The Legend of Captain Adrian Redd and his Pirates

Adrian Redd wasn't always the hot-tempered ginger captain he is today. He used to be a hot-tempered ginger cabin boy, with a heart full of fire and a head full of cotton. A reckless youth, Adrian was a scoundrel through and through. He picked pockets, cleaned fish, and kept watch. He was quick witted, quick footed, and skinny. Despite all this, he fancied himself a right fierce sailor at a young age.

But such childish delusions are quickly torn away by reality. A fierce storm knocked him overboard, and he nearly drowned. Fate must have favored the lad though, for instead of death he found himself washed ashore on an island, far from civilization.

He awoke, sore all over and coughing up seaweed, but he was alive. When he tried standing up though, he promptly collapsed in pain. His leg had been broken. Screaming in pain and frustration, Adrian sat himself up and took stock of his situation. Trees, mountain, water, wild pigs. The sun was setting. He didn't want to get caught outside when it got dark. Gritting his teeth, he crawled over to a tree. He propped himself against it. Luckily there were some branches underneath that had been broken off either by winds or something else.

Adrian hefted a large stick and used it to take the weight off his leg. Then he started inland....


Adrian awoke to the sound of birds, a sound he had grown to love and appreciate much more these last few weeks. Birds meant sunlight, and sunlight meant safety. He hopped up and hobbled to the cave entrance. Peering out, he saw the smoking remains of his adversaries. The sun had done her work.

He cracked open the makeshift door and wandered out into the sunlight, a crude axe held ready. He looked left and right, then out into the woods, peering at the shadows. Then he remembered, and looked up.

Too late! The spider was upon him. The vile creature bowled him over, and his arms found themselves outnumbered. The flailing limbs gained up on his right side, and knocked the axe from his hand. Adrian scrambled away from the dangerous fangs, and rolled back through the door. He turned to close the door, but the spider was fast, and had wedged it's legs into the opening, snapping it's jaws at him, hissing and spitting.

Adrian, not to be bested, roared defiantly at the creature. He brought himself up to his feet, leaning against his good leg. Then, he muscled his way right up to the creature's face, enduring the thrashing legs. Then he pulled his fist back, and full out MAN PUNCHED that blasted spider in the face. The spider fell dead, a bloody mass where it's head used to be.

Grunting against the effort, Adrian dragged the hairy carcass outside, and threw it on a blackened pile of corpses that he'd been collecting. He then walked over to a nearby tree. Taking a small knife from his pocket, he scratched another hash mark on the smooth bark. 52. 52 kills since he had landed on that island.

He then went back to the house and grabbed his axe. It was broken. Adrian sighed, and threw the remains into the fire. It looked like another long day of punching trees again....


Adrian looked over his work. It looked seaworthy, but looks were often deceiving. He ran his calloused hands over the wood, checking the seems, packing down the "spider glue" with his fingers that he used to waterproof the raft. He checked his knots, his cloth, and his oars and supplies. All looked ready. He scratched his face, which was slowly being invaded by rough orange bristles.

He had grown some muscles over the last few weeks. Or was it months? He lost count pretty early on. There were enough wild boars to feed a small army on the island. Lucky him. He laughed, and looked at the scar on his arm from his first attempt at boar hunting. Now THAT was a funny story he hoped to tell someone some day. If he remembered how to talk. And if he ever found someone to talk to again.

Adrian grunted, looked up at the setting sun, and turned back to his house. He limped to the door, and shut it behind him. Hobbling over to his desk, he lit a candle, and opened his journal. Taking up a feather, he cut a tip for himself. He dipped it in crude ink, and began to write his last entry....


Adrian wrestled with the rigging, trying to muscle the craft through the unruly winds. While he had been a sailor, it wasn't for very long, and he was only a new recruit at the time. Now he struggled to remember what he had learned back then, and what he recalled wasn't helping much. Worse yet, the clouds coming in from the west weren't looking that friendly.

He roared at the clouds, a habit he had taken up on the island. He had found that yelling helped him feel better. He was getting pretty good at it. Of course, the clouds were not intimidated, and continued to move steadily towards him.

Huffing and puffing, he finally got the sail back in line with the wind. His craft pushed forward, and he was swept up and over the waves, trying to outrun the storm.

