Arvin Tideborn

Commadore of the Fleet Arvin Lester Tideborn (a.k.a. The Scourge, The Drunkard)

How is it possible that a Hyperion drunkard and tavern brawl can ravage our shores and wipe out our ships without anyone being able to stop him? - Admiral Felix Servius of the Imperial Navy

Mental characteristics

Personal history

A Troublesome Youth

Born on the Island of Senri in the Hyperian Isles to a long line of sailors, Arvin never knew his parents well as they died when he was pretty young. His father was executed for treason against the Vatian Empire, and his mother perished at sea in a shipwreck. Leaving him and his younger sister Arianna to live with his uncle, Tobias, for much of his young life. His youth would often be causing trouble, especially with the empire, through sabotaging equipment and playing nasty tricks on the soldiers that were garrisoned in his home of Black Harbor. Of course, he would get a mouthful from his uncle Tobias and a few slaps. It wasn't like he was doing a bad thing since his uncle didn't like the empire at all, but he didn't want to attract too much attention since he was a member of the Hyperion League and meant certain death if it was discovered. When he wasn’t in trouble with the Vatian Empire, he was trying to cause with people he didn’t like, from bakers to fishermen, anyone who crossed him would get some form of retribution. He would be caught very few times as he was a crafty young lad and could weasel his way out of trouble. But he would stop when one of his tricks went too far when a neighborhood boy broke his arm. Seeing it go out of hand, he swore never to do it again and focused on training to be a sailor.
He was a natural when it came to seafaring and would be placed on his first voyage at the age of thirteen, trying to support his family as his uncle was crippled in an accident a few years before. He was considered the family's breadwinner and vowed to care for them. It was hard for any youth to fit in as older and more experienced sailors surrounded him. But his hard-working nature and respect for his elders earned him his place with the rest of the crew. For each voyage, his knowledge and skill as a sailor improved to the point that he knew everything by heart, along with how to gamble and fistfight. But most of all, he taught everything he knew to his sister, Arianna so she, too, could stand on her own and aid him in helping the family when she was old enough. He was more at sea than he was on land for weeks on end. He couldn’t get enough of it, as he was sailing his boat and testing his skills when he was not on the job. It was from this love that he secretly learned the faith of Anawe from the sea priests to understand the ways of the sea better. Often swimming out to the hidden alcoves to secretly meet with them to avoid the eyes of the empire that banned the faith, with some people joking that he was a Fishman as he was seen in the water for long periods swimming and not being seen for hours on end. But he would become a faithful follower of the old gods once fully initiated into the faith.

A Life of Crime and Love

As he got older, he started to find new ways to earn more money to support his family; smuggling and gambling would be some sources of income. He would occasionally bring Arianna with him when a feminine charm or an extra pair of fists was needed, as she was good at brawling. It would be a lucrative business as he improved it as time passed. His charming skills were also successful with the ladies, but he used his fists more than his mouth, often caused by heated arguments or too much liquor at the local tavern. Arianna would join in occasionally, too, as she enjoyed a good fight here and there. They would be as thick as thieves, and nothing would separate them as close as siblings were. That was until Arianna fell for a woman named Lena Hendry after she beat her in a fight. This would cause a divide between them as Lena didn’t like getting into trouble because of Arvin, so Arianna stopped working for him in his illegal business ventures. This led him to work solo most of the time, the schemes however were never the same without her. He would soon enough realize he could not keep doing this line of work as it was starting to get too dangerous. The Imperials were cracking down on his trades, with him almost being caught several times. But one of his escapes from the law would help him meet a beautiful young smuggler, Marci Lane, who is just like him. They would become partners in the smuggling business for a while and later under the sheets as they gradually fell in love. Through this romance, they decided to leave the criminal trade to live in honest trades to ensure they could keep each other safe. They were happy together, but he and his sister became inseparable again afterward when he started going straight. Everything seemed smooth sailing for him as he planned to marry her. But his uncle had other plans and wanted him to join the League to free their homeland from the empire.

