.:Pirate!AU Mini Bios:.

[Antonio Fernandez Carriedo]

.:Pirate!Spain's Bio:.

Appearance
Physical features: Antonio (age 26-27) has a head of shoulder length messy curls that he keeps tied in a ponytail with a ribbon. He also has a lot of fresh scars on his back and chest from his encounters with other pirates at sea, some of which are visible when his white shirt is unbuttoned at the top, exposing some of his chest. His right ear is pierced... though it usually just has a small golden band on it because the Spaniard likes to flaunt his booty~.

Accessories: He's usually seen with an long red coat decorated with gold ornaments that he keeps open to reveal his white shirt and ever-present cross. This ensemble of his also comes with a matching hat with a fluffy feather hanging down from it, though he doesn't always wear it. He keeps a sword at his belt, but also has his trusty ax tucked away in his quarters for special circumstances or to flaunt his power.

Things Worth Mentioning

• Antonio is a pretty laid back, borderline bored captain when the trail for gold is cold or when the seas are calm and rival free. When there's gold in sight though, he embodies the passion that he proclaims never stops, and will go to far lengths to obtain it for the prestige it brings. When his rivals are on the horizons, he will be anticipating the exchange of volleys eagerly, becoming cocky.
  
• He is still an agreeable man, but when angered he can become quite twisted, ruthless and unmerciful depending on how badly he's enraged... or just what mood he's in.
  
• He likes to tease & to dance around the edges of one's patience with him, so a smirk is more often seen reflected on his lips & cockiness in his gaze than a genuine smile would be. Depending on the circumstance or individual, he may try to use flirtatious teasing or cocky teasing to his advantage, knowing that such tactics may either be off-putting or frustrating especially to male rival pirates and naval officers. He doesn't like being predicable or having his true intentions known, so throwing people off like this has become a sort of much enjoyed game to him.
  
• He doesn't mind doing favors because he expects to be done favors in return. He lives a life of bargaining like this you see, and owing him favors is a commonplace occurrence as a result... not that anyone likes owing him these favors, seeing as he's known for being unpredictable.
  
• Backstory: Antonio was taken into custody by his infamous father to be indoctrinated into pirating as soon as he was deemed old enough to undergo training. His mother had underestimated the man's abilities to keep tabs on his possessions (i.e. her, other treasured nightly companions and any offspring they produced that seemed likely to be his), and when informants in town alerted the dangerous pirate of a son's existence and his age-appropriateness for taking up the sword some few years later, he'd arranged for both woman and child to be recovered for him under the cover of night. The years that followed entailed undergoing uncompromising training in the form of raid participation and traitor execution and the shaping of values to better reflect the pirate way, but also entailed being forced into not interfering with his mother's torment/beatings at the hands of his father. One day it went too far though and she never regained consciousness, which prompted both a strong dislike for violence against women and a deep loathing within Toni in regards to his father. He let the latter fester until he'd learned all he could from the man, then ended his life in a ruthless display of dominance. 
• Antonio has actually renounced his father's surname, and only really brings attention to his relation to the man when he wants his enemies to know just who they're dealing with: the son of notorious Captain Fernandez. He goes by his mother's surname instead now that he's rid of the man, making him Captain Carriedo, even though he's sure she would not have approved of him slandering her family name with a pirate's reputation either. It was more about wanting to be distinguished from the man his father was and not giving the tyrant the satisfaction of having his family name tied to Antonio's accomplishments that spurred the change. 
• His crew is made up mostly of men who served under his father and thus are only sticking around for the treasure and because the alternative to accepting Antonio as their new captain was to walk the plank, so they aren't very loyal or to be trusted. Only a handful actually have his back, mostly because they were also against his father's treatment of him and his mother and believe his taking action against the tyrant was warranted. 
  
• Despite having ended the tyrant's reign over him, Antonio still felt too far changed from the indoctrination and the killing of his father to be able to go back to an innocent life in port. The bounty on his head has probably gotten quite steep since his debut too, & he's fairly sure any attempt at turning over a new leaf would just end up with him being turned in & met with the gallows at this point... so best to just evade capture and lay low. 
• He has a thing for blondes. 
  
• He tends to use the pseudonym Angelo Cortés when in port.
  

Status
Antonio is the captain of his own ship, "Spanish Fire" or "el Incendio Español". An impressive vessel that flies a black flag sporting a black/charred skull and crossbones inside a sun burning with glorious purpose, it is a force to be reckoned with. 

Relationships
This Spaniard is a man of few genuine relationships. He doesn't usually stay in port long enough for a frivolous fancy to turn into something more, nor does he invest his time there making friends either. That being said, most of his ties (regardless of their nature) are to fellow men of sea. 

Francis: Antonio's newly acquired crew-mate & current lust interest // future first mate & love interest. He saw the other's swordsmanship as an asset he just had to have, and is thus quite pleased with himself on getting him aboard. It may be that having the blond as part of his crew will help keep his impulsiveness in check to a certain degree, once the two become both more acquainted and confidants of sorts.  
Ludwig: One of the bane's of Antonio's existence. Sometimes he wishes the law could just leave him alone... but then again, where'd be the fun in that? Messing with commanding officers like Ludwig was something the Spaniard did best, after all. 
Marco: The resident cabin boy. Antonio has taken a liking to the lad mainly because it seems he lacks a sense of cruelty or a desire to harm others... which to the captain is as it should be with the young. Before he knew it, he became attached and determined to keep the pirate life from turning the boy cold and ruthless. As such, the Spaniard has become the younger's protector and makeshift guardian- as has Francis- & if anyone messes with this tentative familia he's found himself, be prepared to feel his wrath.
Lovino: The other boy he unofficially adopted took under his wing. Based solely on that he reminded him of Marco & seemed to have an angry fire to his gaze, he'd decided to spare him & offer him work instead of punishing him for trying to steal from him. He expects the boy to test his patience & the limits of the mercy granted to him, but for now he's the ship's cook. Hopefully, Francis & Marco will help him not piss Toni off too much. 

