The Aberrant Treasures Of The Caribbean Deep
URGENT; Investigation into Undocumented Treasure
N-Comm. Officer, Prolab C-1203-34
<jonesclarissa@authority.rpc> July 03, 2022, 10:48 AM (8 hours ago)
Doug,
Since my temp transfer, everyone in the Bureau's been frantic about 34 seeking another cutback. But I think I just saved our bonuses. By the way, do you know anyone who can speak Spanish? I know Jones double-majored in Latin for some reason.
Anyway, going through Prolab's backlog, I saved a few gems from the incinerator. Get this: A whole archive of shipping manifests going back to the Auctoritas days, just sitting in a corner study. I'm talking old tombs, diaries, scrolls, treasure maps — real gems, none of it backed up. With Conprocs twiddling their thumbs, Containment's got Bates buttering up Corneille on the second floor. I can't say a speech about the 'Lost Doubloons of Captain Goldbeard' will persuade anyone, but it'll buy us some time to wear down the Director for approval. Get back to me by Friday. I gotta deal with this Krushchev-Era shit until then.
Hell or high water, I trust your judgment.
Clarissa
“I believe these Caribbean lands to be a corrupting force, with the autonomous allure to sour the most pious amongst us. In the contest of nations, We cannot rely on any other institution to stay true to God other than the one he has set forth."
— Pope Paul V (circa. 1550 – 1621)
A decennium past the start of the 17th century, the Auctoritas began reaching out to the new world, spoken of as a treacherous and unholy place. Its aberrant forces must be captured, contained, or destroyed. Alea iacta est. The die has been cast; with no naval infrastructure of its own, the Vatican must turn to outsiders for help.
The "Auctoritas Conquista:" A period of growth, excitement, and new opportunities for the uninitiated, for the desperate buccaneer light on coin, for the pirates willing to do anything for gold, even for enterprising adventurers looking to profit from the anomalies of the coast. As the name suggests, this was an initiative of expansion for the Auctoritas, but the more colourful of the order would call it a "Reconquista" in the name of god. This golden age was spearheaded by a new, delegated body over the West Indies, known only to an enlightened few as "the Caribbean Inquisition." A grim moniker in remembrance of the past, in jest. But in truth, it was a purification of what the New World Expeditions were always set to be.
The rewards are great, but cui bono? Ex nihilo nihil fit. Nothing comes from nothing. For every opportunity, there are deadlier risks. Tales of the Kraken, who rests at the swirling maelstrom of the Bermuda Triangle, challenge even the most hardened of pirate crews. The Sea, cruel as ever, besets us at all sides with ghostly ships of the undead, risking the threat of ancient curses and forbidden rituals of sacrifice. Yet, the Caribbean islands offer no reprieve: a terrifying morass of vicious traps and dense jungles riddled with poisonous frogs, venomous snakes, and natives determined to defend their treasures with their lives.
Audentes fortuna iuvat. Fortune favors the bold! Gold-hungry privateers have many threats to face, locking eyes with the reaper, grins of greed and steel on their faces.
"Brothers of the High Congregation, I beseech Your presence. We have ignored the pestilence brewing upon the new world for far too long. Routine missions, coveted by Spanish Missionaries, have uncovered immense phenomena surrounding the West Indies. Lone sailing parties detail lost architecture buried under a hostile paradise. They report monstrous pleasantries able to unlock what is, perchance, the key to prolonged life itself: The Fountain of Youth. Yet, Our compact with the Armada Española has kept us at bay, forbidden from sending combatants into their conquest.
Nevertheless, the bulk of Our forces have been devastated: Despite the optimistic reports of Magistrates, four of our largest cargo ships have been claimed by the sea this year alone. Of the few survivors We know of, their tales stay consistent: They hear wayward voices masquerading in the wind, trying to drive their vessels off course. Strange diseases cut through colonies in a day, refusing to let the ill die. A large, slimy beast now treks across the Mexican gulf, able to darken the horizon with their tendrils: The fabled Kraken.
Brothers, We can no longer deny it: The superiority of the Spanish Armada, entrusted with the revival of Christ, has been embellished in the Monarquía’s greed. Indulgent on their enormous conquest, the region borders on damn near conflict. Savage armies and pilfering thieves lock their abnormal treasures behind impossible riddles and enigmatic traps. Of the original fleet, only twenty frigates remain, each stretched impossibly thin in uncharted waters.
