The British Empire is comprised of the dominions, colonies and territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It is ruled by the King or Queen of England, currently King George I. The naval warfare force of the Empire is the Royal Navy, arguably the most powerful navy in the world. Royal Marines are the amphibious light infantry force of the Navy, and British Regulars are foot soldiers of the both the Army and the Navy. England is often used as metonym for the empire.
The flag of the empire is the Union Jack (pictured right), a combination of the flags of England and Scotland, which is also the battle flag of the British Army. The main ensign of both civilian vessels and the Navy is the Red Ensign.
History[]
Background[]
The British Empire in the New World began with Roanoke Colony on the coast of what would become the Province of Carolina, but the colony failed.
In 1604, a treaty was reached with Spain, ending hostilities and allowing the English to shift their attentions to establishing overseas colonies. They began settling North America and islands in the Caribbean.
The Caribbean initially proved to be England’s most important and lucrative colonies. Settlements were successfully established in St. Kitts (1624), Barbados (1627) and Nevis (1628).
Parliament’s decree in 1651 that only English ships could ply their trade in English colonies. This led to hostilities with the Dutch and a series of wars, which would eventually strengthen England’s position in the Americas. In 1655, England annexed the island of Jamaica from the Spanish and succeeded in colonizing the Bahamas in 1666.
England’s first permanent settlement in the Americas, Jamestown, was founded in 1607. Bermuda was settled and claimed by England in 1609 after a shipwreck. The Colony of Rhode Island was founded in 1636 as a colony tolerant of all religions. The Province of Carolina was founded in 1663. With the surrender of New Amsterdam in 1664, England gained control of the Dutch colony of New Netherland, renaming it New York. In 1681, the Province of Pennsylvania was founded by William Penn. The American colonies were less financially successful than those of the Caribbean, but had large areas of good agricultural land and attracted far larger numbers of English emigrants who preferred their temperate climates.
The death of Charles II of Spain in 1700 and his bequeathal of Spain and its colonial empire to Phillip of Anjou a grandson of the King of France, raised the prospect of the unification of France, Spain and their respective colonies, an unacceptable state of affairs for England and the other powers of Europe. In 1701, England, Portugal and the Netherlands sided with the Holy Roman Empire against Spain and France in the War of the Spanish Succession.
At some point, Spain launches the Rosario Raids on Nassau, to combat Richard Guthrie’s growing pirate empire. They burn the structures on the beach and then move inland, killing everyone in their path. Richard had been using the Guthrie Trading Company’s ships to sell the pirates’ goods in legitimate markets. The Richard retires from formal ownership of the operation, and it is managed by his slave Mr. Scott and daughter Eleanor.
In 1705, Lord Thomas Hamilton recruits Lieutenant James McGraw the liaison sent to him by the Admiralty, to help him combat the pirate issue in Nassau. Thomas has been tasked with his father, Lord Proprietor Alfred Hamilton, in setting right the island to which he holds title. McGraw described his job as making sure Hamilton knows what he is getting into.
The pirate problem in Nassau began with Henry Avery, who sailed into the bay and bribed the governor into ignoring Avery’s crimes. The current governor, Robert Thompson, caters to the pirates’ every whim as long as they bribe him. Meanwhile, his pamphleteer friends in London spread the word of the “pirate scourge” in the Bahamas, providing Thompson support.
Hamilton and McGraw come up with a plan in which they will launch a targeted raid on the beach under cover from two men-of-war. They will then have public trials of roughly a dozen of the pirate leaders. They will then replace the governor with an officer of their choosing. McGraw thinks that it is precise, affordable and will play well with the Sea Lords. Thomas understands that this is the most acceptable proposal, but he would rather offer pardons to the pirates. McGraw thinks that this is a very dangerous idea. Given their current war footing, no one wants to look like a coward, which they feel like they would if they pardoned traitors.
When the idea is brought up to Lord Alfred, he immediately refuses, saying that to pardon a traitor is the act of a coward, as McGraw predicted. Lord Alfred predicts that Queen Anne is too busy with her war and no one in Parliament would vote in favor of it. Thomas then names five lords who would vote in favor of it. Alfred describes the pardon as arguing in favor of abetting sedition in a time of war. Thomas reminds his father that the war is to ensure that a Protestant sits on the throne of Spain. McGraw argues in favor of the pardon.