[Antonio Fernandez Carriedo]

.:Pirate!Canada's Bio:.

Appearance
Matthew (age 24) looks a little worn from his time at sea, having a few scars along his arms, more under his shirt and even more on his heart. He lost sight of his trusty animal friend at sea during a frigid island skirmish a year ago, so in hopes of returning to discover his fate someday, the Canadian has a bear's paw print tattooed over his heart. Since he's retired from working as a full time pirate since that incident, most days he wears common-folk clothing. Back when he was serving under pirates, Matthew would wear an outfit like that in the picture, since he was used to sailing on frigid waters.

Note: Kuma would look a lot bigger and more realistic than he does in the webcomic too, since he had to have been ferocious enough to intimidate and greatly aid Mattie in combat. 

Personality Quirks to Mention
-Matthew is a lot better at talking to strangers, though sometimes they're too busy to notice his attempts to be polite and engage in conversation with them—he understands though.
-He had the shakes pretty bad when he retired from a life at sea because of what he'd witnessed and gone through, especially during that last voyage, but he's slowly overcoming that little by little. He gets down on himself if his shakes come back every now and again and he drops something though—it makes him doubt he'll be able to set sail once more.
-He hopes to one day return to the sea and find out what became of his Kumajiro, and this makes him nervous and a little eager to set sail again someday, when he's good and ready to walk that path once more.

Status
Matthew has retired from serving as a cook (that was also trained in combat as a requirement) on pirate vessels, preferring to settle down as the owner of a popular hub for pirates and other travellers—the Siren's Treasure, a tavern located in a busy port and run by himself and his wife. He cooks and she waits on tables with some hired help, so they get to meet many exciting characters. He's hoping to get hired as a cook again on another pirate ship someday soon to search out his lost companion, but in the meantime, he's more than content with his lot in life at the tavern they run... it's a lot less violent—well, when brawls are few and far between, that is.

Relationships
Iris (NPC): Matthew's wife, whom he retired from his sea life to be with. He'd kept the memory of her kindness when he returned to sea after meeting her, visited her whenever their ship docked nearby, and when he returned to that port town beaten & battered & one polar bear less two years later, he'd just decided he'd had enough and that she was worth staying for. He settled down with her, bought what came to be known as The Siren's Treasure with his admittedly dishonest earnings, and in no time at all started transforming it into a bustling hub of a pub, with her help of course. Now they're focusing on making an honest living, and just in time too with a baby on the way, but... lately, she hasn't been feeling well. 
Francis: Matthew's older brother and fellow pirate-at-heart. The two used to sail the seas together on the same ship, though the other had always been better at sword-fighting than he was. Mattie worries about him sometimes since Francis is still at sea, but the two try to keep in touch when possible.
Ludwig & Gilbert: His wife's brothers. He knows of them, but she's kept him largely secret from them due to his pirate ties and them being Naval officers. She's written in letters that she's found herself a husband that treats her well, but that's about all she's alluded to. 

[Ludwig Beilschmidt]

.:Naval Officer!Germany's Bio:.

Appearance
Physical Features:
Physically, Ludwig appears to be a sturdy man and he has the strength, spirit, and mind to match such a look. He is generally found in the standard uniform of the navy, but is not opposed to taking on a civilian’s garb when the time calls for such. Ludwig also prefers to keep his hair slicked back and tied to keep it out of his face since it's about somewhat long (as is the fashion of the time). Due to the sea air, on the rare occasion that he lets it down, it's got a bit of a wave to it. He has a tattoo of a black bird, which can be seen as either a falcon or an eagle, on his left shoulder blade. In its right talons, it is holding a compass (due to sailor superstition about finding one’s way back home) and it left talons, it is clutching a pistol to represent Ludwig’s role as a Master Gunner as well as his proficiency in weaponry—specifically firearms. It should be noted that not many people have seen this tattoo and he keeps it covered as best he can considering his status as a naval officer. It can be debated as to whether or not his siblings even know about it. Apart from the tattoo, he does have several miscellaneous scars on his body from confrontations with hostile forces—mostly pirates.
Effects:
Flintlock pistols (4), Blunderbuss, Pocket Pistol (2), dagger, standard naval sabre, signet ring, and an old pocket watch that also has a small compass in its top half. He carries more or less depending on the situation at hand. For example, going to port to collect ammunition for the cannons or to secure food doesn’t require him to be armed to the teeth, but patrolling a location may warrant be be properly armed and ready for surprises.

Notable Personality Quirks
✠  Anti-Pirate – Shares his brother’s dislike for pirates and the desire to eradicate them. No one is above the law, and it’s just time such ruffians were reminded of that fact. He is also rather wary of some of Gil’s crew—specifically those who are ex-pirates. (You never know when they might revert back to their old ways.)
✠  Well...That’s Harsh – He can occasionally be a bit insensitive and sometimes cold depending on the situation at hand though he doesn’t always necessarily mean to be. Then again, when one is surrounded by sea dogs and scoundrels, it’s hard not to fall into that rut where it’s hard to trust others and not doubt them at all. You never know when they’re going to stab you in the back—literally. Therefore, he tends to be blunt and has little tolerance for those that do wrong. He is, however, still rather merciful and forgiving at times, but don’t expect to get away with something and not suffer some sort of consequence.
✠  Skeptically Superstitious – Usually, Ludwig doesn’t bat an eye or give much thought to superstitions and the lore, but there are some things he just isn’t willing to test; especially if it could bring misfortune to the rest of the crew. (He also has no desire to see the Klabautermann on his brother’s ship. That would simply spell disaster for all.)
✠  Hello, Ladies – Though he is mildly awkward around most women (and tends to blush or stutter at first), he doesn’t mind their company from time to time.
✠  Combat – He is well versed in combat, as is expected of a naval officer, but his proficiency lies with his ability to use firearms be they small or large. Additionally, and despite being faced with opponents whose methods of fighting are all but fair, Ludwig tries to keep his combat clean. He is resourceful, yes, and he does what he can if he’s in a pickle, but the chances of him pulling a dirty trick like kicking someone in the groin is fairly low...usually... Unless you've pushed him past his limit.

