Steel Eye Nic Palmer
Born around 1720 in the slums of Plymouth, he survived by learning the trade of the fingersmith (Pickpocket) and stealing. In his teenage years, he moved on to being a footpad on Dartmoor. One night while drinking in a dockside tavern, he found a kings shilling in the bottom of his tankard and a press gang stood behind him. After that he remembered nothing until he woke up swaying in a ships hammock with a lump on his head. Nic Palmer begrudgingly served 7 years aboard that ship in His Majesty's Navy. The ship was anchored in Mevagissey one night and as usual, Nic and the crew went drinking and carousing in a dockside tavern. After several hours of drinking the local ale and ravishing any passing maidens,he found himself in an argument with the ships Bosun. Who claimed that Nic couldn't hold his grog and that he was keeping an eye on him. Well Nic was so offended at this, that he leapt across he table, pulled out his steel dagger and cut out one of the Bosun's eyes, Shouting "Well now you really keep an eye on me Yarr!". After a short vicious swordfight with a few of the other crew, Nic dashed out of the tavern and through the dark lanes of Mevagissey and hid in the bowels of a moored ship. Unbeknown to him, the ship he was hiding in was called The Water Witch owned by the Pirates of St. Piran. Fortunately for Nic the swarthy bunch of pirates took him in and gave him food and grog. Nic, having finished the grog (Which seemed unusualy strong) once again woke up swinging in a ships hammock with a sore head, but this time he was at sea with a pirate crew.....
Some say that Nic Palmer still carries the Bosuns eye in a small bottle about his person, best not to ask him though, as he might add to his eyeball collection.
He also drinks from a glass bottom tankard as you just never know what might be laying in the bottom.
