Young Writers Society

Two ships. One treasure. One curse. And plenty of rum.

The Plot:

It is said that the British Royal Navy fears only two ships, the Llorona and the Syren. These two pirate ships are known all over the world for their terrifying stealth and ruthless crews. Both captains are clever and no ship that they have hunted has ever gotten away. The two are deadly rivals. Generally, they try to stay out of each other's way, but when they inevitably cross paths, violence ensues. The last time this happened, villagers on the coast nearby fled their homes for fear of the fight being taken to land.

Now, however, a tale has come up of a fabulous treasure, one that is not only vast in its riches, but which also grants a great power to any who possess it. Rumor has it that this treasure is locked in the hold of a ghost ship which floats in the Sargasso Sea, the Sea of Weeds. No one knows what happened to the crew of this ship, the Marie Celeste, but everyone who tells the tale does seem certain of one thing: The treasure is still there, ripe for the taking.

Of course, most dismiss such stories as rubbish, mindless supersitions. But pirates, being pirates, have their ears perked for any signs of treasure, and this one, something that could grant powers unimaginable to those who possess it, is irresistable. Soon, the crews of both the Llorona and the Syren are raking every port they come to for someone who has seen the Marie Celeste. When they find just such a person, the chase is on. As both ships race towards the Marie Celeste and a treasure beyond anyone's imagination, the pirates fail to connect two most important facts. For the treasure they seek is powerful, yes, but with it comes something terrible beyond belief, something the crew of the Marie Celeste discovered to their peril....


Characters:

At this point, I think it might be easier to have characters on just one of the ships, the Syren, but with the poll at the top you can vote on whether you want characters on both ships. As we start, I'll be the captain, and if you want to be first officer, PM me. Also, if you want to have a girl character, that's totally fine, even though it's not really Period. As the ships reach the Marie Celeste, I will reveal the nature of the mysterious treasure...

Here's the template (you can have two characters):

Name:

Gender:

Age: (15-30)

Position on ship:

Personality:

Brief history:

Strengths/weaknesses:

Other:



Crew of the Syren:

Captain: Nicco Burns (RedBird)
First mate: Simon Grains (piepiemann22)
Cook/Surgeon: April (April)
Navigator/Swordswoman: Celestia Wolfe (ladyofthedeathroses)
Navigator/Cartographer: Elijah Derso (Camulaeus)
Cabin Boy: Sam/Victoria (mesug)
spot reserved for Dragonette

Rules:

-All usual YWS rules

-There will be violence, but please, let's not get too gory

-Romance is allowed, but keep sex out of it

-No god-modding. It's not fair, and makes everyone really annoyed.

-Don't make a perfect character. That's not realistic.



PM if you have any questions!

Name: Niccodaemus Burns, but usually called "Cap'n" or, if he's with friends, Nicco

Gender: Male

Age: 20

Position on ship: Captain of the Syren

Personality: Nicco is a headstrong young man, and he often lets his emotions get the better of him. He may be a pirate, but even when he takes ships, he doesn't usually kill anymore than he has to. He is also fiercely protective of his crew, who he thinks of as his family.

Brief history: Nicco was an orphan on the streets of London before he got press-ganged at age 12 to be a midshipman on a ship of the Royal Navy. The crew of this particular ship was harsh, the captain even more so. Nicco used this to his advantage, and turned the crew against the captain. Thus, by the age of 14, Nicco had taken the ship for his own and entered the world of piracy.

Strengths/weaknesses: He is somewhat hotheaded, and reacts based on his emotions, which can get him into a lot of trouble. He is very protective though, and is a good person to have on your side.

Other: Up for love

Name: April

Gender: Female

Age: 16

Position on ship: Surgeon/cook.

Personality: She is reserved and critical. The way she sees things, is they should be done right the first time. She doesn't like people who goof around a lot. Some say she doesn't even smile. Let alone laugh. She's easily manipulated, though.

Brief history: Her father was a surgeon, and her mother was a cook. So it was natural that she would follow in one of their professions. She wanted to be a surgeon, and save lives. Cooking just came as an added bonus. She figured she couldn't be happier, until she fell in love. First, with a man who tore out her heart and spat on it. He later left to search for his fortune. Then she fell in love with the Sea.

She was sighed on board for a local crew. Life was looking up after that, until the attack. The Syren crew stormed their ship, leaving next to no survivors. Unfortunately for April, being female, a surgeon and a cook got her dragged on the the Syren and forced to serve.

Strengths/weaknesses: She's a terrific cook, and brilliant surgeon. Unfortunately she's a horrible swimmer and is easily manipulated and taken advantage of.

Other:

Sure thing!

Name: Celestria Wolfe *Most people call her Tria or Lestria or sometimes Wolfe*

Gender: F

Age: 19 almost 20
Position on ship: Cartographer/ helps train the new pirates in sword fighting

Personality: Sweet sassy with a quick sarcastic humor that can keep anyone in stitches, gentle, but if you cross her wrong she will give you a tongue lashing.

Brief history: She was a 'proper' young lady according to her parents. In truth she was secretly dressing up as a man and working because she hated the fact that she was forced to be dependent on men and having an arranged marriage the day before her wedding she packed every thing that could fetch a price and traded the pretty dresses and arranged marriage for life on the sea and she has been in love ever since.

Strengths/weaknesses: Strengths: Is one of the finest swords women you will ever meet, she is very good at making people laugh, she is very good at helping, and is a very good friend. Weaknesses: She is easily distracted, she is quick tempered, and if you hit her behind her right knee for some reason she drops and is practically paralyzed.

