Barbatos Posted June 12, 2021 Hi all! With great pleasure I present to you this terrifying ship! Hope you like it! More on Instagram! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mister Phes Posted June 12, 2021 4 hours ago, Barbatos said: Follow me on Instagram! WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY ahead of you there. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jack Sassy Posted June 12, 2021 A rather fancy looking vessel, if I may say so. But I be in need of more pictures to fully appreciate her and an old sea dog like meself (not really that old but let's say so for the show) has trouble with navigating through Instagram. Could ye provide some more photos? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Barbatos Posted June 13, 2021 (edited) https://upload.forumfree.net/i/fc11522135/IMG_20210428_121522.jpg https://upload.forumfree.net/i/fc11522135/IMG_20210428_121704.jpg Sorry, The photos I have are heavier than allowed, and I should resize them all! 11 hours ago, Jack Sassy said: A rather fancy looking vessel, if I may say so. But I be in need of more pictures to fully appreciate her and an old sea dog like meself (not really that old but let's say so for the show) has trouble with navigating through Instagram. Could ye provide some more photos? Edited June 13, 2021 by Barbatos Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jack Sassy Posted June 13, 2021 1 hour ago, Barbatos said: https://upload.forumfree.net/i/fc11522135/IMG_20210428_121522.jpg https://upload.forumfree.net/i/fc11522135/IMG_20210428_121704.jpg Strangely enough, it seems that I have no permission to access them. You could try hosting them via Flickr, not a bad little site for such things. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tezclatipoca Posted June 13, 2021 Great vessel ! The skull at the stern is very well done and is very frightening ! Great job ! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Professor Thaum Posted June 15, 2021 Very nice one. I love the bleached touch of it ! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GeoBrick Posted June 15, 2021 Instead of "timbers", it is now "shiver me bones"... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JeffBuilds Posted June 18, 2021 On 6/15/2021 at 8:24 AM, GeoBrick said: Instead of "timbers", it is now "shiver me bones"... I had to do it to em. That bit of japery aside, I love, love LOVE your Ghost ship build! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Marooned Marin Posted June 19, 2022 While we wait for the Classic-Pirates blog post about this terrifying build (which is finished and scheduled for release somewhere in the near time future) during our torture interview with @Barbatos we learned that he wrote extensive backstory of how the Charon’s Chest came to be. The story is loosely based on the Captain John Blackheart, who is mentioned just briefly in the LEGO comic book “The Gold Medallion” (which you should really read). It’s a good read, original story idea, but too long to be incorporated within the blog post. On the other hand hook, it’s too good not to be shared here inside the forum with you. The original is written in the Italian. For those who speak and read the Italian we provide you the story in original format of four pictures below. Just click and view the hidden content. For others, also hidden inside the spoilers further below (just so we can keep the things inside the topic nice and tidy), there is Google-translated text version. Hope you enjoy. ---------- ITALIAN ACT 1 Spoiler ACT 2 Spoiler ACT 3 Spoiler ACT 4 Spoiler ---------- ENGLISH ACT I: The first shipwreck and the era of masks. Spoiler Year of the Lord 1594. With booty like that, the Blackheart cousins could have lived as gentlemen... All the greatest pirates know that a treasure makes you rich, but a big treasure makes you a prey! However, by now the die was cast and the Governor would have searched for them all the way to the ends of the world in order to get back what had been taken from him! Thus, the only reward for their enterprise was that they had three days to hide the gold. The map that marked its position was engraved on a coin, which the cousins broke in two to be necessary to each other and to calm the frictions that usually arise in front of such wealth. On the way to Tortuga, John Blackheart's ship was spotted and pursued by the Governor's mighty Ironram, and so the pirate was forced to divert to try to lose track. That rogue Brian Blackheart, on the other hand, took advantage of the situation convinced that he would be able to storm Port Royal with reduced defences, making a miserable mistake. Meanwhile the wind did not help John's escape, who found himself forced to head towards the Isle of Mists. The plan was to penetrate the thick blanket and turn quickly to escape pursuit. The cunning pirate succeeded, but unconsciously approached the ship to a cliff, causing it to violently break the hull, taking on water and losing more than half of its crew in the shipwreck. When John was lucky enough to reopen his eyes he raised his head from grayish sand, washed by dark water that merged with the