Hello everyone! My first post in this thread will be a callback to the first set I heavily worked on, Fiends of the Blood Islands! These are the story inserts for the English Bonus pack: Honor and Glory. These stories all take place before the main story arc of the actual expansion. Hopefully that clears up any confusion ?
Enjoy!
1. HMS Iron Predator:
It was a sunny day, the skies clear, and the wind blowing strong; perfect weather for hunting pirates. Admiral Victor Rose was on his way to the harbor. His superiors had informed him that they had something important for him to see. He doubted it was worth his time; probably just the construction schedule for a new frigate, or the confirmation of a new trade route. Either way, he was neither pleased, nor interested.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
“There she is, Rose: Your new ship. What do you think?”
Grand Admiral Jason Thorn gestured towards the shipyard where a gray Scorpion floated by the dock. The name HMS Iron Predator was written across the side of her hull in big silver letters. Stunned silence was the only response Victor could supply for the expectant Grand Admiral.
“I-I don’t know…what- Why?”, he finally stammered out.
The Grand Admiral barked out a loud laugh.
“Because you deserve it!”, he said, giving Victor a hearty slap on the back. “This is our first and only Scorpion ship, Rose. It should be commanded by the best of the best.”
He pointed at Victor. “And that would be you.”
Victor looked at the Grand Admiral. A smile slowly spread across his face as he thought of the pirates he could bring to justice with his new ship.
“Thank you, Grand Admiral”, he said with a salute. “I promise you, you won’t regret your decision.”
2. Admiral Victor Rose:
The First Mate walked quickly to the Admiral’s Quarters. He knocked nervously on the heavy wooden door, dreading the impending conversation.
“It’s open.”
The deep rasp of Admiral Rose’s voice sent a shiver down his spine. Breathing deeply, he opened the door.
It was dim in the cabin, and the air was thick with candle smoke and the smell of alcohol. Admiral Rose was a vague silhouette leaning back in a large wooden chair behind an ebony desk at the back of the cabin.
“What do you have to report?”, the silhouette leaned forward, resting its elbows on the desk as it spoke.
“We have just gotten word, sir”, said the First Mate, carefully. “It would seem that your daughter-”
A glass bottle flew past his head, shattering against the wall.
“SHE IS NO DAUGHTER OF MINE!”, Admiral Rose roared at the messenger, who was now pressed against the door of the cabin in fear.
“My apologies, sir, I-”
“Get to your point.”
His quiet tone was somehow scarier than his yell.
“The HMS Crusader was spotted near Tortuga carrying smuggled goods and counterfeit documents of pardon from the King.”
The following silence felt like eternity.
“Tortuga, you said?”, asked the Admiral, breaking the silence.
“Yes sir”, began the First Mate. “She was-”
“Then we have our heading.” The Admiral stood up behind his desk, and turned his back to the First Mate.
“Load the cannons and raise the scythe; it’s time to hunt.”
3. Captain James Atlas:
The candle on the cabin desk was dim and dying. The tired eyes of Captain James Atlas strained to see the details of the faded maps he was bent over. He stood up straight, easing the cramped muscles in his back. There was a quiet knock on the door. Atlas sighed and limped over to open the door.
“Sir, pardon my interruption-“, began the crewman.
Atlas looked down and took the messenger’s envelope. He then looked the man in the eye, said a quiet, “Thank you”, and promptly shut the door in his face. It was too late for excuses and explanations. Or was it too early? Atlas squinted out through the windows into the pitch black sea air.
Giving up on the windows, Atlas turned his attention to the messenger’s envelope. It was marked with the Grand Admiral’s seal.
This can’t be good news, he thought.
The Grand Admiral’s letter was brief and to the point: “The Iron Predator was seen docked at Tortuga about two days ago; sources say that she left at midnight and was allegedly looking for the Red Rayven”.
Atlas slumped down into his chair. He knew that his orders were to investigate the actions of and bring back Admiral Rose. But Atlas feared that his family’s piracy streak may have claimed it’s final member.
4. HMS Mantle:
Captain Atlas stood nervously on the deck of the HMS Mantle, looking over at the HMS Iron Predator. Her guns were ready to fire, and her scythe towered over the hulls of both ships menacingly. A thick fog was rolling in from behind the Iron Predator. Admiral Rose stepped into view, a grim expression on his face.
“What are you doing here, James?”, shouted the Admiral.
“I was sent to call you back to port”, replied Atlas. “The Grand Admiral has requested a meeting-”
“We both know he’s going to court martial me for deserting a fleet on personal reasons, James. Go home. I’m not coming back.”
Rose’s words stung like a sword. Atlas watched in stunned silence as the Iron Predator began to turn away from the Mantle.
“No.”, said Atlas. “Intercept the Iron Predator! Maneuver broadsides of her bow; prepare cannons and a boarding party!”
They’d have to chance her scythe to stop Rose.
As the Mantle pulled broadside of the Iron Predator, Atlas called out to Rose.
“Victor! If you do not stop your ship, I will have no choice but to consider you a pirate, and attack, in the name of England!”
As he said this, the Mantle was crossing in front of the Predator’s scythe. Rose appeared through the thickening fog, sword drawn.
“Then so be it.”
As the scythe whizzed down, cannons rang out on the open sea.
5. First Mate Joseph Walker:
“Are you ready?”
The First Mate looked over at his twin brother, waiting for his response.
“Of course”, was Thomas’s confident reply.
“Good”, said Joseph with a grin. “Then you’ll probably get shot.”
The brothers shared a brief laugh as the HMS Belle of Exeter pulled along the far side the Meropis. The Meropis was receiving routine cargo inspection, as it was passing through English-controlled waters next to Ramsgate. The boarding planks were lowered, and the Walker brothers crossed the narrow bridges onto the Meropis.
Her crew looked like a ragtag collection of criminals and savages, wearing mostly tattered vests, stolen gray uniform pants, and bandannas or hats. They stared with silent scowls as the Englishmen boarded their ship. The Belle’s captain was crossing the planks and speaking broadly to the mercenary crew.
“This is a routine inspection. We will simply look through your cargo hold, check for stolen or illegal goods, and then leave. If you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear.”
Suddenly, there was a gunshot, and the captain jerked back. His hand went to his bleeding neck before he fell off the planks and into the water between the ships. The shocked silence was short lived, becoming a chaotic, brawl.
Thomas looked around for his brother, but couldn’t see him. He heard another gunshot, and excruciating pain exploded in his shoulder. Falling backwards, he stumbled and crawled back to the plank bridges. Managing to stand up, Thomas looked forward and saw a large man with an eye patch slash Joseph across his upper chest. Before he could react, he was pulled back aboard the Belle of Exeter by an English crew member.
A thundering volley of cannon fire was released from Ramsgate, and the Meropis’s deck and hull erupted into wooden shards and splinters.
With luck I will post more from FoBI in this thread. I can also post these in the custom ships thread if it is so desired.
Will hopefully post tomorrow!
-J. W. Darkhurst