The deadliest pirate captain's first mate. Beached after an indecent incident involving incontinent Incan Iucrorm Escargot. And the Captain, his finest wench, a storm and three liters of fine brandy.
It seemed a good idea at the time.
Wellllll, you see.
There was this one time when the lads were a bit... too chipper, and the captain had just dropped off a load of the Religious refugees up the coast. They were the kind who paid well, and wanted to hustle off to try their luck in another corner of Eroth. Good luck, I doubt they found anywhere though.
It was after another of the local lords had tried to hide his faults by purging the misguided who believed in the old gods.
We had though to buy the captain a fine load of snails, boiled them in some brandy, and served them to him and his woman. She had come aboard at the port, Skull Island obviously, and kept to herself in the captains cabin. Noisy nights, quiet days. Finest type of Captain's wench you can get - some like to lord it with their man's status, some just want things. She seemed to be curious about the refugees we had on board, and made sure to learn their names, made their kids stuffed toys and the like. Really friendly like.
Only half way through the Soused Snails a la Kalimanesque, dreamed up by Cookie, who actually did come from some deep island way in the back of the Kalimans, she reveals she is some sort of agent of the Mother of Monsters. She is not pleased, it seems that she had taken a vow to avoid alcohol as a punishment from her goddess. The Captain had just had his entire ships company implicated in the insult of a life time to a powerful servant of an... exacting...divine being.
Some of the punishments she promised seemed to be a little... out of our league of wrong doing. Being Pirates, being able to hear all that was promised to be done to us - it was a rather small pirate ship - we sort of all agreed, voted actually, that she should not be allowed to report to shore.
For a Tee-totaller, it was awful easy to stuff her in a Brandy barrel, and sell it along with the captured booty of a Bennatar loving merchant we took on the way.
We dont know what happened when the buyer eventually sold the Keg on to someone in the city, but you can be sure it would be our luck that it would be some Tahkene priest enjoying is liquor.
My name?
Oh, of course sir, I would be none other than that most fortunate of the sons of Tempest, Murat Zhanders, fair child of the settlement at Dead Whale Cove.
My ship?
None other than the Kraken's Lament! Heard not of her, you say? Well, obviously a lubber as yourself would not know of her! Nor her Captain, the great Repentance Brown! A fine one for the Psalmic Vitrues he was.
What became of her?
I could say not, I believe the Captain took her to the West. Perhaps there he could find greater booty. He was not pleased with the snails, nor the aftermath. He complained that he could find no better tail in all of Eroth, and damn him for his faults, but he was a determined sort in that regard.
- Gender
- Male
- Eyes
- A kind of green
- Hair
- Red
- Skin Tone/Pigmentation
- Salted, and tanned.
- Height
- 5'9"
- Weight
- 150 lbs
Appearance
Physical Description
A weathered and salted man, whose clothes suit the mien and moment in which he finds himself.
Perhaps a travelling tailor, looking for work.
An itinerant mendicant seeking alms for soothsaying.
A travelling Augur, selling fortunes after reading the stars.
A blade should need one.
Body Features
His red hair has been dyed to many odd colors, for red is the sign of Bastardy, either in lineage or in attitude.
Atop his left arm is a detailed tattoo, about three inches long of a kraken embracing an anchor, with four stars below the hooks, one for each ship on which Cantatus has served. Above the kraken, behind the head , looking over, is a quarter moon..
He rubs this when in need of luck or in thought.
Facial Features
His salt hardened skin has softened a little since being beached this last time, though a deep nick has scarred up below his right eye, near the nose. A reminders of the time he saved a minor comrade. He is supposed to live here abouts, but perhaps he has moved on, as he did from Piracy. The story goes that he met a woman.
A good sort, the kind who would have made a fine priest in a better life.
The lobe of his ear is missing, from the time he learned that you CAN get an ear-ring pulled out most unpleasantly. Still. he does have his other lobe pierced for jewelry.
Identifying Characteristics
A red head ex pirate with a dozen stories, and a sharp blade.
probably his missing ear, tattoo, and scar.
Physical quirks
Cantatus will rub the tattoo in moments of thought.
Apparel & Accessories
A bag of holding, holding anything from tomorrow breakfast, to a change of clothes for a quick escape as yet another curious peddlar.
A hat of disguise would be sweet too. His budget might not stretch that far though.
Specialized Equipment
He is a stout bladesman, though not a duelist by any means.
He isn't that nice, he will kick you in the balls to win an opening to stick you with his blade to save a minute of swordplay.
Mentality
Personal history
Born on the 9th day of Unicorn, to parents in the employ of the Seaport Academy. Childhood was ... safe. They kept me clear of the worst influences of the craziest years. Every time there was a purge, we would be ..ok. Dad's friends, mom's acquaintances, even family members, would stop visiting - never to be spoken of again. I do not know what happened to Granny Benevolence, nor Uncle Piety, but given their weirdly devout names, it was probably a cult that was frobidden.
