Bartholomew Blackdagger was a notorious pirate king that ruled over the Pirates' Skyhold earthmote and used his fleet of skyships to raid the Sea of Swords for over a decade during the 15th century DR. He and his vicious crew were famously cursed by the black dragon Garrundar, doomed to remain within their floating isle as cursed undead thralls for all time.[1]
Personality[]
While Blackdagger was an avaricious man with an endless hunger for riches and power, he did not take unneeded risks during his campaign of piracy against the Sword Coast. As his influence grew over time and his control over his subordinates tightened, his ego and pride overcame his calculating nature.[1]
Activates[]
He commanded his fleet of pirates from his own personal skyship, the Black Scourge.[1]
Relationships[]
The flag flown atop the Black Scourge was later repurposed by the Blackdagger Bandits of the Sword Coast.
Captain Blackdagger had many skilled leaders that served under his command, including Captain Kayliss his second, and Commander Hames that took over leadership of Skull Fortress.[1]
History[]
Bartholomew's band of sky pirates saw much success during the early 15th century. They accumulated a great amount of wealth along with an infamous reputation in the lead up to their acquisition of Pirates' Skyhold some time after the Year of Ten Terrors, 1429 DR. Blackdagger proclaimed himself the Pirate King of the floating isle, a declaration that sparked a mutiny among his crew. While the pirate king's loyalists hunted down some of these turncoats, most of them fled into the nearby swamps and avoided their wrath.[1]
At the peak of his hubris, Bartholomew Blackdagger and his sky pirates spied the wyrm Garrundar in the skies around their skyhold and tried to capture the terrifying beast. The pirates failed spectacularly and the massive black dragon pursued them back to their hideout in the skies. Garrundar took control of the lizardfolk that lived there and harried Blackdagger's pirates until they were forced to take refuge within the strongholds and could not brave excursions outside the protection of their walls. Garrundar then weaved a powerful spell that cursed Blackdagger with everlasting undeath, binding him to his own personal refuge.[1]
Blackdagger standing atop the deck of the Black Scourge.
Even though his pirates went without water and starved within their island fortresses, Blackdagger would not let his legacy be dictated by some vile black dragon. He willed the vile curse to go beyond his form to that of his men, causing them to rise as undead following their inevitable deaths, in order for them to aid Blackdagger in his eternal quest for revenge against Garrundar.[1]
After decades of isolation, the sudden cessation of raids from Pirates' Skyhold spread across the Sword Coast North. When the Blackdagger Bandits began attacking traders on the High Road from the long-abandoned Cragmire Keep, some people speculated as to whether they were related to the lost sky pirates or merely sought to carry on traditions of terror and violence.[1]
In the Year of the Ageless One, 1479 DR, a mercenary outfit known as Company Yargo ventured up to Pirates' Skyhold in search of lost skyships to expand their fleet. After touching down on the earthmote, they learned about the lost secret of the Blackdagger pirates and played a crucial part in ending their curse. The adventuring company known locally as the Heroes of Sleeping Dragon Bridge ventured into the Pirate King's retreat and struck down Bartholomew Blackdagger one final time.[1]
Appendix[]
Appearances[]
- Video Games
- Neverwinter
External Links[]
- Bartholomew Blackdagger article at the Neverwinter Wiki, a wiki for the Dungeons and Dragons: Neverwinter MMORPG.
References[]
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 Cryptic Studios (June 2013). Neverwinter. Perfect World Entertainment.