Esmeralda

Esmeralda is an old friend of Jack's and the two have been in countless scrapes together. Whenever Jack is in over his head (which is frequently), Esmeralda is on hand to lend a little firepower, some extra swords, or a little banter. If Jack is always smiling, Esmeralda is always grinning—mostly at Jack's antics. She's sexy, vivacious, and full of fight. Esmeralda dresses like a gypsy in a long-flowing skirt and sandals, and wears a bandana atop her full, flowing red hair. She and Jack have never been an item, thought there are some strong feelings on both sides. Each is far too stubborn and independent to make the first move, and both Jack and Esmeralda are too used to being captain to play any other role!

Esmeralda's First Mate. Anisa is a thin stern swordswoman with white hair. She acts almost like a mother when Esmeralda and Jack are up to their usual antics, and has a near-constant look of disapproval on her face. She loves Esmeralda like a sister however and will do anything it takes to protect her.

Esmeralda's ship, the Manta, is small, fast, and full of fight. Kinda like her. It combines the speed and maneuverability of a skiff with the firepower of a barque. While it can't compete with either of these vessels once they get upgraded, its versatility make Esmeralda a great ally for Jack to have alongside him. In addition, the Manta has a couple of surprises in store!

Esmeralda, Anisa, and their all-gal crew of buccaneer…esses… have sailed the Shimmering Seas in search of adventure, fortune, and glory almost as much as Jack and the crew of the Sun Runner. In their countless quests, Esmeralda has seen her share of bizarre events and has picked up a few handy trinkets to battle the weird and wonderful denizens of the briny deeps.

After a particularly hair-raising incident on the spooky Isle of the Dead, Esmeralda "acquired" a sacred cannon (she doesn't like to go into the exact details of what she was doing there, and quite how she ended up with the weapon). This holy howitzer fires what can only be described as blessed balls, effective against the spooky specters of the Isle of the Dead. It is said that a certain Cardinal is now pursuing Esmeralda relentlessly in search of an item he claims was stolen from him near that desolate isle, but Esmeralda dismisses the whole affair as "pure coincidence and a simple misunderstanding."

The Manta is also known to occasionally unleash a burst of incredible energy. Nobody knows what "the Sting of the Manta" is, or how Esmeralda does it, and the feisty young captain is uncharacteristically quiet on the matter. She likes to keep a trick or two up her sleeve.

You can command Esmeralda and the crew of the Manta, tackle the many hazards of the Shimmering Seas, and amass a fortune in booty and plunder in ZOMBIE PIRATES: The Curse of the Red Widow. Coming in Summer 2010 from Dust Devil Studios.