Damon was born a slave in the lands far north with endless coasts the land rising upward to eclipse the sea. With the progession of his age Damon's assignments increased in their difficulty, until he graduated to field labors aside his family. More so than his brethen, Damon developed a seething animosity for his masters, and the disparity existing between the livelihood of the select owners and the numerous slaves. Suppression of opinion was a quality with which Damon was not intially blessed, and his vocal resentment of his station prompted early and frequent mistreatment from superiors. Though humility was to take root in him as beatings increased in severe, Damon's thirst for freedom drove him to the brink of desertion.

It was at this time, once twelve years had passed since his birth, that, while Damon considered an escape, sea bound salvation arrived with barbarous raiders. Swarming down upon the town and its citizens, the marauders stole and slew all in their path. No mercy was spared for the enslaved souls, and all were cut down while protecting their scant dwellings. All, excepting young Damon. Discovered aside the bodies of his family, the youth held fast to a field tool and dared any to approach. Delighted with his display of ferocity, the pirates overwhelmed Damon and indentured him upon their vessel.

Attos was the name of the pirate captain upon whose boatDamon had been brought. In time he speedily acquired the knowledge of a common mariner, and the crew also imparted with Damon the history of Attos's sanguine career. The captain slew his own commander while aboard a navy barge and, with those crew members who pledged loyalty to him, took to attacking argosies along the eastern merchant routes. His plunder and notoriety gained, and he became the first to forge marauder alliances, amassing small, yet lethal, fleets which swept down upon large settlements throughout the eastern and southern coasts. In time Attos's name fell secondary to his agknowledged status, the Pirate King.

While Damon acquired such tales of Attos's past, Attos himself regarded Damon with mounting interest. As they encountered settlements, barges, and even navy vessels, the youth proved to be an able combatant, he was both fearless and passionate, the byproducts of the unspent hatred contained within from childhood. Yet Attos also noted tactifulness in the boy, and by this he glimpsed into a future of alluring promise. Bringing Damon close to his side, Attos refined the youth's maritime and combat prowess while sculpting leadership ability. This was not accomplished within a short time, despite Damon's intellect and ability, but required several years effort to perfect. By the time Attos embarked with flotilla under his authority destined for the rich lands to the south, Damon was seventeen years of age and had become, seemingly, every part the King's scion.

Selecting crew from the island of Gavdos was unusual for Attos, he regarded such men to be domesticated, that is, distracted from true valour by notions of family and community. However, he required a significant force to wage an extended campaign against the dark southerners and the Gavdos men were the best he could muster. While the expedition progessed, Damon befriended a youth among the Gavdos crew. Previously, Damon had been consistently surrounded by men several years his elder. With this new confidant, Haimon, young Damon was awakened to a world beyond piracy and servitude. When the southern campaign was concluded, Damon boarded a ship bound for Gavdos aside Haimon. Over the venomous threats of Attos the vessel returned to the island, and there Damon settled.

Portions of this abbreviated history infested Damon's mind as he was seated among his fellow captain's in a niche of Xinka's. Opposite Damon sat the aged figure of the Pirate King himself, his arms, scarred from a plentitude of conflict over the years, rested before him on the table while his mouth boisterously snapped open and closed with the words of his speech. He spoke to all present, but his steely eyes had fixed upon Damon.

"...reaching the wreckage of the ship we discovered two living, Dtusu and Haimon. They had clung to chunks of the stern. Haimon was alert but suffered a blow to his throat, debilitating his speech. Dtusu had sustained severe wounds and died within a day of his rescue, yet in that time he related to us what had transpired. Four navy vessels advanced upon from all sides, preventing their escape. The navy hacked apart the raiders, both crew and ship with no distinction. A fever came upon Haimon as we neared Gavdos. I held no expectation for him to survive the delay about the length of the island to this village. Yet great strength is within him yet."

Damon sat remiss, unconcerned with Attos's retelling of what befell Haimon's ship. Rather he examined the numerous lines and cicatrices marring the old man's once, perhaps imaginatively, handsome face. With Attos's conclusion a period of silence fell about the table as all blatantly awaited Damon's response to the tale.

"That's all fine," said Damon cooly with an air of finality. "But you have delivered the ill, and yet you remain. Explain the intentions of you and your entourage."