Brash

## Childhood

Brash was born into a life of piracy. Everyone in his family from his parents, his grandparents, even his great grandparents all lived on the seas, sailing from island to island in search of treasure or to take from others. Brash was inducted early on by his parents who sailed as dual captains for their crew known as “The Twin Hands”, a strong and well renowned pirate crew. Brash had a lot of expectations set early, especially his destiny of becoming the successors of both his parents and to sail the seas just as his family had done for decades.

Unfortunately for this young child with vast amounts of expectations, Brash did not have a good childhood. In his hometown, he tried to fit in with the rest of the children and especially with the children of other pirates but he couldn’t. They all laughed at Brash and mocked him for who he was. This was because, Brash was born with only one arm. “A pirate wit’ only one arm? Ye best be jokin” said many but Brash always did his best despite the constant laughter and hatred towards him. He would always quickly remark how many pirates have hooks or have peg legs but no pirate has ever began their journey missing a whole arm and he knew this. Brash had a long road ahead before he could become a pirate legend but he wanted to do it for his parents and family lineage.

Brash would practice his steering in the mock pirate wheel and use the practice mast to properly learn how to use the sails. Brash would read the old stories of his family from their ventures and plunders so he can one day live to be like them. During his time practicing, Brash would quickly learn that his innate talent is with fire and explosions. He would shoot practice fireworks and cannons with precision and accuracy and those around him were surprised. This innate ability would be what kept Brash motivated to work away from the laughter and toward his destiny and what he has always wanted to do. Brash even tried to use his ingenuity to create a hook for himself but he could never get the hook to properly work without the arm. Others with hooks are only missing hands but Brash doesn’t even have an arm. This hook only hindered what was already a slow pace for basic pirating so Brash didn’t bother to try to create one or even have someone make one again. He only had one arm to rely on and he will trust this arm just as much as his parents and ancestors trust him to continue the family heritage.

## Sailing with the Twin Hands

On his 12th Birthday, he would be given the biggest opportunity of his life. His parents believed he was ready to sail with “The Twin Hands”. After weeks of practice, months of research, and his entire life preparing, Brash wanted to prove to his parents that he can live up to his family name. But unfortunately for Brash what made him unique would be his biggest downfall.

The seas were treacherous on the first day but Brash did his best with his one arm. He would do his best to pull the sails down, angle them properly, even keeping water off the deck but compared to others with two arms (and some with one arm and a hook), he was only holding the pirates back. As he walked around the pirate ship, he would hear the whispers of those around him once more. “HE is the son of the Twin Hands?”... “Why bring a one-armed freak to the crew”... “He can’t even wear a hook. Child doesn’t have an arm!”... “He is only holding us back”... Brash was doing his best but the others around him didn’t care. As the weeks passed, Brash’s mental state worsened. The constant negative whispers around him dragged him down, the people laughing at him as he struggled to pull the sail down would disrupt his happiness, but it hit its lowest when his parents began avoiding him on the ship. Brash would attempt to talk to his mother and his father but they would lock themselves away in the Captains Quarter. The first mate would yell at Brash that they were not available to talk and send him off to clean the poop deck. Even down within the ship around the food table, they avoided eye contact with their only son. The people he looked up to the most suddenly became distant. And now, Brash was all alone.

After a month of sailing with the Twin Hands, Brash could no longer feel with his only arm. His body gave up, his mental state gave up, he gave up. Someone like him could never live up to the expectations of being a part of the family and the expectations his parents gave him. He couldn’t sleep without seeing his parents leaving him behind, he avoided walking on deck to avoid the stares and the whispers, he didn’t want to be laughed at anymore.

On one fateful day, “The Twin Hands”, while following a treasure map, were ambushed by groups of pirates who were keen on taking the map for themselves. TNT flew from ship to ship, fireworks being launched, fire arrows being shot, and the sea was chaotic. To Brash, he believed this was an opportunity to show to his parents and the crew his capabilities as a Pirate of War. However, as he went up the stairs above deck to man the upper cannons, he was immediately blinded by a bright light which shook the entire boat. Brash quickly awoke and went upstairs only to see the upper deck completely destroyed by fire and TNT. He slowly walked through the damaged deck, staring at the corpses of those who laughed at him. Brash stumbled upon the bodies of his mother and father, both of which are barely recognizable. However, Brash could only laugh at the sight of everyone dead.

Seeing his dead parents would begin his descent to madness. The laughter around him was finally over. Everything was finally quiet and nobody was talking about Brash or looking at his missing arm. Those who laughed at him and mocked him were dead. Brash laughed maniacally as the attacking pirates began to board the ship, who began to mock Brash for his missing arm and to give up the treasure map. Unfortunately for the boarding pirates, the descent to madness was what Brash needed in order to pull the trigger. Using the nearby firework crossbows of the deceased, Brash quickly took out those around him with fire and grace with his one arm and his innate speed and understanding of explosives. He continued to laugh maniacally, seeing those who laughed at him explode, exclaiming that he is the only pirate capable of sailing the seas of fire. As the pirates attempting to board began to flee and sail away, the bodies surrounding Brash would only give him happiness. Those who laughed at him and mocked him are now dead. When he reached his parents once more, Brash could not feel a thing. The mental state that has been deteriorating finally collapsed and his madness was born. Strapping his father’s crossbow onto his back and storing fireworks in his pouch, Brash took a nearby rowboat and traveled in hopes of finding land once more.

