Sable Mallory (SEY-buhl MAHL-o-ree | /'seɪ bəl 'mæl ə ri/)
A Pirate Queen with a heart of gold
Savannah Mallory (a.k.a. Sable)
She's captain of Marauder Too, and a thorn in elven sidesSavannah "Sable" Mallory is a notorious pirate who operates out of Freebooter's Rock. To the Avalonian Imperial Navy, she is a menace, who harasses their ships and robs their Merchant Marine on a regular basis. But to the underclass of the Telasian System, she is a friend and defender. And to her crew, she is mother, friend, confidant, stern taskmaster, and battle commander, who inspires devotion and fear in equal measure; in short, she is the Old Lady, everything a ship's master and commander ought to be.
Protector of Freebooter's Rock and the heart of 'Booters' pride
Left the Andurani with a price upon her head,
And stayed to guard the stations that the Navy left for dead They say she doesn't think about the lives that she has lost
They say when Marauder goes to fight, she doesn't count the cost
That once she's planned a course, she never reckons wrong or right--
So why does she stare sleeplessly into the dark all night? Captain Sable Mallory has no soul, they say
The captain of Marauder Too has a heart of frozen clay
And on the bridge of Marauder, she throws men's lives like dice
Captain Sable Mallory, her eyes are fire and ice...
Mental characteristics
Personal history
Savannah was the child of an Andurani corsair captain, and an exceptionally beautiful village barmaid who ran away with him. Everyone who ever met them said that their love was obvious and inspirational. They were married on Captain Bahir Kayyadtih's ship, and their only daughter was born in the Captain's cabin somewhere between Manannan and Telasia.
By all reports, little Savannah was the joy and heart of the ship's crew, always ready with a laugh and smile, and delighted by the wonders of starfaring. She was a free spirit who was probably fortunate to be bounded by a ship's decks, because she had no fear and much curiosity. She was forever ascending the masts and climbing behind the bulkheads.
When Savannah was five years old, their ship was boarded by an Alfar Captain of the Avalonian Imperial Navy, who had a warrant for Bahir's arrest. Instead of arresting him, the Navy Captain killed him on the spot. When Sian Mallory ran screaming at him for killing her husband, the Captain murdered her, too. Savannah watched the whole thing from her hiding-place behind the bulkhead, with her uncle Hakim's hand over her mouth, kicking and struggling.
Now an orphan in the care of her uncle, Savannah continued to learn the ways of starfaring. But her sunny smile and ready laugh were long gone. A serious, focused child, she learned the ways of starfaring with a studied intensity, in the same way that she approached the study of swordwork. She had made a decision -- when she was an adult, and in command of her own ship, she would comb the starways until she found this Alfar Captain. She was going to kill him.
Her uncle Hakim, who made a living in shipping (both legally and illegally) tried to dissuade her, but when he finally realized he could not, he helped her to fund her first vessel, which was a small, maneuverable corvette that she named The Maelstrom. This was possible, in part, due to a fortunate acquaintance Savannah made back home in Anduran when she saw someone running from the royal guard. Knowing that they were a corrupt lot, she hid the fugitive under the table where she and her uncle were having a meal, and they went running right on by.
The alliance she made with Rashid ab'Savannah, an Andurani elf, turned out to be extremely fortuitous, although the agreement they made meant that they would aid each other in their mutual pursuits of vengeance. Now calling herself Sable, the nickname her father's crew had bestowed upon her for her black hair and her fierce temper, Savannah hired Rashid as her Commander, the younger members of her father's crew as her warrant officers, and her uncle as her boatswain "bo'sun", and went in search of the elven captain who ruined her life.
In the meantime, of course, she has to pay the bills. With a Letter of Marque out of Silverwood on Telasia, she sees no reason not to put that letter to work against the elven Navy's damnable Merchant Marine , who always get preferential treatment, and who are mostly retired Navy sailors, anyway. She has also pointed her cannons at Cthulans and a Rach ship or two to rescue their crews of slaves, pirates with less concern about the body counts accrued in acquiring a ship and its cargo, and a necromaner and his ship of undead pirates. And on a couple of occasions, she has tracked down pirate ships who attacked poor merchants, and returned their belongings and people.
