in Tortuga, Captain Marteen has hunted pirates for Moodyford as well. A friend and comrade of Henry Morgan himself, Marteen is famous as being the only Dutch captain to participate in Morgan’s legendary 1663-1665 raids deep into the heart of New Spain(modern Mexico & Nicuragua), covering a thousand miles while destroying many forts and plundering numerous major inland settlements. Although somewhat of a dandee, Marteen is deadly with a blade and not afraid to get dirty.
}Black Caesar
hero_17 {His African name lost to time, “Black Caesar” was a powerful African tribal Chieftain. Lured by slavers aboardship with promises of trade, Caesar & 20 African warriors took control after the ship made the Caribbean. The ship sank in a storm off the Florida Keys – only he a few of his men survived. Noted for his great size, strength & keen intelligence, Black Caesar founded a pirate haven on islands off Key Largo – known as Caesar’s Rock today. Said to have a harem, his operation took dozens of ships off the keys & he made a fortune in ransoms. He finally signed articles as Edward Teach’s(a.k.a. “Blackbeard”) chief lieutenant.
}Bartolomé Charpes
hero_18 {Although Spanish, Bartolomé Charpes knows it is his own countrymen that holds the greatest wealth within the Caribbean, and he is not afraid to take some of it for himself. Charpes is popular with his own people which gives him an edge. Yet he is an infamous freebooter that successfully carried out numerous raids against Panama and Central America on both coasts of the ithsmus. In 1679 Charpes along with Eduardo Blomar and Juan Guartem carried out the famous Chepo raid in Panama. They were never caught…
}Sir Christopher Myngs
hero_19 {Sir Christopher Myngs is a notorious English privateer and pirate. As much at home commanding buccaneer fleets as Royal Navy Squadrons, his many infamous deeds include the successful sackings of dozens of Spanish towns(including plundering the well defended city of Santiago Cuba in 1662). His depradations and massacres have caused the Spanish government to label him a “mass murderer” and demand his arrest and extradition from the English. The English however prefer to allow him to act as a free agent in order to undermine Spanish power across the Carribean.
}Miguel Henriquez
hero_20 {Born 1680 at San Juan Puerto Rico, Miguel started life as a simple shoemaker until the call of the sea intervened. Considered by many to be the 1st Puerto Rican entreprenuer, Henriquez was granted a letter of marque from the Spanish Crown acquired thru Gov. Jose Carreno to prey upon English ships. Henriquez saw great success taking dozens of prizes – making him the richest man in Puerto Rico, but also branding him a pirate by the English who offered great rewards for his capture. His greatest victory was the English defeat and capture of the island of Vieques. A national hero, he was awarded “La Medalla de Oro de la Real Efigie”.
}Cornelis Evertsen
hero_21 {An infamous privateer from one of the great Dutch naval families, Cornelis (de Jongste – also commonly known as “Kees(or Keesje) the Devil”) is a skilled naval commander with numerous victories against the English, French & renagade pirates. He is credited with plundering numerous Virginia plantations & destroying the entire English Tobacco fleet. He took part in DeRuyter’s famous punitive expedition to the Caribbean & retook New Amsterdam from the English. He’s also known for his famous defeat of the French fleet at the First Battle of Tobago & took part in the raid & siezure of Tobago thereafter under Commodore Jacob Binckes.
}Jeremy Pitt
hero_22 {Once considered nobility in England, Jeremy Pitt was arrested and put on trial for treason during the “Bloody Assizes” for his assistance to Peter Blood in giving medical aid to Monmouth rebels. Escaping the headsman, he was sentenced to work as a slave in the Caribbean. Fate caused him to trade his life of luxury for a life on the high seas along side his close friend Peter Blood.
}Laurens De Graaf
hero_23 {De Graaf is a legend with many daring exploits – some with famous wife Anne Dieu-le-Veut. De Graaf is one of the most successful pirates in history. Dutch by birth hailing from Dordrecht, De Graaf spends most of his time as a Vrijbuiter(freebooter), although he often works for the French who idolize him. Even Morgan describes him “a great and mischievous pirate”. De Graaf has commanded fleets of thousands combining forces with Nicholas Van Hoorn and Michiel Andrieszoon, taking scores of prizes and sacking dozens of towns – to include the heavily fortified Spanish treasure center at Vera Cruz itself in 1683.
