Name: Xanatos
Age: 31
Position: Second Lieutenant of the Free Ship
Last Song.
A tall, handsome man, Xanatos is the heroic vision that every little pirate dreams of achieving. He's charismatic, always seems to have money, and well dressed. His gait is a perfect rolling swagger, his eyes sparkle with an inner mirth, and he always seems to be in a good mood. He drinks the finest wines, beds the loveliest whores, and sings like a lark. He's friendly, helpful, and stylish. He has
dash.He's also considered the finest fighter on the
Last Song. Specializing in cutlass and dagger, he has represented his ship in several nasty duels over prizes. He's the first over the side in every boarding action, and the last to withdraw. Many would support him for captaincy, but he does not consider himself sufficiently cold-blooded to make the life-and-death decisions a captain must face every day. He's quite comfortable in his current role.
To the crew, he serves as a bit of an inspiration, a measuring stick of excellence. To the captain, he plays the role of angel-on-the-left, arguing for the most merciful solution to every problem while the First Lieutenant plays devil-on-the-right and argues the most expedient solution.
On any typical day, you will find him working alongside the crew at whatever task needs doing. He's considered competent at most of the stations on the ship, and enjoys learning more. His purple sash and head scarf serve to catch the eye of any man, making him a walking battle-flag when in action.
Tattoos cover his left arm and the left side of his torso. Most are decorative, but a woman's name is surrounded by roses on the ribs just under his heart, and two smaller names are similarly decorated just below. When asked, he laughs and says, "My ex-wife. She has our boys somewhere, I know not where. I don't expect to see them again. A word of advice--never marry."
Get him sufficiently drunk, though, and you may see the mask of contentment slip.
Xanatos was born Raul Curtnick, the third son of a baron. As the 'spare to the spare to the heir', he was frequently neglected, left in the care of nannies and guardians while his father went about teaching his older brother the inticacies of their fiefdom. His usual guardian and self-appointed tutor in All Things Manly was an old soldier, a great friend of his father, who poured all the love and care into the teaching of Raul that he would have given his own son. Young Raul learned every art of Gentlemanly Behavior from this man, from courtly manners to fencing, from horseback riding to mathematics. Every time his father would come home, Raul would rush to demonstrate his proficiencies. Each time, his best efforts were ignored.
The tall young man soon discovered that his proficiencies stood him to little avail. His father was not the only person uninterested. In a society where material wealth was everything, the third son of a baron stood as unattractive as a pauper to the eyes of the young ladies that he sought favor of. Soon understanding that rejection would be a common theme his entire life, Raul turned his attentions to women beneath his station, who were more appreciative of competence. Yet even here, he was ultimately rejected. A tradesman's daughter may spread her legs for a handsome nobleman, but she has no desire to spend the rest of her life with someone who knows no trade of his own.
Little by little, the Bantam of Curtnick drooped. His jokes became more desperate, his antics more wild. He pushed himself harder and harder, growing wilder and wilder. He achieved nothing more than to disappoint his de facto father. Depression had always nibbled at the corners of his psyche, but it set deep hooks as he reached the age of manhood and looked about with some despair for his destiny.
He attempted a career in the military, but purchasing a commission as an officer irked him, and he was disgusted when he beheld the sort of men who would be his peers. At last, in wild desperation, he attempted to separate himself from a life he saw as devoid of joy, he cut himself off from his family and took a new name, a name that symbolized the death of Raul Curtnick.
Xanatos joined the Royal Navy as a man before the mast, and spent the next four years learning his trade. Once he earned the rating of Able, he found a new berth on a merchant ship and spent another two years dodging pirates between the islands east of the kingdom of Dorante. One day his ship's luck ran out, and they were taken by pirates. Xanatos jumped at this new chance.
As a pirate, competence was the purest of virtues. Here he was not only accepted, but loved. With the blind desperation of any man struggling with depression, Xanatos tore into every task given, volunteered frequently for extra duties, and rose through the ranks with considerable alacrity. He continues to fight for acceptance to this day, truly not aware of just how highly his fellow pirates regard him. For in the eyes of Xanatos, he will never be good enough.