Thomas makes an appeal to the audience of his salon to join him in arguing for the pardons. Only Lord Peter Ashe agrees. This begins a political campaign in Whitehall in favor of the pardons, with Alfred combatting them. McGraw departs for Nassau to assess the situation. While there, the pirates kill Governor Thompson’s wife and son, ending the nominal rule of England in Nassau and marking the beginning of the Pirate Republic. McGraw returns to England and tries to take the case to Admiral Hennessey. However, Thomas’ and James’ affair is discovered by Lord Alfred, who informs the Admiral. The story that will be told is that Thomas discovered James’ and Miranda’s affair and went mad over the betrayal of his wife and best friend. Either way, Miranda and James are exiled. They leave for Nassau, where McGraw takes the name Flint.
Some time after this, Peter Ashe is appointed Governor of Carolina Colony. Lord Alfred travels to meet him under an assumed name, but a former servant of Miranda’s lets slip the name of the ship he is traveling on in a letter. Miranda encourages Flint to go after Hamilton’s ship, the Maria Aleyne. He does so and executes Alfred and his mistress. After this, Ashe no longer takes a reasonable approach to pirates, and even begins executing men who are in possession of pirated goods.
Richard Guthrie has been bribing the Lords Proprietor for years. They have agreed to make him Governor of New Providence Island.
Season One[]
An English merchant vessel is boarded by the crew of the Walrus, led by Captain Flint, after attempting to resist.
The HMS Scarborough relocates fromBoston to the Bahamas. They almost catch Flint and his crew, attacking Parrish’s Ship, but the pirates escape. The Scarborough’s captain, Hume, attempts to arrest Richard Guthrie on Harbour Island for fencing the pirates’ goods, but he is foiled by the efforts of Flint and Billy Bones. The Scarborough remains at Harbour Island.
Flint plans on capturing the Urca de Lima, a Spanish treasure galleon carrying five million dollars worth of gold. He wants to use this gold to make Nassau self sustainable and sufficiently strong so as to force England to treat with them and offer them favorable terms.
Eleanor attempts to take the Andromache’s twelve pounder cannons to give to Flint to hunt the Urca. Dyfed Bryson is shocked that Richard would permit a move by the pirates against a state asset, the Spanish treasure galleon Urca de Lima, a move which threatens to push England into a war with Spain.
Richard tells the pirates of Nassau that a warrant is out for his arrest and his family can no longer sell the pirates’ good, much to their anger. Privately, he tells Eleanor that he has begun forging new alliances for them with the landowners in the interior, who will be indispensable to the lords in Whitehall when England retakes Nassau.
The Walrus chases the Andromache and after a lengthy battle, they defeat her crew and are able to transport her guns to the Walrus. However, they are almost caught by the Scarborough yet again. During their escape, Billy falls overboard.
Due to Richard spreading news of his arrest, Eleanor is forced to reform the Company’s operation Nassau into the Consortium. Charles Vane attacks Fort Nassau from Benjamin Hornigold, demanding that he takes Hornigold’s place on the Consortium or he will sink every ship in the bay. Eleanor agrees, and Captain Geoffrey Lawrence is allowed to depart on the Consortium’s maiden voyage.
Season Two[]
The merchant ship Good Fortune is boarded by Ned Low and the crew of the Fancy. Despite surrendering, the crew is slaughtered by the pirates. The pirates then abduct Abigail Ashe, the daughter of Peter Ashe, Governor of Carolina Colony.
Billy Bones is released from his prison on Harbour Island and allowed to return to Nassau, on the condition that he capture Captain Flint and return him to Hume. Billy can enlist nine other men in helping him, and they will all receive Royal Pardons if they succeed.
An English Merchant Ship carrying sugar out of Kingston is boarded by the Walrus crew after they acquire the Spanish Man O’ War. The crew surrenders but then turns on the pirates after the Captain realizes Dufresne is not Flint. Flint takes command of his crew again and orders they sink the ship, which they do.
The maiden voyage of the Consortium is unsuccessful. Lawrence was unable to get the merchants to pay full price for the goods due to the Guthrie’s name being in low standing.
Vane slaughters Low and his men after learning that they hold Abigail Ashe captive. Vane then takes Abigail for himself and keeps her in Fort Nassau.
