Shipwreck Island

"Look alive and keep a weather eye! Not for naught it's called Shipwreck Island. Where lies Shipwreck Cove and the town of Shipwreck."
―Joshamee Gibbs

Shipwreck Island - Shipwreck island was a tropical island in the Caribbean, located a day's sail off of the northeast coast of South America. It is the location of Dead Man's Cove, which contained Black Sail City. The only way to gain access to this island was through the Devil's Throat. The Devil's Throat was a perilous sea tunnel leading through Shipwreck Island. It was the main passageway for any vessel attempting to enter Dead Man's Cove. The Devil's Throat was the only way into the volcanic crater that housed Black Sail City. Many died making it deep enough for a ship's draw. Every year, its treacherous passage, which was known to be a trick to navigate, claimed several vessels that dared sail through. These wrecks were subsequently added to the assembly of derelict ships that comprised the ship-wrecked city itself.

Much of Shipwreck Island's history is shrouded in mystery. One of the best known legends on the Spanish Main, it was believed that the island was an impregnable pirate stronghold and sanctuary for hundreds of years. Most seafarers who heard of it regarded it as nothing more than the rum-soaked invention of tale-spinning pirates.

The island’s position was difficult, if not impossible, to pinpoint on a map. Some said that it had no fixed location, but that it...moved. But pirates who knew of it could usually find it...though not always. One of the few pirate maps that bore correct(at least at some times) coordinates for Shipwreck Island showed it as lying a day’s sail off the northeast coast of South America.

The inner portions of the island, Dead Man's Cove and Shipwreck City, were some of the main locations where pirates gather, particularly during the first meeting of the Brethren Court. Other than the pirates, very few parties were able to enter Shipwreck Island. In order to reach the center of the island, sailors were forced to pass through that narrow inlet known as the Devil's Throat, which claimed several ships every year.

Dead Man's Cove went by many names but Dead Man's cove was the most prominently used. It was located in the crater of a volcano, and its mass was comprised of hundreds of wrecked ships. It was the main area where the pirates gather and used as a fortress.

In Black Sail City there were many places where people could gamble and drink, such as the Mermaid and the Drunken Lady. There were also many notable inhabitants who lived in the city, particularly pirates and wenches. Black Sail City was located on a small island in the crater of a volcano, and its mass was comprised of hundreds of wrecked ships. Each ship that had been chosen to become part of Black Sail City had its own story — though in most cases those stories were long lost to the dust of history or myth. No one knew precisely how old the city was, though legend had it that its foundations consisted of Greek triremes, Roman galleys, and dragon-prowed longships.

Any ship wishing to reach the town was first forced to pass into the Devil's Throat, a narrow passage that claimed several vessels each year. Within the city were many pirates residing comfortably, with everything from weapons and instruments to jewelry sold off; there were younger pirates playing in streets and as always, hungry pirates making barbecues fashioned from old torture equipment. The city also had dungeons for those who broke the rules of pirate society.

The Mermaid - The Mermaid was a tavern located in Black Sail City on Shipwreck Island. Like all buildings in the city, the Mermaid was constructed out of a shipwreck. The wreck's mermaid figurehead, the tavern's namesake, was used as the tavern's sign.

The Drunken Lady - The Drunken Lady was a tavern in Black Sail City on Shipwreck Island. The barkeeper was Steve Seymour but the guests were often served by his wife, Marie Seymour. The tavern was constructed from the remains of the Spanish treasure galleon Nuestra Señora de la Inspiración Divina(Our Lady of Divine Inspiration)