The Coriander Spice started life as a merchant vessel transporting spices (including, of course, coriander) from the east to the west. It was taken over, however, by the ruthless pirate Ma Bartley nearly fifteen years ago, and today its sails are a scourge on the horizon.

Ma Bartley herself is a grizzled pirate on the wrong side of 50. She’s racked up a reputation as the meanest pirate to sail the seas, seemingly intent on proving that she’s stronger and more ruthless than any man. Amusingly, when old sailors speak of her, they always mention that “she pisses standin’ up” as if to explain how macho she is.

Were that the whole story, Ma Bartley could probably be written off as an interesting, though perhaps forgettable, pirate. However, there is more to her story than meets the eye. You see, Ma Bartley’s real name is Willem Kent, and she is actually a he.

Kent was an able swordsman and an excellent navigator, but never seemed to have much luck crafting a reputation. Then one day he struck upon an idea: he needed a gimmick to really stick out. Thus, he first donned a dress and makeup, shaved himself clean, and Ma Bartley was born.

In recent years, Kent’s memory has started failing him, leading to some compromising situations. In particular, he once forgot to shave and his (former) first mate commented. Kent killed the man where he stood, and no one else said a thing, not really surprised that Ma was able to grow a few whiskers. The event rattled Kent, though, and he fears what would happen to him if anyone discovered his secret.

To that end, he’s been searching for a magical means to help him maintain his identity. He’s discovered the existence of a belt fabled to change its bearer’s gender, and now he combs the seas searching for it.

Encounters with Ma Bartley

Always on the lookout for a new lead, Ma Bartley’s now focusing on capturing and interrogating people rather than shooting first and pillaging later. She still pillages, and usually kills anyone she captures who doesn’t have a lead, but if the PCs could talk their way through things she’d be amenable to hiring them to find it.

Perhaps the PCs have half a map, which she recognizes, and she has the other half. The location, though, is too far in-land where she’d be killed on sight, so she needs someone to go and get it for her. She would, of course, never explain what the belt does nor why she wants it, which could lead to some amusing mishaps if the players try to double cross her.