Captain Rose
"I always was drawn to adventure. From an early age, I'd run through the streets with a stick, pretending I was a knight. Perhaps that's why I was drawn to the Six Seas. Or perhaps it was just the money. Either way, my love of adventure has made my life a joy."
-Captain Rose
Intorduction
Captain Rose is the single most important historical figure in the history of the Six Seas. His travels touched nearly every corner of the Seas, and with them came tales of his feats that are told to this day. His influence was so great that he was not only the first Pirate King, but the one to name The Six Seas.Early Life
James Kegg, better known by his alias Captain Rose, was born into a poor village on the Harpsbilgian mainland on June 30, 756 HB. His was a hard childhood, consisting mostly of farm work and other manual labour. In his free time, he dreamed in equal parts of wealth and adventure.At the age of 14, Kegg got his first glimpse of adventure - a band of brigands had raided his small town. Though this ended up being terrible for the residents, the day was eventually saved by a gallant wayward soul. Kegg, without thinking twice, left home and followed the path of the wanderer.
His travels lead him to Harpsfordshire, where he had to work as a dockhand for several years before eventually amassing enough wealth to travel elsewhere. To him, the Six Seas seemed like the perfect place to go, so, at the age of 17, he set sail and would never set foot on the mainland again.
On The Seas
It took two years of drifting and working odd jobs before Kegg was able to find something he really liked - piracy. With the end of the Thieve's War, pirates were abound. He was able to hop on a pirate ship (The Sweet Kiss) as a deckhand and begin to pursue his passion. Kegg recounted fondly his days as a deckhand because each day offered a new challenge and a new adventure.Kegg became a well-liked member of the ship, eventually rising all the way to the position of Captain at the age of 29. He was an incredibly efficient and skillful captain, running the ship better than it had ever been before. Within the first year alone, he broke records on the size of his haul.
Kegg operated using a very recognizable MO - he would blindfold and tie up the crew of the targeted ship, leaving a single rose in place of the loot he took. Due to his unique methods and staggering success, "Captain Rose" became a boogyman for merchants. Kegg ran with the nickname and was soon called Captain Rose even by his crew.
Pirate King
Rose became the most prolific pirate to sail the Seas. After a mere seven years as captain, he had amassed a personal fortune to rival that of a small country. He decided it was time to crown himself Pirate King. He sailed to an island on the King's Sea known as The Trumpet, which has mystical properties that allow one to project their voice across all of the Six Seas (but this property is infamously hard to access; most who try to end up dead). Rose, gaining access to the island's power, made a speech."To all those on these Seas, hello. I am Captain Rose, the King of Pirates. I've come to make a declaration. This Ocean of Wonder is not an ocean, but six seas, each bearing a character and culture of their own.
There is a Green Sea, where all the pirates I've ever known have started. A place of riches and safety for all those fleeing the law.
There is a Sea of Traders, where all the merchants who come from afar sail, ripe to have their ships plucked for gold. Pirates are a most unwelcome threat here.
There is a Wild Sea, where many a beast and preditor lays untamed. The Bodari who live here, in tune with the wild nature, will fight tooth and nail to defend their waters and their lands.
There is a Sea of Dread, where the dead do not die, but instead, rise as servants of the vile Dread Lords.
There is an Ancient Sea, where the ruins of a civilization long forgotten still lie unplucked of their magical secrets, but where terrors from beneath the waves surface to threaten those above them.
And finally, there is a Sea of Kings. Not the aristocrats who put crowns upon their heads, but one of the real kings - of pirates. Only a pirate would be able to reach it unscathed, let alone survive its waters. Only a pirate would be able to plunder its many treasures. Only a pirate could be standing here on the Sea of Kings making this declaration to you right now.
These Six Seas of Wonder are filled with opportunity and I, the Pirate King, intend to dive deep into that opportunity. Those brave enough are free to join me!"
-Captain Rose
Rose's declaration instantly cemented his place in the history books. Over the next three years, he would adventure all across the Seas, gaining even more wealth and power as well as several legendary magical items.
In 795 HB, Rose would spend most of the year making his pirate utopia, Port Rose. It is a bustling centre for pirates and any other misfit who finds themself without a place on the Seas.
Death
On August 9th, 796 HB, Captain Rose descended into his quarters after a night of drunken revelry aboard The Sweet Kiss. This was the last time he was ever seen alive. The following morning, after being uncharacteristically late to wake, Thaler of the Low Tides (his first mate and later the second Pirate King) entered Rose's room. The room was perfectly orderly, but Rose's body was nowhere to be found - only a single blue rose on his bed. It is alleged that Thaler found something else, but he took that secret with him to his grave.Soon after the disappearance of Rose, Thaler set off to an unknown corner of the Seas. A month later, he had returned with Rose's body and his treasure, not willing to speak a word about what he had seen. The body bore no marks which indicated a sign of death, and even divination could not determine how he died. To this day it's debated why and how he died, if Thaler was responsible, and where his body ended up.
Comments