by midjourney

Arvin doubted joining the league, which could get him in trouble and endanger Marci. But she insisted he should, as they could never live in peace together as long as the empire ruled over them and oppressed them. He didn’t do anything too serious; he just did some good old-fashioned smuggling. He smuggled almost everything for them: weapons, armor, supplies, anything useful. It was an easy job for him since he knew the ins and outs from many years of experience, just more imperial patrols to avoid. Marci would join him as well, for old time's sake, and make sure he was safe by the end of the day. Eventually, the Imperials got more innovative and increased the search for league members. Arvin knew how to hide his tracks, so he was fine, but Marci was not so lucky. She was found dead in the bay one day as her body was found floating in the harbor covered in Black Arabarok, and Arvin succumbed to grief. He spent his days drinking and getting into fights for days, with no end in sight. It wasn’t until his sister managed to get him out of it after a fearsome brawl with one another. It took some time, but he managed to get himself on his feet but with a greater hatred for the empire; while it was not proven that the imperials killed Marci, he knew they did it. But his time in Hyperia was coming to an unforeseen and abrupt end because of events that would change his fate.

The Outlaw's Choice

His anger for the empire grew whenever he saw an imperial flag or soldier, but he kept it in check. But his work for the league increased to more dangerous assignments such as sabotage and theft. But one night, on his way home, he overheard some soldiers about some woman they killed and threw into the harbor, only to realize it was Marci they were talking about. Something in him snapped, and before they knew it, he was upon them and, despite being unarmed, beat them all to death. He later returned home as if nothing had happened, but his uncle and sister were horrified as he walked through the door covered in blood. After telling them what he had done, they had to put him into hiding before the fury of the empire was upon them. He was hidden in a cave outside the harbor and stayed for a week before returning to a different place. The entire harbor had been put into a state of martial law, and it was being turned upside down to find those responsible for the murders. An increased number of press gangs were also found, snatching people up for imperial ships for the Imperial Navy was in decline as no one wanted to join. Arvin once again managed to avoid being discovered, but just by a thread. Life became more challenging, though, with the empire denying jobs to Hyperions without permits to travel on ships and surprise raids to find Hyperion League members. He stayed away from the league until everything died down, trying to find work where he could, though it was harder to do now more than ever. He thought nothing could get any worse than the trouble he caused, but it did, and it would cost him dearly.
One night, when he was home with his uncle Tobias, a press gang broke into their house and tried to kidnap them. People got smart enough to stay clear of the harbors to avoid being snathed, So they began to break into houses near it to catch people off guard. He and his uncle put up a good fight while it lasted, but Tobias was killed when they hit him too hard with their clubs. Arvin was knocked unconscious, dragged to the nearest imperial ship, and forced into it. When he woke and realized what had happened, he was in chains and forced to work on the vessel known as the I.S. Caden. He thought about escaping a couple of times, but his chances were not good, and he knew he would have to wait for an opportunity to come. Conditions on the ship were horrible as most of the crew were either conscripted or criminals being forced to serve the empire as cheap labor. Only a few dozen imperial soldiers keep an eye on them. He tried a couple of times to escape when it seemed like a good time but ended up being caught, beaten, and made an example to have no one else try and escape the ship, often through severe punishment. For months, he went through hell as the imperial continued to torture and abuse him, not because of his escape attempts but because they would not break him, and they did not like that, especially from a Hyperion who was nothing more than sea sludge to them. His open defiance gave his fellow prisoners hope, and with time, they would secretly work with him to help overthrow their captors when the moment arrived for them. Two of them stood out as his most vigorous supporters; their names were Jackson Derby and Duncan Brookes as they secretly gathered support for their plan, and eventually, it would finally arrive.

