Friday was again, an extra special holiday for me. The Me Booty! contest was a great success and I had a blast with all the entries coming in. Thanks so much for participating! I can’t wait until next year… am I going to have to design another pirate game?
I’m going to make this quick and simple as the majority of you won’t care. In fact, only about five of you care, and that’s the five winners. Apparently I have a thing for photoshop.
And the last was a well crafted story posted right here at cheveedodd.com
My introduction with Captain Blagg was the closest I’ve come to death.
I was a merchant’s apprentice aboard the Queen’s Triumph. We were 2 days out of St. Kates. Heading back to the dingy, stinking shores of home. The cold gaze of lurking danger always hanging just over our shoulders.
Under our feet lay a belly full of gold, holding back the mighty Triumph like Samson chained to his rock.
There was no warning of attack.
When the first cannon hit It downed the main mast, and sent my accounting work sprawling from my small table to the filthy wood planks below.
I stumbled up the short, steep stairway to the main deck and witnessed raw, naked madness. Harried men ran towards every compass point, mustering what few defensive measures the Triumph carried.
Master Wiggsby, who must have been pouring over maps with the captain when the attack began, stood in shock. He pointed over my shoulder and peered with eyes looking straight into hell.
I turned. I saw the black ship. And will never unsee it.
Easily as big as the Triumph, if not bigger.
Grey, smoke-stained sails billowing in the wind.
Vicious, gleaming blades.
Oiled, well-kept muskets loaded and aimed towards our scrambling crew.
Our main mast destroyed, the ship already floundering…the Black Vessel was upon us, tearing into fresh meat, a lion devouring a lamb.
A musket ball whizzed past my ear and I took immediate cover behind a thick coil of rope while Death made introductions all around me.
Severed arms. Blasted legs. I saw poor Master Wiggsby hoisted in the air on the blade of a sword. While off in the distance, the captain and his men led one last ditch effort to repel the invaders.
I cowered and averted my eyes.
When I looked up again, the battle was already over.
A pack of six grinning demons held swords to my throat, while others went through the pockets of the corpses who had once been my shipmates.
Was I the only survivor?
When they dragged me into Captain Blagg’s court, Eggbert the ship’s cook was already there begging for his life. After hearing the pitiful cries for mercy, Blagg had the poor man cast into the ocean to make his last pleas to the hungry eels.
Then it was my turn.
At first he asked no questions. Only a stoney stare with an expressionless mouth and fathomless eyes.
I was being judged.
One of the evil men brought my personal locker to the Captain and with one hand he casually sifted through all I had ever owned in this world.
A flicker of interest flashed across his face as he brought up my copy of Settlers of Catan.
“Do ye play games, boy?” he hissed through his teeth.
Still hearing the poor cook’s faint screaming from the sea below I answered, without a thought, in the affirmative.
“Do ye swear to be a pirate for the rest of ye days, upon pain of unending death?” he hissed again.
Such relief I felt when his mouth finally broke into a lopsided grin.
“Clear a table, boys! Someone deal out the hexes! And don’t none of ye be clumping the clay together like last time. Yewl be trading yer sheep through a whole in yer neck, yew will!”
And so I became somewhat of an amusement. But a living amusement. And eventually I was able to teach them more games, like Carcassone and even Kingdom Builder. Unitl finally I was able to make a daring escape. But that is another tale…
Congratulations John, Bryan, Tom, Scott, and Zeke! You’ve won Me Booty! I’ll need some shipping addresses to get your games out. Thanks for the laughs!
Is there an email we can send info too?
Sure thing. Click the email link on the top right!v 🙂