Human Pirates

Characteristics: Int 0, Per 0, Pre 0, Com 0, Str +2, Sta 0, Dex +2, Qik +1

Size: 0

Age: 25 (25)

Confidence Score: 2 (2) Virtues and Flaws: Outlaw

Personality Traits: Pirate (Cruel) +2,

Debauched +1

Combat:

Axe: Init +2, Attack +12, Defense +7, Damage +8

or

Axe: Init +2, Attack +10, Defense +5,

Damage +8

Bow: Init 0, Attack +8*, Defense +3*, Damage +8

* +1 shipboard

Soak: +2 (heavy clothing)

Fatigue Levels: OK, 0, –1, –3, –5,

Unconscious

Wound Penalties: –1 (1–5), –3 (6–10), –5 (11–50), Incapacitated (16–20),

Dead (21+)

Abilities: Area Lore: Sark 2 (places of vice), Athletics 2 (while pillaging), Awareness 2 (ships), Brawl 4 (other pirates), Carouse 2 (drunken sin), Craft or Profession 4 (varies), French 5 (pirate slang), Single Weapon 5 (axe) or Single Weapon 3 (axe) and Bow 3 (shipboard)., Swim 2 (sea)

Equipment: Worn clothes, weapons, alcohol

Encumbrance: 0

Appearance: Eustace's pirates are illgroomed, badly dressed, and often drunk. They live in fear of their lord and his demons, and take that out on the Sarcees.

ate men. The vast invasion fleet, led by Eustace, failed to defeat the English defenders. It was scattered by a miraculous hurricane, produced by Saint Bartholomew. Eustace retreated to his base in Sark.

Roll: 12+

Result: For a year Eustace studied in Toledo, in a great cave beneath the Earth He communed daily with Satan, learning necromancy. A subsidiary Intelligence + Infernal Lore roll of 6 or more indicates that this is a very brief period to learn the Infernal arts, but that direct tuition form a powerful demon may have granted unusual powers.

Roll: 15+

Result: Eustace's future was foretold by the demon he communed with. He is blessed and cursed: he will terrify and battle kings, and can only truly die at sea.

If using a reanimated Eustace, or a substitute pirate king, only:

Roll: 9+*

Result: When King John died, and his barons invited the Prince of France to be their king, William the Marshall took charge of John's infant son, and guided the loyalists to a surprising series of victories. Prince Louis kept losing ground and followers. His wife, who has more spine than he does, arranged a fleet of mercenaries and siege weapons, giving them to Eustace the Monk to deliver. William the Marshall prepared to lead an inferior fleet against him, but he was persuaded to allow a younger and less essential man to take his place.

Roll: 12+*

Result: Phillip d'Aubingy, the new English admiral, was able to defeat Eu-

stace for a mixture of reasons. He was able to get the advantage of the wind over Eustace, and defeat him in many small engagements. He was aided by Stephen Crabbe, a diabolic rival of Eustace's, who could see through Eustace's illusions. Phillip used pots of ground lime to blind Eustace's men. When he captured Eustace, Phillip was offered a ransom of 10 000 marks (3 333 pounds) but instead struck off Eustace's head, and cut him into small pieces, dropping them every so often while he sailing to port. He sent Eustace's pike-skewered head on a tour of the country, ending in Canterbury.

Mortal criminals are one option for the basic follower in Eustace's fleet. For a more challenging scenario, replace these pirates with the Briny Dead, described later, or resurrect them as Briny Dead if the player characters kill them.

Some of the pirates who use the statistics below have made deals with demons to receive Minor Virtues. These add either +3 on one Ability provided it is used for sin, +2 Soak, or the ability to do a single minor, Infernal working. This is usually a spell-like effect of level 15 or less, and costs a level of Fatigue to activate. These workings cannot be used for virtuous purposes.