;[[Assassin's Creed: Mirage – A Soar of Eagles 1]]
Update|''[[Assassin's Creed: Unity]]'' and ''[[Assassin's Creed: Odyssey]]''}}
;[[Assassin's Creed: Mirage – A Soar of Eagles 2]]
OOU}}
;[[Assassin's Creed: Mirage – A Soar of Eagles 3]]
Revamp}}
*[[Aksumite Kingdom]]
Designed to provide protection to the wearer, '''armor''' was composed of metal plating or leather pieces, and was available for purchase at [[blacksmiths]]. As a benefit, armor fortified the health and damage resistance of the wearer, however, armor could also be broken if it took too much damage, causing a temporary loss in the wearer's maximum health until it was repaired.<ref name="AC">''[[Assassin's Creed]]''</ref><ref name="AC2">''[[Assassin's Creed II]]''</ref><ref name="Brotherhood">''[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood]]''</ref>
*[[Arwe]]
*[[Church of Abuna Yemata]]
*[[Endubis]]
*[[Memnon (eagle)]]
*[[Nibris]]
*[[Fuladh Al Haami]]
*[[Roshan]]
==History==
==Missing tours==
===Peloponnesian War (5th century BCE)===
*Echoes of Revolution
During the [[Peloponnesian War]], the ''[[Mercenary|misthios]]'' [[Kassandra]] acquired and wore many different sets of armor.
During the Third Crusade, [[Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad]] wore a standard [[Assassins|Assassin]] combat uniform that primarily consisted of vambraces, greaves, shoes and a protective belt, all made in leather. The main vambrace, which was always worn on an Assassin's left forearm, concealed the [[Hidden Blade]] with a series of metal plating arranged in formation for combat protection.
As an Assassin was promoted through the [[ranks]] of the Brotherhood, their waist belt would also be upgraded to reflect the new-found status. Altaïr and [[Malik Al-Sayf]] both bore the highest level of combat uniform in the Assassin Order, with the most prestigious three-layer waist belts.<ref name="AC" />
! width="5%" |Type
! width="5%" |Rarity
====Codex====
! width="5%" |Damage
Using an [[Apple of Eden 2|Apple of Eden]], Altaïr created a [[Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad's Codex|personal Codex]] as well as a new [[Armor of Altaïr|suit of armor]] for himself – one that was almost impervious to damage. This new armor would be passed down to each of his descendants, eventually being hidden away in the [[Sanctuary]] beneath the [[Villa Auditore]].<ref name="AC" /><ref name="AC2" />
! width="5%" |Maximum Takedowns
! width="5%" |Perk
====Other====
! width="5%" |Availability
Armor did appear on other individuals, and there were differences in the styles worn by [[guards]] in each city.
|-<section begin="Resynced Swords"/>
!Order of Gold<section begin="NAME"/>
The guards in [[Damascus]] could be found in either lamellar, leather, or ringmail armor. Guards in [[Acre]] could be seen in brigantine armor and chain mail, some complete with coifs, while guards in [[Jerusalem]] were often found wearing scale or splintmail. Each of these guard types could be found in the [[Kingdom]], near to their respective cities.<ref name="AC" />
|Pistol Sword
The [[Templars|Knights Templar]] uniformly wore full suits of chainmail, covered in a white tabard with a red steel helm covering their face. Accompanying this, they wore their signature red cross openly, possibly due to their public image, whereas future Templars wore the symbol more subtly, as the Templar Order faded into obscurity.<ref name="AC" />
===Spanish Renaissance (15th century)===
While hiding in the [[Sierra de Cazorla]] mountain range during the ''[[Reconquista]]'' in [[Spain]], the [[Spanish Brotherhood of Assassins|Spanish Brotherhood]] [[Crafting (Assassin's Creed: Rebellion)|crafted]] various types of armor for use in their fight against the joint forces of the [[Spanish Rite of the Templar Order]] and the [[Spanish Inquisition]].<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed: Rebellion]]''</ref>
[[Ezio Auditore da Firenze]] could purchase different types of armor from blacksmiths found throughout the various cities of [[Italy]], with there being four sets of armor to purchase, and a fifth – the Armor of Altaïr – which could be gained through acquiring all of the [[Assassin Seals]]. Each set contained four individual pieces: chest plates, greaves, spaulders, pauldrons, and vambraces.<ref name="AC2" />
Leather Armor was the first available armor which fortified health, but offered no resistance bonuses. Later, Ezio could purchase ''Helmschmied'' armor, which was a variant of leather with metal inlays. Some time after, Ezio could also buy ''Metal'' and ''Missaglias'' armor, both composed mainly of metal, with Missaglias sporting stylized decoration.
Every armor after the leather set offered both health fortification and resistance bonuses, but considering that armor could be damaged through combat or by falling from large heights, it was necessary to repair it at blacksmiths regularly.
Each armor was represented with set number of circles, displaying the level that it could resist becoming damaged. In general, when twenty squares of damage was inflicted to the [[synchronization]] bar, it would remove one circle of resistance from every piece of armor one had equipped.<ref name="AC2" />
====Armor of Altaïr====
After collecting the seals from the tombs of six legendary Assassins, Ezio could unlock Altaïr's improved armor from behind a gate in the Sanctuary. It consisted of black cloth with specially made armor integrated into it, akin to the mythical properties of the [[Shrouds of Eden|Golden Fleece]].
As such, the armor never required any repairs to be made to it. In page 19 of Altaïr's Codex, it revealed that the armor was the only suit made by Altaïr, who destroyed the written formula out of fear of the armor becoming widely used by either friend or foe alike.<ref name="AC2" />
====Others====
All types of soldiers in Italy were armour to varying degrees, with [[archers]] as the lightest units, followed by [[Agile guards|Agiles]], regular soldiers, [[Seekers]], and [[Brutes]]. Elite soldiers wore heavier armor than regular soldiers, making them more resistant to Ezio's attacks and counter-attacks.<ref name="AC2" />
===Italian Renaissance (16th century)===
[[File:Ezio-plainrobes-brotherhood.png|thumb|200px|Ezio's plain robes in Rome]]
During the [[siege of Monteriggioni]], Ezio lost the Armor of Altaïr underneath the rubble caused by a cannonball striking the Villa, forcing him to run into battle clothed in a simple shirt, trousers, and boots. Without any substantial protection, Ezio was left extremely vulnerable. The [[House of Borgia|Borgia]] soldiers successfully took advantage of this by arranging for a squad of [[arquebusiers]] to shoot at him from the ramparts, severely wounding the Assassin as their bullets tore through his shoulder and abdomen. Later on in [[Rome]], Ezio's new robes and armor were anonymously given to him by [[Niccolò Machiavelli]] through [[Margherita dei Campi]], the woman who had nursed his injuries.
Ezio's newer attire resembled the clothes of Altaïr, with longer robes and a longer hood, while his new armor came only with a spaulder and a single vambrace.
Just like in previously visited cities, Ezio was able to purchase armor upgrades from a blacksmith shop, though it was also possible for him to complete [[Shop quests|specific quests]] for the blacksmith shop on [[Tiber Island]], in order to unlock parts of the Seusenhofer armor.
The only set that could not be purchased was the [[Helmschmied Drachen Armor]].<ref name="Brotherhood" />
In Rome, armor designs had changed to the degree that they were given metal inlays during the second and last set of purchasable armors. The Roman armor set was made of leather, while the Rondelle armor set had the same design with metal inlays.
Also, the Plate armor was the unstylized version of the Seusenhofer armor with metal inlays, whereas the Seusenhofer was more decorated than its predecessor.
Later, when Ezio had obtained all six of the [[Scrolls of Romulus|Keys of Romulus]], he was given access to the [[Armor of Brutus]], which was an unbreakable armor contained behind a gate underneath the [[Palatine Hill]].<ref name="Brotherhood" />
====Others====
Guards were armored similarly those stationed in other Italian regions, with the addition of the [[Papal Guard]] as the most heavily outfitted opponents. Of the new guard archetypes, the [[crossbowmen]] were equal in defense to archers, while arquebusiers matched standard guards.<ref name="Brotherhood" />
===Ottoman Empire (16th century)===
[[File:Ezio-plainrobes-revelations.png|thumb|200px|Ezio's plain robes in Constantinople]]
During Ezio's travels in [[Constantinople]], he encountered a new variety of armor. From blacksmiths, he could acquire Azap leather armor, which was the weakest, followed by Mamluk metal armor and the Sepahi Riding armor in terms of strength.
Additionally, upon initiating the advanced training of seven Assassins into becoming [[Master Assassin]]s, through the first part of their specialized mission, Ezio acquired the [[Master Assassin Armor]].
Also, after spending some time in the city and finding all ten of [[Ishak Pasha]]'s [[Ishak Pasha's memoir pages|memoir pages]], Ezio then journeyed inside the [[Hagia Sophia]] and completed a harsh climb to a secret room within the mosque, in order to obtain the [[Armor of Ishak Pasha]] from the Assassin's tomb.<ref name="Revelations">''[[Assassin's Creed: Revelations]]''</ref>
====Recruits====
Ezio's [[Assassin apprentices]] in Rome and Constantinople could also wear armor, which was upgradeable as the apprentice progressed along the ranks of the Brotherhood.
At first, a recruit started with no armor, but could acquire leather pauldrons, leather greaves, a leather chest guard, and finally a full set of plate armor, which would replace their previous leather pieces.
Once they had obtained the plate armor, the recruits would be able to last very long in battle, and were less likely to get killed. On reaching the rank of Assassin however, they would gain new robes resembling that of Ezio's Master Assassin robes in Rome, with Assassin armor even stronger than plate armor.<ref name="Brotherhood" /> In Constantinople, the recruits would gain robes similar to that of [[Yusuf Tazim]], along with the armor of a fully-fledged Assassin.<ref name="Revelations" />
===18th century Caribbean===
During the [[Golden Age of Piracy]], [[Edward Kenway]] could [[Crafting (Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag)|craft]] leather armor pieces for himself. New armor pieces became available for crafting after Edward obtained the [[hunting]] spoils required to craft a particular piece.
Additionally, during his time in the [[Caribbean|West Indies]], Edward obtained a set of [[Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag outfits#Templar armor|Templar]] and [[Mayan Armor|Mayan]] armors, by collecting [[Templar keys]] and [[Mayan Stelae|Mayan keystones]], respectively.<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag]]''</ref>
===Seven Years' War===
During the [[French and Indian War]], part of the larger the [[Seven Years' War]], [[Shay Cormac]] learned to [[Crafting (Assassin's Creed: Rogue)|craft]] various pieces of leather armor after collecting various hunting spoils. Throughout his journeys, he obtained many other [[Assassin's Creed: Rogue outfits|sets]] of armor. The Native Armor was a treasure of the [[Oneida]] indigenous peoples, which Shay claimed after collecting all of the Native totems. Shay also secured the 11th century Templar Armor sealed aboard the [[HMS Sapphire wreck|wrecked]] [[HMS Sapphire|HMS ''Sapphire'']] after gathering all the Templar relics needed to unlock the suit. In addition, Shay assembled an ancient set of Viking Armor,<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed: Rogue]]''</ref> and recovered the armor of legendary Templar Sir [[James Gunn]] from a storehouse in [[Fort de Sable]].<ref>''Assassin's Creed: Rogue'' - ''[[The Siege of Fort de Sable]]''</ref>
===French Revolution===
During the [[French Revolution]], the Assassin [[Arno Dorian]] could wear different coats as part of greater gear sets, which provided varying degrees of melee or ranged damage protection.<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed: Unity]]''</ref>
===Victorian England===
In Victorian London, the twin Assassins Jacob and Evie Frye could obtain different outfits, some of which offered greater resistance to melee or ranged weapon damage. The Blackguard, Creature's Rags and Maximum Dracula outfits for Jacob and the Defender's Garb, Lady Bloofer and Aegis outfits for Evie were all crafted in such a way to provide extra protection from damage and thus acted as a sort of armor.
|''A pair of light cutlasses made popular by British privateers.''
|1998
| +25% Warrior Damage<br>+40% Adrenaline per CRIT
|Purchase the ''[[Shark Pack]]'' DLC
|-
|-
!rowspan="3" colspan="1"|[[Conqueror's Bracers]]
|French Dress Swords
|Common
|''A pair of elegant swords made popular by French court officers.''
|??
|rowspan="3" colspan="1"| (Randomized)
|rowspan="3" colspan="1"|Blacksmith, Loot
|-
|-
|Rare
|Spanish Cup-hilt Rapiers
|1643
|''A pair of cheap yet efficient Spanish rapiers.''
|-
|-
|Epic
|Officer's Smallswords
|??
|''A pair of small swords popular among officers in the British Army.''
|-
|-
![[Dark Gauntlets]]
|Rustborne Swords
|Rare
|''Versatile blades with integrated flintlocks, their bronze-hued surfaces worn by time and battle. Perfect for Assassins who strike swiftly, both in melee and from a distance.''
|bought from secret General Store on unmarked island in the north-west of Gibara region at Coordinates 550, 638 (22000 Reales)<section end="NAME"/>
![[Lysander's Gloves]]
|Epic
|1895
| +24% Warrior Damage<br>+10% All Damage<br>+30% Melee Resistance
|Complete [[Know Your Enemy]]
|-
![[Magnificent Mycenaean Bracers]]
|Rare
|1808
| +23% Warrior Damage<br>+10% CRIT Chance
|Ubisoft Club
|-
|-
![[Master's Artemis Gloves]]
!Rustic Flintlocks<section begin="NAME"/>
|Legendary
|Legendary
|1817
|22
| +25% Hunter Damage<br>+50% Adrenaline on Headshot Kill
|1.20
|Complete [[The Erymanthian Boar]]
|After a Perfect Dodge, quick shooting immediately does not consume ammunition
|obtained from in-game online store for free (on map press Options-Button to access the store).<section end="NAME"/>
|-
|-
![[Master Assassin's Bracers]]*
!Peaceful Means<section begin="NAME"/>
|Legendary
|Legendary
|1817
|20
| +25% Assassin Damage<br>+30% Adrenaline per Hit
|1.00
|??
|Pistol shots are quieter
|-
|Purchased from Treasure Dealer for 3 Capuchin Monkey Pelt, 4 Iguana Leather, and 20 Rum Barrels.<section end="NAME"/>
!rowspan="3" colspan="1"|[[Mercenary Gloves]]
|Common
|??
|rowspan="3" colspan="1"|(Randomized)
|rowspan="3" colspan="1"|Blacksmith, Loot
|-
|-
!Cannon-Barrel Pistols<section begin="NAME"/>
|Rare
|Rare
|??
|21
|-
|1.12
|Epic
|N/A
|1895
|from locked chest in Jiguey (535, 511). It's a locked underwater chest, loot the key from the pirate leader on the beach inside Jiguey, in the same cave as the chest.<section end="NAME"/>
|-
|-
![[Mighty Bracers]]
!Captain Morgan's Pistols<section begin="NAME"/>
|Legendary
|1998
| +25% Warrior Damage<br>+50% Elemental Buildup
|Purchase the ''[[Herakles Pack]]'' DLC
|-
! rowspan="2" colspan="1"|[[Misthios' Vambraces]]
|Rare
|Rare
|??
|20
|rowspan="2" colspan="1"|(Randomized)
|1.50
|rowspan="2" colspan="1"|Blacksmith, Loot
|N/A
|Found in underwater treasure chest on Black Island<section end="NAME"/>
|''Hand-carved ebony with gold-plated iron forming a lethal union.''
|3633
| +25% Warrior Damage<br>+20% Health
|Defeat [[Belos]] in the Pephka Arena
|-
|-
![[Ancient Breastplate]]**
|Dragon's Roar Pistols
|Epic
|''Sleek pistols imbued with ornate scrollwork and glowing jade.''
|??
| + % Warrior Damage<br>+ % Total Armor<br>+ % Health
|Complete [[The Weight of Sparta]]
|-
|-
![[Ancient King's Body Armor]]
|Diabolist's Pistols
|Rare
|''A set of pistols wreathed in infernal flames, emitting an aura of destruction.''
|??
|(Randomized)
|Blacksmith, Loot
|-
|-
![[Arena Fighter's Armor]]
|Fury of the Deep Pistols
|Legendary
|''Silvery, steel pistols adorned with deep-sea patterns and neon highlights.''
|3303
| +25% Warrior Damage<br>+20% Damage with [[Heavy weapon]]s
|Obtained in the [[Pephka Arena]]
|-
|-
![[Aristaios' Breastplate]]
|Golden Flintlock Pistols
|Epic
|''A set of legendary, golden flintlock pistols, famed for their extraordinary precision.''
|
| +14% Warrior Damage<br>+10% Health<br>+15% Damage with Heavy Bladed Weapons
|Defeat [[Aristaios]]
|-
|-
![[Arkadia's Mark]]
|Gargoyle's Breath
|Rare
|''Monstrous, leering faces adorn the grips of these pistols.''
|??
| + % Assassin Damage<br>+ % Damage on Athenian Soldiers
|Complete [[White Lies and Blackmail]]
|-
|-
![[Armor of Achilles]]
|Captain Drake's Flintlocks
|Legendary
|''A set of flintlock pistols once owned and used by captain and knight, Sir Francis Drake.''
|958
| +15% Warrior Damage<br >+10% Health
|Defeat [[Belos]] in the Pephka Arena.
|-
|-
![[Armor of Eustathios]]
|Rustic Flintlocks
|Rare
|''Firearms with rustic patinas, showing the marks of countless skirmishes. Compact, reliable, and ready for close encounters or unexpected duels.''
|??
|??
|Complete [[Bravely Ran Away]]
|-
|-
![[Armor of the Dawn]]
|Peaceful Means
|Epic
|''The method by which many disputes can be swiftly resolved.''
|??
| +14% Warrior Damage<br>+10% Health<br>+30% Total Armor
|Looted from legendary chest in [[Waterfall of Styx]]
|-
|-
![[Armor of the Immortal]]
|Cannon-Barrel Pistols
|Legendary
|''A set of pistols forged to resemble ship cannons.''
|1144
| +15% Warrior Damage<br>+20% CRIT Damage
|Defeat [[Diona]]<br>Complete [[I, Diona]]
|-
|-
![[Armor of the Sphinx]]
|Captain Morgan's Pistols
|Legendary
|''A set of flintlock pistols once owned and used by Captain Morgan.''
|3303
| +25% Hunter Damage<br>+20% Damage with Bow Charged Shot
|Purchase ''[[Sphinx Pack]]'' DLC
|-
|-
![[Armor of Rebellion]]
|Captain's Wheellock Pistols
|Legendary
|''A rare set of old wheellock pistols, coveted by soldiers for their sturdiness and sentimental value.''
|1144
| +15% Warrior Damage<br>+10% Health
|Purchase ''[[Spartan Renegade Pack]]'' DLC
|-
|-
![[Asphodel Armor]]**
|Spanish Officer Pistols
|Legendary
|''A set of pistols, praised throughout the West Indies for their stability.''
|??
| + % Assassin Damage<br>+ % CRIT Damage
|Complete [[Dead Kings and Pretty Things]]
|-
|-
!rowspan="2" colspan="1"|[[Assassin's Armor]]
|Pirate Blunderbusses
|Rare
|''A set of bulky blunderbusses, popular among pirates for their brashness.''
|1084
|rowspan="2" colspan="1"|(Randomized)
|rowspan="2" colspan="1"|Blacksmith, Loot
|-
|-
|Epic
|Baldwin's Golden Pistols
|??
|''Inextricably tied to the fall of the Baldwin name, these pistols claimed the lives of at least two of their owners' family. They are likely to claim many more.''
|-
|-
!rowspan="3" colspan="1"|[[Athenian Breastplate]]
|Standard Wheellock Pistols
|Common
|''A set of wheellock pistols, perfect for reaching targets at great distances.''
|??
|rowspan="3" colspan="1"|(Randomized)
|rowspan="3" colspan="1"|Blacksmith, Loot
|-
|-
|Rare
|Common Flintlock Pistols
|??
|''A set of typical flintlock pistols, found all across the West Indies.''
|''This Mayan design brings fortune to its bearer.''
| +25% Warrior Damage<br>+10% All Damage
|All gunshots are mysteriously absorbed
|Defeat [[Alexios|Deimos]]
|Complete Mayan Mysteries
|-
|-
![[Demosthenes' Battleplate]]
|
|Epic
|Guardian Beast Trinket
|??
|(Randomized)
|Complete [[Swift as Wind]]
|-
![[Dikastes' Breastplate]]**
|Legendary
|Legendary
|??
|''Rendered in miniature, that its gaze might ward the steps of its keeper across land and sea.''
| +?% Warrior Damage<br >+?% CRIT Damage
|Health slowly regenerates while out of combat
|Defeat the Atlantean [[Polemarch]] at the [[Doma of Elasippos]]
|Found in underwater chest between pair of unnamed island south of San Ignacio wreck
|-
|-
![[Diokles' Armor]]
|Epic
|??
|
|
|Complete [[Dressing up for Charon]] and Lie
|Stormrunner Pendant
|-
![[Dusk Herald's Garment]]
|Rare
|Rare
|940
|''A lightweight circular pendant painted in striking blue and red pigments. Its design captures the spirit of relentless motion and high adrenaline, carried by travelers who refuse to tire, whether sprinting through crowded markets or scaling towering keeps.''
| +13% Assassin Damage<br>+25% Adrenaline on Assassination Kill
|Increases the amount of healing from food, drink, and remedies
|Purchase ''[[Herald of Dusk Pack]]'' DLC
|Found in underwater chest off the coast of Nassau, at coordinates 615, 767
|-
|-
![[Entry Not Found (Abstergo Protective Vest)]]
|
|Legendary
|Hunter's Amulet
|??
|??
|Purchase ''[[Abstergo Pack]]'' DLC
|-
![[Ezio's Roman Robe]]
|Legendary
|3303
| +25% Assassin Damage<br />+50% CRIT Damage
|Unlock [[Ezio's Roman Set]]
|-
![[First Civilization Breastplate]]**
|Epic
|??
|(Randomized)
|Blacksmith, Loot.
|-
![[Gratuitous Chest of the Thankful]]*
|Epic
|??
|??
|Complete [[Thank You, Misthios]]
|-
![[Guard of Time]]
|Epic
|1084
| +14% Warrior Damage<br>+10% Health<br>+30% Total Armor
The course of the 18th Century saw the [[British Empire]] become the [[Earth|world]]'s leading colonial power, with [[France]] and [[Spain]] as its primary rivals. After siding with the [[Netherlands]] and Austria in the [[War of the Spanish Succession]], the British Empire expanded, gaining territories from both Spain and France, and taking over control of the [[Atlantic Ocean|Atlantic]] [[Slavery|slave trade]] in Spanish America.
|-|Dancers=
For a handful of coin, "Dancers" can be employed to distract guards and interfere with ongoing fights. They might also have some incredible stories of their own to tell, if only you'd bother to listen.
|-|Drunkards=
Sailors flush with [[rum]] and the heat of the [[sun]], these Drunkards can be useful in a few ways. First as [[Blending|blend groups]] that allow [[Edward Kenway|Edward]] to hide in plain sight, and secondly as allies in the event of a scuffle. But remember to bring a bit of coin if you want them to fight alongside you, as these [[Piracy|pirates]] won't risk their lives for free.
|-|Spanish Empire=
Already a global power, the Spanish defeated powerful adversaries such as the Aztecs and Incas in the Americas by exploiting existing conflicts and rivalries between tribes and nations between the 15th and 18th centuries.
