Young Writers Society

Plot:

In a rough and tumble tavern sitting squat on the docks of Port Royal, a group of old ship mates come together by chance (or not?) for a flagon or two of ale and some good rum. Whilst they boast and brag of their achievements over the past years, Captain Cutthroat recognizes an item in the possession of Yellow Side, an item from her past...

As a young woman, Cutthroat overhears the boastful chatter of a renowned seamen. Jack is his name, and he claims to have a map that leads to the Fountain of Youth. Her interest immediately perked, Cutthroat stows away on Jack's ship the next day, in the hopes that she would find this fabled map. While she is snooping around a weapons closet (under heavy lock and key, of course) she stumbles upon an ancient wooden figurine, carved into the likeness of a sea turtle. Upon its back is set a large gemstone, along with numerous archaic carvings. Cutthroat knew in an instant that it was something important, something valuable, what with all the locks and compartments that had hidden it from her. She made to hide it in her pockets, but at that moment, she was discovered by the Captain himself.

They resolved to maroon her on the next strip of land they could find, but salvation came for Cutthroat in the nick of time in the form of a heavy gale that threw the ship into the rocks, smashing it to smithereens. Cutthroat survived the initial danger, but nearly died in the frigid waters. Rescue did come, though, in the form of a British Naval ship. With sharp wits and a quick tongue she convinced them that the pirates had taken her captive, and thus her life was spared.

For a day the British sailors scavenged among the ruins of the corsair, sifting through the flotsam and wreckage for any treasures they could find. Though Cutthroat never caught sight of the turtle or the map, she knew there was a great possibility that both had survived. What with the turbulent waters they swam in, the map might be lifted to the surface, and the turtle was made of wood, and was not weighed down by frivolous gilding of gold, with only a meager gemstone as decoration. But where could they be? Cutthroat would not know for years to come...


Now, upon seeing it again, Cutthroat knows the carvings to be a clue, to what she can't rightly guess. But she can feel in her navel that it will lead to the Fountain of Youth, and to everlasting life...

She, Yellow Side, Captain Classy and the former Pirate King agree to set sail the next day, Cutthroat responsible for acquiring a ship and a crew.

****

Good so far? I think so! Here's the cast as of right now:

Moriah Leila: Captain Cutthroat. She shall be our captain, and Captain Classy will have to live under her rule!

Me: the former Pirate King. He owns the tavern where the ship mates reunited again. Since he owns the tavern, he agreed to close down his business and pay for whatever ship Cutthroat deems best in the form of barrels of ale (the rum being saved for their own stores). His recent past remains a mystery...

captain.classy: Plays Captain Classy! She covets the wooden turtle for herself, and may not appreciate taking orders from Cutthroat. She and Cutthroat will have to figure out what classy gets to do, with her main position being commandeered by another.

Durriedog: Yellow Side. Known for her foul tongue and tough skin, Yellow Side will be up in the crows nest, as she's the only one who has a head for the heights.

*****

Now, since we will need a crew, other people will be able to join, though I think we have enough female characters to last a pirate lifetim. If you're a girl and you want to join, it would be best if you made a male character to balance things out (the Pirate King is lonely!).

Character Stencil:

Name: Somethin' piratey, you bilge rat!

Age: Anything at all; keep in mind that any really young characters will be looked down upon by the crew.

Description: Hair, no hair? Eye patch? Legs?

Position: See below

History: Tell us about your pirate now, or tell us later, just make sure he has some kind of background (secrets are always cool).

Weapon preference: Pistol? Saber? Scimitar? Hooks, cudgels, clubs, cannons? Whatever happens to be in his hand at the moment?

Fighting style: Every pirate has to have a fighting style, from the barroom brawl type to the finesse of a fencer.

Other:

If there's anything you feel I should add, please tell me!

****

Ship positions:

Captain

Quartermaster - Out of their distrust of dictatorial rule, pirates of the Golden Age placed a large portion of the captain's traditional role and power into the hands of an elected quartermaster who became second-in-command and almost a co-captain through his representing the best interests of the crew.

The captain watches as the quartermaster punishes as a foreman, he was in charge of maintaining order, distributing rations and supplies, delegating work, and guarding and dividing plunder. In fighting, the quartermaster decided what ships were worth it and often led any boarding party, ultimately deciding what loot to keep. When discipline or punishment was necessary, only he could give it, but even then it was with the agreement of the captain or the vote of the pirate crew.

In the worst of situations, he was a sheriff enforcing fairness in duels or a judge presiding over jury trials for serious crimes committed among the crew. For all his hard work, the quartermaster received a larger portion of any plunder and would often be asked to command any highly valued ship taken in battle.

This is an option for Captain Classy!

Boatswain (bos'n) - This position may be compared to the modern chief petty officer. A ship of any size would require the boatswain to oversee several junior officers who would share his responsibility for the crew's morale and work efficiency as well as the maintenance and repair of the hull, rigging, lines, cables, sails, and anchors.