Status
Following in the footsteps of his older brother, Ludwig joined the navy and was trained in their ways until he eventually found himself under his brother’s command. Though he did not receive a higher rank (such as a first mate or boatswain) on the Gil’s ship, Der Genial Drifter, Ludwig was perfectly content with his role of the Master Gunner, and he soon came to excel in his position. Despite his success on the high seas, he constantly worried for his younger half-sister, Lili, and often wrote to her whenever he found the time. In these letters, he would inform her of his travels, but also warn her of the dangers he faced and that she should look out for (namely pirates). In return, she informed him of her own goings-on and how things were back on land (though some things were undoubtedly left out). Though the two are not as close as they could be due to the circumstances, Ludwig would stop at nothing to protect her and ensure her safety.

Unfortunately, Ludwig was involved in a prison break while delivering a criminal to the cells for theft. The german was knocked unconscious, and captured by a group of pirates during a surprise attack and as a result, the man now serves as a prisoner on Captain Carriedo's ship, the Incendio Español. He would love nothing more than to take his captor down and escape back to his brother's ship. He's also begun to look a bit scruffy.

Relationships:
Gilbert: Brother and commanding officer. Though they have a fairly good relationship, some friction does exist. They tend to annoy one another more often than not.
Iris (NPC): Younger sister. Ludwig prefers to keep his relation to her a secret--for her sake. He wouldn't forgive himself if some rotten pirate got his hands on her and tried to use her as bargaining material. As such, they communicate using pseudonyms (Rose and Rolf) and treat one another as strangers in the eye of the public.He's not quite fond of the fact that she's seemed to have found a husband while he's been at sea..
Antonio: Despicable. Scoundrel. Someone that Ludwig absolutely detests due to their links to piracy--and especially since Ludwig's found himself caged in the hull of the Spaniard's ship...
Matthew: Lili's boyfriend/lover. Ludwig doesn't like him because of his piratical past and wishes Lili would find a suitor that was more...well, suitable.
Lovino: ---
Arthur: The man can be pleasant when he wants to, but he also seems to just like making Ludwig blush..and at times the gunner SWEARS that the merchant is making passes at him, but he isn't quite certain. (Please see Chapter 8 in The Slowest Woo of All: A Guide to Romancing Ludwigs for a step-by-step process of ensuring the German knows you are trying to woo him and aren't just being a weirdo.) Nevertheless, the two are friendly and have assisted one another on more than one occasion.
Nikolai: Fellow Crewmate. Has no idea where the hell he's gone off to right now.
Feliciano: Ludwig has practically made it his duty to find and put this man behind bars for all the crimes he's committed via piracy. Unfortunately, Feliciano has nothing to do with any of it, but Ludwig keeps mistaking him for Lovino anyway.
Francis: Antonio's first mate. He seems to be a bit more gentle with how he treats his prisonors, but that doesn't mean Ludwig likes him at all.

---

(As always, this is subject to updates and the like as more interactions take place/I can think of something)

[Francis Bonnefoy]

.:Pirate!France’s Bio:.

Appearance
Physical Features Francis is never one to tell how old he actually is. It may seem odd, but this pirate takes good care of his appearance, using a facial cream on his face to prevent the harsh salty sea air from damaging it. Yes, he’s a little vain, but that won’t stop him from getting down and dirty when he needs to. His long blond hair, when down, rests below his shoulders, but most of the time it is tied back in a tail in a red ribbon. The ribbon is one way he shows allegiance to his captain. He’s usually covered, since as a pirate for a while, he’s bound to have gained more than a few scares.

Accessories: Taking the liberty to show off how good of a ship he’s on, his main jacket he wears has some gold threading along the edges, making a nice design. He always carries sword on his left side, and when in towns where it would be improper to wear it, he always has a few hidden daggers on him. Never too careful after all, a life of a pirate is never safe. The ribbon he wears is usually worn when he has to meet with someone to impress or quickly tied back for fighting, but otherwise his hair is left hanging down on his shoulders.



Personality Quirks to Mention:
-Calming influence: He tries to keep the tempers on the ship calm, to be that influence to keep all the personalities from clashing. Though don’t get him wrong, you get him riled enough, you’ll see exactly what kind of person he is when angry. More than likely to have a sword point at your throat.
-Advice: Somehow this man became an expert on giving advice on anyone’s love life, especially if he knows you well. It’s usually pretty accurate. He’s always willing to help out. Though this is just his friends, those who are his enemy’s, he’ll work to make sure they get false information. After all, since when does a pirate give information enemies?
-Francis is a flirtatious man by nature, having charmed his way to many people’s lives, no matter how short a time it was. He’ll do this for many reasons along with as being a natural flirt. He’ll use it to gain information, for everyone knows a little flattery can go as far as money sometimes.
-Family: Francis is like the typical pirate sometimes. He loves hunting for fortune and adventure. Hurt him and he’ll hurt you back. Attack his family though, and you’ll wish to whatever you believe in that you hadn’t. He might look like he couldn’t do much, but he’s merciless with his weapon of choice when protecting what’s his.

Status
He’s currently a Pirate under Captain Fernandez Carriedo on the ship "Spanish Fire" or "Incendio Español". He was recruited by the man based on his skill with a sword, but he’s proven to be a great asset to the ship.

Relations
Matthew: Francis brother, he left him behind, in good company though. Matthew has a wife to be as far as Francis is concerned. They're all happy, but hopefully one day, when Matthew has tired of life on land, he'll return to the call of the sea and the two brothers can sail again.

