Spritz was born below decks on a smuggling ship in the middle of a raging storm. No one knows the true identity of his mother, who died during the birth. There were rumors that she was the disgraced daughter of a wealthy merchant or possibly a nobleman. All that Captain Riffin knew was that he was paid to take her far away and make sure she disappeared.
Seeing that his duty has been discharged early, the Captain Riffin decided to raise the child until he was old enough to work. After all he could get far more years worth of free labor from him than it would cost to bring him up, and if he tired of the child he could always sell him into slavery….
And so, Spritz grew up on board a smuggling vessel and while life was tough under the lash of Captain Riffin, he relished in life at sea. He loved the ever changing nature of life at sea and revelled in the challenges it could throw at you.
Once Spritz was old enough, Captain Riffin began pitting him in fights against other ship’s cabin boys whenever they were at port. Spritz learned to fight from the saltiest of sailors. He was taught how to fight dirty, how to feign injuries to draw an opponent in and how to strike where it counted. Spritz antics drew large crowds to the fights and made Captain Riffin quite a bit of money. After a while Spritz began to enjoy the fights. Training was the only time the Captain left him alone and winning a fight seemed to be the only time he was given any praise.
Spritz earned his name at the age of 14. Up until then he was simply referred to as, “boy.” Early one morning the ship was caught in a blow and one of the forsails came down and was dragging in the water like a sea anchor. This was preventing the ship from being able to maneuver and they were in danger of being pushed up on some shoals. Before anyone else could think of what to do, Spritz ran out onto the bowsprit and severed the line holding the sail. The sailors watching him that day all swear that he was laughing the entire time as the sea attempted to claim him. After that the sailors began calling him Bowsprit for luck which was eventually shortened into Spritz.
At the age of 17, Spritz has finally had enough of Captain Riffin. He had been told that his pay was being held for him so that he would have enough for a sloop once he was old enough to Captain his own ship. Instead Captain Riffin was making plans to sell him into slavery once he was too hard to control. Spritz overheard the Captain speaking to the slavers as they were coming on board to take him. He just managed to get away by knocking Captain Riffin into the sea with him and swimming to the docks. Once on the crowded docks Spritz managed to loose his pursuers. He made his way to a vessel leaving port. Thanks to a friend that he had sailed with previously, Spritz managed to gain employment and passage from those after him.
After two years of sailing aboard the merchant vessel, “Windrush,” Spritz finds himself in Port Peril in search of a new ship and a place to spend the coin in his pocket. He came across the Formidibly Maid and decided to stop in for a drink…..