Once back in Nassau, Flint and Hornigold combine their crews to oust Vane from the fort. Despite Eleanor’s attempts to prevent conflict, Flint and his forces open fire on the fort from the Spanish Man O’ War. After a sizable breach is made, they land their forces on the beach.
Flint is dissuaded by Miranda Barlow to assault the Fort immediately. In the Tavern, Flint, Miranda, Eleanor, Richard Guthrie and Vane discuss trading Abigail to Flint in exchange for Flint calling off the assault. Vane refuses, but sneaks Abigail out of the fort using the tunnels.
Eleanor is arrested by Hornigold and Dufresne and brought to Captain Hume on Harbour Island.
The pirates learn that the Spanish gold has been taken from the beach. Flint then plans on traveling to Charles Town to deliver Abigail to Peter, Flint’s former friend. Flint hopes to use the return of Abigail to persuade Ashe to vie for the pardons in Parliament.
At Charles Town, Abigail is returned to her father, and Flint and Miranda are able to meet with Peter. Peter comes around after a long negotiation, however he needs two things in order to make the pardons work. Flint needs to confess to everything, including the affair with Thomas, and they need someone to be appointed governor. During dinner, Miranda realizes that it was Peter who sold them out to Lord Alfred, and begins shouting at Peter. Colonel Rhett, the commander of the Charles Town Militia, then shoots Miranda and arrests Flint.
Meanwhile, Vane and his men capture Flint’s ship and imprison his crew. Vane meets with Billy Bones privately. Billy tells Vane that the threat England poses that Flint has been speaking of is not imagined. He tells Vane that he saw the garrison on Harbour Island. It had a full company of Royal Marines and 200 men in support, all waiting for the order to attack Nassau.
Flint is put on trial, but Vane arrives with Abigail’s diary as testimony in favor of Flint. Vane had taken Flint’s ship but decided to stay and free Flint to prevent his being hanged. Vane’s presence at the trial is a diversion to allow his men to scale the walls of the Battery and take control of the cannons. At Vane’s signal, they open fire on the square, causing chaos. Flint and Vane free themselves from their militia guards and Flint mortals wounds Ashe. After they escape from the city, Vane’s men retreat from the walls. Once all back aboard the ship (which has been retaken by Flint’s men), they open fire on the city and continue doing so until it is all burning, sacking the city.
Season Three[]
After the events of Charles Town, Flint proclaims that any magistrate that hangs men for piracy will receive a visit from him. Flint sacks the colonies of Bridgetown, St. Kitts, Nevis and the French Colony of Martinique.
The three brothers of Edward Teach’s ex wife catch up to him in Bath, Carolina, and try to force him to return to their sister. He kills them all and continues on his way to Nassau.
Flint sacks a colony in the New World and executes the magistrate, Hazzard. On the way back to Nassau, they find a fellow pirate vessel, the Straight Arrow, at anchor, sails furled and flying the Black. They are chased by the Orion, a privateer vessel in service to the Crown captained by Benjamin Hornigold. They retreat into a storm to throw Hornigold off.
Meanwhile, Woodes Rogers is named the new Governor of New Providence Island. He frees Eleanor Guthrie from her prison so she can teach him about the inner workings of Nassau.
Rogers’ fleet of seven ships, three of which are from the Royal Navy, meets Hornigold in St. Kitts. There, Hornigold tells Rogers that he engaged Flint as promised, and brings the news that Flint is dead. The fleet now consists of eight ships, with a complement of 700 British Regulars.
En route to Nassau, Eleanor and Rogers discuss strategy. Rogers is resolved to offer the pardons immediately. If they do not accept immediately, Commodore Chamberlain would launch a full scale invasion of the beach, which would cost Rogers any chance of a peaceful transition. Eleanor wonders why Rogers needs a peaceful transition. He explains that he is in debt to a number of creditors and investors, most of which can be persuaded to allow the lapse of a deadline or two. However, he promised Spain that within eight weeks, he will have secured the remains of the Urca gold and shipped them to Havana. Failure to do so will result in the launching of a fleet of ten ships and 1,500 soldiers from Havana to raze Nassau to the ground.
Rogers’ fleet approaches Nassau but is met with resistance. The pirates have assembled their ships in a firing line at the mouth of the harbor, a militia has assembled on the beach and in the fort. Rogers sends Hornigold to read his address, promising pardons and placing a bounty on the head of Charles Vane. It works, and the pirates on the beach surrender en masse.
