Pirate Oracle - Letters of Marque and Reprisal

...for In a Wicked Age

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1,Ace of Spades - A galleon loaded with Aztec gold, commanded by a sneering Spaniard. 1,2 of Spades - A Royal Navy ship-of-the-line, commanded to hunt down pirates. 1,3 of Spades - The Navigator's rutter from a Dutch explorer's vessel, showing sea-routes not known to other nations. 1,4 of Spades - A diamond necklace, ripped from the throat of a great lady. 1,5 of Spades - A fast ship, sloop-rigged and lightly armed, running before the wind, trying hard to escape pursuit. 1,6 of Spades - Hidden reefs, endangering any ship which passes over them at low tide. 1,7 of Spades - An English merchantman, sailing homeward loaded with cotton, tobacco, and rum. 1,8 of Spades - A troop of musket-armed Marines, standing at attention for their Lieutenant's inspection. 1,9 of Spades - The foppish commander of a Naval unit, more interested in furthering his own ambitions than in pursuing his orders. 1,10 of Spades - A course laid through shark-infested waters. 1,Jack of Spades - Letters of Marque against the enemies of a European Crown. 1,Queen of Spades - A man willing to sail to the edge of the world to get revenge upon those who have wronged him. 1,King of Spades - Forged documents, implying that their bearer speaks for the Crown. 1,Ace of Hearts - A young widow, her husband lost at sea, seeking knowledge of his fate. 1,2 of Hearts - A pox-scarred sailor, rough and unshaven, becoming drunk and violent over a perceived slight. 1,3 of Hearts - Flotsam and jetsam, washed ashore after a sea-battle. 1,4 of Hearts - A peg-legged pirate, who has seen many things in his days at sea, and will tell of them, for a price. 1,5 of Hearts - A plague-ship, spurned by all and unable to make port. 1,6 of Hearts - A spy-glass, lovingly cared-for, in a leather case. 1,7 of Hearts - An unknown ship, flying a false flag. 1,8 of Hearts - Betrayal and treachery! 1,9 of Hearts - An amber signet ring, which belonged to a Duke before it was ripped from his finger. 1,10 of Hearts - A French pirate, so feared that his victims often prefer to take their own lives rather than face capture at his hands. 1,Jack of Hearts - An English Buccanneer, a former Naval officer, skilled at ship-handling. 1,Queen of Hearts - A bawd, procuring young girls for a dissolute nobleman. 1,King of Hearts - A sailor, adrift, clutching a floating cask half-filled with rum. 1,Ace of Diamonds - A pirate-hunter turned pirate, betraying his oath to the Crown. 1,2 of Diamonds - A ship stricken with scurvy, her sailors sickened and weak, unable to defend themselves. 1,3 of Diamonds - A brace of pistols, of fine craftsmanship, carried by one who knows nothing of how to use them. 1,4 of Diamonds - A young Naval Midshipman, assigned to deliver a message to the Governor. 1,5 of Diamonds - Captured Spanish charts, carefully copied, and used by the Royal Navy. 1,6 of Diamonds - A sinking ship, it's rats fleeing down the anchor chains. 1,7 of Diamonds - A fortified town, held for ransom by it's captors. 1,8 of Diamonds - A pirate captain, married fourteen times, who has strangled each of his wives in turn before throwing them overboard. 1,9 of Diamonds - A Corsair, recently escaped from his enemies, rowing away in a small boat. 1,10 of Diamonds - A Spanish treasure-ship, laden with gold and gems, caught by a storm and forced aground on a deserted island. 1,Jack of Diamonds - A Quartermaster, lately accused of cheating when dividing up captured booty. 1,Queen of Diamonds - Mutineers, conspiring to sieze control of their ship. 1,King of Diamonds - Fo'c'sle gossip blaming the ship's misfortunes on a crewman who killed an albatross. 1,Ace of Clubs - A ship said to be cursed, her crew doomed never to set foot on land again. 1,2 of Clubs - A compass said to point only to one's heart's desire -- or perhaps it is just broken. 1,3 of Clubs - A legendary sea monster, said to entrap ships within it's coils and crush their timbers. 1,4 of Clubs - Dolphins, seen frolicking in the bow-wake of a ship, perhaps leading it toward it's goal. 1,5 of Clubs - A tattoo artist, who claims that his work can give mystical aid to the wearer. 1,6 of Clubs - A sea-chest, containing a preserved human heart. 1,7 of Clubs - A silver snuff-box, with a secret compartment in it's base. 1,8 of Clubs - A cat-o'-nine-tails, caked with the blood of the man flogged with it. 1,9 of Clubs - A cursed coin, said to bring ill luck to it's owner. 1,10 of Clubs - The severed head of a pirate, it's beard and hair black and tarred. 1,Jack of Clubs - A wrecked ship, sunk in shallow water, said to be full of treasure and the ghosts of the men who went down with her. 1,Queen of Clubs - A madwoman, said to be a witch who can control the weather. 1,King of Clubs - The fearsome figurehead of a ship, carved in the form of a maiden bearing a human skull in her hands.
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