The Grim and Frightful History of The Dark Promise

Edmond Filch, the son of an English business tycoon, moved to America in the year 1694,
hoping to establish himself in business rather than rely upon his family's wealth. Settling
in Boston, he founded an iron mill and later a woodworking company specializing in
wagons and carriages.

Eager to celebrate their son's success, Edmond's parents and younger sister boarded the
Lilian Sue, an English passenger vessel, and set sail for America in the Spring of 1703.
Edmond took up lodgings near Boston Harbor and prepared a cottage for his family's use
during their three month visit.

But Edmond's family never arrived. A telegram notified Edmond that the Lilian Sue had been
attacked by pirates. Naval warships witnessed the sinking of the Lilian Sue but were
immediately engaged in combat with the pirate vessel, leaving them unable to save any of
the Lilian Sue passengers or crew.

For the next three years, Edmond Filch's iron mill and woodworking company were directed
to complete a single project... the construction of a tall ship. During this time, Edmond
Filch lived a very isolated life with little outside contact. He was known to have studied
seamanship and stellar navigation. Local rumors suggested he was also studying various
occult subjects and rituals.

Those who knew Edmond Filch began to speak in alarm of his change in character since the
sinking of the Lilian Sue. Although still in his mid thirties, Edmond Filch now seemed far
older. His lined face had taken on a harsh look, his voice rough and stern. His speech
patterns were now quite vulgar. It was realized he had taught himself fencing when he
impaled a man with his walking stick in the Fall of 1705.

In the Summer of 1706, the Dark Promise set sail from Boston Harbor. The ship was said to
be unlike anything previously built, partly due to it's size but also due to it's unusual
characteristics. It's sails were dyed an ominous black. The hull and decks were painted
black as well, and the ship featured golden trim and hardware. Even the tips of it's twenty
six cannons were gold plated. Apparently, Edmond Filch had spent his entire family's wealth
in the ship's construction.

The crew of the Dark Promise was equally unusual. Captain Filch had bargained for the
freedom of sixty seven convicted men, all sailors and all charged with murder. Local
authorities were surprised when these men boarded ship quietly and without incident. The
crewmen seemed oddly subservient to Captain Filch, as though they feared him.

One crewman, when asked about the ship's destination, reportedly responded “We'd be off
to sink pirates”.

For the next thirty years, the Dark Promise traveled the high seas, hunting and destroying
pirate vessels. It was noted that pirates would often hesitate to fire upon the Dark Promise
because of it's golden parts. The pirates were too greedy to readily sacrifice such treasure,
and thus Captain Filch was able to use the pirate's own greed against them.

Captain Filch also often took advantage of his ship's black sails to sneak up on his targets
at night. The crew of the Dark Promise would then sneak aboard quietly, killing as many
pirates as possible in their sleep. Any surviving pirates were soon dealt with, as Captain
Filch's crew were said to be among the most barbaric and bloodthirsty savages to ever set
sail.

It's difficult to determine the actual number of pirate ships sunk by the Dark Promise, but
details from the ship's infrequent supply stops provide a clue...

When the Dark Promise made port in England in the Summer of 1708, four golden skulls
adorned the aft railing. These were said to be the skulls of pirate captains whose ships the
Dark Promise had sunk. Captain Filch had ordered the skulls to be plated with the pirate's
own gold. The Dark Promise also now featured a bright red stripe, rumored to be painted
with pirate blood.

In the Spring of 1713, the ship took on supplies in Bristol Harbor. It was noticed that
several additional skulls had been hung from short ropes along the ship's quarter deck
railings.

The Dark Promise was next reported in South Africa in the Fall of 1722. Skulls now dangled
from short ropes along most of the ships rails.

In 1736, a port in the Pacific Islands reported the Dark Promise making port but taking on
very few supplies. At this time, the hull was completely trimmed in golden skulls.

Since the Dark Promise is recorded to have made so few ports of call, it must be assumed the
ship took on supplies at various other undocumented locations. There are, of course, rumors
that Captain Filch's occult studies enabled him to remain at sea for extended periods by
manipulating time, but these notions are difficult to take seriously.

Or rather, they would be if we didn't know the following: A tall ship from the 18th century
recently made port in a small fishing village along the coast of Sweden. The captain was
reportedly a stern, angry man with unusually vulgar speech. The ship featured black sails
and was trimmed with golden skulls and a bright red stripe.

The vessel took on supplies and set sail. It's current location is unknown.