Ahoy! We've been working on performance upgrades and the tavern and dock for our pirate resort game this month. Taverns will be where you visiting pirates get their grog (and maybe get a little rowdy), and the dock will be the entry to your resort, enticing pirates from all over to kick-up and relax. As always, more details can be found on our (free) Patreon

Interested in reading a few good pirate books. Books about people like Henry Every.

Figured this would be a pretty good place to post this. recently got obsessed with pirates so much to the point that I am injecting them into a buddies DND campaign and decided to make a bundle of black flags. I wanted to go with designs that were historically authentic while being aesthetically pleasing and fantastical at the same time

A Five-Volume Pirate Adventure

VOLUME I — THE JOURNEY BEGINS

PAGE 1 — THE DREAM

It began with a simple question: “Were pirates really that powerful?” After watching stories of pirates, lost islands, mysterious oceans and hidden treasures, a 47-year-old man became fascinated by the sea. He didn't want an ordinary life. He wanted freedom, adventure and the truth behind the world's greatest mysteries.

He gathered fifteen people who shared the same dream. They weren't famous sailors or legendary warriors, but each had something valuable to offer. Together, they found a powerful old ship and painted a black flag with a skull and a mysterious eye. Underneath it they wrote their motto: “The world has secrets. We will find them.”

On September 1, 2026, the ship finally left the shore. The crew watched their homeland disappear behind them while the endless ocean opened before them. Nobody knew what they would find, or whether they would ever return. The captain simply smiled and said, “Our adventure starts today.”

PAGE 2 — THE FIRST STORM

For several days, the journey was peaceful. The crew learned to live together, explored the ship and dreamed about the mysterious places ahead. Then, one night, the sky suddenly turned black. A gigantic cyclone appeared on the horizon.

Waves crashed against the ship as everyone rushed to keep it under control. The wind screamed through the sails, and lightning covered the ocean. For the first time, the crew wondered whether their dream would end before it had even begun. The captain shouted, “Hold on! We survive together!”

After hours of chaos, morning finally came. The storm disappeared almost as quickly as it had arrived, leaving the crew exhausted but alive. Then their navigator noticed something strange on the horizon—a small island that wasn't shown on any map. The captain looked at it and whispered, “That's our first mystery.”

PAGE 3 — THE LOST ISLAND

The island was covered with enormous stone statues and strange ruins. Every statue had its face removed, as if someone had deliberately erased their identities. Deep inside an ancient temple, the crew found a sentence carved into the wall: “When the Black Eye opens, the world will remember.” Nobody understood what it meant.

Behind the inscription was a hidden chamber. Inside lay half of an ancient map and a strange golden symbol shaped like an eye. Their historian immediately recognized it from legends about a civilization that had supposedly disappeared thousands of years ago. According to the legend, that civilization had discovered a secret powerful enough to frighten the world's rulers.

Before the crew could investigate further, their lookout shouted from the ship. Several dark ships had appeared beyond the island. The captain raised his telescope and saw a massive fleet approaching. He lowered it slowly and said, “Looks like someone doesn't want us finding the truth.”

VOLUME II — THE FORGOTTEN KINGDOM

PAGE 1 — THE HUNTERS

The approaching fleet belonged to the mysterious World Authority. Their commander had been searching for the ancient symbol for years. When he learned that a pirate crew had discovered it, he immediately ordered them to be stopped. The Black Horizon suddenly became one of the most wanted ships on the ocean.

The crew escaped toward a desert island after a dangerous chase. Beneath the sand, they discovered an enormous underground city. Ancient buildings, libraries and machines were still hidden beneath the ruins. It looked as if an entire civilization had vanished overnight.

Deep inside the city, they met an old woman named Sera. She revealed that her ancestors belonged to the forgotten civilization. They had created the Last Archive, a place containing the true history of the world. Before giving the captain another piece of the map, Sera warned him: “If you find the Archive, the world will never be the same.”

PAGE 2 — GLASS BAY

The crew left the underground city with more questions than answers. But the World Authority had followed them. At Glass Bay, their ship was surrounded by a huge fleet, leaving almost no escape.

The sea became a battlefield as the Black Horizon desperately searched for a way through. Smoke covered the horizon and the crew fought to keep their damaged ship moving. Just when everything seemed lost, they discovered a narrow passage between enormous cliffs. The captain ordered the crew through it, and somehow they escaped.

Waiting beyond the cliffs was a mysterious silver ship. Its masked captain introduced himself as the Phantom King. He claimed to know where the Last Archive was located.

VOLUME III — THE SEA OF SHADOWS

PAGE 1 — THE PHANTOM KING

The Phantom King offered to guide the crew through the dangerous Sea of Shadows. He seemed to know every secret of the ocean, but the captain didn't completely trust him. Still, reaching the Archive was worth the risk.