fog. Around him some dudes painted and covered in pudenda with ridiculous skirts were helping what was left of his crew to get up, while a row of lying corpses stretched to his left, with a monkey that seemed to be observing the deaths, turning around and currying undeterred. . The survivors were led into the dense vegetation and, passing through little visible paths, they came to what looked like an indigenous village. The captain was recognized and they took John under his arm to bring him in front of their tribal chief: a tall and thin figure, with strange drawings on the body and a disturbing blood-red mask that barely showed two wide eyes. With few but understandable words, he introduced himself: he was the king of the Zhatuka islanders, protector of the island and ruler of the fog. He wanted to know why the pirates had dared to risk their lives on those shores and John, still exhausted, decided that the truth was the only story he could bear. He knew there was a lot of loot on this island, but unlike so many other pirates, the idea of going all the way there to slaughter an entire tribe had never crossed his mind. The chieftain seemed relieved by those words and wanted to believe him. In that man there was not a swashbuckling and pretentious spirit, so it was not their intention to take them prisoner or assassinate them, indeed, some of them worked to treat the wounded. For the next two months of their stay on the island, the crew seemed to be happy. In that place everyone understood that wealth was no more important than freedom. Many abandoned their pirate clothes to blend in with their costumes. And the impression that they could create a new life became a possibility. John however, in his heart, feared that a life led like this would not last long, and that once the novelty had vanished he and his parents would have wanted to go back out there ... He often looked at the chinea mass he wore around his neck, but that gold perhaps she wouldn't give them more than they could have had there. For Zathuka their presence could be an added value: although the fog protected the island from incursions, someone still managed to land there, and sooner or later those waters would become known. Then he summoned John proposing to take sides in defense of the island, to preserve its safety and give vent to the adventurer's soul that every pirate cannot shake off. That was the turning point! The pirates joined with 30 other islanders, exchanging combat techniques and strategic knowledge to manage the defense aboard a rather bizarre boat, the result of the mixing of two different cultures. John also wanted to embark the Cebus capucinus that he had seen on the day of his discovery on the beach: for pirates, in fact, monkeys represent a very valiant luck! Spinoza became her name and confirmed her spirited soul, but she also became very fond of John, always walking around him like a dog and taking his half coin that she wore around her neck, to wear it herself. The first chance to prove brave came against a clipper from the south carrying a black flag. The fog gave the islanders a distinct advantage, as they seemed to see right through it. They approached it quickly and the boarding was lightning fast. John's crew, in a short time, took possession of the ship and its captain was questioned to understand where they came from. When the prisoner recognized the Blackheart, a blade cut off his head. John felt a shiver in his back: the bounty on him must have been very large. Seized by fear of him, he ordered not to leave any survivors and on his return he had masks made for himself and his men to conceal their identity. Those intimidating masks effectively accompanied them on subsequent adventures for several years. ACT II: the beginning of the end Spoiler The power of anonymity is incalculable! For John Blackheart and his pirates, wearing a mask was like having another identity, which allowed him to play a part and pushed them beyond their fears. The old crew, backed by the natives, formed a group as formidable as they are lethal, and those who fortunately managed to return from the clashes, said they had met "demons". With each victory, it had become customary for John to grab an agitated Spinoza under his arms, lifting her up and showing her to the crew gathered on deck, symbolizing how that animal kept luck on their side! And the islanders, how they exulted, they were kidnapped! Over the years the victories had filled the crew with arrogance, including the natives, who progressively distanced themselves from their nature to embrace an exciting life full of adrenaline. King Zhatuka seemed not to care about all this because he had achieved his purpose: to defend his people and that island, as well as recovering the goods they were transporting from the ships of the vanquished. His son Kahuka was not of the same idea when he noticed changes in his friends, who were embarking... Gradually, among the inns crowded with pirates, he began to spread the conviction that those were waters to be avoided, while for the more daring they could become an opportunity to make people talk about themselves, making their defence