Dark Tides:Ship

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The Rover is a light and nimble 70 ton Jamaican sloop, able to navigate shallow waters and fast enough to outrun any Royal Navy vessel.

The Rover does not have cannons mounted to broadsides. It only has chase guns. Three four-pounder guns aft, and another two fore.

The Rover regularly sails from Port Tobacco to New Orleans with black market cargo, mostly tobacco, and then with sugar, rum and cotton back to Maryland.

Masts	Passengers	Minimum Crew	Cargo Spaces	Guns	Sea Worthy	Hull Points	Repair Bonus	Miles per Day	Combat Move
1	6	3	4	5	13	6	5	72	7

Positive Trait

Low Draft

The ship has been built with a hull and keel that allows it to sail into areas many would think too shallow. Ships with this trait gains a +1 TN to avoid running aground. In addition, the ship is able to sail up rivers, on lakes, and berth at shallow ports.

Negative Trait

Under Armed

Either on purpose or due to the shipwright’s negligence, the ship is unable to carry as many cannons as similar ships of this type is able too. As such the ship has half the guns it can carry. The ship is able to mount more, but it requires cargo space to be given up.

PC Crew (Shareholders)

Third Mate - Elisabeth Bellamy, Sea Witch

Description: A slim dark haired woman with large expressive dark eyes who tends to dress in black or earthen colors.

Role: A charmer who could be the *face* in business negotiations with any higher society types we deal with. She also has some sailing knowledge in addition to her spells.

NPC Crew

Sailing Master: Charlotte

Charlotte is her entire name, she has no family name to call her own. A bastard daughter of a widowed plantation owner and one of his house slaves. She would probably have been left for her mother to raise, but the woman died giving birth to her.

Charlotte’s father had his flaws, but he was not a completely heartless man. When Charlotte’s mother died, he took the baby girl to live in his house. She was not allowed to leave the plantation for she was a mark of shame on her father, but the estate was large so she did not feel confined as a child. Her father taught her letters, and introduced her to his hobby. He was interested in both astronomy and astrology, and had a private observatory on his plantation. He taught Charlotte the names of stars and constellations, explaining how to find her way by them. He also taught her how to craft a horoscope, divine information by studying the movements and relative positions of celestial objects, and how the Maya people far to the south had developed elaborate systems for predicting terrestrial events from celestial observations.

Charlotte also had free access to the plantation’s private library, but most books were related to her father’s interests. The stars. From various historical documents about the beliefs related to them through star charts to navigation manuals.

Charlotte grew into a young woman on the plantation, but then old age claimed her father. Her older half brother had never come to accept his half sister, and after the old man’s death, he threw her out of the house. Charlotte walked into Port Tobacco with just the clothes on her back, but with a valuable skill – what she had learned at the plantation had made her a passable navigator.

Charlotte is a young woman with dark curls hanging to her shoulders. Her complexion is fair enough that in the right circumstances or with make-up she could pass for a white person, but she does not like to pretend anything.

Sailor/ Lookout/ Sailing Master’s Mate: Madeline Harrison “Little Maddie”

A spitfire at the ripe old age of 17 “Little Maddie” clings to Charlotte’s side. While her background may preclude an honorable childhood, born as a bastard to a prostitute and British tax officer, she grew up in the slums of Jamaica. Yet she's also intelligent, tolerant and open, but they're in shorter supply, especially considering they're mixed with being negativistic as well. Her honor though, is what she's loved for.

Maddie has a share of darker sides to deal with too. Her arrogant nature, ‘born to royalty’, and negativity risk ruining pleasant moods and make things uncomfortable to say the least.

Skin: Light brown
Hair: Mid-length, curly, black
Eyes: Green, somewhat small
Height: Tall
Weight: Average weight
Build: Narrow

Quartermaster: Nixon Fletcher

Nixon Fletcher is adventurous and intelligent. A close friend to Captain Blackburn, he's also objective, ambitious and orderly. Yet those qualities are tainted by and mixed with habits of being extreme as well.

His adventurous nature is what he is known for. There are many times when the Captain relies on this and his sympathetic nature whenever the crew finds themselves in a tight spot.

Nixon has plenty of character faults too. His vindictive nature and impatience sour the mood many a time, much to the annoyance of others.