Arch Councilor, I petition to create a new Inquisition, born in secrecy and wholly independent, able to accurately assess the problems facing the new world in its ever so heightening abnormalities. I ask We be able to uphold Our most honorable duty and rechristen these sinners to serve a higher purpose. Our fleet is already rebuilding, but that is not enough. For in this new crusade, whatever resources are present in Our care — within Our reach, We can and must gather."
— Mark Benlevio, Archbishop and Inquisitor General.
The Contest is Over!
Congratulations to 
TheGreatTarbolin69 with the contest winning article:
The Son of Man in second place with
RPC-445 - Blade of Selene at 4.62 stars
Dattop in third with
El Corazón de Judas at 3 stars.
Thank you to everyone who participated by entering submissions, giving critiques, and voting on pages. Winners of the contest will have their articles featured on the front page for two weeks. The contest may be over, but writing will continue. Make sure to check back for new entries in the future.
Submission Info
AVAST YE: Create an RPC, tale, or document centered around the Caribbean Deep in the 1600's; Alternatively, set sail for one of the treasures on the bounty board to get a head start on your draft. The submission with the highest final rating will be the event winner. The top three articles will have their articles featured slots on the front page, with the top winner earning exclusive rights to a slot of their choosing.
You are also encouraged, but not required, to use the optional event format to flavor your article so it better fits the time period.
Submissions Open: July 25th.
Submissions Close: September 21st.
Winners will be Announced: October 1st.
- To submit a written work upload your writing to the site under your chosen RPC slot and tag it with "caribbean-deep". If using the Optional Event Format, please also add the tag, "caribbean-deep-format."
- To submit art or other media upload it to your desired page and tag it with "caribbean-deep-art".
- You may continue to contribute after submissions close, but only submissions submitted before this time will be eligible for winning.
Rules
- Submissions must match the theme in a justifiable way
- Pre-existing drafts and articles may be entered; however, articles previously posted on the wiki must be rewritten and re-uploaded in order to be eligible for being featured.
- Edits to works are allowed.
- Do not cold post. Writing submissions must receive two pieces of feedback in the drafts forum.
- Do not request people to change their vote on your entry, excessively push or pester people to rate it, or message an overtly substantial amount of people to read your entry such that it may provide you an unfair advantage.
- Attempting to manipulate votes using alt accounts or other deceitful means will result in your entry being disqualified; you may also be barred from future events or banned from the site.
Additional Documentation:
To forgive mortal debts past-due, in order to facilitate normality through kinship …
Ledgure of Regional Factions:
A List of Documented Allies and Known Associates:
"… To the faithful lies our most literal of duties, To the vulnerable lies grave temptation, to the brave lies great reward held by insurmountable peril."
— Caribbean Inquisition Induction Manuscript, written Mark Benlevio.
| Name of Crew's Captain |
Beginning of service with Auctoritas |
Relevant Information |
| Eduardo Blomar |
1666 |
Was provided a pardon for his role in the Chepo Expedition. |
| Captain Napin (or Napping) |
1718 |
All contact with Napin was through a neutral messenger, worked primarily in the seas around Brazil. Went missing after taking an assignment in florida. |
| ”Red Leg” Greaves |
1692 |
Entered Auctoritas Service while becoming a pirate hunter, primarily asked for assistance in hunting down English vessels as payment. |
| Vincenzo Alessandri |
1650 |
Former Knight of Malta, entered as one of the first pirates to work for the Auctoritas. |
| Captain Archembeau |
1686 |
Little information known about their service with Auctoritas. |
| Jean I’Olonnais |
1670 |
Entered Auctoritas Service after witnessing his brother Francois be eaten by anomalously affected natives |
| Francois Grogniet |
1680 |
Entered Auctoritas Service after his fellow captains George d’Hout and Pierre le Picard were killed by the Kraken en route to Guayaquil |
Captain Jorgenson - Danish Pirate descended from a line of Vikings, Jorgenson left their home in Iceland after stealing a galleon-sized vessel from the visiting Danish government. Joined Auctoritas in 1687, Jorgenson and his crew specialized in routing Native populations and taking anomalous artifacts linked to them. Jorgenson was especially effective at this because of his continued use of longships, which he would take down the river systems to get closer to tribal villages and then escape quickly. Jorgenson was also able to help extensively with the Kraken, as a Viking saga passed down as a family heirloom gave several details of the beast to the authority.
