The Pirates Conference-1770
The Pirates Conference met once and only once in the year of 1770, in an attempt to revitalize Piracy, by that time considered a dying art. To discuss the Pirates Conference we must first discuss the history of each of its members, as well as just events prior.
While Blackbeard was far from the most powerful Pirate, he had gained a fearsome reputation that surpassed that of One Eyed Willy and even many Pirates that were to come. His death heralded a turning point, and the perceived end of a legend resulted in a shift in public perception. The year following, Benjamin Franklin wrote a song and poem titled "The Downfall of Piracy". Franklin did not know how accurate this foreshadowed what was to come.
Davy Jones returned to prominence at this time from a long absence. Rumor had it he was searching for Blackbeard, who had been resurrected by his sorcerer ally, Hurwood. Jones felt cheated and so began to search for the Pirate's soul and return him to Davy Jones's locker. I tis also possible that Jones had reportedly cut out his own heart and hidden it in an unknown location, keeping the key with him at all times, and Blackbeard, having escaped death, may have known its location. Jones regained control of a legendary creature called the Kraken. While it was not the original Kraken which had according to legend been turned to stone by Perseus through the use of Medusa's head. The original Kraken had evidently been replaced with a creature more cephalopod in appearance.
According to Oliver Haddo, the greek Gods had been weakened following a confrontation with the Old Ones, which left them weak. They, according to Haddo, continued to weaken. However they discovered that Odin, king of Asgard and a god himself, had a plan to avert Ragnarok, or the event resulting in their prophecized death, by creating a cycle in which the Asgardians would go through a period of death and rebirth. The Greek Gods adopted this idea themselves, but since they did not have a prophecized armageddon and were required to be killed for the spell to work, this doom came about in various ways throughout the ages. They were killed by the warrior Princess Xena, the Spartan Kratos and presumably others. At the same time the Olympic Gods realized that they needed a strong amount of worshippers to prevent themselves from fading as humanity's belief in them faded. They created several splinter groups to accomplish this goal such as the Amazons on the island of Themyscira. While the greek gods prior to the Trojan war were quite infamous for copulating with mortals, the Trojan war had been an attempt to cull such demigod hybrids, but with their own existence at risk they chose to make an exception and so resumed such actions but seemed to avoid the violent outcomes of the original offspring, and so reopened and reorganized Camp Half blood to train such hybrids.
The most recent demise of the Greek Gods came about as a result of Ares launching an attack of the other gods. This assault proved harmful as Gods were capable of permanently killing one another. The strongest of these gods were Zeus, Poseidon and Hades. When Hades fell to Ares. The Olympic gods found themselves without the backing that an undead army would have provided. Hades's power was transferred to Poseidon, or at least some of it. The god of the Sea could not access the full power of the underworld, which was already limited when it came to the earth. Poseidon learned how to cast curses that transformed normal humans into nigh unkillable undead, which some worshippers such as the Aztecs learned how to curse individuals into becoming. Despite his efforts, Poseidon perished in battle with Ares, his trident enchanted with the ability to cast curses, falling into the sea. Ares was wounded in battle Zeus and both gods would die from their injuries, though the conflict lasted long enough that Ares was able to father Blackbeard. Control of the mythical Kraken fell onto the hands of Calypso, and then to Davy Jones.
Davy Jones had returned and he was now searching for Blackbeard. Not knowing how to proceed and set about gathering the surviving members of the First Brethren Court of which he had been a part of.
Captain Bloth would not be brought back as he was deemed a loose cannon. Unfortunately this meant that with the exception of the immortal Ayesha who Jones had no intention of revisiting, all other members of the 1600 Brethren Court were dead which included The Seahawk, William Teague, Jack Ward, Charlotte De Barry, James Lancaster and Zheng Zilong.
