Pirates of the Caribbean Wiki

READ MORE

Pirates of the Caribbean Wiki
Register
Advertisement
Pirates of the Caribbean Wiki

"We, that is, the merchant ships, sir, we call them rogues, sir. These ships have a nasty habit of taking a prize, then slaughtering everyone aboard. They do this so they can take the vessel itself, in addition to the cargo."
Jack Sparrow to Cutler Beckett[src]

The Rogue pirates, often called Rogues, were pirates who operated on the Seven Seas during the early 18th century. The difference between them and other pirates was that they openly violated the Code of the Pirate Brethren by slaughtering their victims. Some of them even attacked other pirate ships, which led to the confrontation between the rogues and the Brethren Court.

History[]

The year of plundering[]

"I've concluded that we must take action regarding these rogue pirates. If these blackguards continue to plunder and menace merchant shipping, it won't be long before England, France, Spain and probably Portugal will dispatch their navies to hunt down all pirate ships they find. They won’t distinguish between those of us that keep to the Code, and these rogue pirates...these Code breakers."
Edward Teague to assembled pirates at Great Chamber[src]

The founder and leader of the rogues was Captain Boris "Borya" Palachnik, the Russian Pirate Lord of the Caspian Sea. He assembled seven pirate captains under his command and made a fleet. Though most of them operated independently of each other, they had a meeting place on a small island north of Cuba, where they would assemble to divide their swag. They operated on all oceans of the world, though most of them sailed in the Caribbean. In battles, most of them used the traditional black pirate flag with skull and crossbones, but their most distinctive symbol was the red flag of no quarter with the black demon skull.

The main difference between the rogues and pirates of the Brethren Court was that they slaughtered the crews of the ships they captured, thus openly violating the Code of the Pirate Brethren. It is unknown why the rogues slaughtered their victims, though it is possible that they did that so they could take the captured vessels too, in addition to the cargo. Since slaughtering the captured enemies was forbidden by the Code, the rogues never revealed their activities to other pirates. However, some of their victims escaped death by burrowing under bodies of slain and playing dead. Thus, the words of their activities reached the ears of Captain Edward Teague, Keeper of the Code and Pirate Lord of Madagascar, though he didn't believe the stories at first.

However, since the rogues wreaked havoc on merchant ships of all countries, the navies of Europe began to escort merchant convoys to protect them. When Teague heard that, he decided to investigate the case. At one point, Borya's sloop, the Koldunya, encountered the Cobra, the schooner captained by Hector Barbossa, in the waters north of Bermuda. When he saw how heavily laden with booty the Cobra was, Borya decided to attack her. However, the battle ended with the sinking of Cobra. Borya sent his men in the longboats to kill the survivors of Barbossa's crew to silence all witnesses.

Shipwreck Cove[]

Investigation[]

"Tommy told me he not only saw the rogue captain the night Cobra was sunk, but he also said he’d seen him here. In Shipwreck Cove. Just a few days ago. Standing on the deck of that same sloop."
"He was saying one of the rogues is
here?"
Jack Sparrow and Esmeralda[src]

Two months later, Borya and another rogue pirate, Christophe-Julien de Rapièr, were in Shipwreck City. Five of nine Pirate Lords were present at Shipwreck Cove, and Teague decided to convene an informal meeting to discuss the rogue pirate attacks. The Pirate Lords at the meeting were Borya, Teague, Eduardo Villanueva, Mistress Ching, and Don Rafael. To Borya's surprise, Barbossa also appeared at the meeting, having survived the battle which cost him his ship.

Barbossa told his tale to the assembled pirates, and Teague decided to assemble a fleet and hunt the rogues. Pretending to be a loyal pirate, Borya offered to go hunt "the rogue vessel", but the young pirate Jack Sparrow logically assumed that the rogues are using several ships.

A few days later, Borya was seen by One Tooth Tommy, one of Barbossa's men. Tommy remembered "the devil" who sunk the Cobra. Tommy spoke about his encounter with Jack Sparrow, though he didn't known who "the devil" exactly is. But their conversation was heard by Christophe. Knowing how dangerous witness Tommy is, Christophe caught Tommy in the dead of night, and drowned him in the Cove.