Then he saw something in the distance. He squinted, trying to make it out. It was moving with the wind. As he drew closer, he could make out the white form of sails. It was a ship.

Adrian roared in delight. Then he growled in frustration as thunder rumbled over the waves. The storm was getting close! He grabbed his oar, and quickly began to paddle himself as hard as he could towards the ship. The winds picked up, and his sail strained on the rickety poles he had lashed it to. He could see the ship clearly now. He took his oar out of the water and swung it over his head, screaming as loud as he could, trying to shout over the roaring winds and thunder.

The ship turned. Adrian let out a whoop as he saw a white rag being waved on board, letting him know they saw him. Suddenly, there was a tearing sound as his sail was ripped from the raft. He watched it fly off, and looked to the ship. She had drawn her sails up, riding out the storm. His raft slowly made it's way forward as the waves pushed him along. Soon he was just yards away, and a rope with a heavy hook attached to it flew out from the ship. It snagged the raft, and Adrian began pulling himself toward the ship.

Clambering aboard, he fell onto his back, soaking wet and breathing heavily. Men stood over him. Huge, hairy men, wearing furs and wielding axes. These weren't sailors....


Adrian stood facing a large man, about 6 centimeters taller than him. He glared at the man, the captain of the ship that had saved him at sea. Once he was aboard, Adrian had been thrown unceremoniously into the brig, where he had been detained for days until the storm had ended and they had landed at a run down dock. Adrian now stood on that dock, held in place by two guards, breathing in the first fresh air he'd had in a while. It was distracting.

"Now, what's yer name laddy?" The gruff sea captain asked. The man wore furs and leather. His hair was unkempt, he had a couple teeth missing, and his nose had been broken in several places. The scars on his face boasted his brutality, the look in his eyes flaunted his stupidity. He was dangerous.

Adrian struggled with the words. Fortunately they came back easier than he expected. "I am Redd."

The captain laughed. "HA! That you are! Yer hair's as red as blood! Caked blood, you haven't had a bath in years I 'magine! But then, neither has half me crew!" His men guffawed at this, not realizing that the joke had been at their expense.

Adrian just glared back. "Why was I put in the brig?"

The captain just snarled. "Yer a man from the kingdom! Yer a lily livered scum sucker with cotton for brains! I be recognizin' yer kind no matter how dirty ye are. Ye be a loyal to ye filthy king Tairvo. I know this."

Adrian furrowed his brow. He knew of King Tairvo, he was a tyrant of the eastern kingdoms. He had never been that far east. He must have been blown off course... or his island had been further east than he thought. Either way, he was on alien soil, and he was an outsider. He crossed his arms, wondering how to get himself back home. But the dirty sea captain interrupted his thoughts.

"Oy! Ye scurvy kingdom brat! I'll be needin' what's in yer head! Where's the trading lines? I have business with good Tairvo's trading ships." He cackled evily, or as evily as his high pitched voice would allow. Adrian ground his teeth together. This man was getting really annoying.

The captain drew his blade, and prodded Adrian's gut. "Ye'll be telling me NOW scum! Or I'll clean you out like a fresh fish!"

Now that was unnecessary. Adrian really didn't like being threatened. He'd had enough of that on the island. He grunted, then shifted his wrists. The men on either side of him screamed in pain as their loins were crushed in Redd's hands. Suddenly free, Adrian smacked the sword aside, the captain too shocked to react fast enough. Then, before the other sailors could react, Adrian brought his fist back and slammed it into the captains ugly face.

If the man's nose was broken before, it was destroyed now. Adrian stood over him, leaning on his good leg. He looked up, and glared into the stunned faces of the man's crew. Then, he took a deep breath, and roared. He let out a bellow that shook the entire dock. His terrible roar was so great, and the look on his face so fierce, that he appeared to them like a massive red bear. Then, just as loud, he shouted. "Drop! Your! Swords!"

And that was how one Adrian Redd made an entire ship surrender with only his bare hands....


Adrian thumped down the gangplank to the docks, favoring his good leg. He ran his fingers through his freshly washed hair, sighing as guards immediatly swarmed him. It was good to be home. At spearpoint, he raised his hands and waited patiently for the captain of the guard. When he appeared, he was several inches shorter than Adrian expected.