Antonio: Hes currently in and... odd relationship with him. They're bedfellows for sure, but Francis is starting to feel something a bit more for him than just relief of stress at sea. Only time will tell what becomes of these two.

[Hamish Stuart]

.:Pirate!Scotland's Bio:.

Appearance
Physical features: Hamish's hair is often in a messy state as if he constantly runs his fingers through the red locks instead of brushing it. A lanky man at the age of twenty-seven he would look rather youthful if he the life at sea have gotten to him. The image shows how he looked only three years prior, currently he appears a lot more worn out. Despite his strength Hamish appears to be a walking skeleton at times making most believe he is rather defenseless and could easily be captured. Over his right eye is an eye patch that covers the empty socket. Feeling embarrassed over his missing eye it's almost impossible to get the eye patch off without pinning him to the floor. Not caring about looks anymore the locks of hair in the back reach to his waist due to having not been cut since the lose off his eye. To hide his figure often Hamish is covered with baggy clothes that make him look a little more bulky than he is.

Accessories: Earrings cover both of the man's ears and each have a story behind him making him refuse to sell them no matter how desperate he might become. Hidden around his coat are multiple pistols and at his side is a sword that he isn't afraid to use on anyone.



Personality Quirks to Mention
-Finding buying a house just a waste of money and the inability to sleep without the rocking of the ocean Hamish's home is a small boat often hidden under the docks or if needed rowed out to a cave during the nights.
-Unlike the usual pirate money isn't something he cares for causing him to donate his money to the tavern at random without ever giving his name or waiting for a thank you from either owner. All he needs is enough to eat in order to be happy.
-Will not join any ship for more than a job but never gives captains a reason that he wishes to continue as he is.
-Doesn't ever cut the hair in the back making it need to be tied up when he is out doing his job.
-If unable to find a job when he runs out of his small reply of money will offer to any job given for a meal.
-Panics around women and has issues trying to help them or even take orders from them.
-Lies about why he wears an eye patch, often tells people it's to help his other eye be used to the dark.

Status
Freeland, no longer being part of a ship Hamish is for higher by any ship that wants his services for a few days. Some might go to whoever offers the most but unless needing the money Hamish serves either who is closer or just whoever asked for his services first. If someone is his friend on a ship he will turn down any job that requires him to do harm to someone close to him. Sells his skills as being a well known marksmen but can do any job needed around the ship.

Background
Hamish once was the first mate of a ship and when away from the captain he was ambushed and taken captive. It was a common belief that he was the lover of his captain making their rival believe him to be a good target to be able to get the treasure they recently took from under their rival's nose. Little did they know Hamish was gay and his captain being a woman they two didn't share any interest for each other. After no response from his captain for days the crew decided to try to get her to react. Digging out Hamish's eye and sending it to her they expected to be attacked or have the woman give into their demands... Seeing the green eye she laughed and proclaimed the first mate as of no use anymore as his aim would be affected by this lose. Finding no use Hamish was finally dumped at a dock having to seek medical care for himself. Now an eye patch covers the scars around his eye caused by the men trying to dig it out and his trust for women along with a crew was lost.

Relationships
Lovino: The captain would be fine in Hamish's eyes if it weren't for the women that are always around the pirate. Ham holds no hate or love for the man and just sees him as a pirate just one that has too many women on his ship.

Mattie: He doesn't ever talk to the young man other than to order his usual whisky. When he has extra money on him it usually will be shoved into the man's pocket to aid him with the business.

[Mathias Kolher]

Name:Mathias

Age: 24

Allegiance/Occupation: Pirate working with the Navy/Navy living as a pirate. Either way you look at it, he's playing a dangerous game. Though he does report to someone, though he doesn't know the name of the ones he reports to.  He captains his own ship with a crew of four besides himself.

Appearance: Blond hair that always look like he just rolled out of bed, tall and always with a smile on his face. He is muscular type of body, but not overly so. He's not a body builder, but learning how to wield an axe with deadly precision will[/span] build muscles... along with leaving scares from mishandling.

Personality Changes/Quirks: Not much different from normal, jut more willing to let his violent side out/more prone to violent thoughts and action, though usually when called for instead of being a more peaceful person.

Back story and Current Status: When Mathias was but a young boy, his home village was raided by pirates. Supplies were taken and people were killed, namely his parents. Devastated, the young boy was taken into a home with other orphans and met four others. As they grew up, they all grew thick as thieves, and just as like minded. They stole to survive, and when Mathias was around twelve, he tarted learning how to use an axe. It took many years to be an expert with it, but he practiced nonstop until he reached his goal.Eventually, he made his way to the navy, telling his story of what happened, hoping they'd take some pity on him and let him work out his vengeance through them It took years of convincing, but finally, they give him a ship and an opportunity to go find the person responsible. Of course, mot of the stuff he took from pirates, he gave back to the crown, along with information on the pirates he encountered. He doesn't even know if his crew knows exactly what hes up too.

Relationships: Unnamed pirate: There is one pirate who Mathias would love to sink his axe into and take his revenge. Once he finds the man, they better hope to the Davy Jones that Mathias takes pity or never finds them.