}Rene Duguay-Troin
hero_24 {One of the greatest heroes of France, Admiral Duguay-Troin is among the most famous Privateers in history. Credited with capturing over 300 merchantmen and 20 warships from Holland and England, Duguay-Trouin’s prize money totals are second only to Cassard. Rising through the ranks quickly, he became the favorite of King Louis XIV. His greatest sea victory was The Battle of the Lizard in 1707. In 1711 he Overcame 12 Ships of the Line and five fortresses, defeating 12,000 defenders during his daring capture of “impregnable” Rio de Janeiro. Holding the governor for ransom, he was subsequently knighted and promoted to Admiral.
}Jan Willems
hero_25 {Jan “Yankey or Janke” Willems is an old corsair that is among the eldest members of the “Brethren of the Coast” – haunting the oceans of the world in pursuit of opportunity for decades. Though Dutch, he often finds employment with the English. He is well known and has sailed with many other notable Gentlemen of Fortune, including Michiel Andrieszoon, Thomas Paine, Laurens de Graaf, Nicholas van Hoorn and Michel de Grammont. He took part in De Graaf’s famous sack of Vera Cruz in 1683 and the raids on Cartegena and Campeche in 1684 & 1685. He may be old, but he’s as tough as nails and seen a thousand battles.
}Tavish Greaves
hero_26 {As pirates go, Captain Tavish “Red Legs” Greaves was not only a successful corsair, but also a lucky one. He managed to survive the life of piracy and live to a ripe old age. Greaves was born on Barbados, the son of enslaved Scottish Jacobites. He ran away in his teens and joined up with pirates. In time he became captain and went on to great sucess. Greaves was known to be both honorable and chivalrous and got his colorful nickname “Red Legs” from his sun-burned bare legged ancestors.
}Nathaniel Hawk
hero_27 {The first hero of the POTC/Corsairs game series, Hawk is still a fresh, quick RPC. A young and energetic corsair, “Always be ahead”, is his motto. Twice he has been captured and has escaped captivity both times. Each time he manages to escape and regain his liberty, he again quickly returns to his favorite pastime… being a Corsair.
}Samuel Bellamy
hero_28 {Born in England in 1689 “Black Sam” Bellamy went to sea as a young lad working for years as an honest seaman. Deciding upon a life of piracy in his twenties, fame found him quickly and Black Sam has the honor of amassing one of the largest treasure hauls in history. Leading a pirate fleet, he is credited with capturing over 53 prizes. Well liked and known as “The Prince of Pirates” for his chivalrous behavior and the good treatment and release of his prisoners. His crew often referred to themselves as “Robin Hood’s men”.
}Davy Jones (Ron Pearlman)
hero_29 {For Expert players only(swordplay is a challenge for this RPC). Ye know of Davy Jones, yes? Legendary & the archtypal pirate RPC for the more mature hellraiser. A man of the sea feared by all sailors, but who he is & wence he came are unknown. A Pirate of the Indies in the 1630s, he is rumored to have become a tavern keeper, capturing drunkards for the pressmen until the Devil took notice of his talents. A soul-compact was cast in blood, & Davy Jones takes the souls of wicked seamen – kept in his famous “Locker” in the ocean’s depths. Lieutenant of the old god Neptune himself, Jones fears nothing. Simply wild rumors surely…right?
}Francois L’Olannais
hero_30 {Francois L’Olannais is perhaps the greatest of French buccaneers. Every bit a pirate he also serves the interests of France, often sailing out of Tortuga. Early in his career L’Olannais faced great misfortune at Spanish hands & was left for dead during an attack. From then on, L’Olannais treated Spaniards with a sadistic hatred – sometimes beheading entire crews. His response to the Governor of Havana that: “I shall never henceforward give quarter to any Spaniard whatsoever”, became a piratical practice. L’Olannais is best known for his brutal sack of Maracaibo in 1667. His reputation of ferocity earned him the title “Bane of the Spaniards”.
}Erin O’Shiel
hero_31 {An RPC for the young…. or at least the young at heart YARRR. Erin O’Shiel is a brave and adventurous 16 year old Irish lad that has left the drudgery of surf rents and agricultural servitude to seek his fortune. Working his way over the seas to the West Indies aboard an English merchantman out of Kinsale he has immediately taken to the sailor’s life. What bold adventures lay ahead for him next?