"What is your business mooring a pirate ship at our docks! I'll have your head pirate!" The little man shouted through his tiny lungs. It would have been comical, if the captains men hadn't been pointing weapons at him. "Arrest him!"

"That won't be necessary captain." Adrian rumbled. "I am no pirate. However, you'll find a large number of pirates chained in the brig downstairs, along with their recently deceased captain." Adrian thought the little speach rather good, considering he hadn't spoken more than three words to anyone in over a year.

The captain spun to face him. "Ha! I'll be believing THAT when I see it!"

"Then go see for yourself then. I am no pirate, just the man that has delivered you your next promotion." The captain eyed him suspiciously, mulling over Adrian's words. Then he walked past, taking two guards with him, onto the ship and down below. Adrian decided not to wait around. He started to leave.

"Stop!" The last of the guards stood in Adrian's way, brandishing his spear. Adrian growled at the weapon. Then, he closed a fist around the handle and yanked the spear out of the man's hands. The guard's eyes were wide as saucers as Adrian broke the spear over his knee like a twig. Adrian handed the broken weapon back to the guard, and walked off. It was time to start living again...


Home. The thought of it made him all warm and fuzzy inside. He'd been away for over a year, and his old stomping grounds looked just as good as ever. That is to say, it looked quite dreary, with the rains and the stench. But it was home nonetheless. He limped down the streets, trying to find a familiar bar or something. He wondered if anyone would recognize him.

Ah, perfect, The Blue Dolphin. The name was probably the nicest thing about the place. It was a dive, sure, but he knew some of the sailors that frequented it. He used to be a regular himself. He opened the door and walked inside. Smell hadn't changed. Funny what you remember about places.

Adrian limped up to the bar, aware that everyone inside was staring at him. This wasn't a place for new people, especially non-sailors. Adrian didn't look like much of a sailor, with his fur bracers and leather vest. He looked more like a hermit or vagabond than anything else. He hoped to change that soon.

"Bryan, bring me ale. I've had a very, very long trip." He sat down heavily at the bar stool, and waited for the barman to serve his drink. Bryan the barman was a thin man with no chin and fingers too long for his hands. He stared at the big hairy man sitting at his bar. "Here now, I don't believe we've met. How is it you know my name stranger?"

“Bryan, if you squint much harder you’ll pinch your eyeball. Don’t you recognize me?”

The thin barman drummed his long fingers on the bar, staring at Adrian’s face. Then, his eyes widened. “By the stars, Adrian Redd!” The room rumbled with deep throated sounds of recognition from the other sailors. “Why, you’re huge! You were just a skinny little lad when I saw you last! Where have you been?”

“If I knew I’d tell ye Bryan.” Adrian grumbled.

“Once I got past the beard I knew it was you! Your eyes gave it away. And your nose is still as big as ever! Hee hee hee hee!” Bryan laughed that quick little laugh he had. Adrian used to think it was annoying. Now he was just glad to hear it again.

“Adrian!” A thick man from the back corner of the bar stood up on his chair, staring at Redd. Or at least, Adrian thought he was staring. It was hard to tell with all that hair in the way. The man jostled his way through the bar, spilling more than a few drinks to the annoyance of the other patrons. When he got closer Adrian recognized him.

“Maxx! Good to see you mate!” Adrian stood and clapped the man on the shoulders. The blow sent Maxx staggering back a couple steps.

“Whoa now there Adrian! You’ve gotten stronger! What you been doing that swelled your arms up like that!?” Maxx’s voice was nearly as loud as Adrian’s, but it was slightly muffled by the huge mass of straw colored hair that covered his entire head. He had so much hair, one wondered how he could see, much less breath, through it all, but Maxx managed somehow.

“Oh, you know, punching trees, killing pirates, that sort of thing.” Adrian sat down, and Maxx took the stool next to him. Bryan, grinning so wide Adrian thought the rest of his teeth would fall out of his chinless head, brought them both big heeping pints of ale. Adrian grabbed his and took a huge gulp. The bitter drink was like honey to his parched throat.

