As I write this, I am filled with equal parts guilt, joy and grog. For on this day, me Helmsman and I acquired vast wealth, at the bargain price of merely our mortal souls.
Our voyage began, and they often do, at Plunder Outpost where we once again had set a course for rumored gold, hidden away to the North. Alas, again, fate intervened and we ended up far from where we should have been; Keel Haul Fort.
Recent stirrings of a hungering monster, and frenzied shark attacks no doubt replenished the undead ranks of that accursed place. Ever in the quest for adventure, we made our approach to the undead Fortress.
But alas, another sloop had beaten us to it!
Harsh words, and a few bullets were exchanged 'afore we realized these pirates be of the friendly sort. Of course, in the face of wealth we all be paranoid pirates.
But within moments, we'd reached an accord; We'd fight together, and split the spoils evenly.
And fight we did! Back to back, swords striking, pistols firing, true piratical camaraderie being found under the most intense peril!
Helmsman Chris guarded our sloop, providing much needed support with our guns, whilst I fought on shore with our newfound allies. It's not often a Captain gets a chance to display his sword mastery! 'Tis a law of the sea; Captains must go down with their ships, and so when I am with me crew, they often tie a length of rope to my waist and the main mast, lest I try and flee...
But alas, pirates we be... During a brief respite from the fighting, I wandered off. Not trusting our allies, and surely they not trusting us entirely either, I prepared a contingency plan. A gunpowder keg was found, among the many armaments left by the undead hordes we were facing.
I left it nearby their boat, parked opposite ours, in the event of their sudden, but inevitable betrayal.
And yet, in fighting the undead dastardly doolalies, it forged that unbreakable pirate brotherly bond between us all. They saved us, we saved them. We shared bananas!
At long last, the deadite undead pirate Captain was slain. But no betrayal came. We split the spoils, as we'd sworn on our honors to do, but I must admit now, being the more experienced Captain between our two crews; I swindled them good. Sure, they may have left with more chest, but we left with the most valuable of all the trinkets. I bamboozled the lot I tells ya!
Indeed, had this tale ended here, Chris and I would have emerged the true victors; Richer for no more work done, and no one needn't be harmed.
But a Pirates life is a harsh and unforgiving, and creatively cruel one.
Whilst I was loading and dividing our spoils, Chris had snuck away, to deploy the gunpowder keg I'd hidden earlier. To his credit; he merely left it nearby their hull, but didn't detonate it.
He did not reveal his scheme until after we had parted ways, and were already underway.
Our spyglasses were glued to our fellow pirates sloop, waiting, bracing for the inevitable explosion. To this day I can say honestly, I saw no explosion! There be no proof that our fiendish foul plot was the true cause of their demise; But sink they did!
A mere 2 shiplengths from the Fort, they perished. Wrought with guilt, we came about. The Captain in me proclaimed 'twas to save the survivors. The Pirate in me knew there'd be vast treasure floating in them waters.
Wasn't long before we arrived at their last location. Weren't no pirates about, only glinting gold shimmering on the sea's smooth surface.
Between guilty laughs and joyful cries we loaded it all aboard, and set a course for a nearer outpost.
Here this tale ends. Did our betrayal doom our compatriots? Did they perhaps merely strike a reef or rock? Did Davy Jones' himself claim their souls before our very eyes?
Perhaps we shall never know.
All we do know, is me and Chris ended up alone on Sanctuary Outpost, with over 10,000 pieces of coin, all ours.
In the end, isn't all that matters, our gold?
'Tis all we gain from our lives at sea. It pays us, and then it claims us.
At least, so I shall tell myself forevermore, until the last Judgment comes for me. Or until the grog vanquishes all memory of this tale.
But that be why I keep logs of my dastardly deeds!
Captain Tundra