Mario Cattaneo - A former Knight of Malta, he worked with the Auctoritas before stealing a Turkish artifact believed to provide wealth. After obtaining the artifact he absconded, and left the order along with his crew. He rejoined the Auctoritas in 1664, mostly working as a sort of salvager, helping retrieve objects from other pirates’ shipwrecks for the authority. He continually uses the stolen artifact in his missions, often choosing the mission via the artifact. While his loyalty to the Auctoritas’ ideals and Catholicism is strong, he is one of the less trustworthy captains working with the Auctoritas.
Joshua Grant, Francisco Garcia, and Juan Gutierrez - A larger group of aligned Pirates. Joshua was a former member of Francis Drake’s crew but left after he converted to Catholicism. He took two of the Spanish prisoners from their ship and began a solo career. One of the top dogs of Tortuga, Joshua spends most of his time partying, with Auctoritas members having to take him aside. Joshua is often used as an intermediary agent for pirate crews, sending Pirate Crews on Auctoritas missions for a cut of the pay. His right-hand men both have their own crews, which he’ll use for the best-paying missions to make sure they’re finished. Joshua “joined” the Authority in 1656, although he refused the privateering certificate and simply asked to work as their guide.
Gichinga Fournier - Escaped Haitian slave, he took the surname of his former owner as an act of defiance. One of the larger crews in the Caribbean, he regularly made raids on colonies in order to gather more slaves. Joined the Auctoritas in 1694, many of his crewmates displayed exceptional amounts of recklessness, which was discovered to be due to an excessive amount of groves radiation emanating from his ship during a recent Authority investigation. He often specialized in taking down humanoid anomalies, although he would be fine with capturing them, for an exorbitant fee.
These groups, while they’re often mentioned in Auctoritas documents, seem to be less understood by the Conquista, unlike the other privateer crews.
Joffrey - A broker that often worked with the Conquista, claimed to represent a group he called “The Misbelievers” although no other members have ever been notated (Joffrey stated this is because all other members take his name for notation as an alias although this cannot be proven). The Conquista rarely approached him, as he would often ask for a steep surcharge when taking commissions, but since his commissions were always finished quickly with no issue, he was not blacklisted.
Pyre & Neumann Shipping Co. - A small group of originally British workers, they split off from the East India Co. in 1654. They are often regarded highly in Auctoritas documentation with the leadership often requesting aid from the group. Pyre & Neumann specialized in the capture of aquatic anomalies as well as moving already captured anomalies from privateers to Auctoritas bases. Multiple notes regarding the organization state to not mention the ex-Vice President, George Vinland, only the current one, Johannes Vinland Neumann, as this is a large point of issue for the Company’s Founder, Friedrick Reinmann Pyre, and had caused multiple commissions to fall through.
Unknown Nordic Group - These workers, simply referred to as “The Vikings” in Auctoritas Documentation, are the least understood group the Conquista worked with. This group would always approach members of The Church at night, oftentimes having already subdued an anomaly requested. All Auctoritas documentation shows that working with this group was loathed, especially since the group refused the money, asking instead for favors or some seemingly random object. A large note on many reports states that their eyes were a murky blue as if their irises were “flooded with seawater.”
“The Misfits” - A group of seemingly unrelated small crews, only aligned through a shared base of 4 ships that are physically attached to each other. they would take most commissions, but many never returned, leading the Conquista to be less willing to give them some of the relevant materials for cases, since they would become lost with the initial commission taker. The Conquista often used them less as a way to take commissions and more for getting communications to more consistent groups. These communications were how the Conquista first came into contact with Joshua Grant.
In the name of His holiness, for the benefit of His children's welfare…
Public Inquiries of Note:
Leads on General Rumors & Occurrences
REMINDER: Though these general leads remain public knowledge, this does not mean you are free to hoard or abide by such related items yourself whether you are a national or nation-less. Just as you cannot choose when to freely sin when walking among saints, you cannot pick and choose when to follow or deny our instructions on collection. If you associate with completing these tasks but fail to return all items, we will know, and the punishment will be swift and righteous.