“Here now Adrian! That’s not a proper way to drink!” He stood on his barstool, and addressed the entire bar. “A toast! Adrian Redd, a good friend and a rotten sailor, has returned! Three cheers for him, and a round of drinks to all of ye lousy louts!” The men in the room cheered loudly, more for the drink than for the man, but Maxx seemed satisfied with the response. Adrian grinned in spite of himself, and took another deep drink.

“Well Adrian, get on answering our questions.” Bryan said. Maxx thumped back down on his stool. “Where have you been mate?”

“Aye!” Maxx agreed loudly. He always shouted when he was drunk. “When you were swept overboard during that storm I thought I’d seen the last of you! How did you survive!?”

So, Adrian related the entire tale. It took a couple hours, and Adrian had to be reminded of some of the more interesting details by mugs of ale, but pretty soon the entire bar was listening in rapt attention. They laughed as he told them about his poor seamenship on his makeshift raft, and growled in disbelief when he told them of capturing the pirate vessel. They especially liked his tales about boar hunting, and were impressed by his tree punching prowess, which they asked him to demonstrate on one of the barstools. Bryan wasn’t very happy with the results of THAT, but forgave him because the story was so grand.

When he finished, the entire bar clapped and cheered, laughing and making comments on how unbelievable it was. Maxx just sat and laughed in wonder. “Why, you were just a scrawny little runt when you left! Whoda’thunk that in just a year you’d be lookin’ like this!” He laughed and laughed. Adrian grinned, pleased that his story had impressed his friend.

“For a story like that, I’d give you my ale for free!” Bryan said. “But you already broke a barstool, so I’ll have to make you pay for some of it.”

“Don’t worry about it Bryan.” Adrian said. He fished in his pockets and took out some coins he had gotten from the pirate ship. Handing them to Bryan, he got up. “Well, I best be off. Do any of the inns have vacancies Bryan?”

“My own inn’s got some rooms left in it Adrian.” Maxx said. “You can bunk there if you need to. Not the best food there, but the cost is cheap.”

“After eating wild pigs for a year, anything is a feast.” Adrian said. Together the two hairy men lurched out of the bar, waving their farewells to Bryan and the rest of the drunken sailors, and headed off into the night. Adrian and Maxx both woke up the entire neighborhood, singing loudly and horribly as they made their way to the inn, and on to new adventures….


“Privateers!?” Maxx balked. “You signed us up to be PRIVATEERS!?”

“It’s a bloody contract that we can actually do.” Adrian replied. “We’ve been out of work for weeks. We’re running out of cash. We need to take a job, and privateering was the only viable option. Unless you want to take a job as a swab on a fishing boat….”

“Ugh! Fine, I suppose it’s better than nothing! By the stars, can’t a man make an honest gild anymore….” Maxx grumbled under his breath.

Adrian shrugged and left the room. Privateering wasn’t his top pick either. After living on that terrible island for so long, he was hoping for an easy voyage for his first time back on the open ocean. But pirates had gotten out of hand on the trade routes, and the less merchant ships there were, the fewer jobs were available for honest workers. However, with the increase in piracy came an increase in privateering, which made good business for the more reckless and less scrupled segment of the work force.... (unfinished chapter)

wow these are always great. good job!

omg i just realized something. I posted first w00t

Seriously! This is quality work. I would actually buy this if it were a book Do you have any interest in writing books? If you do, let me know when and I will go and buy them!

WOW! Did you save this? Or did you retype it?

It's the only thing I saved. Wish I had saved all the other things too.... oh well.

So Adrian has no soul? lol jk

its pretty detailed, you must of put alot of effort planning this out

Its great to see this back on the forums

Most privateers turn to pirating

Sevyn wrote:Most privateers turn to pirating

I thought it was the other way around?

This story is amazing its exactly what i needed on a monday thanks a bunch Adrian

Lolness, I'm a redhead too! No unnecessary insults!!! (jk)

This is a great story, and you obviously put time into it to make the words fit. ( I am NEVER able to do that). Keep going!

If someone tells you dont tell a soul, Can you tell a ginger?

ballnazor wrote:If someone tells you dont tell a soul, Can you tell a ginger?

i Believe so