Le Bloodied Dagger

Just offshore from Tampa sails a burning ship, ghostly in appearance, looks to be a racebuilt Packet-Boat. The paint scheme of the hull makes her to be a French naval ship, but the burgendy red sails almost make her to be a pirate. As a salvage crew goes to intercept her before she runs into the port, the crew puts out the fires and brings her into Tampa, where strange looking Jamacian is waiting. The Jamacian decked in lavish merchant's clothing made even more so by the dark scarlet dye and gold leafing. The golden monocul and azure blue vest all contradicted by the large bone earplugs and nose ring, along with the two swords on his belt. In broken French "Dat ship be propahtee of da LaBranche Tradeing Companie," tossing a large silk purse of gold onto the deck, "And we thank ya kindly far bringing Le Bloodied Dagger home." And as the salvage crew begrudgeingly departed he ventured into the remains of the ship, turning around and going into the hold, after seeing the floor of the captain's cabin collapsed. "Where you be Mastah Henri?" he asked as he looked upon the bodies of the slain crew, "You been pressing Dutchmen ta work far ya? Dat not be like you." as he stepped up from the hold to the new floor of the Captain's chambers, he stumbled upon a body of the captain, "You no be Henri! Wacha doing in his caban!" whacking the body with a cane, and makeing it slump over, he took off his hat and bowed politely, "My appologies friend, I di na know you be one of Henri's underlings." useing his cane to move the young officer's body into a more restfull position. He glared at the chest she was laying on, "Now, you be all the trouble then?" he pulled out an orante pistol and blew off the lock, inside were charts of several islands and the coastline of South America, even the horn. "So dat be what you leaveing so suddnely far?" he glanced over at the young captain, "I 'taint no damn english!" spitting to the side, "Now hushup 'far I use ya bones ina gre'gre bag!" picking up a chart and stareing at it, "Now ediah Henri be fogetting which way be nord, or he be on da otha side oda world now." stareing again at the dead body, "Only thing I hate worse than dem Bredren be da British, now dont be worr'ing, I get des maps to Pointe-à-Pitre." setting the map down and picking up a logbook in Henri's hand. "Dis be what I and I be looking far." opening the rather slim log to the first page thats not missing.
'Personal Entry, November *water dammage*720. Ive sighted it! the Perfect Island! High clifts, a well protected cove that could hold an entire fleet of Firstrates, and a waterfall feeding the cove, fresh water, a dense forest of oak *water dammage for a few sentences*ostions for a fort and gun batteries, flat pains on the clifftops for agriculture and homes, a spelended sight indeed, when I return from my sorie in the Pacific I shall claim this island for myself and France! I shall make it my own headquarters, a lovely estate overlooking the clifts and cove, perhaps near the waterfall, and several mills being powered by i*waterdamage* A place I can truely call home.'
'Ships log, Sighted Dutch smugglers, boarded and captured same, pressed crew and repaired ships at sea to use as runners for the fleet. Contiuneing to the horn for mission.'
Several pages seam to be missing between entries, easily explained by the next one.
'Personal log, *waterdammage*o damn cold! Useing peices of thosue damn Dutchman's ships for repairs and fuel, even had to use a few redundant log entries as starters. Plenty of food after that last trip to shore, Cookiee, my brother in law if Wei-Yao ever catches up to my brother Michelle, has found all sorts of ways to prepare pork from local sources, Im glad I snagged him for this trip. One good thing about this damn chill, the wine in the hold is finally at the right temperture.'
'Ships log*waterdammage is too bad to fully understand this page, but it mostly has to do with sighting and engageing British naval forces, loseing a figrate, and claiming another as a prizeship, and picking up a ships doctor* Personal Log *mild waterdamage*ot all Britians are so bad, this Doctor Sniles is quite a surgon, and a natrualist, found him clinging to specimin barrels and bottles that belonged to him, from what he said he drove his fomer captain mad with his pursuits. And I finally have the last memeber of my String Quartet! It is so good to see Royal Socitiey Members as him.'
Several pages are too badly dammaged to read, and a few fell apart as soon as the book was opened, the last page reads as follows.
'Ships Log, Engaged Earlier mentioned British Fleet, captured 3 man of wars, a gallion that was supplying them and another frigate, sank rest. Minor dammage to Captain Paquet's ship Le Resolve, overall Smashing victory! Undergoing repairs. Sending wounded and crew of dutch Suggler ships deamed to be unwilling conspiritors back to Florida with Le Bloodied Dagger. Moved Capitaine Dupree to command newly aquired vessels and issued a feild Promotion to Lt. Croix and command of Le Bloodied Dagger, with orders to return with supplies and futher orders.
'Personal Log, sent my 'Accountant' back with Mmle. Croix, shes been held up in my cabin since we left Fort de France, not healthy, and with all thouse near misses shes starting to behave like a shell shocked sailor. Ive made it clear shes to remove my personal logs and hand them over to my former Man servant Ikooba once she reaches Florida, then her debt will be repaid and shell be free to return to Holland, where all these Damned Dutch belong.
Yours in service of France
Rear Adm. Henri LaBranche.'
Ikooba grimmaced as he closed the book, "Ya think wid me being da head of da LaBranche Tradeing companie Id have learned how ta read by now..." at that moment a board busted and caused another leak in the hull, which cuased a gasp and a scream, he glanced over at a wine cabinet door that started to shake, "You dare! Come out or face consiquence!" A lovely young woman pushed open the door, soaking wet and peered out, speaking rapidly in Dutch. "Ah, so you be Henri's little white slave. Come on out now 'far the ship sink round you. Help me carry dis." she nodded and grabbed onto the chest, and started to follow Ikooba out of the now rapidly sinking packet-boat. Climbing onto the docks just as another timber gave way, makeing the Bloodied Dagger's decent into the deep draft of the harbor more swift. "Such a shame, I remeber Henri running alota blockades wid her." turning his head, "And you to me thinks, now I have need of an 'accountant', more so then Henri now." She started to voice an objection, "What was dat? Sounded ta me like ya wanted to be put on a ship ta Tortuga." "No-nothing s-sir." she said in her best French. "Good, I be needing someone ta do papah work far me in da offices."
She sighed heavily, felling the weight of the strange man's words, she figured at the very least shed be over her seasickness on land, and like Henri, this man sounded like he purely ment paperwork when he said accountant.
((Hey all, I may have stopped playing altogether but this has been floating around in my head for the past month, hope the games being good to you and that I may someday return to it. Think of this as a reason for my disaperance. ))