Captain Roberts
Roberts was born a Salt Wise in the Kingdom, raised by parents who worked the margins between the Royals and the Sunken Saints. There was money in trading for the Pure Bloods, and Roberts' parents trained their child to continue the family business. Roberts watched, learned the routes and the deals, and quietly absorbed the way the Royals spoke to people like their parents: as if the Salt Wise were slightly above furniture.
The anger accumulated over years. One day, while conducting a deal on behalf of the family, a Pure Blood began to belittle Roberts directly. For a moment, Roberts saw nothing but red. Then the Pure Blood was on the ground with a purple bruise forming around his eye.
Roberts ran. That was the only solution. A bounty went on their head. They stole one of the Pure Blood's ships, took a handful of Salt Wise and Bay Walkers who had also reached the end of their patience, and fled the Kingdom. They found an island near the Keys populated by drunk, miserable castaways with nothing left to lose. Roberts saw an opportunity where others saw a dead end.
The castaways became a crew. The crew began pirating Kingdom ships along the coast, stealing valuables and capturing vessels. The one stolen ship became a ragtag fleet. Roberts named it the Rising Tide, and it became one of the most persistent thorns in the Rat King's side, raiding Kingdom shipping and making Roberts one of the most wanted fugitives in the region.
When the Rat King allied with the Iron Works, the Rising Tide saw its chance for something larger. Roberts allied with the Rusty Lanterns and the Conch Battalion, turning piracy into coordinated warfare. During the final preparations for the Regicide plot (~117 DC), Roberts joined the Dim Lantern and First Mate Sathrik to rally a settlement for the decisive confrontation. What the Rising Tide would become after the common enemy was defeated remained an open question.
The anger accumulated over years. One day, while conducting a deal on behalf of the family, a Pure Blood began to belittle Roberts directly. For a moment, Roberts saw nothing but red. Then the Pure Blood was on the ground with a purple bruise forming around his eye.
Roberts ran. That was the only solution. A bounty went on their head. They stole one of the Pure Blood's ships, took a handful of Salt Wise and Bay Walkers who had also reached the end of their patience, and fled the Kingdom. They found an island near the Keys populated by drunk, miserable castaways with nothing left to lose. Roberts saw an opportunity where others saw a dead end.
The castaways became a crew. The crew began pirating Kingdom ships along the coast, stealing valuables and capturing vessels. The one stolen ship became a ragtag fleet. Roberts named it the Rising Tide, and it became one of the most persistent thorns in the Rat King's side, raiding Kingdom shipping and making Roberts one of the most wanted fugitives in the region.
When the Rat King allied with the Iron Works, the Rising Tide saw its chance for something larger. Roberts allied with the Rusty Lanterns and the Conch Battalion, turning piracy into coordinated warfare. During the final preparations for the Regicide plot (~117 DC), Roberts joined the Dim Lantern and First Mate Sathrik to rally a settlement for the decisive confrontation. What the Rising Tide would become after the common enemy was defeated remained an open question.
Children