Other: Up for love and has a black and white cat she named Captain Boots.

May join...reserve a spot just in case

Name: Elijah Derso

Gender: Male

Age: 17

Position on ship: Navigator, helps in Cartography

Personality: Elijah was more of the shy kid, lingering on the fringes of conversation, always a wisp of a presence showing only the side of his face and saying only barely legible murmurs. He doesn't tend to avoid people, just not interact with them as much. He generally just is there, and leaves it up to the other person to view it as awkward or comfortable. He detests selfishness and false charity, and strives to be free of manipulation. He fights it with a defiant silence, sort of testing people; do they subscribe him to a label or do they try to get to know him first?

Brief history: Elijah was born to a wealthy family of struggling actors, and until the age of thirteen grew accustomed to a life of dramatic poverty . His low status prevented him from making much friends as the aristocratic children wouldn't talk to him, and the other children thought he....preferred men to women, due to his ancestral background.

One day he came home (the cellar of the local pub where his parents performed) in tears and his mother felt piteous enough to spend her earnings on a map, so Elijah could plan where he wanted to go when he grew up. Spurred on by a desire to escape the cruelty of his surrounding, he grew attached to the map, and eventually took to spending what meager money he could salvage on maps and charts. Charts particularly fascinated him, and soon the Sea became a home away from home for him.

When he was fifteen some other boys tricked him into bringing a dead rat to the daughter of the local Baron, (they had told him that it was a religious custom of the Baron, to devour a dead rat on the first day of April) and enraged the Baron quickly evicted his family from the town. His mother quickly took ill, and had to hang up her acting career. Elijah's father couldn't support them on his own, so was forced to give Elijah away to a respectable sailing company.

Working at first as a cabin boy, it wasn't long until his talent at navigation earned his quite a reputation, and he was able to support his family. Then, a day before they were bound to port once more, his ship was shipwrecked upon a lonesome isle in the middle of the ocean.

Elijah was luckily picked up by the pirate crew of the boat the Syren, and once he showed his skill at Navigation he was offered the position aboard. He has been with the crew for almost a year now.

Strengths: Excellent Navigation skills, knowledge of many old sea folk tales, acting abilities (he's a very proficient liar when he needs to be)

Weaknesses: Lingers on the edges of conversation, is an easy target for bullying, rarely uses most of his skills

Other: He has an old book of sea shanties and legends known as "Aquarius Fantasia Encyclopedia which provides details on a number of old legends.

Up for love: If you can get through to him (heterosexual)

Sorry, I can't do this. My life is just too busy right now

Well, it seems as though everyone wants characters on just one ship, so we'll go with that...

Gosh, I really want to join this but i'm already in two other SBs. *tries to decide whether or not she should hold a spot* Well, I might be able to.

I'll hold a spot, just in case...

Name:
Sam/Victoria

Gender:
M/F

Age:
18

Position on ship:
Cabin Boy

Personality:
Victoria/Sam is abnormally unsocial. She hates being pointed out for good or bad and doesn't forget any injustice done to her. Yeah, she probably shouldn't have gotten on a pirate ship. To those that do mistreat her, she'll be curt, sometimes even carrying out revenge. She's cold because of the recent tragedy and slow to trust.

Brief history:
Victoria has gotten on this ship as a last option. Her father found enemies in high places. Her immediate family has been executed by said enemy. She only got away because she had been at a party that evening. She's decided to completely change her identity, so the chances of her being found were lessened. Now she goes by Sam.
Victoria was raised by her wealthy father who had turned to drink and gambling after her mother's death. Her eldest brother ran away from home as soon as he could, and she hasn't seen him in six years. Her youngest brother was killed with her father.
She joined the Syren crew during their last stop at a harbor. She's not sure how she was allowed on board.
She has no planned past for Sam.

Strengths/weaknesses:
She has little physcial ability and no loyalty to the crew. She trusts no one and is prone to nerves. She's smart but freezes up in any high pressure situation whether people are focusing on her or she needs to come up with a plan fast. She gets sea-sick but has done a pretty good job of hiding it.
She's desperate, so she's willing to do anything if it's going to help her. She also listens very carefully and because she is quiet she finds things out, usually by accident.

Other: She's planning on leaving the next time the ship docks.
She doesn't speak at all to hide her identity.
Up for love if you can find out her true identity.

Name: Leyla (called 'lay' when people are lazy/drunk) Gerard

Gender: Female

Age: 18

Position on ship: Deckhand.

Personality: She will beat the crap out of you if you treat he different 'cause she's a girl. She's a huge fan of the 'girls ca do anything boys can to but better' slogan. She likes to fight and drink Rum. She's social and physical( I.e- she'll clap you on the back)

Brief history: Her parents never liked her since they needed a boy to take care of the farm. She basically became a boy- fighting, farming, training horses. She trained to become a farmer but decided she loved the sea too much and became a pirate. She's been on the ship since she was 15 and hasn't increased in rank one bit- something that she doesn't really care about.

Strengths: Physical strengths, can have fun (isn't always serious), knows her place.

Weaknesses: Emotionally weak, slow and sluggish, likes to get drunk!

Other: Is NOT up for love (is secretly bi)

(I'm surprised no one has done Jack Sparrow)

MilkNCookies, if you want to be first mate, you need to submit your profile to me...the role is by audition. Thanks!

Oops- sorry! PM coming your way.