Captain Kain Voss

Captain Kain Voss (a.k.a. “The Black Lion”)

Brief Overview

Birth & Early Life: Born in 15 AEL during the tumultuous dawn of the Age of Emberlight, Kain Voss was raised in a modest coastal settlement. Though much of his early life remains murky, it is clear that an unusual ambition burned within him from a young age.
Rise to Power: At 17 (32 AEL), he left home to forge his destiny on the high seas. Over the next decades, he climbed from lowly deckhand to privateer captain, and ultimately to the leader of the Forsaken Fleet—one of the most feared naval forces of the era.
Disappearance: By 67 AEL, Kain Voss and his entire fleet vanished in the cursed waters near the Valoran Ring, leaving behind whispered tales of a doomed voyage and sealed fates. No one would lay eyes on him again—as a man—until the dawn of the Black Maw’s legend in 113 AEL.
The Man Before the Maw:
By 67 AEL, Kain Voss had carved a fearsome legacy of power, ambition, and audacity. Even before his fateful voyage to the Valoran Ring, he was a living legend—his name synonymous with maritime ruthlessness and relentless pursuit of dominion. But greed and pride proved his undoing. His disappearance marked the end of the Forsaken Fleet and the beginning of something far darker. Though he returned as a cursed captain decades later, the seeds of his doom were sown long before he ever stepped into the mists of the Black Hollow. In life, as in death, Kain Voss remains a cautionary tale: the higher the ambition, the steeper the fall.
Appearance
In life, Kain Voss was described as a tall, imposing figure with a regal bearing that set him apart from common pirates.

Height & Build: Standing at 6’2”, he possessed a lean but muscular frame, honed by years of climbing rigging and sword training.
Eyes: Warm brown eyes that could shift from inviting to intimidating at a moment’s notice. Many said his gaze held the spark of deep ambition.
Skin & Hair:
Tanned Skin weathered by salt air and harsh sun, bearing the scars of countless skirmishes. Long Black Hair hung in loose waves, often tied back when at sea.
A scraggly black beard, streaked with occasional threads of silver from stress and battle, completed his rugged image.
Attire: Kain favored black pirate regalia trimmed with gold and green accents—the colors reflecting both his lust for wealth and his envy of greater powers. His coats often bore elaborate embroidery, making it clear he was no ordinary sea rogue.

Mental characteristics

Personal history

Early Childhood (15 AEL – 32 AEL)
Born to unknown parentage in a rough coastal town, Kain displayed an intense curiosity about the wider world. Stories say he was frequently found by the docks, grilling sailors for tales of faraway shores.
At 17, with little more than a sea bag and a battered sword, he joined a passing privateer crew to escape provincial life.

Rise to Infamy (32 AEL – 50 AEL)
Kain’s tactical genius and charismatic leadership allowed him to quickly climb ranks. By his mid-twenties, he already captained his own modest brig. During this period, he formed connections with smugglers, mercenaries, and pirates of various nations, gradually piecing together a coalition that would become the Forsaken Fleet.
Four Wives & Children
Over the course of his conquests and travels, Kain married four different women, each relationship happening in separate ports or domains.
Children: Rumored to have fathered multiple offspring, though the exact number is unknown. Kain’s wanderlust and hunger for power kept him away from stable family life. Most of these children grew up barely knowing their father’s face.
These scattered family ties would later become points of intrigue, with many of his supposed descendants boasting of Voss’ bloodline—or cursing it.

Final Years Before the Fall (50 AEL – 67 AEL)
Kain’s insatiable ambition peaked. Having unified the Forsaken Fleet into a powerhouse, he hunted cursed artifacts and sought rumored seas of untold riches. By 67 AEL, he set his sights on the Valoran Ring, ignoring every omen and warning. He and his entire armada sailed into the mists—never to be seen again in mortal form.

Accomplishments & Achievements

Formation of the Forsaken Fleet: Kain successfully united disparate pirate crews, ex-naval officers, and mercenaries under his ruthless yet charismatic command.

Naval Dominance: Known to have defeated several significant navies and pirate lords, Kain’s strategic mind left many admirals in awe—and terror.
Controlling Trade Routes: At his peak, Kain effectively dominated key shipping lanes, imposing tariffs and tolls on merchants. Some say entire cities paid tribute to avoid his wrath.
Discovery of Lost Isles: Rumor credits him with uncovering hidden coves and half-sunken temples brimming with treasures—glimpses of the obsession that would lead him to Valoran.

