The Fourth Brethren Court is a meeting that takes place in Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End. It is an emergency gathering of the nine Pirate Lords at Shipwreck Cove.
History
editThe first Brethren Court meeting was the one at which the original nine Pirate Lords trapped Calypso in human form. The contents of the second and third meetings are unknown. The fourth meeting, which was a major part of the plot of At World's End decided that the Lords would stand against the East India Trading Company, that Pirate Lord Elizabeth Swann would be made Pirate King, and that Sao Feng would be verified dead. Perhaps the most important event is the freeing of Calypso, although the Pirate Lords did not originally want to free her. Each of the nine Pirate Lords has a Piece of Eight, which acts as something of a seal for Calypso. Deceptively, most of the Pieces of Eight turn out not to be coins at all, as the Brethren Court were apparently short of money at their first meeting, so they used whatever was in their pockets at the time. However, each Pirate Lord carries an identification talisman referred to as "one of the nine Pieces of Eight" because it sounds catchier, as Gibbs explains in the film (rather than "one of the nine Pieces of whatever happens to be in our pockets at the time").
Pirate Lords
editThe Pirate Lords are a group of nine Pirates who run a system of "governance" over their respective area. When a Pirate Lord passes on his or her Piece of Eight to another ship captain, that captain is then a Pirate Lord.
Ammand the Corsair
editA Turkish male pirate and Lord of the Black Sea. He wears a turban and has a long brown mustache. The East India Trading Company has a bounty of 4400 Guineas for his capture or death.[1] He associated himself with the Ottoman Empire to control regions between Morocco and Turkey; he is also the founder of the highly organised corsairs. He has shown a deep respect for Villanueva on the official website, as he will not give away his Piece of Eight until Villanueva does, saying, "Everyone else has agreed?! I don't take well to threats, but here you go, my Piece of Eight". If you speak to him before Villanueva, he says, "You think I am impressed with your Pieces so far? You are greatly mistaken my friend. Villanueva is the only voice I listen to".[2] His Piece of Eight is a small chalice. He is wanted for piracy along the Barbary Coast and the Black Sea, numerous crimes against the Church (including robbing Christian trade ships, theft of property and assaulting a nun).[3] In the film, when Barbossa proposed the liberation of Calypso, Ammand proposed shooting him. He can also be seen dancing at the end of the film in celebration of their victory over the EITC. He is portrayed by Ghassan Massoud.
Mistress Ching
editA Chinese female pirate and Lord of the Pacific Ocean. She is apparently very pirate-like (usually meaning violent and often cruel) to her enemies. Though blind, she commands a vast fleet of junks along the Chinese Coast, gaining power after her husband's demise. Her Piece of Eight was a small pair of eyeglasses. The East India Trading Company has a bounty of 3400 Guineas for her capture or death.[4] She has shown a deep respect for Chevelle on the official website, as she will not give away her Piece of Eight until Chevelle does, saying, "So the Frenchman gave you his Piece. I have traveled five of the Seven Seas, surely he must have a plan. Here, take my Piece of Eight". If you speak to her before you have spoken to Chevelle, she says, "Ha! Your vows are as empty as Ragetti's skull! Speak to Chevelle before coming to me!".[5] She is wanted for piracy in the Pacific Ocean, running a bordello and gambling house, cutting off ears as souvenirs, smuggling trade goods between China and Japan (and possibly more, as she has traveled five of the Seven Seas)[6], victimising opponents (usually through beheading), sacking and pillaging numerous villages and collaborating with secret societies to systematically extort local merchants.[7] At the meeting she proposed to staying within Shipwreck City, claiming that it could not (and would not) be broken. After the victory against EITC, you can see Ching screaming a sort of war chant of joy. Ching is portrayed by Takayo Fischer.
Gentleman Jocard
editAn African male pirate and Lord of the Atlantic Ocean. He was originally a slave but became a pirate after planning a slave revolt on his owners and escaping to the open sea, taking his former master's name. The East India Trading Company has a bounty of 3600 Guineas for his capture or death.[8] His Piece of Eight appeared to be a fork or some prongs of some sort. He leads his pirates from New Orleans Port to access both the Mississippi River and the Gulf Of Mexico. He has shown a deep respect for Ching on the official website, as he will not give away his Piece of Eight until Ching does, saying, "I can't argue with the missus, er, Mistress. Here is my Piece. I will spare your tongue . . . for now". If you speak to Jocard before you have received Ching's Piece, he says, "Do you dare approach me before going to Mistress Ching? Go to her, if you disobey, I will cut off your tongue".[9] He has a tendency to dip into the supernatural. He is wanted for leading a slave insurrection, assuming a false identification and piracy in the British Isles and the Atlantic Ocean.[10] When Barbossa proposed freeing Calypso, he demanded that his tongue be cut-off. He is portrayed by Hakim-Kae Kazim.