Jack Rackham blows a hole in the fort so he and Anne Bonny can escape with their share of the Urca treasure while Vane escapes to the jetty. Once aboard Teach’s ship, the pirates plan on getting out of Nassau. With the beach secured by Hornigold and Rogers’ fleet blockading the harbor, the pirates are surrounded with no means to resupply. Vane sails a fireship at the fleet, causing the line to break and severely damaging the Wiling Mind. This allows the Pirate Fleet to escape.
Once the last remaining resistance in Nassau has fled, Rogers establishes himself in the Governor's Mansion. He forms a council of six men from his staff and six influential merchants of Nassau. Max tries to buy her way onto the council after being told she would be excluded. However, Rogers’ chambermaid, Mrs. Hudson, secretly a spy for Spanish Intelligence, informs Rogers that Spain knows about the transactions that traded gold for gems and other commodities. They are furious over its existence and know that Max’s share only represents half of the remaining treasure. The other is in the possession of Jack Rackham. Rogers and Eleanor discuss the problem. Rogers can either return the cache in full or if he fails, he will only aggravate Spain’s suspicion that Rogers is merely a pirate by another name. Eleanor suggests that they could fight to defend the island, the odds would be dire but they are not without resources. Rogers clarifies if that if someone were to fight Spain, it won’t be them. If the result of Rogers’ endeavor in Nassau is a Spanish attack against British forces, an act that threatens to drag the empire into a war, Rogers would be recalled to London and likely a debtors’ prison, and Eleanor’s capital sentence would be reinstated.
Rogers sends the gold and the gems to Havana. Shortly thereafter, Jack Rackham returns to Nassau seeking a pardon. He is taken into custody by Redcoats and taken to the Governor’s Mansion. There, Rogers explains the situation with Spain to him. Rackham promises to help and writes a letter to Anne to be delivered by Lieutenant Hersey. However, the message was coded, telling Anne to run with the cache instead. When she gets the message, she kills Hersey and runs.
Edward Teach and Charles Vane discover a trove of Spanish intelligence on a Spanish prize. It includes a dossier on Woodes Rogers, and details about their plans to invade if Rogers does not return the cache.
On Ocracoke, Flint, who survived the storm, starvation and imprisonment by his new Maroon allies, attempts to reclaim the Pirate Fleet. Flint and Teach duel over it, and Teach almost kills Flint but is prevented from doing so by Vane. Flint returns to the Maroon Island with him. Vane informs Flint of Spain’s outrage over the existence of the cache of gems and their demand to have it returned to them.
Max tries to appeal to Anne to give up the cache, telling her that Jack is being tortured. Max promises that if she gives up the gems, Jack will be released. Anne leaves, troubled.
In Nassau, Mrs. Hudson secretly meets with an agent of Spanish intelligence, Juan Antonio Grandal. On learning that Rackham is in the Governor's custody, he demands that both the stolen gold and the man who stole it are handed over to the Spanish. Rogers somewhat reluctantly agrees. This will not go down well with the people of Nassau, since a full pardon was offered to everyone except Charles Vane.
Eleanor meets with Max about this and Featherstone overhears them.
The vanguard of the Walrus crew sneaks into the Tavern in Nassau under the cover of night. Silver proclaims Flint’s return, shocking the patrons, who thought Flint was dead. Silver tells them that every name recorded in the Pardon Rolls is a traitor to the pirate cause. He says that every man who joins Captain Flint’s crew will have their names redacted. Those who remain however, will be visited again when Flint returns to the island. Dufresne mocks Silver, especially because of his missing leg. Silver then smashes a tankard into Dufresne’s face and pounds his face into the floor with his prosthetic leg.
Meanwhile, Madi procures her father’s stash of weapons from Eme.
In the whorehouse, Vane meets with Featherstone, and learns that Anne is to be tricked out of the cache. Featherstone tries to enlist a reluctant Idelle to betray Max, and use the prostitutes to find out where the exchange is to take place. Featherstone points out that Major Andrews has been visiting the Inn every night for weeks. He theorizes the right girl can get the location of the route out of him. When Max employs the hated Mrs. Mapleton as the new madam in the whorehouse, Idelle agrees.