Jones tracked down The Dread Pirates Roberts by finding the previous incarnations of the character in the afterlife, getting the name "Westley". Jones found no one who the deceased Pirate Roberts Ryan could identify.( The identity did not exist any longer as Inigo Montoya had transformed it into The Fox, which as it was discovered did not originate from Montoya's mind but originated from a English vigilante called "The Black Fox"). With a lack of information. Jones interrogated Ryan and chose instead to go after the other Pirate League members but faced the problem that they all wore masks, the only one who didn't was Captain Peter Blood.
In the aftermath of the battle with Blackbeard, Blood engaged in investigations for who sold the famous Pirate out, resulting in the ambush, interrogating multiple Pirates whom had survived the battle. A notable absence was James Hook, who resurfaced immediately after the incident as a member of the British Royal Navy, alongside his brother. This immediately placed him under suspicion for being responsible for the ambush.
"James " became fearful of retaliation from other Pirates such as Assassin Edward Kenway and the Pirate League. Seeking protection from the outside forces, "James" joined an expedition by the Royal Navy to resume the search accompanied by his brother Alexander. The purpose of the expedition was to recreate the strong and peculiar circumstances which had allowed a shop of the ocean to fly through the air, specifically as documented by Lucian of Samosata when his ship sailed beyond the ocean and was lifted by a whirlwind to the moon. The Royal navy had taken interest into recreating the voyage because they too had noticed the return of Davy Jones and wished to find a way to control him. Since the Kraken was of greek origin, they believed encountering the greek gods or at least beings of that mythology similar to the encounter with Calypso during Lucian of Samosata's expedition. Among the members of the expedition, unknown to Hook were Captain Peter Blood and several of his men, who followed along to confirm Blood's suspicions, not knowing they had been spared from Davy Jones's vengeance. The expedition was led by Captain Pugwash and Tom, the cabin boy. (There is some debate as to when Captain Pugwash was active as their exploits contain visual allusion such as Flags and the depiction of Kings of Britain and France active at certain times, which has led to many believing their exploits had to have taken place between 1660 and 1685 yet later evidence places them in either 1715 and 1775 respectively. We believe we aha found evidence as to how this could be.
The expedition first headed straight through the pillars of Hercules in the Strait of Gibraltar, lands of course connected to greek mythology, though they did not discover the island of Themyscira, while they did discover the islands that formerly housed long dead creatures of green mythology. They were blown off course by a storm and discovered an island with a
river of wine and a marker indicating Heracles and Dionysus had visited. Upon leaving they were then deposited by a whirlwind on the Moon, at least a portion which contained a breathable atmosphere. While the original report by Lucian of Samosata had documented a battle between the King of the moon and the King of the Sun over colonization of the Morning star, this conflict had evidently ended in the destruction for both societies by the time the expedition. "James" then decided that he would arrange for his crew to colonize the Morning star itself. He argued with Captain Pugwash and then staged a mutiny against him, throwing him off the side of the ship as they flew, but keeping Cabin Boy Tom as a servant. A man on board who "James" had befriended named William Smee was the first to accept James as the Captain. When he asked where the Captain would take them, James, pondered this and answered with "Second Star to the Right, and straight on till morning."
The crew now under the control of James discovered the island of Neverland and set out to explore, finding the island was filled with natives and Mermaids. Captain Pugwash was found washed up on the other side of the island by Tom, who escaped from James into the forest with Captain Blood. Pugwash and Tom then revealed to Blood that they had made several journeys to the Neverland before, revealing a sight that brought a tear to Blood's eye and probably would have to Blackbeard's. A Pirate village had formed on the island with the local breed of Pixies being used to grant ships there the ability to fly to and from the island at will.
Pugwash's crew retreated to the Harbor. James's crew followed them but then retreated. Pugwash had gained a following on the island which James lacked. Since he could not seek revenge, James chose instead to keep to himself and explore the island on his own terms. Blood asked James if he had indeed betrayed Blackbeard, which he denied. Blood and James were surprised to discover that they did not age which was explained to them by Pugwash as being a result of the island's magic which led to the realization that Tom the seemingly 8 year old Cabin Boy was older than he looked.
The Three Pirates remained ageless in Neverland for years to come. Blood considered bringing the Brethren Court to Neverland but decided against it.