This continued til about my 13th birthday, when I had, well, enough. They are good people, and I am sure that they wish I was better than I am. I check in on them yearly, though often they don't know... A gift during hard times from a stranger, or payment from a debtor "suitably motivated" when really needed will never be traced back to me.
I left them for the sea, I got a billet as a midshipman on a cargo ship. Dad's friend at the academy, Captain Dem Bhaildan, a reliable sort, took me on as an apprentice to the sea. I was 15 and some, able to hold a watch, when the pirates took the ship. The Captain, well, he asked what I had to live for. I told him " to look into the eyes of my enemy, and see his fear as I took from him everything he valued". I am not sure why, but he liked that. Pity he had me beaten before being allowed to serve on his crew.
I never forgot that, and it was sweet revenge at 18 when I sold him out for a 1000 gold pieces to the authorities after he manged to get half his crew killed in a stupid blunder. I watched him swing, and remembered every blow I had on that first day.
The gold?
I spent some, and sent the rest to my parents, they had been in a famine for a while, I heard the money helped. I think my sister got into the Seaport Academy as a student on that money. I hope she does better, her name - Constance. Nice girl, better than my other sister, Tabitha - shes a drunk married to a soap maker.
Education
Seaport Academy thru tutors and parents til 13 (the child of tutors at the academy)
Midshipman's lessons on the seas.
Employment
Once a pirate.
Depending on the day of the week, several other things.
Currently, an Astrologer in search of a patron.
And a mercenary.
Accomplishments & Achievements
Primarch of the Green
of the Association of Spectres - a pirate guild in Skull Island. Quite what this rank entails and entitles one too is not clear in the guild by-laws.
Vaunted Celebrant of the 9th Chalice
of the Syndicate of Dreams - a smugglers fraternity in which one has to bring a sizable quantity of narcotics and opioids into Eroth.
Exarch of the Civic Ordinate
of the Town Planners, a group devoted to cartographical study of major settlements with an eye to criminality and to the retail of such cartograms to the criminal sorts.
Deacon of the Third Mission (Reformed)
of the Church of Tempest, a band founded to try and bring the misfortunate to the arms of the ocean - basically a Shanghai style press gang that is much more organized and holds regular "recruitment" drives in land.
Failures & Embarrassments
The Abandoned - He has the worst luck in gambling.
The Menace - He shanghaied a lords daughter into a life of (successful) piracy, but had to convince the lord that the girl was dead. That was 13 months ago.
Morality & Philosophy
He doesn't try to be an arrogant son of a crab, but years bossing hard bitten men and women left a mark of appearing to lack concern for the trivial inconveniences of life, while valuing the true strength of the individual, as well as their contributions to the company.
Personality
Motivation
There is much to see in life, and if you stay in one place you will miss it all.
Those who gave you your start in life should be repaid in kind measure - kindness for kindness, spite for spite.
Children should be taught the right way to thrive in a hard world, but given room to make mistakes safely.
Savvies & Ineptitudes
Good in bars, and bards.
Not good in fine social situations.
Likes & Dislikes
Likes:
Bars, Bards, and new Beers.
Dislikes:
Priests (any), Cruelty without requirement, and abuse of Children.
Vices & Personality flaws
Vices:
Likes, bars, bards and beer.
Flaws:
Wanderlust, wonderlust.
Hygiene
Clean enough.
Social
Birthplace
Seaport, down from the Academy.
Current Residence
Bragani Village,
Contacts & Relations
Currently as
Watchman Giles Azariah:
Watch Sargent Pataki Lajos
Barkeep Aprod Donait
Barmaid Szekeres Anett
Local Baron's head :
serf: Bognar
soldier: Pasztor Henrik
Honorary & Occupational Titles
Watchman
Family Ties
My father once told me about a slew of old gods that used to be "present in the world" doing great and wondrous deeds.
My mother once showed me a spark of magic that blossomed into ... prestidigitation .... I had no interest in their studies. boredom.
It was during my last visit home I had a chance to talk to my parents again.
Yes, I am a disappointment.
But.
Dad needed someone to track down a group of his students, someone who might, just might be able to help them survive in the great and dangerous world.
and maybe, just maybe, he would be proud to call me "son" again.
Not that I, a gruff pirate, would care.
Social
Birthplace
Seaport, down from the Academy.
Current Residence
Bragani Village,
Contacts & Relations
Currently as
Watchman Giles Azariah:
Watch Sargent Pataki Lajos
Barkeep Aprod Donait
Barmaid Szekeres Anett
Local Baron's head :
serf: Bognar
soldier: Pasztor Henrik
Honorary & Occupational Titles
Watchman
Family Ties
My father once told me about a slew of old gods that used to be "present in the world" doing great and wondrous deeds.
My mother once showed me a spark of magic that blossomed into ... prestidigitation .... I had no interest in their studies. boredom.
It was during my last visit home I had a chance to talk to my parents again.
Yes, I am a disappointment.
But.
Dad needed someone to track down a group of his students, someone who might, just might be able to help them survive in the great and dangerous world.
and maybe, just maybe, he would be proud to call me "son" again.
Not that I, a gruff pirate, would care.