SethOsiris
Landlubber
First of all: This thread isn't meant to be only about the text below, I'd rather like to see others post their After Action Reports or stuffed out Tales of their Exploits, like it was done before. Of course I welcome any commenter as well.
Feedback is always welcome. Should their be some errors in spelling, I apologize, english isn't my mother tongue. As of that, I'll also gladly take any advice concerning the general quality of speech presented. As time goes by I may or may not post other fragments like this one.
(Edit: I'm an idiot, writing the thread subtitle in german... would one of the mods delete that? thx)
Stormy Warships
I still don't know what woke me that night. It wasn't the ship rolling and pitching in heavy seas, nor howling wind eager to tear apart our sails. Just the feeling that something was there, that wasn't supposed to. The snoring of my mates was even louder than the winds howl. These battle hardened souls, bound to the devils of the sea for all eternity and even proud of that like I was myself. Pirates, considered thugs by some, heroes by others, we were nothing of both, just a bunch of souls bound by their strife to survive.
I got above board. Greeting the cold of the night with a slight shivering, as I raised my eyes to the stars. To starboard a storm was raging, the bright flashes of lightning clear to see against the dark clouds. As always the captain had us sailing at the very edge of the storm, using its raging winds to get where he wanted to go as fast as possible. Still that wasn't the reason I woke up i was sure, so my eyes scoured the horizon for other things.
I wasn't a navigator let alone a captain. Not even an officer for that matters, but I already had this sense, this ability to read the sea, enough to know it wasn't just right. The Captain stood right behind the helmsmen, Peter Blood, the handsome devil as they now call him. I could see he'd noticed it too, but when the thunder struck, he was as surprised as I.
It wasn't just thunder, but a whole broadside that hit the decks. I don't remember much, other than planks splintering and rigging lashing over the deck. With my ears ringing, I staggered until I got a hold to the railing. It wasn't for long, until the bosuns voice rose above the chaos. "Action Stations!" I shook off my confusion and routine took over, as I ran to the aft, still without a clue where our enemy was. In a glimpse I grasped our Captain, standing on the poopdeck, calm like the moon.
The officer in charge of me that night was Henry Brewer, a brilliant sharpshooter as i have to say, and a good men. When a reached the armory, he was already there, ready to hand me a musketoon. "Starboard five." was the only thing he said and for now the only thing I needed to know. I turned on the spot and returned above board, to the fitht canon on the starboard side, as commaned, where it's crew already prepared it. Ignoring the noises all around I sharpened my senses and scanned the horizon. Than I saw it, rising from a wave hollow, only lit by another flash of lightning. A warship sailing under spanish flag, a flage torn to shreds by the storm. Obviously they had tried to escape the storm and probably guessed we wouldn't get them.
Again thunder struck. Screams all around me, but no as close as the ones before. "Load the Cannonballs!" the bosun yelled. Mister Ogle passed the canon, telling the main gunner some numbers as he did. I covered my ears when the first salvo was fired.
At that time, Captain Blood wasn't already on the height of his power, like he is now. There was no fleet sailing with us, and the Heart's Beat you know so well as his ship was not even dreamed of, but we had a ship, reliable and well suited for daring newcomers like us. A light corvette, stolen from a dutch patrol, the name of wich Blood gave her came well known: The HMS Griffon.
From what I recall the damage we'd taken from the first two salvos of the spaniards was moderate. Not to htink what they could've done if they'd snuck up on us like that in calm seas, but the didn't. We fired three salvos at the enemy, receiving only one in return wich was swallow by a gracious wave. Than the ship turned its nose to port. We were there, covering behind the railing wich wouldn't have save us in the first place, waiting for death to reach us a hand. And we waited, And waited. And waited even longer while Mister Pitt took the Rudder and steered us to the coasts of Dominica, the spaniards always following behind. Jus as we were to hit land, Mister Pitt turned the ship, using the fallwinds that came from the islands mountains to gain speed. I saw bombs being carried to the front canons, while the main arrays got a good supply of grapes. I glanced at the captain still calm like a statue, but with a small, intriguing smile.
The spaniards had fallen for our navigators scam. Trapped between the raging winds of the storm and the falling winds of Dominica, the warship was essentially unable to move and while it tried to turn into a more favorable position, our front canons unleashed their fury. The enemies nose burst aflame and i was tempted to rejoice, but the battle was far from ended and cannons, while frightening,are not the most efficient killing tool in history.