Acquisitive and protective of the supply of precious metals its new colonies afforded it, the Spanish Empire enthusiastically participated in the Atlantic slave trade and defended its trade routes aggressively.
Even after its defeat in the War of the Spanish Succession, the 18th century was nevertheless one of prosperity for the Spanish Empire, as their trade reputation grew steadily under Bourbon oversight, and continued to grow at an extraordinary rate until the 1780s.
|-|Swashbucklers=
Often used interchangeably, there are a number of important distinctions to make between these different kinds of swashbucklers...
[[Piracy|Pirates]]: Criminals on the open sea who use coercion, intimidation and violence to rob innocent people of their cargo and transport. The term pirate is a catch-all and may be used generally to refer to all who perform acts of larceny on the open ocean. Pirates have been a problem since the advent of long-distance ocean travel; every age has seen its share of pirates, and every age has cursed their name and romanticized their cause. During the so-called "[[Golden Age of Piracy]]" (roughly 1650 to 1725), the majority of pirates were from the [[United Kingdom|British Isles]]. Most were young men in their 20s and almost all had already gained some experience as sailors prior to falling into piracy.
Buccaneers: Though often used as a synonym for Pirates now, the term Buccaneer refers more specifically to a group of pirates who lived and operated in the [[Caribbean|West Indies]] in the middle of the 17th century. Best known for attacking settlements and fortifications on land in large groups, the Buccaneers derived their name from the [[France|French]] Boucanier -- an instrument used for smoking strips of meat over an open fire, a favorite sort of sustenance for these terrestrial pirates.
Privateers: Non-commissioned sailors who attack and rob, having been given a Letter of Marque by their King or a royal official such as a Governor. Thus the distance between a Pirate and a Privateer is but a hair's breath of difference -- Pirates simply sail for one [[Monarchy|monarch]] fewer.
|-|Taíno=
Taíno refers to a group of related languages and cultures widespread across the Caribbean at the time of European arrival. Broadly speaking, they consisted of the Ciboney or Western Taíno of Cuba, Jamaica and the Bahamas; the Classic Taíno of Hispaniola and Borikén (the indigenous name of Puerto Rico); and the Eastern Taíno of the Antilles.
A Taíno cacique or chief demonstrated rank by carrying an object forged from guanín, a unique indigenous alloy made out of copper, silver, and gold, noted for its lustrous shine. The term "tabaco" from which we also derive from a Taíno word, as tobacco was cultivated on the islands and its usage noted by Spanish explorers. Other English words with a Taíno origin include barbecue, canoe, hurricane, iguana, and potato.
Other, non-Taíno indigenous groups of the island include the Ciguaya, Macorix, and Kalinago or Caribs, for whom the Caribbean Sea is named.
</tabber>
<tabber>
|-|Havana=
There were several attempts to found a town near the [[Havana]] Bay in the early 1500s. A settlement was established by the [[Spanish Empire|Spanish]] {{Wiki|Conquistador}} [[Diego Velázquez de Cuéllar]] around 1514. The city sits on a bay that opens to the {{Wiki|Gulf Stream}} and thus became a natural stopping point between [[Europe]] and the [[Americas]].
In the earliest stages of the [[Golden Age of Piracy|golden age of piracy]] Havana was burnt to the ground by [[France|French]] {{Wiki|French corsairs|corsair}}, [[Jacques de Sores]]. By the 1700s, Havana had become a large, heavily fortified port city where [[Spanish Treasure Fleet|Spanish treasure ships]] would dock on their way to Europe. [[Piracy|Pirates]] lurked on the approaches to the city, hoping to capture these same [[ship]]s.
|-|Nassau=
Originally founded as another [[Charleston|Charles-Towne]], the city was renamed [[Nassau]] in honor of [[William III of England|King William III]] of the {{Wiki|house of Orange-Nassau}}. This city has a particularly colorful past: In 1706 the city's officially appointed Governor skipped town, thus severing the [[British Empire|Crown]]'s direct control over [[the Bahamas]].
The islands languished for almost a decade in the hands of [[United Kingdom|British]] [[Civilians|citizens]] with little or no interest in Statesmanship. By 1713, the entire region had become a haven for [[Piracy|pirates]] and it was in this period that [[Benjamin Hornigold]] declared Nassau to be a pirate republic. He proclaimed himself governor and thereafter every pirate of any sense and reputation used Nassau as a base of operation, transforming this small city of barely 1000 residences into a "nest of infamous bastards", according to the Governor of Bermuda.
|-|Mayan Temples=
Dating generally from the [[Maya]]n {{Wiki|Maya civilization|Classic period}} (AD 250 - 900), most Mayan ruins can be found throughout the [[Yucatán Peninsula|Yucatán peninsula]] and Central America. Mayan Temples have steep stone steps and a platform at the top for wooden crowning structures. Mayan architecture is composed with a sophisticated eye to decoration, often using wall paintings and elaborate bas-relief stone carvings. Mayan arches forego the use of a keystone, instead creating a triangle-like arch known as a corbel vault.
|-|North Carolina=
Present day [[North Carolina|North]] and [[South Carolina]] were originally a single [[United Kingdom|English]] colony, {{Wiki|Province of Carolina}}. They split apart in 1729. The province's sparsely settled seacoast was often pillaged by [[Piracy|pirates]], including [[Edward Thatch|Edward "Blackbeard" Thatch]], "Calico" [[Jack Rackham]], [[Charles Vane]] and [[William Kidd]].
</tabber>
<tabber>
|-|Basilica Menor de San Francisco de Asis=
A dominating presence on [[Havana]]'s Plaza de San Francisco, the [[Basilica Menor de San Francisco de Asis]] dates from 1580s. Originally, a statue of St. [[Francis of Assisi]] stood atop the bell tower, but this was blown off in a cyclone in 1846. Baroque features were added to the basilica in 1730.
|-|Governor's Mansion=
The [[Governor's Mansion, Havana|Governor's Mansion]] housed the acting [[Spain|Spanish]] governor in addition to prison facilities. A new governor's mansion was constructed across the square in 1791.
|-|Old Avery Tavern=
This [[Old Avery|drinking spot]], named after "The King of [[Piracy|Pirates]]" Henry Avery, was highly popular among gritty seafarers in the early 18th century. Legend had it that Avery himself once had a financial stake in several establishments throughout the [[Caribbean|West Indies]], but that appears to be nothing more than self-promotion.
|-|Laurence Prins' Manor=
[[Laurens Prins]] was an incredibly successful [[Slavery|slave-trader]] who spent the better part of his 80 years transporting [[Humans|human]] cargo from the west of [[Africa]] to the [[Caribbean|West Indies]]. Near the end of his life, he lived in semi-retirement on land he purchased near [[Kingston]]. One of his most active [[Slave ships|slave ships]], the [[Whydah]], was famously captured by the [[Piracy|pirate]], [[Samuel Bellamy|Sam Bellamy]].
|-|Sugar Mill=
Sugar cane was introduced to the [[Caribbean]] basin by [[Christopher Columbus]]. It thrived throughout the islands. Indigenous Tainos in [[Cuba]] were conscripted to harvest the cane. Once harvested, the cane was taken to sugar mills to be washed, shredded, then repeatedly crushed to produce sugar.
|-|The Queen's Staircase=
[[Queen's Staircase|Sixty-five steps]] carved directly into the promontory rock, the Queens [''sic''] Staircase connects the lower town to the fortifications above. [[Slavery|Slaves]] carved the steps by hand in 1773-74 into the 102' (31m), solid [[limestone]] cliff.
</tabber>
<tabber>
|-|"Saint Jerome as Cardinal"=
An unusual rendering of Saint [[Jerome]] as a scholar rather than an ascetic. The book supporting his hands alludes to his work as a Bible translator.
|-|"Harbor Scene at Sunset"=
Harbor scenes such as depicted in this 1644 painting were a favorite subject of the artist Claude Lorrain.
|-|"The Burning of the 'Royal James'"=
An oil on canvas painting by [[Willem van de Velde the Younger|Willem van de Velde II]], the founder of the English school of marine painting. It shows a battle of the {{Wiki|Third Anglo-Dutch War}}.
|-|"An English Ship in Action with Barbary Vessels"=
More of a display of his imaginative and technical skills than an actual historic representation, this dramatic painting by [[Willem van de Velde the Younger|Willem van de Velde II]] depicts a battle with Barbary corsairs from north [[Africa]].
|-|"The Flight into Egypt"=
This painting by Luca Giordano was commisioned by King Philip V of Spain for display in the French court.
</tabber>
<tabber>
|-|"Der Liederliche Student" by Gerard van Honthorst=
An impression of acquantances rousing in the morning. Everything is as it seems.
|-|"Harbour Scene at Sunset" by Claude Lorrin=
A beautiful scene of the harbor at sunset.<br>Definitely the original work.
|-|"Vanitas Still-life" by Pieter Cleasz=
A representation of time through various objects. Something feels off about this.
</tabber>
<tabber>
|-|Bat-Nosed Figurine=
Gold-work from the Isthmus, representing a crowned half-human, half-bat figure flanked by four crocodile heads.
</tabber>
<tabber>
|-|Birthday Announcement=
Today is my birthday.
Brandish every Cask, Bottle and Barrel of Alcohol. Everyone is to partake and sing my Praises. To ensure that this Do goes splendidly, I will take charge of the Stores and require its Key.
My Father will be most gratified at your swift fulfilment of my Commands.
- Emmerson Beckford
|-|Endeavor Cargo Manifest=
I, Thomas Cecil, hereby report that the following is a true Manifest of all the Goods, Wares and Merchandize, of the Marks, Numbers and Contents of each Package on board the Endeavor which Cargo was received at the Trading Post of Andreas Island from whence the Craft Sailed for the Plantation of Cat Island.
Sugar - 110 Barrels
Molasses - 25 Barrels
Tobacco - 15 Barrels
|-|Barrister's Letter=
John,
It is done. Accompanying this Letter you will find the Will, fully notarized by myself and with the old Man's signature. It will survive the scrutiny of any English Court, I assure you.
Arrangements for your Daughter's removal are also underway. My Associates in the Royal Navy tell me she will be apprehended within the Month. In fact, I hear they have solicited the most reputable Pirate Hunter Lieutenant Maynard for the Task.
Courage my Friend. After so many long Years, we are almost there,
Thomas Barehaire Esq.
|-|Last Will and Testament=
In the Name of God, I, Theodore Rupert Braddock, being of sound Mind and Memory, do declare this my last Will and Testament, in Manner and Form following, revoking all former Wills by me made.
As touching such worldly Estate wherewith it hath pleased God to bless me in this Life, I give, devise, and bequeath all my Goods unto my well-beloved Son-in-Law, John Baldwin, Husband of my late daughter Elizabeth, to have and to hold the same unto him, his Heirs, and Assigns forever.
I do nominate, constitute, and appoint my said Son-in-Law, John Baldwin, to be the sole Executor of this my last Will and Testament, charging him to see this my Will performed according to my true Intent and Meaning.
In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my Hand and Seal, this Second day of January in the Year of our Lord One Thousand Seven Hundred and Twenty.
Signed, sealed, published, and declared by the said Theodore Rupert Braddock as and for his last Will and Testament, in the presence of us, who, at his Request and in his Presence, and in the Presence of each other, have subscribed our Names as Witnesses hereto.
Theodore Rupert Braddock
Witnessed by:<br>
Thomas Barehaire, Esquire<br>
John Baldwin
|-|Neatly Folded Letter=
Thom,
Don't go getting all uncharitable about this, I did it for your own Good. I knew we might strike some Trouble along the way, so I hid your Share with the original Will in the Likelihood we ever need the old Man's Signature again.
The Locket's here too. I want it kept, no matter what you think. There is no one left to know of it's Significance, at any Rate. I'll recover it from you when all this is over, and include a Crate of Rum for the Inconvenience.
Chin up Man! We're Home free!
John.
|-|Jing Lang's Note=
Vance,
I had to leave early. My Order requires a Report and there cannot be a Delay. I'll be waiting by the Tavern at the usual Time. Come with both pieces of the Map.
Jing Lang
|-|Letter from Torres=
A letter to Lauren Prins, [sic] congratulating him on acquiring The Sage.
|-|Slave Ledger=
1. Cato, 35 years, superior carpenter and ship caulker.<br>
2. York, 16 years, field hand.<br>
3. Nero, 25 years, stone cutter.<br>
4. Bess, 28 years, field cook, water carrier.<br>
5. Esther, 31 years, midwife.<br>
6. Gracey, 14 years, good house girl and child's nurse.<br>
7. Anthony Morgan, about 30 years, fine engineer and field hand.<br>
8. Sarah Morgan, 32 years, good field hand; tonsils occasionally inflamed.
9. Infant, 2 months.<br>
10. Anthony, 3 years.<br>
11. Stephen, 5 years.<br>
12. Nace, 9 years.<br>
13. Sophy, 12 years, likely.
|-|Notice of Dismissal=
You, Mr Thomas Stell, Ensign, stand charged for Dereliction of Duty.
On Tuesday last you were tasked to deliver a Prisoner to the Church at the center of Kingston, but were discovered to be in a shameful and drunken State, having abandoned your Post.
You are dismissed forthwith from Service, being no longer entitled to Pay or Protection from the Royal Navy.
|-|Bill of Sale=
Know all, by these Present, that I, Alvin of the Village of Grand Cayman, in consideration of the Sum of Forty-Two Reales in Hand, paid to me by Vargas of the Village of Grand Cayman, the Receipt of where I do acknowledge, have in turn sold and delivered in measured Weight One-Hundred-and-Thirty-Six Pounds of Mutton Snapper unto said Vargas.
In witness whereof I have set my Hand the Fifth Day of May 1716.<br>Signed, sealed and delivered in the present of
All and Sundry, viz.
- Alvin of Grand Cayman
|-|Invitation Letter=
John Boreham,
In Recognition of your Efforts as a Friend of the Church, we extend to you this private Invitation. Cross the Stream east of Kingston and follow the Lights on the Path. Tonight, we will induct you as a full Member of our Circle. This Opportunity will not be offered again.
Yours in our Lord,
Bishop Horace Ravenscroft
|-|Stede Bonnet's First Letter=
My dear Friend, Edward.
After a rather unfortunate Kerfuffle with the Governor's men, I currently enjoy the Hospitalities of a Charles-Towne Jail. It's all a bit bothersome, but I have Faith I'll be freed soon.
Luckly, I'd already stashed some of my Takings in the Cabin of my Ship. I've sent it ahead to Mystery Island, but the Crew can be unpredictable without a Captain. I thought you might be amenable to checking in on them.
There will be Reward for the Inconvenience of course, and I'll meet you there when I manage to extricate myself. It'll be just like old Times!
Signed Captain Stede Bonnet.
|-|Stede Bonnet's Final Letter=
Edward, I am to be hanged on the Morrow. I imagined facing Death like you, Swords drawn, full of Gusto. Instead, I found myself begging and weeping at the Governor's feet.
I fear your Advice was wasted on a Constitution like mine. Perharps I should've left off Pirating altogether, and sailed home to my Wife and Children.
But I'm not quite the same Man who left them, am I? That was the Gift you gave me, the Courage to live free. I'll muster that Courage when the Morning comes.
The Stories I promised will have to wait, Edward. But if, on your Adventures, you should hear any Tales of my sundry Exploits and Capers... then perhaps in the End I lived as I was meant to.
|-|Stede Bonnet's Dagger=
A sharp dagger once belonging to Stede Bonnet.
|-|Stede Bonnet's Diary, 3 July 1718=
Well, that would be it, it seems. The Bags are packed, the Sails trimmed, the long Trick finally over. The old Revenge is ready for the Journey Home to Barbados Tomorrow, and myself along with her.
I should be glad for it, and a large Part of me is. I never thought I'd find myself saying this, but I do miss my Mary, and the Children I left behind. How many can say they plundered with Ed Thatch, were pardoned by the King, and sailed Home to tell the Tale? And in Truth, I never quite found the Constitution for it all anyway, the Dust-ups and the general Bluster.
So why, then, does my Heart still long for the open Sea? There's a sense of things yet undone. The Call of the Gulls and the Promise of Adventure is still wild, still clear. Thought the prospect of Danger turns my Stomach, the Dread of dying in a silken Bed forgotten and full of Regret is the more distasteful to me.
Edward, my old friend, you had such a way with Words. What would you say in a Moment such as this? Sod it all.
Barbados can wait. Mary will have to be patient. I'll to the Helm again,[sic] set a new Course, and make something of this Life.
</tabber>
<tabber>
|-|Julien Du Casse's Portrait=
A debonair portrait of Julien Du Casse, the infamous mercenary.
Hangs above the bed in the Mansion at Great Inagua.
|-|Laurens Prins' Portrait=
A vivid portrait of Laurens Prins, the reprehensible slaver.
Hangs in the hall of the Mansion at Great Inagua.
|-|Commodore Chamberlaine's Portrait=
An imposing portrait of Commodore Peter Chamberlaine, the notorious pirate hunter.
Hangs next to the Templar Door in the Mansion at Great Inagua.
|-|Blackbeard's Portrait=
A fierce portrait of the pirate captain Edward Thatch, better known as Blackbeard.
Hangs in the basement alley of the Mansion at Great Inagua.
|-|Stede Bonnet's Portrait=
A warm portrait of the gregarious Stede Bonnet.
Hangs in the basement alley of the Mansion at Great Inagua.
</tabber>
<tabber>
|-|Schooner=
The schooner was a class of ship used as a general sailing vessel by both navies and civilian operators, providing light firepower and ample speed.
|-|Brig=
The brig was a class of ship bearing two square-rigged masts, and represented a compromise between larger, more powerful ships, and the faster, but less well-armed ones.
|-|Man O' War=
The man o' war was a type of large warship purpose built for warfare, boasting multiple gun decks, and crewed by heavily armed professional soldiers.
|-|El Dorado=
El Dorado was a brig that formed part of the Spanish Treasure Fleet.
The fleet was destroyed in a hurricane, with the El Dorado its lone surviving vessel.
|-|Jackdaw=
The Jackdaw was a brig captained by the pirate-turned-Assassin Edward Kenway, who named it after the small, swift bird of his native Wales.
The ship was known as El Dorado before Edward and his future quartermaster Adéwalé captured it from its fleet.
|-|Royal Fortune=
The Royal Fortune was a man o' war captained by the pirate and Sage Bartholomew Roberts, who elected to keep and renamed it after he captured it as the Nosso Senhor da Compreensão from the Portuguese Navy.
|-|The Ranger=
The Ranger was a brig formerly owned by the pirate Benjamin Hornigold before he passed it on to his colleague, Charles Vane.
|-|El Arca del Maestro=
El Arca del Maestro was a Spanish galleon used by the French Templar Julien du Casse.
It was gifted to him by Templar Grand Master Laureano de Torres y Ayala to help further the Order's goals in the West Indies.
|-|Queen Anne's Revenge=
Queen Anne's Revenge was a British frigate that was originally a slave ship named La Concorde.