}Mary Read
hero_32 {Mary Read is one of the most famous female pirates of history and the Golden Age. Read has been everywhere. She served with the Army of Flanders, married a Flemish soldier and purchased a tavern there with money made from her many lovestruck suitors. Upon her husband’s death she travelled to the West Indies and took up the life of piracy. Brave and skilled in wielding death, she is at home in men’s clothes as in women’s. She is extremely deadly and experienced, and has seen a lot of action. These days she can often be found with her friends “Calico Jack” Rackham and Anne Bonney.
}Anne Bonney
hero_33 {A young Irish lass born in 1702 to an impoverished family that immigrated to America when she was but a babe. Her successful father acquired a fortune in the mercantile trade but disowned his troublesome daughter in her teens who then eloped with a young pirate name James Bonny. The two found their way to Nassau in the Bahamas where young Anne fell in love with “Calico Jack” Rackham and she became his mistress – eventually having his child. Anne is plucky and will stab anyone that makes her angry. She has had many adventures with her good friends Jack Rackham and Mary Read and together they have wrought havoc.
}Danielle Greene
hero_34 {Not a historical personality, Danielle Greene is the first primary female character/RPC of the Seadogs/POTC/Corsairs series of games. It’s in tribute to that heritage that she is here now. Still a fresh, beautiful and charming character, she is fast on her feet and lightning quick with a blade. An excellent starting character for a beginner. Not one to shy away from adventure, Danielle is ambitious and intends to make her name known throughout the Caribbean. However she occassionally can’t help but wondering if she will ever run into her former love Nathaniel Hawk once again.
}Anne Dieu-le-Veut
hero_35 {Anne Dieu-le-Veut (Anne “Gods-wants-it”) fittingly named as it seems when she wants something, it’s as if God simply gives it to her. Even though commonly believed having a woman aboard ship is bad luck, Anne seems to bring good luck wherever she goes. Although she has captained ships of her own and has dressed as both man and woman, these days she is married to the legendary corsair Laurens de Graaf who she often accompanies – taking part in any skirmishes openly showing off her fine, feminine curves, and flamboyantly dressed as a woman.
}Beatrice Devlin
hero_36 {An Icon of the Age of Pirates/Corsairs game series, beautiful Beatrice Devlin is just as adventurous and plucky as her male counterparts and can stand on her own in any battle…even up against her handsome hero of a step-brother – Blaze Devlin. An extremely fast character both on foot and with a sword. An excellent choice for a new player.
}Jessika Jayontz
hero_37 {Charming, but nonetheless dangerously insidious. The only daughter of the Dutch Governor of Curaçao, she left behind a life of luxury and ease of her own free will in search of bitter-salty sea spray adventures – and sugary sweet delicacies. Jessika is well known to be a passionate lover to those she takes a liking to, however, cross her or make her angry, and she can kill with deadly elegance, ease and complete dispassion.
}Jacquotte Delahaye
hero_38 {Jacquotte Delahaye is a famous female pirate of the Golden Age. Also known as “Back from the dead Red” because of her reddish hair – and faking her own death. She seems to have a talent for surviving and fighting another day. Noted as a great beauty, her father was French and mother Haitian. Known for her formidable talent with both blade and dag, she dispatches those who oppose her with complete indifference. One should not be beguiled by her beauty – she is both deadly and every bit a cut-throat when it comes to getting what she wants.
}Flora Burn (Angelina Jolie)
hero_39 {Flora Burn is one of those exceptional women that is not only an expert with a sword, but can also command men to do her bidding with ease. Quite possibly insane, she wants nothing but prey and blood. Her crew has often found it odd that she rarely takes a share of the spoils and seems to frequently stare off into nothingness. Some say that she is filled only with hate and revenge – rumor has it that her former betrothed left her at the alter and she searches every captured ship in the hopes of finding him….”Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned”.
}Manuel Ribeiro Pardal
hero_40 {Manuel Ribeiro Pardal is a daring old soldier – the last of the conquistadors. Although Portuguese, he works for the Governor of Cartagena as a Spanish Privateer under a letter of marque granted by the Spanish Crown. For his successes against the English he has been given the title “Admiral of the Corsairs”. He is enemies with Henry Morgan and John Morris openly hunting and seeking them. Before plundering English towns he issues this challenge, “I come to seek General Morgan with two shippes of twenty guns and, having seen this, I crave he would come out upon ye coast to seeke mee, that hee might see ye valour of ye Spanish.”
