The Mystery Begins!

  • @capt-brookes

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  • The music box is now playing "Ballad of the Mer"

    https://twitter.com/SeaOfThieves/status/1538942231670886400

    Edit: folks are finding notes at the Shrines. I'm not in the mood for another round of these, so I'll let others post them.

  • @realstyli Man what a disappointment so far, they aren't even doing anything different with the social media stuff either it's just the exact same thing 3 times over the course of a month.

    Nothing about this feels like a mystery or an adventure with something cool to discover. We aren't finding or discovering anything, I feel more like an unpaid PR team that's being rewarded with random notes.

    They don't even lead to anything either, we're being told exactly when and where there is something to find, where's the fun and mystery in that?

    Gold Hoarder riddles are more mysterious then this

  • I think what annoys me the most about this whole thing is the fact that they are SO close to doing something so special with this.

    The idea of players activating something that seamlessly activates across every server and unlocks something new is so cool. And having a small riddle that leads to a cosmetic, in this case a lantern, that shows entirely new things in old pre existing locations has endless potential.

    I get not having the whole thing be completeable right out the gate, it's entirely possible some clues will be found in things that currently aren't even in the game yet and this is supposedly going to be lasting the whole year but this just isn't how you do this.

    If you're going to do things out of the game, then go full blown ARG while you're at it. Not retweets and likes. Potentially having really obscure and hidden clues and potentially things that have to be done in a certain sequence or within a certain time frame or with a certain amount of people would be absolutely insane and give just as much if not better PR then what they're doing right now.

    I was expecting and hoping for something like a Cod zombies easter egg or really great environmental puzzles and hints like Outer Wilds or something, probably not as good but still. They have such a big map with such an extensive and wonderful lore and they've decided to make a murder 'mystery' that revolves around Twitter.

    I really hope this is just the start of it and it gets really cool later on or something but man this is genuinely one of the most disappointing things for me in this entire games life so far. Surely they can't just do retweets for a whole year right? Right??

  • A possible order of conversation based on the boat (B), grave (G), shrine (S), and treasury (T) notes discovered so far:

    • You! Determined as ever to follow in my footsteps, I see. (Shrine of Hungering - S)
    • Don't startle me like that! I nearly shot you. (Smugglers' Bay - B)
    • As if you could. (Mermaid's Hideaway - B)
    • You're the last person I expected here. (Lone Cove - G)
    • Me? I'm not the one throwing their life away. (Shrine of Tribute - S)
    • You thought I'd just let this go. (Wanderer's Refuge - G)
    • You said yourself we were done. (Crooked Masts - G)
    • So? I lied. (Kraken's Fall - G)
    • This isn't a joke! (Thieves' Haven - G)
    • Of course it is. Right from the start, it has been. (Shark Bait Cove - G)
    • Hardly. That'd make me a coward, and a liar. (Shrine of the Coral Tomb - S)
    • You're an idiot. I know exactly what you two talked about. (Shrine of Ancient Tears - S)
    • He didn't want you involved. You know that. You're too impulsive. (Shrine of Flooded Embrace - S)
    • He made that perfectly clear. (Flintlock Peninsula - G)
    • Don't tell me you're becoming sentimental after all this time. (Sunken Grove - G)
    • Heh... I think this is the first truly brave thing I've ever done. (Shrine of Ocean's Fortune - S)
    • So? It's my life we are talking about. (Treasury of Sunken Shores - T)
    • I've never seen you this upset... (Old Faithful Isle - B)
    • How could I not be? They're coming for me. I can feel it. (Sunken Grove - B)
    • You're being ridiculous. (Plunder Valley - B)
    • I don't think so. I have to cover my tracks. (Thieves' Haven - B)
    • The truth will come out. It always does, sooner or later. (Ashen Reaches - B)
    • No-one can know I was here. (The Devil's Thirst - B)
    • Just listen! None of this feels right... (Ruby's Fall - G)
    • Like it or not, this is goodbye. (Treasury of the Lost Ancients - T)
    • I don't think so. I found you once, I can hunt you down again. (Treasury of the Secret Wilds - T)
    • I mean it. I don't trust anyone, not any more. (Crescent Isle - B)

    Perhaps this is Lesedi confronting DeMarco for following her and intruding into some of her (and their father's) less-honorable affairs?

  • Rare, don’t forget to enter your speaker submission for next year’s GDC. I think the submission deadline is coming up and you don’t want to miss out on what could be a good session - “Garnering social media clout and community interaction: Lessons learned”.

  • I would like to echo what a lot of people have been saying, especially after this last round of tweets. I'm disappointed that the mystery is unfolding entirely on social media. I think it's fair to say we all have to wait around until the new tweet reaches however many likes or retweets until we can see what happens next; we aren't in the driver's seat. We can't progress the mystery or discover further insight into the existing clues within the game until the green light is given by someone at Rare.

    I think it would have been better if the killer was taunting us; maybe he or she was giving us breadcrumbs (It could have been interjected into the game through twitter as small, infuriating, and seemingly insignificant clues) relating to Demarco's death in order to play mind games with us. At least that way the social media strategy would have made a lot more sense and perhaps have been more engaging.