It was later captured and renamed by Edward Thatch, who captained as the flagship of a small fleet.
</tabber>
<tabber>
|-|Spanish Brig=
A miniature ship model of a Spanish Brig.
|-|Spanish Cutter=
A miniature ship model of a Spanish Cutter.
|-|Spanish Schooner=
A miniature ship model of a Spanish Schooner.
|-|Spanish Frigate=
A miniature ship model of a Spanish Frigate.
|-|Spanish Man o' War=
A miniature ship model of a Spanish man o' war.
|-|English Brig=
A miniature ship model of an English Brig.
|-|English Cutter=
A miniature ship model of an English Cutter.
|-|English Schooner=
A miniature ship model of an English Schooner.
|-|English Frigate=
A miniature ship model of an English Frigate.
|-|English Man o' War=
A miniature ship model of an English man o' war.
|-|The El Dorado=
A miniature ship model of the El Dorado.
|-|The Jackdaw=
A miniature ship model of the Jackdaw.
|-|The Revenge (ship model)=
A miniature ship model of the Revenge.
|-|Queen Anne's Revenge (ship model)=
A miniature ship model of the Queen Anne's Revenge.
</tabber>
<tabber>
|-|Black Jaguar=
In the [[Americas]], the term ‘black panther’ generally refers to a melanistic [[jaguar]]. They are not a separate species, but a color morph of the spotted form. Black jaguars form less than ten percent of jaguars.
Black jaguars can be found in Isla Providencia and Pinos Isle.
|-|Cat=
The cat is a small carnivorous mammal with a flexible body, sharp claws, and quick reflexes. Cats have long been domesticated, and are favored as pets for their affectionate independence, and playful natures.
Sailors often keep cats aboard ships to deal with rats and other vermin.
|-|Crocodile=
The [[Crocodile]] is a large, tropical-dwelling tetrapod. Crocodiles can measure up to 15 feet long, weigh 2000 pounds, and live to be 70 years old. This prehistoric-looking predator preys on birds, fish, insects and other reptiles.
Crocodiles have been known to indulge in cannibalistic behaviour. Because of this, they live in groupings of the same size.
Not to be confused with alligators, crocodiles are bigger, lighter in color, and have narrower snouts. Although known to attack [[humans]], the crocodile is more likely to flee than to react aggressively when approached.
Crocodiles are most commonly found in Nassau, Long Bay, and Matanzas.
|-|Deer=
Deer are large hoofed ruminants notable for having two large and two small hooves on each foot. Males have antlers while the females do not, with the exception of a single species where the females also grow antlers. Deer are selective feeders, eating plant food low in fiber content and high in protein such as young grass, herbs, woody shoots, and bark.
Various subspecies of deer can be found in the Caribbean bioregion. The red brocket deer, for example, is found in Trinidad and Tobago and the Key deer, introduced by colonists, inhabits the Florida Keys.
Deer are most commonly found in Kingston, Salt Lagoon, and Santanillas.
|-|Frigatebird=
Frigate birds are large seabirds with long wings, forked tails, and slender bodies. They generally inhabit tropical and subtropical oceans, often nesting on remote islands. Frigate birds are skilled fliers, and are known to steal food from other seabirds.
|-|Hammerhead Shark=
Found across the world in tropical and temperate waters, the [[Hammerhead sharks|hammerhead]]'s unusual head shape gives it increased sensory ability to detect its prey. The hammerhead does not attack humans, although it can be lethal if provoked.
Hammerhead sharks can be found in the Eleuthera and Gibara regions.
|-|Howler Monkey=
Considered one of the loudest animals on [[earth]], the small-sized [[Howler monkey|Howler Monkey]] generates a siren-like howl that can be heard from a distance of 3 miles (5km). They are not aggressive and are popular as pets in The West Indies.
Howler monkeys are most commonly found in Kingston, Cape Bonavista, and Long Bay.
|-|Hutia=
The hutia is a large rodent unique to the Caribbean basin which varies in size, and can form distinct species from island to island. Hutias are often hunted by locals to be eaten in a spiced stew.
Hutias are most commonly found in Cayman Sound and Long Bay.
|-|Iguana=
Iguanas are large, herbivorous lizards found throughout the Caribbean islands. The common iguana eats only leaves, flowers and fruit. Despite their at times fierce appearance they are not aggressive, and typically flee when threatened. However, they can lash their tails and bite if provoked.
Iguana are found in Great Inagua, Andreas Island, and Abaco Island.
|-|Jaguar=
The largest feline in the Western hemisphere, the [[jaguar]] is distinguished by its compact and powerful build, its agility, and its unique killing method of biting directly into the skull to pierce the brain. The [[Maya]]ns believed that the jaguars could carry messages to and from the afterworld.
Jaguars are most commonly found in Cape Bonavista, Long Bay, Tulum, and Principe.
|-|Jellyfish=
Also called a [[wikt:medusa|medusa]], the [[jellyfish]] isn't technically a [[fish]]—it is a free-swimming {{Wiki|Cnidaria|non-vertebrate}} found in every sea across the [[Earth|world]]. Jellyfish consist of a {{Wiki|Mesoglea|gelatinous bell}} with trailing tentacles capable of {{Wiki|Cnidocyte|stinging}} prey. Jellyfish stings are in most cases harmless to [[human]]s, but some can be extremely serious, even lethal.
|-|Manta Ray=
Although related to [[shark]]s, [[manta ray]]s are harmless. They can be quite large (up to 30 ft (9m) wide) and feed on small [[fish]] and plankton, funneling food into their mouth using {{Wiki|cephalic}} flaps extending from the eyes. Manta rays, which are found all over the world, have the unique ability to leap from the water into the air to escape attackers.
|-|Monkey=
Monkeys in the Caribbean are primarily an introduced African species called the green monkey, although up to the 17th Century these still shared territory with the now extinct Jamaican monkey. Both species were omnivores that ate a variety of foraged foods including fruit, seeds, flowers, insects, and smaller animals like frogs and birds.
Monkeys were viewed as pests by farmers as they continually raided crops, but were favoured by locals and sailors who adopted them as mischievous, intelligent pets.
|-|Ocelot=
The ocelot is a wild cat that typically has yellow fur with dark stripes in the manner of a jaguar. Ocelots are nocturnal and range from the size of domestic cats up to four feet (1.2 meters) in length.
Ocelot hides are coveted by leather workers for their ease of working, patterned fur, soft texture, and durability.
Ocelots can be found in Cumberland Bay and Abaco Island.
|-|Turtle=
The [[Caribbean]] basin provides an excellent climate for both land and [[Green sea turtle|sea turtles]]. Turtles are reptiles with a hard, protective upper shell called a carapace. Although they are natural swimmers and can stay submerged for up to 7 hours while resting, turtles breathe air. Despite being awkward and slow moving on land, they go ashore to lay their eggs.
|-|White Jaguar=
White coats in animals can be due to a specific genetic mutation or albinism. The genetic mutation that yields a white jaguar also results in a more aggressive animal, making them dangerous as well as rare.
White jaguars can be found at Great Inagua.
|-|Wild Pig=
The [[wild pig]], or [[wild boar|boar]], is a large cousin of the domesticated [[pig]] covered by hairy bristles. They were introduced by [[Europe]]ans to the [[Caribbean]] basin ([[Christopher Columbus|Columbus]] himself brought eight pigs with him from [[Spain]]). Wild pigs flourished in the island environment and were hunted by sailors and [[Piracy|pirates]] to provide salted pork on their voyages.
Wild pigs are most commonly found in Nassau, Great Inagua, and Cape Bonavista.
|-|Bull Shark=
So-called because of their short snouts and their tendency to head-butt prey, [[bull sharks]] are commonly found in warm, shallow waters. They are extremely aggressive and dangerous to [[Humans|humans]]. The females are larger than the males, and adults measure well over seven feet (2.15m) long.
Bull sharks can be found in the Dry Tortuga, Gibara, and Punta Guarico regions.
|-|Capuchin Monkey=
Found throughout Central and [[South America]], [[capuchin monkey]]s are small and highly intelligent. They eat almost anything -- nuts, fruits, small birds, frogs, clams, etc. Many [[Piracy|pirates]] favored capuchins as pets.
Capuchins can be found in Matanzas and Misteriosa.
|-|Great White Shark=
The largest predatory fish in the world, the [[Great white sharks|great white]]'s lethal aspect is due to its nearly 300 serrated teeth arranged in rows. Great whites have been known to attack [[humans]], but usually more out of curiosity than hunger -- "sample biting" and then releasing their victims. The great white reaches an average length of 15 feet (4.6m).
Great white sharks can be found in the Cruz and Serranilla regions.
|-|Humpback Whale=
Known for emitting complex sequences of haunting moans, the [[Humpback whale|humpback]] is a large whale that reaches up to 62 feet (19 meters) in length. They migrate from the poles to the equator seasonally and travel in pods.
Humpback whales can be found in the Castillo De Jagua and Navassa regions.
|-|Killer Whale=
Called the Grampus by sailors in the 18th century, the [[killer whale]], or Orca, is part of the dolphin family. Known for their ferociously deadly predation, killer whales feast on [[seal]]s, sea-lions and even other whales. They hunt in pods in the manner of [[Wolves|wolf packs]] and are found throughout the [[Earth|world]]'s seas.
Killer whales can be found in the Cruz and Conttoyor regions.
|-|Red Howler Monkey=
Red howler monkeys are distinguished from other howler monkeys by their reddish fur and large size. They are generally found throughout South and Central America.
Red howler monkeys can be located on Isla Providencia.
</tabber>
<tabber>
|-|Adéwalé=
Born: 1692, [[Trinidad]]<br>
Died: Unknown
Born to [[Slavery|enslaved]] {{Wiki|Ogoni people|Ogoni}} parents in {{Wiki|Yorubaland|Yoruba}}, [[Adéwalé]] was sold to the owner of a prosperous [[plantation]] before his teens. He remained on this plantation, working the fields, until his mid teens, always scheming of ways to escape his predicament, but uneasy with the prospect of living life as a fugitive.
Then fortune struck, giving Adéwalé the sign he needed. At some point near his 16th birthday, a group of buccaneers raided the [[plantation]], robbing it of raw cane, refined [[sugar]], and as many [[real]]es as they could find. Seeing in this an opportunity, Adé grabbed a crate of sugar and hauled it aboard one of the longboats the buccaneers had rowed ashore. Surprised to see a slave among them, the buccaneers were nevertheless thankful for the aid, and welcomed Adé among them.
Adé sailed with this first group of men for many years, quickly learning the ways of a seaman, grateful for the chance to develop his own skills and chase his own passions. And though his life among buccaneers was not free of the usual bigotry of the era, Adé found the prejudice to be more confrontational than restrictive.
In 1715, misfortune struck a cruel blow when the ship Adé was aboard, struck a shallow sandbar near the port of [[Havana]]. The buccaneers—mostly [[United Kingdom|British]] at the time—tried desperately to free the trapped vessel, but after catching sight of an approaching [[Spain|Spanish]] [[Man O' War|Galleon]], abandoned ship only to be torn apart by schools of circling [[bull shark]]s. Adé made peace with his fate, and stood his ground.
Taken to [[Havana]] for questioning and inspection, Spanish authorities eventually decided to send Adéwalé to Spain, where they felt he would make an excellent interpreter, owing to his fluent command of Spanish, [[England|English]], and [[France|French]]. Some weeks later, they loaded him into of the Galleons that made up their perennial [[Spanish Treasure Fleet|treasure convoy]], en route to [[Seville]].
Named for the [[Maya]]n god of hunting, [[Ah Tabai]]'s given name remains a mystery, and very little is known about his earliest decades. The only child he is known to have fathered died before the age of ten.
What little else we know about him comes from his own mouth; from the stories he told those who knew him. When speaking about his own past, he avoids personal details in favor of abstractions and hints. He frequently speaks of his love and admiration for the tragic history of his people, and used these stories to illustrate the complex intersections of cultures and religions, frequently pointing out the fact that "From within and without come enemies and allies alike. Nothing in life is guaranteed, except surprise..."
It is not known how early Ah Tabai acquired the title of Mentor, nor how large his impact was on the [[Assassins]] of the [[Caribbean|West Indies]]. However, that he maintained semi-regular contact with the [[American Brotherhood of Assassins|Assassins in the British colonies]] to the north, in various parts of [[Europe]] and [[Africa]], and in [[China]]. He was instrumental in opening his branch to men and women from all walks of life - mostly Europeans, Africans, and those Native to the area.
As a native Mayan himself, rumors and stories of the ancient [[Observatory (Isu)|Observatory]] were not foreign to Ah Tabai. So when in 1713 rumors of [[Bartholomew Roberts|a new "Sage"]] began to surface, Ah Tabai took it upon himself to locate the man, believing the Assassins should be the protectors of the ancient and mysterious place. He sent word far and wide to as many Assassin outposts as possible, hoping their network of spies and informants would lead them to their prize. But after two years, there was no word.
Then, in early 1715, an experienced British Assassin named [[Duncan Walpole]] arrived at Ah Tabai's encampment, initially expressing a desire to train under the Mentor directly. Ah Tabai found the request odd but flattering, for Walpole had already achieved a level of Mastery few assassins ever reached. After many months of intensive training, Ah Tabai came to consider Duncan Walpole as one of his most trusted colleagues.
Then in June of 1715, word arrived that the [[Templars]] had located and imprisoned the [[Sages|Sage]] on [[Spain|Spanish]] lands in the far south. Seeing an opportunity to cripple his arch-enemies, Ah Tabai entrusted Duncan Walpole with the task of rallying various Assassins around the West Indies and leading an assault on the Templar prison ship en route to [[Havana]]. Duncan Walpole agreed to this task... and was never heard from again.
It was only after [[Edward Kenway]]'s disastrous meddling in Havana that Ah Tabai was made aware of the full extent of Walpole's betrayal.
|-|Anne Bonny=
Born: 1702, [[Ireland]]<br>Died: Unknown
[[Anne Bonny|Anne]] was barely a teen when she left her native [[County Cork|Cork]] in [[Ireland]] for the [[United Kingdom|British]] colonies, and by sixteen she was en route to [[Caribbean|West Indies]] at side of her new husband, Mr. Jack Bonny, a gentle but sturdy young man in his early 20s.
The pair arrived in [[Nassau]] in April of 1716, settling down with an unclear idea of what shape their lives might take. Jack eventually found work on one of the small [[plantation]]s there, while Anne cultivated her ability to loaf and daydream. Unfortunately, her beauty, aloofness, and complete indifference to propriety made her the object of more romantic attention than she had ever known or cared for.
Within a year of arriving in Nassau, the Bonnys' marriage was in shambles, a union only in name. While Jack disappeared further into his work, Anne grew more confident and sociable, eventually taking a job as a barmaid at the popular [[Old Avery]] [[tavern]] in the center of Nassau. And though she took on a few lovers in the next few years, it was mostly out of envy and spite that the rabble of Nassau branded Anne a harlot and a tease. But with no high society to shun or shame her, Anne's desirability only increased on the strength of these rumors.
|-|Edward "Blackbeard" Thatch=
Born: 1680, [[England]]<br>Died: 1718, North Carolina
Known variously by different sources as Thatch, Teach, Theach, Tache, Titche, Teatch, Tack, and more, we are fairly certain [[Edward Thatch]] was born in or around [[Bristol]] and took to the sea at an early age, most likely in his teens. It is also speculated that he arrived in the [[Caribbean|West Indies]] quite soon after leaving England.
If this was indeed the case, Ed Thatch would have seen his fair share of the [[War of Spanish Succession]], a protracted fight between most of the Empires of [[Europe]] that pitted Hapsburg Austia and its British ally against Bourbon France and Spain. In these early years, from 1700 to 1713, Thatch was a privateer or at the very least a merchant seaman, doing his part for the crown—[[Anne, Queen of Great Britain|Queen Anne]] at the time.
But with the [[Peace of Utrecht|Treaty of Utrecht]] bestowing peace upon a troubled [[Europe]] in 1713, Thatch and his fellow sailors found themselves far from home and out of work. Thus, they turned to [[piracy]] as a means of sustaining themselves. In the ensuing years, Thatch befriended a captain named [[Benjamin Hornigold]] and soon after joined his crew as quartermaster, at some point between late 1714 and early 1716.
Settling in [[Nassau]], Thatch, Hornigold, and the rest of the "Flying Gang" as these pirates called themselves, began cooking up schemes far larger than most pirates of the era dared dream. Wanting nothing less than a country of their own, they worked to turn Nassau into a place of liberty and freedom for all who desired an escape from the bonds of imperial rule.
As Thatch's reputation as a worthy and fearsome seaman grew, so did his ideas about piracy. At some point in the latter half of 1717, having grown a long and frightful beard, he took to calling himself "Blackbeard", and worked at every turn to bolster his legend as the most feared pirate in the West Indies. Thatch reveled in the power of a good legend, and worked hard to cultivate his—frequently sticking lit slow-matches in his hat to raise a frightening cloud, or challenging his crews to endure long stretches below deck as burning sulfur clouded the hold.
After helping Hornigold take command of a number of vessels, Edward Thatch finally acquired a [[ship]] of his own in September 1717—a vessel called "The Adventure"—captained by the most unlikely pirate of them all, one [[Stede Bonnet]]. For two months, Thatch captained the Adventure, with Stede content to tag along as a passenger. But in November, Thatch's fortunes improved further when he captured a massive French slave ship called La Concorde. Renaming her [[Queen Anne's Revenge]] in honor of his former Stuart Queen (and possibly as a subversion to validate his continued piracy), Edward "Blackbeard" Thatch was now one of the most feared and deadly pirates in the West Indies.
For the next year he terrorized the West Indies and environs, before sailing north to the [[United States|British colonies]] in [[North America]]. Here he frightened the inhabitants of an entire city when he blockaded the port of [[Charleston]], [[South Carolina]], in an attempt to acquire medicine for his ailing crew.
But shortly after this audacious gambit, Blackbeard decided he'd had enough of the pirate life. He was nearing forty and, despite his ferocious reputation, had lost his love for the pirate's game. In the early summer of 1718, he half-heartedly accepted a pardon from his friend [[Charles Eden]], Governor of North Carolina. But by late August of that same year he had fallen back into his old habits, restricting his activities to the southeastern coast of the North American British colonies. Unbeknownst to him, the Governor of [[Virginia (state)|Virginia]], [[Alexander Spotswood]], was keenly aware of his continued piracies, and was busy organizing a party to "extirpate this nest of [[Snake|vipers]]".
In November of 1718, Spotswood offered money to British pirate hunter [[Robert Maynard|Lieutenant Maynard]] to see the job done. Taking command of a few fast ships well suited to the shallow inlets where Blackbeard was known to hide, Maynard set off in search of his prize. He learned from passing ships that Blackbeard was likely anchored on the inland side of [[Ocracoke Island]], an ideal haunt for a pirate. As dusk fell on November 21st, Maynard and his crew spotted Blackbeard's rag-tag group, but decided to hold off their attack until the tide rose. In the early hours of the following day, Maynard's crew slipped into the bay and approached Blackbeard's ship. They were greeted by a sudden volley of [[pistol]] shots and [[cannon]] fire. This caused Maynard to retreat, giving Blackbeard and his crew time to slip through the shallow waters and escape.
However, weary of his continual pursuit, Blackbeard sought out Maynard and was caught in fierce hand to hand fighting with his crew on the deck of Maynard's ship. Despite help from his consort Edward Kenway, Blackbeard was overcome. Heavily wounded by multiple sword strokes and pistol shots, he was slain by Maynard who struck the final blow from behind.
|-|Edward Kenway=
Born: 1693, [[Wales]]<br>Died: ????
[[Edward Kenway|Edward James Kenway]] was born on the 10th of March in [[Swansea]], [[Wales]], to [[Bernard Kenway]] of [[Manchester]] and [[Linette Kenway|Linette Hopkins]] of nearby {{Wiki|Cardiff}}. By Edward's 10th birthday, his father had moved the family to a [[Hatherton|small farm]] just outside [[Bristol]], a nearby port town in the southwest of England.
This relocation had a depressing effect on young Edward's mood. He grew restless from a lack of contact with old friends and struggled to find an outlet for his limitless energy. By his teens he was spending more and more time in the city away from his farm, where the lure of excitement overrode prudence. By age sixteen, he had substituted a career as a successful farmer for a life of hopeless tomfoolery, frequently shirking his responsibilities to his family in favor of rough company.
In late 1711, at the age of seventeen, Edward met [[Caroline Scott-Kenway|Caroline Scott]], a woman of modest but steady means. Their friendship began cautiously, as Caroline's hand had already been promised to the boorish [[Matthew Hague|son]] of a wealthy [[East India Company]] [[Aubrey Hague|executive]]. But Edward's charms eventually won out, and he and Caroline were married within a year of their meeting; a union that angered [[Emmett Scott|her father]], and got the whole of Bristol talking.
In the earliest months of their marriage, Edward resolved to do well by his wife and provide for her as he believed a man in his position should. But his grandiose dreams and exaggerated opinion of himself prevented him from taking immediate responsibility for their well-being. And after only a year, he had stumbled back into his worst habits - drinking, fighting and idleness.