“They call it ‘Bastard’s Catch,’ that peak everyone talks about. It’s a tight squeeze down the runoff, south of here. But if you just keep sailing, for far enough, you’ll find it: Just a mound of ship parts stacked smack dab in the middle of nowhere. And I’m not talking just planks of driftwood; whole fucking ships, peaking from the ocean floor… I have seen not only flags of the magnanimous King of the Catholics, but English banners as well. Want to bet how much treasure must have pooled just below the waves? Just, if you go out there, keep away from anything you catch slytherin' in the splinters.”
— John Barbsy, noted first mate of the Quellen Crew; discussing his unusual detours with new recruits.
```
Locate the Shaman, kill or subjugate him, and bring what you can of him back to the headquarters on Tortuga.
"The Indians of Honduras… something is not right about them. Their shaman climbs to the tops of trees at night with two young men. No, it’s not for hunting, nor is it a rite of passage. Every morning, he returns by himself. After seeing this obvious affront to god I sent my men into his house, always surrounded by a red mist, but it was for naught. By the time most of our men had entered that rosy-colored mist, their wails had enveloped the canopy. And where they stood, a deep-red cloud of vapor had simmered in their place."
— Sir Blasco de Alzado, Explorer and Spanish Cartographer.
"Ever heard about Ol’ One-eye? Met him once in Tortuga. Strange fella kept fiddling with his skull amulet and asked me if I’d ever heard of him. I said no, naturally, and he rattles off alias after alias to me, askin’ if I’ve heard any of' em. He seemed desperate to be recognized as some great captain. I thought he was talking nonsense until he brought up a name I did recognize: Johnny Wight.
”That was the name of an old captain, beloved among many of my trade, whose ship vanished into the Bahamas more than a century ago, making him older even than Moses when God took him. He thanked me, laughin’ to himself and repeating his own name, till his face turned grim and he begged: he feared the torch of the Inquisición, and asked that I let him go. He fled without my answer, clutching the amulet in a furious vice.
— Yessenia Vizcaino, slaver and former member of Joseph Crocket's Pirate Crew.
“There’s something in the water, I don’t know what. Believe it or not, this place used to be a great fishing spot when I was a kid. Now, the catches are dwindling, and what you catch are all deformed like, ‘got rotting sores on ‘em and frothing at the mouth! I mean, what I seen happenin' is this black “thing” movin around the water like a huge ink stain. Every time afterward I see a few of them puss bubbles floating on the water, from time to time, clumping up on the beach.”
— Nej Adamson, Trade Fishermen (planned to move two weeks after interview)
To any captain or leader willing to lead the crew of the
Santa Clara to the White City of savage legend, the title of
Adelantado may be bestowed by the Crown of Philip III, together with a reward of 60,000 Escudos to be distributed among all finders.
"Though the blinding glints of the golden province that Cortés bore witness to do often blind even the prudent cunning brought by great age, and indeed the reward shall only blind our wisdom further, I must call to the fear of the Lord above within our hearts: none have yet even gazed upon the White City and returned to bring truth to legend.
— Bernardino de Meneses y Bracamonte, 1st Count de Peñalva & Comisario de la Auctoritas
“I was trying to find some remaining jewels and such from that old Aztec capital, but the moment me and my buddies walked in there we could feel this overwhelming presence. We looked to the top of their temples and there was a man holding the heart of another on every one of them. All of a sudden they all turn and look at us, and start shouting at us about an exchange or something.
I went to leave immediately, but everybody else just stared at them and walked slowly towards the temples. I looked back and then I noticed it, the sun was blood red. It wasn’t just red though, it’s like it was dripping from the surface of the sun, and the sun was filled with their blood. I don’t really understand how I knew that, it was like an instinctual truth.”
— Julio Bernardino, Treasure Hunter
Find and retrieve the Green Gem from the Chisholme Knights of the British crown. For each helm taken and returned, an additional 1,000 Escudos will be rewarded.
"…A team of armored Britons, conducting robbery in the lands of the Catholic Crown! I will not let the forces of the Armada be bested by schismatic bandits. We must seek that this insult finds proper retribution before they flee for the seas. They carry a wide green emerald with them: a stolen relic from the Santa Maria. Its iridescence, a sure sign of magickal attributes yet unknown, will reveal them by night. Though we know not yet of its power – as it was meant to burn –, the Knights must surely not know either.