Davy Jones searched for Blackbeard. Blackbeard's sorcerer Hurwood sensed Jones was coming for him and that his abilities could not protect the famous Pirate. The two engaged in a war with Edward Teach proving to be a match for Jones with his undead crewmen. The conflict finally reached an end when Hurwood the sorcerer, who could predict the future and had used this ability to find and resurrect Blackbeard. He performed a ritual to see the future and revealed to both men what the future held for them. Hurwood revealed that Jones would be reunited with his love but the same man who would reunite them would also be the one to lead Blackbeard to his death. A deal was made that Jones would take the soul of the man who would lead Blackbeard to his death and in turn Blackbeard would attempt to find and revive Calypso.
The man in question was Captain Jack Sparrow. Sparrow was sent down with his ship, the Wicked Wrench, and confronted by Davy Jones. He bargained for 13 years of being a Captain of the Ship. Jones accepted as he knew Sparrow would not only kill his rival Blackbeard but also reunite him with his love. Jones held the role of Captain for only two years before his second in command Barbossa led a mutiny and stranded him on an island. Jack would lead both Jones and Blackbeard to their deaths, fulfilling Hurwood's prediction by uniting the two in death. In 1750, Jack Sparrow went on a journey to discover Poseidon's trident, which was then destroyed, removing all the curses which had been cast. This action resulted in Jack being considered worthy of the secret of the existence of Neverland.
The Golden Age of Piracy had by this time ended in 1730. The cursed Pirates who roamed the seas found their supernatural edge gone and there was now an intended exodus to Neverland following the various governments organizing a crackdown on all Pirates. The diminishing number of Pirates warranted a meeting of what few Pirates remained at the time. Votes were held in order to decide where the few remaining Pirates would meet. Captain Slaughterboard, being a good friend of most of those present successfully elected rose Island as the meeting place and his own ship, The Black Tiger as their meeting place.
Those present included:
Captain Clegg
The most infamous Pirate of his Day.
While studying at Oxford, Christopher Syn fell in love with a spanish girl named Imogene Almago whom he married. Syn's love was seduced by his close friend Nicholas Tappitt. Syn pursued the couple to America but in the process was attacked by the Pirate known as "Black Satan" whom Syn killed in a duel, becoming the new Pirate Captain of the Ship, The Sulphur Pit. One of Syn's closest friends was one " " of Black Satan's crew. When Syn left to shore to search for Tappitt and Imogene in the American Wilderness, unknown to him Mipps arranged an accident in which a Powder-hold ignited and destroyed the ship, killing all witnesses of Syn's piratical acts. Syn discovered that Tappitt had become a whaler and took Imogene and their child with him. Syn adopts the alias of Captain Clegg and becomes a ship's harpooner. He eventually caught up to Tappitt and stole his ship and crew, beginning a new life of Piracy as "Captain Clegg".
Clegg reported the Pirates Conference and took notes on the various members.
Captain Blood
the Captain himself was there. He was reported as strutting and twirling his moustache.
Captain Slaughterboard
"...on The Black Tiger, owned by Slaughterboard, who is a good man and an enemy to none of us, though I like his yellow bunkmate not a bit."
Captain Slaughterboard was once the most ferocious and wicked pirate you could ever imagine. He liked nothing better than cutting people up with his cutlass or making them walk the plank. Then one day, on a remote island, he spied a strange Yellow Creature - and from that time on, he's a changed man. How he loved the Yellow Creature! They became the best of friends, always together, sailing the oceans.
Captain Pugwash
"Pugwash I cannot make up my mind about. He seems a rather soft and inoffensive little chap, not at all cut out for life on the high seas."
Captain Pugwash was a pirate of the high seas who commanded the Black Pig. He was the hero of many tales of bravery and daring. As he would tell you himself, his ruthless cunning made him a daunting enemy, and the name of the Black Pig was enough to strike fear into the heart of any sea-faring captain.
Captain James "Hook"
"Hook, on the other hand, while very capable, is an enigma..."
