The Essence of Swash

As I sit here on the sparkling white sand of Jumbie Beach in the magical island of St John in the USVI, looking out over the deep blue water of the Caribbean sea, I can’t help but be drawn back to the captivating notion of the pirate lifestyle. The Golden Age of Piracy was a simpler time, when a person could go anywhere and do just about anything, and nothing but the wind and open seas dictated their fortune. Pirates were the original rebels against society, the first true dissenters against a world ruled by governments, regulations, and corporations. This admiration of the buccaneer way of life was a driving force in the creation of Swashbuckle.

Swashbuckle itself is a rebellion. In an age when people of all ages would rather watch endless hours of TV, Swashbuckle offers a chance to revert to simpler times. The only technology required for Swashbuckle is what pirates of bygone eras would have had: a deck of cards and the gambler’s dice. It is easy to sit back and imagine pirates carousing on the beach after a long day in the hot Caribbean sun, with nothing to do but enjoy the rum and gamble their hard earned treasure away. 

It is with this setting in mind that Swashbuckle is best enjoyed: with the cool island breeze steadily ruffling the hair, with the hot sand under foot, the roar of an open bonfire, and the background chatter of close companions nearby. What then, would a pirate have to do other than take the chance to match wits with his fellows? Swashbuckle presents the bold with an opportunity to establish their strategic superiority through cards and adventures on the high seas. In truth, Swashbuckle may not be the impossible pursuit of the pirate lifestyle. Instead, the essence of Swashbuckle is to give all who dream of that mindset the chance to gather with friends and become pirates of the modern day.