Jib

How about a posting of some of the smaller bladed weapons? Care to share an image of your "close and personal" weapons?

Ever tried Black Seal Rum? Got a bottle from a shipmate. Drank it a weekend past with before mentioned shipmate and a few friends. It was so tasty we drank the whole bottle in a few hours. I guess it is a nicely priced rum too!

Ben, Are those Mego-like bodies you are using?

I second the Sharpe series! Anyone mention Dangerous Beauty? To Kill a King Restoration The Witchfinder General

I know that in Elizabethan England they used bear grease to style hair. I don't know about facial hair however (sounds gross).

Thanks! I had always hoped this would be released on DVD because it is so well done! As a side note: Stay away from "Pirates of Treasure island". You have been warned.

When did the use of wax (or perhaps oil) find use to style facial hair? You see paintings of men with these beautiful curved mustaches and wonder...how did they do that?

a few of the ships had minions. or do you mean "lackeys"?

You have put together a crew or at least attempted such. Now you have built a crude raft and decided to approach one of the four ships that anchored off your island. The Dutch fluyt: If you approach the Dutch fluyt, “The Maiden of Curacao” you find her armed and ready (especially if you engaged the Dutch slavers earlier). The boarding action is fast and bloody. Although you manage to take the ship you take two wounds (remember you can only take three wounds before dying) while dispatching the Dutch Quartermaster. Four of your new crew are dead and eight of the Dutch have passed on. The Portuguese merchant who acted as translator was hit in the neck with a sword blade and you know he won’t live out the night. Speaking with the Africans will be difficult from here on. The ship is in good shape except for her holds which are foul from hauling human cargo. The ship has six swivel guns and a pair of four pound cannon. The remaining Dutch ask to be put ashore on the island despite the lack of water. The remaining crew elects you the captain and suggests a life of piracy with the first target being a shore raid on Curacao! You sail off to fame and fortune! If you approach the Dutch fluyt alone you are shot repeatedly from sharp eyed look outs. Eventually you feed the abundant sharks who dwell about the island shores. The rosary may warn you of such folly and let you choose another ship. You may use your rosary, if you selected this item from the sea cave to recognize that it is dangerous to approach this ship and instead select another vessel. The pinnace If you seek out the pinnace you do discover that it is indeed the Indians who have returned. They call the ship “San Cristobal”. If you did them no harm they welcome you abroad and make plans to sail to San Jose. Unfortunately they can only take ten people with them (including you). This means that you may have to leave some crew behind. If you enlisted the aid of both the Portuguese and the African slaves you see that each of these groups wants to abandon the other to the island. In the end you decide who stays and who goes. The Indians take you to Franciscan friary in San Jose and you can arrange for a ship to take you anywhere in the Caribbean you desire. The pinnace is not armed and is in fair shape. The Indians are very reluctant to begin a career as pirates. If you attacked the Indians they have returned for revenge and shoot you full of arrows. You feed the sharks who dwell about the island shores. You may consider yourself warned early by the rosary with the mummified finger should you have that item. You may then select another ship. If you approach the pinnace alone the Indians still either welcome you if treated with them or kill you if you were violent. The barque If you approach the barque you hear soft music before you even reach the ship. The vessel appears to have been in so rough fights, her sails are scorched and her hull blemished with musket holes. The ship bears the name “Grey Mare” and at first looks deserted. When you come aboard you discover a lone sailor playing a penny whistle with the rest of the crew drunk or sleeping. It appears you have found a crew of pirates who have recently imbibed in a cask of plundered rum. This group intended to careen the Grey Mare on you island in the morn. The crew is made up of Irish and Scotsmen along with a few stray Welsh and Englishmen from Montserrat. The current Captain challenges you to a knife fight or you and your companions feed the sharks. You easily dispatch him and the crew elects you the new Captain! The Grey Mare has seen some brutal action but is in good shape. She boasts eight swivel guns and six cannon ranging from a pair of falconets, three five pound minions, and a heavy ten pound culverin. The new crew accepts you and your companions and it’s off for a life of piracy! If you approach the barque alone the result is the same. You can use the rosary but it shows no danger exists since the crew are all drunk! The brig If you seek out the brig you find that ship is not anchored but is adrift her anchor line cut. The ship looks French and has the name “Le Belle”. You search the entire ship and find not a single soul. Her cargo hold is full of rice, tobacco, salt, corn, sugar and she has papers that indicate she set sail from Martinique. It almost looks as if the entire crew just disappeared leaving behind their possessions and cargo. The brig is in fine shape and has ten matching five pound minions and six swivel guns! If you have the parrot it flies into the captain’s suite at first chance and settles atop a brass bird cage. Whatever happened on this ship is a mystery. You sail off to adventure but with the grim reminder of the mystery ship… every so often one of your crew goes missing in the dead of the night and is never found again! If you approach the brig alone the result is the same. You can use the rosary but it shows no danger exists. So off you go! More adventures, the search for treasure and good fortune await! If you are lucky you will not be shipwrecked again… Or perhaps you do something else? What would that be?