}Alexander Dalzeel
hero_41 {Born 1662 in Scotland, Dalzeel went to sea as a child & was a captain with 6 voyages by age 23. With a dishonest reputation, Dalzeel went to Madagascar in 1685 & joined Captain Henry Avery. Dalzeel took part in Avery’s seizure of the Great Mogul’s treasure galleon. After taking this prize Avery gave Dalzeel his former ship & soon after Dalzeel sailed to the Caribbean on his own. Dalzeel went after well armed galleons that most would avoid. He’s famous for firing a cannon through the belly of his own ship forcing his crew to take a war galleon. Also privateering for the French he is known to have cheated death many times.
}Claude Duval
hero_42 {Duval was born in 1643 to an ancient noble French family that was stripped of titles and land. Related to the Duke of Richmond, Duval followed Charles II to England at the Restoration in the employ of his royal cousin. He became a gentlemen gambler and libertine rake with a dozen noble lovers & living well beyond his means. Skilled with weapons, Duval turned to robbery & became a mysterious gentleman highwayman to maintain his position. Finally caught, Duval exchanged clothes in Tyburn jail with a drunken thief & escaped the noose with one of his lovers bribing a guard. Escaping to the Caribbean, Duval seeks new opportunities.
}Abraham Blauvelt
hero_43 {Old Abraham Blauvelt has haunted the Caribbean forever. No one knows how old he is but he has been here since the 1630s as an explorer for the Dutch West India Company(WIC). He is credited with making the most reliable charts & maps of the entire region which have been purchased and copied by many governments. These days Blauvelt takes the odd command of a ship from Dutch or French investors. Although accused of being a pirate in New England, he’s only ever privateered in the Caribbean on the side. An excellent commander & an expert with both blade & dag, he’s taken part in several of Sir Christopher Myngs expeditions.
}Willem van der Zaan
hero_44 {Willem van der Zaan is a skilled professional Dutch naval officer. Rising to the ranks of Captain and Admiral from his participation in many of the great battles of the Anglo-Dutch wars. He is dreaded by the Barbary Corsairs and has killed scores of the Algerian pirates. The only time Van der Zaan comes to the Caribbean is on orders. He has a burning hatred of Sir Robert Holmes and was with DeRuyter’s expedition to the Caribbean – destroying multiple English settlements and seizing dozens of English prizes while looking for Holmes. He also took part in DeRuyter’s attack on Martinique in 1665. Deadly with both dag and blade.
}Henry Avery
hero_45 {English born 1659, the notorious Captain Herny Avery (or Every) has a most colorful career. He took the greatest single prize in history & he was never caught. Dubbed as the “Arch Pirate” & “King of Pirates”, Avery began his career in the Royal Navy & then went on to slave trading. Falling in with notable captains Thomas Tew & Alaxander Dalzeel, Avery went after the Mecca bound India convoys. The Grand Mughul’s galleon carried 600,000 pounds in loot, and the ruler’s daughter who Avery took as wife. This caused havoc with English-India relations & launched the first global manhunt in history. Avery escaped to the Bahamas.
}Bernard Claesen Speirdyke
hero_46 {Active along the coasts of Cuba with Letters of Marque from the Dutch and the English Governor of Jamaica, Bernard Claesen Speirdyke is a trader, a smuggler, & a mildly successful privateer. Though basically an honest man, Bernard is prone to eavesdropping & has been a known source of valuable information to Dutch, English, and even Spanish authorities. Skilled enough with a light blade that he’s usually able to get out of trouble, Manuel Ribeiro Pardal has taken notice of his clandestine delivery of letters to governors brokering peace, & plans to kill him at the earliest opportunity. Speirdyke loathes Pardal.
}William Dampier
hero_47 {A remarkable man proving it’s never too late to change course in life. English, Dampier was born 1651. He saw the world as pirate & privateer under notable captains including Bartholomew Sharp, John Cooke, Edward Davis, Charles Swan, and Woodes Rodgers. Dampier was a good officer but his real talents were observation. He returned to London with journals of illustrated accounts(flora, fauna, people & places). They were a sensation with the Admiralty and King. Dampier, given command of a King’s ship was charged to privateer, explore and chart. A great privateer, & the 1st man to circumnavigate 3 times – the first naturalists.