It was in this dark period that Edward revived an old idea of joining a [[privateer]]ing fleet sailing for the [[Caribbean|West Indies]], with the aim of making war against the [[Spain|Spanish]] and collecting unchecked sums of gold and cargo. This, he told his wife, was their path to quick riches. Being a sensible and prudent woman, Caroline discouraged these fanciful ideas.
By the summer of 1712, Caroline understood that her husband's departure was inevitable. She wanted no further part of Edward's reckless plan, and so left him to live with her parents. Stunned by this sudden turn, Edward was determined to earn his fortune fast and prove himself as capable as he always claimed he was. He left for the West Indies barely one month later, where he soon fell in with the privateer [[Benjamin Hornigold]] and his quartermaster, [[Edward Thatch|Ed Thatch]].
Edward spent the first half of 1713 sailing with these two seasoned sailors, on regular sweeps of the windward passage. But that year, fate threw him another upset. With the signing of the [[Peace of Utrecht|treaty of Utrecht]], all hostile actions between the major empires came to an end and the prospects of British privateers dried up. Now poor, unemployed, and thousands of miles from home, Edward and his colleagues settled on the island of New Providence in [[the Bahamas]] to reconsider their options.
These were fanciful days for Edward. He discovered in the small town of [[Nassau]] a life quite unlike that which he had left behind. The atmosphere of wild and noisy freedom in this small stateless encampment overwhelmed and captivated him. The drinking, the gaming, the women, the aimless desire to simply live as one pleased. And yet, as carefree as he was, his beloved Caroline was never far from his mind. If he could make something of himself in the West Indies—working a [[sugar]] [[plantation]], perhaps—he might win her back after all his time away.
But in absence of true conviction, habit takes hold fast; and it was only a matter of time before Edward set back out to sea with his mates, to live the life they knew best; no longer privateers—legal and sanctioned—but as [[Piracy|pirates]] now, with nary a whit of loyalty to kin and country, earning his fortune by the sword and pistol, praying his end was never too near.
|-|Calico Jack Rackham=
Born: 1682, [[Jamaica]]<br>Died: ????
Of the few infamous [[Piracy|pirates]] to call the [[Caribbean|West Indies]] his birthplace, [[Jack Rackham]] was born in Jamaica at the height of [[Port Royal]]'s boom as a den of scoundrels. This would likely explain his atrophied moral compass, for he was frequently drunk, rarely serious about anything, and always chasing women. He used his outrageous and offensive charm to keep out of most trouble. But a strategist and fighter he was not.
Nicknamed "Calico" for his affinity for [[India]]n and [[Asia]]n prints, he was a terrible sailor and a worse pirate, given to flights of fancy and myopic ideas that served only himself, rather than solid strategic thinking. He was likely drunk for half of his adulthood, and had a weakness for women that trumped all basic needs, such as sleeping or eating. His disarming charm, dashing good looks, and his swift wit carried him far, but parties can only last so long before someone has to clean up after them.
|-|Caroline Scott=
Born: 1691, England<br>Died: ????
Daughter of [[Emmett Scott|Emmett]] and [[Elizabeth Scott]], [[Caroline Scott-Kenway|Caroline]] was born in [[Bristol]], [[United Kingdom|England]], to a prosperous family of merchants and civil servants. Given a modest education by her father, she furthered her own studies in her own way, taking time to read as often as her familiar duties allowed. Splitting her time between this and helping her mother manage her father's affairs, she grew into a confident and level-headed woman with more skill and intelligence than her situation allowed her to exercise.
Caroline first met [[Edward Kenway]] outside the [[Auld Shillelagh]], in the aftermath of a drunken altercation. She had arrived to fetch one of her servants and there found Edward escorting [[Rose|the woman]] from the clutches of one of Bristol's more notorious [[Tom Cobleigh|cads]]. Thankful for his kindness, Caroline agreed to a second meeting on more equitable terms, hardly thinking a romance possible.
And yet—against all odds—that is just what happened. Edward and Caroline grew quite close, and soon fell in love, quite much to the dismay of her father. Emmett Scott had already promised his daughter to the [[Matthew Hague|son]] of a wealthy [[East India Company]] [[Aubrey Hague|executive]], and made his displeasure apparent at every turn. But all his noise was to no avail. Caroline and Edward were married in 1712.
For a time it seemed as though this odd pairing might produce a lasting union. But Edward's deep love for his wife was offset by his uncouth habits and reckless attention to responsibility. Not content to live a life of middle class drudgery, Edward [[Edward Kenway (memory)|dreamed large]], and fixed on the idea that he could sail to the [[Caribbean|West Indies]] and fight as a [[Privateer]] against the [[Spain|Spanish]]. Or, barring that, buy some land and sow a [[sugar]] [[plantation]]. Caroline tried to dissuade her husband, but to no effect.
|-|James Kidd=
Born: 1695, England<br>Died: ????
Even though not yet out of his teens, James Kidd was a cocky and confident lad with a brashness cultivated to counter his youth. He claimed to be the bastard son of the late [[William Kidd]], the infamous privateer-turned-[[Piracy|pirate]] who was captured and hanged by [[United Kingdom|British]] authorities in 1701. Although James had no proof of this connection, his mother always insisted on it, claiming that she spent a single "panicked night of passion" with Captain Kidd just before his departure from London in 1695.
Growing up fatherless and with a spendthrift mother did little to improve his prospects at leading a normal life, and at the age of 12 he found employment aboard merchant vessels sailing between the British colonies in [[North America]] and the [[Caribbean|West Indies]]. By the time he was 17 he called [[Jamaica]] his home, where he further honed his skills as a sailor here.
Although he never sailed with the likes of [[Benjamin Hornigold|Ben Hornigold]], [[Edward Thatch|Ed Thatch]], or [[Edward Kenway]], James was among the first sailors to settle in [[Nassau]], and was a central figure in its development as a pirate republic.
|-|Mary Read=
Born: Unknown, [[England]]<br>Died: ????
Of all the infamous [[Caribbean|West Indies]] [[Piracy|pirates]], [[Mary Read]] stands out as one of the most mysterious and inscrutable. No one is sure when she was born, with most speculation ranging over almost a decade, between 1685 and 1695. According to [[Charles Johnson]]—a frequently unreliable source—her mother began dressing Mary in boy's clothes from a very early age, with the hope of passing her off as another man's son.
In her teens, Mary evidently harnessed her skill for disguise to secure a job aboard a [[ship]]. Taking to sea, she worked her way forward until she found a position in the [[Royal Navy|British Navy]]. Still disguised as a man, she saw action in battle, though owing to the conflicting reports of her birth, which battle is uncertain. It was during these skirmishes that Mary met her first husband—so the author of the "General History of Pyrates" claims—a Flemish soldier who had evidently fought beside her.
But this union was not fated to remain intact, as Mary's husband was killed soon after their marriage. With few reasons to remain in [[Europe]], Mary sailed for the West Indies. It is unclear what transpired in the years following, but it is almost certain that she resumed the practice of dressing as a man. It is also assumed Mary continued working aboard ships, improving her skills as a sailor and swordsman.
By 1715 or 1716, it was likely she had visited her fellow sailors in [[Nassau]], though perhaps not for the same reasons...
|-|Opía Apito=
Born: 1695, Cuba<br>Died: Unknown
Born in [[Cuba]], [[Assassin bureau]] leader [[Opía Apito]] was raised Taíno, among her mother's people, never knowing her father, a [[Spain|Spaniard]].
At twelve, her village was [[raid]]ed by the Spanish. Most of her community was kidnapped and killed. But Opía, the lone free survivor, fought and ran. She survived in hiding for close to a decade.
Much of what we know of Opía is inseparable from legend. Her name, possibly self-given, is an amalgam of the Taíno words for "eternity" and "ghost." She claimed to be a direct descendant of the warrior {{Wiki|Hatuey}}, who stood against the Spanish in the 16th Century. She was guided throughout her life by the mantra, ''Aji aya bom''—better dead than a [[Slavery|slave]].
In her early twenties, she was hired by the [[Assassins]] as a guide, and was soon [[Initiation into the Assassin Order|adopted]] into their [[Assassin rank|ranks]]. She delighted in a characteristic Taíno approach to strategy: preferring to harm the enemy by taking something from him in battle, that he might live to notice it missing. But as an Assassin she did not shrink from violence.
True to her name, once promoted to Assassin Bureau leader, she built an agile and highly effective "ghost" bureau near the [[Cayman Islands]], with virtually no physical footprint to speak of. We might regard it today as an early example of a terrorist cell, but she left no records and no descendants, and until now, history has held no record of it.
|-|Rhona Dinsmore=
Born: 1688, Scotland<br>Died: Unknown
Born in [[Scotland]], [[Rhona Dinsmore]] was made for adventure. After suffering the lows of a troubled household–an absent father and a drunkard of a mother–Dinsmore left her home in Glasgow in her mid-teens. At nineteen, she found work amongst [[merchant]]s in [[Bristol]] and remained at that post for nearly two years.
By twenty-one, Dinsmore was trapped in a terrible marriage. She fled again and sought refuge in [[Boston]], where she remained for six months, before moving on to the warmer climes of [[Jamaica]]. There she found it exceedingly difficult to find work among farmers, and finally took to the sea, ultimately finding her calling within the [[Assassins|Assassin Brotherhood]].
|-|Stede Bonnet=
Born: 1688, Barbados
Died: 1718, Charles Town
Born into plentitude and wealth on Barbados, Stede Bonnet seemed destined for a life of pleasure and ease. The son of a successful and influential plantation owner, his early life was marked by tragedy when his parents died suddenly, leaving seven year-old Stede orphaned and in a perpetual state of melancholy.
His inheritance of some 400 acres of land softened the blow caused by the loss of his parents, and by the time Stede was in his late teens, he had already restored the sugar plantation to a profitable state. He married young and set about starting a family as soon as possible, but owing to what some called a "disorder of the mind" he never found solace or comfort in these domestic trappings.
To further complicate his unease, his firstborn son died in infancy, further amplifying his grief and stiming his restlessness. As a means of coping, he dreamed of going to sea and sailing about the world, meeting people, living life as a man free of the obligations thrust upon him.
At some point around Stede's 29th birthday, his restlessness got the better of him. Owing to "some discomfort he found in a married state" which brought on a "disorder of the mind", Stede decided it was time to take his first bold step into the life he had always dreamed about. Using his considerable fortune, he either purchased a [[boat]] or had one built for him—a small [[schooner]] he christened "The [[Revenge]]".
To maintain some semblance to the comforts he had come to enjoy as a man of means, he installed a full library in the [[Captain]]'s quarters, and packed his wardrobe with all manner of finery—[[silk]] pajamas, {{Wiki|smoking jacket}}s, and {{Wiki|frock}}s. Near the end of 1717, his [[ship]] was ready. He bid adieu to his wife and remaining children and weighed anchor, sailing north from Barbados, hoping to reach the [[United States|British colonies]] within a few months. He would never see his family again.
Now sailing under the moniker "Captain Edwards", Bonnet sailed about the [[Caribbean|West Indies]] looking for his first prize. Spotting a large [[Spanish Navy|Spanish]] [[Man O' War|warship]], his crew foolishly encouraged an attack. After a brief engagement, almost half of Bonnet's crew was dead or injured. Miraculously, the Revenge was able to escape capture herself, and Bonnet ordered the crew to sail her to the only place he knew he could find refuge: [[Nassau]].
It was here, in the [[Piracy|pirates]]' infamous [[Republic of Pirates|republic]], that Stede met and befriended Captain [[Edward Thatch|Thatch]], the infamous and capable captain who had recently taken to calling himself Blackbeard. Thatch managed to convince Bonnet to hand over the Revenge's reigns, leaving Stede happily confined to his cabin. The two sailed about as unlikely partners for some months, until Blackbeard took a far greater prize for himself: the [[Queen Anne's Revenge]].
After keeping Bonnet's Revenge in his own fleet for a short time, Blackbeard suddenly abandoned her along with most of its crew. Bonnet was again free to seek his own path. Perhaps believing he had been properly mentored under Blackbeard's tutelage, Bonnet stuck out for the {{Wiki|Danish overseas colonies|Danish}} {{Wiki|Danish West Indies|island}} of {{Wiki|Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands|St. Thomas}}, hoping to earn a [[privateer]]ing commission. But his crew had other ideas. Plunging headlong into piracy once more, Stede's crew lashed out recklessly at every prize they could find. At the urging of Ignatius Pell, a member of his crew, Bonnet embarked on his most ambitious prize yet--a fleet of eleven vessels just outside Charles-Towne, glutted with cargo and ripe for the taking.
This proved to be his undoing, for the fleet had been set up as bait for precisely Bonnet himself. Pirate Hunters hired by the governor of South Carolina set upon the Revenge just as Bonnet engaged, severely crippling his fleet and sending it limping into the shallows of the river. In an act of unlikely heroism, Bonnet swapped places with his crew under cover of darkness, placing them at the helm of the Revenge and sending them off to safeguard his spoils. He remained behind on the river and drew the fire of enemy sloops, allowing Pell and Rowland Sharp to break through the blockade, while he was eventually overcome and captured.
Once imprisoned within the Charles-Towne jail, Bonnet gained something of a popular following among the citizenry, delighted by this articulate and good-natured gentleman pirate. While he awaited trial, numerous people came forward as witnesses to attest to the good quality of his character. But this came to nothing, and after one botched escape attempt, Stede was finally walked to the [[Hanging|gallows]] in December, 1718. As the hangman slipped the noose around his neck, he broke down in tears, begging for mercy. The sight of his abject shame moved many to tears, but it was not enough to save him. The "Gentleman Pirate" was no more.
|-|Upton Travers=
Born: 1688, England<br>Died: Unknown
[[Upton Travers]] was born in [[United Kingdom|England]], in 1688, two years ahead of his brother, [[Vance Travers]]. Together, they traveled to the [[Caribbean|West Indies]] in search of their fortune. There they established a [[smuggling]] business, which they used to fund their growing involvement with the [[Assassins|Assassin brotherhood]].
Although Vance was the more charismatic of the two Assassin brothers, Upton made up for it with his measured, sensible responses to life's challenges.
However, every man has a breaking point, and Upton found his after Vance took up with the [[China|Chinese]] "Pirate Queen," [[Jing Lang]], a [[Templars|Templar]], and sought to steal the treasure on which they had staked their retirement before finally attempting fratricide.
Depressed, Upton turned to [[alcohol]], which may have been a factor in his retaliation. He ultimately had both Jing Lang and his brother dispatched with the help of Edward Kenway.
</tabber>
<tabber>
|-|Bartholomew Roberts=
Born: 1682, [[Wales]] <br> Died: ????
Originally hailing from Wales, little is known about [[Bartholomew Roberts|John Roberts]], the real name of the man who would come to be known as "Black Bart" long after his death.
Most assume he went to sea at a very young age -- at 13 or so -- but there is no record of him in any historical documents until his noted appearance in 1718 aboard a merchant's ship, [[Barbados|Barbadian]] in origin. Just a year later Roberts was pressed into [[piracy]] by the notorious [[Howell Davis]] while working aboard [[Princess|a slave ship]] under Captain Abraham Plumb. Though Roberts had likely not gone to sea with the intent of becoming a pirate, when the opportunity thrust itself upon him, Roberts was reported to have said 'A merry life, and a short one shall be my motto.'
A few months later Davis was killed in an ambush on the [[Portugal|Portuguese]] Island of [[Príncipe]], and Roberts was swiftly and unanimously elected to replace him. This was surely a testament to the man's natural charisma and leadership, for he had been a pirate only a few months. It was at this point he took the name "Bartholomew", likely naming himself for the infamous Bartholomew Sharpe, a pirate of some renown who had disappeared just two decades earlier.
One of the most intelligent and strategic pirates of the [[Golden Age of Piracy|Golden Age]], Roberts was a sturdy man, known to dress in fine clothes. Handsome, and carrying himself with a dignified but unpretentious air, he had dark hair to match his dark complexion, likely set from the almost two decades he had spent at sea. He often carried numerous pistols, each tied to one end of long silk sashes, which he kept slung over his shoulder.
Roberts' tactical ideas were usually radical, but thoughtfully considered. He never jumped into any scheme rashly, though his ideas seemed almost suicidal to those unacquainted with his methods. Ultimately responsible for the theft of around 400 ships in his three-year career, he bested every other pirate of the era by a factor of ten times or more, although it must be said that at least half of these boats were small periaguas and the like.
|-|Benjamin Hornigold=
Born: Mid-1680s, England<br>Died: ????
[[Benjamin Hornigold]] was likely born in {{Wiki|Norfolk}}, [[England]]. The first recorded instances of him are of his early exploits as a [[Piracy|pirate]] in the [[Caribbean|West Indies]] around 1713-1714.
Hornigold was one of the earliest pirates to emerge after the end of the [[War of the Spanish Succession]], and one of the many hundreds of privateers who were left without gainful employment in the ensuing peace. Like many other British mariners, he spent much of his time in [[the Bahamas]], eventually settling in [[Nassau]]. It was from there he launched his career as a full-fledged pirate, though he likely thought of himself as a privateer--in his earliest years, at least.
A skilful sailor and strategist, Hornigold lacked some of the ruthlessness required to be a truly successful pirate, and until 1716, refused to attack English ships out of a sense of loyalty to his home country.
|-|El Tiburón=
Born: Unknown<br>Died: Unknown
Almost nothing is known about [[El Tiburón]] "The Shark" outside of his service as the loyal, mute bodyguard of [[Laureano de Torres y Ayala]], the Grandmaster of the Caribbean Templars and the Governor of Cuba. The Shark's penchant for medieval armor and brutal violence cut a swathe of fear through Havana, leaving citizens and soldiers alike quivering in his blood soaked wake.
|-|Hilary Flint=
Born: 1682, England<br>Died: 1717, West Indies
[[Hilary Flint]] was born to an aristocratic family, the youngest of three boys. The black [[sheep]] of the family, he sought solitude in his studies. Immersing himself in math and sciences, Flint discovered an abiding interest in [[Bomb|explosives]], earning him the label of "problem child".
To correct his course, his parents enrolled him in military school, where he quicklyexceeded their expetations, working his way into the hearts of both teachers and students, as well as a few secret societies.
After graduation, his connections and easy manner earned him access to [[Templars|Templar]] ranks where his obsession with [[firearm]]s made him an important asset.
Records reveal an ongoing relationship with [[Assassins|Assassin]] [[Rhona Dinsmore]], the full nature of which is uncertain. She vanishes from record after Flint's death at the age of 35.
|-|Jing Lang=
Born: 1686, [[China]]<br> Died: 1717, Nassau
Born to Chinese rebels, [[Jing Lang]] came into the world fighting, but survived to become a skilled diplomat with a flair for languages and a taste for discovery.
Ambitious, Lang married the son of a General in the [[Qing dynasty]], joining the [[Templars|Templar order]], but severing ties with her family in the process. She served as a diplomatic advisor, until a shift in political tides provoked her escape into [[piracy]].
Over the next decade, she crossed every sea, developing a reputation for brutality that preceded her into most conflicts.
In the [[Caribbean|West Indies]], she fell under the spell of a rumored cache of treasure, and feigned a romantic relationship with one-time [[Assassins|Assassin]] [[Vance Travers]] to gain access to it.
She might have been successful had it not been for Travers' brother, [[Upton Travers|Upton]], an Assassin who schemed to have her killed, betraying his brother in the process. She died at the age of thirty.
|-|Julien du Casse=
Born: 1682, France<br>Died: ????
Nephew of the buccaneer [[Jean-Baptiste du Casse|Jean du Casse]], [[Julien du Casse|Julien]] was born in [[Montpellier]], [[France]]. He took after his uncle's example and took to sea at a young age, eventually joining him in a few skirmishes during the [[War of the Spanish Succession]]. Fighting on the side of the French, and by proxy, on behalf of [[Philip V of Spain|King Philip]] of [[Spain]], du Casse's skill as a gunner improved rapidly, even as he grew wildly disillusioned with the monarchy and its obsession with lineage and breeding over raw talent and skill.
In 1704, ordered by his superior officers to join his uncle and hundreds of French troops in what would become known as the {{Wiki|Battle of Málaga (1704)|Battle of Vélez-Màlaga}}, du Casse opted instead to desert his post and seek his fortunes in the New World. At first he threw in with [[Slavery|slave traders]] in [[Africa]], and for a year made a modest profit off the venture. But he was never comfortable with the cruelty and detachment the job required, and so departed for the [[Caribbean|West Indies]] in search of yet another vocation.
For the next 10 years, du Casse roamed the West Indies as a [[Mercenaries|hired gun]], working for whomever had the coin and confidence to pay him. Ever prizing the value of intelligence and skill over mere reputation and breeding, du Casse, eventually found his way into the company of [[Laureano de Torres y Ayala|Laureano Torres]] of [[Cuba]], in whom he found a friend and confidant...
|-|Kenneth Abraham=
Born: 1675, England<br>Died: 1715, Kingston
Born to an upper class family and educated in boarding schools from age five, [[Kenneth Abraham]] learned to fight for himself at an early age. Upon graduation, he entered the [[British Army|army]] and rose through the ranks, finally meeting the rank of Commander.
His embrace of order and disciple drew him into the fold of the [[Templars|Templar Order]], which offered him influence beyond that offered by his military career. From the age of thirty, he ascended its ranks in parallel to those of his military career by devoting himself to the [[New World Order|promotion of order]] and peace.