Capitaine Chevelle
editA French (Marseille specifically) pirate and Lord of the Mediterranean Sea. He is very pale in appearance, with a scar on one side of his mouth. He has shown a deep respect for Sumbhajee on the official website, as he will not give away his Piece of Eight until Sumbhajee does, saying, "Ah, I see that Sumbhajee has allied with you. His wisdom runs deep like the bowels of the Kraken. Very well, go forth with my Piece". If you speak to him before speaking to Sumbhajee, he says, "Mon dieu! How dare you speak to me before going to Sri Sumbhajee! I go where he goes!".[11] His Piece of Eight was a playing card. The East India Trading Company has a bounty of 6000 Guineas for his capture or death. He is wanted for attempting to steal from the Swiss Bank, piracy in the Mediterranean Sea and French seas, robbing both weak and wealthy trade ships in Europe trading between the Old World and the New World in French Caribbean colonies such as Montserrat and Haiti, robbing Spanish Treasure Fleets of Captain Villanueva as they return from New World locales such as Mexico (which causes them to have a heated rivalry and they engaged in a fight in At World's End) and defacing and destroying French property on land and at sea.[12] He is portrayed by Marcel Iures. In the climatic battle, his pirates hoist the flag same as Bartholomew Roberts' flag, and after the battle, he is seen with his sword being held erect while he shouts with joy.
Sri Sumbhajee
editA former Hindu priest and Lord of the Indian Ocean. The East India Trading Company has a bounty of 2800 Guineas for his capture or death.[13] The Indian pirate is wanted for plundering numerous rich merchant ships (particularly ships of the British East India Trading Company) to trade between India and the Arab World, levying taxes, piracy in the Indian Ocean, creating his own currency and blockading Bombay Port to extract ransom.[14] His Piece of Eight appears to be a small tusk or tooth. He generally does not speak, opting to whisper in his aides' ears, having them repeat it, however, when Elizabeth was named King and declared to fight, he spoke in a high, falsetto voice, "And so, we shall go to war" rallying the others. He speaks rather easier on the official website (though no sound is heard), he is the first Pirate Lord to give you his Piece saying, "Hmm . . . my beard twitches when I suspect something is afoul. You're in luck! The waters are calm today. Take my Piece of Eight before I change my mind!".[15] He has been known to bring fear into others with unknown supernatural powers. He was portrayed by Marshall Manesh.
Captain Villanueva
editA Spanish Pirate and Lord of the Adriatic Sea. The East India Trading Company has a bounty of 2000 Guineas for his capture or death.[16] He has traveled the Seven Seas and is known to make port in the Philippines and South America. He has crossed swords with Barbary Corsairs many times, though Ammand has shown a respect for him on the official website, as he will not give up his Piece of Eight until Villanueva has; likewise he has shown a deep respect for Jocard on the official website, as he will not give away his Piece of Eight until Jocard does, saying "It must have taken great strength and courage to confront Jocard. If he has agreed, then I will too". If you speak to Villanueva before Jocard, he says, "I will not commit to any course of action until Jocard is aboard. Be gone!".[17] He has a heated rivalry with Capitaine Chevelle, due to both of them firing on the others' ships in the New World and engaged in a fight with him in At World's End. His piece of eight is a broken end of a bottle with a string tied to it. He is wanted for gold pilfering, instigating and participation in a bar fight and piracy in Spanish seas and the Adriatic Sea[18] and is portrayed by Sergio Calderón. Before the climatic battle, his crew hoist Blackbeard's flag.
Pirate Lord of the Caspian Sea, though as that body is endorheic, he spends most of his time elsewhere. His status remained unchanged when he was killed by Jack Sparrow. A price of 10000 Guineas is over his head as directed by the East India Trading Company.[19] His Piece of Eight is the false eye that Ragetti uses. He is wanted for stealing a bushel of apples, piracy in the Caribbean Sea and the Caspian Sea, stealing the Aztec gold of Hernándo Cortés, staging a mutiny (the Black Pearl), theft, and kidnapping.[20] He acted as emcee of the conclave and it was here he proposed that they free Calypso. When Elizabeth became king, she chose war as their course of action and he quickly made a motion to Ragetti to steal the bowl he was holding, which contained the Pirate Lords' Pieces of Eight. For more information, see here. He is portrayed by Geoffrey Rush.
