Claudios

Plunder

• Vital Stats

  • Name: Claudios
  • Gender: Male
  • Played by: AlaskanViking
  • Race: Black Bear
  • Age: 32
  • Height: 9 feet (2.74 meters)
  • Weight: 758 lbs (343.82 kilos/157.47 stone)
  • Hair: Black
  • Eyes: Gold
  • Handedness: Left
  • Relationship Status: In a relationship

• Description

  An imposing sight he was. At least nine feet tall, barrel of a chest covered by a long beard, stovepipe arms stretching his sleeves...the sheer size of the black bear and his surly demeanor might have been enough to put off most. If that didn't do the trick then there was the fact he was the captain of the infamous pirate ship Poseidon's Lament. A large tricorne hat rested upon his head just over eyes containing golden irises, a long coat upon his shoulders. He was never one to bother with a shirt, the only thing that covered his chest was the brown leather harness which held a bracer of flintlock pistols. A pair of canvas pants and heavy boots adorned his lower body, a large cutlass attached to the belt at his waist. Aye, the man was quite the vision indeed....one many prayed they would never lay eyes on when at sea.

• Biography

  The tale of the captain who's very name inspires terror begins humbly. Claudios grew up in a run down hovel, born to a poor family that could barely scrape by on what they begged, borrowed, and stole. Even as a child he was taller and broader built than other children in his village, his parents soon realizing they would not be able to feed him forever. A visiting captain of a merchant vessel had noticed Claudios, as large as most full grown men by the age of twelve, working the docks. His youth and great strength intrigued the captain, certain he could use the boy on his ship to do the work of several men and save himself a bit of coin. It only took an hour for Claudios' parents to negotiate a price for him, and at the tender age of twelve he was sold into slavery.
  
  The next six years were filled with back-breaking work, regular beatings, and meager meals. Despite this dark existence he still managed to retain some of the warmth of heart he'd had as a child. He helped care for some of his fellow slaves, even sacrificing his own rations on occasion if his masters had started to starve one of his fellows as punishment. Despite the violence he was exposed to on a daily basis he still retained a gentle spirit, refusing to raise a hand to his captors and give them a reason to punish him or the others in their sadistic manner. During this time his size and strength only grew, making him an asset for any hard labor but a liability to feed. Because of this he changed hands several times, serving on many ships and picking up as much as he could about navigation and sailing.
  
  This all changed on his eighteenth birthday. The infamous Captain Ironmane, then leader of the crew that sailed the pirate ship Poseidon's Lament, raided the merchant vessel he was aboard. The fight was brutal, bloody, and quick. The merchant vessel was not even close to prepared for an attack by the pirate crew, the much larger and fiercer beings overpowering what passed for guards. Once the loot, including slaves, was being divided and decided upon it was Claudios' great size that brought him value once again. The other slaves, deemed to weak to be part of the crew, were put to the sword over Claudios' objections. This was the first time that he let his rage consume him, lashing out with tooth, fist and claw against the pirates. Two of the crew lost their lives that day, but the captain was impressed with both his ferocity and strength. As punishment he spent six months chained below decks after he was subdued, allowing his rage and anger to simmer beneath the surface.
  
  His imprisonment had changed him, hardened his heart. He realized the savagery of his existence, the necessity to become more beast than man to survive. He was no longer a child working to survive in a village that looked down upon him; he was a man whose continued existence depended on his ability to fight for his life. For another year he served aboard the Poseidon's Lament, receiving education in an area he never thought he would need: combat. He had yet to 'earn his blade' according to the crew, but that did not stop some of the larger crew members from tutoring him in unarmed combat and how to wield a knife. He was a very, very quick learner, constantly pushing himself to ensure he would one day be able to stop men like these.
  
  Things came to a head when they captured another slave ship. Once again, the captain began to inspect the slaves to see if they were worth feeding or if they should have their throats cut and thrown to the sharks. When Ironmane once again declared the lot were to be put to the sword, Claudios could not stand idly by. The fight was still the talk of the crew over ten years later, the giant bear having taken on Ironmane, his first made, and six other crew members with his bare hands, killing all of them in the span of a minute. The rest of the crew was too fearful to try and slay the giant of a bear. The captain dead at his feet, soaked in the blood of his foes, Claudios took control of the Poseidon's Lament. The slaves were given passage to the nearest civilized landmass, a few joining his crew to repay the life debt they now owed him.
  
  Thus began the reign of Captain Claudios.