Skin: Fair, but tanned
Hair: Short, curly, graying platinum blond
Eyes: Dark brown, average-sized
Height: Tall
Weight: Quite thin
Build: Average

Bo’Sun: Clayborn Vertect

Few know the true Clayborn Vertect, but the two traits most people enjoy the most are that he's open and focused. Of course he's also independent, romantic and stable, but these are in a way balanced by being greedy as well. His openness though, is his forte’. The crew regularly count on this.

Nobody's perfect of course and Clayborn has plenty of less favorable traits too. His craziness and pedantic nature top the list. Whenever Mister Vertect shows up someone will make money and someone will lose it. “Clay” nearly always wins. The list of losers is a who’s who of powerful New Orleans personalities.

Skin: Lighter than most, nearly pale
Hair: Shoulder length, black
Eyes: Dark brown, small
Height: Tall
Weight: Fairly muscular
Build: Somewhat narrow

Bo’Sun’s Mate: Lester Stanley

Lester has always had a lot of responsibilities and expectations placed on them from a very young age. The fact that he is a mere 15 years old and already a Mate should prove that in droves. Unshakeable, Lester could be struck by a belaying pin and simply sit there entirely unbothered like "It’s a bit of a shot innit. Well that's not good eh?"

Very determined, he loves words and language and terms and is always peppering obscure vocabulary into sentences, trying to revive ancient outdated phrases. This quirk will cause more than a passerby to give him a cocked eyebrow.

Skin: Pale
Hair: Long, wavy, light brown
Eyes: Blue, average-sized
Height: Short (teen)
Weight: Average weight
Build: Broad

Carpenter: Crowther Swales

The Crow, called such mostly behind his back due to his shrill and tinny voice, hates enjoying things and does their best to ruin situations for themselves and others since Crowther believes that nobody deserves to be happy. Yet he is extremely careful and meticulous in everything he does. Captain Blackburn found him toiling away at a shipyard in Southern Maryland and stole him away in the dead of night. Especially fond of the drink, Swales will trade work for such.

Crowther is a tradesman first and a marksman second. The even, steady hand becomes even more so after a drink. Blackburn tends to put Swales on the musket first in any adverse situation.

Overall, he does not have a very good understanding of the situations of others and will often apply his personal standards to everyone else ("if I can do it, you can too"), leading him to sometimes come off as callous and uncaring to others, and often causing problems amongst the crew.

Skin: Pale
Hair: Long, tied in a ponytail, red
Eyes: Hazel, small
Height: A little tall
Weight: Very thin
Build: Very narrow

Carpenter’s Mate: Finn Kirby

Mostly withdrawn, Finn has taken to Crowther like a father figure. Maybe because of his father’s own carelessness for the child. Not much is know of the young man other than that he was found on the streets of New Orleans.

Finn is the youngest member of the crew at 14. Scarred across the face and missing a single finger on his right hand Young Kirby feels happiest when alone. A perfect match with Mister Swales, Finn shadows the Carpenter wherever he goes.

Skin: Pale
Hair: Mid-length, straight, dull blond
Eyes: Hazel, large
Height: Short (teen)
Weight: Average (teen)
Build: Average

Cook/ Surgeon: Sweet Dollie

Only known as Sweet Dollie, well, at the very least she's sociable and sweet. She's also dutiful, forgiving and considerate, but they're often slightly tainted by a mindset of being neglectful as well. Sweet Dollie has let the meat go rancid more than once an opportune occasion.

Her sociable nature though, this is what she's pretty much loved for. The crew frequently count on this caring nature in times of need.

Nobody's perfect of course and Dollie has plenty of less favorable characteristics too. Her anger isn’t exactly fun to experience and beyond what people are willing to deal with.

Fortunately her sweet nature usually softens the worst of it.

Skin: Pale
Hair: Mid-length, straight, graying auburn
Eyes: Green, small
Height: Short to average
Weight: A bit pudgy
Build: Average

Master Gunner: Isaiah Tanner

A whole lot can be said about Isaiah Tanner, but the fact he's disconcerting and insensitive is just the tip of the iceberg. That's without even stating he's also predatory, cruel and disturbing, but at least they only show in smaller doses and mixed with behaviors of being reflective as well.

But focus on him as this is what he's purposely avoided for. There's a great deal of pain left on all sides because of this and his neglectful nature, but that may just be the nature of the beast.

Fair is fair though, Mister Tanner has better sides too. He's independent and individualistic at the very least, there is still some hope yet.

