Arcelia William Turner was born to Ann McGowan (full Irish-American) on an unusually gloomy afternoon in May. The father, 'Bootstrap Bill' Turner, returned back from a voyage when Arcelia was three years old. At this time, Ann began very sick and died only three months after Turner's anticipated return. To add to his load, Turner discovered that his wife– a woman by the name of Samantha Barclay– had also given birth, to a son. Turner managed to barter passage on a ship bound for Port Royal and stayed by his wife's side until their son had reached the age of three, meanwhile unwisely leaving young Arcelia in the care of his fellow pirates aboard The Black Pearl. But instead of them treating her like their own personal slave, Arcelia was the one having them jumping through hoops to keep the rambunctious six-year-old under control. In another year, Turner returned to The Pearl, his mates, and his daughter to set sail once again. As for his son, young William's mother kept his father's 'profession' a secret from the boy. She knew he'd already had one child spoiled by piracy, and didn't want the same for her son.
For the next seven years Bootstrap took Arcelia along on The Pearl's adventures all over the world, always at his side. If anyone laid a funny glance upon her that he didn't like, Bootstrap would threaten to slit them up a treat if they dared to come close. Arcelia also learned how to fight from Bootstrap and two of the other pirates– by the names of Pintel and Ragetti– who'd slowly become her baby-sitters on the rare occasion Bootstrap absolutely couldn't take her with. But one day, Arcelia's world came crashing down after her father stood up to the others against a mutiny against their captain Jack Sparrow. For this, Bootstrap was then sent down to the deepest depths of the ocean. Not wanting to encounter the same fate as her father, Arcelia hid down below deck until the next raid then jumped ship and stowed away on another that was bound for England. This ship, quite coincidentally, also happened to be carrying across with it her younger half-brother William. But that ship was then attacked by The Black Pearl, every last person aboard killed. That is, except for the young Turner children. Pintel and Ragetti found Arcelia, but she convinced them to spare her life and leave her. Will was found adrift in the sea by a passing ship and taken aboard, but you already know that story.
** Arcelia has long sandy brown hair and dark liquid brown eyes, an uncanny likeness to her father. She stands at 6 foot tall barefooted, with a strong and slender build. Due to the fact that Arcelia wears only pants and men's shirts, never dresses or heeled shoes, she is often mistaken for a boy at first glance. As weapons, she hides several small throwing daggers hidden in the lining over her bodice– one of the few pieces of feminine clothing she wears– and a machete always holstered at her hip. And as a neat side note, Arcelia's name in Spanish (?) is translated to mean 'treasure'. Quiet a coincidence, eh? **
