Assassin's Creed Initiates: The Golden Age of Piracy
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 | 1 - Amsterdam // Netherlands // 1630 - THE DUTCH BUCCANEER AND SLAVER
Laurens Prins was born in Amsterdam and spent most of his life operating out of Port Royal, Jamaica.
In the early days of the Golden Age of Piracy, he sailed as a privateer and developed a reputation for courage fighting against the Spanish on behalf of the British crown. He was celebrated for his role in Sir Henry Morgan's infamous raid on Panama in 1671.
After retiring from privateering, he settled in Jamaica and entered the slave trade to bolster his wealth. In 1717, his flagship slave galley, The Whydah, was attacked by Black Sam Bellamy, though Prins managed to survive and continue slaving.
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 | 2 - Alveston // England // 1711 - IN DEFENSE OF ROSE
Laureano Torres was born in Havana to Tomas Torres y Ayala and Elvira de Quadros Castellanos. He was raised in Madrid, Spain and joined the Spanish army in his late teens, and became a Templar in his twenties, using their connections to get appointed as the governor of Spain's territories in Florida.
He returned to Europe to fight in the Spanish War of Succession. In 1708 he was appointed as the governor of Cuba, but was arrested for corruption. He was acquitted of the charges and won a re-election in 1713.
Torres developed both the Templar Order and the economic development of Cuba at the same time. He established the cultivation of tobacco on the island, gaining massive profits.
He recruited the French arms dealer Juilen du Casse and the pirate hunter Woodes Rogers to his Order, and even managed to entice the disgruntled Assassin Duncan Walpole to join him in his quest to locate The Observatory, a structure built by the First Civilization that could only be opened by a Sage, whom Torres believed to have captured.
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 | 3 - Bridgeton // Barbados // 1651 - THE STORY OF RUM
Rum has been a staple of trade and nautical culture for hundreds of years. It is an alcoholic beverage produced from the by-products of sugarcane processing like juices and molasses. It is widely popular in the West Indies as well as the Canadian Maritime.
The origins of Rum are debated, but drinks made from fermented sugarcane juice have existed for thousands of years in Asia. Production of rum started out in the West Indies in the 17th Century when plantation slaves discovered molasses could be fermented into alcohol which could then be purified and concentrated by distillation.
Rum quickly became a trade staple in the Caribbean. Its popularity, value and heavy dependence on manual labor made it a key component in the era's trade triangles between Africa, Europe and the Americas. It replaced French brandy as the Royal Navy's daily ration of alcohol to its sailors, a practice shared by pirates. In fact, a daily dose of rum, or tot, was served to sailors of the British Navy until 1970.
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 | 4 - Gardiner's Island // Long Island // 1651 - BURIED TREASURES
Contrary to popular interpretations, chests brimming with gold and jewels were rather rare during the Golden Age of Piracy. Burying treasures in any form was rarer still. The only documented case concerns William Kidd's attempt to use some of the wealth he buried on Long Island as a bargaining chip to avoid punishment for piracy. That tactic failed miserably for him, he was hanged.
While English fiction helped popularize the myth of buried treasures, pirates were much more practical, looting food, water, alcohol, ammunition, rope, canvas and wood from ships to stay afloat. They sold anything they couldn't use, including looted valuables to pay for the crew and turn any profit from their endeavours… Which was often spent carousing on shore.
There have been ships filled with gold and treasures but they were usually warships under heavy escort. The average pirate ship could not hope to successfully overtake such tempting targets… with a few notorious exceptions. Still, a lot of commodities we consider of little value now were very valuable then because of rarity. Things like spices, fabrics and dyes were common types of pirate plunder.
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 | 5 - England // United Kingdom // 1660 - THE GRUFF COMMODORE
Commodore Peter Chamberlaine was charged with the task of helping Woodes Rogers issue King George's pardon to pirates. However, Peter was deeply resentful of his commanding officer and flouted Rogers's orders whenever possible.
Although he was humorless, he was respected by his men as a man of fortitude and cunning.
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 | 6 - Tulum // Yucatán // 1660 - THE MAYAN MENTOR
Named for the Mayan god of hunting, Ah Tabai was the Mentor of the West Indies Brotherhood, as was his father Bahlam before him. Not much is known about Ah Tabai's early life, except for the fact that he lost a son.
As Mentor, Ah Tabai worked hard to open his Brotherhood to all people with good intentions as well as remain in contact with other Brotherhoods across the globe.
When the first rumors about the appearance of a new Sage began to emerge in 1713, he asked for help in keeping the First Civilization sanctuary safe from the Templars.
At the beginning of 1715, a British Assassin named Duncan Walpole arrived in Tulum, and asked to train under Ah Tabai, despite already possessing the rank of Master Assassin. When the Mentor received word that the Templars had captured the Sage, he sent Walpole to retrieve him, not knowing that Walpole was planning to betray him and the Brotherhood.
