Admiral Claw

"Wolves ain't the only ones been howlin' at the moon." - Overheard in a seaside tavern While many in Tya actively avoid the open waters in favor of landlocked safety, history books are laden with those brave enough to call the sea home. While most've heard of the infamous Captain Reve, there is a new threat prowling the oceans, and he's not to be overlooked: Admiral Claw, the Blackblood Marauder. Before his transformation, Claw went by another name no longer relevant to time. His crew admired and revered him, happy to fulfill every order. Thus, while he and the bulk of his fleet defended their territory from enemy ships, he sent a small schooner of his most trusted men to investigate Darkmane Island. At the time, it was unnamed and rumored to harbor great treasure. When the schooner did not return, the Admiral himself set sail for it. Arriving on shore in the dead of night, it wasn't long before torches illuminated blood trails. It looked as though giant crimson slugs had wormed their way into the thick jungle. The Admiral's men had clearly been dragged away. A jewel-adorned ear lay here, a gold tooth there… the scene made his blood boil as he primed his custom shoulder cannon and marched into the foliage. Then came the howls. In seconds, behemoth, fur-laden beasts descended on the pirates, tearing several to shreds before a sword or pistol could strike home. "Werewolves!" The Admiral fired his canon, cutting a path for retreat before hearing the cry of one of his men caught in a trap. Slicing through the jungle, he freed the man, lifting him onto his free shoulder before making for the beach. Firing blindly, searing pain in his calf nearly dropped him as flesh tore free from bone. Under covering fire, the wounded Admiral guided his men aboard his ship when his first mate's eyes widened in horror. Their leader had been bitten. As gross convulsions racked his body and his fingertips twisted into crimson claws, the first mate acted on instinct, fastening a pair of silver shackles and halting the transition. Caught between the worlds of beast and man, the Admiral was reborn that night as a force Tya's oceans had never before seen, dubbed "Claw" by his still-loyal men. Embracing this new, accursed state, Claw ordered them to set the island ablaze before they drifted off into the night.