}Bartholomew Roberts
hero_48 {Welshman born 1682, Bart went to sea honest at age 13. His career is at the end of the Golden Age, but he is one of the greatest and most successful pirates of history. Known as “Dread Pirate Roberts” or “Black Bart” his trademarks are a gaudy crimson greatcoat, large gold cross, and unique pirate colors/flags. Roberts never sought the pirate life but when offered is famous for replying, “In honest service is…low wages, & hard labour – In (piracy) plenty & satiety, pleasure & ease, liberty & power…” Roberts took over 470 prizes & one of the largest treasure hauls ever. Known to be chivalrous, he can be a butcher as well.
}Chevalier Michel de Grammont
hero_49 {Chevalier Michel de Grammont was born into the French nobility in 1645 but was forced into Carribean exile due to killing one too many elites in duels. His fearlessness & skill with a blade soon found him a privateer with a good ship out of Tortuga. His 1st catch made him rich, bagging a Dutch convoy worth 400,000 livres. De Grammont never had great luck running two of his ships onto reefs. He was there with Admiral D’Estrees in the great disaster at Las Aves, but was lauded for his innovation in recovering some wrecks. He joined Van Hoorn & De Graff in sacking Vera Cruz in 1683. Known for raiding Florida, Cumana and Campeche.
}Sir David Mitchell
hero_50 {Sir David Mitchell has been around the globe. Born in Scotland 1642 to “a family of good repute, more distinguished for integrity than for riches”, he was apprenticed to a merchant captain at 16. Pressed into the Royal Navy he quickly rose through the ranks to eventually become Admiral of the Blue & a Lord of the Admiralty. Knighted for his bravery during the Nine Years War, he is fluent in Dutch which he used to communicate with his most excellent friend Czar Peter the Great of Russia whom he taught shiphandling. The only time Mitchell is found in the Caribbean is under Admiralty orders or instructions from the King himself.
}Pierre le Picard
hero_51 {Pierre le Picard is one of the oldest buccaneers left in the Caribbean & has avoided Davy Jones. Born in France 1624, went to sea as a boy in the Merchande Marine. Coming to the French West Indies, he joined L’Olannais as a seasoned officer & became one of his trusted Captains. Active in the raids on Maracaibo, Gibraltar(1666), Puerto de Cavallo & San Pedro(1667), Picard & Moise Vauquelin broke with L’Olannais raiding Costa Rica, Veraguas & Nata on their own. Picard joined Henry Morgan as his guide sacking Maricaibo. He worked with Edward Davis, Charles Swan & Peter Harris preying on English and Spanish ships.
}Woodes Rogers
hero_52 {Woodes Rogers – born in Bristol, England 1679 to an afluent family invested in shipping. Rogers apprenticed to a merchant captain as a lad but inherited his fathers interests at his death. Rogers approached by William Dampier, commanded the famous privateering expedition round the world in the ships “Duke and Duchess”. He took several prizes & rescued marooned Alexander Selkirk(inspiration for Robinson Crusoe). Rogers became a celebrity & was given the Governorship of the Bahamas. He granted pardons to pirates living there to reestablish English rule & gave privateering licenses to go after those who refused amnesty.
}Doctor Sir Hans Sloane (Hugh Laurie)
hero_53 {Doctor Sir Hans Sloane is a unique Golden Age personality that sought adventure as the personal physician to the Governor of Jamaica. Born in Ireland 1660 to a well off family, he had a talent for science & became a collector of natural curiosities. A well known Doctor travelling Europe before coming to the Caribbean, he catalogued 800 species of plants while in Jamaica & presented his findings to the Royal Society to which he became a member. Sloane is best known for his Caribbean discovery of ground cocoa powder mixed with milk. Father of chocolate milk, he got rich from “Sloane’s drinking chocolate”. Best in the HOUSE!
}Sterling O’Shiel
hero_54 {Sterling is an Irish mercenary that escaped the ever increasing oppression of English rule. A skilled fighter with a natural talent for killing, Sterling dispatched the local English landlord and fled for the continent to avoid being hung. Proving his prowess & joining the elite retinue of the House of Nassau, Sterling became a hardened veteran living through many battles fighting the French. Tired from many years as a soldier Sterling has come to the Caribbean seeking out his younger brother Erin O’Shiel who was rumored to have joined the crew of an English ship bound for the West Indies. Will he find him?
