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Anne Bonny

2014-02-21T02:40:11Z

2.27.102.210: Revised

{{Era|AC4}}
{{WP-REAL}}
{{Spoilerhd}}
{{Dialogue|Rackham|Dear lady, what do they call you?|Anne|Anne when they're sober, a jilt when they're sauced. But never lady.|Anne Bonny meeting Jack Rackham, 1718.|Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag}}
{{Character Infobox
|image = AC4 Anne Bonny render.png
|birth = 8 March 1702 {{Wiki|Kinsale}}, [[Ireland]]
|death = 
|affiliates = [[Nassau|Pirate Republic]] Crew of the ''[[Jackdaw]]'' [[Assassins]]
|appear = ''[[Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag]]''
|voice = [[Sarah Greene]]}}
'''Anne Bonny''' (1702 – unknown) was an [[Ireland|Irish]] [[Piracy|pirate]] who operated out of the [[Caribbean]]. During the early 18th century, she was an associate of [[Edward Kenway]] prior to his life as an [[Assassins|Assassin]], and the second quartermaster aboard his ship, the ''[[Jackdaw]]''.<ref name="AC4">''[[Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag]]''</ref>

==Biography==
===Early life===
Anne left Ireland for the British Colonies at an early age, where she married her husband, James Bonny, soon after. At sixteen, she traveled with him to the West Indies, and the pair arrived in [[Nassau]] in April 1716. There, Anne became the center of romantic attention, which greatly strained their relationship, so much so that within a year their marriage had disintegrated.<ref name="AC4"/>

===Piracy and imprisonment===
As early as 1717, Bonny served as barkeep at the Old Avery tavern in Nassau, frequented by [[Edward Thatch]], [[Benjamin Hornigold]], [[Jack Rackham]], [[Charles Vane]] and Edward Kenway. In July 1718, Rackham flirtatiously passed Bonny her first flintlock pistol, just as [[United Kingdom|British]] forces arrived in Nassau. By early 1719, the two had begun a relationship that infuriated her estranged husband, who attempted to have her arrested and whipped. Rackham and Bonny eventually eloped, and sought to leave Nassau to escape his wrath.<ref name="AC4"/>

At the same time, [[Mary Read]] - whose masculine guise Anne readily saw through - recruited Bonny to a life of piracy. Departing Nassau around June 1720 together with Rackham, they committed acts of piracy against the British [[Royal Navy]].<ref name="AC4"/>

In October of 1720, Jack Rackham and his crew, including Bonny, were attacked by a British sloop commissioned by the Governor of [[Jamaica]], with the intent to take out Rackham. Being that most of the crew were drunk, many of the pirates provided little resistance. Only Bonny, Read and an unknown man fought to their full potential.<ref name="AC4"/>

Eventually, the crew was imprisoned and sentenced to be hanged. Bonny and Read were only spared because they were pregnant at the time, since British law forbid pregnant women from being executed. They were then confined to a prison in [[Kingston]], awaiting hanging when they came to term.<ref name="AC4"/>

As Bonny went into labor, she and Read were rescued by Edward and [[Ah Tabai]], who intended to transport them to [[Tulum]]. However, Read passed away from sickness following the birth of her child; Bonny soon gave birth to a boy and reached Tulum safely, but her son died soon after.<ref name="AC4"/>

===Quartermaster of the ''Jackdaw''===
Following [[Adéwalé]]'s departure to join the Assassins, Bonny became Edward's quartermaster aboard the ''Jackdaw''. She stood by his side as he hunted down [[Bartholomew Roberts]], as well as the [[Templars]] [[Woodes Rogers]] and [[Laureano de Torres y Ayala]].<ref name="AC4"/>

When the ''Jackdaw'' first landed in Kingston, Edward and Bonny met with the Assassin bureau leader, [[Antó]], who reported that Rogers was hosting a party before his recall to [[London]] for falling out of favor with the king; Bonny remarked that the king must have been displeased that Rogers hadn't fully purged the Caribbean of pirates. Bonny remained at the bureau while Edward killed and impersonated a visiting [[Italy|Italian]] diplomat in order to assassinate Rogers.<ref name="AC4"/>