(more will be added)

[Arthur Kirkland]

Name: Arthur Kirkland
Age: 23
Allegiance/Occupation: Pirate captain of the Scarlet Fury, as well as the captain of his own merchant vessel, the HMS Albion, while heading a small collection of businesses while at port.
Appearance: Although it’s difficult to keep to a certain standard of orderliness while at sea, Arthur makes every effort to be so, just as he conducts himself while at port. While engaging in piracy, he does what he can to obscure his identity, to keep who he is out at sea as far from the separate identity he holds in ‘proper society’ as he can. A few distinguishing features carry over, such as his messy fair hair and thick brows. While in his gentlemanly, law abiding role, he tends to comb and style his hair as neatly as possible to keep with his public image. And while out at sea, he uses other implementations to obscure who he is, such as his love of hats and richly hued cloths tied about his temple to hide his brows. There’s also the use of an eye patch to further separate between these two identities.
Physical Features: From his past pirating ventures, he does harbour a few scars, though many would be hard-pressed to find these marks, unless they’ve been intimate with him and paying close attention to such details. While pirating, he has also a penchant for wearing the colour red, mainly while proudly donning his ornate coat. And his love for soft, pliable leather is also noted, from his boats to his gloves.
Effects: While engaged in his pirate identity, Arthur carries a double edged spadroon, a lightweight sword, that rarely leaves his hip whenever they’re about to go on raids. He always keeps a dagger on him, usually hidden and sheathed somewhere beneath his coat. He also keeps his flintlock pistol within reach for those moments when it’s absolutely necessary.

Personality Changes/Quirks: The most important quality worth mentioning is the dichotomy of his two professions. He’s a gentlemen in society, but he’s a pirate beneath the silken image of a law abiding businessman. This dual nature of the two sides to his life have come to complement each other in recent years the more he adapts. He’s highly tactical as a pirate, appropriately charismatic when he needs to be, ruthless when the occasion calls, and knows when to strategically retreat from a situation or proposition. This calculating nature also carries over into his respectable identity in society. Arthur knows how to conduct business in an effective manner and how to exhibit leadership qualities, whether it's among colleagues or a rambunctious crew.

As Arthur's naturally an exceptionally guarded man, with both his secrets and his emotions, he tends to be ironically softer when he’s drunk. Alcohol strips some of those barriers away. While drinking can also make him impulsive and occasionally violent with certain rivals, he’s also more apt to share glimpses of the softer man beneath the harsh duality of his identities. Unfortunately, Arthur has a penchant for becoming entangled with the worst individuals to be entangled with while drunk, whether intimately or otherwise. It never ends well. Never.

When placed in ‘respectable’ society; however, Arthur has the capability of being very charming when he needs to be in social situations, but is always withdrawn in such a way where he rarely volunteers any real information about himself. Most business partners, socialites, and other members of high society likely just think him a recluse and as a result, the rumours abound, most of them amusing stories for his oddities outside of business and the occasional philanthropy. So far, it's worked for his cover quite well.

Backstory and Current Status: Not much is known about Arthur Kirkland. He rose from the gutter of society out of seemingly nowhere, with no fortune and no family to his name. He started off from rather humble roots, as an indiscretion to society, a child who had no right to any form of wealth or upstanding reputation. He was truly a nobody, another face in the crowd of poverty. The years between then and now are a blank for anyone aside from Arthur. He holds his secrets close, especially anything that reveals how he got to where he is today. For those who know him currently, particularly those within civilised society, only know him as the mysterious, eligible young bachelor who appeared as if from thin air, a businessman with all the charm and suave of any other individual who had been molded under the privileges of proper education and indoctrination into respectability. And for the purpose of hiding his criminal nature, Arthur makes it a point to attend social gatherings, arrange business meetings, wear his carefully crafted civilised mask, and make his efforts known as a generous philanthropist for various causes.

For all intents and purposes, he comes off as a rather private individual. At least, that’s the image he’d like to impart. He holds his secrets close, secrets that could very well destroy everything that he’s built. Arthur started pirating early in his youth, in his early teens, and he quickly rose in prominence with his iron-willed determination and natural leadership skills with just the right amount of ruthlessness. It was only through this seed money that he was able to invest in businesses in port, a valuable effort to hide his illegal activities and to protect his own identity while inserting himself carefully into society. Arthur remained ambitious, no matter how for he’d grown from the gutter. What started as a simple merchandising business blossomed into a small empire of prosperous industries at port. All of which only better serves to hide him in plain sight.

The targets of the Scarlet Fury range from other merchant ships to government vessels, to fellow pirates after they’ve completed raids, to relieve them of their heavy burdens. Arthur has his favourites as far as targets go. Some are out of fulfilling the entertaining obligations of personal vendettas against certain individuals he’d crossed in the world of sordid business. Other times, it's because they've managed to snare his interest. Both of which Arthur may dryly comment that he finds them worthy of his energy and attention, much to the other party's misfortune.

Relationships:

• Ludwig: -Is currently in the process of studying and taking notes on the very fascinating text of "The Slowest Woo of All: A Guide to Romancing Ludwigs."- He's a naval officer that Arthur has had quite a few incidental run-ins from both of his identities. Ludwig's a point of interest from Arthur's respectable member of society role, and has even aided him on a few occasions. They're currently friendly, though Arthur makes it a point to toy with him quite often, dropping hints of interest and witnessing his varied reactions with amusement.
• Francis: TBP
• Mihai / Irina: A young prospect he picked up while raiding a merchant vessel. Unfortunately for the crew, who attempted to strike back at the pirates in the middle of a raid while feigning compliance, the ship was destroyed and she became the sole survivor, a stowaway running away from a murder she'd committed not to far from port. With time, Arthur pieced together who she really was after her refusal to get off on the next port and hearing from local gossip and authorities while docking at the next port. Eventually, Mihai decided to stay with Arthur's crew, learning the ropes from their current navigator before eventually taking over. There exists a mutual respect between the two, though he's been known to be rather protective of him. Mihai is one of the few who became accidentally aware of his dual nature while reinserted herself into high society as Irina.

((more to be added as plotted))

[Mihai Roșu]

"Who says that murder's not an art? And who in case she
doesn't hang, can say she started with a bang?"

Name: Mihai / Irina Lupescu
Gender: Genderfluid (trans)
Age: 23
Allegiance/Occupation: Much of his income comes from piracy, as he works on the ship Scarlet Fury as a navigator. He doesn't actually have much skill for this job, and seems to succeed purely by luck. Such a large amount of money is difficult to hide, however, especially on top of covering her tracks as a murderer, but paying off the right people and telling the right lies has earned her a spot in high society as the widow of a wealthy foreigner. Purportedly, she'd inherited his plantations overseas and manages them.

