The Fate of the Lerean Spectre: Part One - and the Epic Pirate Pour by Beyeridge designs!

Arrrrh! feast ye unpatched eyes on this beauty!

1This is a huge 6.9 oz. Troy in 0.999 fine silver Masked Jolly Roger is made by Skully as an amazing Epic pour! So how many Pirates ye know wear a Mask?

1So this month I’m gonna enjoy my Stackitis Therapy with this latest add to the Poured Silver Treasure collection of The Bloody Raven. I tip me Tricorn hat to ye Skully, Well done!

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Now on to the Chronicles of The Bloody Raven!

The Fate of the HMS Lerean Specter

His fist struck the table among the empty cups on the table. "Service!"
"Hold yer horses!" The Wench leaned over the table filling the cups and tried to ignore the unwelcomed slaps upon her backside. She turned to glare at the perpetrators, "No more of that or yer be pulling this jug out yer ears!"
The two young Cadets leaned back in their chairs, and pointed at each other acting surprised by her allegation.
"And you'd better respect ye elders lads if ye know what's good for ya." There ye go luv, tell 'em!"

W

"The ship was commissioned to protect the interests of the King. Her command were granted free license to do what was needed to get the job done and I wonder even if the King or the Admiralty knew bout it. No stinkin treaty, no rules, no code of conduct. Sometimes we think only Officers that command this kind of ship border on madness as a qualification on top of an impeccable competency and operational record."

"Twas nine years ago aboard the Lerean Specter by fate been spared from death. I recalled years ago a sole Brigantine sailed up to the Specter. Thought her flag made her an ally it didn't stop the crew from having sport of this privateer vessel 'for hire.' Such ships hold little loyalty to ole George and needed to be fully reminded of it. I have seen how we raided this ship at dockside in the dead of night. How we beat the Captain in front of the crew, fouled their powder, and stole their guns, cargo, mail, and strong box. Then slashed their sails and rigging leaving their ship stranded at the Edo harbor waterfront in Japan. In my soul I felt such mischief may had gotten out of hand. And they we're left with no hope of leaving that land alive against the local savages."

"There was that one man that protested our fun, a young junior officer, so they beat him senseless. He didn't shut up and screamed about bringing a curse down upon our heads, a demon to destroy us in the end."

The Sunset Trader was the vessel's name. "No one need rememberin the name of a doomed ship. And it'd be a miracle to ever see her again. But we were wrong."

The name sent a chill down his back. "Weeks later in the South China seas that very same vessel appeared upon our aft that afternoon. An' jess before nightfall she came along side. We thought at first the sea and moon will play tricks with our eyes.
Beholdin her dark tattered sails and ghostly faces of the crew we left behind to perish."

W

"Crazy old man!" Laughed the brash burly sailor as he took another swig from his flagon of local brew then slammed the empty cup unto the table. His young shipmates that lined the table laughed along with him. The sailor with the fashionable pork chop sideburns shoved his mate in the shoulder, "You believe any of that rubbish?"
The old man clutched the drink in his right hand and took another measured drink and placed it softly in front of him. Then looked at the burly lad in his new starched uniform and the traditional navy blue stripe. They were young, confident, impressionable, but naive. He shook his head.

"I've worked aside many skilled and competent men unlike you new lads, experienced soldiers, veterans, and professionals. When the Specter sailed on a mission, she meant business. We were special, hand picked, and paid very well for our talents and we did our job well!"
He notices the Academy pin on some of their hats. "What ships you've served so far?

"Well The Abrame...so far." Said the lad with the spectacles.
The old man grinned,"A fine training vessel, I learned under Captain Steele in my time as a cadet you never saw a soft graduate wit 'im in charge." He took another measured drink. "But if ye seen what I seen you'll need ever fiber of will courage and confidence you can muster."

"Come now old man what else did you see?'

"From the Trader a voice said they'd be sending a fair maiden over to do business with Captain Meyer. And then we heard it."
Several lads replied in unison, "Heard what?"
"It sounded like a Raven, the bird of death." The old man hesitated to breathe deep. "Almost a cry of unfathomable pain. It was coming from up above into our sails then the screams from the men up in the crows nest their bodies fell to the deck!"

H

"There our Watchmen lay in a bloody heap on the deck their face and eyes frozen in terror of the horror that befell upon their souls. Then it or she landed a midships with a crash. A woman as black as the night, fiery hair and eyes, wielding those Japanese swords. She demanded something we took from the Trader that night. A package mail marked to be delivered to a home of a sword smith named Mintauru. With our lads laying dead on the deck she meant business but we wanted to avenge our mates but some saw to make sport of her."
"One lone woman with a sword?" Grinned the young mustached lad at the end of the table.
"I know you lads are thinking, but she was no ordinary woman but a demon from the pit of hell."
"Come on, you sayin one woman?"
"She eyes were deathly and the air bout us went just as cold"

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His chair creaked as he lent forward then slowly slid it back over the wood plank floor. Standing up on his good leg, the other ended as a stump and wooden leg. First he pulled down his neck kerchief revealing a weeping old scar but yet to fully heal. "And it still hurt all these years with a burning feeling!" The Doc can't do anything for me. And when that blade cut flesh you will hear cry of a thousand black birds swarming about to pick your bones dry, your body becomes cold even in the warm evenings of the south seas!."
"I've had nightmares since, looking back as it's hardly worth suffering all these years of pain. A high price for my own sins. Should you lads ever see this demon woman, pray for a quick death for they be the lucky ones. Imagine what kind of horrible demon is hidden under that mask."

1, My own photos/pictures H. Image from Horatio Hornblower by CS Forester TV series 1998-2003W Wiki CommonsR Clip art vectors from 123RF C. Free clipart from Openclipart

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R

“Et lux in tenebris to serve laboro, sum sicarius” “I work in the shadows to serve the Light, I am an Assassin”