After discerning Roberts' location in [[Príncipe]], Edward and his crew pursued Roberts' ship, the ''[[Royal Fortune]]''. Though Bonny suggested they simply sink the [[Man O' War|galleon]], Edward refused, as Roberts possessed a valuable [[Crystal Skulls|artifact]]. He instead crippled the ship before boarding and assassinating Roberts.<ref name="AC4"/>

Bonny and Edward then returned to [[Havana]] to find Torres. Anne stayed at the local bureau while Edward tracked down his final target, only to return to report that the man he assassinated was a decoy. Deducing that Torres was headed for the [[Observatory]], Edward decided to head there. Upon arriving, Bonny questioned why Edward would bring the Crystal Skull that Torres sought directly to him – Edward answered that he intended to taunt the [[Grand Master]] with it.<ref name="AC4"/>

Edward and Bonny then swam ashore and made their way through the jungle, freeing captive native [[guardians]] before arriving at the Observatory's entrance. Edward instructed Bonny to remain outside and guard the entrance, as well as protect the Crystal Skull, while he ventured inside to end Torres. Once the task was done, Bonny accompanied Ah Tabai and Adéwalé into the complex, where the Crystal Skull was reinserted into its rightful place. Edward was subsequently given a letter by Ah Tabai informing him that his wife [[Caroline Scott-Kenway|Caroline]] had passed away and that he had a daughter, [[Jennifer Scott]].<ref name="AC4"/>

===In Great Inagua===
{{Quote|England's the wrong way 'round the globe for an Irishwoman.|Bonny, refusing Edward's offer to travel with him.}}
Bonny and Edward then returned to [[Great Inagua]], where they awaited Jennifer's arrival. Edward invited Bonny to return to London with him, but she refused the offer, also claiming she didn't possess the conviction to remain with the Assassins. However, Bonny told Edward that she considered him a good man and felt he could prove himself a good father in time as well.<ref name="AC4"/>

As Edward ventured down to the docks to greet his daughter, Bonny began to sing "The Parting Glass".<ref name="AC4"/>

==Trivia==
*Originally, Edward was meant to witness and participate in Anne Bonny and Mary Read's battle against the British, ending with their imprisonment, but this idea was dropped during the early stages of development. <ref>[https://acinitiates.com/forum/discussion/3904/page/9#/9 Darby McDevitt - Forum Q&A]</ref>
*Anne is one of the youngest characters in the series, being only in her late teens for most of the game.

==Gallery==
<gallery captionalign="center" position="center" spacing="small" widths="180">
Anne Bonny concept.jpg|Concept art of Anne Bonny
AC4 Anne Bonny closeups by threedsquid.jpg|Anne Bonny
AC4 Anne Bonny by threedsquid.jpg|Renders
AC4 Anne Bonny 3D model by threedsquid.jpg|3D model of Anne Bonny
AC4 Anne Bonny cinematics by threedsquid.jpg|Anne Bonny in-game cinematics
AC4-Hideout AnneBonny.jpg|Edward and Bonny in Great Inagua
</gallery>

==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{AC4}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bonny, Anne}}
[[Category:1702 births]]
[[Category:Individuals]]
[[Category:Irishmen]]
[[Category:Pirates]]
[[Category:Jackdaw crew]]
[[Category:Assassin allies]]
[[Category:Quartermasters]]

Mary Read

2014-02-21T02:35:28Z

2.27.102.210: Updated with new information

{{Era|AC4|Assassins}}
{{WP-REAL}}
{{Spoilerhd}}
{{Dialogue2|Edward|Your name's not James, is it?|Mary|Not most days. Come on.|Damn, man! How is it you're a woman?!|Edward Kenway and Mary Read, discussing Mary's true identity, 1717.|Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag}}
{{Character Infobox
|image = AC4 Mary Read.png
|birth = c.1685 {{Wiki|England}}, {{Wiki|Great Britain}}
|death = August 1720 [[Port Royal]], [[Kingston]], [[Jamaica]]
|hidep =
|affiliates = [[British Army]] [[Assassins]] [[Piracy|Pirate Republic]]
|hider =
|appear = ''[[Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag]]''
|voice = [[Olivia Morgan]]}}
'''Mary Read''' (c.1685 – 1720) was an [[United Kingdom|English]] [[Piracy|pirate]] and member of the [[Assassins|Assassin Order]], trained by the [[Mentor]] of the [[Caribbean]] Assassins, [[Ah Tabai]]. She was also one of the founders of the Pirate Republic of [[Nassau]].

