It has been WAY too long since I've last created any art; even longer since I last uploaded anything onto this Community's Forum... so, it's finally time to load up my own set of Armatars for this 2015 Pirates! Edition!!
There's a story behind this 4-piece set called...
"A Bloody Red Sky Over Blue Waters"...
Capt'n DayCee was relaxing while enjoying a nice cup of bloody red wine in the 'Pirate Cove's' tavern upon return from his long journey overseas... a shady man appraoches his table and sits down across from him, while looking at him with his piercing glazed eyes.
He throws a piece of scorched parchment on the table and tells him about how he managed to escape his sinking burning vessle and rescue this valuable treasure map from the flames...
Capt'n DayCee glances upon the map drawn across the scorched parchment and soon realizes it is the lost map he only heard of, but never seen, let alone hold in his hands! He pays up a small purse of gold pieces as asked by the rugged former first mate and they both head for the harbour where his ship is being prepared for a next journey...
Capt'n DayCee baorded the ship and called for attention to all deck hands. Waving the treasure map, he explained how they were setting sail for the long lost treasure chest of 'Bloody McBeard', a Pirate known for viciously roaming the 7 seas, while leaving a trail of sunken ships and floating sailors.
He was said to have only looted valuable ships carrying diamonds and gold, which made for his immensely large treasure chest being filled to the rim with the most priceless jewelry and unimaginably precious gems ever to have existed. Once the crew heard of this, they answered with a loud roar and thundering cheer, thus agreeing upon this new quest fullheartedly!
They set sail late late in the evening, when the seas were becoming restless and the moon was hidden behind a darkened veil of clouds... Capt'n DayCee stood on the ship's bridge looking back towards the port of 'Pirate's Cove', the warm lights of it's street torches slowly fading in the distance. It did not sit well with him how the crew reacted upon his announcement, not well at all... he groaned deeply while thinking of the mysterious tale he once heard years ago when visiting the Spanish Pirate haven of 'La Boca del Infierno' (Hell's Mouth).
The tale spoke of a curse being casted over any sailor that attempted to find the long lost treasure that 'Bloody McBeard' stashed away on 'Isla Muerte' (Island of the Dead) located in the south sea... the island was always steered clear of by sailors, as it had a surrounding shoreline of spiked rocks hidden inches underneath the sea's surface. Any ship not aware of this treacherous natural defense was sure to run into them and sink within minutes. The lively shark population in those waters took care of the rest...
He hoped for this legendary tale not to be true and hoped that the story of his newly acquired first mate simply was about some honest bad luck when his ship sunk in flames like he told him in the tavern... but something gave him a troublesome feeling that this journey may very well be his last as cold shivers creeped up his back...
It was an early morning when the ship's lookout shouted the crew's long awaited words... "Land Ahoy! Straight ahead! Land Ahoy!!!" Capt'n DayCee rushed into his clothes and stepped onto the deck, followed by his first mate like a shadow. He made his way to the ship's bow and gazed into the distance with his monocular, soon striking the distinct outlining of 'Isla Muerte'... an island with two mountains on either side, their spiked tops looking like a pair of devil's horns rising from the ocean depths.
He gave the order to lower the sails and deploy the barges to head for the island. The crew worked as fast as they could, bearing in mind the vast riches they were to find on this forbidden and deadly island... the barges slowly made their way towards the shore, when a loud crack was heard, soon followed by anxious cries for help. The leading barge drove its hull directly into one of the spiked rocks and sank within seconds. The other barges speeded towards their help, but by the time they arrived at the spot, the water had already turned bloody-red and they could make up a few shark fins circling the territory...
Filled with fear about a similar fate to their crew mate's, the remaining crew then focussed to spot any hidden rocks and make their way towards the safety of the island's white sandy beaches as quickly as humanly possible. A few hours slowly passed and finally all of the barges made it to the beach where the map was immediately studied thoroughly and not soon after the ship's crewran off into the jungle lead by the first mate, shovels waving and guns blazing. The Captain decided to stay behind on the beach and leave the excitement of the treasure hunt to his crew...
The bright burning sun stood high and many hours passed, when suddenly the sounds of guns, explosions and death reached the captain's ears. He jumped up and wondered what on earth was going on... he rushed to follow the path his crew had made through the jungle. The path criss-crossed through the bushes to end at the far side of one of the mountains... the captain dead-stopped at the sight of his entire crew laying scattered across the entrance of a dark cave, blood painting the rocks surrounding it... in the midsts of this carnage stood a huge shiny chest, its lid open, reveiling a blinding light... the captain slowly made his way across the slashed bodies and was amazed by the content of the chest. Literally thousands of gems and gold pieces filled a chest too heavy to lift by no less than 6 men, at least!
He buried his hands in the treasure and thought of the wealth he had found! But his glorious bliss was soon dimmed by realising that the curse must be true after all... the crew was so blinded by all these riches that they must have all wanted to claim the entire treasure for themselves, which resulted in a massacre among themselves. Knowing this was not the faith he was looking for, he decided to leave the treasure where it stood and returned to the beach, as this was not how he wanted to end his life. There was enough booty to be looted out there still...
After carefully steering clear of the shoreline's hidden rocks and returning to the ship, he ordered the remaining crew to set sail and warned them never to return here again, as it was sure to be their imminent death. The remaining crew was disappointed but agreed and they sailed off, back to the ports that surely will offer them new journeys and exciting adventures to come...
The End...
Thus told by Capt'n DayCee at the age of 66, while enjoying a nice cup of bloody red wine...
YARRRR!!!
...
To make everything complete, the 100x100 versions...
...