The Griffon turned slightly, just enough to not ram into the enemy, while the front canons brought their second load to bear. "Make ready to board!" the bosun yelled and for a moment, I was petrified. They wanted to board a floating town with barely three hundred of us? Then again, there was no real choice other than fighting and face to face their superior armament ment nothing at all. I was returned from my thoughts by Brewer patting on my back, the signal to load my musket. I did and leveled my gun, scouting for a target.
The ships slid alongside each other, barely fifteen yards in between, it suddenly became quite. Even the waves seemed to hush. Nobody eager to begin this battle, there was barely enough time to imagine the ships would just pass each other unharmed, but soon enough hell broke loose, when both ships unleashed their broadsides on each other. Cannonballs, was my first thought, when I came back to my senses, they uses cannonballs. A hole was to my right, big enough to fit my entire body through, but I found myself without pain. Again I leveled my gun, aimed and got a good shot on what looked like an officer. The moment I pulled the trigger he fell. Grappling hooks were thrown, some of our bravest swung across the gap with what was left of the rigging and began the slaughter. In frenzy, demons alike, they slew the spanish soldiers attacking them and felt not pain nor agony of the wounds inflicted to them. I loaded the guns once more, popped up and shot the first spanish head I saw.
When the plank was in place, I was among the first to storm into the spaniards ranks, leaving my musketoon in favor of the sabre. Some guy pointed a gun at me, but he wasn't fast enough to pull the trigger before my blade cut his arm of. I just kicked him out of the way and took his gun. I shot the next one, and through the gun at a third, using the time he needed to recover to close in on him and land the final swing. Again I realised fencing is an art of morons. There was no skill involved killing an man, just brutal, overpowering force.
Soon the main deck was covered in blood an bodies of both spanish soldiers and my comrades, even my blood stained the planks. One of them had caught me of guard and stabbed me. Using a real weapon he might just have killed me, but being stabbed with a rapier is nothing more than painful, so I slaughtered him like the rest.
Half an hour of fighting passed like some five minutes. When finally the last of them fell, I stood next to the captain and his fighting officers, all of us breathing heavily, slightly injured but alive. "Drown the bodies." Blood commanded with a glance at the dead to his feet half of our crew, and four hundred spanish soldiers. "It seems their captain is hiding in his cabin." Brewer commented. Blood nooded. "Bring some cannons, load them with grapes. I don't feel like playing hide'n'seek today." he said and turned around. "Take what's precious and sink it. I'll be having a drink or two."
Feedback is always welcome. Should their be some errors in spelling, I apologize, english isn't my mother tongue. As of that, I'll also gladly take any advice concerning the general quality of speech presented. As time goes by I may or may not post other fragments like this one.
(Edit: I'm an idiot, writing the thread subtitle in german... would one of the mods delete that? thx)
Stormy Warships
I still don't know what woke me that night. It wasn't the ship rolling and pitching in heavy seas, nor howling wind eager to tear apart our sails. Just the feeling that something was there, that wasn't supposed to. The snoring of my mates was even louder than the winds howl. These battle hardened souls, bound to the devils of the sea for all eternity and even proud of that like I was myself. Pirates, considered thugs by some, heroes by others, we were nothing of both, just a bunch of souls bound by their strife to survive.
I got above board. Greeting the cold of the night with a slight shivering, as I raised my eyes to the stars. To starboard a storm was raging, the bright flashes of lightning clear to see against the dark clouds. As always the captain had us sailing at the very edge of the storm, using its raging winds to get where he wanted to go as fast as possible. Still that wasn't the reason I woke up i was sure, so my eyes scoured the horizon for other things.
I wasn't a navigator let alone a captain. Not even an officer for that matters, but I already had this sense, this ability to read the sea, enough to know it wasn't just right. The Captain stood right behind the helmsmen, Peter Blood, the handsome devil as they now call him. I could see he'd noticed it too, but when the thunder struck, he was as surprised as I.
It wasn't just thunder, but a whole broadside that hit the decks. I don't remember much, other than planks splintering and rigging lashing over the deck. With my ears ringing, I staggered until I got a hold to the railing. It wasn't for long, until the bosuns voice rose above the chaos. "Action Stations!" I shook off my confusion and routine took over, as I ran to the aft, still without a clue where our enemy was. In a glimpse I grasped our Captain, standing on the poopdeck, calm like the moon.