    The way Rare went about this just feels...unnecessary. Rare, I hope the next mystery is fully embedded into the game; let us role play as the resident private eye of the Sea of Thieves and let the community work at its own pace. If you want to use social media, maybe use it for hints if it becomes apparent that we are thoroughly stumped on a particular aspect of the mystery.

  • Can we get a Mod or Dev to confirm whether there is Time-Gating in the Mystery? There is no structure around this event and everyone is losing interest. We have searched for hours and hours for no reason at this point. The only thing being said is “keep up the social media push”, which we do, but then we get some more notes and nothing else to do. All we do is wait for another Roman numeral and social media icon. They hype build around the footprints and secret message at Sea Dogs Rest was amazing, but there has been nothing but social media since that. So can a mod find out if we just need to wait now or is there more stuff in game (other than notes) that we can find!?

  • Look at the bottom 3 items in notable information section

  • @courtingnose1 what about it?

  • Not sure what all the other hints are supposed to get us if anything. The C, the 1989 remix of 'We Shall Sail Together', all these other clues don't make much sense in my opinion. Everywhere we look there's nothing to really find. My guess is we have to wait on their Twitter to turn all 5 keys to get all 5 different logs of this conversation. It's nothing but a waiting game, and it's not what I was hoping for when I first got into this mystery.

    Another thing I think that would have been cool for this murder mystery is that you can actually go up to other NPCs around the world and interrogate them. Maybe while you have the lantern in your hand it opens up new dialogue and questions you can ask and gather more info on what happened if anyone knew anything. Sadly that doesn't seem to be the case.

    Again I'm just gonna wait and see what happens. I'm more into sailing around and getting some more loot and hopefully save up for the Captaincy update. Wanna have enough gold to buy some nice things!

  • Has anyone purchased the merchandise surrounding the mystery? Would they hide a clue on a t shirt?

  • @gingergent1774 said in The Mystery Begins!:

    Has anyone purchased the merchandise surrounding the mystery? Would they hide a clue on a t shirt?

    I would hope it wouldn't require a purchase. We did look at the merch when it was added awhile back, but only at the product pages.

  • Sea of Thieves tweeted the following image today:
    alt text

    Alt text:

    A scrap of parchment is surrounded by a skull, purple smoke and a quill. The parchment is a conversation reading "DeMarco: I don't have time for this, Lesedi. We're finished here. Lesedi: NO. We are NOT finished, DeMarco. Get back here! DeMarco! I can't let him do this... whatever it takes. I have to... Huh? What was the sound? There's a skelly hiding here! Get out of the way, T-". On a scrap of paper behind is written "Who is T?"

    The T seems to be related to NPCs and Lorenz Sinclair has been replying to the tweet documenting his interactions with NPCs whose names start with "T"... they seem to have unique dialogue if you are holding the Fallen Sea Dog lantern.

  • At the Sea Dogs Tavern there's someone called Tristan. I didn't screenshot the conversation but when talked to he askes if you'd like an insurance for your Lantern and that his friend liked his very much.
    Since the Lantern is needed for all the clues, maybe this is something? I went to The Devil's Thirst, were that friend apparently wanted to stop by, but didn't find anything... Anyways, Tristans mentioned the whole area of The Devil's Roar so maybe there's something on one of the other islands.

  • @xiweri Tristan is the tool shopkeeper at Sea Dogs' Tavern.

    Every tavern keeper's name and tool shopkeeper's name in the game starts with "T", much like every clothing shopkeeper's name starts with "C", every emporium shopkeeper's name starts with "E", every shipwright's name starts with "S", and every weaponsmith's name starts with "W".

    (*This naming convention only goes for outposts, not seaposts or Athena's Fortune).

    Each tavern keeper and tool shopkeeper seems to have unique dialogue now when presented with the Fallen Sea Dog lantern.

  • There is also Burning Tony on Ruby's Fall - is his name counts?
    UPD: No, it doesn't. He isn't Tony enough.

  • After seeing what Tim had to say at Ancient Spire Outpost, I went over to Discovery Ridge. I couldn't find anything readily apparent there, however, while passing Crook's Hollow I found a music box tucked under the pier in the bay. It played different shanties every time I activated it.

  • @lucky11 said in The Mystery Begins!:

    ... however, while passing Crook's Hollow I found a music box tucked under the pier in the bay. It played different shanties every time I activated it.

    Interesting... I saw someone else point that out on Twitter as well... I wonder if the "C" was for "Crook's Hollow"? hmmmm

    Edit: and someone else found a music box on Ruby's Fall... so perhaps not

  • Also, they posted a recap video today...

  • Now, what about Tilly, the tavern keep from the now closed arena tavern? I dont think she can be encountered anywhere, but it might be worth it to put a pin into that one.

