The Vitalian Brotherhood dates back to 1392 when this band of privateers were hired by the Duke of Mecklenburg to fight against Denmark, after Queen Margaret had fought to subdue the Kingdom of Sweden. While Queen Margaret's forces were besieging Stockholm, the blockade runners who came to be known as the Victual Brotherhood, engaged in war at sea and shipped provisions to keep the city supplied. The name Vitalienbrüder is derived from the Latin word "victualia" — meaning provisions — and refers to their first mission, which was to supply the besieged city.
The Vitalienbrüder were organized as a brotherhood or guild. Their main naval enemy in 1392 was the powerful Hanseatic town of Lübeck, which supported Denmark in the war. Apart from Lübeck, the Hanseatic League initially supported the Vitalienbrüder. For many years, the Vitalienbrüder were a strong power in the Baltic Sea. However, eventually that power went to their heads and they turned to open piracy and coastal plunder.
At the climax of their dominance, the Vitalienbrüder occupied Gotland in 1394 and set up their headquarters in Visby. Maritime trade in the Baltic Sea virtually collapsed, and the herring industry suffered from their depredations. Queen Margaret even turned to King Richard II of England and sought to charter English ships to combat the pirates. In 1395, Queen Margaret gained the upper hand politically. She united Denmark, Sweden and Norway and formed the Kalmar Union. An invasion army under Konrad von Jungingen, the Grand Master of the Teutonic Order, destroyed Visby and drove the Vitalienbrüder out of Gotland in 1398.
This is where the historical accounts become unclear and it becomes difficult to discern fact from fiction. Some suggest that the Vitalienbrüder sailed far west in an effort to escape capture. Dating well before the voyage of Columbus, it is thought that the pirates, under their leader Klaus Störtebeker, sought an incredibly remote area to hide their treasures, which brought them to the shores of the Chickahominy River. Once the treasure was secured, the Vitalienbrüder sailed back to the German islands of Heligoland, where Störtebeker and his men were captured, then brought to Hamburg to be tried for piracy.
Legend says that Störtebeker offered a chain of gold long enough to enclose the whole of Hamburg in exchange for his life and freedom. However, Störtebeker and all of his 73 companions were sentenced to death and were beheaded on the Grasbrook. The most famous legend of Störtebeker relates to the execution itself. Störtebeker is said to have asked the mayor of Hamburg to release as many of his companions as he could walk past after being beheaded. Following the granting of this request and the subsequent beheading, Störtebeker's body arose and walked past eleven of his men before the executioner tripped him with an outstretched foot. Nevertheless, the eleven men were executed along with the others.
So what remains of the Vitalienbrüder treasure on the Chickahominy? Does it even exist in the first place? Many have sought it and returned unsuccessful. Others have not return at all. A map has been discovered which supposedly contains information as to the treasure’s location. Do you have what it takes to locate Schatz von Vitalienbrüder?
NOTE: The difficulty and terrain ratings for this cache are directly related to its "special tools required" attributes. You will need: UV light, a boat, and the ability to obtain a Chirp signal. Beacon was successfully tested on a Garmin 64s and an Android smartphone (Galaxy S7 using the ANT+ free app Chirp Wolf). Because this cache involves the use of technology which is dependent upon a battery (chirp beacon), don't hesitate to email if you are having issues in the field. No need to paddle around aimlessly. :D
First to Find will receive an "FTF Goodie Bag" which contains: a laminated FTF Certificate, an unactivated Trackable, and $1,000,000 in stacks of fresh, crisp twenty dollar bills. One of those might be questionable, however.
Congratulations Booshaka on the FTF!