Charles Vane

2014-11-27T02:15:08Z

50.135.222.72: Added his song.

{{Era|AC4|ACP|ACM|4book}}
{{WP-REAL}}
{{Dialogue|Edward Kenway|Maybe Hornigold was right. Maybe the world does need men of ambition to stop the likes of you from mucking it all up.|Charles Vane|Or maybe you just don't have the stones to live with no regrets.|Edward Kenway and Charles Vane, 1719.}}
{{Character Infobox
|image = AC4 Charles Vane render.png
|birth = c. 1680 [[England|Kingdom of England]]
|death = 29 March 1721 (aged 40) [[Port Royal]], [[Jamaica]]
|affiliates = [[Nassau|Pirate Republic]] Crew of the ''[[Ranger]]''
|appear = ''[[Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag]]'' [[Assassin's Creed: Black Flag (novel)|''Black Flag'' novel]] ''[[Assassin's Creed: Pirates]]''
|voice = [[Ralph Ineson]]}}
'''Charles Vane''' (c. 1680 – 1721) was an [[United Kingdom|English]] [[Piracy|pirate]] captain who sailed the [[Caribbean|West Indies]] on his [[Brig|brigantine]], the ''[[Ranger]]''. He made a name for himself by targeting English, [[Spain|Spanish]] and [[France|French]] industry [[ships]] from 1716 until 1719, and was notorious for his harsh treatment of [[Merchants|merchant]] seafarers and soldiers alike.

==Biography==
===Early life===
Like his compatriots [[Benjamin Hornigold]], [[Edward Thatch]] and [[Edward Kenway]], Vane worked as a privateer under the British crown. As late as 1715 he operated under the command of privateer {{wiki|Henry Jennings}}, who was most notable for attacking Spanish ships salvaging cargo from the [[Spanish Treasure Fleet]] shipwreck site. However, with the Treaty of Utrecht making the life of a privateer unsustainable, Vane sailed for Nassau in 1716.<ref name="Black Flag">''[[Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag]]''</ref>

At some point in late 1715, Vane's ''Ranger'' launched a preemptive attack on ''[[El Arca del Maestro]]'', a Spanish [[Man O' War|galleon]] captained by the [[France|French]] buccaneer [[Julien du Casse]]. However, the ''Ranger'' was no match for the galleon, and was forced to retreat.<ref name="Black Flag"/>

===Joining the Pirate Republic===
After arriving in [[Nassau]] in 1717, where he and [[Jack Rackham]] informed Edward Kenway of a large prize in a nearby [[Forts|fort]], Vane became a leading member of Nassau's pirate community.<ref name="Black Flag"/> In May of the same year, sobered and enraged by the rum shortage in Nassau, Vane recklessly attacked the ships of the area and was only saved through the timely intervention of [[Alonzo Batilla]]. The French pirate was sent by [[Christopher Condent]] to stop Vane from dooming himself and the Pirate Republic with him by attracting too much attention on Nassau.<ref name="Pirates">''[[Assassin's Creed: Pirates]]</ref>

In July 1718, he was present when [[Woodes Rogers]] arrived in Nassau to offer its residents the King's pardon, absolving them of their crimes if they chose to give up piracy. Unlike Benjamin Hornigold, Vane was not keen on accepting the pardon, and worked with Kenway to orchestrate an escape from the barricaded Nassau. Together, they planned to build a fireship with gunpowder to clear the blockade.<ref name="Black Flag"/>

While Kenway stole the gunpowder from the British, Vane managed to secure the pine pitch. However, they overheard that Commodore [[Peter Chamberlaine]] intended to disregard Roger's orders and destroy all pirate ships in Nassau's harbors. In order to ensure the success of their plan, Vane suggested that Kenway deal with Chamberlaine.<ref name="Black Flag"/>

After Chamberlaine was assassinated, Vane met up with Edward to load the gunpowder aboard Rackham's ship, the ''[[Royal Phoenix]]''. Before they left, Vane violently berated Rackham for smoking a pipe near the gunpowder. The fireship proved to be successful, destroying the ships blockading one of Nassau's harbors, allowing the ''[[Jackdaw]]'' and the ''Ranger'' to escape.<ref name="Black Flag"/>

