Blackbeard

Blackbeard (Edward Teach) is the main antagonist of Windrose. In the game's alternate history, he has forged a pact with dark powers and now commands an army of the undead. He is directly responsible for the player character's downfall at the start of the game. His motto captures his character: "Why settle for less when you can take it all?"

Personality

Teach is ambitious, power-hungry, and does not care who he has to hurt to get what he wants. He does not follow any rules, not even the Pirate Code. He never believed in "freedom, equality, and brotherhood," the core values of the Brethren of the Coast. He believes he was born to rule. Since his betrayal of the Brotherhood, Teach has been the most wanted pirate on the seas.

Betrayal of the Brethren

Before his rise to power, Blackbeard was a member of the Brethren of the Coast, the pirate brotherhood that once unified the Caribbean's independent pirates. He quickly saw them as weak and limited in their views. He had no intention of staying in second place. He built his own reputation and crew, and when the time was right, he betrayed the Brotherhood and stole a large sum of gold that was meant for Tortuga. He used the stolen wealth to build his own fleet.

The Dark Pact

At some point after his betrayal, Teach made a pact with dark supernatural forces. The exact terms of this pact are part of the game's unfolding story, but the result is clear: Blackbeard gained the ability to raise and command the dead, making his forces effectively limitless. His undead fleet does not tire, does not fear, and does not need supplies.

Defeat of the British Navy

One of Blackbeard's most significant acts was the destruction of the British Navy. With conventional military power eliminated, there is no organized force capable of opposing him. This power vacuum is why Tortuga has become the last holdout and why the player's survival and resistance matter.

The Prologue

The game opens with the player aboard their ship when Blackbeard's pirates attack. The prologue serves as a combat tutorial, with the player fighting enemies across the ship's decks. After fighting to the upper deck, a cutscene plays: the player is shot and falls from the ship. During this sequence, the player learns about a mysterious artifact. The player wakes up on a deserted island, their injuries healed by the artifact, and the survival adventure begins.

The broader narrative context: the British East India Company discovered pages from Columbus's Book of Prophecies describing a treasure that could grant control over the seas. The player character was the courier entrusted with transporting the cargo. Blackbeard heard about the shipment and ordered Israel Hands to intercept the vessel. This interception is the attack that opens the game.

Undead Fleet

Blackbeard's fleet is crewed by the risen dead. His ships roam the archipelago, making naval travel dangerous. In the demo, players encounter Blackbeard's Pirates' Ketch as the primary enemy vessel during the Seafarer quest. Two higher-level ships (a transport and an interceptor, both level 4) appear later in the quest with significantly more health. Defeating and boarding Blackbeard's ships yields loot including:

• Insignia of a Blackbeard Lieutenant

• Naval Supplies

• Piastres

• Contraband

These trade goods can be sold to dedicated Traders at Tortuga once it becomes accessible in Early Access.

Crew Composition

Blackbeard's crew includes multiple enemy types encountered both on land and during ship boarding:

Current Status in the Game

As of the demo, Blackbeard himself has not yet appeared as a direct boss fight. Developers confirmed: "Teach hasn't appeared in the game yet, but you'll meet Hands as one of the main bosses in the Alpha." The demo ends with a "To be continued..." screen after the player defeats Blackbeard's fleet in the Seafarer quest. Blackbeard is being positioned as a major late-game antagonist, with Israel Hands serving as the player's first direct encounter with his forces.

Role in the Story

Building up enough strength to challenge Blackbeard is the long-term narrative arc. The journey involves reuniting remnants of the Brethren of the Coast, uncovering the secrets of Columbus's Book of Prophecies, and finding a way to counter his supernatural power. The story puts the player in the middle of a conflict between empires, pirate clans, and mysterious dark powers, culminating in what the developers describe as "an epic fight against unspoken ancient evil."