An almost forgotten island lost in the vodaccian sea, but still too near Castille: home to pirates, plunderers and various scallywags.
Inspired to the nice ligurian city of Camogli (ge) it is a small place, but a nice one, and too near vodacce to expect an attack from navies fighting the war between Castilla and Montaigne. But that is what happened. The isle was attacked a night in which, as case may have it, our heroes were there, partying with their crew. A cannonball tore many walls, and accidentally set the city on fire. A cannonball that Gord’s keen senses recognized as a montaigne one.
Tortuga is also home to one of our guys’ favourite taverns, especially Gord’s; The “Branch man” a pictoresque drinking house, adorned with any manner of trinkets brought back from its customers’many adventures. Amongst all, an enormous stuffed hammerhead shark hanging from the ceiling, along with many stuffed (and live) birds, monkeys and what-have-yous. Inspired by the “il pirata” pub of Camogli, which is decorated in this fancy way.
The name has a history behind it: if you don’t have much to spend but decide to open a tavern, this tavern will need a sign: but if none of your friends and clients can read, well, why does one need to spend money: so, the sign for this tavern is simply a branch of hazelnut tree which is substituted every spring. Smart, eh?
The branch man was my great-grandfather.