    There might be a motive since the closure of the arena (and her entire business)

  • Lorenz also tweeted this picture:
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    They apparently appear between 3-4pm on the bridge at Smuggler's Bay. Someone else (Inky) responded with a pic showing the note which has a speaking trumpet, followed by the roman numerals for 51 and 7. I don't know who the other figure is with DeMarco exactly, but looks like a Tavern Keep outfit.

    Others have spotted a memory of Umbra meeting DeMarco on Discovery Ridge, which appears at dawn. Umbra is holding a note of basic sheet music.

    This pic was tweeted by Siren4456:
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    My music reading is a bit rusty but the musical notes appear to be d4, c5, a4, d4, d4.

  • @realstyli Finally, this is a bit more like what I'd had hoped this would be like. Guess this will likely go in phases of being smaller things like with the twitter retweets and bigger and cooler stuff like this.

  • @realstyli said in The Mystery Begins!:

    Lorenz also tweeted this picture:
    alt text

    They apparently appear between 3-4pm on the bridge at Smuggler's Bay. Someone else (Inky) responded with a pic showing the note which has a speaking trumpet, followed by the roman numerals for 51 and 7. I don't know who the other figure is with DeMarco exactly, but looks like a Tavern Keep outfit.

    That's Tavern keeper Tracy from Sanctuary. The tavern keeper from Plunder said Tracy meet someone at Smugglers Bay high on the brige.

  • I spoke to tract with the lantern raised, then played the music box next to her (also with the lantern raised) and there was a tune with some lyrics, but I can't make them out.

  • Travis the tool shopkeeper also has interesting dialogue:

    "That's a fine lantern you've swiped, but what about a new spyglass to go with it?"

    "I've got a great model that's so powerful I was able to spy some lass skulking by a cave painting, even though the sun was barely up!"

    "And it also-- hang on, no, I sold that one yesterday. Oh well. Sorry to get your hopes up!"

    Could he be talking about Wanda's Spyglass? Or possibly the Trapmaker's Spyglass, as it's powerful enough to see the constellations.

    The more I think about it, the more I think it couldn't be these. He states he sold the spyglass yesterday, which these two spyglasses obviously go back further.

  • Went to Devils Thirst and went up to the campfire near the Chalice you activate during Heart of Fire tall tale and found an inspectable skeleton wearing an ashen necklace and belt that says;

    "This pirate's grog was poisoned! Seems their crewmate was not to be trusted."

    I dont recall that being in the Tall Tale, so i figured based on the dialogue from Tallulah from Morrows Peak and and Tristan from Sea Dogs. This may have been part of a Tall Tale but i dont remember it being there because my memory is bad so i appologize if it is. But ill investigate the area more and maybe try to cook some snake on the campfire? So far nothing else but this skeleton.

  • @fish-glitter I think that’s from the Forsaken Shores storyline where Stitcher Jim betrayed and poisoned Grace Morrow and the Ashen Alliance - that ashen necklace was the mark of the Ashen Alliance, Stitcher Jim used to have one.

  • Tony the tool shopkeeper has another clue:

    "I could have used a lantern like that on the day I saw that strange lady sneaking around."

    "Why did she wander all alone, seated on a chair of bone?"

    Time to check the skeleton thrones, boys!

  • A community member called Tactful Honk has put together a short video showing 5 of the visions and the clues that lead there.

    Possible further clues

    • Smuggler's Bay: Tracy's note shows a speaking trumpet icon and LI, VII (Roman numerals for 51, 7)
    • Crook's Hollow dice show a 7 and a 5
    • Discovery Ridge: Umbra's note shows music notation for d4, c5, a4, d4, d4 (dca,dd)
    • Marauder's Arch: Scarlett's compass points NxNE while DeMarco appears to be pointing in a westerly direction (?)
    • The Devil's Thirst: DeMarco's watch reads 6:15

    There are likely more visions to find

  • Me and another crew have been looking around for these spots and so far it's actually been fun! I wish Rare was doing this before and not with the silly notes. Now if only we could figure out where all these numbers lead us.

  • I have a wild theory...

    The speaking trumpet signifies co-operation with other crews. LI is actually L1 on the map, which is open water (C = sea). It's also roughly where DeMarco would have been pointing in the Marauder's Arch vision. The VII (7) refers to the number of players needed. The musical notes don't sound overly familiar when I play them but, I don't know why, I get a "Ballad of the Mer" vibe from it (could be another shanty though). So my theory is multiple crews need to sail there, play whatever shanty it is, and 6:15 is the time all this needs to take place. I don't know where the dice 7 and 5 fit into this though.

    Again, just a wild theory, I may be way off here.

    Edit: I just had a thought about the numbers 7 and 5 on the dice... what if they relate to Tall Tales? It could be that they relate to Wild Rose and Fate of the Morningstar - both which [SPOILER] feature trapped souls. What if DeMarco's soul has been trapped somewhere?

  • Not sure if it’s meaningful, but I just found a little music box at Ruby’s Fall. Close to Burning Tonys (another name with „T“ 😉) place. I believe the box is playing the same song as the one at Sea Dogs Rest.

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