The Spirit of Spain: Vanguardia de la Cuarta Flota [RP/PvP]

[Fourth Admiral]

Updated as of 2/17/08:

History of the Vanguard:

After several years of neglect and steady decline, the Spanish Armada finally began to receive the attention it so needed from the new Bourbon monarchy in 1714. Backed by French and Italian expertise, the Armada was reborn in the name of modernization; the command and administration of the disparate fleets was centralized and a program of more rigorous standardization was introduced in ships, operations, and leadership. Before long, vessels were being retrofitted or rebuilt altogether, equipment was being upgraded and refined, and previously incompetent leaders were finding themselves replaced.

And that didn't sit too well with some people.

When the Admiralty's critical eye finally turned to the Fourth Fleet several years later, Admiral Juan Mendosa of the Central Fleet, Vice-Admiral Tristan Jimenez of the Vanguard, and Rear Admiral Cristobal Villa of the Rear Fleet knew they were in trouble. Caught amidst a scandal of selling information to the British, more concerned with lining their pockets with gold, and neglecting their duties in order to attend lavish parties held by other aristocrats, all three were removed for allowing bureaucracy to go too far. In their place were stationed three younger admirals who, while certainly more dutiful and disciplined, also lacked experience.

So it was that Captain Belleza Diaz found herself suddenly in control of the Vanguard division -- and with an enormous mess on her hands. Having inherited an undermanned, undergunned, and poorly-supplied squadron, she refused to sit and wait for the long-promised deliveries from Spain. Instead, she began to recruit from both within the navy and outside of it, calling officers and contracting privateers to bolster her ranks and hiring freetraders to supply them. What she found herself with instead was a gaggle of fighting merchantmen, a cluster of foreigners, some ex-pirates, and only a few honest-to-God naval officers in her service.

And it's worked beautifully.

What once was a traditional naval squadron has since been transformed into a potent – if not unconventional – fighting unit, well versed in all manners of warfare: economic, espionage, diplomacy, combat, and beyond. Their successes have earned them the Admiralty's support, however, and it continues to allow the Vanguard of the Fourth Fleet to be transformed into a special task force made up of the oddest but most effective people in the Colonies.

They are known by their nicknames -- “Los Caballeros” or “La Vanguardia” -- for they give their all to defend Spain, her honor, and her interests. But the fleet is hardly full, and still the recruiting call goes out, to any and all willing to take up her cause. Keeping up with them, however, may be a challenge unto itself.

After all, they're anything but ordinary.

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OOC:
The Fourth Fleet is a medium to heavy roleplaying guild from the Bonny server founded in order to encompass the wide variety of playstyles available to players of Pirates of the Burning Sea. We are a close-knit group of older, mature players who together help each other enjoy the game more than we would solo. While ultimately we aim to advance in all three arenas (PvE, Economy, and PvP) – for we believe that strengthening the guild will strengthen the nation – we will only do so in a relaxed environment. After all, this is a game, and the most important aspect of a game is to have fun first!

Because we would much rather focus on the RP aspect of the guild, PvP is completely optional. We aim to keep a balanced PvP stance, engaging in both aggressive and defensive action as we wish, and indeed we have been represented at all but one port battle that Spain has been a part of. This means, however, that we are anything but hardcore. If you are seeking constant PvP action or to be the best at your game, you may wish to search elsewhere. We love sinking us some limeys, but we're not doing it every night!

Vanguardia is one of the largest, most active RPing guilds on the server, and it's not uncommon to catch a group of us RPing in one port or another. If we're not in a port, we're RPing as we do missions together or "patrolling" the open sea in OS groups. We mingle in San Juan (usually in La Casita) on a fairly regular basis and even pop up at other people's RPing events, such as Rum 'n Wenches Night. Ultimately, we are close to each other and strive to be active in the community -- not just for Spain, but for all of Antigua.

* Character types of all kinds are welcome here (from silly, happy-go-lucky drunken adventurers to dark brooding characters out for revenge).

* We have no PvP or PvE requirements. How fast you hit 50 really doesn’t matter to us as long as you’re having fun.

* Ad-hoc RP. Be prepared to get snagged into a group for in-character questing!

If this sounds like fun to you (and trust me, it is!), you can find more information on us on our website, at http://cuartaflota.guildlaunch.com. Alternatively, if you have any questions, please feel free to contact Belleza Diaz, Alda del Verde, or Alba Infierno in-game.

We hope to sail with you soon!