Two days later, Jack found Tommy's body, and decided to search around the Cove for the sloop which matched the description given by Barbossa. Jack and his friend Esmeralda rowed around the Cove until Jack saw the Koldunya, and recognized it as the rogue ship.

The Court of Inquiry[]

"Boris Palachnik. This Court of Inquiry finds that you and your crew have broken the Code of the Brethren. The Code is the law. The penalty for all of you is death."
Edward Teague to Boris Palachnik[src]

When Jack informed Barbossa of his discovery, they came to the docks where Barbossa confirmed that Borya's ship looks identical to the rogue vessel that sunk his ship. But when Barbossa, Don Rafael, and Captain Teague boarded the Koldunya, they didn't find the most incriminating evidence, the Indian brass bow chaser, the cannon which fired the first shot at Barbossa's ship. The Koldunya had a bow chaser, but it was a regular iron nine-pounder, painted black.

Despite that, Teague decide to call an official cort of inquiry. The Pirate Lords assembled in the Pirate Hall. At the court, all the witnesses, including Jack, Esmeralda, Melinda, Ragetti, and Barbossa, told their stories, but since there was not enough evidences against Borya, Teague decided to summon Davy Jones, the Lord of the sea. Jones knew everything that happened in his watery kingdoms, and the Brethren Court spoke a magic call that brought Jones onboard the Troubadour, Teague's ship. When asked about Borya's guilt, Jones recognized him as the leader of the rogues, saying that he and his men sent many souls to the sea bottom without mercy.

Borya and his crew were sentenced to death by hanging and imprisoned in the dungeons beneath Shipwreck City. Trapped, Borya revealed the location of the meeting place of the rogues, and Teague began to make plans for organizing a pirate fleet to destroy the remaining rogues. Borya also revealed the names of other rogue captains, identifying Christophe as one of them.

Seeing that Borya was captured, Christophe and his men tried to flee from Shipwreck Island, but Teague's man stopped the La Vipère before she could enter Devil's Throat. Teague's men searched Christophe's ship and found Christophe's turquoise coat, the one which he wore on the night when he killed Tommy. That was enough evidence for Teague to sentence Christophe and his whole crew to death.

Escape from Shipwreck Cove[]

"We rogues saved your life, remember? If we had left you behind, you would have been the one that Captain Teague hanged at dawn."
"And I saved yours. I figure we're square, mate.
"
Christophe-Julien de Rapièr and Jack Sparrow[src]

When Jack heard from Barbossa that Borya named Christophe as one of the rogues, he believed that Christophe was innocent, and decided to help him to escape. As his last request, Christophe wanted to talk with Jack. When Jack visited him in the dungeons, Christophe convinced him that he was innocent. The same night, Jack broke into the dungeons, holding the key to the cells, which he stole from Teague's Prison Dog. But when he freed Christophe and his men from their cells, Christophe also freed Borya and his crew, thus proving that he really is one of the rogues. Jack wanted to raise the alarm, but the rogues silenced him. When they broke out of the dungeons, they stormed the armory. When they reached the docks, they commandeered every small boat they found, rowed to their ships, and escaped from the island. During their escape from Shipwreck Island, Christophe's rogues kidnapped Jack, taking him with them.

New attacks[]

"Lately, both rogue pirates have been burning the ships they take."
Esmeralda to Jack Sparrow[src]

Immediately after the escape, the Koldunya and La Vipère sailed in different directions. A few days after the escape, La Vipère encountered the Dutch merchant flute, and after a short fight, captured her. The ship was plundered, and the entire Dutch crew was slaughtered, except the few sailors who were forced to join the rogues.

After the battle, Jack was given the magical wristlet by Taharka, the dying Pharaoh from the mythical island of Kerma, who was a passanger on the Dutch ship. But Christophe took the wristlet from Jack, and accused him of stealing the booty before the whole crew. The rogues decided to leave Jack in a small boat on the open sea, with no food or water.

Two years after being exposed as a rogue pirate, Christophe killed Don Rafael, shooting him in the back.

Five years after their escape from Shipwreck Island, Borya, Christophe, and their crews were the only remaining rogue pirates on the high seas. All others were exterminated. But the two rogue vessels continued to operate in the Caribbean and the Atlantic Ocean.