===Mutiny and marooning===
{{Quote|It were your bloody imagination that landed us here, Kenway! I'll be damned if I let that mind make one more decision for me!|Charles Vane, while threatening Edward Kenway, 1719.|Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag}}
When Edward Thatch announced his retirement from piracy, Vane sailed to North Carolina in a bid to dissuade him, and convince Thatch to help take back Nassau. However, his efforts were in vain and he departed, empty-handed and cursing Thatch.<ref name="Black Flag"/>

After Thatch's death at the hands of the British, Vane decided to help Kenway find the [[Observatory]]. The pair tailed the ''[[Royal African Pearl]]'', a [[Slavery|slave]] ship belonging to the [[Royal African Company]], in the hopes of finding information on the [[Sages|Sage]] [[Bartholomew Roberts]]. However, the ''Ranger'' was demasted and left adrift.<ref name="Black Flag"/>

[[File:Marooned 1.png|thumb|250px|Vane stealing food from Edward]]
Following the ''Royal African Pearl'''s eventual capture, Rackham and the surviving crew mutinied against Vane and Kenway, commandeering the ''Jackdaw'' and marooning both of them on [[Isla Providencia]]. During their time on the island, Vane's behavior became increasingly erratic; he took to hiding in the jungle, emerging only to steal food that Kenway had gathered.<ref name="Black Flag"/>

Growing frustrated with Vane's actions, Kenway pursued the man, and Vane fiercely retaliated with an arsenal of recovered weaponry. Despite this, Edward managed to neutralize Vane – but spared him – abandoning the man on the island while he escaped by commandeering a passing fisherman's [[schooner]].<ref name="Black Flag"/>

===Imprisonment===
Eventually, a British ship arrived, but its captain recognized Vane and refused to save him. Several weeks later, another British vessel arrived and Vane was allowed aboard, as no one recognized him. Ironically, however, the captain of the first ship happened to board, spotted Vane after only a few days at sea, and proceeded to him out to the captain. Vane was arrested on the spot and taken to [[Port Royal]], where he remained for the next two years.<ref name="Black Flag"/>

[[File:To Suffer Without Dying 4.png|thumb|left|250px|Edward encountering Vane in prison]]
Kenway, who was also captured due to Bartholomew Roberts' treachery, managed to escape his gibbet and found the delirious Vane in his cell singing "Down Among the Dead Men." Knowing that Vane's state of mind was beyond repair, Kenway left him behind, lamenting how he wished the pair could have parted as friends.<ref name="Black Flag"/>

Shortly after Edward's escape, Vane was hanged for piracy on 29 March 1721. His body was later left on display in a gibbet outside the harbor as a warning to other pirates.<ref name="Black Flag"/>

==Trivia==
*Vane's death is historically anachronistic, as Mary dies before Vane, but in reality, Vane was executed in March 1721 while Mary died in April 1721.
*"''Down Among the Dead Men''", a [[Sea shanties|sea shanty]] that Vane sings on Isla Providencia, is popularly attributed to the English poet {{Wiki|John Dyer}}. However, this too is anachronistic, as Dyer only began writing poetry - much of which was later adapted into song - in 1721, well after Vane's marooning on the island.

==Gallery==
<gallery captionalign="center" position="center" spacing="small" widths="180">
Charles Vane concept art.jpg|Concept art of Charles Vane
Charles Vane Pirates.png|Vane as he appears in ''[[Assassin's Creed: Pirates]]''
The Forts 8.png|Rackham and Vane arriving in Nassau
Diving for Medicines 12.png|Vane telling others about the pardon
We Demand A Parlay 9.png|Vane and Rackham arguing with Benjamin Hornigold
The Gunpowder Plot 4.png|Vane and Jack Rackham at Old Avery
Commodore Eighty-Sixed 4.png|Vane knocking out an accomplice
The Fireship 5.png|Vane and Edward preparing the fireship
Vainglorious Bastards 2.png|Vane reminiscing about his father
Vainglorious Bastards 8.png|Vane shooting a Spanish captain
Marooned 4.png|Vane leveling a gun at Edward
Marooned 6.png|Edward standing over the beaten Vane
</gallery>

==Reference==
{{Reflist}}
{{AC4}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vane, Charles}}
[[Category:1680 births]]
[[Category:1721 deaths]]
[[Category:Individuals]]
[[Category:Englishmen]]
[[Category:Pirates]]
[[Category:Privateers]]
[[Category:Captains]]

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Charles Vane