increasingly risky. Thus it was that a crazy pirate, contemptuous of the danger, gathered all the information on those "demons" and also learned of the presence of a monkey among them, which served as a good luck charm. Believing that their strength was based on that animal, he wanted to embark two of them and locked them in a cage to prevent them from escaping, then leaving with his boat in search of the confrontation, which he found very soon. The opponent that John faced was a group of outcasts who had nothing to lose and who fought mercilessly. During the boarding, John entered the captain's lounge in search of the coward who had not yet shown up, discovering the two monkeys in a cage. Spinoza was, as usual, beside him. When the pirate appeared from the shadows, John did not even have time to draw the gun that a sword had slashed the monkey's back, causing its death. Those imprisoned began to fidget, and John, out of his mind, planted a bullet between the eyes of the killer, then pulled out the second gun and inveighed on the body already dead. In an instant he realized what he had created: he had elevated that monkey to such a divine presence, that if the islanders had learned of his death, they would have interpreted it as a fatal sign! So John decided to free one of the two imprisoned monkeys, the one that most resembled us, to replace his Spinoza. The chosen one was agitated, but when the pirate opened the cage and took her with him, it clung to his neck, trembling with fear. He placed the guinea on the new Spinoza's neck, and tried to erase from her mind what he had done ... Forever. After that terrible battle, victory faded into the background behind the trail of the dead and John lost many of his gods. There was no usual joy of winning the fight, and no Spinoza were lifted from the stern. Upon their return, among the many corpses to be buried, there were also many friends of Kahuka. Despite the tragedy, Zathuka allegedly supported his defence policy to the end. But the tribal chief wouldn't live much longer, while his successor frowned upon the pirate captain, checking his quarters every time he embarked. Visibly aged and battle-scarred, John felt he was being watched and he too began to show his hatred for Kahuka, trying to defend himself and keeping strong ties with the islanders who supported him, at the expense of his future boss. ACT III: The expulsion Spoiler Year of the Lord 1632. The hatred had been going on for several years now: between old John Blackheart and Kahuka, the wind was not good, but everything remained in balance thanks to the strong determination of Zhatuka. Many islanders still saw John as an unbeatable warrior defending their homes, wrapped in a cloak of magic and protected by his long-lived Spinoza who now appeared to be more the incarnation of auspicious fate than a simple monkey. Convinced that there was no magic around the pirate, but only deceptions: after all, even his people used expedients to amaze. After all he was always a pirate, he was not one of them ... Whenever John left the village to survey the coasts, he knew his position became more vulnerable and he began to obsess over Kahuka trying to turn everyone against him. The only hope he could have was to die before the throne passed to his successor; but even death was not a longed-for desire, because the old pirate was as attached to life as the bowsprit at the bow! On a rainy morning, a galleon spotted John's bizarre ship, which pushed past the foggy area, returning to the island with a heavy cargo stolen from a freighter, and used the wind to reach it. When they were close enough to see through the binoculars those men with their faces covered by masks, the captain had the 48 guns armed: he was determined to attack the phantom boat of demons! John, aware of the slowness due to the weight of the ship and of having a crew that had just fought a boarding, had to make a choice: either to get rid of the load to lighten up and reach the protection of the fog as soon as possible, or to fight the galleon. He also knew that his position in the village would not be in question until he returned with victories and provisions, and in his ship there were several possessions that would keep him in the good graces of the islanders. He therefore opted for battle. That clash, from the way he started, heralded a negative outcome: a cannon shot hit the mizzen mast in full, causing the death of a dozen natives. Another couple of cannon shots hit the hull on the surface of the water, forcing many men to go down to the hold to repair the damage as best they could and save the cargo. Shortly thereafter, the boarding began in pouring rain. In a din of sword strikes and screams, John launched himself into the fray that had arisen on the deck of his ship. After killing a couple of buccaneers, he was disarmed of the sword, so he took his two pistols but they were so soaked that they misfired. He fell to his knees in desperation, while the fight stopped instantly: the buccaneers had captured Spinoza! The legend of the sea demons ended at that moment. After they surrendered they were gathered on the deck. Only the roar