And you are welcome to make up your own ending! It can be funny or serious (or both)! Most people did not answer the questions with a simple response to my choices but created their own. That's great, it is more fun to read! Heck Gray Dog brought Mr. Prostitute with him!

There is enough rain to provide water if you catch it in your clothing. Slaves=naked. You also need a rather large amount of water to stay alive when doing heavy labor. Yes 3 wounds and you die. The wounds might not all be big heavy festering cuts and punctures. A wound might be a concussion or a hernia that you received when you abandoned ship with a few meager items. Doing things like attacking a boar with hand weapon is dangerous. Life is tough as a pirate. Sometimes even a logical choice can get you killed. The road to hell is paved with good intentions. Remember this isn't intended as a hard survival tale. It is for entertainment!

You have decided to approach the new arrivals on your island and attempt to form a crew. You believe the Dutch slavers will return and that might give you the chance to capture their ship in a surprise ambush. Neither the strange rosary nor the parrot seems to indicate danger. If you approach the Africans they are fearful of you. They mutter among themselves in a few different tongues. It seems they have a difficult time communicating among themselves as well. The only thing they have is barrel of water. After a short time they flee from you. Looks like you will have to go this one alone. If you go to the Portuguese they are shocked to see a fellow European on the island! They have a few axes and hammers and look ready to defend themselves but also appear willing to talk. If you do not speak Portuguese you are luck that all of them speak at least some Spanish and one of the older men is fluent in English having served as the Captain of a ship that traded in Port wine with Plymouth, England. You quickly discover that the Portuguese were the victims of a mutiny on a trade ship. The Captain, his wife and daughter are among those marooned. Five merchant traders round out the rest of this group. Although the merchants know more of trade and cargo they have some experience with shipboard life and are willing to help you. They tend your injuries and you are able to heal three wounds! If you go to both of the groups you see problems right of the start. The Portuguese appear unwilling to work with a group of slaves. But one of the merchants among the Portuguese comes to your aid. He served on a slave ship many years ago and speaks several of the western African tongues. Your natural charisma seems to seal the bond. When the merchant speaks with the slaves they reluctantly return and listen. They have almost no experience with sailing vessels but are willing to try if given their freedom. A simple enough request to which you heartily agree. You know it will be difficult as the island has only the most limited resources for food and water. If a ship doesn’t come soon you will all starve to death or die of dehydration. You organize the two groups into two mixed parties. One builds a crude raft out of the remains of your ship and timber found on the island with the help of the Portuguese tools and meager belongings. The second party forges for food. The barrel of water will be rationed. Three days pass when you again see sails on the horizon. This time you see fours sets of sails. By dusk you see the Dutch fluyt again. You also see a pinnace that looks similar to the design of your Indian friends’ canoe. The two remaining ships look like a three masted barque and a brig, neither flies a national flag. The only question is which ship will you try and approach/ take? Next week: The End... remember Dead Men tell no tales, can you survive?