## The One-Armed Demon

Several years passed since the destruction of “The Twin Hands” and Brash quickly made a name for himself. Those around him would know him as “The One-Armed Demon” who is capable of dismantling ships from any distance using the cannons that he blesses using his only arm. Rumors quickly began spreading of how his missing arm was a “Ghost Hand”, capable of haunting cannons and manipulating them to bend to his will. Those around him feared him due to his maniacal laughter and how he treats cannons and fireworks like his family. It’s as if they are the only things that truly understand him. His parents didn’t. The Twin Hands didn’t. Only explosions and fire listened. Pirates from all over would be afraid of this demon. Anyone who laughed at him or even looked in his general direction with disgust would regret it the next morning.

But as the years pass, pirates around Brash would quickly see him to be untrustworthy. Multiple times during expeditions and voyages, Brash would “accidentally '' kill members of the crew through accidental explosions and fire but he clearly did not care. Brash would only call them weak and say the progress of becoming a world renown pirate should not be held back by weak crew members especially those who look at him with disdain. Unfortunately, word would quickly spread and Brash would struggle to find a crew.

Brash began to sail alone from island to island as “The One-Armed Demon”. Those who find themselves sailing near this demon would quickly see explosions and fire of beauty and grace blessing their ship. Everyone wanted to avoid him. Nobody wanted him to be a part of the crew. Brash would quickly earn a bounty on himself as he began caring less about riches and fame and cared more about those who laughed or mocked him and ensured they were silenced.

“Beware the One-Armed Demon. His ghost hand will launch any explosive from across the sea. Do not talk for any reason unless you want to end up into a thousand pieces. Beware the man of explosions”

## Your Time will Come...

Brash wanted more. He was not satisfied with the death of his parents, the complete demolition of the town he was raised in, or even the deaths of the pirates who laughed. Explosions and fire were the only thing that satisfied him and he wanted to see more.

On one fateful day as Brash sailed in his tiny sloop, a ship would appear in the horizon and sail towards Brash. Brash began to laugh maniacally as his bliss began to rise. Another ship to explode. Another group of pirates to witness his beauty and grace of explosions. As Brash began to arm his cannon towards the oncoming ship, Brash felt someone hit the back of his head, and he passed out from the hit.

Brash awoke in the prison hold of a ship and as he raised his head, he saw the figure of a man. This man quickly introduced himself as Jenkins. Brash asked how he was able to enter the ship without being spotted and Jenkins replied that Brash should not rely on only cannons and firepower to win. While Brash was hyper focused on the ship and blowing it up, Jenkins snuck onto the ship by swimming to knock Brash out.

Brash asked why he was in prison and Jenkins would tell Brash that he had been searching for “The One-Armed Demon”. Jenkins quickly praised Brash for becoming who he was while missing an arm and how it is an honor to be in the presence of someone like Brash. For the first time ever Brash felt a different emotion. This was the first time he ever received a compliment and how his arm was unique. Brash began to cry and Jenkins comforted him. Jenkins quickly whispered that “Your time will come” and Brash passed out.

Brash woke up on his sloop with no ship in sight. But he remembered the name of “Jenkins” and the person who he wanted to talk to more. While his madness and his love for explosions and TNT lingered, his priority shifted from killing to searching for the person who complimented him. Brash spent the next few years traveling from island to island in search for Jenkins but to no avail.

On one fateful day in a pirate city, he heard someone yelling in the distance “Our time is coming!” and he quickly ran over, remembering the final words of Jenkins. This person yelling in the distance was someone searching for pirates in order to explore uncharted lands and Brash immediately signed up. While others who signed up were wary, the Captain accepted as they wanted as many people to venture the uncharted territories as possible.

The crew sailed to the mysterious island and Brash entered through the cave. As the crew explore the island, many die from traps, falling, and some dying through betrayal. Brash, wielding his Father’s crossbow, kept himself alive by avoiding contact with as many other pirates as possible and he explored the island on his own. It was easy to avoid pirates though as many pirates recognized the One-Armed Demon due to his obvious missing arm. The remaining crew members entered a Temple at the end of the path and they quickly climbed to the top.

As they enter the throne room, Brash felt the familiar aura of the one he has been searching for. Staring at the central throne lies Jenkins, now Twice-Dead. Jenkins told the pirates to join or die and as Jenkins finished his sentence, the room was filled with fireworks of multiple varieties and colors. As the smoke clears, the pirates are all dismembered, burnt, and split into many pieces. From the smoke, Brash walks out and offers himself to Jenkins.

From this day forward, Brash became known as “Cannonball Brash - The Crazed Cannoneer of the Ashen Court”. Spending time with the Ashen Court, Brash learned of a way to place a cannon where his arm was missing, whether it be through amazing intellect or the magic properties from the Skull of Verde Cay. Brash entered Ashen Court and now man the Jolly Vengeance’s many cannons and is the combatant to use primarily the art of fireworks and explosions to create beauty and grace. Those who see the Crazed Cannoneer’s maniacal eyes or hear his maniacal laughter should run immediately.