Capt'n Hanbal
Hanbal was born around 1350AD, on the steppes of Mongolia, where he was raised until about the age of 7 (historians are never agreed on his age), when he was captured in a raid by Arabic slavers. He spent the next 10 years of his life working as a slave, first on the slave galleys, but eventually he was put to work on the lands of a wealthy Corsair, on the north coast of Africa, in the lands known as Barbary.
Here he befriended his owner, who came to like the young Mongolian slave, and took him to sea with him, as his personal slave. The ship was set upon by Spanish Man-o-Wars. The Spanish freed him, and were on their way home to Spain, which was to be his new home, when the Man-o-War was ambushed by Barbary Corsairs, out for revenge. In the midst of the fighting, Hanbal saved the life of his old Master (who had survived the original attack), and upon their return to Barbary, he was freed, taken in by his former Master, and trained in the ways of a Corsair. Many years later we now find him to be one of the leaders amongst the Corsairs, respected by his allies, and feared by his enemy.
His ship, the Flying Ypotryll plies all manner of seas, where is suits the ship, her crew and the perilous winds to venture.. the Barbary coast is a favourite destination of the crew, as are the seas off the bonny isle of Scotland, and the ship has also been known to make the occasional plunderous voyage to the land of the vikings, as well as visiting the lands of his birth, far off Mongolia....
But Stormhold is acknowledged as home.. the chilly southern Wintery seas beloved of all the crew. As a freelance privateer in the lands of the Barony of Stormhold, Principality of Lochac, Kingdom of the West, the roguish Hanbal and the crew ply their trade here - do come and visit sometime...
