Pirates, ruthless seekers of wealth, would stop at nothing for a quick profit, plundering from the wealthy and hoarding their gains for themselves.

Among these pirates was a notorious figure known as Vilor Viridian, the formidable captain of the ship named the 'Gold Shanty.' He commanded a crew whose skills were considered subpar by pirate standards, but they were loyal to their captain, and that meant something to him.

One day, they successfully raided a governor's ship, amassing a considerable fortune and even capturing the governor's daughters for ransom. Amid their loot, they discovered a secure and magically sealed safe that caught the captain's attention. After days of relentless effort, the safe finally yielded, revealing an unexpected treasure—a cape. At first, the crew mocked the absurdity of finding such a mundane item within the impregnable safe. However, as they gazed upon the unassuming cloth, a strange enchantment seemed to envelop them. Even Captain Viridian, known for his recklessness, couldn't resist trying it on. His crew stifled laughter behind his back as he wore it briefly before concealing it in his quarters.

Over the following weeks, Captain Viridian's behaviour grew increasingly eccentric. He wore the cape constantly, even during meals, sleep, and baths. While pirates were expected to be eccentric, this behaviour pushed the limits of what was acceptable in their brutal world.

The captain's insatiable hunger also became apparent. No matter how much he ate, he remained ravenous. His condition worsened over weeks until one horrifying night when he transformed into a monstrous creature. With fangs gleaming in the moonlight, pale skin, and eyes like fiery coals, he slaughtered his entire crew, some he devoured, others he drained bone dry. His supernatural speed and strength made him inhuman and terrifying to behold.

The captain awoke the next day amidst a gruesome scene, his memory clouded by blood, death, and gore. Overwhelmed by guilt and self-loathing, he attempted suicide, but his wounds healed miraculously, revealing his newfound immortality. With no crew to operate the ship, it drifted aimlessly on the open sea as Captain Viridian withdrew to his quarters in horror and despair.

Days passed but if felt like years until, on the third day, there came a knock at his door. He barely registered it at first, but a second, louder knock caught his attention. He opened the door to find what remained of his crew, a macabre assembly of skeletal figures, bloodless zombies and limbs moving independently. Even the governor’s daughters were strange ethereal beings with a voice of an angel.

Captain Viridian sensed an unnatural connection and control over them, a realization that the cloak had not only turned him into a vampire but a necro-vampire hybrid, capable of killing and resurrecting the dead with his bite.
Desperate to make amends, Captain Viridian and his crew attempted to reconstruct their unfortunate body-less comrades into vaguely humanoid shapes, birthing grotesque zombie ogres.

Unable to continue piracy in their current state, they sought new avenues to satisfy their greed and unholy hunger. It didn't take long for Captain Viridian to stumble upon a new obsession—a blood sport known as Blood Bowl.

The crew rebranded themselves from the 'Gold Shanty' to something more befitting their dark transformation—the 'Blood Shanties' were born.