Appearance: Irina has cleaned up greatly from the time she murdered her ex-husband and escaped, and being able to come back to port regularly and rejoin wealthy society means she must keep meticulous care of her looks. She keeps her hair long, but ties it up while he's working on the ship, and for the most part tries to avoid doing physical labor in order to keep his hands clean and his skin free from scars. The meticulousness that is required is rather annoying, since he has no qualms about fighting, but any noticeable mark on his body (even roughened hands or sun-darkened skin) might cast suspicion on him. Certainly, he looks well-kept for a pirate.

She is much more free to dress as she pleases on board the ship, so she doesn't stick just to trousers. Whenever she feels the mood for it, she dresses in skirts, particularly if it looks like it'll be a quieter day. Her freedom to do this is much less back on land, and she often finds herself restricted corsets and petticoats, which he loathes if he's in the mood for "typical" menswear. If there's anything all those layers are good for though, it's for hiding weapons, not that she expects to need them in high society. Still, there's a bit of a thrill in knowing she can get away with it.

Effects: Mihai is a fencer. It's an elegant sport, and requires much less roughing up, so his weapon of choice is a sabre which he carries sheathed to his hip. He has various knives hidden across his person, just in case, but for the most part he'd rather keep his combat at more of a distance.

Personality Changes/Quirks:

SPOILER: Click to show

• Calculating: She needs to walk a careful tightrope between her double lives, so she never wants to overplay her hand. After her first blunder, she is meticulously observant of others, carefully picking out which vices of theirs to use to her advantage.
• Vain: Oh boy, is she. It's to be expected, since she was born with a silver spoon, but even after her downfall she just can't resist returning to the world of luxury, even though that sort of visibility is dangerous for her. Still, she loves having all the comforts that money can buy, and she pampers herself with the best of what she can afford.
• Sheltered: Despite everything, she's still a little sheltered. She's been mostly spared the consequences of her actions through her wealth and through pure luck, so she hasn't yet quite realized that being too careless or too ostentatious can land her in trouble.
• Keep things small: Irina is very wary about hiring too many people, despite her riches, since it makes the secret all the easier to slip out. Aside from some staff to do the cleaning, gardening, and looking after the horses, she takes care of most things herself, including cooking and cleaning her own quarters.
• Seeking simplicity?: At the same time that he enjoys high living, he also feels uncomfortably restricted by it. The norms are annoying, and the strict gender binary is as well. The ship has become a good place for him to relax and distance himself from all of that, and not have to worry about appearances or guests, for the most part.
• Freedom: Having grown up in a restrictive household and then marriage, Mihai is very protective of his freedom, both when he's on land and at sea. He never intends to marry again, if he can avoid it, and avoids close emotional entanglements with others. This makes him come off as rather solitary, and it's somewhat true, even if he has a guarded affection for his shipmates.

Backstory and Current Status:

SPOILER: Click to show

Marica Roşu was trapped in an unhappy marriage. A girl born into high society, it had soon become clear that her parents--particularly her father--considered her only good for marriage. She was lucky, in that she was given a good education for the sake of her future husband, and when she got older, her mother reluctantly agreed to let her take on fencing classes and horseback riding as well. Still, the suitor they found for her had many years on her, and was much more demanding about her performance than even her parents. She was to be feminine, through and through. Dresses, lace, and petticoats. Embroidery and baking. Once she married, her fingers were not allowed to so much as brush the hilt of a sword or the mane of a horse.

She endured it for a long while. The boredom. Her husband's demands. But he was old, unattractive, and stupid. Who could blame her for tiring of it? She started sleeping with other men and women. Younger ones. More handsome. People who could make her laugh. The indiscretions lasted for awhile, but it wasn't forever. One day, her husband returned home early from a business trip, and found her in bed with another man. Enraged, he grabbed the gun from their bureau and shot the unfortunate miscreant, then dragged her out of bed, promising to do the same thing to her. Before he could accomplish that, however, she managed to grab a decorative sword from the wall and impale him through the neck. She got lucky. She left that night with bruises and a split lip rather than a gunshot wound.

Still, she had enough sense about her to know that her case would never receive a fair trial, so instead of sticking around, she ran. She cut off her long hair, and burned the strands along with her blood-stained dress in the fireplace. She gathered up some of her husband's clothes and money, sheathed the sword that saved her life, and disappeared into the night.

He did all right on himself for the first month, but ran into trouble on his second. He'd been trying to get out of the country, hitching rides under a false name until he reached the sea, all the while hoping that the authorities were far behind him. They never caught up with him, and "Mihai" successfully paid off a merchant ship to grant him voyage. But one day, not one week into sailing, the ship ran afoul of pirates. The vessel sank, and he was one of the few survivors lucky enough to be brought onto the pirate ship--the Scarlet Fury. He refused to get off at the next port when the offer came (much too close to home), which probably puzzled his captors. Nevertheless, he wasn't forced off, though he should have anticipated that his refusal would prompt some digging. Somehow--he wasn't sure how--Arthur managed to piece the puzzle together, identifying her as Marica. Having had his belongings seized, no way of earning income, and his false identity disrupted, Mihai agreed--not without apprehension--to stay aboard the ship. As a pirate.

It wasn't as bad as it could have been. Arthur seemed to have a healthy respect for his crew, and he docked every so often at the same port, and the Scarlet Fury would stay there for awhile. This allowed Mihai to spend whatever earnings he made, and he soon gave into the temptation of pursuing a place in high society again. She gave herself a new identity, Irina Lupescu, and started building up her estate as soon as she was able. It wasn't too long before she drew attention, and she utilized her charms and looks to keep people in awe of her. This life was much better than the one she'd lived in her hometown. Freedom was hers, and she could do whatever she fancied with it.

