Bartholomew Roberts’ Marine Sandglass and Chip Log

Origin
One of the most successful captains to mount attacks during the Golden Age of Piracy, Welsh pirate Bartholomew Roberts raided for a period of only three years. In that time, he terrorized the Americas and West African coast by plundering over 400 separate vessels during his career.

He began as a stalwart navigator of trickster Howell Davis, until a ransom backfired and killed Davis. The remaining crew broke off into Lords and Commons, which elected Roberts to fulfill the role of new captain. Although Roberts initially protested to staying aboard longer, he committed himself and proved his worthy by staying loyal to his crew. They managed to overtake treasure ships until Roberts left a crewmember in charge of the Rover. When the expedition party returned, the ship had been stolen away. The remaining members agreed to institute a pirate code of honor and conditions to ensure proper treatment for all members. Roles such as captain and quartermaster had clearly defined demands and limitations, while every member of the crew would receive portions of the bounty equal to their status and have a vote in all governing matters. All violations had a specified punishment, such as marooning or death.

After creating the creed, Roberts plundered ships across the Caribbean, Canadian coastline and West Africa. However, he met his downfall when his ship encountered the HMS Swallow, tasked with hunting pirates. They accidentally crossed paths and the Swallow fired upon Roberts’ crew, who were too drunk to be effective. Struck down by a load of grapeshot, his death was an utter shock to the naval world.

Effects
Creates a symbiotic dependency between the prime user and the adopted crew, gaining strength from each other. Physical ailments and emotional duress can be transferred between to lessen the severity. Extended use can allow the participants to share thoughts through mental connection to provide additional support in tense situations. However, drunken misconduct and other negative behavior reflect onto the others, causing them to make costly mistakes and convince the remaining members to behave abnormally.