Unfortunately his insensitivity often pops up fast enough to ruin the chances of something good.

Skin: Dark brown
Hair: Very short, dark brown
Eyes: Dark brown, average-sized
Height: Average
Weight: Average
Build: Broad

Sailor: Ellwood Morden

Good Mister Morden is a religious man. Deeply religious, to the point of quoting Scripture often, ‘Reverend’ as he is called is almost unnervingly calm and relaxed at all times. Trimming the sails in the dead of a storm, or cleaning below, the ‘devil’ does nothing to cause alarm to the man. ‘Reverend’ Morden has an uncanny ability to make those around him feel calm even in the eye of the storm. Ellwood is good at solving puzzles and connecting abstract ideas quickly in his mind most often connecting Bible verse to conversation.

Skin: Very dark brown
Hair: Shorn, black
Eyes: Bright blue, large
Height: Tall
Weight: Thin
Build: Thin

Sailor: Edwin Samuel

It takes a while to get to know Edwin Samuel, but the two traits most people enjoy the most are that he's curious and dutiful. Of course he's also rational, good-natured and stable, but they're often slightly tainted by a mindset of being difficult as well.

His curiosity though, this is what he's often admired for. Friends frequently count on this and his independence whenever they need help.

Edwin has plenty of less desired characteristics too. His morbid nature and perversions cause plenty of grievances on often personal levels.

Yet, his dutiful nature helps prevent most of these grievances.

Skin: Medium brown
Hair: Mid-length, curly, graying brown
Eyes: Dark brown, narrow
Height: Average
Weight: Average
Build: Narrow

Sailor: Mabry Allerton

She's amoral and agonizing that’s just the tip of the iceberg. To make matters worse she's also difficult, disorderly and obsessive, but in an odd way they're balanced by habits of being modest as well.

But focus on her as this is what she's often despised for. Multiple enemies have been made because of this and her insensitivity, but there's not much you can really do about it.

Fair is fair though, Mabry does give some redeeming qualities. She's responsive and idealistic among true friends, there is still some hope yet.

Skin: Light brown
Hair: Long, wavy, brown
Eyes: Blue, average-sized
Height: Taller than average
Weight: Fairly muscular
Build: Somewhat narrow

Sailor: Geoffroy Earle

Geoffroy often completely freezes when put in difficult situations and tends to get overwhelmed and not react at all, which he then usually regrets. He will always tell himself that next time he'll be bolder and more decisive, but usually yet again ends up freezing. Often found below decks, Mister Earle will be taking stock of the Rover’s goods only to immerse himself in lists, manifests, and inventories.

Mathematics is his strong suit and he likes to believe himself a scholar. The modern world and a fair rationalization within makes all things odd or supernatural less believable to him.

Skin: Very dark brown
Hair: Short, gray
Eyes: Brown, somewhat small
Height: Short
Weight: Quite heavy
Build: Somewhat broad

Sailor: Clifford Reed

Mister Reed is bold, often very blunt when speaking. A larger man, Clifford is the ‘weight’ of the ship. Immensely strong, he can be found doing the more difficult or dangerous jobs on the ship. Due to his size, he tends to come off as condescending to others. In truth, he does not know how to act within a tight group and becomes more abrasive in smaller circles.

As a permanent part of Blackburn’s Shore Party, Reed is very durable and adaptable, can make do in nearly any situation. An oarsman on the ‘Piper’, Clifford Reed is one of the most important men on the crew.

Skin: Very dark brown
Hair: Very short, shorn nearly
Eyes: Dark brown, small
Height: Average to tall
Weight: Very muscular
Build: Thick

Sailor: Penley Soames

Musically gifted, even a whistle from the man evokes a smile from the crew. Penley is truly lighthearted and easy-going, causing him to be much befriended among the crew. He always knows the exact right thing to say to console or comfort someone. A master of the fiddle and flute, Soames is always the first asked to join the crew in the evening, whether it is his watch or not.

Penley literally wants nothing more than to just live a normal average relaxing life. Collecting his pay, he wishes to return to farming life in North Carolina. Random things keep happening to him and he has witnessed the supernatural more than once. His interest piqued, he continues to sign on with the Captain for another voyage.

Skin: Light brown
Hair: Long ponytail, brown
Eyes: Green, small
Height: Taller than average
Weight: Thin
Build: Average