Relationships:

• Arthur Kirkland: The captain of the ship that picked Mihai up. He's still not quite sure what to think of Arthur, and even though they get along well enough, he's just a little bit wary of the other man since he doesn't reveal much about his private life. Otherwise, he finds Arthur perfectly well behaved and Arthur's even a little protective over him, which he finds rather sweet.

[Roderich Edelstein]

Name: (Viceroy) Baron Roderich Edelstein

Age: 25

Occupation: The Law. That’s his allegiance, and hopefully occupation. But actually his title, besides Baron, appointed Viceroy (of the island much of the rp takes on) if he actually gets there in one piece.

A viceroy, in this case, is completely identical to the station of Governor/Governor-General, both were used for appointed officials overseeing colonies and, until said colony was stable enough to produce a working elected local government, they had quite a bit of free reign, depending on the empire and the era. 

Appearance:

Physical Features: A scrawny man of 175 centimeters, Roderich nevertheless cuts an impressive figure nearly solely by dress. Very much a nobleman, but also cognizant of not appearing gaudy or gauche, Roderich wears clothes befitting his station. Richly embroidered justaucorps, lace cravats, and matching breeches are his usual attire, though he's aware that wearing such things in a tropical climate isn't wise. For less formal occasions, he goes towards more practical options (see picture above).

Effects: 

• A heavy silver locket with his family's crest on it.
• He's carrying two swords, one on his person, a pappenheimer rapier, and the other, a basket-hilted backsword (or walloon sword).

Personality Changes/Quirks:

Baron Roderich Edelstein is a more arrogant man, less overwhelmed by his station, for now. Judgmental, entitled, and ambitious, he's also quite set on stamping out piracy in his region - whether by force or by any other measures he deems appropriate. He has his insecurities but they are much less pronounced, as he has (he thinks) more to be confident about. He heads to the island motivated, and is less focused on his hobbies and more on his duties.

Roderich's a proficient swordsman in this verse and in better condition due to it being necessary for him to take some care of himself. He's in no way built or very strong, but is quick on his feet.  However he’s no military man and despite being trained as a swordsman, his experience in actual combat is nil.

His fear of the ocean is quite pronounced – he’s had little contact with it and so finds aquatic life terrifying, the climate bothersome, and is extremely sea sick.

He’s quite intent on settling down. He’s of prime marriageable age and despite the difficulties his appointment would bring in finding a suitable wife of adequate rank, he’s determined to find a lady he can build a family with. He also has no experience in romance whatsoever and thus can be led around quite easily.


Backstory and Current Status:

The second son born to a baron and his wife, who came from a lesser-ranked noble family, Roderich had his life’s course charted for him. He’d study all that a needed, and was expected to join the military while his elder brother would retain all the titles and look over the lands. In a strange twist, it was Roderich who showed a shrewd aptitude for keeping order (and absolutely none for the rigidness of military life) while his brother marched off to the battlefields.

He proved his worth early on by personally mediating a dispute in his lands that could have led to upheaval. Roderich's father was so pleased that he spoke of it in court, bragging about how intelligent his son was. As Roderich grew older, and began looking into Law more and more, his father would slip him assignments and duties that were more befitting a child that would inherit his father's lands and holdings. 

The knowledge that there was a sensible, capable young baron-to-be must have held on in court, because Roderich appeared on a list of suitable candidates for Viceroy of a certain island with waters overrun by pirates. Due to the Navy focusing on that area and a lack of central control in the area, a new viceroy, one less likely to overlook wrong doing on the island, was needed. His lack of experience was a strike against him but eventually the position of Viceroy was given to Roderich. Initially, he was honored to be given such a responsibility. That was before the actual state of the island got through to him - lawlessness, vulgar, he'd have to deal with pirates and other such people! But by then Roderich had already agreed and decided to make the best of this new position, after all, he does have the military's help, right?

Currently he's on his way on a merchant ship, since a naval ship would have been risky due to the announcement that there would be a new viceroy. A way to prevent any unpleasantness from happening on the sea, or so Roderich hopes.

Relationships:

Brothers - Roderich has two brothers, an elder brother whose inheritance was passed down to him, currently in the military, and a younger one, who should be shipped off to learn how to be a member of the clergy.

Johann - His younger brother was born only ten years ago, and so Roderich grew up being more of another caretaker to the youngest of his family. While often exasperated with him, he's quite protective of him and didn't feel completely right abandoning him to go to his position while Johann was shipped to school to prepare for a life in the clergy. 

The Beilschmidt Family - Roderich is a second cousin of the Beilschmidt brothers and interacted with them during his childhood. Of course owing to their unlanded noble status, he treated them as one would (politely) treat his social inferiors, and still does to this day, despite privately thinking that they've done amazingly well for themselves. He's not so sure about working with them, however... Sometimes family makes things awkward.

Ludwig - His favorite of the brothers due to the man's dependable and serious nature, Roderich's actually looking forward to seeing him in his time at the island. Mostly because he's sure he's the one face he'll know (and be pleased to see).

Gilbert - TBA

[Gilbert Beilschmidt]

Name: Gilbert Beilschmidt

Age: 23

Allegiance/Occupation: Navy: Captain of HMS Fähigkeit.

Appearance: Standing at just short of six feet tall, he is still an intimidating man when he wants to. He built his muscles with hard work, and he’s not afraid to get down and dirty with the rest of his crew if he needs to. When he wants to impress the higher ranks, he’ll dress himself up in his tailored and piped jacket with his had with the puffy feathers and all, but on the ship, the only concession he has towards his rank is he has a better quarters than the rest of the crew. He has two tattoos on his back, two eagles with claws clasp, posed for attack against anyone who would hurt them. He is a more recognizable part of the navy due to his red-violet eyes and his nearly white hair. This has gotten some people to call him the ghost of the sea, but only behind his back.
 