Gunner - A gunner would be the leader of any separate group manning the artillery. His special skill would be in aiming, but he would oversee the four to six men required to take the gun through the steps of loading, aiming, firing, resetting, and swabbing for the next load. He would also work to ensure the gun crew's safety in avoiding dangerous overheating or excessive recoiling of the weapon. A master gunner would help to coordinate the timing and accuracy of the individual crews, especially when a broadside was ordered.

Powder Monkey - This term was first used in the British Navy for the very young men who made up most gun crews in the 17th century. In contrast to a pirate officer who was elected, these poor souls were forced to perform what was some of the most dangerous work on the ship. They were harshly treated and rarely paid, and if they avoided being mortally wounded in their service, desertion was probably as attractive as having very little hope of being promoted in the pirate crew.

Surgeons, Cooks - Yet another highly valued position, surgeons would often be grabbed from crews of captured ships, although they would not be ordinarily be asked to sign the articles. He would be expected to deal with colds, fevers, or sexual diseases with an assortment of mercurial medicines or other current treatments, and the carnage of battle often required amputations in hopes of saving the wounded.

Note: We don't necessarily need to fill all these positions, nor do you need to have any kind of extensive knowledge about them. It's a storybook, which means we should enjoy this!

Rules:

All YWS rules apply

Post every few days, or your character will be "disposed of." If for some reason you can't post for a while, but would like to stay in the storybook when you return, PM either me or Moriah Leila and we might be able to commandeer your position for a bit!

Obviously, swearing is allowed (we are pirates, after all!), but keep in mind that words like f**k didn't really occur back then (I think). Our language will be made up mostly of what the pirates considered curses, and probably won't make anyone uncomfortable.

We are pirates, so there will be references to "easy wenches" and the like, but I don't think any of us wants to read a detailed sex scene, thank you very much.

Try and use proper pirate grammar, and dumb down the Webster's vocabulary a bit. If you're unsure what terms to use, check out our Pirate Glossary.

Have fun, and keep this storybook going! We're hoping to finish this one! (But who doesn't hope that?)

Here's mine!

Name: Captain Kidd (I had to, Moriah!), the former Pirate King

Age: early forties

Description: Grey and weathered, with a peg leg replacing his right one.

Position: Gunner

History: Formerly the Pirate King, Captain Kidd keeps his past close about him. He started up a tavern to stay away from the sea life, but Cutthroat's story lit a fire in him, and he couldn't resist joining the adventure. HE took the position of gunner to draw the least amount of attention to himself, without blatantly slithering away to the position of cook. His past will come out along the way.

Weapon Preference: Kidd prefers to have his trusty pistol in his left hand, and a scimitar in his right.

Fighting style: Kidd is a skilled swordsman, and tends to keep a cool head during battle (he was the Pirate King, after all!).

Name: Emmett Wile (But he's used to just being called Doc)

Age: 26 (not too young, not too old)

Description: Long, unkempt blonde hair and blue eyes. He wears an eyepatch over his left eye, as it was gouged out when he was twenty-two by a merciless pirate who wanted him as a surgeon, but he had refused. He's got two piercings in each ear and a strong, toned, tall body. He has a few knicks and scars on his arms and chest that show his previous battles, even as a surgeon. Here

Position: Surgeon

History: Doc Wile was always fascinated with the human body, and just loves 'saving lives'. When he was a child, he would practice on his friends, who found it interesting to get cut open with his father's old, rusty scalpel. As he grew older, his mother put him through school and a very pristegious college, but she died before he could decide which job to take up, so, seeing as he no longer had someone to please, he became a surgeon for his first pirate captain at the age of 21, and is still with him to this day.

Weapon preference: Anything that doesn't fire. He doesn't like using pistols, or any gun for that matter, as he sees them as a step up in weapon technology. He sticks to swords, daggers, fists, anything really besides guns.

Fighting style: Merciless. If someone really angers him, he'll usually fight till he can't fight any more. If anyone he loves, or a part of his crew that he's really close to gets hurt, he'll fight until he's either dead, or all of them are gone.

Other: Up for love and it might take so persuading before he gets up and leaves his old crew.

Another thing I would like to point out is that pirates who are disabled (that is missing an eye or leg or hand) were often very rare. It is after all a disability and therefore makes it harder to work and fight. So I'd like it if everyone else keeps their limbs and eyes in tact.

Name: Captain Cutthroat, real name, no one has any idea. But there are bets going.

Age: 22 (She's mature for her age)

Description: Long, red hair that is often covered by a blue handkercheif or a tri-corn hat and jade colored eyes. Sunburned from the years at sea, lots of freckles, and calloused hands. Although in Port Royal, my character wears an eyepatch, to avoid sounding hypocritical, I will have good use of both my eyes. Has a tatoo on her left shoulder of the skull and crossbones. Typically dresses in male attire, sometimes flamboyantly so, to mock the wealthy social elite. Even so, it can be obvious at times that she is female, although she doesn't like to make this a point.

Position: Captain, and if any man has a problem of serving under a wench he can be heaved into the sea.

