Assassins On The High Seas

Avast Ye Assassins

The high seas are filled with peril and danger at any given time, but off the island-riddled coast of the tropical south west, the waters are particularly more dangerous than elsewhere in the world. Regardless of the large naval and lawful presence within the area, a nefarious group of assassins has managed to gain control of the seas and surrounding islands. This pirate armada is responsible for the countless sunken wrecks that litter the seas around the numerous coastal islands, and many more deaths. Their unique and shadowy talents are for sale to the highest bidder. Operating without honour, these assassins are known to quickly double cross their contractors for an excessive fee without hesitation. The Crimson Armada is a dire and menacing threat to any that find themselves targeted by these pirate ninjas.

The Crimson Armada

Members of the Crimson Armada walk boldly through the streets of the numerous port cities and towns of the region, proudly displaying the scarlet tattoos that mark them as a member of the assassin coven. Each tattoo that adorns a member of the Crimson Armada has two purposes. Firstly, the amount of tattoos symbolizes achievements that are awarded within the pirates’ society. These accomplishments vary from almost honourable to downright morbid. It has been said that acts of successful treason and mutiny, as well as killing superiors, are classed as high achievements, while acts of bravery, loyalty and sacrifice also gain an assassin an inked marking. The second and more coveted aspect of the tattoos are the powers and abilities that each tattoo grants to the bearer. Each symbol holds a fragment of primeval power from an ancient shadow oni assassin lord. The powers and abilities of each symbol vary widely from instant mastery of martial arts, such as ninjutsu and kendo, to shadow arts, like teleportation and invisibility. With these supernatural abilities the members of Crimson Armada have continuously eluded capture from the watchmen and authority forces of the region only to strike back with deadly precession upon anyone that stands in their way. Now there are very few people left in the area that oppose the chaotic might of the Armada and fewer still who are willing to speak such words aloud.

With their imposing presence within the cities and towns of the coastal region the leaders of the Crimson Armada remain hidden within their fortress home which lies upon the back of a colossal dragon turtle. Using dominating magic, the Armada’s most powerful magicians control the once ferocious turtle as the see fit. The thick moss laden shell holds a menacing blood red solid stone fortress the stands several stories high. The Armada has also carved several caves and dungeons into the turtle’s shell where they house their most treasured items. With enough money anyone or anything can employ the Armada to complete a number of tasks, the pirates specialize in assassination and thievery but will take on any task as long as the money is right. The inherent risk of hiring the nautical assassins is having them double cross you, the agents of the Crimson Armada are given free reign to offer a choice to their targets, for a hefty price victims can reverse the contract placed upon their heads. This choice of immunity can be offered numerous times to the same two parties, with the price ever increasing. This game of back and forth has seen the Armada amass an extremely substantial amount of wealth in the short period of time they have been operating. The freedom that each pirate assassin can offer also extends to their methods, with no two members of the Armada operating in the same manner. Some complete their missions with stealth and speed, whilst others rampage head first through any obstacle within their path.

Foundations

The leaders of the Crimson Armada started life as little more the orphaned thieves who scrounged a living in the darkened and filthy alleys of the capitol city of the coastal region. As the years passed, their distain for the wealthy and fortunate around them grew to scornful hatred. The brother and sister began to covet wealth above all things and made a pact to do whatever was necessary for them to amass a wealth that was the envy of kingdoms and empires. They received their chance the day they stole ancient scrolls from holy monks who were resting in the city whilst on a pilgrimage. At first they meant to sell the parchment for mere gold, but when tracked down and confronted by the monks, a fight ensued. During the scuffle ink rubbed off upon the brother granting him the instant mastery of a martial art, with which he bested the skilled monks. Upon that day five years ago the Crimson Armada was founded, with the single purpose to amass a hoard of wealth the likes the world has never seen.

O’Captain, My Captain

Captain Derdan, controls the Crimson Armada’s countless ships from his immense 1^st rate Ship-of-the-line. Known by its crew as Red Sea, the immense ship has single-handedly dispatched an entire fleet of naval vessels in combat. Whilst Derdan’s sister remains within the Armada’s fortress, he appears as the face of the pirate assassins and has a royal bounty on his head larger than anyone in known history. However any who have sought to claim the bounty have either been recruited into the Armada or have fallen to the twin magical cutlass’ that hang awkwardly from Derdan’s petite frame. His thick black hair hangs to his shoulders, framing a youthful face that is patched in a thin beard that speaks of the captain’s youth. Countless tattoos completely cover the small frame of the captain’s constantly shirtless top half. The power of these tattoos has seen the teen gain abilities and powers that surpass veteran heroes and legendary generals. Many warriors mock his appearance and stature upon first meeting, a mistake that is only made once. Derdan is covered with every single tattoo that he and his sister found upon the scrolls, including the original that rubbed off during the initial fight with the monks. As such his powers and abilities are almost limitless as he verges upon the edge of immortality.

Hidden Sister

Krestaen spends the majority of her time within the fortress of the Crimson Armada. Her once auburn hair, now abyssal black to match her eyes hides a secret tattoo upon her scalp that she tore from the scrolls upon the day she and her brother stole them. This unique tattoo coupled with the others upon the scroll has granted Krestaen powers that equals Derdan, however in place of the martial skills of Derdan, Krestaen has access to limitless shadow and Oni magic. The small, adolescent girl constantly carries two bladed whips that appear ridiculously long and unwieldily even if in a master’s hand. However her abilities with the extended whips are legendary amongst the few people who know her. Krestaen uses her abilities to oversee the operations of the Crimson Armada. The young girl delights in her role as interrogator and torturer for the few prisoners of the Armada, often using dominated sharks to slowly terrify and devour prisoners she has becomes bored with. Whilst Derdan is unaware of his sister’s hidden tattoo, Krestaen covets the ink marking that was smeared almost illegibly upon her brother. Wealth has become meaningless to Krestaen as the demonic voice in her head constantly raves about the joys of destruction and mayhem. A strong will has kept the voices at bay so far, but it is only a matter of time until Krestaen gives in to her morbid urges of destruction.

There Can Be Oni One

In darkened years now forgotten and never recorded in the histories of the world, an immortal shadow oni rampaged across the world. Countless heroes and innocents fell before the unstoppable demon and the world burned crimson with blood and fire as hope disappeared. Known only by the title of Crimson Death, the demon Shinoshi delighted in the perfect world it was sculpting. As a master of all shadow magic and martial arts, no group of heroes could even last mere minutes before the abomination. As chaos flooded the world, a small group of enlightened monks gathered together in an effort to stop the beast. A mighty ritual took place in which the ten monks sacrificed the enlightened energy to weaken the demon, then separating and draining all of Shinoshi’s powers into several scrolls. With their sacrifice and the immortal demon captured, the world returned to normal and Shinoshi was eventually forgotten by everyone, except the monks who guard the evil scrolls on an endless pilgrimage. If all the symbols are to ever be written on a single canvas or the scrolls completely destroyed, then Shinoshi would return once more to the world.