of the rain disturbed the silence: the natives had never experienced defeat and their eyes were watering with fear. The winning captain joined John, chained to the tree in front of him, and removed his mask recognizing the infamous Blackheart. A laugh of enjoyment accompanied John and the remaining pirates as they were led into the galleon's cabin. Once inside, shots were heard executing the islanders on the deck. The captain of the buccaneers revealed to John his name was William Hawk, and that he was in the pay of the Governor of Sabatina who had charged him with stopping the pirate raids on the coasts of the lands he governed. He told him that in Port Royal there was still a bounty on him, that to his delight he would take him there to collect it and that there he would be hanged. At that point John had nothing to lose and he played all his cards in a plan that was already clear in his mind. So he made him a tempting offer: he could lead him to the island's huge treasure in exchange for freedom. Naming that treasure, the buccaneers' eyes lit up, and their captain could only agree to the proposal. Despite the dismay, his men remained silent, aware that John was not a traitor. In fact, the real intent was to lead the buccaneers to the village where they would be overwhelmed by outnumbering. But on that sad day, the village was closing in on mourning, as if to foretell the complete defeat of the pirate: King Zathuka was dead. Disembarking on an inconspicuous side of the coast, John led the buccaneers through the jungle. Suddenly, when he took the road to the village instead of that of the cave where the treasure was kept, his pirates who accompanied him understood his plan. As soon as they came out of a thick reed bed, they found themselves in front of the funeral celebration, literally remaining speechless. The buccaneers realized that they had been deceived, but also that the pirate's plan had not exactly gone as planned. John improvised, and despite having his hands tied together, he used the moment to steal a gun from the buccaneer next to him by firing a shot in the head of their captain and invoking the islanders for help. The first to attack were the natives who attended the vigil wearing the typical weapons of their costume, while the others ran to retrieve bows and spears. John and his pirates, bound and unarmed, did not represent the worst danger at the time, and were completely forgotten. In a short time the bloody battle was over, and the buccaneers who did not have the intelligence to escape, were brutally killed. John and his crew watched all the time, motionless as statues, because they understood what they had interrupted. Kahuka approached him, angry and his face covered in blood. John had to explain this situation, which seemed a clear betrayal, to the new tribal chief. For the late Zathuka's successor, there could be no better opportunity to get rid of the pirate, and despite John trying to make his intentions understood, Kahuka's accusations fell on his head like hammer blows. To show respect for the service that the old captain had performed for the islanders, Kahuka decided to save his life, but he chased him and the men who had followed him, as far as possible. Without opposing and without being able to say goodbye for the last time to the soul of the one who represented a brother, John gave himself up to the excruciating feeling of having lost everything in one day. They were boarded on a raft and pulled by the islanders up to the freezing currents that lead to narrow places that exude death: the islands of skulls and skeletons. Once at the mercy of the sea, only God knew what their end would be... ACT IV: You only die once! Spoiler A raft with five old pirates on it began to bounce in the waves, pushed by a wind that seemed to scream at them that they would soon crash into the cliffs of the Island of Skulls, visible on the horizon of a purple sunset. John Blackheart clutched the jacket of boatswain Larry Clayman, who in turn held the hand of Chief Gunner Frank Gayle, who was sliding across the wet wood. The carpenter Simon Harris, on the other hand, tried not to lose the sacks with the few remaining provisions in the sea, while the ship's boy Peter Donovan tied a rope end to the raft. Although dying at sea is a desirable end for a pirate, the few minutes that separate the departure always show an innate desire not to give in to resignation. Once near the cliff, John defied death, but barely had time to finish cursing him when a wave threw them onto the rocks, shattering the raft and their bodies. Returned to the shore of a small bay in the middle of the cliffs, the mangled corpses of four pirates dried in the sun, while the fifth pirate had received the horrible gift of being able to see them. The survivor was Simon Harris, who after putting the water back into his lungs, realized he wasn't the only person alive on that little beach. Where the green vegetation ended and the white sand began, there were individuals watching him: the silhouettes looked human, but their faces were covered with horned skulls and the skin was so pale it had to be painted. In their hands