— Tomas Torreblanca, Inquisitor of the Auctoritas
Enter the forests of Guatemala, find the stone heads and map out their location. Recommendation is to go in shifts so any possible effects from “seeing too many” is lost. Search for any possible link to the Quetzals of the area.
“You’ve seen them too right? The stone heads of the forest. Not those short round ones made by the ‘Olmecs’ as the savages call them, they’re much taller and have more european features. You never find one on purpose, you just happen upon them while traveling. I’ve never seen anything happen around them or because of them, but as soon as you get close to one you can instantly feel the sensation that you aren’t welcome.”
— David Bailie, Cartographer by Trade (sanity recently questioned due to bouts of hysteria, noted by family.)
"… a monstrous creature was swooping over the coast of Isla Bermeja. Its feathers cast smoke, and it made a strange buzzing cry as it struggled among the storm clouds. I believe it was what the savages call “Wakį́yą.” It must have flown in from the open sea. And yet it didn't flap, save for a strange twirling of whiskers or teeth about its head. When I had sent young Bobo to investigate, in the deep jungle line, he reported seeing a red-haired woman, a European, in the distance, stumbling deeper into the island with a gash upon her head."
— Antón de Deça, Church Historian and Explorer, found near a secret pub.
“Quellen and Crockets’ crews have a pretty nasty rivalry, no one’ll dispute that. There’s always something that one of ‘em has or is searching for that the other guy wants. It ain’t cheap, relic hunting, with all these church-mice around.
Last I heard, they were both investigating claims of some big vessel that’s been attacking the other boats, everybody’s been saying that it’s harder than any other boat they’ve seen and is bigger than a galleon. Anyway, that’s been a few months, and no one’s seen them make their usual ration run.”
— Joseph Kerts, Bartender; Testimony was given post inquiry into a series of bottled messages floating up the shore in the town of [Unintelligable].
All men of arms and courage are called for the assembly of a company to aid in the endeavor of exorcizing the Sickly Children from the inland town of Cáliz. Others of less verve may assist with burning of corpses thereafter, for a halved reward of 1,000 Escudos.
“Minding your own business is a good piece of advice anywhere, but here, it’s a survival tactic. The children: We don’t know where or who they come from, just that they’re here at night. You may see them on street corners or fence posts, out of the corner of your eye. But what we do know is that they aren’t fond of introductions, and all the people who follow them don’t come back. Wha— Getting a priest out here? I’d like to see you try.”
— Maria Elvello, mother of four and Genoan colonist.
Find Captain Goldbeard and/or his treasure. Look for any islands surrounded by black waves, or any that appear to be floating. Retrieve as much treasure as you can and bring it to Auctoritas. 'Reward will be increased depending on the size of your haul
All efforts outside of the capture of "Goldbeard" have been halted by an official Vatican decree. Any who continues to attempt to reach the island does so at their own risk.
“Captain Goldbeard’s Treasure: By God, I am not jesting, his name was 'Klaus Bernhard Goldbeard.' He had a gruff facial scar, the most luscious, silvery-blonde locks you’d ever see, and a rotund, jolly demeanor. I took a job for him once — desperately — but when I got to the agreed location, there wasn’t a ship, just these beds. He told us about midday to get some early shuteye since we’d be leaving real' early in the morning. I shrugged it off at the time, but when I had that dream… The flying ship, the food, the gold, the black-capped waves rolling off the waterfalls into the endless abyss below; It all seemed real. I know it was real.”
— Scotsman “Ailig Goering,” among one of forty coma victims found at the Nimmerland Inn, ranting about 'floating island(s).’
"The Retaking of Fort James in Tobago," Print by an Unknown Artist (circa. 1622)
A Special Thank You To:
Directed by 
Croal, 
Blairin,
Almarduk for revising the bulletin,
televisionist for Coding, Assets, and Page Formatting,
Blairin for making the format, general creative writing,
Superspambot for Writing Factions, and reworking the Bulletin,
bXluYW1lamVmZg for Theme graphics,
8ismo, 
Jokezm, 
Von Pincier for their wonderful art,
ThermicLine for reworking the introduction and primary document,
And Vizlox does not match any existing user name for creating and brainstorming such an amazing event idea.
