Christening the Venture

[ZeaLitY]

It is high time the Compendium's pirate ship set sail. We embark in 1710, and the booty we seek is nothing more than the stealing of freedom itself from the clenched hands of fate. It is a pirate's life for us.



The ship is the Venture. I know absolutely nothing about the make and composition of ships so I'm going to skip straight to the positions. If you lazy bums don't have the wherewithal to nominate people, I'll appoint my stewards myself. Let's begin. The current log:



We need positions for Quartermaster, Pilot, and Sailmaker! Damn you!

Play this as you read the post for dramatic music: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kNktZgsLvPM

Captain

Whether he commanded by election or imposition the pirate captain was the supreme commander aboard his ship. The men sailed where he told them to, fought when and whom he told them to and on the whole were ruled by him. For the elected captain his position was a precarious one, his men would obey him as long as he kept making sensible orders and brought them success, if he failed they would vote him out of office and elect another in his place. For the captain who ruled by force the position was equally precarious, if he failed to lead them successfully he faced mutiny and murder.

I, ZeaLitY, am your captain. I've led this outfit over three years and I feel I can continue to bring us hordes of hits and quality material for days to come. If there be any objection, let them be spoken candidly.

Lieutenant

I require a lieutenan; a trusty right-hand man to guide the ship if I am away or should I fall. He will wield almost all my authority.

The duties of the lieutenant were more or less to act as the captain's deputy. He commanded in the captain's absence, often took command of prizes, and during battle should have positioned himself in the forecastle while the captain was on the quarter- or poop-deck.

Master

We need a fellow with attention to detail here so we do not accidentally sail off the ends of the earth.

The master of any ship was in charge of navigation and the actual business of sailing the vessel. In matters of seamanship the master should have been obeyed entirely. In the 17th century Butler described the duties of the master thus: "to undertake the conduction of [a ship] to the places and ports whither she is bound, and to shape all courses as may best conduce thereunto;... He is to enquire and take account of all the ways that the ship hath made and upon what points of the compass she hath been steered in every watch; and to this end he is to take a view of the traverse board, and to consider of all the dead reckonings. And by his observations, to take the height of the sun or star, or both, with his astrolabe, backstaff, Jacob staff or quadrant, and accordingly prick his cart [chart, or sea card]."

Boatswain

The boatswain (or bosun) was one of the most important men aboard any sailing vessel. He was responsible for "...all the ropes in general belonging to the ship: with all her cables, anchors, and sails; her flags, colours and pendants...". He was also responsible for making sure every man was correctly on watch and at his station. During battle it was a small group of the best seamen under the command of the boatswain and his mates (if he had any) who saw to the sailing of the ship while most of the crew worked the cannons. On many ships the boatswain was also responsible for discipline. In some ships the boatswain also took on the duties of master gunner.

Gunner

The gunner's duties included taking charge of all the ship's cannon, ensuring they were properly maintained and that the crews were trained in their use. He was responsible for ensuring all the gun ports were closed in bad weather and for making sure all guns were secured. In battle the gunner would often be near the helm, advising the helmsman on how to steer so as to be able to aim the ship's artillery better.

Carpenter

The carpenter was an officer responsible for the maintenance of the ship below the deck level (including the hull, decks, bulkheads etc), in the same way that the boatswain was responsible for everything above the deck. He was responsible for replacing damaged or worn masts and yards, repairing or replacing the rudder or any other timber which needed it and for stopping leaks. Carpenters were usually experienced seamen as well as tradesmen, and often enjoyed a similar rank to boatswains.

Master's Mate

Someone to help the master in his duties.

Quartermaster

Pirate quartermasters often had more duties than their counterparts in merchant or naval vessels, and perhaps enjoyed more popularity with the crew. Where there is evidence of quartermasters having more power than one would expect it is in the nature of their being a representative of the will of the crew - it is not the quartermaster with the extra power, it is the crew themselves with the quartermaster speaking on their behalf. However, in general they did not out rank any other officers, nor did they have any real power or importance except under a very weak captain. They certainly were not second in command.