The next day, Flint meets with Rogers on the beach. Rogers has set himself on the beach to keep men away with their shame. Rogers tells Flint that the pardons are Thomas Hamilton’s dream made reality. Flint replies that Thomas and later his wife Miranda argued for the pardons, and both were killed for it. He says that England has shown itself too Flint, and it is spiteful of anyone who’d find happiness under her rule. Rogers decides to revoke the pardons. Any pirates left will now be assumed to be an ally of Flint’s and be hunted and hanged.
On the other side of the island, Anne Bonny is forced to give up the cache to the English soldiers led by Major Rollins without the return of Jack. However, this is revealed to have been Vane’s plan. By giving up the cache, Rogers will proceed with his plan to transport Jack and the cache on a ship waiting off the southern coast. They will get both or nothing.
Rackham is escorted from his dungeon in chains to a carriage, where he is stunned to find the cache of pearls tricked from Bonny. Woodes Rogers informs him that he intends to deliver him and the cache to the Spanish. They depart accompanied by a large contingent of armed soldiers.
Meanwhile, Eleanor Guthrie shares with Max that Anne relinquished the cache with little resistance, and Max realises something is amiss. Eleanor and Max have no luck convincing the remaining Governor’s men, including Commodore Chamberlain, of a plot to ambush on Roger’s convoy. Eleanor eventually turns to Benjamin Hornigold, who is already eager to settle the score for Dufresne’s brutal end. Hornigold is skeptical at first, but eventually sees merit in her reasoning, believing the Walrus lies in wait on the horizon.
On route to the southern coast, Rackham describes to Rogers how his father went bankrupt and descended into alcoholism, and how he became a pirate. Suddenly, the convoy comes under swift attack from Flint’s men on horseback. After killing all of Rogers’ men in the caravan, Vane shoots the wheel of the carriage sending it careening and flipping off the road. Jack is banged up pretty badly, but alive, and Anne and he share a passionate kiss.
Vane urges Flint and Billy Bones to take the pearls and run ahead, while he frees Rackham from his chains. Rackham and Bonny flee as they spot the Governor’s men approaching. Vane attempts to mount his horse and follow, when a bloody Rogers appears from the field, having been tossed from the carriage, and shoots Vane before he can leave. Even wounded, Vane almost beats Rogers in the ensuing fight, but the Hornigold’s Militia arrive and outnumber him.
Back on the Walrus, Silver is taken by surprise when Hornigold‘s ship appears on the horizon. He orders the men to set sail immediately to pick up Flint and the others on the beach. Meanwhile, Rackham and Bonny catch up with Flint on the beach, and tell him of Vane’s capture. Billy insists that Flint must stay with the ship, while he returns to Nassau to stir resentment towards Rogers.
In Nassau, Eleanor and Max are discussing the fact that there must be a spy amongst them, when Rogers arrives back bloody and bruised. Later, Rogers tells Eleanor of Vane capture, and his fear of the pull Nassau and ultimately Charles Vane have on her. In the end, she stoically enters the cell and comes face to face with Vane.
Eleanor speaks with Vane, offering him a confession to sign. If he does, his stay in London will be short, dignified and sentence carried out with no spectacle. Vane refuses, and the two argue about Richard Guthrie and his murder at Vane’s hands. Eleanor strikes Vane and calls him an animal before leaving.
Afterwards, Eleanor finds that Woodes Rogers has been confined to bed with a fever. She insists that she is now ready to move forward from her history with Vane. Rogers last coherent orders to his advisors are to put Eleanor in charge until he recovers.
The Walrus is chased by the Orion to the Maroon Island, but the pirates execute a daring maneuver that turns their broadsides on Hornigold. When Hornigold sees a small army of Maroons exit the jungle onto the beach, he departs for Nassau.
Back in Nassau, Mrs. Mapleton discovers that Idelle is the spy helped Rackham escape, and informs Max. When Max questions her loyalty, Mrs. Mapleton explains that she has no respect for Eleanor and believes that she is sowing the seeds of her own destruction.
Meanwhile, Billy Bones rouses hatred for Eleanor as a tyrant, and the demand for Vane to tried fairly in Nassau, rather than be shipped off to England. This should give them enough time to mount a rescue. However, Eleanor catches wind of the rabble rousers and fast tracks Vane’s trial and conviction overnight.