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 | 7 - Akan Region // West Africa // 1670 - THE MAROON ASSASSIN
Anto was born to the Ahsanti tribe in the Akan region of West Africa and sold into slavery as a young man. He was sent to Jamaica where he escaped with the help of the legendary warrior Kujo.
Anto founded a Maroon community near Kingston and established good relationships with local traders to coordinate raids on plantations to free slaves.
Although he ran Kingston's Assassin bureau, Anto's priority was always to free slaves from captivity.
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 | 8 - Panama City // Panama // 1671-01-18 - THE CAPTAIN WAS HERE
Born in Wales, Henry Morgan became a buccaneer who raided Spanish settlements in the West Indies. Operating under the tacit approval of the English government, it is believed that Morgan was part of an expedition to seize Jamaica from the Spanish government.
After participating in several similar quests, Morgan was appointed commander of the buccaneers in 1668, and he organized multiple raids on Spanish settlements. In violation of a treaty between England and Spain, he captured Panama City and burned it to the ground.
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 | 9 - England // United Kingdom // 1675 - DEVOTED TO DISCIPLINE
Kenneth Abraham was born to an upper-class family and was educated in boarding schools. Upon graduation, he entered the army and rose through the ranks to become a commander.
His devotion to order and discipline earned him a place with the Templars, who offered him power and influence that the military could not.
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 | 10 - Houghton // England // 1679 - THE TRAITOR DUNCAN WALPOLE
Duncan Walpole is the second cousin of Robert Walpole, who is widely considered to be Britain's “first prime minister.”
He left the relative comfort of his family life at age 18 when he joined the Royal Navy as a mid-shipman with dreams of becoming an officer. However, his hot temper and impulsiveness impeded a swift ascension through the ranks.
After three years, Duncan left the navy for the East India Company and met a sailor who introduced him to the Assassin Brotherhood and its teachings.
Although he was initially hesitant, Duncan quickly learned the skills of a Master Assassin. However his temper and arrogance were still present, which led to clashes with the leadership of the British Brotherhood.
In 1714, his Mentor asked him to sail to the West Indies to rendezvous with the Brotherhood there and meet with their Mentor Ah Tabai. Duncan eagerly accepted the mission, and the British Brotherhood never heard from him again.
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 | 11 - Poole // England // 1679 - THE PIRATE HUNTER
Woodes Rogers was born into money, and his early life was the very model of ambition. When his father died in 1706, Woodes inherited his family's shipping company, and his fortunes grew.
However, by the end of 1707, his business suffered under raiding French forces and Rogers sought to recoup these losses himself. He became a privateer soon after.
His career as a privateer was rather unremarkable, though he was able to pen a successful memoir based upon his exploits. However, his fortunes quickly reversed. His son died suddenly, and wife left him soon after. Then he was sued by his former shipmates for allegedly hoarding profits, and lost the case.
In 1713, he returned to sea, and went to Madagascar to find and subdue the pirate stronghold of Libertalia. He was disappointed to find that it was little more than a squat.
When he returned to England, he lobbied King George for a commission to hunt pirates in the West Indies and was appointed the Governor of the Bahamas. He became an ally of the Templar Grand Master Laureano Torres y Ayala and joined his search for the Observatory.
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 | 12 - England // United Kingdom // 1680 - A VICIOUS CAPTAIN
The history of Charles Vane is not well documented, but he arrived in Port Royal during the War of the Spanish Succession and served under the infamous pirate Henry Jennings.
On his own, Vane recruited his old friend “Calico” Jack Rackham as his quartermaster. He was notoriously cruel to the crews of ships he captured and even withheld spoils from his own men, earning a reputation for being a difficult Captain to sail with.
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 | 13 - Norfolk // United Kingdom // 1680 - BLACKBEARD’S MENTOR
Much of Benjamin Hornigold's early life is unverified, but it is assumed that he was born in Norfolk, England around 1680.
He first appears in history between as one of the first pirates to emerge after the end of the Spanish War of Succession, which suggests that he was one of many privateers who could not make a living in the ensuing peace.
Hornigold was a mentor to Edward Thatch and settled in Nassau, where he launched a career as a full-fledged pirate. However, although he was a skilled sailor and strategist, he lacked the ruthlessness required to be truly successful. He refused to attack English ships out of a sense of loyalty to his home country and soon began to question the long-term viability of the Pirate Republic he had helped create in Nassau.
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 | 14 - Bristol // England // 1680 - BIRTH OF A LEGEND
Little is known about the life of Edward Thatch before his exploits in the Caribbean during the golden age of piracy. He was most probably born in Bristol, England, and pursued a career as a sailor. It appears that he participated in the War of the Spanish Succession but, when the war was coming to an end, few jobs were available in the Royal Navy, so Thatch, like many other sailors, settled in the Americas in search of better fortunes.
Thatch began his pirate activities under the command of Benjamin Hornigold. He then took command of his own vessel, and quickly became the most powerful pirate of his era, captaining several ships, the most famous being the Queen Anne's Revenge. During his career as a pirate, which only lasted a couple of years, Thatch terrorized the British authorities.