Pirate Lord of the Caribbean Sea. His status remained unchanged when he was led into death by Elizabeth Swann, ultimately by the Kraken. Barbossa and Sao Feng (passed on to Elizabeth Swann) were the only Lords who knew of his death. The price on his head is 10001 Guineas, brought dead, making him the most wanted living pirate.[21] His Piece of Eight is a small coin charm which hangs from beads on his head bandanna (note that Sparrow's Piece of Eight is the only actual coin; it appears to be a scalloped coin but not an actual Spanish Piece of Eight). He's not on good terms with the other Lords and says that he owes them all money. When Barbossa offers the idea of freeing Calypso, Jack agrees with Ammond the Corsair, and Gentleman Jorcard, saying, "Shoot him and cut out his tongue then shoot his tongue. Trim that scraggly beard", hinting at least some level of respect for the two, or simply his traditional grugde against Barbossa. He is wanted for numerous and sinister crimes against the Crown, smuggling, escaping a Turkish prison, forgery, sacking Nassau Port (without firing a shot), sailing under false colours, freeing slaves, looting, poaching, brigandage, depravity, vandalism, impersonating a Royal Navy and other British and Spanish officers and a cleric of the Church Of England, arson, kidnapping, piracy in the Caribbean Sea, perjury, theft and ransacking a rum shipment.[22] The son of Captain Teague Sparrow, Keeper of the Code; he is portrayed by Johnny Depp. For more on his actions during the conclave, see here.
Pirate Lord of the South China Sea. Originally the ninth member was Sao Feng, but as he was dying he named Elizabeth to succeed him. The current Pirate King and married to the captain of the Flying Dutchman, Will Turner. Her Piece of Eight is the same as Sao Feng's was, a necklace that resembles a monkey's fist. She was voted in as King by Sparrow's vote. Seeing as she is a woman, she should in a sense be the Pirate Queen, but apparently this is not the case. For more information on what she did during the Fourth Brethren Court and the following battle, see here. She was portrayed by Keira Knightley.
Former Pirate Lords
editFormer Pirate Lord of the South China Sea. He was killed when the Empress was attacked. He passed on his Piece of Eight to Elizabeth Swann. The East India Trading Company had a bounty of 8000 Guineas for his capture or death, though he preferred not to fight them or the West in general.[23] He was in possession of navigational charts that led to World's End. He was a Chinese pirate and was wanted for, in the South China Sea and Singaporean seas, torturing innocent victims with water and steam and illegal fireworks in his headquarters in Singaporean bathhouses where he controls Eastern passages.[24] He was portrayed by Chow Yun-Fat.
Other Affiliations
editPirate King
editThe Pirate King is elected by the Lords during one of the Brethren Court meetings, and remains in that position until it is disputed at one of the meetings. However, a new King is a rare event, due to the fact that each of the Lords votes for himself/herself at each election. During At World's End, an election is held. Every Lord votes for himself/herself except for Jack, who votes for Elizabeth, thus making her the new Pirate "King". It is also suggested that the King takes up residence at Shipwreck Cove. On the official website, one must receive all of the Pieces of Eight from the Pirate Lords to become Pirate King.[25]
Keeper of the Code
editCaptain Teague, the Keeper of the Code supposedly lives at Shipwreck Cove. When Sri Sumbhajee's assistant suggested not following the code on a particular manner, Captain Teague, the Keeper of the Code, spontaneously appeared without former implications of his presence and shot the offending pirate. He verified the statement by Barbossa that a Pirate King is needed to declare war. Whether being the Keeper of the Code indicates his residence at the Shipwreck City or something else is unknown.
Captain Teague
editCaptain Teague, the Keeper of the Code supposedly lives at Shipwreck Cove[citation needed]. When Sri Sumbhajee's assistant suggested not following the code on a particular manner, Captain Teague, the Keeper of the Code, spontaneously appeared without former implications of his presence and shot the offending pirate. He verified the statement by Barbossa that a Pirate King is needed to declare war. He was portrayed by Keith Richards. By both his and Jack's words, he is hinted to be Jack's father, such as when Jack asks him, "How's mum?"
Davy Jones assisted in imprisoning Calypso in human form using the Nine Pieces of Eight during the First Brethern Court.