While gallows are quickly erected, Pastor Lambrick administers the last meal to Vane. Vane gently admonishes the pastor for his holier-than-thou attitude, and refuses to ask for God's forgiveness. Vane is shuttled to the town square of Nassau where he will be executed. Billy and those loyal to him take up places in the crowd intent on a desperate rescue attempt. However, Vane makes eye contact with Billy and gives him a silent order to stand down. Vane delivers a calm, heart-wrenching speech designed to stir up a rebellion, knowing that his death, in this moment, is the spark that was needed to truly get the people to rise up against England. In a final act of defiance, Billy’s men step forward to pull Vane down to hastened his end. An act of mercy and a reminder to everyone, of the brotherhood Nassau’s pirates once shared.
At a meeting before Rogers’ forces set sail for the Maroon Island, Commodore Chamberlain tells Eleanor that he saw three additional ships anchored in the bay being outfitted for the battle. Eleanor tells him that he will be sailing alongside Benjamin Hornigold and his militia, as well as a special company of men formed from the ranks of Underhill’s plantation staff, men with experience hunting down escaped slaves. Chamberlain is aghast at the idea of fighting alongside undisciplined conscripts, but Eleanor is adamant that they bring to bear a force that Flint will not expect.
Rogers’ forces are initially successful in driving Flint’s men back. The pirates and Maroons are hammered by cannon fire from the fleet, and pushed to retreat after the Redcoats land and use their mortars on them.
However, Dobbs, who had seemingly betrayed the pirates, double crosses the British and leads them into a massive ambush. The British land forces are routed, as is their feet, which is attacked by the Walrus and the Pirate Fleet led by Edward Teach.
In Nassau, Billy founds the Pirate Resistance. They send a Black Spot to Captain Throckmorton, demanding that Vane’s body be removed from the gibbet in the square. He brings the note to Eleanor and Max. Eleanor concedes to removing it in three days. Throckmorton is later hanged by Billy and his men. Rogers then declares martial law on Nassau Town.
Season Four[]
War has broken out with Spain yet again, and Rogers’ fleet is recalled to England. However, several hundred soldiers led by Captain Berringer mutiny, desiring to stay in Nassau and avenge their defeat at the hands of the pirates. They swear a loyalty oath to Rogers personally. This begin a long series of skirmishes on New Providence Island between the Redcoats and the Pirate Resistance while the Pirate Fleet prepares to invade. Rogers buys three hulks from Abaco and scuttles them in the bay ahead of the invasion. The Walrus, the Eagle, the Defiant,and the Revenge. The former three ships are grounded, and their crews forced to flee in longboats after coming under fire from both a rebuilt Fort Nassau and Rogers’ new fleet of sloops. Teach flees under pursuit from Woodes Rogers' Three Sloops. In total, 121 prisoners are taken, and kept in the fort while they are tried.
Rogers has divorced his wife and married Eleanor. The non combatants stay in the vaults of the fort while the battle rages. Rogers gives Eleanor an update before leaving to secure Nassau Town. Once there, several prisoners from the Walrus are brought before him. Rogers offers De Groot clemency in exchange for information about Flint’s plans. De Groot refuses, and Berringer cuts off his ear, in revenge for the mutilation the dead Redcoats at the Maroon Island faced at the hands of the Maroon children.
Edward Teach survives the attack on his ship, taking 61 Redcoats prisoner, and returns to blockade Nassau's harbor. Rogers sails away in the Lion, luring Teach away. Eleanor was supposed to sail for Philadelphia to enlist the aid of her grandparents, but is prevented from doing so by Captain Berringer.
The Pirate Resistance launches a raid on the Underhill Estate. They are successful, but learn that if they stay, the family members of the slaves will be tortured on the other plantations. Flint and Madi attempt to lead their men away, but Billy wants to stay. This leads to an armed clash between their factions before the Militia arrives, and Flint leads his men to retreat while Billy stays.
Teach catches up to Rogers' ship, but he and his crew are captured. After executing Teach, the rest of the crew, including Jack Rackham and Anne Bonny, are imprisoned in the hold of the Lion, which is towed by the Revenge as Rogers sails it back to Nassau.