In order to facilitate her career as a pirate, she posed as '''James Kidd''', an illegitimate son of the late [[William Kidd]].

==Biography==
===Early life===
Little is known about Mary's childhood years; it was suggested by Charles Johnson, author of ''{{Wiki|A General History of the Pyrates}}'', that Mary's mother began dressing her in boy's clothes at an early age to pass her off as the son of another man, but the legitimacy of this claim is unknown.<ref name="AC4">''[[Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag]]''</ref>

In her teen years, Mary began a career as a sailor that eventually saw her granted a position with the [[Royal Navy]]. There she met her first husband, a Flemish soldier and comrade; however, he was killed soon after their wedding. With little life left for her in Europe, Mary set sail for the West Indies, where she resumed the practice of dressing as a man and took on the alias of James Kidd.<ref name="AC4"/>

A short time before the establishment of the Pirate Republic in Nassau, Mary met Ah Tabai in Spanish Town, [[Jamaica]]. She trusted him at once, sensing a "sort of wisdom" in him, and became an Assassin soon after.<ref name="AC4"/>

===Life of piracy===
In 1715, Mary, under the alias of James Kidd, met with captains [[Edward Kenway]], [[Edward Thatch]] and [[Benjamin Hornigold]] in the town of Nassau.<ref name="AC4"/>

Edward expressed an interest in locating a place called the [[Observatory]], which Mary claimed to be a myth, likening it to the [[Fountain of Youth]] or El Dorado. Edward subsequently followed Mary to Andreas Island to take part in a lucrative plantation raid, and the two struck up a friendly camaraderie.<ref name="AC4"/>

Following the acquisition of Nassau by pirate forces, Edward, Thatch, Hornigold and Mary met again at Salt Lagoon, to discuss how to better protect their "Pirate Republic" from British recapture. Thatch proposed they capture a Spanish [[Man O' War|Galleon]], which Edward accomplished by assassinating the [[Templars|Templar]] [[Julien du Casse]], allowing Thatch to commandeer his ship.<ref name="AC4"/>

[[File:This Old Cove 8.png|thumb|250px|left|Edward and Mary looking at the Assassin bureaus map]]
Edward then took the island of [[Great Inagua]] for himself. There, Mary led Edward to a [[Mayan stelae|Mayan stela]] in the jungle, asking him to complete the puzzle and goading him into using [[Eagle Vision]], which she described as a "kind of shimmering" and "the light of life".<ref name="AC4"/>

After confirming her suspicions about Edward's abilities, she showed him a set of tunnels leading to du Casse's manor, where they discovered maps pertaining to the location of [[Assassin bureau]]s throughout the Caribbean. Edward admitted to selling the maps to the Templars himself, and Mary, perturbed, suggested he should warn the targeted Assassins.<ref name="AC4"/>

As she was about to leave port, Edward claimed that she knew more about the Observatory than she had previously suggested. In response, Mary advised him to meet her in [[Tulum]] in several weeks' time.<ref name="AC4"/>

===Tulum and the Sage===
{{Quote|We're Assassins and we follow a Creed, aye. But it does not command us to act or submit...only to be wise.|Mary Read explaining the Creed to Edward, 1716.|Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag}}
Weeks later, Mary rendezvoused with Edward near the Assassin stronghold on Tulum, where he angrily berated her for forcing him to sneak through hostile territory, past the Assassin sentries.<ref name="AC4"/>

Though the Assassin Mentor, Ah Tabai, was furious with Edward for his ignorant collaboration with the Templars and killing the Assassins in [[Havana]], Mary calmly informed him of Edward's possession of "the sense" and requested Edward be allowed inside an important Mayan temple.<ref name="AC4"/>

