The smell of salt water and the sound of seagulls eases you awake, your head pounding like never before. Thin rope bindings wrap around your wrists and ankles, and you sit alone in a dark room, surrounded by barrels, chests, and other containers. The room methodically rocks side to side - you are on a ship. Before panic even has a chance to consume your thoughts, confusion overtakes you.

You struggle in your imprisonment, trying any method to slip your bindings, but to no avail. After a couple of minutes, a somewhat scrawny man enters the room through a door atop a small set of plank stairs.

Pirate: "You're awake? Finally!"

The man grabs a bucket full of water sitting beside the door, and throws its contents on you, the cold water shocking your entire nervous system. He then sets the bucket back down in the spot he grabbed it from.

Pirate: "Sorry, mate, but I'd much rather you actually hear me when I speak to you. Your ship has been destroyed - by us. You were the only survivor, lucky one, aye? Now, we may be pirates, but we're no bad men... per se. Therefore, we would like to extend two options to you: Join our crew, or we'll drop you off in the next town we dock at. Well? What'll it be, aye?"