You have seen sails on both the Eastern and Western horizon. Both sets come toward your island. Although you can investigate both beaches you will only meet one landing party. If you choose the Western beach you arrive to see the Dutch return. They appear in two long boats and make for the western shore of your island. They appear heavily armed with muskets ready. Both long boats are full of naked African slaves chained together. Wisely you hide and watch the long boats arrive. The slaves are roughly ushered out of the boats and released from the iron fetters that bind them. A barrel of what looks to be water is also placed on the shore line. The Dutch sailors say something to the Africans in their native tongue that has them look into the forest with dread and fear. If you engaged the Dutch slavers in combat you have a strong feeling about what they could suggest. You count twenty male slaves, malnourished, and covered in filth and sores. The Dutch then leave your island. You know they will return for their precession human cargo in a few days. With the island surrounded by sharks you know the slaves will not risk swimming away. If you choose to go the Eastern beach you see a group of Europeans rowing ashore in a single long boat. After your experience with the Dutch you hide and watch as they arrive. Upon reaching the shore you see a group of eight forced physically out of the long boat at sword point. These men and women struggle in the surf to the shore with a few meager possessions. You count six adult men and two adult women. By the garb they wear you can guess they are of the merchant class. You see the fear in their faces and hear them speak in Portuguese to each other. What you manage to hear and understand sounds like they are being marooned. Meanwhile the long boat returns to a square rigged trade galleon anchored out beyond the reef. After watching one group you travel to see the other. Both groups of people slowly and fearfully begin to explore the island. You know it is only a matter of time before they discover you and your camp. You ponder this thought for awhile and decide that one or both of these groups could help form a new crew. You know the Dutch will return. With a little luck you could surprise them and take the ship. The question is, which group (or both) do you approach?

You discover strange Dutch sailors on the beach near your camp. You have decided how to interact with them. If you call out and approach them they turn quickly and give each other strange looks. You get the feeling they thought the island was uninhabited. One of them speaks to you in broken Spanish motioning for you to join them. The rest give you greasy smiles. Then you see that they have a nice set of rusty iron manacles and loaded pistols pointed directly at you. You decide to make a quick break for the tree line. You hear a pistol shot and feel the sting of a bullet as it cuts into your back and the base of your neck. You take one wound (remember maximum of three wounds and your bones are bleaching on the island!) Bleeding you hide in amid the ferns and fronds. The Dutchmen track you all day and into the dusk when they finally return to the fluyt. When you return to your camp you discover it destroyed. If you attack them you manage to kill five in the melee that follows but take two wounds in the combat and are forced to flee into the forest (remember that the maximum of three wounds is all you can take before you meet with the Grim Reaper). The Dutchmen track you all day and into the dusk when they finally return to the fluyt. When you return to your camp you discover it destroyed. The next morning the Dutchmen return with ten fresh men all armed with muskets, pistols, and long knives. They again track you all day and into the dusk. You manage to surprise one of them and kill him gaining a musket with 6 rounds of shot, a pistol and 6 rounds of shot, and a long knife. The sailor also has eight silver coins on his person and some foul clothing. The Dutch continue to hunt you for week before they loose interest and leave. Meanwhile your wounds start to fester. If you sneak up on the Dutchmen and attempt to steal from them you manage to get into the shallows and approach the long boat from the water. You reach into the long boat and remove a doglock blunderbuss covered in an oil skin tarp and 8 rounds of shot. You also manage to pilfer an empty canteen. You imagine that the Dutch are looking for fresh water on your island. You also get the feeling that these men are slavers. After a few hours these men leave, never the wiser to your theft! If you choose to sit back and watch you see that the Dutch sailors are looking for water. Since your island doesn’t have any large sources they leave after a few hours. You also get the feeling that these men are slavers. If you consulted your creepy rosary or have the parrot for a companion both sources indicate that these men are dangerous. You sit in the tree line and watch the Dutch sailors are looking for water. Since your island doesn’t have any large sources they leave after a few hours. You also get the feeling that these men are slavers. They leave after a few hours. After the Dutch have left your island you try to return to normal. You might need to rebuild your camp and you certainly know that this island might just be as dangerous as the open sea. You also know that you will have to leave this island and soon. Two weeks pass and late one afternoon you see a sail on horizon. No wait! You see two sails. One comes from the Western horizon the direction the Dutch left. The other ship comes from the East. With the island in the middle of these ships it is apparent to you that they will not see each others approach. To which beach do you go to see the landing party arrive? East or West?