they held human femurs tied to spikes and blades. In their midst, a sort of shaman, curled up on her knees, waved a scepter made of bones: the legends about those islands were anything but inventions! Those natives, however, seemed much more interested in the corpses on the shore than in him and in fact they limited themselves to tying his hands and feet and then transporting him with a pole, like a pig on a spit. Arriving in a sort of skull-studded cave, Mr. Harris was thrown into a bone prison, while the bodies of his former companions were placed on a bed of palm leaves. From there he could see them well: John still had his eyes wide open and half his chest broken by the crash, while Frank had lost a leg. Worse had happened to Larry, that his legs had lost both of them, while his face was slashed by deep cuts. Peter, apart from a wooden plank stuck in his belly, seemed to be asleep. That vision was terrifying, but even more terrifying was the pool of blood bubbling in the center of the cave and the noises those devils sang as the shaman waved her arms and legs, screaming occasionally. The flames around the scene painted a hell Mr. Harris would never see in his life. The howls became more and more deafening, and, in the deafening din, the remains of the pirates were immersed in the pool of blood, which then stopped boiling. An instant later, like a geyser, blood exploded everywhere! Harris also vomited his soul. As soon as he raised his head, he saw his companions emerge and an unstoppable tremor seized him. The shaman exulted and approaching him, who had already curled up with his hands to cover his head, she commanded the zombies to kill him. With a single wave of his hand, the returning John Blackheart broke the bones of the prison. Desperate, Harris took courage: he raised his hands and looking into his eyes those monsters of him begged for mercy. It was then that, in the crossing of glances, perhaps the flash of a memory or a clouded memory, he made them hesitate for a moment. And in that hesitation, Harris grabbed a sharp bone from the shattered cage and plunged it into the shaman's neck: a last-ditch effort in the hope that something might help... To the collective amazement, the deceased pirates looked at each other, almost freed from an enchantment. Then they looked back at Harris, but this time with a sad expression. The natives, who probably understood that the spell had been compromised, fled screaming. In the silence of the cave among bones, skulls and blood, John and the other zombies looked at the palms of their hands, turned them on their backs, then moved to the forearm, finishing by scrutinizing each other. They seemed to have understood what fate had befallen them! Arriving at the nearest beach, the undead approached one of the heaps of bones that the island presented threatening to those who came there. Once again John raised his hands and the bones moved with them. Then the other returns did the same: one after the other they formed the structure of a hull and Harris, from the height of his experience as a carpenter, went to recover pieces of wooden planks brought ashore from the sea. Evening came and that heap of wood and bone had become an abominable skeleton of a vessel, which took the name of "Charon's Chest". John Blackheart turned to a weary Simon Harris, making him a promise: they would take him back to the Isle of Mists, where he would spend his remaining years. Having taken off on a ship floating on the surface of the water, they began their return. The health conditions of the unfortunate Harris, however, worsened day by day and with his health, the vessel also suffered blows, losing pieces in the water. It seemed that the magic he held the bones together depended on the health of the one beating heart on board. With this only plausible hypothesis, their return journey could have encountered some setbacks, but worse still, John would not have been able to deliver on his promise if Harris had died in the crossing. Unfortunately, as powerful as they had become, they had no ability to heal him and death overtook him just a day away from the Isle of Mists. The vessel was crumbling more and more, but fortunately a ship was sighted a few miles away: its crew would have given life back to the magic and John, torn apart by yet another failure, ordered his men to set course for that prey. Since then on Charon's Chest a prison of bones has protected the victim which gives John Blackheart and his comrades the terrifying power to animate the bones of their boarding corpses. Forced into that "non-life", clouded with anger mixed with disgust, they will continue to do the only thing they know how to do well, that is to be pirates. And among those mists, which they know very well, they will throw themselves against anyone who crosses their route, because fighting is the only thing that makes them feel alive and no one will be able to stop them: you only die once! