Once the New World was discovered, many modest sailors were press ganged into servitude for the crown. Low wages, long days while being forced to sleep on the hardwood floor of the rocking ship was a “privilege” for those lucky enough to be 'volunteered'. Rixa was just one of 300 crew members aboard the Golden Crown captained by no other then the young Lord Dane Farkington. The ships orders were to seek and destroy the enemies of the crown and to eliminate any pirates that dare cross their path.
It wasn't long into their voyage that a small brig with a black flag was spotted on the horizon. The Golden Crown immediately gave chase - no ship that small could outrun the Queen's vessel. In just a short period of time, the Golden Crown was nearly upon the pirate scourge. As they neared the small ship, one of the officers noticed something amiss - the brig wasn't fleeing with a full sail, but slowly meandered through the choppy waters. Surely they would have noticed a galleon as magnificent as this heading straight for them?
Cannons loaded and muskets ready, the grapple orders where given. This would be an easy victory for the Queen. The galleon was just 3 ship lengths away from the brig when the Golden Crown came to an abrupt halt. Everybody on board toppled over as if the rug was pulled from underneath them. Boards creaked as the ship started to list to the starboard side. Confusion spread throughout the crew as the officers realized their fatal error - their precious galleon had run aground in shallow water. How unlucky were they that this sandbar appeared just short of their prize?
“SAILS! SAILS!” yelled a man from the stern. Captain Farkington rushed to the back of the boat to see his worst nightmare. Multiple ships dawning the black were closing in. It was just then he realized, this was all a trap and he took the bait.
The pirates made quick work of boarding the Golden Crown in numbers. There was no fighting as it would be better to beg for mercy than to fight with these odds. Lord Farkington and the Royal Officers were rounded up and placed in the brig while all the crew members remained on deck under the point of a blunderbuss awaiting their fate. The officers could be ransomed for a fair bit of gold, but a sailor's life wasn't even worth a barrel of rum and they all knew it.
After the pirates looted everything from the crippled vessel, the leader of the pirate fleet stepped forward. An imposing figure, with a large beard and fiery eyes. They called him Cap’n Black Roberts. He spoke with a stern voice: “If you seek freedom, step forward and embrace the black".
Rixa was one of many that stepped forward that day. After many years on the high seas she was finally asked why she never returned home, she responded simply “I prefer dangerous freedom over peaceful slavery.”
Ok so that last part is from Thomas Jefferson, but I loved it so much I wanted to add it in somewhere
ttps://society6.com/bobkehl/s?q=new+prints .
#artist #arte #artwork #arts #dnd #artistsoninstagram #digitalart #creative #drawing #love #fantasy #fantasyart #gallery #illustration #imagination #instaart #instagood #oc #painting #paint #dnd #sketchbook #wip
gummygunk
germansingergirl
origamiaround
prguitarman
dededos
janainaart