The officer in charge of me that night was Henry Brewer, a brilliant sharpshooter as i have to say, and a good men. When a reached the armory, he was already there, ready to hand me a musketoon. "Starboard five." was the only thing he said and for now the only thing I needed to know. I turned on the spot and returned above board, to the fitht canon on the starboard side, as commaned, where it's crew already prepared it. Ignoring the noises all around I sharpened my senses and scanned the horizon. Than I saw it, rising from a wave hollow, only lit by another flash of lightning. A warship sailing under spanish flag, a flage torn to shreds by the storm. Obviously they had tried to escape the storm and probably guessed we wouldn't get them.
Again thunder struck. Screams all around me, but no as close as the ones before. "Load the Cannonballs!" the bosun yelled. Mister Ogle passed the canon, telling the main gunner some numbers as he did. I covered my ears when the first salvo was fired.
At that time, Captain Blood wasn't already on the height of his power, like he is now. There was no fleet sailing with us, and the Heart's Beat you know so well as his ship was not even dreamed of, but we had a ship, reliable and well suited for daring newcomers like us. A light corvette, stolen from a dutch patrol, the name of wich Blood gave her came well known: The HMS Griffon.
From what I recall the damage we'd taken from the first two salvos of the spaniards was moderate. Not to htink what they could've done if they'd snuck up on us like that in calm seas, but the didn't. We fired three salvos at the enemy, receiving only one in return wich was swallow by a gracious wave. Than the ship turned its nose to port. We were there, covering behind the railing wich wouldn't have save us in the first place, waiting for death to reach us a hand. And we waited, And waited. And waited even longer while Mister Pitt took the Rudder and steered us to the coasts of Dominica, the spaniards always following behind. Jus as we were to hit land, Mister Pitt turned the ship, using the fallwinds that came from the islands mountains to gain speed. I saw bombs being carried to the front canons, while the main arrays got a good supply of grapes. I glanced at the captain still calm like a statue, but with a small, intriguing smile.
The spaniards had fallen for our navigators scam. Trapped between the raging winds of the storm and the falling winds of Dominica, the warship was essentially unable to move and while it tried to turn into a more favorable position, our front canons unleashed their fury. The enemies nose burst aflame and i was tempted to rejoice, but the battle was far from ended and cannons, while frightening,are not the most efficient killing tool in history.
The Griffon turned slightly, just enough to not ram into the enemy, while the front canons brought their second load to bear. "Make ready to board!" the bosun yelled and for a moment, I was petrified. They wanted to board a floating town with barely three hundred of us? Then again, there was no real choice other than fighting and face to face their superior armament ment nothing at all. I was returned from my thoughts by Brewer patting on my back, the signal to load my musket. I did and leveled my gun, scouting for a target.
The ships slid alongside each other, barely fifteen yards in between, it suddenly became quite. Even the waves seemed to hush. Nobody eager to begin this battle, there was barely enough time to imagine the ships would just pass each other unharmed, but soon enough hell broke loose, when both ships unleashed their broadsides on each other. Cannonballs, was my first thought, when I came back to my senses, they uses cannonballs. A hole was to my right, big enough to fit my entire body through, but I found myself without pain. Again I leveled my gun, aimed and got a good shot on what looked like an officer. The moment I pulled the trigger he fell. Grappling hooks were thrown, some of our bravest swung across the gap with what was left of the rigging and began the slaughter. In frenzy, demons alike, they slew the spanish soldiers attacking them and felt not pain nor agony of the wounds inflicted to them. I loaded the guns once more, popped up and shot the first spanish head I saw.
When the plank was in place, I was among the first to storm into the spaniards ranks, leaving my musketoon in favor of the sabre. Some guy pointed a gun at me, but he wasn't fast enough to pull the trigger before my blade cut his arm of. I just kicked him out of the way and took his gun. I shot the next one, and through the gun at a third, using the time he needed to recover to close in on him and land the final swing. Again I realised fencing is an art of morons. There was no skill involved killing an man, just brutal, overpowering force.
Soon the main deck was covered in blood an bodies of both spanish soldiers and my comrades, even my blood stained the planks. One of them had caught me of guard and stabbed me. Using a real weapon he might just have killed me, but being stabbed with a rapier is nothing more than painful, so I slaughtered him like the rest.
Half an hour of fighting passed like some five minutes. When finally the last of them fell, I stood next to the captain and his fighting officers, all of us breathing heavily, slightly injured but alive. "Drown the bodies." Blood commanded with a glance at the dead to his feet half of our crew, and four hundred spanish soldiers. "It seems their captain is hiding in his cabin." Brewer commented. Blood nooded. "Bring some cannons, load them with grapes. I don't feel like playing hide'n'seek today." he said and turned around. "Take what's precious and sink it. I'll be having a drink or two."