In 1715, the Assassin Anto infiltrated a Ball held by Abraham on his plantation, together with the pirate Edward Kenway. There, Abraham was assassinated by the pair, confronted in his final moments by the nemesis he had tried and failed to defeat.
He remained, until his death, determined to rid the world of unpredictable and disorderly elements.
|-|Laureano Torres y Ayala=
Born: 1645, [[Cuba]]<br>Died: ????
Born in [[Havana]], but raised in [[Madrid]], [[Spain]], [[Laureano de Torres y Ayala|Laureano]] was of noble stock, the son of Tomas Torres y Ayala and Elvira de Quadros Castellanos. He joined the [[Spanish Army|Spanish army]] in his late teens, and was later appointed as the governor of Spain's territories in [[Florida]], a post he held from 1693 to 1699. He then returned to [[Europe]] to participate in the [[War of the Spanish Succession]].
In 1708, Torres was appointed as the governor of Cuba, a post he held for three years until he was accused of and arrested for corruption. He was acquitted of these charges, however, and managed to win a re-election bid in 1713.
During his time in Cuba, he made many lasting improvements to the city, fortifying the island's defenses and introducing the production of tobacco there. He remained Governor until 1716, after which point he retired and devoted his life to charitable functions, such as building hospitals.
|-|Laurens Prins=
Born: 1630s, Amsterdam<br>Died: 1717, Kingston
[[Laurens Prins]] (often anglicized as Laurence Prince) was a [[Netherlands|Dutchman]] from [[Amsterdam]] who spent the majority of his life in and around the [[Caribbean|West Indies]]. Operating out of [[Port Royal]], Prins saw an incredible amount of action and adventure in his long life.
Sailing as a [[privateer]] in the early days of the [[Golden Age of Piracy]] (1650s) he developed a reputation for courage fighting the [[Spain|Spanish]] on behalf of the [[United Kingdom|British]] crown, sometimes bearing a {{Wiki|letter of marque}}, often without. He even played a pivotal role in Sir [[Henry Morgan]]'s infamous {{Wiki|Henry Morgan's Panama expedition|raid}} on [[Panama City|Panama]] in 1671, for which he was roundly celebrated.
Prins eventually retired from privateering and settled in a large acreage of land in [[Jamaica]]. Around this time he entered into the [[Slavery|slave trade]] as a means of bolstering his wealth, an occupation he pursued well into his seventies.
In 1717, his flagship [[Slave ships|slave galley]], The [[Whydah]], was attacked and captured by the [[Piracy|pirate]] [[Samuel Bellamy|"Black Sam" Bellamy]]. He managed to survive the encounter, and fell back into his old occupation until his death some months later.
|-|Lucia Márquez=
Born: 1689, Spain<br>Died: 1715, Pinos Isle
Born in [[Spain]], [[Lucia Márquez]] never knew her father. By the age of twelve she was supporting herself and her sisters on the streets, begging, borrowing, and stealing anything she could, all the while developing the skills of a master [[thief]].
At the age of seventeen, she was caught stealing a [[horse]] belonging to a high-ranking [[Templars|Templar]], and wisely opted for training over jail time.
The Templar life gave Marquez the focus she needed and she never found herself at a lack of challenge or adventure.
She died at the age of twenty-six on [[Isla de la Juventud|Pinos Isle]], wise beyond her years, on the order of the [[Taíno|Taino]] [[Assassins|Assassin]], [[Opía Apito]].
|-|Peter Chamberlaine=
Born: 1660s, England<br>Died: 1718, Nassau
Commodore [[Peter Chamberlaine]] sailed into the history books on the coat-tails of [[Woodes Rogers]], [[privateer]] [[captain]] and Governor of [[the Bahamas]]. Though charged with the task of helping Rogers carry out his reforms and issuing King [[George I of Great Britain|George]]'s pardon, Chamberlaine had an irrational and burning hatred for his [[civilian]] commander, and flouted Roger's orders as often as possible.
Gruff and humorless, Peter Chamberlaine was nevertheless respected by his men as a man of fortitude and cunning, and his willful defiance of civil authority only bolstered his reputation among the rank and rile.
|-|The Sage=
Historic archives contain scattered references to individuals known as "Sages", but they are few and far between. Each citation seems to refer to a different person living in a vastly different time and location.
The earliest example was found in a Sumerian clay tablet in cuneiform script, while the latest survives only as a footnote in one of Laureano Torres's own journals, dated January 1704. In all – according to exhaustive research – seven different "Sages" seem to have graced the world's stage in the past twelve hundred years. But the real number is likely higher.
Perhaps, the strangest aspect connecting each of these various sightings is the fact that, in every case, visual descriptions of each Sage are remarkably similar. So similar, in fact, that one wouldn't be faulted for assuming they ware talking about a single, immortal man. However, in two of the seven citations, explicit mention is made of their death and burial.
Is this therefore some bizarre form of reincarnation? Or some simpler explanation that is presently unknown? More research is required.
|-|Vance Travers=
Born: 1690, England<br>Died: 1717, Nassau
Born in [[England]], the passionate, creative, yet incredibly gullible [[Vance Travers]], found a life for himself amongst the [[Assassins|Assassin's Brotherhood]] in the [[Caribbean|West Indies]], where he ran a successful smuggling enterprise, with his older brother, [[Upton Travers|Upton]].
Business took a turn for the worse after he met and fell in love with the [[Templars|Templar]], [[Jing Lang]], who persuaded him to divulge knowledge of the location of buried treasure with which he and Upton planned to fund their retirement.
Paranoid, Travers developed delusions that his brother plotted to steal his treasure and Jing's heart. He broke from [[the Creed]] and, after a failed attempt at fratricide, was killed by [[Edward Kenway]].
[[Woodes Rogers]] was born into money, to a seafaring family with deep roots in both {{Wiki|Poole}} and [[Bristol]], England. His early life was a picture of industriousness and ambition, and by the age of 18 he was an apprentice Mariner.
Upon his father's death at sea in 1706, Woodes inherited his family's prosperous shipping company, which he took to managing with great passion. Between 1704 and 1707 Rogers' fortunes and family grew, and by the time he was twenty-seven his marriage to Sarah Whetstone had produced one son and two daughters.
By the end of 1707, however, his business had suffered great losses by [[raid]]ing [[France|French]] forces, giving Rogers the idea to recoup these dreadful losses himself. Knocking about Bristol in search of a partner for this endeavor, he soon found himself in the company of [[William Dampier]], an old friend and unlucky [[Captain]] who suggested setting out on a [[privateer]]ing expedition, one that would range far and wide about the [[Americas|New World]]. In 1708, Rogers made the necessary arrangements and set out as Captain of his own vessel, on a difficult voyage that would last over three years.
|Complete the first parts of the Master Assassin memories
|-
!Master Assassin's Chest Guard
|N/A
|Complete the first parts of the Master Assassin memories
|-
!Master Assassin's Bracers
|N/A
|Complete the first parts of the Master Assassin memories
|-
!Master Assassin's Greaves
|N/A
|Complete the first parts of the Master Assassin memories
|}
===French Revolution===
Along this course Rogers met with many successes and failures. In 1709, off the western coast of [[South America]], he found and rescued a marooned sailor by the name of {{Wiki|Alexander Selkirk}}, a sailor who had spent nearly 4 years living in isolation and who would serve as the inspiration for the book "{{Wiki|Robinson Crusoe}}" just a few years later.
|Eagle Vision Range: 40% (60%)<br>Eagle Vision Duration: 30% (45%)<br>Eagle Vision Cooldown (bonus in Franciade): 10% (20%)<br>Communal Sense Range: 25% (35%)<br>Communal Sense Cooldown: 15% (25%)<br>Additional Creed Points Earned: 5% (10%)<br>Health: 3 HP (5 HP)
|Purchase
|-
![[Siege of Maastricht Hood]]
|◆
|N/A (200 Sync points)
|Eagle Vision Range: 5% (15%)
|[[Secrets of the Revolution Pack]]
|-
![[Leipzig Regiment Hood]]
|◆
|N/A (200 Sync points)
|Health: 1 HP (3 HP)
|[[Underground Armory Pack]]
|}
Soon after Selkirk's recovery, Rogers' fleet engaged an enemy vessel in open combat—a skirmish that earned him a [[pistol]] shot to the left side of his face and a mangled heel. Neither wound was enough to remove him from command however, and he continued serving as captain until his return to England in late 1711. To commemorate this return, he had an operation to remove the offending bullet from his upper palate.
====Chest Armor====
Now in poor health but high spirits, he set about writing his memoirs. Upon their publication a few years, they were an immediate success, and proved a great source of income. But this brief glory was offset by the sudden death of his son, a tragedy compounded some months later by his wife's decision to leave him. Also at this time, Rogers was sued by former shipmates for allegedly hoarding goods and money plundered from enemy vessels. Rogers assembled a defense, but lost the case.
|Melee Armor: 5% (7%)<br>Ranged Armor: 6% (8%)<br>Restricted Area Detection Time: -30% (-35%)<br>Disguise Duration (bonus in Franciade): 25% (50%)<br>Health: 6 HP (8 HP)
|Purchase
|-
![[Coat of Franciade]]
|◆◆◆◆◆
|24750₣ (5000 Sync points)
|Stones thrown by raiders in Franciade have no impact<br>Melee Armor: 6% (8%)<br>Ranged Armor: 4% (6%)<br>Restricted Area Detection Time: -90% (-100%)<br>Disguise Duration: 80% (100%)<br>Health: 4 HP (6 HP)
|Purchase
|-
![[Prussian Waistcoat]]
|◆
|N/A (200 Sync points)
|Health: 1 HP (3 HP)
|[[Underground Armory Pack]]
|-
![[Athos' Duel Shirt]]
|◆
|N/A (200 Sync points)
|Restricted Area Detection Time: -30% (-35%)
|[[Secrets of the Revolution Pack]]
|}
====Forearm Armor====
In 1713, itching to return to sea, he organized passage to [[Madagascar]] claiming to be a [[merchant]] in the [[Slavery|slave trade]], but with the intended purpose of reconnoitering the rumored [[Piracy|pirate]] colonies established there. When he arrived in Madagascar after months of hard sailing, he found that the legends of the pirate town "[[Libertalia]]" had been exaggerated one-hundredfold. The pirates in Madagascar were sickly and few and desperate for help. After spending just a few months here, Rogers set sail for England, a failure in his own mind.
|Additional Damage: 10% (13%)<br>Health: 4 HP (6 HP)<br>Additional Phantom Blade: 1 (2)<br>Healing Duration: 65% (70%)<br>High-Profile Noise (bonus in Franciade): 10% (20%)<br>Low-Profile Noise (bonus in Franciade): 10% (20%)
|Purchase
|-
![[Bracers of Franciade]]
|◆◆◆◆◆
|24750₣ (5000 Sync points)
|When hit by a Berserk Blade, a raider always attacks his leader<br>Health: 5 HP (7 HP)<br>Healing: 30% (40%)<br>High-Profile Noise: 20% (23%)<br>Low-Profile Noise: 15% (18%)<br>Takedown Noise: 25% (29%)
|Purchase
|-
![[Bracers of Candia]]
|◆
|N/A (200 Sync points)
|Health: 1 HP (3 HP)
|[[Ubisoft Club]]
|-
![[La Tour d'Auvergne Bracers]]
|◆
|N/A (200 Sync points)
|Additional Damage: 1% (3%)
|[[Secrets of the Revolution Pack]]
|}
====Waist Armor====
And yet, never one to give up hope, Woodes Rogers reoriented his attentions to the [[Caribbean|West Indies]], eventually lobbying King [[George I of Great Britain|George]] for a commission to hunt pirates in the Caribbean. On this score, he succeeded. After a few diligent years of making his case, King George appointed Woodes Rogers as the Governor of [[the Bahamas]]. Now, at last, he would make his mark, and bring justice to a land where chaos had taken root...
|Falling Damage: 40% (50%)<br>Falling Noise: 1% (3%)<br>Falling Noise (bonus in Franciade): 10% (20%)<br>Running Noise: 1% (3%)<br>Health: 5 HP (9 HP)
|Purchase
|-
![[Breeches of Franciade]]
|◆◆◆◆◆
|24750₣ (5000 Sync points)
|Falling Damage: 15% (20%)<br>Falling Noise: 10% (13%)<br>Running Noise: 15% (18%)<br>Running Noise (bonus in Franciade): 10% (20%)<br>Health: 2 HP (4 HP)
|Purchase
|-
![[National Guard Trousers]]
|◆
|N/A (200 Sync points)
|Running Noise: 6% (8%)
|[[Secrets of the Revolution Pack]]
|-
![[Black Musketeer Breeches]]
|◆
|N/A (200 Sync points)
|Running Noise: 8% (10%)
|[[Secrets of the Revolution Pack]]
|}
==Trivia==
*''[[Assassin's Creed II]]'' was the only game in which armor took on a damaged appearance when broken.
*In ''Assassin's Creed II'', a filler vambrace that offers no protection can be accessed in the memory "Practice What You Preach". If a vambrace is purchased during the memory it will be unequipped and replaced with the filler vambrace.
*In ''Assassin's Creed II'', the Missaglias Vambraces had 1 more health square than the Vambraces of Altaïr.
*Ezio's initial spaulder in Rome was made out of leather, while the cover art of ''[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood]]'' depicted him wearing a metal spaulder. His initial Hidden Blade bracer was the same as it was on the cover, however, like the metal spaulder, Ezio's second Hidden Blade appeared differently. Instead, it was a brown glove like his original second Hidden Blade used in the ''Assassin's Creed II'' {{Wiki|Electronic Entertainment Expo|E3}} demo, and also on pre-release ''Assassin's Creed II'' pictures. Meanwhile, on the cover art for ''Brotherhood'', the second blade was originally displayed as an identical blade and bracer to that of his primary Hidden Blade.
*The Armor of Altaïr's greaves had patterns similar to that of the Helmschmied Chest Guard and the Helmschmied Spaulders.
*Bracers for the second Hidden Blade could only be bought at a blacksmith once the Hidden Blade itself was purchased from [[Leonardo da Vinci]].
*The Armor of Altaïr and the Armor of Brutus both gave 25 health squares without the need of repairs. However, in ''[[Assassin's Creed: Revelations]]'', the Armor of Ishak Pasha and Master Assassin Armor only had a maximum of 20 health bars, though they were still unbreakable.
*There was a glitch in the second sequence of ''Brotherhood'', where if Ezio visited a blacksmith before the memory "[[New Man in Town]]", the entire Seusenhofer armor set would be available for sale, although only the greaves were able to be bought since the bracers required the dual Hidden Blades, and the pauldrons and chest guard were unlocked through a shop quest.
*With the Master Assassin Armor equipped, Ezio's clothing color was returned to the default, "Original Grey", though it would stay that way until he unequipped the Master Assassin Armor. It would still be possible to dye his clothes, however, but this would not be noticeable until he had removed the armor. Additionally, like the Armor of Ishak Pasha, the hood would remain on in cutscenes.
*Ezio's Master Assassin Armor also had the hidden effect of not causing any footstep noise while running.
**Likewise, the Armor of Ishak Pasha had the hidden effect of extra projectile resistance and had a small chance to deflect the projectile back at the shooter.
*In ''[[Assassin's Creed III]]'', [[Achilles Davenport]]'s [[Assassin's Creed III outfits#Achilles' original outfit|outfit]] was said to be an armor, though it provided no extra health or protection to [[Ratonhnhaké:ton|Connor]].
*In ''[[Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag]]'' and ''[[Assassin's Creed Rogue]]'', Edward and Shay's crafted health upgrades take the appearance of pieces of armor in the crafting menu. However, as neither of these pieces of armor altered their appearances, it is likely that these leather pieces were worn under their respective outfits.
*The 'Eagle Bearing' Misthios [[Kassandra]] was able to adorn the same robes that legendary Italian renaissance Assassin [[Ezio Auditore da Firenze]] wore when he liberated Rome from the Borgia.
==References==
<tabber>
{{GalleryBox|Armor}}
|-|Devils Podcast Fragment=
{{Reflist}}
[[File:Animus Hub DB Image 6.png|thumb|200px]]
An incomplete audio clip from The Devils of the Caribbean Podcast reconstructed from recovered files.
Purchased from any General Store for 1200 Reales<section end="NAME"/>
Spanish Cup-hilt Rapiers<section begin="NAME"/>
Rapier
Common
17
2
N/A
Found in treasure chest in Havana<section end="NAME"/>
Officer's Smallswords<section begin="NAME"/>
Rapier
Common
13
2
N/A
Default swords<section end="NAME"/>
German Rapiers<section begin="NAME"/>
Rapier
Common
22
2
N/A
Found in treasure chest on Crooked Island<section end="NAME"/>
Privateer's Cutlasses<section begin="NAME"/>
Cutlass
Common
25
2
N/A
Found in Treasure Chest on Florida island<section end="NAME"/>
NAME<section begin="NAME"/>
<section end="NAME"/>
Name
Description
Lightserver's Blades
Sleek black blades with gold filigree, hones to deadly edges.
Dragon's Fang Swords
A sword with a light, graceful design featuring a mystic jade edge.
Blades of the Damned
A pair of swords glowing with hellfire and brimstone, fierce and powerful.
Serpent's Fang Cutlasses
A pair of sharp, serpentine swords inspired by sea monster fangs, lit with neon patterns.
The Fortune
A pair of unique swords once used by the infamous pirate, Edward Kenway.
Dual Cleavers
A pair of simple meat cleavers typically used by butchers and made infamous by pirates as weapons of war.
Order of Gold
Adorned with intricate patterns, these blades are a rare and deadly curiosity.
Ezio's Swords
A pair of swords once owned by the legendary Assassin mentor, Ezio Auditore da Firenze.
Altaïr's Swords
A pair of swords once owned by the legendary Assassin mentor, Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad.
Naoe's Shadowblade
A balanced katana shaped by shinobi combat principles, favoring fluid movement and rapid follow-up strikes. Performs best with evasive tactics.
Dark Animus Corsair Pistol Swords
These blades dance with strange light, like tears in the fabric of the world.
Spring-Steel Swords
A pair of swords that look unremarkable at first glance, but have the strength to deflect bullets if wielded properly.
Blades of Toledo
A sleek pair of swords Edward Kenway acquired in the famous city of Toledo.
Le Bourgeoys Blades
The only pair of pistol swords with a genuine original flintlock attached.
Persian Scimitars
A beautiful and deadly pair of Persian scimitars, replete with embedded diamonds.
Matched Golden Swords
A pair of legendary golden swords, praised far and wide for their exquisite beauty.
Masterwork Blades
A pair of beautifully balanced swords forged by a master craftsman.
Espada Ancha
Versatile soldier's swords, unremarkable in appearance but trustworthy in a fight.
French Court Swords
A pair of swords famous for having a perfect balance between speed and power.
Pirate Scimitars
A pair of devastating scimitars, praised from Barbados to Boston.
British Colonial Cutlasses
A pair of cutlasses popular among the settlers of the British colonies in North America.
Scottish Broadswords
Heavy broadswords that emphasize damage over finesse.
Standard Pistol Swords
A pair of rare pistol swords, capable of firing a gunshot in the right circunstances.
Captain Drake's Swords
A pair of silver broadswords rumored to have been used by the legendary privateer, Sir Francis Drake.
Ferraro's Rapiers
A pair of rapiers that belonged to the Italian diplomat, Ruggiero Ferraro.
Officer's Rapiers
A pair of extremely light rapiers praised for their swiftness.
German Rapiers
A pair of traditional German rapiers typically used by Prussian court officers.
Privateer's Cutlasses
A pair of cutlasses appreciated for their versatility by privateers throughout the West Indies.
British Cutlasses
A pair of light cutlasses made popular by British privateers.
French Dress Swords
A pair of elegant swords made popular by French court officers.
Spanish Cup-hilt Rapiers
A pair of cheap yet efficient Spanish rapiers.
Officer's Smallswords
A pair of small swords popular among officers in the British Army.
Rustborne Swords
Versatile blades with integrated flintlocks, their bronze-hued surfaces worn by time and battle. Perfect for Assassins who strike swiftly, both in melee and from a distance.
bought from secret General Store on unmarked island in the north-west of Gibara region at Coordinates 550, 638 (22000 Reales)<section end="NAME"/>
Rustic Flintlocks<section begin="NAME"/>
Legendary
22
1.20
After a Perfect Dodge, quick shooting immediately does not consume ammunition
obtained from in-game online store for free (on map press Options-Button to access the store).<section end="NAME"/>
Peaceful Means<section begin="NAME"/>
Legendary
20
1.00
Pistol shots are quieter
Purchased from Treasure Dealer for 3 Capuchin Monkey Pelt, 4 Iguana Leather, and 20 Rum Barrels.<section end="NAME"/>
Cannon-Barrel Pistols<section begin="NAME"/>
Rare
21
1.12
N/A
from locked chest in Jiguey (535, 511). It's a locked underwater chest, loot the key from the pirate leader on the beach inside Jiguey, in the same cave as the chest.<section end="NAME"/>
Captain Morgan's Pistols<section begin="NAME"/>
Rare
20
1.50
N/A
Found in underwater treasure chest on Black Island<section end="NAME"/>
Found in treasure chest on Great Inagua<section end="NAME"/>
Spanish Officer Pistols<section begin="NAME"/>
Rare
24
1.00
N/A
Purchased from Level II General Store for 5500 Reales<section end="NAME"/>
Pirate Blunderbusses<section begin="NAME"/>
Rare
20
1.00
N/A
Purchased from Level II General Store for 6000 Reales<section end="NAME"/>
Baldwin's Golden Pistols<section begin="NAME"/>
Rare
26
1.00
N/A
Complete Plantain!<section end="NAME"/>
Standard Wheellock Pistols<section begin="NAME"/>
Common
20
1.12
N/A
purchasable from any General Store (800 Reales)<section end="NAME"/>
Common Flintlock Pistols<section begin="NAME"/>
Common
20
1.00
N/A
Default pistols<section end="NAME"/>
NAME<section begin="NAME"/>
<section end="NAME"/>
Name
Description
Dark Animus Corsair Flintlocks
Truth and thunder in the palm of your hand.