History: She was forced by her mother to dress as a boy when she was very young, so she could serve as a Cabin Boy for the British Navy. Something about the wages being better than a chamber maid. When she first saw Jamaica she deserted the Navy, in love with the Caribbean. Soon she was press-ganged into a pirate crew, where she worked her way up the ranks, with no one the wiser about her sex. Through her travels she met her friends Classy, Yellow Side, and Kidd, whom she had many an adventure with. And of course there is all that history about the turtle.

Weapon preference: Pistols, pistols, and more pistols. She carries at least three on her being at all time.

Fighting style: She is a crack shot, although also skilled with the cutlass or daggar. But if she is going to have it her way, she is going to be shooting at you.

Other: Up for love also. But nothing too corny, she doesn't want to play someone's damsel in distress. Rather she is looking for a partnership.


Oh another side note, if any of you want to check it out Pirate's Cove is a great resource for everything pirate.

Sorry, but I was just thinking that perhaps we should also list our character's strengths and weaknesses. I mean we want them to be well-rounded, after all, and not your stereotypical pirate. Take some time on this one and perhaps post it seperately if you've already posted a character chart.

Name: Captain Classy! Arr…



Age: 26 (because she wants to be older that Cutthroat so the crew will respect her more)



Description: Classy has long, dark brown hair that flows to her back. Her bright blue eyes stand out more because her skin has turned darker due to days and days in constant sunlight. Her ear has a small cartilage piercing, the earring a small diamond that she stole from a man she killed. She also took from that man his white colored shirt, whose sleeves barely cover her monstrous muscles. She holds her ruby-encrusted sword around a black belt that serves, also, to keep up her brown pants.



Position: Quartermaster, arr…



History: I will tell you one thing: Sometimes Classy does not talk like a pirate, being classy, after all. She grew up in a large city. Her family was very rich and always gave her what she wanted. But, Classy wanted adventure and to do things on her own, and not to marry her betrothed, whom she did not know nor love. So she ran from home in seek of her powers in life. Later, she found that people respected her, so she rallied up a crew and boat and sailed the open seas.


Weapon preference: A ruby encrusted sword. Her mother gave it to her when, ten years after she ran away (one year before the adventure) she went back home to officially say goodbye to her mother. She gave her the sword, which was her fathers, since he had died.



Fighting style: Ruthless. She lives by two words: to win. She will punch, shoot, stab, anything to keep herself alive, and her opponent, well, not.



Strengths: Her attitude and confidence pays off, for she has never lost a battle, except with her crew. She has a smart mind, and thinks of all the possibilities before attacking or hating something.


Weaknesses: She longs to take over Cutthroats crew and become captain again. But, she will not until she has saved Cutthroats, Yellers, and Kidds' lives. Just once, though.

We need at least three more people, don't you think? Oh well, I have some awesome ideas for a plot line. Let me know what you all think. Be honest.

1.) The crew sets out on their venture
2.) They overtake a merchant ship, and decide to take it as their own, putting one of the many captains in charge of that ship. (Classy or Mr.Knightley?)
3.) The British Navy is after them.
4.) They find Shadow Island, where the fountain is located.
5.) The natives are hostile and protect the fountain fervently
6.) The British Navy shows up on the island, ready to take the pirates prisoner.

And that is all I have so far. I would love some input from others. I just think we need to have a timeline of events, so that we can keep the storybook from drifting. But I am more than willing to accept someone else's ideas.

I am really just going to go along with the flow!
Whatever you want is fine. Sorry to say, but I just have a bunch of other stuff going on, so I am going to input as much as I can. I am really excited about this though! I had a bunch of fun on the other thread, so this should be great.

I agree we need a few more people. And I don't want to have my own ship because my mission is to overthrow you, so Mr.Knightley can have it.

Name: Yellow Side!

Age: 21

Description: Bright blue bandanna given to her by a diseased sweetheart, brown hair twined with barbed string that was recently cut (spikey now), regularly scowling face, heavily freckled, yellow-green eyes, leather vest, baggy pants and shirt. Tall and skinny.

Position: Bos'n

History: When she was 16 she stowed-away on a ship but was found out by a young boy, a Powder Monkey, but he kept her secret. Later she was spotted drinking water out of the water barrel but they only found out she was a girl later. The men jeered and tried to get at her but her Powder Monkey saved her, pushing her overboard in a stolen boat while he was killed by the pirates. Yellow is glad she didn't see it, but has been bitter ever since. She became a regular drinker and met Captain Classy in Port Royal. She went on an 'adventure' with them and they have been friends ever since. She found The Turtle in her moneybag but doesn't know how it got there. She remembers something about it, though, but every time she thinks she knows what it means to her, the thought slips away.

Weapon preference: pistol, saber and long knife.

Fighting style: She's a bad shot with a pistol, and very clumsy (she always has a bruise on her side, hence Yellow Side) but she's a lucky one. She crouches and pounces at the stomach. She has fixed a poisonous lead knife to the end of her pistol. She's very quick.

Other: Can read and write well, ran away from home. Captain Classy and Captain Cutthroat don't know this.

The fountain of youth had been corrupted by the evil around and had become a poison. All who touched it's deceptively beautiful looking water died within the hour. What could have been the greatest discovery for humanity became the grave of all who craved immortality. It was

THE END