Morality & Philosophy

Pragmatic Pirate Code: While not entirely amoral, Kain valued results over lofty principles. He believed power was the ultimate currency on the high seas.
Harsh Justice: He handed out punishment swiftly—loyalty was rewarded richly, but betrayal brought instant and brutal retribution.
Ambition Above All: Both allies and enemies noted Kain’s driving force was an unrelenting ambition—the pursuit of legacy and dominion.
Despite these ruthless tendencies, legends say he showed occasional streaks of mercy or fairness, particularly toward those who capitulated without bloodshed. Whether this was genuine compassion or cold calculation remains debated.

Personality Characteristics

Motivation

Power & Recognition: From boyhood, Kain harbored a deep need to prove himself. He hated the anonymity of a common life and craved to be remembered across the seas.

Eternal Legacy: Many suggest he was obsessed with becoming more than a mere footnote in history—he yearned for an eternal mark on the Age of Emberlight.
Defiance of Fate: Superstitions claim Kain believed he could outwit anything, even the gods or the sea itself. This hubris drove him toward the impossible quest that  doomed him.

Representation & Legacy

Even before his legendary vanishing in 67 AEL, Kain Voss had already cemented himself as a fixture of maritime folklore. Children were warned to behave lest “the Black Lion” come for them, and dockside taverns bustled with tales of his cunning. Captains across Veth’Arden dreaded encountering the Forsaken Fleet’s black sails on the horizon.

Social

Contacts & Relations

Pirate Lords: Formed tenuous alliances with other pirate captains, though he often turned on them once they ceased to be useful.
Mercenary Guilds: Employed battle-hardened soldiers for specialized missions, forging a reputation for paying promptly—at least until the job was done.
Smugglers & Underground Networks: Likely maintained illicit trade routes and safe havens where he could repair and restock his fleet without official oversight.
Notable Relationships

Valkesh of the Seven Knives: A rogue who once saved Kain from an imperial blockade, only to be captured by Kain a year later when their goals conflicted.
Eiralla the Siren: A renowned spy rumored to have shared Kain’s bed and secrets, though neither betrayed the other publicly—at least not before 67 AEL.

Family Ties

Four Wives:

Mariana Grytham (married ~35 AEL): The daughter of a wealthy port official, used as leverage to gain safe docking.
Seraphine Vask (~42 AEL): A former privateer-turned-noble’s daughter; a union of convenience to strengthen alliances.
Yaranne Basara (~50 AEL): A formidable pirate in her own right; this marriage merged parts of her crew with Voss’s budding armada.
Aisha Lysar (~58 AEL): A rumored witch or sorceress; the nature of their union remains shrouded in rumor, suggesting an obsession with arcane power.

Children:
The exact number is unknown, but at least six are verified across his four unions. Kain was notoriously absent, more focused on conquest than fatherhood. A few of these children allegedly tried to capitalize on his name, while others distanced themselves, shamed by his infamy.

Wealth & Financial state

Immense Treasure: Kain accumulated staggering sums of gold, jewels, and artifacts. Yet he reinvested much of it into building ships, hiring elite crews, and maintaining a lavish lifestyle at sea.
Hidden Caches: Rumors persist of secret stashes scattered across remote islands, locked with cryptic codes. Treasure hunters continue to chase these legends centuries later.

Date of Birth

18th of Thallen, 15 AEL

Date of Death

23rd of Xerxes, 67 AEL

Life

15 AEL 67 AEL 52 years old

Circumstances of Death

Shrouded in the Mysteries of Valoran

Birthplace

Lutecia

Place of Death

Valoran

Quotes & Catchphrases

1. “Gold buys loyalty only until someone offers more. True loyalty is forged by fear and respect.”

Context: Spoken after quelling a mutiny aboard one of his earlier ships. He paid the ringleaders double their wages, then had them publicly whipped to show both generosity and cruelty in one gesture.
2. “A captain who fears the storm is no captain at all.”
Context: Uttered during a night of catastrophic weather, which he used to ambush a rival fleet. Kain took advantage of the chaos to secure a swift victory, demonstrating his fearlessness.
3. “We are the Forsaken, not because we are lost, but because we have abandoned fear.”
Context: A rousing speech given to his newly formed Forsaken Fleet, instilling a sense of grim pride in their chosen path of piracy and mercenary work.
4. “If you’d see me beg, you’d best kill me first.”
Context: Allegedly said during a negotiation with a powerful merchant prince who tried to force Kain’s submission. Kain refused, and the prince lost his ships to a retaliatory strike soon after.