Darkworker's Pistols
Hand-carved ebony with gold-plated iron forming a lethal union.
Dragon's Roar Pistols
Sleek pistols imbued with ornate scrollwork and glowing jade.
Diabolist's Pistols
A set of pistols wreathed in infernal flames, emitting an aura of destruction.
Fury of the Deep Pistols
Silvery, steel pistols adorned with deep-sea patterns and neon highlights.
Golden Flintlock Pistols
A set of legendary, golden flintlock pistols, famed for their extraordinary precision.
Gargoyle's Breath
Monstrous, leering faces adorn the grips of these pistols.
Captain Drake's Flintlocks
A set of flintlock pistols once owned and used by captain and knight, Sir Francis Drake.
Rustic Flintlocks
Firearms with rustic patinas, showing the marks of countless skirmishes. Compact, reliable, and ready for close encounters or unexpected duels.
Peaceful Means
The method by which many disputes can be swiftly resolved.
Cannon-Barrel Pistols
A set of pistols forged to resemble ship cannons.
Captain Morgan's Pistols
A set of flintlock pistols once owned and used by Captain Morgan.
Captain's Wheellock Pistols
A rare set of old wheellock pistols, coveted by soldiers for their sturdiness and sentimental value.
Spanish Officer Pistols
A set of pistols, praised throughout the West Indies for their stability.
Pirate Blunderbusses
A set of bulky blunderbusses, popular among pirates for their brashness.
Baldwin's Golden Pistols
Inextricably tied to the fall of the Baldwin name, these pistols claimed the lives of at least two of their owners' family. They are likely to claim many more.
Standard Wheellock Pistols
A set of wheellock pistols, perfect for reaching targets at great distances.
Common Flintlock Pistols
A set of typical flintlock pistols, found all across the West Indies.
Rendered in miniature, that its gaze might ward the steps of its keeper across land and sea.
Health slowly regenerates while out of combat
Found in underwater chest between pair of unnamed island south of San Ignacio wreck
Stormrunner Pendant
Rare
A lightweight circular pendant painted in striking blue and red pigments. Its design captures the spirit of relentless motion and high adrenaline, carried by travelers who refuse to tire, whether sprinting through crowded markets or scaling towering keeps.
Increases the amount of healing from food, drink, and remedies
Found in underwater chest off the coast of Nassau, at coordinates 615, 767
Hunter's Amulet
Rare
An amulet of good fortune favored by hunters.
Animals' range of detection is reduced
Buried treasure chest on Santanillas
Bloody Spanish Medal
Rare
One of Laurens Prins' trophies from his time as a soldier.
Reduces damage from Spanish soldiers
Inside Laurens Prins' Manor
Anchor Medallion
Rare
A lucky anchor medallion favored by sharp-eyed sailors.
Increases the rewards from floating loot
Found in a treasure chest on Sacrifice Island
Lock of Hair
Rare
A lock of Caroline's hair kept as a lucky keepsake.
Restore some health after a perfect parry
Complete Wayward Souls
Cross Pendant
Rare
A bejeweled cross once worn by the wealthiest citizen in Kingston.
Reduces damage from British soldiers
Complete Tithes Paid
Exotic Sea Shells
Rare
A string of sea shells gathered from around the world.
Increases the wildlife products gained from skinning animals
Found in treasure chest in southeast Havana
Small Goblet
Rare
A sacred grail said to prolong its owner's life.
Increases the amount of healing from food, drink, and remedies
Complete The Other Cheek
Jackdaw Totem
Rare
Carved by an unknown sculptor, it represents protection and gratitude.
Falling from high places no longer damages Edward
Complete A World Without Gold
Lodestone
Rare
A naturally magnetized piece of mineral.
Loots nearby Corpses and Curios automatically
Purchased from a Level II General Store for 7000 Reales
Folded Palm
Rare
A gambler's trinket meant to bring good fortune.
Gain reales after each Takedown
Complete Spiteful Soldier
Found Coin
Rare
A large gold coin turned into a good luck charm.
Increase the amount of Reales gained
Complete Art Lover I
Rabbit's Foot
Common
A lucky charm for warding off misfortune.
Chance of staggering an enemy following a successful parry
The course of the 18th Century saw the British Empire become the world's leading colonial power, with France and Spain as its primary rivals. After siding with the Netherlands and Austria in the War of the Spanish Succession, the British Empire expanded, gaining territories from both Spain and France, and taking over control of the Atlanticslave trade in Spanish America.
For a handful of coin, "Dancers" can be employed to distract guards and interfere with ongoing fights. They might also have some incredible stories of their own to tell, if only you'd bother to listen.
Sailors flush with rum and the heat of the sun, these Drunkards can be useful in a few ways. First as blend groups that allow Edward to hide in plain sight, and secondly as allies in the event of a scuffle. But remember to bring a bit of coin if you want them to fight alongside you, as these pirates won't risk their lives for free.
Already a global power, the Spanish defeated powerful adversaries such as the Aztecs and Incas in the Americas by exploiting existing conflicts and rivalries between tribes and nations between the 15th and 18th centuries.
Acquisitive and protective of the supply of precious metals its new colonies afforded it, the Spanish Empire enthusiastically participated in the Atlantic slave trade and defended its trade routes aggressively.
Even after its defeat in the War of the Spanish Succession, the 18th century was nevertheless one of prosperity for the Spanish Empire, as their trade reputation grew steadily under Bourbon oversight, and continued to grow at an extraordinary rate until the 1780s.
Often used interchangeably, there are a number of important distinctions to make between these different kinds of swashbucklers...
Pirates: Criminals on the open sea who use coercion, intimidation and violence to rob innocent people of their cargo and transport. The term pirate is a catch-all and may be used generally to refer to all who perform acts of larceny on the open ocean. Pirates have been a problem since the advent of long-distance ocean travel; every age has seen its share of pirates, and every age has cursed their name and romanticized their cause. During the so-called "Golden Age of Piracy" (roughly 1650 to 1725), the majority of pirates were from the British Isles. Most were young men in their 20s and almost all had already gained some experience as sailors prior to falling into piracy.
Buccaneers: Though often used as a synonym for Pirates now, the term Buccaneer refers more specifically to a group of pirates who lived and operated in the West Indies in the middle of the 17th century. Best known for attacking settlements and fortifications on land in large groups, the Buccaneers derived their name from the French Boucanier -- an instrument used for smoking strips of meat over an open fire, a favorite sort of sustenance for these terrestrial pirates.
Privateers: Non-commissioned sailors who attack and rob, having been given a Letter of Marque by their King or a royal official such as a Governor. Thus the distance between a Pirate and a Privateer is but a hair's breath of difference -- Pirates simply sail for one monarch fewer.
Taíno refers to a group of related languages and cultures widespread across the Caribbean at the time of European arrival. Broadly speaking, they consisted of the Ciboney or Western Taíno of Cuba, Jamaica and the Bahamas; the Classic Taíno of Hispaniola and Borikén (the indigenous name of Puerto Rico); and the Eastern Taíno of the Antilles.
A Taíno cacique or chief demonstrated rank by carrying an object forged from guanín, a unique indigenous alloy made out of copper, silver, and gold, noted for its lustrous shine. The term "tabaco" from which we also derive from a Taíno word, as tobacco was cultivated on the islands and its usage noted by Spanish explorers. Other English words with a Taíno origin include barbecue, canoe, hurricane, iguana, and potato.
Other, non-Taíno indigenous groups of the island include the Ciguaya, Macorix, and Kalinago or Caribs, for whom the Caribbean Sea is named.
There were several attempts to found a town near the Havana Bay in the early 1500s. A settlement was established by the SpanishConquistadorDiego Velázquez de Cuéllar around 1514. The city sits on a bay that opens to the Gulf Stream and thus became a natural stopping point between Europe and the Americas.
In the earliest stages of the golden age of piracy Havana was burnt to the ground by Frenchcorsair, Jacques de Sores. By the 1700s, Havana had become a large, heavily fortified port city where Spanish treasure ships would dock on their way to Europe. Pirates lurked on the approaches to the city, hoping to capture these same ships.
Originally founded as another Charles-Towne, the city was renamed Nassau in honor of King William III of the house of Orange-Nassau. This city has a particularly colorful past: In 1706 the city's officially appointed Governor skipped town, thus severing the Crown's direct control over the Bahamas.
The islands languished for almost a decade in the hands of Britishcitizens with little or no interest in Statesmanship. By 1713, the entire region had become a haven for pirates and it was in this period that Benjamin Hornigold declared Nassau to be a pirate republic. He proclaimed himself governor and thereafter every pirate of any sense and reputation used Nassau as a base of operation, transforming this small city of barely 1000 residences into a "nest of infamous bastards", according to the Governor of Bermuda.
Dating generally from the MayanClassic period (AD 250 - 900), most Mayan ruins can be found throughout the Yucatán peninsula and Central America. Mayan Temples have steep stone steps and a platform at the top for wooden crowning structures. Mayan architecture is composed with a sophisticated eye to decoration, often using wall paintings and elaborate bas-relief stone carvings. Mayan arches forego the use of a keystone, instead creating a triangle-like arch known as a corbel vault.
A dominating presence on Havana's Plaza de San Francisco, the Basilica Menor de San Francisco de Asis dates from 1580s. Originally, a statue of St. Francis of Assisi stood atop the bell tower, but this was blown off in a cyclone in 1846. Baroque features were added to the basilica in 1730.
The Governor's Mansion housed the acting Spanish governor in addition to prison facilities. A new governor's mansion was constructed across the square in 1791.
This drinking spot, named after "The King of Pirates" Henry Avery, was highly popular among gritty seafarers in the early 18th century. Legend had it that Avery himself once had a financial stake in several establishments throughout the West Indies, but that appears to be nothing more than self-promotion.
Sugar cane was introduced to the Caribbean basin by Christopher Columbus. It thrived throughout the islands. Indigenous Tainos in Cuba were conscripted to harvest the cane. Once harvested, the cane was taken to sugar mills to be washed, shredded, then repeatedly crushed to produce sugar.
Sixty-five steps carved directly into the promontory rock, the Queens [sic] Staircase connects the lower town to the fortifications above. Slaves carved the steps by hand in 1773-74 into the 102' (31m), solid limestone cliff.
An unusual rendering of Saint Jerome as a scholar rather than an ascetic. The book supporting his hands alludes to his work as a Bible translator.
Harbor scenes such as depicted in this 1644 painting were a favorite subject of the artist Claude Lorrain.
More of a display of his imaginative and technical skills than an actual historic representation, this dramatic painting by Willem van de Velde II depicts a battle with Barbary corsairs from north Africa.
This painting by Luca Giordano was commisioned by King Philip V of Spain for display in the French court.
An impression of acquantances rousing in the morning. Everything is as it seems.
A beautiful scene of the harbor at sunset. Definitely the original work.
A representation of time through various objects. Something feels off about this.
Gold-work from the Isthmus, representing a crowned half-human, half-bat figure flanked by four crocodile heads.
Today is my birthday.
Brandish every Cask, Bottle and Barrel of Alcohol. Everyone is to partake and sing my Praises. To ensure that this Do goes splendidly, I will take charge of the Stores and require its Key.
My Father will be most gratified at your swift fulfilment of my Commands.
- Emmerson Beckford
I, Thomas Cecil, hereby report that the following is a true Manifest of all the Goods, Wares and Merchandize, of the Marks, Numbers and Contents of each Package on board the Endeavor which Cargo was received at the Trading Post of Andreas Island from whence the Craft Sailed for the Plantation of Cat Island.
Sugar - 110 Barrels
Molasses - 25 Barrels
Tobacco - 15 Barrels
John,
It is done. Accompanying this Letter you will find the Will, fully notarized by myself and with the old Man's signature. It will survive the scrutiny of any English Court, I assure you.
Arrangements for your Daughter's removal are also underway. My Associates in the Royal Navy tell me she will be apprehended within the Month. In fact, I hear they have solicited the most reputable Pirate Hunter Lieutenant Maynard for the Task.
Courage my Friend. After so many long Years, we are almost there,
Thomas Barehaire Esq.
In the Name of God, I, Theodore Rupert Braddock, being of sound Mind and Memory, do declare this my last Will and Testament, in Manner and Form following, revoking all former Wills by me made.
As touching such worldly Estate wherewith it hath pleased God to bless me in this Life, I give, devise, and bequeath all my Goods unto my well-beloved Son-in-Law, John Baldwin, Husband of my late daughter Elizabeth, to have and to hold the same unto him, his Heirs, and Assigns forever.
I do nominate, constitute, and appoint my said Son-in-Law, John Baldwin, to be the sole Executor of this my last Will and Testament, charging him to see this my Will performed according to my true Intent and Meaning.
In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my Hand and Seal, this Second day of January in the Year of our Lord One Thousand Seven Hundred and Twenty.
Signed, sealed, published, and declared by the said Theodore Rupert Braddock as and for his last Will and Testament, in the presence of us, who, at his Request and in his Presence, and in the Presence of each other, have subscribed our Names as Witnesses hereto.
Theodore Rupert Braddock
Witnessed by:
Thomas Barehaire, Esquire
John Baldwin
Thom,
Don't go getting all uncharitable about this, I did it for your own Good. I knew we might strike some Trouble along the way, so I hid your Share with the original Will in the Likelihood we ever need the old Man's Signature again.
The Locket's here too. I want it kept, no matter what you think. There is no one left to know of it's Significance, at any Rate. I'll recover it from you when all this is over, and include a Crate of Rum for the Inconvenience.
Chin up Man! We're Home free!
John.
Vance,
I had to leave early. My Order requires a Report and there cannot be a Delay. I'll be waiting by the Tavern at the usual Time. Come with both pieces of the Map.
Jing Lang
A letter to Lauren Prins, [sic] congratulating him on acquiring The Sage.
1. Cato, 35 years, superior carpenter and ship caulker.
2. York, 16 years, field hand.
3. Nero, 25 years, stone cutter.
4. Bess, 28 years, field cook, water carrier.
5. Esther, 31 years, midwife.
6. Gracey, 14 years, good house girl and child's nurse.
7. Anthony Morgan, about 30 years, fine engineer and field hand.
8. Sarah Morgan, 32 years, good field hand; tonsils occasionally inflamed.
9. Infant, 2 months.
10. Anthony, 3 years.
11. Stephen, 5 years.
12. Nace, 9 years.
13. Sophy, 12 years, likely.
You, Mr Thomas Stell, Ensign, stand charged for Dereliction of Duty.
On Tuesday last you were tasked to deliver a Prisoner to the Church at the center of Kingston, but were discovered to be in a shameful and drunken State, having abandoned your Post.
You are dismissed forthwith from Service, being no longer entitled to Pay or Protection from the Royal Navy.
Know all, by these Present, that I, Alvin of the Village of Grand Cayman, in consideration of the Sum of Forty-Two Reales in Hand, paid to me by Vargas of the Village of Grand Cayman, the Receipt of where I do acknowledge, have in turn sold and delivered in measured Weight One-Hundred-and-Thirty-Six Pounds of Mutton Snapper unto said Vargas.
In witness whereof I have set my Hand the Fifth Day of May 1716. Signed, sealed and delivered in the present of
All and Sundry, viz.
- Alvin of Grand Cayman
John Boreham,
In Recognition of your Efforts as a Friend of the Church, we extend to you this private Invitation. Cross the Stream east of Kingston and follow the Lights on the Path. Tonight, we will induct you as a full Member of our Circle. This Opportunity will not be offered again.
Yours in our Lord,
Bishop Horace Ravenscroft
My dear Friend, Edward.
After a rather unfortunate Kerfuffle with the Governor's men, I currently enjoy the Hospitalities of a Charles-Towne Jail. It's all a bit bothersome, but I have Faith I'll be freed soon.
Luckly, I'd already stashed some of my Takings in the Cabin of my Ship. I've sent it ahead to Mystery Island, but the Crew can be unpredictable without a Captain. I thought you might be amenable to checking in on them.
There will be Reward for the Inconvenience of course, and I'll meet you there when I manage to extricate myself. It'll be just like old Times!
Signed Captain Stede Bonnet.
Edward, I am to be hanged on the Morrow. I imagined facing Death like you, Swords drawn, full of Gusto. Instead, I found myself begging and weeping at the Governor's feet.
I fear your Advice was wasted on a Constitution like mine. Perharps I should've left off Pirating altogether, and sailed home to my Wife and Children.
But I'm not quite the same Man who left them, am I? That was the Gift you gave me, the Courage to live free. I'll muster that Courage when the Morning comes.
The Stories I promised will have to wait, Edward. But if, on your Adventures, you should hear any Tales of my sundry Exploits and Capers... then perhaps in the End I lived as I was meant to.
A sharp dagger once belonging to Stede Bonnet.
Well, that would be it, it seems. The Bags are packed, the Sails trimmed, the long Trick finally over. The old Revenge is ready for the Journey Home to Barbados Tomorrow, and myself along with her.
I should be glad for it, and a large Part of me is. I never thought I'd find myself saying this, but I do miss my Mary, and the Children I left behind. How many can say they plundered with Ed Thatch, were pardoned by the King, and sailed Home to tell the Tale? And in Truth, I never quite found the Constitution for it all anyway, the Dust-ups and the general Bluster.
So why, then, does my Heart still long for the open Sea? There's a sense of things yet undone. The Call of the Gulls and the Promise of Adventure is still wild, still clear. Thought the prospect of Danger turns my Stomach, the Dread of dying in a silken Bed forgotten and full of Regret is the more distasteful to me.
Edward, my old friend, you had such a way with Words. What would you say in a Moment such as this? Sod it all.
Barbados can wait. Mary will have to be patient. I'll to the Helm again,[sic] set a new Course, and make something of this Life.
A debonair portrait of Julien Du Casse, the infamous mercenary.
Hangs above the bed in the Mansion at Great Inagua.
A vivid portrait of Laurens Prins, the reprehensible slaver.
Hangs in the hall of the Mansion at Great Inagua.
An imposing portrait of Commodore Peter Chamberlaine, the notorious pirate hunter.
Hangs next to the Templar Door in the Mansion at Great Inagua.
A fierce portrait of the pirate captain Edward Thatch, better known as Blackbeard.
Hangs in the basement alley of the Mansion at Great Inagua.
A warm portrait of the gregarious Stede Bonnet.
Hangs in the basement alley of the Mansion at Great Inagua.
The schooner was a class of ship used as a general sailing vessel by both navies and civilian operators, providing light firepower and ample speed.
The brig was a class of ship bearing two square-rigged masts, and represented a compromise between larger, more powerful ships, and the faster, but less well-armed ones.
The man o' war was a type of large warship purpose built for warfare, boasting multiple gun decks, and crewed by heavily armed professional soldiers.
El Dorado was a brig that formed part of the Spanish Treasure Fleet.
The fleet was destroyed in a hurricane, with the El Dorado its lone surviving vessel.
The Jackdaw was a brig captained by the pirate-turned-Assassin Edward Kenway, who named it after the small, swift bird of his native Wales.
The ship was known as El Dorado before Edward and his future quartermaster Adéwalé captured it from its fleet.
The Royal Fortune was a man o' war captained by the pirate and Sage Bartholomew Roberts, who elected to keep and renamed it after he captured it as the Nosso Senhor da Compreensão from the Portuguese Navy.
The Ranger was a brig formerly owned by the pirate Benjamin Hornigold before he passed it on to his colleague, Charles Vane.
El Arca del Maestro was a Spanish galleon used by the French Templar Julien du Casse.
It was gifted to him by Templar Grand Master Laureano de Torres y Ayala to help further the Order's goals in the West Indies.
Queen Anne's Revenge was a British frigate that was originally a slave ship named La Concorde.
It was later captured and renamed by Edward Thatch, who captained as the flagship of a small fleet.
A miniature ship model of a Spanish Brig.
A miniature ship model of a Spanish Cutter.
A miniature ship model of a Spanish Schooner.
A miniature ship model of a Spanish Frigate.
A miniature ship model of a Spanish man o' war.
A miniature ship model of an English Brig.
A miniature ship model of an English Cutter.
A miniature ship model of an English Schooner.
A miniature ship model of an English Frigate.
A miniature ship model of an English man o' war.
A miniature ship model of the El Dorado.
A miniature ship model of the Jackdaw.
A miniature ship model of the Revenge.
