Sunlight glistened silver off the pirate captain’s cutlass. He held the point firmly against the throat of Sergeant Funrin, drawing a thin crimson bead of blood that sat still and heavy on the sailor’s skin.

“Thinking you and your mates could run us through in the night, eh, guardsman?” The pirate’s face turned up into a handsome, if mocking smile. “A twilight assault seems a bit, hmm what’s the word?” He turned to face his crew and gave a quick shout, “What’s the word boys?”

“Sounds like something we’d do, cap’n!” The quick response came; laughter, thick and laced with anticipation for the night’s events, followed in its wake.

“Aye, it does, it does. And since you led your men to kill me in the most pirate-like fashion, I’m inclined to let you walk with your life. Code of the sea and all.”

Sergeant Funrin let out his breath, unaware he’d been holding it. The action caused his skin to prick uncomfortably against the cutlass still held at his throat. His voice fumbled weakly. “You’re serious?”

The pirate’s eyes flashed more steel than the cutlass in his hand or the dirk at his side. “Course not.” With a flick of his wrist, the cutlass swung downward away from the neck. A deep gash appeared on the sergeant’s uniform . . . and chest. Blood trickled through skin, bubbling near the surface. The pirate grabbed the shocked and dying navy man’s throat and held his eyes so they’d gaze into his own. “You won’t be alone for long, son. I’m gonna send every last one of you Port Blacksea men down to Davy Jones. And when you get there, tell him Anry the Bladed sent you.” Anry through the man backwards and turned away, not caring to watch the man fall overboard.

Misunderstanding can be the root of so many evils, and the story of Gaulx Rinemein is a prime example. A half-elf born to a human mother in the city of Port Blacksea, Gaulx faced varying levels of prejudice throughout his childhood and adolescence. None of these particularly wounded him, though the he could not deny the stinging loneliness he felt from time to time. Fortunately, three things helped him through those early years: his mother’s care, his quick wit, and his diligence.

It was this latter attribute that endeared Gaulx to many of the boatmen and dock laborers who worked the Port. Young Gaulx did heavy lifting, learned to fish and sail, and was extremely useful (and cheap labor) to a variety of sailors and merchants. As he grew into a young, and as many of the city girls would tell you, handsome, man, he envisioned a life at sea.

He had no idea how true that vision would be.

The misunderstanding in Gaulx’s life came when the Port Blacksea authorities knocked on his mother’s door late one evening. They found her in bed with an elf, Gaulx’s father. These amorous visits were kept secret from the young half-elf because his father had no desire to play the role, and because Gaulx’s mother was too passionate about his father to force the issue. Had this been another time or another place, such discretion would not demand the attention of any authority, however, in Port Blacksea this was not the case. A contingent of elves from the nearby Gorelle Woods had long been a thorn in the side of the local constabulary; they practiced banditry, murder, and other crimes all under the banner of fighting for their hereditary lands – lands now considered property of Port Blacksea. Gaulx’s father was considered an accomplice to this group.

A scuffle ensued. Gaulx’s father escaped; his mother died.

Upon discovering the situation, Gaulx flew into a fit of rage, and ran a guard through. Faced with impending death, a sailor who’d hired him many times before paid for his release. Anry, as the wizened sailor was called, took the angry half-elf under his wing and taught him the life of piracy; he nurtured his hatred of Port Blacksea, and before he passed on, he gave his name to Gaulx. “You are the 7^th Anry, a name that will always strike terror into the cold heart of Port Blacksea.”

Anry wants nothing less than to watch Port Blacksea burn. He is merciless in his execution and assault on vessels that would call the Port home. So efficient has he been in his three years of piracy, that the name Anry the Bladed has become known even further along the coast; the bounty for his head has raised itself accordingly.

Anry’s plan is simple. Kill any merchant leaving or arriving to Port Blacksea. While the Port still remains strong, his efforts have begun to play out. The constant threat of death and piracy has slowed the number of ships coming in and raised prices for incoming goods to a level uncomfortable with the local government.

Anry’s natural charisma has made him a superior leader. Despite starting with only one ship three years ago, the pirate has managed to gather a sizable armada of pirates. His forces number no less than six pirate ships, with at least a hundred buccaneers answering to Anry’s banner, a dirk and cutlass crossed over a crimson field.

By Land, By Sea (Heroic)

Merchants who do business in Port Blacksea find themselves with a quandary. The threat of Anry the Bladed has forced them to find a more ‘cost-effective’ manner of getting goods into town, namely by caravan. While this is not without its dangers, namely a rogue band of wild elves who roam the forests, it has proven to be the wiser route.

Until lately . . .

Recently an entire caravan was slaughtered by a group of elves, a tactic unusually cruel and complete considering their past efforts. An investigation of the area revealed a dead elf wearing a bandana … Anry’s banner. It would seem that the charisma of Anry has turned inland in an attempt to fully throttle Port Blacksea. Will the PCs be able to fend off pirates and elven bandits? Will they be able to disrupt this dangerous union? Or will Port Blacksea fade away under the double-edged assault?

Guilt and Vengeance (Heroic)

Gaulx’s father, and elf named Mirilian, has seen too much pain in his life. The loss of his homeland to the greedy Port Blacksea authorities, the death of his wife at their hands, and the loss of his son to a life of piracy. Two of these things cannot be undone, one . . . one perhaps can be. The grieved father seeks out the PCs and makes an ultimatum. Bring my son to me, or Port Blacksea will burn within the week as every elf in the region will make one final assault. He promises that if his son can be brought to him, alive and unharmed, his people will seek peace with the Blacksea authorities.

To complicate issues, the beleaguered merchant’s guild just put a price on both Anry and Mirilian’s heads, the total being more money than the PCs have ever seen.