Our Crew

The Crew of the Valhalla is a dangerous lot.

Led by the fierce Captain Charles W Black,
these Sea Dogs have been known to pillage and plunder
- giving no quarter and making off with the booty!

Give this lot a wide berth or ye'll be sent to Davy Jones' Locker!

Lt. Michael Morgan Black

First Mate

Michael Morgan Black grew up on the Celtic sea with his older brother, Charles. Also an English Naval Officer, he signed onto the Valhalla as her Lieutenant and second in command.

And although this man is a bit of a rogue and a scallywag, his loyalty lies with King and Country. So obviously it did not sit well with 'im when his brother began to seize English Ships.

"A political statement? I think not!"

Michael maintains his position as First Mate on the Valhalla, but questions his older brother's loyalties.

Is blood thicker than sea water? We shall see...

Mayhem Matthew

Master Gunner

Mayhem Matthew is an ex-cannoneer of the British Navy. After 15 glorious years of service, he left the Navy to pursue a career in prize fighting.

He eventually fell victim to the back street pubs and shanties of London, fighting in bare knuckle challenges for food, rum, and some spare change.

On occasion, he would sign on with a merchant ship as a black powder expert. It was on one of these trips that he ran into Captain Black and the Valhalla. His ship was seized and Matthew was presented the option to either be set adrift or sign on with the Valhalla. He adapted to the life of a pirate rather quickly as it seemed to be much more lucrative a trade.

Matthew's strong presence and keen knowledge of black powder weapons earned him the position of
Master Gunner on the Valhalla.

John,
The Mad Dutchman

Quartermaster

Captain picked him up in the West Indies for his skill in flintlock and saber and his knowledge of arcane treasures. Not much is known about him, other than the fact he is utterly mad and claims to have escaped the Flying Dutchman.

Do not let his savvy and relatively mild demeanor fool you, he is obsessed with finding obscure and mythical riches he believes he can use to bribe Davey Jones to release him from his bond.
No matter the cost he or others may pay.

In one attempt to recover the Mask of Watutsu, he was shot in the eye by a poison dart. The witch, Kimchi, saved his life (but not his eye), in exchange for the mask and passage off that accursed island.

However, he is still on his quest to either recover the mask from the Witch or find another powerful talisman in which to trade for his soul!

Kimchi

Mystical Advisor

Magic afoot?
On a Pirate ship?

When the Captain agreed to take on Kimchi as a crew member, he believed her to be more enchanted with magical powers than witchcraft.
Powers that could actually be of use to him and 'is crew.

The Captain, a rather superstitious man, will gamble with 'is fears if it may benefit 'is ship.

However, he'll be keeping a close eye on this wench...

Handsome Devlin
O'Driscoll

Cape Merchant

Weened on tales of the pirate clan O'Driscoll, Devlin set off to recapture his family's past glory. Leaving home at age 12, he apprenticed on ships, learning from his crewmates as he drifted around the known world.

One day, Devlin ran afoul of a bullying quartermaster.
During an “argument”, Devlin cut his throat.

The captain, a proper gentleman who felt Irishmen killing officers was bad for morale, had him clapped in irons. Devlin escaped during a timely pirate raid. As he rowed away from his former shipmates, he earned a pirate's hospitality when he fished a wounded crewman of the Valhalla from the briny.

Devlin has mastered a number of weapons and fighting styles. He is equally dangerous with a deck of cards.
Loyal to no flag, he faithfully serves Captain Black
with an eye to his own advantage...

Ma’am Marie
Bludgeons

Madame Marie is the owner of a house of ill repute
on the fell isle of Tortuga where the crew of the Valhalla often find safe haven, and can avoid the British navy.

Having no love for law and order (and a fondness for piracy), she is a great friend to Captain Black.

A strict mistress and savvy business woman, she gained a reputation for being harsh with those who do not settle their gambling debts with her in timely fashion.

Best not to cross weapons with Madame Marie!

Lord Francis Bonnet

Boatswain

Brother of the infamous pirate capt, Stede Bonnet. Frank also hailed from England by way of Virginia.

Both liberally educated men, Frank took to piracy long before his brother signed on to the sweet trade.

Frank, a man with a zest for living (and rum), was unhappy with the landlocked rigors of running his family's sugar plantation in Barbados and dreamed of a life on the open sea.

He signed on with the Valhalla during a recruitment stop in a Bridgetown pub. He said goodbye to 'is family and set out with the Valhalla in search of adventure and treasure. 'is brother Stede was not far behind as he eventually "bought" 'is very own Pirate Ship "The Revenge" and followed in Frank's footsteps.

Gwendolyn Gravenor

Able-Bodied Sailor

As the daughter of a Welsh privateer, Gwendolyn Gravenor was born on the high seas. Aboard her father's ship, she learned about loyalty and the navigational arts. From her French mother, she learned reading, writing, and, to the vexation of her father, a love of pretty things. ('A girl should always have pretty lace or ruffles, chéri...', her mother would say.)
When she began to blossom into a comely lass, he taught her how to fight (and skewer a man) with a sword. At the age of 22, she became her father's right hand and navigator of the HMS Nightingale.

That summer, they were sailing to the port of Nassau when a storm struck, destroying the ship. Gwendolyn was the sole survivor, having lashed herself to a piece of wreckage and drifted for nearly 2 days. The Valhalla saved her from Davy Jones' tender mercies. Vowing to repay the blood debt, she readily signed on to the crew.

Lady Michele Bonnet

Market Mistress

The keeper of the Captain's booty.

She fell for the Bonnet load.


1-2-3-BOOM!!!
YES!

Jean
Le Marquis de Eglise

Navigator

Jean de Eglise, a charming rogue (who refers to himself in the third person), was raised with the sword and manners of a gentleman. Commissioned in the French Navy, he spent 15 years upon the high seas honing his skills in ship handling, rigging, and navigation.

One day, Jean was tasked to deliver a captured British ship to the nearest French port, but instead led the crew into the Caribbean in search of plunder. He took many ships before falling into a British trap.

Outnumbered, the crew managed to escape but not save the vessel. Taking to the longboats, Jean made his way to Tortuga. There, he met Captain Charles W. Black. Taking a liking to Jean (and his personal charts), Black convinced him to sign aboard the Valhalla.

Jean's vices are women, rum, and wild sea stories. However, his dark side emerges in his talent for the 'extraction of information'. Jean's seeming over-confidence covers his true skills.

Gitana

Gypsy /
Able-Bodied Sailor

The life of Gitana is a life of trouble. She ran away at age 10 and was raised in a world of scavenging and theft by gypsies. When sentenced to a prison galley, the captain saw Gitana as his own personal entertainment. Brought to his cabin, Gitana took a knife from his table and ended his life. She released the prisoners who took over the ship. Trouble followed her to the Caribbean.

In Tortuga, Gitana survived by dancing and carousing in local pubs. There she approached Captain Black. He turned her down flat. But when the Valhalla got underway, he found he had a stow-away. Capt. Black was furious but found that Gitana had her uses. When in port, Gitana uses her skills to seduce merchants and learn of valuable cargo for the Valhalla to plunder.

Gitana's motto is "Don't think, just do".
This is how Gitana always finds trouble...
And why the captain keeps her close.