}“Calico Jack” Rackham (Keith Richards)
hero_55 {“Calico Jack” Rackham born in Cuba 1682 to English/Cuban parents. With a career at the end of the golden age, he joined pirate Charles Vane as quartermaster aboard his sloop Ranger. Deposing Vane & becoming Captain himself “Calico Jack” (as he was called due to his bright gaudy clothes) cruised the Leeward Islands, Jamaica Channel & Windward Passage hunting for single merchants and other pirates. Though women were often found on pirate ships, “Gentleman Jack” is known for having the most famous female pirates aboard – Mary Read & Anne Bonny (Bonny his mistress). Known for a Jolly Roger with crossed swords.
}Edward Teach (“Blackbeard”)
hero_56 {English born 1680, Edward Teach,(“Blackbeard”) was an iconic pirate of the West Indies and North American east coast. Officer of Benjamin Hornigold, Blackbeard set out on his own. He is known to have created an image of fear and his greatest act is the blockade of Charlestown harbor & ransoming of several prominent citizens. In the Queen Anne’s Revenge, Teach went both privateering and pirating between the Bahamas & Boston. Refusing to accept Woodes Rogers pardon he became a hunted man – but relied on his friends(including governors)on the American seaboard for safe harbor & movement of his ill gotten goods.
Mateo Alonso de Huidobro
hero_57 {Brave & determined, Mateo Alonso de Huidobro spent his career in the service of Spain dedicated to hunting and fighting pirates his entire life. So committed was he that he spent his personal fortune in building and buying four fast Dutch Galleons to better trap his prey. His fleet cruised the Caribbean in 1667-68 catching and executing many unwary pirates for the King of Spain. A sworn enemy of both Morgan and De Graaf, he did his best to defend Maracaibo against Morgan’s attack in 1669 and defended the Governor of Vera Cruz with honor against De Graaf’s overwhelming attack upon Vera Cruz in 1683.
}Robert Searle
hero_58 {Robert Searle is a pirate among pirates and has been described simply as a scoundrel. Very active in the Caribbean and around Jamaica in the 1650s-60s, he was one of Sir Christopher Myngs most trusted captains participating in the famous attack on Santiago de Cuba. His ship was given to him by Myngs and saw decades of action. Although disliked by Moodyford, he took part in the retaking of the Bahamas from Spain in the 1670s and operated out of New Providence thereafter. A sworn enemy of Pardal, he took part in Morgan’s famous punitive expedition against Panama after Pardal sacked Jamaica.
}Jan Erasmus Reyning
hero_59 {Born 1640 in Vlissingen Holland, to a Danish sailor who died serving the Dutch in the 1st Anglo-Dutch war, Jan himself was captured by the English while serving the Dutch during the 2nd Anglo-Dutch war. After the war he went to Dutch Surinam founding a merchant venture to reestablish Cayenne which had been destroyed by the French. Just seeking to be a peaceful merchant & colonist he continued to be captured by French & Spaniards, but always escaped. Once free he worked for the Dutch navy both as a talented Naval captain and privateer. He sailed with Roc Brasiliano, and with Binckes & Evertsen against Tobago.
}Blaz de Lezo (David Hyde Pierce)
hero_60 {Born 1689 – Pasaia Spain, Blaz de Lezo is one of Spain’s greatest heroes. Starting as midshipman in the French Navy in 1700, he fought bravely in the War of Spanish Succession where he lost his leg at the Battle of Velez Malaga throwing back the Dutch & English navies. As Lieutenant he lost his eye in the defense of Toulon. Promoted to Captain in 1713 he lost his arm at the Siege of Barcelona. Despite physical challenges, he was an able Captain capturing over 30 English, Dutch & pirate prizes. The last half of his career was spent hunting pirates, fighting Turks, & defeating the greatest British invasion force in history – at Cartegena.
