Bloody Cutlass is a series of stories created by Jordann William Edwards and Elizabeth Mogan as part of the Tails from the Federation. A Spin-Off of Space Pirate Captain MacTaggart, it focuses on space pirate captain Darkblade on board the titular ship.
Unlike its parent series (and its prequel), this series is Darker and Edgier, Hotter and Sexier, and Bloodier and Gorier, while maintaining the humor (since Edwards is guiding the direction, there's more pop culture and political/anti-establishment undertones, as is prominent in his own The Dynamite Twins and Friends). This is also a slight Deconstruction of a typical pirate tale.
This page focuses on the original stories, which can be found on DeviantArt
and FictionPress.
On February 2017, a second wave of stories has surfaced: The Fallen Angels. As well, a series of separate stories surrounding various characters are available here.
There be tropes dead ahead!
- Abandon Ship:
- By the end of the first wave, Natalie and her crew bail out of her ship to join the Cutlass.
- In the second wave, Darkblade evacuates everyone. Unfortunately, he gets captured right before his ship blows apart.
- Cerebus Syndrome: The second wave, for sure. Get ready.
- Childhood Friend Romance: After reuniting, and after joining the Cutlass crew, Natalie's relationship with Darkblade blossoms into this.
- Continuity Nod:
- Mainly to its parent series:
- Many characters bring up Darkblade's pursuit of Jaws MacTaggart.
- Some characters from MacTaggart appear here, such as the Scrap Rats, Grosvenor, and Artie Madryn.
- However, there are some nods to other series in the universe, such as Edwards' own TDT and Friends.
- There are also nods to Mogan's series, Ghosts of Earth.
- Mainly to its parent series:
- Darker and Edgier: This series is already dark, but by The Fallen Angels, it gets dark. Really dark.
- Deconstruction: Of many things:
- Of certain genres, ranging from pirates, mythology, and fairy tales.
- Fractured Fairy Tale: Does have fairy tale influence, but even then, it's deconstructed as well, not to mention there's a Setting Update to the 31st century! Overlaps with Grimmification, which only adds to the darkness.
- Negative Space Wedgie: The Colvin Rift. It may also be a plot device for all of the Tails. Overlaps with Magnetic Plot Device.
- Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: At the end of the first wave, Darkblade tries to solve everything by destroying the Colvin Triad, but he ends up messing with time and space, resulting in many cracks. Nothing Is the Same Anymore.
- Space Pirates: Played straight, as it's about space pirate Darkblade, but played with in much of his crew.
- Spiritual Antithesis: To MacTaggart, full stop. While that series was a light Space Opera Heroic Fantasy, this one is a darker deconstruction with elements of Black Comedy and tons of sex.
-
Spiritual Successor:- To MacTaggart, in terms of what happened the last time we saw Darkblade in the second series...
- ...but also, to Ghosts, where many elements from that story exist here.
- Talk Like a Pirate: Subverted, for the most part. Though, Darkblade does say "RRR" for good fun.
- Wham Episode:
- In the first wave, the two-part finale, "Who Is Darkblade?"
- The Wham Line at the end of the first part:
Clyde: The jewel and the staff...are gone. They took them.- Another Wham Line at the end of the second part:
Mysterious voice: Grey will return for you... - The Fallen Angels is pretty much one big, long wham moment.
- In the first wave, the two-part finale, "Who Is Darkblade?"
- With a Friend and a Stranger: Darkblade, Natalie (the childhood friend), and Rhiannon (the stranger).