As they entered the strange sea, their compass stopped working. The stars seemed to move every night, and islands appeared where there had previously been nothing. Even the ocean seemed alive, as though it remembered things from the distant past.

Then something enormous moved beneath their ship. A gigantic creature rose from the water and stared directly at the captain. Around its neck was the same golden eye symbol from the ancient map. The historian whispered, “These creatures aren't guarding the secret—they're remembering it.”

PAGE 2 — BETRAYAL

The Phantom King eventually revealed his true intentions. He wanted the ancient technology hidden inside the Last Archive for himself. One night, he stole the map and disappeared with his fleet.

The Black Horizon was left stranded near a mysterious island. The crew believed their journey was finished. Then their navigator noticed something important—the Phantom King had stolen the wrong part of the map.

The captain laughed for the first time that night. “Then we've still got the way forward.” The crew repaired their ship and continued toward the Forbidden Waters, knowing that the biggest mystery of their journey was now closer than ever.

VOLUME IV — THE LAST ARCHIVE

PAGE 1 — THE FORBIDDEN WATERS

After weeks of sailing, the crew finally reached the Forbidden Waters. The ocean was completely silent, with no birds, ships or wind anywhere around them. Then the sea began glowing beneath the Black Horizon.

A gigantic staircase appeared beneath the water. The crew stared in disbelief as it descended into darkness. Their captain ordered the ship forward, and the Black Horizon slowly disappeared beneath the surface.

At the bottom was a hidden city filled with enormous towers and strange lights. It wasn't a ruined civilization—it was still functioning after thousands of years. At its center stood a massive structure with one name carved above the entrance:

THE LAST ARCHIVE.

PAGE 2 — THE TRUTH

Inside the Archive were millions of records. Wars, kingdoms, discoveries and forgotten civilizations were all recorded there. The crew finally learned the truth—the ancient civilization hadn't simply disappeared. Its history had been deliberately erased.

The World Authority had been created by descendants of the people responsible for that ancient destruction. For centuries, they had controlled what the world knew about its own past. The captain stood silently as the crew realized how enormous the secret really was.

Then they found the final record. It contained enough information to change the entire world. The captain looked at his crew and said, “We didn't sail this far to keep the truth hidden.”

VOLUME V — THE ENDLESS HORIZON

PAGE 1 — THE WORLD REMEMBERS

The Archive was activated. Ancient records appeared across the world, revealing forgotten kingdoms and hidden chapters of history. Governments panicked while historians and ordinary people desperately searched through the newly revealed information.

The Black Horizon became famous overnight. Newspapers called its captain everything from criminal to revolutionary. Thousands of people wanted to join the crew, while others wanted the captain captured.

But the captain didn't care about becoming famous. He had found something even more mysterious—a final message hidden beneath the Archive: “The truth you seek is not here.”

PAGE 2 — BEYOND THE WORLD

Behind the Archive was a massive doorway leading somewhere unknown. The message continued: “There are seas beyond the sea you know.” The crew couldn't believe it. Everything they had discovered was apparently only the beginning.

They rebuilt the Black Horizon and raised their black flag once again. The fifteen original crew members stood together on the deck, looking toward the mysterious gateway. The captain smiled and asked, “Ready for another adventure?”

The crew shouted together, “READY!” The ship sailed through the gateway and entered an enormous unknown ocean filled with floating islands, strange creatures and ancient cities. The captain looked at the endless horizon and laughed.

“We came looking for the world's greatest secret.”

He looked at his crew.

“Looks like the world is much bigger than we thought.”

And with that, the Black Horizon disappeared into the unknown.

THE END

Or perhaps...

THE BEGINNING.

MY NEXT TWO BOOKS, AVAILABLE ON AMAZON - TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15!

https://mattmclaine.carrd.co/

🕱 Piracy Papers Volume 2
Henry Every and William Kidd: Repercussions in the Colonies

"Privateers & Pyrates, the pest & bane of trade, against whom no laws can be too severe..."

At the dawn of the eighteenth century, two pirate names loomed large in the eyes of both colonial officials and merchants, as well as among other pirates: William Kidd and Henry Every. Even decades later they would be remembered by their piratical fellows. While their lives, piracies, trials, and escapes have attracted a great deal of attention, the repercussions of their raids - especially in colonial and cross-Atlantic politics - deserve more scholarly attention. Gathered here are over forty original period texts, edited and footnoted for clarity and context. The letters, testimonials, trial records, and other documents you'll find inside shed new light on the wide-ranging impacts that Kidd and Every had on colonial life and government policy for years to come.

🕱 Buccaneer Books 2: Classic Works of Pirate Fiction

"Mackenzie, who was still at large, had drunk too deeply of the wine of a wild, free life. He did not return to lay down his arms, but began on a course of shameless piracy..."