}Lionel Wafer (Bela Legosi)
hero_61 {Born in Wales 1640, Lionel became a skilled surgeon working on East India convoys until deciding to settle in Jamaica to establish a medical practice. Convinced to join a buccaneer expedition led by the pirate captains Cook and Linen, he arrived in Cartegena & met William Dampier – the two became fast friends. They joined Bartholomew Sharp on a piratin venture, but Wafer was marooned for arguing. He lived with the Cuna Indians recording their culture & mapping the ithsmus of Darien – noting its flora & fauna. Promising the Cuna marriage to the Chief’s sister & to bring back dogs, Dampier found Wafer & he sailed with him thereafter.
}John Berry
hero_62 {Born in North Devon England, John Berry will no doubt one day become a great navy man. His noble family doing badly during the English Civil War has forced him and his brother to seek their fortunes at sea as many of their ancestors did before them. John started his career as a mere cabin boy just a few short years back and has just recently completed his apprenticeship to a captain. He is already good with a sword and a crack shot with a pistol. He can navigate well and shows some talent for handling men in tough situations. What will this future Admiral do now?
}Christopher Condent
hero_63 {Born Plymouth England 1690, Christopher Condent took to piracy as a lad venturing to New Providence joining several crews. When Woodes Rogers became governor, Condent & his mates fled for Africa. On the journey they took a merchantmen & the crew split making Condent captain of the prize. Haunting the Cape Verdes, Condent took many small vessels & a large Portuguese wine ship. With scores of men & many ships the bold crew took a Dutch Warship. Condent made her his flagship “The Flying Dragon” & then raided the Brazilian coast. His greatest prize was an Arab treasure ship taken near Bombay worth over 150,000 pounds.
}Benjamin Hornigold
hero_64 {Benjamin Hornigold was an odd sort of pirate – refusing to accept he was a pirate. An experienced seaman & fearless fighter his crew respected him but could not understand his behavior of seizing ships only to take what was needed. On one occasion he took a ship just for their hats because his crew had lost their own celebrating – on another, they took only sweet cakes, powder & shot. Hornigold refused to take British ships causing his crew to depose him as captain. Blackbeard began his career as Hornigold’s lieutenant & Captain Hornigold later went on to take Woodes Rogers’ pardon to hunt pirates – including his former mate.
}Conelis Van de Velde
hero_65 {Privateer and captain of the ship Vlissingen in 1655. His nickname was “Dromcap”. He attacked two large Portuguese treasure ships in October 1655 and managed to capture one of the great prizes near the Isle of Fernando Noronha. Joining with Dutch privateer Bartholomeus de Jager in the Antilles they went on to capture more prizes. After capturing a fortune in sugar the two sailed for the Dutch Republic to sell the cargoes and were rich men thereafter.
}John Julian
hero_66 {John Julian led both an exciting and sad life. Of mixed blood born of Caribbean slaves he was also half Mosquito Indian. His stealth allowed him to escape to freedom and he was recruited by “Black Sam” Bellamy early in his career. He became Bellamy’s trusted friend and learned his trade aboard Bellamy’s ships. Julian was a brave and natural fighter leading many boarding parties. Occasionally serving as cook, he also learned to navigate and became Black Sam’s pilot aboard the Whydah – one of a handful of survivors after its wreck. Skilled with a blade Bellamy often used John as a scout. Can you now change John’s luck after the wreck?
}Walter Kennedy (Heath Ledger)
hero_67 {Born London 1695 to Irish parents he started life in poverty and worked as a pickpocket. Becoming an anchor-smith, the lure of the sea caused him to join the Royal Navy. He served as an able seaman throughout the War of Spanish Succession. Finally tales of Morgan and treasure lured him to the Caribee. Aboard one of Woodes Rodgers’ ships he joined Bart Roberts & recently pardoned pirates in taking the ship. Staying with Roberts a while he finally abandoned him & made off with one of his ships the Royal Rover. After some minor successes on his own, he escaped to Scotland & Ireland where he ran a brothell.
}Jurriaen Aernoutsz
hero_68 {A loyal son of Holland, Captain Jurriaen Aernoutsz is a brave and experienced Dutch colonial captain that works for the Governor of Curacao. Famous for his successful privateering actions in the Carribean and North American Atlantic seaboard during the Second and Third Anglo-Dutch wars and subsequent Franco-Dutch War, Aernoutsz commands the formidable Dutch frigate Vliegend Paard (“Flying Horse”). He is most famous for his seizure of Acadia in 1674 from the French, renaming the territory “Nova Hollandia”.