Despite his depiction in illustrations as having already had a Hook hand by this time, this seems to be an error. The Captain would not have had the Hook hand at this point. He would lose his hand in a battle with Peter Pan, who first arrived in Neverland as a baby only seven days old some time around the turn of the century according to Biographer and researcher J.M. Barrie. He evidently made several trips to Earth, which allowed him to age from infancy as he was around 12 to 13 years old when first meeting the Darling children in 1904, placing his birth in either 1890 or 1891, 120 years after the Pirates Conference unless Neverland not only prevents aging but also allows some method of time travel, an idea backed up by a conversation which James apparently had with another Pirate Lord named Don Rafael:
"You'll never guess who I encountered at Oporto a few months ago. [...] James. [...] He's lost a hand. [...]he said it wasn't so bad, the hook was as good as a dagger in a fight. [...] He didn't look a day older, not a day. [...] James was a lot more...subdued. [...] The taberna keeper's little lad came round to collect our plates, and when he turned and saw he, for just a second he looked—scared. No, worse than that. Terrified. [...] Can you imagine that? Afraid! Of a young boy!"
This should be impossible given the placement of events. However one thing to keep in mind is the man who came to be known as James Hook is an enigma. We know James Hook was not his real name according to researcher J.M. Barrie.
"Hook was not his true name. To reveal who he really was would even at this date set the country in a blaze", and relates that Peter Pan began their rivalry by feeding the pirate's hand to the crocodile. He is said to be "Blackbeard's bo'sun" and "the only man of whom Barbecue was afraid"
Barbecue was another name for the famous Pirate Long John Silver, who was present at the Pirates Conference and their interactions as reported by Clegg seem to be accurate to this. It is known that Hook attended Eton and Balliol, but nothing else. Speculation stretches from the Pirate's true identity being anyone from Jack the Ripper or James Moriarty, or perhaps an ancestor of either one of them. Other accounts rumored him to have been both Captain Peter Blood or Jack Sparrow, both of which put this account into question, but also contradict account such as both Blood and Hook being at the Pirates Conference and both Sparrow and Hook attending the final meeting of the Brethren Court, which occurred in order to dissolve it prior to the Pirates Conference.
Long John Silver
Long John Silver is a cunning and opportunistic pirate who was Quartermaster under the notorious Captain Flint. Long John Silver had a pet parrot called Captain Flint, in a mob tribute to the man, often seen sitting on his shoulder where she would nibble on seeds. Silver claims to have served in the Royal Navy and lost his leg under "the immortal Hawke. "His left leg was cut off close by the hip, and under the left shoulder, he carried a crutch, which he managed with wonderful dexterity, hopping about upon it like a bird. He was very tall and strong, with a face as big as a ham—plain and pale, but intelligent and smiling."
Captain Pysse-Gummes
Not much is known about him except that he got into a "Foppish-slapping match with Peter Blood.
Guybrush Threepwood
a strange pirate who would often ramble about "shoddy, 17th century electrical wiring" and a treasure known as "big whoop".
Jack Sparrow
Jack Sparrow, though he would have been reaching age 70 at this point and may have died of old age by this time, was present at the conference. He is supposedly a silhouetted Pirate in the illustrations of this event.
The members of the Conference made the decision that Piracy itself was ending and most of the members of the Court decided to move to Neverland.
Captain Clegg will appear later on as a member of Gulliver's Fellowship, eventually giving up Piracy.
Long John Silver had by this time retired to a life of Luxury and lived happily with his wife.
Captain Peter Blood, Captain Slaughterboard, Jack Sparrow,Captain Pugwash, and Captain Pysse-Gummes vanished from the sight of the authorities along with all their crew members. It is believed that the Pirates escaped to Neverland.
Whatever happened to Guybrush Threepwood is unknown. He appeared to be anachronous in terms of what technology he seemed to be aware of, suggesting he may have knowledge of the future.
James of course became the famous pirate Captain Hook, who's story is quite well known.
Next: Gulliver's Fellowship-1787
