James was raised since he was a young boy on a pirate ship in the seas of Calabria. His captain, while he did what he had to, was generally kind, and only took treasure and only hurt those who fought back. Boldness and adventure were the words of the day, honoring the sea above all else.
James earned himself the surname Reaver among his crewmates from his natural ability with aggressive 2 sword fighting. All things went well until the captain was betrayed by his first mate, and the ship mutinied. Those who weren't killed or didn't swear loyalty to the new captain, were shoved overboard.
Through a combination of his natural swimming ability, and his knowledge of the sea, James managed to find his way to an island, and find enough of a rowboat to make his way back to the port town of Triskellian.
It is here in Triskellian that James seeks a way to gain his own ship to return to the sea, and possibly restore the honor of his old ship.