~

Lesser Ranks

Pilot: an officer partly responsible for navigation, particularly in shore navigation. Sometimes the pilot was a permanent officer on the ship, but often was just hired (or pressed) for a particular piece of coast or harbour.

Coxswain: a junior officer with duties similar to the boatswain. He was also in charge of the second largest of the ship's boats.

Sailmaker: not only was this man responsible for mending the ship's sails, but he also had charge of making and repairing flags, and often making slop clothing for the men.

Doctor: very few pirate ships probably had doctors or surgeons aboard. On those that did, he was responsible not only for the treatment of injuries but for seeing to the general health of the crew. Although we know that a number of surgeons volunteered to accompany the buccaneering expeditions of the late 17th century it is probably that most doctors aboard pirate ships of the Golden Age were pressed men, forced to join when their own ship was captured.

~

The shares of treasure shall be distributed as follows:

Captain - 3 Shares
Lieutenant - 2 Shares
Master - 1.5 Shares
Boatswain - 1.5 Shares
Gunner - 1.5 Shares
Carpenter - 1 Share
Quartermaster - 1 Share
Master's Mate - 1 Share
Lesser Ranks - 0.5 Shares

We fly this flag: (Yes, they did look this awful in real life)



~

Come, gentlemen. The time has come to leave the ports of security and test our wills upon the high seas, where dreams are made upon the dangerous waves. Nominate your shipmates so we can set sail and begin the voyage to destiny.

[Vehek]

Your first image is suffering an anti-hotlink problem.
Edit-Well, it isn't a problem now...

[Romana]

Man, this is inspiring, ZeaLitY. Can I be Master, if not, Gunner? I'd like to be the kind of guy to give everyone confidence boosts and such.

[Glennleo]

I'm not quite sure what we are doing, but I'll go for one of the middle rank thingies. Carpenter or Master's Mate I dunno lol.

[ZeaLitY]

Yeah, it's purely for the hell of it, guys. Roleplaying is kind of awkward and hard to maintain, and there's nothing else we can do. But ever since Dead Man's Chest, I've wanted to staff a full Compendium pirate ship, even if it's just some names listed in a thread.

[nightmare975]

I am soooo your carpenter!

[Daniel Krispin]

Gunner?

[Radical_Dreamer]

Lieutenant here. I even look like a pirate.
I AM! AM MAN! OF THE SEA!

[ZeaLitY]

Excellent, we are filling posts. If you guys want, those who have already applied may post...I dunno, fictional crap. I'm not the most avid roleplayer or anything like that, but hell, this is fantasy. Post your pros and cons or something, right down to the wooden legs (your mother married a tree, after all).

Pirate Name: Red James Jones

ZeaLitY Pros

* Somewhat of a deranged visionary who hunts for the highest prizes
* Determined like hell in a fight
* Thinks Bartholomew Roberts was the ultimate pirate
* Has red clothes to hide blood in battle
* Aye, he is a fair captain and ensures every man gets his share
* Sometimes lets others win at Liar's Dice

ZeaLitY Cons

* Still doesn't know squat about the technical workings of a ship
* Once burned down another man's pirate ship in a drunken rage at Port Royal
* Accidentally attacked a Spanish warship after mistaking it for a merchant
* Once shot a hole in his own sails
* Keeps a safe distance from grapeshot and enemy fire in battle
* Sometimes lets others win at Liar's Dice

[Romana]

Pirate Name: Faffy McCoy

Rank: Master

Pyt Fumv Pros

- When he tells ye somethin', he's bloody right!
- Knows the best beer
- Has knowledge of the world and how to get to the destination. Arr!
- Can bark confidence into anyone


Pyt Fumv Cons
- Stinks of beer. All the time.
- Has a habit of accidentally setting his wooden leg on fire
- Navigates like a snail 5% of the time
- Barking confidence speeches is annoying

[ZeaLitY]

What the hell is THIS!? WHERE IS THE REST OF MY CREW? WE'RE ABOUT TO SAIL DIRECTLY INTO GEN DISC AND RAID IT, AND ENSLAVE ONE IF WE MUST!

ARE YOU SPINELESS?