by midjourney

The I.S Caden would find itself in a terrible storm while in the Isles of Refuge, and it was here that the imperial fearing for their lives wanted all hands on deck to prevent the ship from sinking and would be their downfall. Those who supported Arvin's daring plan sprang into action along with him as they overwhelmed their captors and freed other prisoners, fighting to take over the ship while trying to navigate through the storm. The mutiny was chaotic and brutal, with both sides losing from fighting or falling into the sea from the raging storm. However, in the end, the prisoners were free. But now they had to get through the storm that threatened to destroy their ship when they got everything under control. Panicked ensued, but Arvin stayed calm and managed to get the crew to work together, and they were able to steer their way out of the storm. When the danger ended, the crew celebrated their freedom and survival; after that, there was an eerie silence as they had no idea what to do next. They had some of their former captor's prisoners in the brig, and they were considered fugitives of the empire once they found out the ship had been taken over in a mutiny. They argued and debated for the best option for themselves, some wanted to land at the nearest port and scatter, while others want to sail as far away from where the empire could never reach them. As this was happening, Arvin had ransacked the captain's quarters and began drinking the first alcoholic beverage he had in months and eating as much food as he could as the imperial were starving him in an attempt to break him. He did not seem troubled as they argued and shouted at one another, even laughing at one point, which got everyone's attention. Finally, the puzzled crew asked him why he was so relaxed; he replied: "I'm just going to live my life as a free man, and no one is going to stop me." They asked how he would do that if he were a wanted man. He replied. "No one owns the sea, not even the empire."
That realization surprised the crew as being at sea seemed the best survival case. But they had no leader to choose from until Jackson spoke out from the crowd, with Duncan in tow. They believed that Arvin was the best choice as he was responsible for their freedom and survival so far, and considering what he went through, he at least deserved to be given a chance at it. The crew only saw this as fair and agreed that Arvin should be their captain. When they asked if he would be willing to be their captain, he gladly accepted with a glint of joy he had not felt in a long time. From his first order as captain, he renamed the I.S Caden to the Blue Horizon because the ship was free to go wherever its crew wanted. His next order of business was that they would need to find an occupation for the crew, with piracy being the best option as they were already criminals, and it would be hard to find any jobs because of it. He reasoned that the empire should pay for all the sufferings they put him through at their own expense. Much of the crew agreed with raiding imperial ships and holdings because they simply hated everything it stood for and what it did to them. However, some did not wish to take this path, and rather than killing these troublesome elements, Arvin promised to drop all who wanted to leave the ship at the next harbor where they docked. Afterward, he tried to dispose of their remaining captors, though it was never determined if he just threw them into the sea and left them stranded on a deserted island that they were near. He then set sail for the Isles of Refugee to better prepare for his new way of life as the wind sailed to what would be his life now.

The Pirate's Life

Being a pirate seemed to suit Arvin better than he ever thought imaginable as he was his boss and did what he did best: drinking, women, and gambling as he sailed across the seas with his ship. He kept the crew in line and everything else in order; he chose Jackson as his first mate due to his many skills and Duncan as his navigator due to his experience with charts and navigating. They made their haven in the Lawless Isles, where no one would dare search for them, and often stayed there for long periods. They would even choose a name for themselves, calling themselves the Sea Kings as each of them considered themselves a king. It took some time for him to get used to the whole piracy business, though, as he never fought that many battles, but he got the hang of it as he assaulted ship after ship that crossed his path. But he and his crew were not something of notice, and the empire only considered them a minor threat despite hearing about their mutiny from one of the crewmen they captured who decided to leave the ship. But that changed when he made a mad assault on their shipyards at White Shore, which turned into the Battle of White Shore. They did make some decent money through the ships they plundered and razed at the cost of over a quarter of his crew, and Arvin and the survivors would spend it on food, women, and alcohol. But the empire wanted them out of the picture, and they were forced to travel far beyond the waters they usually traveled and found themselves near the Continent of Dageth. It was here they would find a lone boat of Elvish craftsmanship that seemed to be abandoned that would be worth a lot if sold to the right buyer, but they would hold more than they ever realized.
When they finally reached the boat, they were surprised to see a Dwarf in it all by themselves. He went by Berbuck Longbeard, and like Arvin, he was a wanted fugitive, only by his people. What he had on his boat would change Arvin and his crew's lives forever. In the lower parts of his ship was one the greatest secrets of the Dwarves that anyone would kill over, Black Powder. After realizing what he had in his hand, he insisted that Berbuck make it for him, resulting in a brawl with the whole crew against the lone Dwarf, which was much more challenging than it looked. He was far more robust than he looked, and it took a while for them to hold him down, finally. Then Arvin just threatened to throw him into the sea. If he did do as he said, because he didn't do it, he would find someone else. Considering Dwarves were never excellent swimmers, Burbuck Begrudgingly agreed to work for him. Afterward, he gathered the materials to build guns, cannons, and Black powder to create his arsenal. After a few months, the first humans made and possessed the first guns to use them. With time, they got used to them as the weapons seemed like magic, which terrified some. But Arvin knew his crew had a significant advantage over their enemies and could gain more fantastic rewards.

