Blackwarden

Greetins' and welcome aboard mate. I'm still new to these here waters so I wont be drinkin' yer rum... yet.... har har. Instead, I'll toss a few coins on the bar to help ya out. Regards, Nathaniel "Blackwarden" Warden

That's an easy one for me to remember. I was 100' underwater on the wreck of the USCG Cutter Duane in Key Largo. It was my day off and I was taking a "busmans" holiday, diving off my boat, while the relief captain drove. When I climbed the ladder after the dive, John told me what had happened. Being the joker he is, I really didn't believe him until he switched the VHF to a channel where all the other captains were talking about it. My second dive on Molasses Reef was quite surreal. Here I was in one of the most beautiful places on earth and all I could think about was the horror taking place in New York. Little did I know that when I got back to the dock it was to be worse, much worse than I could have ever imagined. Regards, Blackwarden

Greetins' mates, I absolutely loved reading this entire thread. You can find out so much about a person just from the background of their screen name. To me, it's like checking out someones bookshelf when you first visit their house...hope I'm not the only one who does this. Anyway, Blackwarden is the name, or part of the name, from a long line of personal fictional characters and personas. I came up with the name back in the 80s after watching the movie Dragon Slayer. While it was never a blockbuster, the dragon at the end certainly got my attention. More importantly, the main character was Ghalen?? Bradwarden, and the name just had a certain ring to it. Considering myself awfully witty and creative at the time, and not about to plagiarize, I changed a few elements and the rest is history. My RPG and fictional writing characters immediately became known as Blackwarden, either as a given or surname. Today, Blackwarden has been part of my many strange hobbies. My SCA name is Wayland Blackwarden (actually able to document due to the river black and an old abbey in Berkshire). I have a whole slew of RPG and creative writing characters with Blackwarden as a surname. My favorite iterations however, are from EQ2 with Bradeyn and Gavyn Blackwarden. Most recently, the name has made it's way into my pirate persona. Not wanting to abandon my old standby name, I worked it into my pirate history. According to tales, Nathaniel Warden got the colorful addition due to a not so pleasant encounter with a former French friend turned turncoat. Although "Nate" was a terribly tempting element to work with, I simply could not resist throwing "black" in front of the last name. So that's my story. Not as interesting as some of the entries I have read, but hopefully entertaining to some. Regards, Blackwarden

Greetins' Got mine at PiP. Great issue. As an added bonus, I was able to get it signed by a certain piratical painter. Yay! Regards, Blackwarden

Greetins' mates, I be shipwrecked on Cayo Hueso as well. Pyrates a plottin' every where I turn. A good looking, but shady lot. Foul weather Friday afternoon chasin' the townsfolk away. A goodly Southeast wind on Saturday brought better weather. The fort, though well defended, fell to the rogues on this day. I know not what happened to the garrison once the colors were struck. Me thinks they were not granted quarter. Townsfolk were millin' about the fort today in good numbers. No grog to be had but fine wares and hearty food was to be found in sufficient quantity. ((A new forum member here. Having a blast so far. My fifth PiP so far and though not as big as events in the past, the enthuiasm seems to be running high. Got a chance to meet a few folks from the forums today. Thanks to Patrick Hand for discussing his journal with me and special thanks to Bawdie Bee for allowing me to fire her pistol during the attack -- she must have been feeling quite sorry for me since my own pistol was delayed in shipping. I'm staying at Southernmost hotel but the encampment seems to be the place to be. Oh well, maybe next year. Looking forward to another day at Fort Taylor. Managed to take quite a few pics so far. I'll try to post some of them when I get back home to my desktop. That's all for now)) Regards, Blackwarden

Greetins', Thank ya mates for the warm welcomes thus far. You're all exceedingly kind *looks around the room at the collection of pyrates and chuckles to himself*. (Spammer I am not...but I understand the concern. Thanks for letting me in RumbaRue. I'll look you up Silkie, along with the others at PiP - I'll be the one wearing the "false sense of security" he he) Another round for me and for the ladies and gents! Regards, Blackwarden

Greetins' mates, I be Nathaniel Warden but me crew call me Blackwarden or Late Nate (damn those Frenchies). I hail from the island of Nevis, but me father sent me to Carolina to oversee his plantation there. Alas, I failed in his wishes and fled his wrath, took up with a scurvy lot, and gone on the account. **Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Scott and I've been a lurker for a long time and only recently registered on the forums. I'm a boat captain & dive instructor in real life, and lover of all things nautical, especially pyrates. I've been putting this off for a long time and I'm so glad to finally be able to post. Some of the names (and faces) on the forums are actually quite familiar to me from past events...especially Pirates in Paradise. I've been to Key West the past five years, but like the forums, have always lurked on the side and watched all the fun (although dressed in garb). I want this year to be different. I hope to be able to meet those of you that will be attending PiP this week and perhaps learn from the veterans. For the rest, I look forward to learning from, and conversing with, you as well on these here cyber seas** Now, if I be rememberin' rightly, I owe all you gents and ladies a drink. I'll be havin' a Dark and Stormy. What can I get you? *Throws the last of the stolen coins on the bar and grins* Regards, Blackwarden