[Daniel Krispin]

Hell, no. Der Spatzi, the German, Gunner reporting, Cap'n Jones. Sorry, sir. Aerosmith concert and all that. Motley Crue, too... no, not the sort of crew you're looking to enlist. Old, sir, very old - and landlubbers each. Yes, I'm not too fond of the sea myself, but my sea-legs are just fine if need be. And, to be sure, you're not going to find yourself a better gunner, none who can range the guns so well as I. Yes, I know I don't sound particularly German - it's been a while since I left Bremen harbour. No, sir, the Crue would not be very helpful in this present distress. Why, it's only a dry spell of manpower - shore leave always does that, as I'm sure you're aware.

(Note, Spatz means sparrow in German, but I'm not taking this from PotC; the diminutive form of Spatz, Spatzi, was what my parents used to call me as a kid.)

Daniel Pros
*Rather good shot with a rifle or musket (always keeps two ready and loaded in battle)
*Not taken to carousing, so is never taken off guard drunk
*Hot-headed and belligerant
*Quite good with a cutlass
*Tends to side with authority, ie. would naturally take the captain's cause in case of a mutiny, unless the captain was very obviously wrong
*Serious and thoughtful, especially handy when setting out the gun array (don't want to be sloppy in that, do we?), but not an overly hard worker
*Often smoking a cigar or pipe
*Wears rings and jewlery of plain steel

Daniel Cons
*Only slightly bad eyesight, but refuses to wear spectacles
*Doesn't usually care too much for the sea, but took up rank in the private navy of a German state, jumped ship to a French one in battle, decided French and German doesn't mix, so skipped over Britain, but mistook Captain Jones' ship for a ship in her majesty's service (just why they were flying the Union Jack at the time he still doesn't know...) and stayed on.
*Not taken to carousing, thus often not taken seriously as a pirate
*Prefers wine to rum
*Melodramatic and prone to Classical recitation, ie. Homeric quotes, and Latin phrases (anybody read Asterix and Obelix before? Know the pirates in that? One of them always does this) - rather than 'to Davey Jones' locker' he'll cry 'to the sea's own stygian nether'... promptly treated with guffaws from the crew and opponents alike. Certain members have indeed threatened to run him through should he ever utter 'that damned fool's speech' again (meaning 'alaea jacta est')
*More apt at flourishing a cutlass than outright strong blows - and occassionally drops the blade in trying to impress an opponent
*Absolutely luckless with the wenches, which hurts his pirate ego considerably

(Hmmm... I don't like the list too much. Seems rather dull in comparison to the other two. I'll probably change a thing or two later. But for now it stands.) Oh, and, I can't resist...


Argh! My hair's not that long now, but used to be.

[Magus068]

Master swordsman reporting!  heheh... This reminds of a fansub version of One Piece that I watched recently.

[Romana]

ZeaLitY, love the new sig.

[Mixmasta_K]

I'm not much of an RPer, but I'm bored enough right now to join anyhoo.

I'll take the doctor position since I'm a biochem major. xD


If you want a pirate name, go here: http://www.piratequiz.com/

Pirate name: Doctor Thomas Flint, Doc Flint for short.

Flint Pros:
-Learned medicine in a secret body-snatching ring, before the anatomy act was passed and before people knew that we don't run on the 4 humors.
-Also is ship's psychologist.
-Always easygoing and on a good level with the crew since I don't wanna die. D:
-Very athletic due to all of his spare time.
-Wears cotton gloves and washes his hacksaw! (Yay for useless sanitation!)
-Keeps a small pocket pistol with him at all times
-Lifelong musician, plays the string bass with the crew on jolly occasions.

Flint Cons:
-Always sober.
-Not really pirate material, I'm a doctor. But hey, I was forced to "join" the crew since I knew too much about some hidden cave or whatnot, so now I'm a pirate-doctor-guy. >_>
-Prefers saving lives to ending them.
-Can't talk like a pirate.
-Can be clumsy to the point of comic relief.
-Rumored to be doing secret research on time travel in his room at night. People think he's crazy when he mentions it.
-Chronic insomniac.