Effects: A standard navy sabre, his own signet ring, two pistols, one a flintlock, one a pocket pistol, two daggers (one on his waist, the other one in his booth with a boot sheath, a blunderbuss. Also has some arm sheaths for hidden daggers that he can hid on his arms if he feels like he’ll need to be carrying as many weapons as he can.

Personality Changes/Quirks:
* Not as religious as normal, but he does tend to pay homage to the Gods of the sea and sky, after all, what better way to ensure his ship survives than to please the two deities that have the most control over the sea.

*Has more of an gray sense of morals here. There are some things he’s firm about, but when it comes to protecting his family, nothing is off limits.

* While he has a dislike of pirates, its more for their attitudes of taking things that people worked hard for and how much they seem not to care about others than their selves.

*Is a more questionable character himself. He knows hes on the good side, but often times, people don’t realize how much someone has to get their hands dirty to do the right thing. He learned long ago that the world isn’t as black and white when it comes to things… but he still wants to wipe pirates out given the damage that they can do and
*While he’s always well versed in combat, he doesn’t keep it as clean as he should. He knows other people cheat, but he’s not going to let them. He’s not cheating a cheater, but he’s trying to prevent them from cheating in the first place. Though he won’t hesitate to use dirtier methods if he needs to.

Backstory and Current Status: The way of the navy was the only choice for Gilbert really. From the time he was little, he had seen his town raided by pirates and how the people feared them. Not Gilbert though, everything these pirates did made him angry. Why should they be afraid? Why did no one fight back against them? He wanted to protect his family. As soon as he turned the right age, he joined the navy. It was hard work, but that didn’t deter him. He fought his way through training and the ranks as hard as he could, he wanted to make his family proud and himself proud. Nothing less than the best would be good enough for him. He did learn more about himself in the process to especially that things weren’t always a black and white as they seemed. There were times when he had to negotiate, even when all he wanted to do was smack someone across the face. But he kept going, eventually making captain of his own crew and getting his brother in the process. He was determined to keep the place safe with his sister too.. though he hadn’t heard too much from her lately, and he hasn’t had a chance to go check on her, what with his brother being kidnapped. He will do anything to get him back, he just has to figure out who kidnapped him and where they are… which the suspect better pray to whatever gods they worship that Gilbert is in a good mood when they do meet, otherwise things would not go well for the guilty party.

Relationships:
Ludwig: His brother and Master Gunner on his ship. He can keep an eye on him here, but just because they get along well doesn’t mean there isn’t friction between these two… when they do fight it can get heated. They annoy each other quite a bit too, but what else is family for.
Lilly: *to be plotted*
Antonio: The one who kidnaped his brother. He has quite the urge to really show this man why you don’t mess with the Beilschmidt’s and what the cost of his whims can be on him and his own crew.
Nikolai: *needs plotting*
Matthew: Is happy that his sister his happy, and doesn’t mind that hes out of pirating, but just hopes that he’s seen the error of it and hopes that he’ll protect lilly as best as he can, otherwise he will be answering to Gilbert.
Arthur: Has ran across this man in his pirate form and his merchant form, and has a strong suspicion that they are the same person. He can’t prove it though, and he needs proof because of Arthur being a strong merchant. He thinks this man has a thing for his brother, and as long as he doesn’t hurt Ludwig, it’s really none of his business.

[Ivan Braginsky]

Name: Ivan Braginsky
Age: 26
Allegiance/Occupation: Navy, Lieutenant, HMS Fähigkeit (Currently on indefinite leave)
Appearance:

Physical Features: The man is usually quite serious looking while he is at sea, upon borderline unapproachable, his steely gaze seems to hunt the sea for the hated pirates that terrorize his home that he loves dearly. However, when he is not at sea he is in a state of calm and does not look on guard as he usually would.

Effects: He carries a standard navy sword and of course a flintlock around with him for engagements that are further away from the range of his sabre.

Personality Changes/Quirks:

- Cool as a Sea cucumber: Rarely will Ivan raise his voice, he personally doesn't see the point of having to raise one's voice to get a point across to another person, this however makes him prone to resorting to more physical ways to reach and understanding with others.

- Damn Criminals: He utterly despised pirates, to him they disturb the peace, break the law and terrorize the innocent people of the port town he grew up in, as a result he is usually ruthless in his dealings with the different pirate groups and those that break the law. Though some of them he may or may not help them.

- Sensitive as hell: Ivan is sensitive and protective of his family and of his possessions, he does indeed also take offense to these things being insulted, but will never tell you if he is or not, it's kind of his thing.

- Secretive: He will never tell you about his family, that is a personal matter for him to deal with, the pain of his wife leaving him has caused him to be suspicious of others and often involves him saying very little about his personal life, he isn't one for small talk so you may as well give up trying to befriend him that way.

- Inexperienced Father: Not exactly knowing how to parent, he takes care of his child awkwardly usually not sure whether he's doing something right or wrong, he may need advice.

Backstory and Current Status: (how did they get where they are today?)

Relationships:

Viktor: His little son that he loves dearly, he hopes that the little boy will one day grow up and be detached from this whole pirate war. Ivan feels sorry for the boy as he is growing up with only him to take care of the child, Viku would have to live without a mother's love which is truly a depressing thought for the man, especially when his biological mother is out on the seas with a gang of mercenaries. Now that he has taken the role as Viku's sole parent, he is not willing to see his son taken away from him and he wants to at least finish the job in terms of Viktor's upbringing.

Ana: Viktor's rogue mother and Ivan's unfortunate mistake. Ever since the child was brought to him to solely take care of, he unfortunately was stuck in this rut, although he despises criminals, Ana is the only one that he will deal with due to being his son's mother. That being said, she regards her as irresponsible and selfish, wanting to see her child grow up yet not taking the sacrifices to care for the said child. He genuinely hopes that she may get lost at sea to avoid difficult questions when Viku asks more about his mother.