William Brand

Oh heeeeyy, tharss a coin under my glash. Wai...whu...? Why can' I pick it up? I need another drink.

She was a genuine beauty.

It's like a punch in the gut and a beautiful spectacle of destruction at the same time, but mostly a punch in the gut. Several unpleasant phrases strung together by four letter words spring to mind. The humanity.

What? No more pictures?

Jeeealous.

Use what you know. I always recommend that you model who you are after your true self as you would be 300 years in the past. Many of the pieces of history that make up William Brand are grafted directly from real life events, people and places of my own life. They are of course altered and even exaggerated against a large backdrop of sea and bloodshed, but they still stem from real turning points in my life. It's easier to reference the timeline of your imagined self when referencing memory as much as imagination.

Jacob Badger was in his element as he ordered men about from line to line and pin to pin. It was an orchestration of sail that built in volume as every stitch of canvas filled and carried the frigate forward. Soon she was flying across the darkness and Jacob could only rate her speed by the enlarging of the snow far off their Starboard quarter. As dark as the 'Dog was then they could clearly see the first flashes from the snow and more than a few curses could be heard across the deck. Despite the order for silence throughout, they slipped out still, some in Gaelic here and others in French there. Even the Spaniards, new to the frigate by only a day, swore a little at seeing the flashes and the faint reports which came back against the wind. And still the Lucy prevailed in beauty. A light and winsome thing bearing before the snow. William sent for Mister Youngblood, who came up to the quarterdeck like a casual specter. It was the stroll of a man already in the moment, confident that he would divide the snow asunder if ordered. William found Petee's mood contagious and said as such. Brand gave over the great guns to the Master Gunner to use them as he would. Petee's smile, bright and disarming at the best of times, showed well against the darkness. "They'll remember me ever after." he promised.

Why do I suddenly want to see a pie ablaze? Let's get some cobbler and rum in here stat!

Bananas foster perhaps? We'll get a whole bunch and have a bonfire of sugary confection and pass out.

That's a pretty thing. It's nice to see you guys broadening the scope of your products so often.

Story telling and shanties both. Aye.

I think about the four person camp all of the time, and to be honest, we really felt strongly that the encampments would grow really fast from that point on. Next year we'll be turning people away.

Bienvenue!

We have well over 100 now. We could actually reach the camping cap of 150 if we keep growing by November.

Very good news to hear that he's recovering consistently over time. I've seen more than my share of miraculous recoveries.

I was surprised to see the masts still standing and the tiller intact. I look forward to more news on this.

Eric Franklin approached the gathering of men and marines. "Ciaran, you're aloft." Ciaran smiled and rushed the shrouds, as musket and ball were passed to him. "Tribbiani, fall aft an' see arms to Luigi an' Wellings. They can fire from the portholes." "Aye, sah." "And take the dog. I'll not have him soundin' too early." he said with true threat in his voice. "He barks an' I'll see him shot." "Aye, sah." she returned again, and could not fault the Master-at-arms for his concern. One mislaid foot, one solitary pistol discharged or one unintentional alert from a dog not yet trained to true soberness and all would be lost. She slapped her leg and the Argus was up and moving, though it cost him a little. "Good lad." He fell in beside her as she laid aft.

William met Jim at the quarterdeck after wending his way through the quiet chaos of the maindeck. They stood without word for awhile watching the last of both watches assemble. The crew could not so much be seen as felt and heard, for even without words there was a presence of noise. Bare feet on larch. The rustle of hemp and wool. Shoulders colliding. Badger and Roberts were at the stair and William met them there. "Bend all, gentlemen. Give me everything." It was not an exact order as orders went, but it didn't have to be. They understood what was needed. With the Navarra falling off to Larboard and slowing, they could clearly see the snow turning on the Lucy. "Haste and hellfire. Aye, Sah." Jacob agreed, and there was a kind of rare merry in his voice. "Come, Jack. Let's be about it." William turned again to Jim. "The boarding falls to you." "Aye." Jim agreed, his tone neutral. "I cannot call a vote of the Whole Company on the matter of our guests, but as the elephant was kind to me, I have enough to give up a share of the engagement." "For the Spaniards then." "Aye. A single share of mine to be divided with any of them who join the fray." William committed, then added. "...but only at the last." "Very good." Then silence. Every officer new his place and his purpose. Every able seaman new his worth and his own demons. The rest was waiting and the gathering speed of the frigate and the blood.

William had all but gained the Maintop when john McGinty called down from the Main cross-tree. "Th' Lucy is takin' in sail an' looks t' be falling off...South...perhaps Soooouth byyyy...Southwest as I see it." William did not finish his ascent, but tangled himself sufficiently in the shrouds to take out his glass and search out the cutter. There she was, lovely in predicament, and well lit as she began to fall off to Starboard. "You right, good bastard." William said of her captain, smiling. Then, knowing any call from the frigate would be mistaken for one from the Navarra, he dared to send orders down with more volume then anyone had used since the dousing of the lights. "No drums or calls! Pass quickly the word that we shall be to quarters!" And though the deck was dark and no one face was distinguishable, William could see men scatter over one another to wake any man still abed.

Welcome aboard and enjoy your stay.

You would be most welcome aboard the Mercury and we would find a place for you, but only you can decide if we meet your requirement for ruthlessness. Having met only a portion of those pirates which crew the Mercury this year, I can't speak for their ruthlessness as pirates, but a better lot you will not find for company.

"Just as I imagined you would..." William said of Avendano as he took in the full display of Spanish colors. He shook his head, as did Jim. "He's the whole of Spain alone, that one is." Jim sighed, smiling despite the brazen display. There could be no doubting that Capitán Eustaquio Alano Avendano had considered the display a matter of course, being so faithful a servant of His Most Catholic Majesty of Spain. Decorum before experience. William's eyes narrowed as he surveyed the whole of the open sea before him. "I should like to see the whole of the matter, Mister Warren. You have the deck." William made his way forward with the intention of going aloft himself. As he went he tried to remember the last time he had climbed the rigging of any ship in near total darkness. It quickened his nerves a little for it was an act of diminished senses, 'And perhaps an act of diminished senses', he thought, smiling. There was a voice at his elbow before he even gained the height of the rail. "Capitán." "Aye. Who's that there?" "Antonio." Came the replay, and this was followed quickly with a question. "¿Cuál está inoportunamente?" William looked down into the face of the man, but being possessed of so little Spanish himself, he was obliged to call for Ulrich fon Sandt-Thorvald. The German was there at once and happy to oblige, though even his Spanish was passing poor. Still it proved enough for Antonio to express his concerns and ask after the matter. William sent the Spaniard away again with the very honest assurance that all things were in hand, for with the question of the distant ship unanswered the night was no different than it had been before. When the man was sent away, William leaned down from the rail and in a volume meant only to reach Ulrich he said, "Send word to Mister Warren. I should prefer our guests divided into thirds at the galley aft, the Mainmast forward and under the Fo'c'sle Deck. No arms for them, but let them go...quietly." This last word came out in a long slow whisper. "Aye, sah."

I still recommend it. Highly.

Sniff. It's beautiful. I can't wait to drop it, tip it over, spill things on it, and trip over it in the dark.

Just the meat and a side of 36 hours of sleep.