Hero of Three Worlds: TMC's Story

[themodelcitizen]

This story will track my journey across all three maps over 60 years, using the Trainer to bring items, crew, ships, etc over with me when I wrap things up in, for example, Asia by 1659 and start a new game in Europe in 1660.

I'll have 60 years to complete some of the sidequests, which means that I can take my time a bit, and try to avoid savescumming if I lose a crucial duel or ship battle and - heavens forbid - spend some time in a Spanish prison or on a deserted island.

Chapter 1: Man o' War

It is time to go now
Haul away, your anchor!
Haul away, your anchor!
It's our sailing time
Padstow Farewell, Nils Brown

January 2, 1640: Diu, Portuguese East India

"Alright lads, try to leave the tavern in one piece this time. Shore leave is exactly one week - anyone who's not on board by then will be left behind. Of course, by deserting this fair vessel, you forego any and all claims, by you and your heirs, in perpetuity, to whatever booty we bring back home!"

A loud roar went up on board the Revenge. I was newly elevated to captain and contemplated the effect this rousing speech was having on my new charges - this piracy thing was easy. So far, that is.

We had taken control of the ship somewhere around Madagascar. On its way around the Cape of Good Hope to the East Indies to pick up cargo, a storm had threatened to sink the sloop, and morale suffered. In truth, the crossing was fraught with terror and cruelty.

Soon, the men on board were divided into two factions - those loyal to the oppressive captain who had led them out of Europe, and those who resented his harsh treatment.

When the Portuguese skipper assaulted me in full view of the rest of the crew - for not swabbing the deck with sufficient gusto, of all things - I couldn't take it any more. To make things worse, he snatched at a family heirloom I wore around my neck as a pendant. I drew my sword, intent that one of us wouldn't make it to port - an ultimatum the captain was more than eager to oblige. Others who were sick of his treatment quickly came to blows with his lackeys nearby.

In the chaos, I found myself at the top of the mast duelling one of the captain's trusted lieutenants - a vile man, who had seemed to relish stamping his authority on the rest of us. Equally as cruel as his master, and confident that he could dispose of the mutiny on his behalf - like he no doubt had so many times in the past - he inched forward on the thin boom we found ourselves balancing on.

As we came to blows, a loud bang erupted. The captain, for all of his wisdom, had fired a cannon from the bridge, aiming over the heads of the fighting crew and nearly sending us all to Davy Jones's Locker. I began to topple from the mast and grabbed a hold of a nearby rope, using my momentum to swing towards the bridge - the angle worked out perfectly, and I took the chance to land a sweet drop kick on the captain, sending him to the deck with a loud thud.

As he came to with a sword at his throat, the old captain realized that he was defeated. I looked around and realized that those left on board were mostly on my side. We had won - the ship was ours, and along with it a new pirate code. Paramount was loyalty to the ship, the captain, and foremost to each other - if there came a time when certain factions in the crew wished to stay on shore, or even sail off in a spare ship to make their own fortune, I wouldn't stand in the way.

In the present, though, the ship was docking in Diu, the northwest outpost of Portugal's holdings in East India. Along with the rest of the buccaneers on board, I braced myself for a fight. Merchants at the port would surely be waiting for the deposed captain - the only problem being that he was last seen paddling away in a rowboat somewhere in the Indian Ocean with two of his lackeys.

As it was, there was no need for concern. The Governor seemed happy to have a visitor, and offered us a chance to escort one of his raiders to the nearby English East India Company town of Surratte to pick off a few stragglers. Mind you, he may have just wanted to rid his city of 20 unwashed, boisterous pirates - along with the local drunks we picked up from the nearby watering hole - but we were happy to have a Portuguese Letter of Marque on hand. At least from now on, our piracy would be under the colour of law. For the most part, that is.

The newly motivated crew were looking forward to their new adventure. Some of the men were English themselves, but that didn't stop them from asking when we would finally get the chance to board an EIC merchant ship and take whatever we could get. Their loyalty was no longer to the Crown - gold coins were king here in the Indies, and word back home was that there were lots to go around.