Charles Vane

He who increaseth knowledge, increaseth sorrow.

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"Aha! Burn you Bastards!"

―Charles Vane after his successful escape from Nassau.

Charles Vane (c.1680 – 1721) was an English pirate captain who sailed the West Indies on his brigantine, the Ranger. He made a name for himself by targeting English, Spanish and French industry ships from 1716 until 1719, and was notorious for his harsh treatment of merchant seafarers and soldiers alike.

Biography

Joining the Pirate Republic

After arriving in Nassau in 1717, where he and Jack Rackham informed Edward Kenway of a large prize in a nearby fort, Vane became a leading member of Nassau's pirate community.

He was present when Woodes Rogers arrived in Nassau to offer its residents the King's pardon, absolving them of their crimes if they chose to give up piracy. Unlike Benjamin Hornigold, Vane was not keen on accepting the pardon, and worked with Kenway to orchestrate an escape from the barricaded Nassau. Kenway makes a plan to build a fireship with gunpowder to clear the blockade.

While Kenway steals the gunpowder from the British, Vane managed to secure the pine pitch. Halfway through, they overheard that Peter Chamberlaine intended to disregard Roger's orders and destroy every pirate ship. Knowing that the Commodore would be a thorn in their plans, Vane suggested to Kenway to deal with Chamberlaine.

After Chamberlaine was assassinated by Kenway before the former could issue the order, Vane met up with him to load the gunpowder into Rackham's ship, the Royal Phoenix. Before they left, Vane violently berates Rackham for smoking his pipe while sitting on top of the gunpowder, which was enough to 'blow New Providence off its rocks'.

The fireship proved to be successful, damaging two of the Man o' Wars blockading Nassau, allowing Kenway and Vane's ships to escape.

Mutiny and Marooned

When Edward Thatch announced his retirement, Vane attempted to dissuade him, but failed in his attempt; after Thatch's death, Vane decided to help Edward find the Observatory.

The pair tailed the Royal African Pearl, a slave ship belonging to the Royal African Company, in the hopes of finding information on the Sage Bartholomew Roberts. However, the Ranger was demasted and left to drift.

Following the Royal African Pearl's eventual capture, Rackham and the surviving crewmembers mutinied against Vane and Kenway, commandeering the Jackdaw and marooning both of them on Isla Providencia.

During their time on the island, Vane's behavior became increasingly erratic. He took to hiding in the jungle, only emerging to steal food that Edward had gathered. Growing frustrated with Vane's actions, Edward pursued the man, and Vane fiercely retaliated with an arsenal of recovered weaponry. Kenway managed to neutralize Vane but avoided killing him. Instead, he abandoned the man on the island and made his own escape.

Vane was later found by British soldiers and taken to Port Royal, where he was imprisoned and eventually executed in 1721. Before his eecution, Edward Kenway, who managed to escape his gibbet, found the delirious Vane in his cell. Knowing that Vane's state of mind was beyond saving, Kenway left him behind, lamenting that he had wished that the pair could have parted as friends.