Difference between revisions of "Edith Darkwater"
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'''Edith Darkwater''' (also known as '''Edith of Darkwater''', '''Edith the Dreaded''', '''Edith the Bloody''', and '''The Dread Queen of Darkwater''') was the notorious leader of the Darkwater Dozen, a pirate fleet which harassed merchant ships and the fledgling [[Belgrit|Belgritian]] navy from [[AY 1095]] to [[AY 1122]], as well as conducting other raids along the southern coast of [[Delun]] from [[Al-Uqh]] to [[Ordinatus]]. | '''Edith Darkwater''' (also known as '''Edith of Darkwater''', '''Edith the Dreaded''', '''Edith the Bloody''', and '''The Dread Queen of Darkwater''') was the notorious leader of the Darkwater Dozen, a pirate fleet which harassed merchant ships and the fledgling [[Belgrit|Belgritian]] navy from [[AY 1095]] to [[AY 1122]], as well as conducting other raids along the southern coast of [[Delun]] from [[Al-Uqh]] to [[Ordinatus]]. | ||
| − | Aside from her more mundane exploits, Edith has also ascended into a figure of myth and legend, said to have stolen the moon from the sky and sunk the entire Belgritian armada and all manner of other such nonsense. | + | Aside from her more mundane exploits, Edith has also ascended into a figure of myth and legend, said to have stolen the moon from the sky and sunk the entire Belgritian armada and all manner of other such nonsense. One of these rumors is that she possessed a magic flute which could command the wind to carry her ship wherever she wished, earning her the nickname ''Whistling Death''. A replica of this alleged flute is held in the Belgritian Hall of Curiosities in Domren. |
| + | |||
| + | == Early Life == | ||
| + | Nothing is known for certain about Edith's early life, as her true identity has never been fully established. Some very early alleged letters of hers, written to her parents, was addressed to "Evelyn and Richard Grand" in the town of Edgewater on the island of Brine. This letter was not discovered until after the Grands died, but one of their neighbors, Samuel Westbridge confirmed the Grands had a daughter who ran away in her teens. The veracity of this version of events has been called into question on the grounds of Westbridge having been a fiction author who wrote and published a poorly sourced book on the matter, "The Pirate Queen: The True Story of Edith Darkwater". | ||
| + | |||
| + | == Letters / Cipher == | ||
| + | Most of the documents attributed to Edith which have surfaced over the years have been enciphered in some unknown manner. She is known to have used a unique system of runes possibly derived from the Dwarven script. One sample of such a message exists on display in the Belgritian Hall of Curiosities. It is reproduced below as an example. | ||
| + | [[File:Edith Darkwater Script Sample.jpg|center|thumb|An example of Edith Darkwater's enciphered communiques (intended orientation unknown). The text consists of one large rune (left) and 56 smaller runes (right) of different design.|alt=]] | ||
| + | |||
| + | == Disappearance and Legacy == | ||
| + | It is unknown when (and indeed whether) Edith Darkwater died. Although she disappeared centuries ago and appeared completely human, rumors of half-elven parentage and stolen youth-sustaining magic persist to this day. And, of course, ghost stories are told in which she (and often the 4 other captains in her fleet whose ships disappeared amidst uncertain circumstances) continue to raid unsuspecting vessels even in death. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Her last known broadly accepted sighting was at the [[Battle of Brine]] in AY 1122. | ||
== Fleet (The Darkwater Dozen) == | == Fleet (The Darkwater Dozen) == | ||
Latest revision as of 17:56, 12 September 2021
Edith Darkwater (also known as Edith of Darkwater, Edith the Dreaded, Edith the Bloody, and The Dread Queen of Darkwater) was the notorious leader of the Darkwater Dozen, a pirate fleet which harassed merchant ships and the fledgling Belgritian navy from AY 1095 to AY 1122, as well as conducting other raids along the southern coast of Delun from Al-Uqh to Ordinatus.