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Red Rackham Posted June 19, 2022 Amazing. I look forward to every new post in the Classic Pirate blog Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Barbatos Posted July 2, 2022 On 6/19/2022 at 2:00 PM, Marooned Marin said: While we wait for the Classic-Pirates blog post about this terrifying build (which is finished and scheduled for release somewhere in the near time future) during our torture interview with @Barbatos we learned that he wrote extensive backstory of how the Charon’s Chest came to be. The story is loosely based on the Captain John Blackheart, who is mentioned just briefly in the LEGO comic book “The Gold Medallion” (which you should really read). It’s a good read, original story idea, but too long to be incorporated within the blog post. On the other hand hook, it’s too good not to be shared here inside the forum with you. The original is written in the Italian. For those who speak and read the Italian we provide you the story in original format of four pictures below. Just click and view the hidden content. For others, also hidden inside the spoilers further below (just so we can keep the things inside the topic nice and tidy), there is Google-translated text version. Hope you enjoy. Thank you so much @Marooned Marin for your post! I really enjoyed your interview and was very happy to have met you in that occasion. Can't wait to see the post! Ps- I'll try to follow this forum more, which is full of great content! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mister Phes Posted July 3, 2022 18 hours ago, Barbatos said: Thank you so much @Marooned Marin for your post! I really enjoyed your interview and was very happy to have met you in that occasion. On 6/20/2022 at 6:01 AM, Red Rackham said: I look forward to every new post in the Classic Pirate blog @Marooned Marin is a fantastic blogger! I'm sure his post will exceed all expectations! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Marooned Marin Posted July 3, 2022 19 hours ago, Barbatos said: Ps- I'll try to follow this forum more, which is full of great content! You can also share here your work in progress from Instagram, the legendary ship of Cap.... (we know who) Just name your topic [WIP] ______name______ Many of builders here don't have Instagram or Facebook, but they would love to see your design process. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Barbatos Posted July 3, 2022 Just add more pics to the main post! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Barbatos Posted August 15, 2022 Aye pirates! Here you are a little video about this MOC: Hope you enjoy! Arrr Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Marooned Marin Posted August 16, 2022 What a terrifying video! That's a cool feature, with the jaw of skull, nice! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Marooned Marin Posted August 31, 2022 @Barbatos you have been on Classic-Pirates.com Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LEGO Train 12 Volts Posted August 31, 2022 What a magnificent vessel ... the skull is beautiful! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Krol Zmija Sebastian Posted September 1, 2022 .... I never made my imagination have my enemies have villainous lairs, the spectrum may have consequences to the quantum observation theories I use for mercenaric chivalry being attested by anarchic Extremists. And that's roughly how I've become a Knight. Your ship has me wondering if I should - Now I know, thanks to having typed thus far; I should create a section, or whatever it's called (but not "abyss" because I got mercenaric chivalry of my virtue) that all my former toy enemies have academics to come vs my Heroes. It's time for me to create the Jack-O-Lantern minifigure that hollows my imagination separate from skeletal commandos, and other things! Thanks, for that ship. I'm going to have an Undead Syndicate. Should be fair, as the only remaining enemies to be had - the old enemies I believe have redemptive qualities to sustain the merit of "action" being an alive and well thing. "chaos" would be of a random bodied person. Thanks, thanks, thanks. I will be putting my dragon hunting, space mercenary, and shadow ranger skills to good use now and forever. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Takanuinuva Posted September 1, 2022 Dang that is one good skeletal ship. Is is a mod/recolor of the one from Potc? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Marooned Marin Posted September 1, 2022 6 hours ago, Takanuinuva said: Is is a mod/recolor of the one from Potc? Nay! True, it was inspired by the Silent Mary from POTC, but it's a completely different ship. We covered that in detail in our recent blog-post on on Classic-Pirates.com Check it out! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
_TLG_ Posted September 1, 2022 Amazing, I really like the brick-built skull! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Barbatos Posted September 2, 2022 On 8/31/2022 at 12:59 PM, Marooned Marin said: @Barbatos you have been on Classic-Pirates.com Thank you so much! Your post was awesome! I am honored for this! Thanks to everyone who enjoyed this MOC! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Barbatos Posted September 2, 2022 Woah! Just found it on YouTube! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