If you choose to flee the Boar charges you and manages to gore your leg with its tusks before you escape. You take one wound. If you fight the Boar and have a weapon you manage to kill the brute but take two wounds in the battle. You also earned yourself a pork meal (BACON!). If you don’t have a weapon you take two wounds and the Boar flees (tough Pirate!). Remember you can only take three wounds before dying and you arrived on the island injured with one wound. If you retreat and return with a plan to trap the beast you flee but the Boar manages to gore your leg with its tusks before you escape. You take one wound. You then circle back, dig a pit, fill it with sharpened stakes, and cover it with palm fronds and return to entice the Boar again. True to form he again charges, this time into your trap. You have earned yourself a meal of pork (HAM!). Remember if you have the mongrel dog she can take one wound for you. She will die in the encounter protecting her new master. The healing elixir the Indians traded with you just might come in handy about now… Two weeks pass and you awake one morning to the sound of voices (perhaps warned by your parrot companion?). You move toward the voices certain that the Indians have returned to rescue you. What you discover is a group of twelve rough looking sailors and a long boat on the beach not far from your camp. The sailors appear to be merchant seamen and seem to be speaking Dutch among themselves (what little you can understand). Out beyond the surf you see a large fluyt. If you have a spyglass you can see the ship is named “The Maiden of Curacao” in what appears to be Dutch. You notice them looking about a see that they have brought a few empty barrels with them. What do you do? Do you call out to them an approach? Do you attack them? Do you attempt to sneak up on them and steal from them? Do you just sit back and watch them from the tree line? If you have the strange rosary do you consult it? Did you bring your parrot companion?

Crab lice or lice they are still creepy! In the photo it looks as if they are on a hat... I think. I would guess wigs might help the little critters spread.

Nice Photos! Keep 'em coming!

Anyone get any photos that they would like to share of the Festival this past weekend?

Feel free to jump in at any time. The tale is going to get more exciting in the next few episodes.

The number of "others" that turn up on this island keeps me "Lost" in laughter.

I always thought they were white (lice that is). Creepy little buggers. I can see now why when people removed a hat they turned the inside toward themselves.

I imagine that such a tool has been around for a long time.

isn't a minion a type of cannon?

You bid farewell to the Indians and return to your campsite to look over your treasure. Lady Pirates who attempted to seduce the Indians find themselves with a bonus item after a few moments of beach romance. The Indians promise to return if you did not resort to violence or threats. If you did they glare as they leave and you get a feeling of foreboding. If you took the twelve steel fishing hooks you discover that catching fish is much easier and you constantly have a supply of food. If you selected the healing elixir you find that the Indians did not lie and that it will heal two wounds (you need not use it all at once). If you selected the flint and steel you can now make a fire and have cooked meals, warmth on cooler days, and light at night. If you choose the bow and arrows you can use it to shoot fish in the shallows and shore bird providing you with more nourishment. If you choose the cape of bird feathers you know that you can trade this item in Port Royal for at least of week or drink and companionship. Weeks pass and you again set out to hunt the elusive wild boar. You again follow a set of tracks that leads deep into the forested regions of the island. Here amid the ferns and fronds you discover a large boar. This black devil is at least two hundred pound of bristle, anger and hate and isn’t pleased that you have entered its domain. It squeals and charges. What do you do? Do you flee? Do you fight and hope you can best the brute and earn a meal of pork? Of do you retreat and try to trap the beast?

Could we not also have a "Pirate Lady/ Dame/ Queen of the Mid-West"?