Inside the Mind of Pirate

Inside the Mind of Pirate

It’s been awhile since I did one of these. Awhile back I talked about questions that will better help you connect with your characters. I then answered those questions with several of my characters (Domerin, Catilen, and Zita). I always meant to do more of these and I thought it might be fun to get back in the groove with Silkfoot.

Where does your character live?
Silkfoot lives on a spectacular double-masted sailing ship designed to sail both sky and sea. Like all enchanted airships of this particular world, it is fit with a magical engine that allows it to fly. Since it is expensive and tricky to outfit a ship for both air and sea, most airships are designed to take off and put in at land ports. Silkfoot’s ship, the Twin Moons, was specially designed to be the first of its kind and, while several similar ships have since been built, it’s still one of the most versatile and capable.

It would take too long to describe the entire ship room by room (and most of them wouldn’t be relevant to Silkfoot’s personal life), so we’ll stick to the rooms where he spends most of his time; his quarters and his office.

The captains quarters are a compact series of rooms located on the middle deck (most of the crew have only a single private room, though the first mate has two). They’re tucked into the stern to offer some privacy, not to mention the impressive view out the rear windows. The entrance to the captain’s quarters leads to a modest, modern-style living room. This room sports a nice couch, a pair of worn armchairs, and a small entertainment unit including a TV mounted to the wall. This is a fairly casual, warm-feeling room without overly fancy decoration where Silkfoot often entertains guests. The furniture is, of course, bolted in place and an enchantment is laid over the breakables to keep them from being damaged by turbulence.

Two rooms adjoin the sitting room. The first is a small study, mostly lined with bookshelves full of books and various knickknacks (again enchanted so that they will not fall from their designated shelves). It also contains a pair of plush armchairs for reading and a small desk tucked into one corner. The floor is decorated with a rich, woven rug and the wooden walls and bookshelves are dark-stained. It’s a fair bet there are hidden compartments behind one or more of those bookshelves.

The other room is Silkfoot’s bedroom, where the aforementioned impressive view can be found. This room is sparsely decorated aside from a smattering of paintings that change often. There’s a sizable bed (bolted to the floor, of course), with an expensive mattress and fluffy but otherwise nondescript blankets. There’s a compact closet tucked into one wall, highly compartmentalized to keep the clothing inside from falling out of place. There are also plenty of hidden compartments in this room, but good luck finding them. Silkfoot doesn’t actually spend much time in this room; half the time, he doesn’t even sleep here.

While on his ship, Silkfoot can be found most often in his office, located on the upper deck just above his quarters. This room also includes an impressive array of windows, located just behind the massive oak desk affixed to the center of the room. There are more bookshelves and knickknacks, but most of the things in this room are functional, including useful files about previous ‘jobs’ and future plans. Much like Silkfoot’s bedroom, there are plenty of hidden compartments where the truly valuable artifacts and information are kept.

When he’s not working, Silkfoot can often be found in the kitchen/cafeteria area, which is designed as a community hub for the crew. He often partakes in the wide variety of booze the bar stocks and will often party, dance or dine with his crew when there are no duties to tend.

What is your character’s normal routine?
Silkfoot’s ‘normal’ routine is defined by abnormality. Silkfoot hates anything remotely resembling regular routine. He chose a life of piracy and crime at least in part to ensure that every day was different and exciting. So while there are regular duties to be performed on his ship, and it often move between familiar destinations, Silkfoot’s crew have learned to expect the unexpected. Their route might change midway to a destination. They might return to the ship at an appointed time to find out the captain has delayed leaving, or be called suddenly back to duties from their shore leave. Silkfoot’s life is defined by spontaneity; he never worries about how to make a thing happen until he decides to do it, and often he will simply take the path which allows him to accomplish a goal most quickly (or most cleverly).

If Silkfoot is forced to experienced a normalized routine for a long period of time (usually four days or more), he will sink into something of a mood, and he will usually do something to break the monotony. This often results in extra trouble. And while that may please Silkfoot, it doesn’t always please the people closest to him.

What is the most defining moment in your character’s history?
Silkfoot’s history is shrouded in mystery, but the one thing he rarely lies about is the acquisition of his ship, the Twin Moons. He had his eye on it during its construction and vowed from the moment he stole the plans that it would one day be his. Silkfoot was always the kind of person who flitted from place to place, refusing to be tied down. For awhile, he had homes in several places to facilitate his constant movement. The Twin Moons represented his ideal of freedom; a home that he could take with him wherever and whenever he pleased. And while Silkfoot has crafted more cunning and complex heists in the time since he stole his ship, he still considers it one of his greatest cons; perhaps because making off with the ship has had such a positive impact on his life.

Perhaps equally influential to Silkfoot’s life was the day he met Kestrel, his first mate. Compared to many of his exploits, chatting up a security guard at a party he snuck into wouldn’t normally rate. But the resulting bond of friendship has carried Silkfoot through many rough seas. In fact, Silkfoot doesn’t yet realize the full impact his first mate has on his life. If he were ever to lose that bond, the effects would be more devastating than he could imagine.

How does your character view the world?
To Silkfoot, life is a game to be played and won. The rules are always changing and only those who can stay one step ahead of those changes have any chance of true victory. Unfortunately, this often means that Silkfoot views people as tools to be used to advance his own position. He’s not above lying, cheating or blackmailing to get his way. To an extent, he believes in honor among thieves, but there are few people close enough to him to be safe from his games.

But for all that he can be a cynic, Silkfoot has a great love of life. He believes in finding joy and laughter everywhere and anywhere; after all, what’s the point of living if you aren’t going to enjoy it? For this reason, any tiny success in the game can be considered cause for celebration and, when Silkfoot isn’t working, he is most definitely playing.

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