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 | 15 - Casnewydd Bach // Wales // 1682-05-17 - CAPTAIN OF THE FORTUNE
Born John Roberts, much of his early life is unknown. However, he would later become the most successful pirate of the Golden Age, capturing over 170 vessels in his career. It is unknown why he changed his name to Bartholomew, but it's possible it was an homage to the privateer Bartholomew Sharp.
Although history remembers Roberts as “Black Bart,” he never used that name during his lifetime.
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 | 16 - Port Royal // Jamaica // 1682-12-21 - CALICO JACK
Jack Rackham was born in Jamaica, though little else is known about his childhood.
Rackham took great care in his personal appearance and presentation, and dressed himself in printed and painted fabrics, earning him the nickname “Calico Jack”.
He was frequently drunk, and often chasing women, using his outrageous and offensive personality to keep out of most trouble. However, despite associating with many famous scoundrels, Jack Rackham was not much a fighter, or sailor, or pirate.
He became the quartermaster on a British pirate ship under the command of Charles Vane, and the two joined the Pirate Republic in Nassau in January 1717.
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 | 17 - Montpellier // France // 1682 - A COLLECTOR OF HIDDEN BLADES
Julien du Casse was the nephew of the buccaneer Jean du Casse and followed his uncle's example by taking to the sea at an early age. Although he fought a few battles in the War of the Spanish Succession, he quickly grew disillusioned with the monarchy and deserted his post before the Battle of Velez-Malaga.
Julien sought his fortunes in the New World. At first, he worked for slave traders in Africa, but was uncomfortable with the cruelty of the profession, and so he departed for the West Indies in search of yet another vocation.
Julien worked for 10 years as a mercenary for anyone who could pay and eventually landed a permanent position with Templar Grand Master Laureano Torres y Ayala.
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 | 18 - England // United-Kingdom // 1682 - MR. WRONG
Hilary Flint was born to an aristocratic family, the youngest of three boys. He was the black sheep of the family, often finding solitude in his studies, and discovered a particular interest in explosives, which earned him the label of “problem child.”
His parents then enrolled him in military school, where he quickly charmed his way into a few secret societies. After graduation, his connections earned him a place in the Templar Order. His obsession with firearms and explosives made him a valuable asset.
He was known to operate in the West Inidies and was also known to have been romantically involved with the Assassin Rhona Dinsmore.
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 | 19 - Guangzhou // China // 1686 - THE ORCHID
Although Jing Lang was born to Chinese rebels, she grew up to become an accomplished diplomat with a flair for languages. She married the son of a general in the Qing Dynasty, until a shift in politics forced her to become a pirate.
She spent the next decade at sea, and developed a reputation for brutality. In the West Indies, she became obsessed with a rumored treasure and feigned a romantic interest with former Assassin Vance Travers to gain access to it.
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 | 20 - // Barbados // 1688 - THE ARISTOCRATIC PIRATE
Stede Bonnet was probably the most unlikely person to end up as a pirate. Bonnet was the son of an affluent sugar planter in Barbados. His parents died when he was very young and he inherited the family estate, including the numerous slaves living on the plantation. Bonnet's liberal education did not make him an obvious candidate for a career as a pirate.
However, later on in life he left his wife and decided to take up piracy. He knew absolutely nothing about ships and seafaring, and ordered a fine vessel to be built, which he named the Revenge, and then set out to find a pirate crew.
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 | 21 - England // United Kingdom // 1688 - THE STEADFAST SMUGGLER
Upton Travers was born in England, and traveled to the West Indies to seek his fortune alongside his younger brother Vance.
They established a smuggling operation that they used to fund their involvement with the Assassin Brotherhood. Of the brothers, Upton was far more measured and sensible when it came to dealing with the challenges that frequently came their way.
However, the arrival of an alluring Chinese pirate named Jing Lang caused a rift between the two brothers.
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 | 22 - Glasgow // Scotland // 1689 - THE RUNAWAY BRIDE
Rhona Dinsmore was born in Scotland to an absent father and alcoholic mother. She left Glasgow in her teens and found work with merchants in Bristol.
At the age of twenty-one, Rhona was trapped in a terrible marriage and fled to Boston, before moving on to Jamaica. At first, she tried to work as a farmer but soon found herself as a member of the Assassin Brotherhood.
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 | 23 - England // United Kingdom // 1689 - BENJAMIN'S LACKEY #1
Little is known about John Cockram, other than he was a friend and confidant of Benjamin Hornigold. Although he was a pirate for a few years, he quickly grew disillusioned with the state of affairs in Nassau and searched for a new cause to believe in.
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 | 24 - England // United Kingdom // 1689 - BENJAMIN'S LACKEY #2
Little is known about Josiah Burgess other than the fact that he was a friend and confidant of Benjamin Hornigold. He was a pirate for a few years but saw an opportunity in the royal pardon being offered by the King of England.
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