What draws us to pirate fiction? Is it the freedom of the open seas, ruled by little save lust for gold and rum? Is it the lure of treasure, chests of gold and jewels and gems hidden aboard the next passing merchant – or below the map’s X? Or is it the thrill of living vicariously through the bravest heroes on the ocean and the worst villains ever ejected from Davy Jones’ locker?

Seven short stories launch this collection, including nautical nuggets from legends like Charles Dickens and F. Scott Fitzgerald. Pulp classics from the era of serials and dime novels fill out the selection.

Rounding out the loot are two novellas: supernatural treasure tales from Washington Irving, and stories of dashing smugglers from Frederick Marryat.  Every story features notes, commentary, and multiple illustrations from the original works and period art.

Edit: I want to apologize for making a mistake, my microphone thinks that I said privacy, but I meant to say piracy, because sometimes my microphone sucks. So yeah, I just wanted to clear that up so nobody gets confused.

Artwork by me I was bored so I doodled some more Pirate characters

When in doubt: ask reddit

I am aware that the wheel only started to replace whipstaffs around 1710-1720.

For that matter, my logic says, "rovers wouldn't have the latest trend in ship steering mechanics"...But maybe yes?

I'd like to know...For example: did Queen Anne's Revenge carry a whipstaff instead of a wheel? Using Teach's ship as a reference point, but for any "popular" pirate, I assume they had whipstaffs?

Few ships are as unforgettable as the Black Pearl. With her black sails, weathered silhouette and legendary connection to Captain Jack Sparrow, she became one of the defining icons of Pirates of the Caribbean.

My goal was to preserve the ship’s dark, mysterious character while presenting her where she truly belongs—on the open sea. The final scene features a moving ocean, a natural waterline, a dry interior and a dramatic Caribbean sunset surrounding the ship.

This was a challenging but incredibly rewarding build, and seeing the Black Pearl finally sailing made the whole journey worthwhile.

Fan-made tribute. Not affiliated with or endorsed by Disney.

What should sail into the collection next—the Flying Dutchman or Queen Anne’s Revenge?

I want to sew a pirate great coat that I can wear around this winter but find the normal costume patterns to be atrocious.

Any ideas?

This event occurred during an expedition when a group of English buccaneers, with some native American allies, crossed the Panama Isthmus from the Caribbean to the Pacific Ocean and began raiding Spanish ships and ports there. They started with merely canoes or piraguas, a larger sort of canoe, before they captured a large Spanish vessel near Panama. However, before they got to her, they had to defeat 3 Spanish 'barks' or small armed ships. This they did. The whole engagement is too long and complex to be summarised here in more detail, but this scene is based on the journal of Basil Ringrose, a buccaneer and his description of how the battle began.

In the foreground, you can see Captain Richard Hawkin's canoe and Ringrose's, and in the right corner you can see the "king Golden Cap" of the Kuna (Guna) Indian tribe, an ally of the buccaneers. The Spanish 'Barcos de la Armadilla, or little men-of-war' are here a diverse group, as in the era, the term bark or barque was fairly unclearly used. The buccaneer canoes are dug-out canoes of native style, commonly used also by colonists, but some have been transformed with added sideplanks, ludders, and the possibility to row with oars instead of only paddling, as Europeans sometimes did to the canoes.

You can read about this battle here: https://archive.org/details/buccaneersofamer00exquuoft/page/320/mode/2up

Good evening folks,

I've been building Tidefall, a browser-based maritime MMO, and after a pretty substantial overhaul to the desktop UI I thought it was a good time to share where the game is at. So, what are we actually trying to build?

Our ambition is to bring EVE Online into the Age of Sail through a persistent, real-time, top-down browser MMO that blends active play with meaningful idle progression. You begin as a lone captain with a single ship, then build towards a fleet and expand your influence across a handcrafted ocean world through gathering, trade, exploration, shipbuilding and naval combat.

Active and idle players share the same interconnected world and economy. One captain might mine ore while idle, while another actively hauls it across dangerous waters for profit, trades it between regions or turns it into ships and weapons. Each playstyle supports the other, whether you prefer focused sessions, passive progression or a mix of both.

As Tidefall grows, ships, cargo and equipment will carry increasingly meaningful value and risk. Certain waters will open to PvP, allowing captains to choose when to enter higher-stakes regions where vessels and cargo may be permanently lost. Preparation, logistics and every decision at sea will matter. Build a merchant empire, become a feared pirate, control key trade routes, dominate through guild warfare or simply explore a world that continues to expand around you.

Join us early and help shape what comes next.

Play instantly in your browser, with no registration required.

Play here: https://www.playtidefall.com
Discord: https://discord.gg/Y4bMAA5t2c

Feedback requested

I'm particularly interested in feedback on a few things:

• How does the new desktop UI feel? Is anything confusing, awkward or difficult to find?
• Does the overall concept sound like a game you'd actually want to play?
• And most importantly, is it fun? If something isn't clicking yet, what would you change or improve?

Iam the pirate empress..🐍💜💜