Battle in the Bahamas[]

"We've got a rogue pirate closing in on us, and he's made his intention to attack us clear. The rogue pirates are the ones that give no quarter, savvy? That means they take no prisoners. If they capture us, we’re all dead."
Jack Sparrow to Amenirdis, Shabako, and Tarek[src]

When Borya learned that Jack Sparrow became a captain in the East India Trading Company, commanding the merchant vessel Wicked Wench, he decided to find him and kill him. The Russian pirate still wanted to exact revenge on Sparrow for the destruction of his fleet.

After searching for the Wicked Wench in the Bahamas for some time, the Koldunya finally spotted Sparrow's ship off the coast of Great Abaco. The rogues chased the merchant vessel for some time until they both grounded in the Northwest Providence Channel.

The two vessels fired at each other, and they both sustained heavy damage. But since the Koldunya was much smaller vessel than the Wench, the rogues were the first to free their ship from the shoal when the tide came. They begun approaching the Wench, intending to destroy her from the safe distance, but the Koldunya suddenly exploded, with no apparent reason. All pirates onboard were killed in the explosion, Borya among them.

Search for Kerma[]

"Those are my conditions. If you abide by them, you’ll get your chance in the labyrinth, to get as much as you can carry. I’ll give you three minutes to decide whether you want in on this, under my terms."
"Yes. I accept those terms."
"Very well. I’ll give you half an hour to get your ship ready to sail east. Then I’m setting out. I’ll see you in the harbor of Zerzura.
"
Jack Sparrow and Christophe-Julien de Rapièr[src]

A few weeks later, the Wench encountered Christophe's ship, La Vipère, in the waters south of Bermuda. After he made a deal with Jack Sparrow, Christophe ordered his crew to set sail to the East, across the Atlantic Ocean. They agreed to find the legendary island of Kerma together, because Jack needed the magical bracelet which Christophe took from him five years earlier to open the door of the treasure-filled Zerzuran labyrinth. In exchange, Jack promised Christophe that he'll have a chance to take as much gold as he could carry from the labyrinth.

A few weeks later, the two ships approached the magical fog which was hiding the island from the outside world, and successfully sailed through it. Two days later, Christophe, Jack, and the Zerzuran princess Amenirdis entered the labyrinth. After defeating several monsters, they found the treasure room. Though he filled his sack with treasure worth a fortune, Christophe took Amenirdis hostage and forced Jack to give him the most valuable part of the treasure, the green stone of power, the Heart of Zerzura. Once he took the Heart, a lion suddenly appeared, and Christophe escaped from the labyrinth, taking his booty with him.

The Mutiny[]

"Gone, she is gone. My beautiful La Vipère. When I took out that—that rock—you gave me, I fear I...well, I confess I had a temper fit; I was provoked, you cannot deny it! First I ordered them to sail back through the fog so we could sack the island. They refused, those cowardly vermin! Then I told them that when you came through the fog, we would attack your wretched vessel, so I could take the gem of power that is rightfully mine. And they refused to do that, too!"
Christophe-Julien de Rapièr to Jack Sparrow[src]

With some treasure and the Heart in his hands, Christophe returned to his ship, and ordered the crew to set sail. But a few hours after La Vipère sailed through the magical fog, the Heart of Zerzura transformed into a large, worthless rock. Furious, Christophe ordered his men to set the course back for the island, but the superstitious rogues refused his order. When he told them to wait for the Wench to emerge from the fog and then attack her, they refused that too, because they knew that she was a better armed vessel, and because they also believed that she was crewed by pirates loyal to the Brethren Court, who would show them no mercy if they lose the battle.

In a fit of rage, Christophe shot his first mate, and the crew raised a mutiny against him. They deposed him as captain, and since there was no island close enough to maroon him on, they put him in a dinghy with no food and water, and set him adrift.

A few hours later, Christophe managed to reach the Wicked Wench and boarded her. He was immediately confronted by Jack Sparrow. After he told Jack what happened on La Vipère, Christophe asked Jack to give him a place on the Wench and drop him off at the first civilised port. But Jack refused, and they begun a duel to the death. Though Christophe was one of the best swordsmen Jack ever faced, the young captain ultimately won, and together with Robbie Greene, threw the rogue's corpse overboard.

The final fate of Christophe's mutinous crew and La Vipère is unknown.

Appearances[]

Advertisement