After rescuing John Silver from Rogers' forces at the Wrecks. Shortly afterwards, they retake Nassau Town while the pirate hangings take place. Eleanor is able to retreat to the fort with a few dozen soldiers and the Governor's Council. She offers a trade, 20 prisoners from the invasion in exchange for Max, who was captured by Billy's men. Silver and Flint accept the deal, and De Groot and 19 others are freed.
Rogers learns of Nassau's fall and makes haste towards it on the Revenge. He puts a small crew aboard the Lion under the command of Lieutenant Kendrick, with orders to deliver the pirates to Governor Addison in Port Royal. However, the pirates overpower their captors on the way, but Anne is severely injured.
Despite learning that Rogers is already on his way back to Nassau, Eleanor holds a secret meeting with Flint and Silver to strike a bargain. She is ready to quit and will surrender the fort without a fight, in exchange for Urca gold and safe-passage out of Nassau. Silver immediately refuses, but can only watch silently as Flint accepts the deal, offering himself as guarantor.
Mrs. Hudson rows out to Rogers’ ship to persuade him to sail for Port Royal, and await Eleanor Guthrie’s arrival with the gold. Rogers is less than thrilled to be asked to cut the ties with what represents his entire mission in life… the destruction of the pirate problem. Mrs. Hudson does her damnedest to convince him Eleanor is doing this out of devotion to him, but he refuses to listen and continues his approach. However, Eleanor makes her point by firing warning shots from Fort Nassau. It takes several shots to get him to leave the area… but not to Port Royal.
At sea, Rogers makes the audacious decision to sails to Spanish Cuba, despite the current state of war between England and Spain. Met by Spanish soldiers at the dock, Rogers dumps the head of Blackbeard at the lieutenant’s feet, and asks for a meeting with the governor.
Rogers meets with Governor Raja. He will do anything to accomplish the destruction of the pirate problem; a problem that threatens Cuban interests also, and is funded with stolen Spanish gold. Rogers makes a deal with the Governor that’s surely an act of treason, inviting the Spanish navy to invade and sack the English territory of Nassau.
Eleanor receives word that the deal is to take place on the southern coast. She, Flint and her guard of six Redcoats meet Madi and her guards and move to the coast. There, they find Jack Rackham,who explains he escaped Rogers to join the fight.
Meanwhile, Rogers returns to Nassau at the head of Havana's Fleet. The Spanish launch an invasion of Nassau. Once in position, the fleet opens fire on Nassau Town, devastating it. The soldiers then move ashore, killing whoever is left and burning many of the structures on the beach and in town, including the Guthrie Warehouse. Once ashore, Rogers, Raja and Juan Antonio Grandal plot their next move. However, a small delegation from Fort Fort Nassau, led by Mr. Soames, Frasier and Lieutenant Utley, meet Rogers on the beach and inform him that Eleanor left the fort to make the deal with Long John Silver. Rogers frantically tries to tell Grandal to pass the order to the men that Eleanor is not to be harmed. Grandal tells him that even if that order could be given, no one would heed it, the men have been let loose.
A small force of Spanish soldiers is killed by Eleanor's Redcoats and Flint's men at the Barlow Estate. Flint takes three of the remaining Redcoats and Obi to pursue three Spanish soldiers who ran away, to prevent their returning with reinforcements. During their absence, Eleanor and Madi's guards are killed by a Spanish Soldier. In the ensuing fight, Eleanor is mortally wounded, Madi knocked unconcious and the house set on fire. Eleanor is barely able to make it outside, having been unsuccessful in rousing Madi.
Silver leads a force of roughly 60 pirates in holing up in the Underhill Estate, preferring to meet the Spanish from an entrenched position rather than disorganized, trying to make it to the Walrus,which is waiting for survivors along with the Lion off the southern coast. A force of approximately 100 Spanish soldiers assaults the estate, and are repelled by Silver's men with the help of reinforcements from Julius. The Spanish leave behind over 50 dead, having killed 30 of the pirates with minimal casualties to Julius' men. Once Flint arrives, he leads a mass retreat of all the pirates, along with all of Julius' people, to the ships waiting on the southern coast.
After killing and burning to their satisfaction, Raja returns to Havana, promising that the fleet will not return to Nassau.