Aside from her more mundane exploits, Edith has also ascended into a figure of myth and legend, said to have stolen the moon from the sky and sunk the entire Belgritian armada and all manner of other such nonsense. One of these rumors is that she possessed a magic flute which could command the wind to carry her ship wherever she wished, earning her the nickname Whistling Death. A replica of this alleged flute is held in the Belgritian Hall of Curiosities in Domren.
Early Life
Nothing is known for certain about Edith's early life, as her true identity has never been fully established. Some very early alleged letters of hers, written to her parents, was addressed to "Evelyn and Richard Grand" in the town of Edgewater on the island of Brine. This letter was not discovered until after the Grands died, but one of their neighbors, Samuel Westbridge confirmed the Grands had a daughter who ran away in her teens. The veracity of this version of events has been called into question on the grounds of Westbridge having been a fiction author who wrote and published a poorly sourced book on the matter, "The Pirate Queen: The True Story of Edith Darkwater".
Letters / Cipher
Most of the documents attributed to Edith which have surfaced over the years have been enciphered in some unknown manner. She is known to have used a unique system of runes possibly derived from the Dwarven script. One sample of such a message exists on display in the Belgritian Hall of Curiosities. It is reproduced below as an example.
Disappearance and Legacy
It is unknown when (and indeed whether) Edith Darkwater died. Although she disappeared centuries ago and appeared completely human, rumors of half-elven parentage and stolen youth-sustaining magic persist to this day. And, of course, ghost stories are told in which she (and often the 4 other captains in her fleet whose ships disappeared amidst uncertain circumstances) continue to raid unsuspecting vessels even in death.
Her last known broadly accepted sighting was at the Battle of Brine in AY 1122.
Fleet (The Darkwater Dozen)
| Ship Name | Captain | Class | Manufacture | Crew | Cannons | Original Name | Fate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Zephyr | Edith Darkwater | Brig | Belgritian (presumed1) | 150 | 24 | Vanguard (disputed1) | unknown |
| The Clink | Golden Boy (Erick Gilder) | Galleon | Belgritian | 400 | 88 | Saint Solomon | Captured in AY 1120, served as the first Belgritian Parliament Ship |
| The Last Resort | Bloody Ben
(Benjamin Richter) |
Brig | Belgritian | 175 | 20 | Saint Catherine | Sunk in the Battle of Brine (AY 1122) |
| The Scallywag | Brittlebones Beth | Schooner | Belgritian | 90 | 16 | Morning Glory | Sunk in the Battle of Brine (AY 1122) |
| The Bearded Lady | The Red Dragon (Agatha Gallant) | Sloop | Araxian | 75 | 8 | Virtus | Sunk in the Battle of Brine (AY 1122) |
| The Bastard | Rancid Rob | Schooner | Araxian (presumed) | 90 | 14 | unknown | unknown |
| The Twisted Knife | Raynauld the Rat | Sloop | Belgritian | 75 | 10 | Libertine | Captured in the Battle of Brine (AY 1122) |
| The White Gull | Marcus the Mouth | Sloop | Belgritian | 75 | 12 | Saint Benedict | Sunk in the Battle of Brine (AY 1122) |
| The Warden | Blind Jim
(James Burch) |
Brig | Belgritian | 130 | 22 | Saint Paul | unknown |
| The Dawnstar | Willy Whitewhiskers | Sloop | Ao | 75 | 10 | Nijari-Deng | unknown |
| The Rose | Gwen Darkwater (disputed) | Schooner (custom) | Darkwater (presumed) | 90 | 16 | The Rose | unknown |
| The Whisper | Desmond Frey | Catamaran (modified sand skiff) | Al-Uqhid | 40 | 6 | Al-ajar-qalaan | Sunk in 1120 |
Footnotes
- The Vanguard disappeared on its maiden voyage from the Arthan shipyards to Araxia in AY 1094, one year before the first recorded mention of Edith Darkwater. Though it was presumed sunk at the time, it bore a striking resemblance to the Zephyr and was one of the earliest vessels to be outfitted with runeshot.