by Jester%

Yet, before they could do that, he returned home to Hyperia after the longest time to have a heartfelt reunion with his sister after being gone for a few years and test out his new guns on imperial holdings to intimidate the empire, sending them a message that a new power was rising to challenge them for the control of the seas. Their first big success was at Port Keys, one of the most profitable ports in the empire. The fierce roars of cannon fire devastated the port's defenses, and they ran off with several ships and large amounts of spoils that lasted for weeks. Their numbers swelled from their victories as the news of their newfound power spread across the sea. Emboldened by his newfound fame, he began assaulting military convoys and forts. Soon enough, the entire imperial navy was on the lookout for him, even the infamous Crimson Fleet. They would be pillaging and plundering every chance they had; Arvin would forever known as the "Scourge" as he brought trouble wherever he went. From this, his ambitions grew as he wanted the world to know him and the Sea King's power as they set out to explore the world in search of treasure and fight against those they saw as tyrants to be punished for their crimes. In only several years, Arvin's name was known throughout the empire and far beyond it to the Dark Continent.
He had amassed several fleets of warships from the wealth he had attained and enough manpower to work them to reign terror across several parts of the world. He even had his circle of crewmen that help run his fleets, Fersi the Witch of the Dark Continent, Shu Yen, a Sea Lord of the Davad Archipelago, Balthazar, the ghost of the city-states, and Galagos, a Half-Elf that is known for his wit to outsmart any foe. He even used his power to aid the Hyperion League as much as he could to help liberate his homeland, which seemed more likely every day with his help. However, all that power would attract trouble to him and his crew as many wanted to gain the Black Powder that had given him success. He stayed on land in the Isles of Refuge for a while to get some peace as he was constantly hunted. But at a certain point, he had to stop running, as the Crimson Fleet found him, and they brought much of their fleet with them. He was outnumbered as he only had a few ships with him while they had a few dozen. Even with the weapons he had, it would be considered one of the most challenging battles in his life. However, the weather seemed to be on his side as the wind was with him, along with the reefs surrounding the island he managed to stay hidden on. As the sun set, much of the Crimson Fleet was destroyed, and several more ships were captured for his fleet. The Battle of Red Reef made him a legend amongst pirates more than ever before. Nothing seems to stop him now as he hopes to return to the Hyperia and liberate it from the empire once and for all. For now, though, it is the time to raid and plunder again, for the world was his oyster just waiting to be taken as his ambitions grew more than he could ever imagine.

Species

Humans

Ethnicity

Hyperion

Year of Birth

1494 CA 38 Years old

Birthplace

Black Harbor

Current Residence

Blue Horizon

Gender

Male

Eyes

Grey eyes

Hair

Long sleek dark brown hair

Skin Tone/Pigmentation

Tan

Height

6’0”

Weight

200 lbs

Quotes & Catchphrases

If we can outrun them, we can catch them.

Most of my life has been nothing more than shit, but being a pirate was the best choice in my entire life.

You know I always wanted to be my own boss, now no one can tell me what to do ever again.

Owned Vehicles

• Blue Horizon

Belief/Deity

Anawe

Aligned Organization

Sea Kings

Other Affiliations

• Hyperion League

Sexuality
Heterosexual

Physical Condition

Arvin is well-built for his age and has more muscle than most. He is much stronger than most and has much more endurance than most. But his size makes it harder for him to run, though his quick reflexes are not affected by this.

Body Features

Tan skin with lots of hair on his body.