A miniature ship model of the Queen Anne's Revenge.
In the Americas, the term ‘black panther’ generally refers to a melanistic jaguar. They are not a separate species, but a color morph of the spotted form. Black jaguars form less than ten percent of jaguars.
Black jaguars can be found in Isla Providencia and Pinos Isle.
The cat is a small carnivorous mammal with a flexible body, sharp claws, and quick reflexes. Cats have long been domesticated, and are favored as pets for their affectionate independence, and playful natures.
Sailors often keep cats aboard ships to deal with rats and other vermin.
The Crocodile is a large, tropical-dwelling tetrapod. Crocodiles can measure up to 15 feet long, weigh 2000 pounds, and live to be 70 years old. This prehistoric-looking predator preys on birds, fish, insects and other reptiles.
Crocodiles have been known to indulge in cannibalistic behaviour. Because of this, they live in groupings of the same size.
Not to be confused with alligators, crocodiles are bigger, lighter in color, and have narrower snouts. Although known to attack humans, the crocodile is more likely to flee than to react aggressively when approached.
Crocodiles are most commonly found in Nassau, Long Bay, and Matanzas.
Deer are large hoofed ruminants notable for having two large and two small hooves on each foot. Males have antlers while the females do not, with the exception of a single species where the females also grow antlers. Deer are selective feeders, eating plant food low in fiber content and high in protein such as young grass, herbs, woody shoots, and bark.
Various subspecies of deer can be found in the Caribbean bioregion. The red brocket deer, for example, is found in Trinidad and Tobago and the Key deer, introduced by colonists, inhabits the Florida Keys.
Deer are most commonly found in Kingston, Salt Lagoon, and Santanillas.
Frigate birds are large seabirds with long wings, forked tails, and slender bodies. They generally inhabit tropical and subtropical oceans, often nesting on remote islands. Frigate birds are skilled fliers, and are known to steal food from other seabirds.
Found across the world in tropical and temperate waters, the hammerhead's unusual head shape gives it increased sensory ability to detect its prey. The hammerhead does not attack humans, although it can be lethal if provoked.
Hammerhead sharks can be found in the Eleuthera and Gibara regions.
Considered one of the loudest animals on earth, the small-sized Howler Monkey generates a siren-like howl that can be heard from a distance of 3 miles (5km). They are not aggressive and are popular as pets in The West Indies.
Howler monkeys are most commonly found in Kingston, Cape Bonavista, and Long Bay.
The hutia is a large rodent unique to the Caribbean basin which varies in size, and can form distinct species from island to island. Hutias are often hunted by locals to be eaten in a spiced stew.
Hutias are most commonly found in Cayman Sound and Long Bay.
Iguanas are large, herbivorous lizards found throughout the Caribbean islands. The common iguana eats only leaves, flowers and fruit. Despite their at times fierce appearance they are not aggressive, and typically flee when threatened. However, they can lash their tails and bite if provoked.
Iguana are found in Great Inagua, Andreas Island, and Abaco Island.
The largest feline in the Western hemisphere, the jaguar is distinguished by its compact and powerful build, its agility, and its unique killing method of biting directly into the skull to pierce the brain. The Mayans believed that the jaguars could carry messages to and from the afterworld.
Jaguars are most commonly found in Cape Bonavista, Long Bay, Tulum, and Principe.
Also called a medusa, the jellyfish isn't technically a fish—it is a free-swimming non-vertebrate found in every sea across the world. Jellyfish consist of a gelatinous bell with trailing tentacles capable of stinging prey. Jellyfish stings are in most cases harmless to humans, but some can be extremely serious, even lethal.
Although related to sharks, manta rays are harmless. They can be quite large (up to 30 ft (9m) wide) and feed on small fish and plankton, funneling food into their mouth using cephalic flaps extending from the eyes. Manta rays, which are found all over the world, have the unique ability to leap from the water into the air to escape attackers.
Monkeys in the Caribbean are primarily an introduced African species called the green monkey, although up to the 17th Century these still shared territory with the now extinct Jamaican monkey. Both species were omnivores that ate a variety of foraged foods including fruit, seeds, flowers, insects, and smaller animals like frogs and birds.
Monkeys were viewed as pests by farmers as they continually raided crops, but were favoured by locals and sailors who adopted them as mischievous, intelligent pets.
The ocelot is a wild cat that typically has yellow fur with dark stripes in the manner of a jaguar. Ocelots are nocturnal and range from the size of domestic cats up to four feet (1.2 meters) in length.
Ocelot hides are coveted by leather workers for their ease of working, patterned fur, soft texture, and durability.
Ocelots can be found in Cumberland Bay and Abaco Island.
The Caribbean basin provides an excellent climate for both land and sea turtles. Turtles are reptiles with a hard, protective upper shell called a carapace. Although they are natural swimmers and can stay submerged for up to 7 hours while resting, turtles breathe air. Despite being awkward and slow moving on land, they go ashore to lay their eggs.
White coats in animals can be due to a specific genetic mutation or albinism. The genetic mutation that yields a white jaguar also results in a more aggressive animal, making them dangerous as well as rare.
White jaguars can be found at Great Inagua.
The wild pig, or boar, is a large cousin of the domesticated pig covered by hairy bristles. They were introduced by Europeans to the Caribbean basin (Columbus himself brought eight pigs with him from Spain). Wild pigs flourished in the island environment and were hunted by sailors and pirates to provide salted pork on their voyages.
Wild pigs are most commonly found in Nassau, Great Inagua, and Cape Bonavista.
So-called because of their short snouts and their tendency to head-butt prey, bull sharks are commonly found in warm, shallow waters. They are extremely aggressive and dangerous to humans. The females are larger than the males, and adults measure well over seven feet (2.15m) long.
Bull sharks can be found in the Dry Tortuga, Gibara, and Punta Guarico regions.
Found throughout Central and South America, capuchin monkeys are small and highly intelligent. They eat almost anything -- nuts, fruits, small birds, frogs, clams, etc. Many pirates favored capuchins as pets.
Capuchins can be found in Matanzas and Misteriosa.
The largest predatory fish in the world, the great white's lethal aspect is due to its nearly 300 serrated teeth arranged in rows. Great whites have been known to attack humans, but usually more out of curiosity than hunger -- "sample biting" and then releasing their victims. The great white reaches an average length of 15 feet (4.6m).
Great white sharks can be found in the Cruz and Serranilla regions.
Known for emitting complex sequences of haunting moans, the humpback is a large whale that reaches up to 62 feet (19 meters) in length. They migrate from the poles to the equator seasonally and travel in pods.
Humpback whales can be found in the Castillo De Jagua and Navassa regions.
Called the Grampus by sailors in the 18th century, the killer whale, or Orca, is part of the dolphin family. Known for their ferociously deadly predation, killer whales feast on seals, sea-lions and even other whales. They hunt in pods in the manner of wolf packs and are found throughout the world's seas.
Killer whales can be found in the Cruz and Conttoyor regions.
Red howler monkeys are distinguished from other howler monkeys by their reddish fur and large size. They are generally found throughout South and Central America.
Red howler monkeys can be located on Isla Providencia.
Born to enslavedOgoni parents in Yoruba, Adéwalé was sold to the owner of a prosperous plantation before his teens. He remained on this plantation, working the fields, until his mid teens, always scheming of ways to escape his predicament, but uneasy with the prospect of living life as a fugitive.
Then fortune struck, giving Adéwalé the sign he needed. At some point near his 16th birthday, a group of buccaneers raided the plantation, robbing it of raw cane, refined sugar, and as many reales as they could find. Seeing in this an opportunity, Adé grabbed a crate of sugar and hauled it aboard one of the longboats the buccaneers had rowed ashore. Surprised to see a slave among them, the buccaneers were nevertheless thankful for the aid, and welcomed Adé among them.
Adé sailed with this first group of men for many years, quickly learning the ways of a seaman, grateful for the chance to develop his own skills and chase his own passions. And though his life among buccaneers was not free of the usual bigotry of the era, Adé found the prejudice to be more confrontational than restrictive.
In 1715, misfortune struck a cruel blow when the ship Adé was aboard, struck a shallow sandbar near the port of Havana. The buccaneers—mostly British at the time—tried desperately to free the trapped vessel, but after catching sight of an approaching SpanishGalleon, abandoned ship only to be torn apart by schools of circling bull sharks. Adé made peace with his fate, and stood his ground.
Taken to Havana for questioning and inspection, Spanish authorities eventually decided to send Adéwalé to Spain, where they felt he would make an excellent interpreter, owing to his fluent command of Spanish, English, and French. Some weeks later, they loaded him into of the Galleons that made up their perennial treasure convoy, en route to Seville.
Born: 1660s, Yucatan Peninsula
Died: c.1745, Yucatan Peninsula
Named for the Mayan god of hunting, Ah Tabai's given name remains a mystery, and very little is known about his earliest decades. The only child he is known to have fathered died before the age of ten.
What little else we know about him comes from his own mouth; from the stories he told those who knew him. When speaking about his own past, he avoids personal details in favor of abstractions and hints. He frequently speaks of his love and admiration for the tragic history of his people, and used these stories to illustrate the complex intersections of cultures and religions, frequently pointing out the fact that "From within and without come enemies and allies alike. Nothing in life is guaranteed, except surprise..."
It is not known how early Ah Tabai acquired the title of Mentor, nor how large his impact was on the Assassins of the West Indies. However, that he maintained semi-regular contact with the Assassins in the British colonies to the north, in various parts of Europe and Africa, and in China. He was instrumental in opening his branch to men and women from all walks of life - mostly Europeans, Africans, and those Native to the area.
As a native Mayan himself, rumors and stories of the ancient Observatory were not foreign to Ah Tabai. So when in 1713 rumors of a new "Sage" began to surface, Ah Tabai took it upon himself to locate the man, believing the Assassins should be the protectors of the ancient and mysterious place. He sent word far and wide to as many Assassin outposts as possible, hoping their network of spies and informants would lead them to their prize. But after two years, there was no word.
Then, in early 1715, an experienced British Assassin named Duncan Walpole arrived at Ah Tabai's encampment, initially expressing a desire to train under the Mentor directly. Ah Tabai found the request odd but flattering, for Walpole had already achieved a level of Mastery few assassins ever reached. After many months of intensive training, Ah Tabai came to consider Duncan Walpole as one of his most trusted colleagues.
Then in June of 1715, word arrived that the Templars had located and imprisoned the Sage on Spanish lands in the far south. Seeing an opportunity to cripple his arch-enemies, Ah Tabai entrusted Duncan Walpole with the task of rallying various Assassins around the West Indies and leading an assault on the Templar prison ship en route to Havana. Duncan Walpole agreed to this task... and was never heard from again.
It was only after Edward Kenway's disastrous meddling in Havana that Ah Tabai was made aware of the full extent of Walpole's betrayal.
Born: 1702, Ireland Died: Unknown
Anne was barely a teen when she left her native Cork in Ireland for the British colonies, and by sixteen she was en route to West Indies at side of her new husband, Mr. Jack Bonny, a gentle but sturdy young man in his early 20s.
The pair arrived in Nassau in April of 1716, settling down with an unclear idea of what shape their lives might take. Jack eventually found work on one of the small plantations there, while Anne cultivated her ability to loaf and daydream. Unfortunately, her beauty, aloofness, and complete indifference to propriety made her the object of more romantic attention than she had ever known or cared for.
Within a year of arriving in Nassau, the Bonnys' marriage was in shambles, a union only in name. While Jack disappeared further into his work, Anne grew more confident and sociable, eventually taking a job as a barmaid at the popular Old Averytavern in the center of Nassau. And though she took on a few lovers in the next few years, it was mostly out of envy and spite that the rabble of Nassau branded Anne a harlot and a tease. But with no high society to shun or shame her, Anne's desirability only increased on the strength of these rumors.
Born: 1680, England Died: 1718, North Carolina
Known variously by different sources as Thatch, Teach, Theach, Tache, Titche, Teatch, Tack, and more, we are fairly certain Edward Thatch was born in or around Bristol and took to the sea at an early age, most likely in his teens. It is also speculated that he arrived in the West Indies quite soon after leaving England.
If this was indeed the case, Ed Thatch would have seen his fair share of the War of Spanish Succession, a protracted fight between most of the Empires of Europe that pitted Hapsburg Austia and its British ally against Bourbon France and Spain. In these early years, from 1700 to 1713, Thatch was a privateer or at the very least a merchant seaman, doing his part for the crown—Queen Anne at the time.
But with the Treaty of Utrecht bestowing peace upon a troubled Europe in 1713, Thatch and his fellow sailors found themselves far from home and out of work. Thus, they turned to piracy as a means of sustaining themselves. In the ensuing years, Thatch befriended a captain named Benjamin Hornigold and soon after joined his crew as quartermaster, at some point between late 1714 and early 1716.
Settling in Nassau, Thatch, Hornigold, and the rest of the "Flying Gang" as these pirates called themselves, began cooking up schemes far larger than most pirates of the era dared dream. Wanting nothing less than a country of their own, they worked to turn Nassau into a place of liberty and freedom for all who desired an escape from the bonds of imperial rule.
As Thatch's reputation as a worthy and fearsome seaman grew, so did his ideas about piracy. At some point in the latter half of 1717, having grown a long and frightful beard, he took to calling himself "Blackbeard", and worked at every turn to bolster his legend as the most feared pirate in the West Indies. Thatch reveled in the power of a good legend, and worked hard to cultivate his—frequently sticking lit slow-matches in his hat to raise a frightening cloud, or challenging his crews to endure long stretches below deck as burning sulfur clouded the hold.
After helping Hornigold take command of a number of vessels, Edward Thatch finally acquired a ship of his own in September 1717—a vessel called "The Adventure"—captained by the most unlikely pirate of them all, one Stede Bonnet. For two months, Thatch captained the Adventure, with Stede content to tag along as a passenger. But in November, Thatch's fortunes improved further when he captured a massive French slave ship called La Concorde. Renaming her Queen Anne's Revenge in honor of his former Stuart Queen (and possibly as a subversion to validate his continued piracy), Edward "Blackbeard" Thatch was now one of the most feared and deadly pirates in the West Indies.
For the next year he terrorized the West Indies and environs, before sailing north to the British colonies in North America. Here he frightened the inhabitants of an entire city when he blockaded the port of Charleston, South Carolina, in an attempt to acquire medicine for his ailing crew.
But shortly after this audacious gambit, Blackbeard decided he'd had enough of the pirate life. He was nearing forty and, despite his ferocious reputation, had lost his love for the pirate's game. In the early summer of 1718, he half-heartedly accepted a pardon from his friend Charles Eden, Governor of North Carolina. But by late August of that same year he had fallen back into his old habits, restricting his activities to the southeastern coast of the North American British colonies. Unbeknownst to him, the Governor of Virginia, Alexander Spotswood, was keenly aware of his continued piracies, and was busy organizing a party to "extirpate this nest of vipers".
In November of 1718, Spotswood offered money to British pirate hunter Lieutenant Maynard to see the job done. Taking command of a few fast ships well suited to the shallow inlets where Blackbeard was known to hide, Maynard set off in search of his prize. He learned from passing ships that Blackbeard was likely anchored on the inland side of Ocracoke Island, an ideal haunt for a pirate. As dusk fell on November 21st, Maynard and his crew spotted Blackbeard's rag-tag group, but decided to hold off their attack until the tide rose. In the early hours of the following day, Maynard's crew slipped into the bay and approached Blackbeard's ship. They were greeted by a sudden volley of pistol shots and cannon fire. This caused Maynard to retreat, giving Blackbeard and his crew time to slip through the shallow waters and escape.
However, weary of his continual pursuit, Blackbeard sought out Maynard and was caught in fierce hand to hand fighting with his crew on the deck of Maynard's ship. Despite help from his consort Edward Kenway, Blackbeard was overcome. Heavily wounded by multiple sword strokes and pistol shots, he was slain by Maynard who struck the final blow from behind.
Born: 1693, Wales Died: ????
Edward James Kenway was born on the 10th of March in Swansea, Wales, to Bernard Kenway of Manchester and Linette Hopkins of nearby Cardiff. By Edward's 10th birthday, his father had moved the family to a small farm just outside Bristol, a nearby port town in the southwest of England.
This relocation had a depressing effect on young Edward's mood. He grew restless from a lack of contact with old friends and struggled to find an outlet for his limitless energy. By his teens he was spending more and more time in the city away from his farm, where the lure of excitement overrode prudence. By age sixteen, he had substituted a career as a successful farmer for a life of hopeless tomfoolery, frequently shirking his responsibilities to his family in favor of rough company.
In late 1711, at the age of seventeen, Edward met Caroline Scott, a woman of modest but steady means. Their friendship began cautiously, as Caroline's hand had already been promised to the boorish son of a wealthy East India Companyexecutive. But Edward's charms eventually won out, and he and Caroline were married within a year of their meeting; a union that angered her father, and got the whole of Bristol talking.
In the earliest months of their marriage, Edward resolved to do well by his wife and provide for her as he believed a man in his position should. But his grandiose dreams and exaggerated opinion of himself prevented him from taking immediate responsibility for their well-being. And after only a year, he had stumbled back into his worst habits - drinking, fighting and idleness.
It was in this dark period that Edward revived an old idea of joining a privateering fleet sailing for the West Indies, with the aim of making war against the Spanish and collecting unchecked sums of gold and cargo. This, he told his wife, was their path to quick riches. Being a sensible and prudent woman, Caroline discouraged these fanciful ideas.
By the summer of 1712, Caroline understood that her husband's departure was inevitable. She wanted no further part of Edward's reckless plan, and so left him to live with her parents. Stunned by this sudden turn, Edward was determined to earn his fortune fast and prove himself as capable as he always claimed he was. He left for the West Indies barely one month later, where he soon fell in with the privateer Benjamin Hornigold and his quartermaster, Ed Thatch.
Edward spent the first half of 1713 sailing with these two seasoned sailors, on regular sweeps of the windward passage. But that year, fate threw him another upset. With the signing of the treaty of Utrecht, all hostile actions between the major empires came to an end and the prospects of British privateers dried up. Now poor, unemployed, and thousands of miles from home, Edward and his colleagues settled on the island of New Providence in the Bahamas to reconsider their options.
These were fanciful days for Edward. He discovered in the small town of Nassau a life quite unlike that which he had left behind. The atmosphere of wild and noisy freedom in this small stateless encampment overwhelmed and captivated him. The drinking, the gaming, the women, the aimless desire to simply live as one pleased. And yet, as carefree as he was, his beloved Caroline was never far from his mind. If he could make something of himself in the West Indies—working a sugarplantation, perhaps—he might win her back after all his time away.
But in absence of true conviction, habit takes hold fast; and it was only a matter of time before Edward set back out to sea with his mates, to live the life they knew best; no longer privateers—legal and sanctioned—but as pirates now, with nary a whit of loyalty to kin and country, earning his fortune by the sword and pistol, praying his end was never too near.
Born: 1682, Jamaica Died: ????
Of the few infamous pirates to call the West Indies his birthplace, Jack Rackham was born in Jamaica at the height of Port Royal's boom as a den of scoundrels. This would likely explain his atrophied moral compass, for he was frequently drunk, rarely serious about anything, and always chasing women. He used his outrageous and offensive charm to keep out of most trouble. But a strategist and fighter he was not.
Nicknamed "Calico" for his affinity for Indian and Asian prints, he was a terrible sailor and a worse pirate, given to flights of fancy and myopic ideas that served only himself, rather than solid strategic thinking. He was likely drunk for half of his adulthood, and had a weakness for women that trumped all basic needs, such as sleeping or eating. His disarming charm, dashing good looks, and his swift wit carried him far, but parties can only last so long before someone has to clean up after them.
Born: 1691, England Died: ????
Daughter of Emmett and Elizabeth Scott, Caroline was born in Bristol, England, to a prosperous family of merchants and civil servants. Given a modest education by her father, she furthered her own studies in her own way, taking time to read as often as her familiar duties allowed. Splitting her time between this and helping her mother manage her father's affairs, she grew into a confident and level-headed woman with more skill and intelligence than her situation allowed her to exercise.
Caroline first met Edward Kenway outside the Auld Shillelagh, in the aftermath of a drunken altercation. She had arrived to fetch one of her servants and there found Edward escorting the woman from the clutches of one of Bristol's more notorious cads. Thankful for his kindness, Caroline agreed to a second meeting on more equitable terms, hardly thinking a romance possible.
And yet—against all odds—that is just what happened. Edward and Caroline grew quite close, and soon fell in love, quite much to the dismay of her father. Emmett Scott had already promised his daughter to the son of a wealthy East India Companyexecutive, and made his displeasure apparent at every turn. But all his noise was to no avail. Caroline and Edward were married in 1712.
For a time it seemed as though this odd pairing might produce a lasting union. But Edward's deep love for his wife was offset by his uncouth habits and reckless attention to responsibility. Not content to live a life of middle class drudgery, Edward dreamed large, and fixed on the idea that he could sail to the West Indies and fight as a Privateer against the Spanish. Or, barring that, buy some land and sow a sugarplantation. Caroline tried to dissuade her husband, but to no effect.
Born: 1695, England Died: ????