}Jelles de Lecat
hero_69 {Frisian by birth Lecat is loyal only to himself. Working his way up – a common sailor he ventured to the Caribbean. Hard work & wits were noticed by Roc Brasiliano who made him his 1st officer. After serving Brasiliano he took up with Henry Morgan – participating in his raids against Mexico & Nicaraqua. After privateering for the English, Lecat took on more “respectable” work(some say a Spanish beauty was involved). Not sharing Roc’s hatred of Spaniards, Lecat secured letters of marque to privateer for Spain. Settling on the Spanish Main, Lecat became a respected leader in the Spanish Coast Guard/Colonial Navy.
}Jean-Baptiste DuCasse
hero_70 {Born 1646, Jean-Baptiste DuCasse had an amazing career. First battle he was a ship’s boy for a French trading company(Companie de Senegal). After adventures in East & West Indies, Ducasse – an experienced officer, was commissioned into the French navy(1686)& shot up the ranks quickly promoted Capitaine de Frigate after a year. Best known for his successful attacks against St. Kitts & Jamaica in the 1690s, he was also a veteran of the famous Battles of Cartegena de Indias (1697) & Velez Malaga (1704). He became Lieutenant General of the French Navy in 1707 & awarded the Order of the Golden Fleece in 1712 by Phillip V.
}William Phipps
hero_71 {A remarkable story of “rags to riches”, Sir William Phips was born into poverty on a plantation in Maine in 1650. Becoming a carpenter in Boston, Phips signed onto ships bound for Jamaica & the Bahamas. Intelligent, Phips made a small fortune in trading between Boston & Nassau. Marrying a rich Boston widow, Phips was able to outfit his own privateers & his knowledge of the Spanish trade routes soon made him very successful. Inventing new diving gear he had a great reputation for recovering treasure from many Spanish wrecks. Phips became Governor of Massachusetts in 1692.
}John Strong
hero_72 {Captain John Strong is a dashing young corsair captain in the employ of Sir William Phips’ privateer fleet. Sailing out of Boston, Strong hunts for pirates and Spaniards primarily from the Bahamas to Port Royal. Strong is not only an able Captain who has taken many prizes for Phips and his country, but also a skilled diver as well. A personal friend of Phips, Strong has assisted him in the salvage of many Spanish treasure wrecks that were lost between 1641-1656. The two have become rich from the treasure.
}Jacob Binckes
hero_73 {Born 1637 – Friesland, Jacob Binckes is a seasoned professional Dutch officer. A veteran of the Anglo-Dutch wars his bravery was notable at the Two Day Battle – Dunkirk(1666) & at the Battle of the Medway (1667) where he took part in the destruction of the English home fleet near London. DeRuyter assigned him Commodore to the Caribbean in command of the flagship Nordhollandt(76 guns). Binckes with Evertsen retook New York(New Amsterdam) from the English & defeated the French navy at the 1st Battle of Tobago in 1677.
}Edward England (Brad Pitt)
hero_74 {Irish born 1680s, Jasper Seeger,(later “Edward England”) “good natured” with common sense & ethics. Perhaps the best example of a “chivalrous pirate”. Starting a privateer out of Jamaica he was captured by pirate Chrisopher Winter & made to join his crew. From Nassau, he took up with Henry Jennings & Charles Vane. Part of the last great raid on Panama, England was captured by the English who released him, but he refused to accept Rogers pardon & became a hunted man. Capturing a 34gun Dutch warship the “Fancy” he went to Africa & the Indian Ocean where he took his greatest prize – the English Indiaman Cassandra.
}Captain Bartholomew Redd (Walter Matthau)
hero_75 {This character is not historic, but as the last Hero of GOF Eras2 he’s a tribute to the Golden Age of Piracy and the works of Howard Pyle. This character is based on the archetypal Golden Age pirate of fiction – thus is “an hommage” to both Captain James Hook & Captain Thomas Bartholomew Redd. The fictional captain Redd (played by Walter Matthau) is the main character in Roman Polanski’s “Pirates”, one of the best & most authentic pirate movies. Captain Redd with his mate “Frog” siezes a treasure galleon in the search for a cursed Aztec throne made of solid gold. He’s a fearsome and experienced old Captain.
}
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.
by modernknight1