[[File:The Sage's Buried Secret 6.png|thumb|250px|Edward and Mary in the Mayan temple]]
After claiming he would recognize the [[Sage]], [[Bartholomew Roberts]], if he saw the man again, Edward was permitted into the ruin. Mary explained the nature of [[the Creed]] to Edward while leading him to a central antechamber, but was ultimately dissatisfied with his interpretation; although Edward took an interest in the Creed's second clause, Mary asserted that he did not actually understand what it meant. She also revealed that the Assassins had targeted Edward for assassination following his actions in Havana, and that it was only on her request that they had relented.<ref name="AC4"/>

At the center of the temple, they eventually unlocked a bust of the Sage, which Edward confirmed exactly resembled Roberts. Returning to confirm their discovery with Ah Tabai, Mary and Edward found that British soldiers had taken the compound, capturing many Assassins and Edward's crew. After fighting off the British, Mary spotted [[Laurens Prins]], a [[Netherlands|Dutch]] slaver and an elusive assassination target, leaving the area by ship.<ref name="AC4"/>

Prior to Edward's dismissal from Tulum, Mary brought him to a temple at the center of the compound, explaining how she became an Assassin and noting the long-standing nature of the war between Assassins and Templars. Inside the temple, she showed him a door that could be unlocked with Mayan keystones located via the stelae. She encouraged him to seek out the keystones, claiming that unlocking the door would garner the respect of the Assassins in Tulum, and grant him [[Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag outfits#Mayan outfit|a mysterious and ancient reward.]]<ref name="AC4"/>

===Pursuit of Laurens Prins===
{{Quote|Just my bloody luck. TWO major targets, and I'm kept from killing 'em both.|Mary on Prins and Torres, 1717.|Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag}}
The next year, Mary ran into Edward in [[Kingston]], both of them following Prins and [[Laureano de Torres y Ayala]], the Templar [[Grand Master]]. Mary was prepared to assassinate her two targets, but Edward restrained her, urging her to wait until Prins led them to Roberts, whom the slaver held prisoner.<ref name="AC4"/>

Mary reluctantly consented to go along with his plan. However, Prins detected them, forcing the two to run. Mary attempted to assassinate Prins against Edward's wishes, but he forcibly prevented her from doing so, insisting they try to use Prins to reach Roberts again. Enraged, Mary nonetheless agreed to rendezvous with Edward at Prins' manor, demanding he assist with the assassination.<ref name="AC4"/>

[[File:Unmanned 3.png|thumb|250px|left|Mary revealing her true identity to Edward]]
That night, the two met atop a windmill off Prins' property. Surveying the manor, Mary noted that it would take more than stealth for them to reach Prins. She suggested that she distract the guards, giving Edward a chance to neutralize them. Mary then removed her bandanna and reddened her lips with her own blood, revealing her identity as a woman, much to Edward's surprise.<ref name="AC4"/>

Mary then approached the estate's gates, feigning injury, and killed the guards that came to her aid. She infiltrated the manor and found Roberts, only to discover he was working for Prins. He held her at gunpoint at the same time Edward assassinated Prins, but she escaped after Roberts informed Edward of his true allegiance. Roberts then shot the alarm bell and made his escape, followed shortly thereafter by his two would-be rescuers.<ref name="AC4"/>

After reaching safety and regrouping with Edward, Mary confessed her true name at his request. However, she warned him not to tell a soul, or she would "unman" him.<ref name="AC4"/>

===Interim period===
In 1718, Mary arrived in Inagua to find Edward recovering from a wild party he had hosted, reacting with disgust to his continued indifference to finding a greater purpose. The two did not meet again until after Edward escaped [[Isla Providencia]], where he and [[Charles Vane]] had been marooned by [[Jack Rackham]]. Edward returned to Great Inagua to find that Rackham had barely lasted a few months as captain before Adéwalé and Mary overpowered him.<ref name="AC4"/>