The colourful characters who make up her crew, known simply as Sable's Privateers, also have their own legends attached to them. Some of the notables include Valrik Stormbringer and Kaimen Stormbringer, Khris Valour , and Quicksilver.
Recently she has learned the identity of the Alfar Captain she owes her blood-debt to, and she has also just acquired a new prize-ship, a frigate, which they are outfitting as the Marauder Too. She has returned to Freebooter's Rock to take on additional crew to fill her ranks. However, Rashid has also discovered new information that will allow him to pursue his agenda of revenge. The only question is which target they will pursue first.
Sable Mallory by HeroForge
Education
Sable was surprisingly well-educated for a girl who was raised on a ship. She is literate in four languages, has a background in history, philosophy, and natural philosophy, is skilled in the arts of navigation, and is a consummate swordswoman who is known for her skill with her twin scimitars. She speaks like a born sailor, however, so it is easy for people to underestimate her intellectual abilities.
Morality & Philosophy
They say for Marauder's Captain discipline's an iron whipSable Mallory is devoted to the gods of her homeland, but is surprisingly cosmopolitan in her acceptance of the beliefs and customs of others. She has a soft spot for hard cases, and while she would never be so rude as to ask people about their pasts when they join her crew, she works very hard to make a place where even the oddest sod is accepted and valued. She would probably already have the ships and funds she needs to pursue her enemies, were it not for the fact that she can't resist helping out when decent people are experiencing hard times.
It's worth your life to break her rules, in dock or on her ship
That no one sane serves under her command, but if that's so
Then why do her troops cheer her when she passes them below? They say the Captain has no crew demotions to control
Just an iron fist, an iron will, and an iron banded soul
They say she shows no mercy and they say she never can
So why's Marauder refuge for a burned out Navy man?
Personality Characteristics
Vices & Personality flaws
Sable chain-smokes cigarellos when she can get them, and takes snuff when in a wormhole. She also drinks rum when in port. She is known for fierce blazes of temper that look like they might get violent, but those who know her well know that they rarely do. She is far more likely to sputter or utter surly growls in an outburst, then reluctantly smooth it over. Still, she is ruthless against those who prey upon the powerless, and this is something that is also known.
Hygiene
While Sable tries to maintain a rigourous standard of hygiene for herself and her ship, knowing the risks of filth, she is also accustomed to hardship, and is not above brushing the weevils off her hardtack so that she can eat.
She's captain of Marauder Too, and a thorn in elven sides
Even Cthulans fear her; she's the heart of 'Booter pride
And stationer or merchanter from Phoenix Rock to Pell
Know for Mallory, all Marauder would fight demons out of hell! Captain Sable Mallory has no soul, they say
The captain of Marauder Too has a heart of frozen clay
And on the bridge of Marauder, she throws men's lives like dice
Captain Sable Mallory, her eyes are fire and ice...
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Alignment
Chaotic good
Current Location
Currently Boarded Vehicle
Species
Ethnicity
Other Ethnicities/Cultures
Age
38
Children
Pronouns
she/her
Gender
Female
Eyes
Hazel (green-blue)
Hair
Long, sleek, raven black with a touch of frost
Skin Tone/Pigmentation
Swarthy
Height
5'7" | 1.7 m
Weight
135 lbs | 61.24 kg
Quotes & Catchphrases
"I'm sorry for the inconvenience, Captain, but you should do well enough here."
"Ah, f*ck it. We're going to lose money, but..."
Comments
Author's Notes
Lyrics to the star shanty are a filk of a song by Mercedes Lackey, Leslie Fish and Heather Alexander, "Signy Mallory," which was written about a wonderful book called Downbelow Station, written by the ever-amazing and immortal Damon Knight Grand Master recipient C.J. Cherryh. You can find it here. I highly recommend both the album, and the book!