Even though not yet out of his teens, James Kidd was a cocky and confident lad with a brashness cultivated to counter his youth. He claimed to be the bastard son of the late William Kidd, the infamous privateer-turned-pirate who was captured and hanged by British authorities in 1701. Although James had no proof of this connection, his mother always insisted on it, claiming that she spent a single "panicked night of passion" with Captain Kidd just before his departure from London in 1695.
Growing up fatherless and with a spendthrift mother did little to improve his prospects at leading a normal life, and at the age of 12 he found employment aboard merchant vessels sailing between the British colonies in North America and the West Indies. By the time he was 17 he called Jamaica his home, where he further honed his skills as a sailor here.
Although he never sailed with the likes of Ben Hornigold, Ed Thatch, or Edward Kenway, James was among the first sailors to settle in Nassau, and was a central figure in its development as a pirate republic.
Born: Unknown, England Died: ????
Of all the infamous West Indiespirates, Mary Read stands out as one of the most mysterious and inscrutable. No one is sure when she was born, with most speculation ranging over almost a decade, between 1685 and 1695. According to Charles Johnson—a frequently unreliable source—her mother began dressing Mary in boy's clothes from a very early age, with the hope of passing her off as another man's son.
In her teens, Mary evidently harnessed her skill for disguise to secure a job aboard a ship. Taking to sea, she worked her way forward until she found a position in the British Navy. Still disguised as a man, she saw action in battle, though owing to the conflicting reports of her birth, which battle is uncertain. It was during these skirmishes that Mary met her first husband—so the author of the "General History of Pyrates" claims—a Flemish soldier who had evidently fought beside her.
But this union was not fated to remain intact, as Mary's husband was killed soon after their marriage. With few reasons to remain in Europe, Mary sailed for the West Indies. It is unclear what transpired in the years following, but it is almost certain that she resumed the practice of dressing as a man. It is also assumed Mary continued working aboard ships, improving her skills as a sailor and swordsman.
By 1715 or 1716, it was likely she had visited her fellow sailors in Nassau, though perhaps not for the same reasons...
Born: 1695, Cuba Died: Unknown
Born in Cuba, Assassin bureau leader Opía Apito was raised Taíno, among her mother's people, never knowing her father, a Spaniard.
At twelve, her village was raided by the Spanish. Most of her community was kidnapped and killed. But Opía, the lone free survivor, fought and ran. She survived in hiding for close to a decade.
Much of what we know of Opía is inseparable from legend. Her name, possibly self-given, is an amalgam of the Taíno words for "eternity" and "ghost." She claimed to be a direct descendant of the warrior Hatuey, who stood against the Spanish in the 16th Century. She was guided throughout her life by the mantra, Aji aya bom—better dead than a slave.
In her early twenties, she was hired by the Assassins as a guide, and was soon adopted into their ranks. She delighted in a characteristic Taíno approach to strategy: preferring to harm the enemy by taking something from him in battle, that he might live to notice it missing. But as an Assassin she did not shrink from violence.
True to her name, once promoted to Assassin Bureau leader, she built an agile and highly effective "ghost" bureau near the Cayman Islands, with virtually no physical footprint to speak of. We might regard it today as an early example of a terrorist cell, but she left no records and no descendants, and until now, history has held no record of it.
Born: 1688, Scotland Died: Unknown
Born in Scotland, Rhona Dinsmore was made for adventure. After suffering the lows of a troubled household–an absent father and a drunkard of a mother–Dinsmore left her home in Glasgow in her mid-teens. At nineteen, she found work amongst merchants in Bristol and remained at that post for nearly two years.
By twenty-one, Dinsmore was trapped in a terrible marriage. She fled again and sought refuge in Boston, where she remained for six months, before moving on to the warmer climes of Jamaica. There she found it exceedingly difficult to find work among farmers, and finally took to the sea, ultimately finding her calling within the Assassin Brotherhood.
Born: 1688, Barbados
Died: 1718, Charles Town
Born into plentitude and wealth on Barbados, Stede Bonnet seemed destined for a life of pleasure and ease. The son of a successful and influential plantation owner, his early life was marked by tragedy when his parents died suddenly, leaving seven year-old Stede orphaned and in a perpetual state of melancholy.
His inheritance of some 400 acres of land softened the blow caused by the loss of his parents, and by the time Stede was in his late teens, he had already restored the sugar plantation to a profitable state. He married young and set about starting a family as soon as possible, but owing to what some called a "disorder of the mind" he never found solace or comfort in these domestic trappings.
To further complicate his unease, his firstborn son died in infancy, further amplifying his grief and stiming his restlessness. As a means of coping, he dreamed of going to sea and sailing about the world, meeting people, living life as a man free of the obligations thrust upon him.
At some point around Stede's 29th birthday, his restlessness got the better of him. Owing to "some discomfort he found in a married state" which brought on a "disorder of the mind", Stede decided it was time to take his first bold step into the life he had always dreamed about. Using his considerable fortune, he either purchased a boat or had one built for him—a small schooner he christened "The Revenge".
To maintain some semblance to the comforts he had come to enjoy as a man of means, he installed a full library in the Captain's quarters, and packed his wardrobe with all manner of finery—silk pajamas, smoking jackets, and frocks. Near the end of 1717, his ship was ready. He bid adieu to his wife and remaining children and weighed anchor, sailing north from Barbados, hoping to reach the British colonies within a few months. He would never see his family again.
Now sailing under the moniker "Captain Edwards", Bonnet sailed about the West Indies looking for his first prize. Spotting a large Spanishwarship, his crew foolishly encouraged an attack. After a brief engagement, almost half of Bonnet's crew was dead or injured. Miraculously, the Revenge was able to escape capture herself, and Bonnet ordered the crew to sail her to the only place he knew he could find refuge: Nassau.
It was here, in the pirates' infamous republic, that Stede met and befriended Captain Thatch, the infamous and capable captain who had recently taken to calling himself Blackbeard. Thatch managed to convince Bonnet to hand over the Revenge's reigns, leaving Stede happily confined to his cabin. The two sailed about as unlikely partners for some months, until Blackbeard took a far greater prize for himself: the Queen Anne's Revenge.
After keeping Bonnet's Revenge in his own fleet for a short time, Blackbeard suddenly abandoned her along with most of its crew. Bonnet was again free to seek his own path. Perhaps believing he had been properly mentored under Blackbeard's tutelage, Bonnet stuck out for the Danishisland of St. Thomas, hoping to earn a privateering commission. But his crew had other ideas. Plunging headlong into piracy once more, Stede's crew lashed out recklessly at every prize they could find. At the urging of Ignatius Pell, a member of his crew, Bonnet embarked on his most ambitious prize yet--a fleet of eleven vessels just outside Charles-Towne, glutted with cargo and ripe for the taking.
This proved to be his undoing, for the fleet had been set up as bait for precisely Bonnet himself. Pirate Hunters hired by the governor of South Carolina set upon the Revenge just as Bonnet engaged, severely crippling his fleet and sending it limping into the shallows of the river. In an act of unlikely heroism, Bonnet swapped places with his crew under cover of darkness, placing them at the helm of the Revenge and sending them off to safeguard his spoils. He remained behind on the river and drew the fire of enemy sloops, allowing Pell and Rowland Sharp to break through the blockade, while he was eventually overcome and captured.
Once imprisoned within the Charles-Towne jail, Bonnet gained something of a popular following among the citizenry, delighted by this articulate and good-natured gentleman pirate. While he awaited trial, numerous people came forward as witnesses to attest to the good quality of his character. But this came to nothing, and after one botched escape attempt, Stede was finally walked to the gallows in December, 1718. As the hangman slipped the noose around his neck, he broke down in tears, begging for mercy. The sight of his abject shame moved many to tears, but it was not enough to save him. The "Gentleman Pirate" was no more.
Born: 1688, England Died: Unknown
Upton Travers was born in England, in 1688, two years ahead of his brother, Vance Travers. Together, they traveled to the West Indies in search of their fortune. There they established a smuggling business, which they used to fund their growing involvement with the Assassin brotherhood.
Although Vance was the more charismatic of the two Assassin brothers, Upton made up for it with his measured, sensible responses to life's challenges.
However, every man has a breaking point, and Upton found his after Vance took up with the Chinese "Pirate Queen," Jing Lang, a Templar, and sought to steal the treasure on which they had staked their retirement before finally attempting fratricide.
Depressed, Upton turned to alcohol, which may have been a factor in his retaliation. He ultimately had both Jing Lang and his brother dispatched with the help of Edward Kenway.
Originally hailing from Wales, little is known about John Roberts, the real name of the man who would come to be known as "Black Bart" long after his death.
Most assume he went to sea at a very young age -- at 13 or so -- but there is no record of him in any historical documents until his noted appearance in 1718 aboard a merchant's ship, Barbadian in origin. Just a year later Roberts was pressed into piracy by the notorious Howell Davis while working aboard a slave ship under Captain Abraham Plumb. Though Roberts had likely not gone to sea with the intent of becoming a pirate, when the opportunity thrust itself upon him, Roberts was reported to have said 'A merry life, and a short one shall be my motto.'
A few months later Davis was killed in an ambush on the Portuguese Island of Príncipe, and Roberts was swiftly and unanimously elected to replace him. This was surely a testament to the man's natural charisma and leadership, for he had been a pirate only a few months. It was at this point he took the name "Bartholomew", likely naming himself for the infamous Bartholomew Sharpe, a pirate of some renown who had disappeared just two decades earlier.
One of the most intelligent and strategic pirates of the Golden Age, Roberts was a sturdy man, known to dress in fine clothes. Handsome, and carrying himself with a dignified but unpretentious air, he had dark hair to match his dark complexion, likely set from the almost two decades he had spent at sea. He often carried numerous pistols, each tied to one end of long silk sashes, which he kept slung over his shoulder.
Roberts' tactical ideas were usually radical, but thoughtfully considered. He never jumped into any scheme rashly, though his ideas seemed almost suicidal to those unacquainted with his methods. Ultimately responsible for the theft of around 400 ships in his three-year career, he bested every other pirate of the era by a factor of ten times or more, although it must be said that at least half of these boats were small periaguas and the like.
Born: Mid-1680s, England Died: ????
Benjamin Hornigold was likely born in Norfolk, England. The first recorded instances of him are of his early exploits as a pirate in the West Indies around 1713-1714.
Hornigold was one of the earliest pirates to emerge after the end of the War of the Spanish Succession, and one of the many hundreds of privateers who were left without gainful employment in the ensuing peace. Like many other British mariners, he spent much of his time in the Bahamas, eventually settling in Nassau. It was from there he launched his career as a full-fledged pirate, though he likely thought of himself as a privateer--in his earliest years, at least.
A skilful sailor and strategist, Hornigold lacked some of the ruthlessness required to be a truly successful pirate, and until 1716, refused to attack English ships out of a sense of loyalty to his home country.
Born: Unknown Died: Unknown
Almost nothing is known about El Tiburón "The Shark" outside of his service as the loyal, mute bodyguard of Laureano de Torres y Ayala, the Grandmaster of the Caribbean Templars and the Governor of Cuba. The Shark's penchant for medieval armor and brutal violence cut a swathe of fear through Havana, leaving citizens and soldiers alike quivering in his blood soaked wake.
Born: 1682, England Died: 1717, West Indies
Hilary Flint was born to an aristocratic family, the youngest of three boys. The black sheep of the family, he sought solitude in his studies. Immersing himself in math and sciences, Flint discovered an abiding interest in explosives, earning him the label of "problem child".
To correct his course, his parents enrolled him in military school, where he quicklyexceeded their expetations, working his way into the hearts of both teachers and students, as well as a few secret societies.
After graduation, his connections and easy manner earned him access to Templar ranks where his obsession with firearms made him an important asset.
Records reveal an ongoing relationship with AssassinRhona Dinsmore, the full nature of which is uncertain. She vanishes from record after Flint's death at the age of 35.
Born: 1686, China Died: 1717, Nassau
Born to Chinese rebels, Jing Lang came into the world fighting, but survived to become a skilled diplomat with a flair for languages and a taste for discovery.
Ambitious, Lang married the son of a General in the Qing dynasty, joining the Templar order, but severing ties with her family in the process. She served as a diplomatic advisor, until a shift in political tides provoked her escape into piracy.
Over the next decade, she crossed every sea, developing a reputation for brutality that preceded her into most conflicts.
In the West Indies, she fell under the spell of a rumored cache of treasure, and feigned a romantic relationship with one-time AssassinVance Travers to gain access to it.
She might have been successful had it not been for Travers' brother, Upton, an Assassin who schemed to have her killed, betraying his brother in the process. She died at the age of thirty.
Born: 1682, France Died: ????
Nephew of the buccaneer Jean du Casse, Julien was born in Montpellier, France. He took after his uncle's example and took to sea at a young age, eventually joining him in a few skirmishes during the War of the Spanish Succession. Fighting on the side of the French, and by proxy, on behalf of King Philip of Spain, du Casse's skill as a gunner improved rapidly, even as he grew wildly disillusioned with the monarchy and its obsession with lineage and breeding over raw talent and skill.
In 1704, ordered by his superior officers to join his uncle and hundreds of French troops in what would become known as the Battle of Vélez-Màlaga, du Casse opted instead to desert his post and seek his fortunes in the New World. At first he threw in with slave traders in Africa, and for a year made a modest profit off the venture. But he was never comfortable with the cruelty and detachment the job required, and so departed for the West Indies in search of yet another vocation.
For the next 10 years, du Casse roamed the West Indies as a hired gun, working for whomever had the coin and confidence to pay him. Ever prizing the value of intelligence and skill over mere reputation and breeding, du Casse, eventually found his way into the company of Laureano Torres of Cuba, in whom he found a friend and confidant...
Born: 1675, England Died: 1715, Kingston
Born to an upper class family and educated in boarding schools from age five, Kenneth Abraham learned to fight for himself at an early age. Upon graduation, he entered the army and rose through the ranks, finally meeting the rank of Commander.
His embrace of order and disciple drew him into the fold of the Templar Order, which offered him influence beyond that offered by his military career. From the age of thirty, he ascended its ranks in parallel to those of his military career by devoting himself to the promotion of order and peace.
In 1715, the Assassin Anto infiltrated a Ball held by Abraham on his plantation, together with the pirate Edward Kenway. There, Abraham was assassinated by the pair, confronted in his final moments by the nemesis he had tried and failed to defeat.
He remained, until his death, determined to rid the world of unpredictable and disorderly elements.
Born: 1645, Cuba Died: ????
Born in Havana, but raised in Madrid, Spain, Laureano was of noble stock, the son of Tomas Torres y Ayala and Elvira de Quadros Castellanos. He joined the Spanish army in his late teens, and was later appointed as the governor of Spain's territories in Florida, a post he held from 1693 to 1699. He then returned to Europe to participate in the War of the Spanish Succession.
In 1708, Torres was appointed as the governor of Cuba, a post he held for three years until he was accused of and arrested for corruption. He was acquitted of these charges, however, and managed to win a re-election bid in 1713.
During his time in Cuba, he made many lasting improvements to the city, fortifying the island's defenses and introducing the production of tobacco there. He remained Governor until 1716, after which point he retired and devoted his life to charitable functions, such as building hospitals.
Born: 1630s, Amsterdam Died: 1717, Kingston
Laurens Prins (often anglicized as Laurence Prince) was a Dutchman from Amsterdam who spent the majority of his life in and around the West Indies. Operating out of Port Royal, Prins saw an incredible amount of action and adventure in his long life.
Sailing as a privateer in the early days of the Golden Age of Piracy (1650s) he developed a reputation for courage fighting the Spanish on behalf of the British crown, sometimes bearing a letter of marque, often without. He even played a pivotal role in Sir Henry Morgan's infamous raid on Panama in 1671, for which he was roundly celebrated.
Prins eventually retired from privateering and settled in a large acreage of land in Jamaica. Around this time he entered into the slave trade as a means of bolstering his wealth, an occupation he pursued well into his seventies.
In 1717, his flagship slave galley, The Whydah, was attacked and captured by the pirate"Black Sam" Bellamy. He managed to survive the encounter, and fell back into his old occupation until his death some months later.
Born: 1689, Spain Died: 1715, Pinos Isle
Born in Spain, Lucia Márquez never knew her father. By the age of twelve she was supporting herself and her sisters on the streets, begging, borrowing, and stealing anything she could, all the while developing the skills of a master thief.
At the age of seventeen, she was caught stealing a horse belonging to a high-ranking Templar, and wisely opted for training over jail time.
The Templar life gave Marquez the focus she needed and she never found herself at a lack of challenge or adventure.
She died at the age of twenty-six on Pinos Isle, wise beyond her years, on the order of the TainoAssassin, Opía Apito.
Born: 1660s, England Died: 1718, Nassau
Commodore Peter Chamberlaine sailed into the history books on the coat-tails of Woodes Rogers, privateercaptain and Governor of the Bahamas. Though charged with the task of helping Rogers carry out his reforms and issuing King George's pardon, Chamberlaine had an irrational and burning hatred for his civilian commander, and flouted Roger's orders as often as possible.
Gruff and humorless, Peter Chamberlaine was nevertheless respected by his men as a man of fortitude and cunning, and his willful defiance of civil authority only bolstered his reputation among the rank and rile.
Historic archives contain scattered references to individuals known as "Sages", but they are few and far between. Each citation seems to refer to a different person living in a vastly different time and location.
The earliest example was found in a Sumerian clay tablet in cuneiform script, while the latest survives only as a footnote in one of Laureano Torres's own journals, dated January 1704. In all – according to exhaustive research – seven different "Sages" seem to have graced the world's stage in the past twelve hundred years. But the real number is likely higher.
Perhaps, the strangest aspect connecting each of these various sightings is the fact that, in every case, visual descriptions of each Sage are remarkably similar. So similar, in fact, that one wouldn't be faulted for assuming they ware talking about a single, immortal man. However, in two of the seven citations, explicit mention is made of their death and burial.
Is this therefore some bizarre form of reincarnation? Or some simpler explanation that is presently unknown? More research is required.
Born: 1690, England Died: 1717, Nassau
Born in England, the passionate, creative, yet incredibly gullible Vance Travers, found a life for himself amongst the Assassin's Brotherhood in the West Indies, where he ran a successful smuggling enterprise, with his older brother, Upton.
Business took a turn for the worse after he met and fell in love with the Templar, Jing Lang, who persuaded him to divulge knowledge of the location of buried treasure with which he and Upton planned to fund their retirement.
Paranoid, Travers developed delusions that his brother plotted to steal his treasure and Jing's heart. He broke from the Creed and, after a failed attempt at fratricide, was killed by Edward Kenway.
Born: 1679, England Died: ????
Woodes Rogers was born into money, to a seafaring family with deep roots in both Poole and Bristol, England. His early life was a picture of industriousness and ambition, and by the age of 18 he was an apprentice Mariner.
Upon his father's death at sea in 1706, Woodes inherited his family's prosperous shipping company, which he took to managing with great passion. Between 1704 and 1707 Rogers' fortunes and family grew, and by the time he was twenty-seven his marriage to Sarah Whetstone had produced one son and two daughters.
By the end of 1707, however, his business had suffered great losses by raidingFrench forces, giving Rogers the idea to recoup these dreadful losses himself. Knocking about Bristol in search of a partner for this endeavor, he soon found himself in the company of William Dampier, an old friend and unlucky Captain who suggested setting out on a privateering expedition, one that would range far and wide about the New World. In 1708, Rogers made the necessary arrangements and set out as Captain of his own vessel, on a difficult voyage that would last over three years.
Along this course Rogers met with many successes and failures. In 1709, off the western coast of South America, he found and rescued a marooned sailor by the name of Alexander Selkirk, a sailor who had spent nearly 4 years living in isolation and who would serve as the inspiration for the book "Robinson Crusoe" just a few years later.
Soon after Selkirk's recovery, Rogers' fleet engaged an enemy vessel in open combat—a skirmish that earned him a pistol shot to the left side of his face and a mangled heel. Neither wound was enough to remove him from command however, and he continued serving as captain until his return to England in late 1711. To commemorate this return, he had an operation to remove the offending bullet from his upper palate.
Now in poor health but high spirits, he set about writing his memoirs. Upon their publication a few years, they were an immediate success, and proved a great source of income. But this brief glory was offset by the sudden death of his son, a tragedy compounded some months later by his wife's decision to leave him. Also at this time, Rogers was sued by former shipmates for allegedly hoarding goods and money plundered from enemy vessels. Rogers assembled a defense, but lost the case.
In 1713, itching to return to sea, he organized passage to Madagascar claiming to be a merchant in the slave trade, but with the intended purpose of reconnoitering the rumored pirate colonies established there. When he arrived in Madagascar after months of hard sailing, he found that the legends of the pirate town "Libertalia" had been exaggerated one-hundredfold. The pirates in Madagascar were sickly and few and desperate for help. After spending just a few months here, Rogers set sail for England, a failure in his own mind.
And yet, never one to give up hope, Woodes Rogers reoriented his attentions to the West Indies, eventually lobbying King George for a commission to hunt pirates in the Caribbean. On this score, he succeeded. After a few diligent years of making his case, King George appointed Woodes Rogers as the Governor of the Bahamas. Now, at last, he would make his mark, and bring justice to a land where chaos had taken root...
An incomplete audio clip from The Devils of the Caribbean Podcast reconstructed from recovered files.