Jack and Max travel to Philadelphia to secure the help of Eleanor's grandparents in ousting Rogers now that he is the direct cause of Eleanor's death. Joseph Guthrie refuses, not wanting to be associated with pirates. Marion Guthrie accepts their proposal to buy Rogers' debt and forcing him to default, after which he will be imprisoned. However, Jack has to kill Captain Flint to prove his commitment.
The pirates and Maroons plan on attacking St. Ann's Bay as a first strike, before moving to Bridgetown and Barbados. Billy surrenders himself to Rogers and offers to help him destroy the pirates. Rogers sends word that Madi is alive and demands the cache in exchange for her release. Rogers tries to convince her to offer a treaty to the Maroons. Every fugitive slave in her camp will receive immediate emancipation, but any slave who tries to seek refuge with them has to be turned over to the law. Madi refuses, saying she will die fighting, as Eleanor did.
Rogers arrives late to a meeting of his council only to find Mr. Soames sitting alone at the table. Soames tells him that the rest of them waited an hour before departing. Rogers is dismissive, replying that council meetings will not solve their problems. As Rogers leaves, Soames tells him the council is losing faith in him, that they see the problems in rebuilding the colony and the dangers if they fail. Soames says that they are growing more and more skeptical that Rogers does not have a solution, but Soames is more afraid that they will learn what Rogers’ solution actually is. Soames admits that he knows Rogers plans on ransomingMadi to Flint with the gems as payment. Soames angrily asks Rogers if he truly believed that no one, including Soames, would not find out about the deal when Rogers has pursued it so recklessly. Rogers calmly tells Soames that Eleanor made the deal, and he is simply collecting. Soames reminds him that the pirates are gone from Nassau, as are the threat they presented, but Rogers insists that the threat they pose has never been greater and they seek to uproot all of civilization. Soames yells at Rogers that defending civilization is not his responsibility, restoring stable profits too Nassau is and if Rogers men, who already doubt him, see pirates and war return to the island, they will mutiny. Rogers takes all this in silently before retiring.
The Walrus returns to Nassau to free Madi, but the reconissance party is caught overnight by Rogers. As he executes them one by one the next morning on his ship, Silver has his crew signal Rogers' ship and shows him the gems, which he secretly brought with them despite Flint's objections. They are then led to Skeleton Island to make the deal. Once there, Flint and Dooley abscond with the gems. Silver asks Rogers for time to get it back, having sent six men to retrieve it and kill Flint.
Rogers tries to convince Madi to accept the treaty, but she refuses yet again. He adds the caveat that John Silver lives, but she refuses nonetheless. Rogers then double crosses the pirates, setting the Walrus on fire and forcing them to abandon it. Once the pirates are in the water, he Rogers and his soldiers move in on them in longboats, picking them off. A handful make it to shore, where they are rescued by Jack aboard the Lion. The pirates do battle with Rogers, ultimately winning the day. Rogers is captured and Madi freed. However, Silver does not want to wage war on England. He has Flint shipped to James Oglethorpe's estate outside Savannah, where he will be incarcerated, but treated humanely. He is also reunited with Thomas Hamilton.
Meanwhile, Rogers' treaty is posed to the pirates and the Maroons at the Camp. They accept, and most leave the Camp for Nassau or elsewhere. Marion Guthrie helps rebuild Nassau and purchases Rogers' debts, causing his imprisonment. Featherstone is named Governor of New Providence, with Max as the power behind the throne. Piracy in Nassau is eradicated, but Featherstone allows Rackham to practice it discreetly to drive up prices for the merchants.
Government[]
The British Empire is a constitutional monarchy, meaning the monarch acts within the boundaries and parameters set by a written constitution. Political power is shared with the king and Parliament. The current monarch is King George I, who succeeded Queen Anne. Parliament is divided into two houses, the House of Lords and the House of Commons. The House of Lords is the upper house, and primarily consists of noblemen. The lower house, the Commons, is composed largely of wealthy landowners. General elections were restricted to freeholders and landowners. The King is advised by the Privy Council.
The overseas colonies of the empire are ruled by the governors, who can be appointed by either the king, if it is crown colony, or by the Lords Proprietor of the colony.
Territories[]
- Europe
- West Indies
- The Bahamas
- The Caribbean
- Mainland North America
- Province of Carolina
- Province of Massachusetts Bay
- Province of Georgia
- Colony of Rhode Island
- Colony of Virginia
- Pennsylvania Colony
- Province of New York