Facial Features

Sharp facial features and a long beard

Identifying Characteristics

Has three tattoos: a sea serpent on his left arm, a trident on his right hand, and an anchor on his back, along with serval scars on his body.

Physical quirks

Right dominant hand
Snores when sleeping,
Pacing.

Achievements

Was a Succesful Smuggler
Has raided many ports and ships
Forming the Sea Kings
Finding many treasures
Captured the Blue Horizon from the Imperial Navy
Out outwitted the many imperial ships from catching him
Formed several Pirate fleets
Defeated the Crimson fleet at the Battle of Red Reef
Obtaining Black Powder

Failures

Accidental fell overboard and almost drowned while drunk
Got caught by natives when going to the bathroom
His defeat at the Battle of White Shore
Conscripted into the Imperial Navy
Failed to save his uncle
He failed to protect the woman he loved, Marci

Education

Seamanship
Astronomy
Sword fighting
Nautical Navigation
Geography
Smuggling
Gambling
Black Powder weaponry
Nautical Navigation

Employment

Sailor who worked on many ships
Smuggler of contraband and illegal goods
Boxer of back street boxing matches
Conscript of the Imperial Navy
Pirate Captain of the Sea Kings

Apparel & Accessories

He wears a dark blue Vatian naval officer's coat that he stole with a tri-cone hat. He wears leather chest armor underneath with green cotton pants and a pair of brown-strapped boots.

Specialized Equipment

Ripper Cutlass: A specialized cutlass with a serrated edge that tears through flesh much more effortlessly.
Flintlock Pistols: He keeps a set of six pistols on his person to allow for rapid-fire targeting of multiple foes.
Boot Knife: A hidden weapon to fight or escape in a tense situation.
Spyglass: A special glass that allows its user to see distances much farther away and with safety.

Mental Trauma

He has always been afraid of curses. Due to his life as a sailor, he has become superstitious and is always wary when it comes to sea legends. Losing many of his loved ones to the empire has made him narrow-minded, believing that all imperials are his enemies.

Intellectual

Integrity
Fair-minded
Courageous

Morality & Philosophy

Despite being a pirate, he follows the morals that he was taught. He always treats his crew fairly, disciplining them when he has to and respecting the customs of his people wherever he may be. He also hates authority, believing it does nothing but cause pain and misery, believing that freedom is far more important. However, he also believes that he has a duty to his people.

Taboos

Breaking sea customs and traditions.
Backstabbing crew members

Motivation

He has always known struggle from the oppression of the Vatian Empire and then took his first step at defying them; he never felt freer in his life. Now, he continues to fight them as a pirate and a patriot for his people, hoping to return to his home one day to liberate it. For now, though he just prefers to seek riches and adventure with the freedom he has gained.

Religious Views

Follows the old code of the sea that ancient Hyperions followed and despises the Church of the Exalted for their persecution of his faith.

Relations

He has many informants who inform him about ships and military movements, Black market vendors, and Hyperion League affiliations.

Family Ties

Arianna Tideborn : Sister

Virtues

Patient
Temperate
Diligent

Likes & Dislikes

He loves living on the high seas but hates it when someone tries to cheat at a game, especially when he is gambling.

Vices

He is an infamous drinker and tends to sleep with any woman he can find.

Savvies & Ineptitudes

He knows his way around any ship and is a master at gambling in any shape or form. But he is terrible at fixing things and doesn't understand how to work logistics.

Wealth

His entire income consists of stealing, robbery, grave digging, and smuggling, and he has a much longer criminal list. What money he has on hand, he tends to spend on booze and women with him, only saving a small amount for himself as the rest goes to his crews.

Social Aptitude

He can be as blunt as he is charismatic but tends to get right down to business when necessary. However, he has the worst table manners.

Mannerisms

He tends to speak mostly with sailor slang and tends to use his body to show his mood.

Hobbies

Most of the time, he plays sailor games and gambles in any way imaginable.

Speech

Tends to talk with a seamen accent with a slur on certain vowels.

Quirks

Tap his finger when he is annoyed

Languages

Vasili
Tongue of Tides