Edward then returned to his search for Roberts in hopes the man would lead to the [[Observatory]]. Mary pleaded with him to forget about the gold and instead work with the Assassins, but he ignored her.<ref name="AC4"/>

During Edward's search, Mary became better acquainted with [[Anne Bonny]], a barmaid in Nassau, with whom she struck up a lasting bond. Anne's partner, Rackham, threatened by Mary's attentions, attempted to start a brawl with her. Unwilling to take part in a meaningless altercation, Mary was compelled to reveal her true gender, and soon her real identity was well-known throughout the West Indies.<ref name="AC4"/>

===Capture and trial===
In October of 1719, while she was sailing as a part of Jack Rackham's crew, their ship was attacked by a sloop that was commissioned by the Governor of Jamaica with the intent to take out Rackham. Being that most of the crew were drunk, many of the pirates provided little resistance, with only Mary, Anne, and an unknown man fighting to their full potential.<ref name="AC4"/>

Eventually, the crew was imprisoned and sentenced to be hanged. At the trial, Bonny and Read revealed that they were pregnant, which led to their executions being delayed, since British law prevented women from being executed while they were expecting. Mary and Anne were then moved to a prison in Kingston, and four months later, Mary gave birth to a girl. However, in accordance with the pardon, her child was taken away, and Mary became ill due to the prison's unsanitary conditions.<ref name="AC4"/>

The two women were soon rescued by Edward and Ah Tabai, who successfully infiltrated the prison and took out the guards stationed inside. Despite this, Mary was too ill to leave, even with Edward's insistence. With her dying breath, Mary asked him to redeem himself for her sake, and said she would always be with him. Refusing to leave her behind, Edward carried her body to Ah Tabai's boat, and she was taken to Tulum for burial.<ref name="AC4"/>

==Characteristics and personality==
[[File:Proper Defenses 4.png|thumb|250px|right|Mary with Adéwalé at Salt Lagoon]]
Mary was an easygoing and adventurous woman, readily presenting as a man to facilitate her career and life as a pirate. Though she was one of the de facto leaders of the Pirate Republic in Nassau, she largely left its governing to Thatch and Hornigold, focusing her energy on external pursuits.

Deeply dedicated to the Assassin Order, Mary believed the Creed exemplified a love for life and liberty that crossed cultural bounds, and was driven in her efforts to support their cause. She intensely pursued her targets, chasing one down in the street and using her feminine appearance to trick the guards at Laurens Prins' estate.

Mary truly believed that there was something special about Edward Kenway; she spoke on his behalf to her Assassin brethren, and tried repeatedly to convince him to look beyond his selfish greed for treasure. She often became irritated with Edward's disinterest and behavior, believing he was not living up to his full potential. However, she remained hopeful that he would see the error of his ways and join the Assassins in time, a belief that was realized after, and because of, her death.

==Trivia==
*It was possible to leave Mary's body behind in the area between the prison and the boat, initiating a slightly different cutscene.
*Originally, Edward was meant to witness and participate in Mary Read and Anne Bonny's battle against the British, ending with their imprisonment, but this idea was dropped during the early stages of development. <ref>[https://acinitiates.com/forum/discussion/3904/page/9#/9 Darby McDevitt - Forum Q&A]</ref>

==Gallery==
<gallery captionalign="center" position="center" spacing="small" widths="180">
Concept Art - Mary Read.jpeg|Concept art of Mary Read
This Old Cove 3.png|Mary explaining the Mayan stelae to Edward
Nothing Is True 3.png|Mary showing Edward the entrance to a temple in Tulum
Nothing Is True 5.png|Edward, Mary, and Ah Tabai
Unmanned 5.png|Mary feigning injury at the gates of Laurens Prins' manor
Unmanned 9.png|Bartholomew Roberts holding Mary at gunpoint
Unmanned 12.png|Mary warning Edward to not reveal her secret
</gallery>

==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{AC4}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Read, Mary}}
[[Category:1720 deaths]]
[[Category:Individuals]]
[[Category:Englishmen]]
[[Category:British Army]]
[[Category:Assassins]]
[[Category:Pirates]]
[[Category:Royal Navy personnel]]
[[Category:Captains]]