On behalf of me crew, I submit a pair of entries, from the Captain's Log of the Unsinkable II.
It's an extended and modified merge of these two Tavern Tales;
https://www.seaofthieves.com/forum/topic/60882/the-unsinkable-ii-captain-s-log-day-31
https://www.seaofthieves.com/forum/topic/61416/the-unsinkable-ii-captain-s-log-day-36 (I do recommend reading this one, it has pictures!).
The story below clocks in at around 3200 words.
The Unsinkable II, Captain's Log, day 31.
There be many a' foe' patrolling the Sea of Thieves, and few friends.
Aye pirates we all be, true, but there be no code against friendship. This log holds a fine tale, of friendship prevailing over enemies. Nay, dare I say villains! For these dastardly doolalies were nothing less.
Me Helmsman, Chris, and I, though eagerly awaitin' our boson and Quartermaster, set sail after a quiet evenin' at Plunder Outpost spent in good company. A Sloop crew had finished counting their spoils there. We spent the evenin' fishin' for fresh sharks to dine upon, whom are quite plentiful these days on the Sea of Thieves, and we shared a grog to celebrate, 'afore they left for more adventures of their own.
As dawn approached, a rumor was whispered our way, of gold aplenty to the North. Aye 'tis a hardy and difficult task to pilot a Galleon just the two of us, but a trip to the outhouse and being left handed is a Herculean task I perform daily!
(Did I mention I lost my left hand to a Kraken, and was left with naught but a sharp hook?)
Nevermind, we weighed anchor and set course North. But a foul storm of ten thousand thunderin' typhoons descended upon us, and our course was blown eastward, towards an unkempt hive of undead underlings and their tyraniccal Captain!
Left with the choice of braving a storm just the two of us, abandoning our quest, or facing the Fort, we chose the most interesting option.
And by the Pirate lords beard, my Helmsman earned his keep on this day. Never have I seen such a manouver, surely a lesser pilot would have sheared his own ship in half!
We approached with the wind beckoning us towards the shallows and rocks surrounding the Fortress, but my Helmsman pushed on, and we worked hard to trim the sails just right, lest we crash and join the unholy ranks of undead curs.
Nigh a shipslength was left between us and the rocks when Helmsman Chris called for the anchor, and down it went.
A perfect landing!
Nestled between two fortress gun towers we were, the skeletons could do nothing but taste our iron! Both Stern and Bow perfectly aligned with the towers, providing ample cover from all angles.
It was around here that I realized we were now 2 pirates against roughly an army, and/or a horde of heavily armed undead.
Perhaps not my finest moment as a Captain to pit a pair of swords and pistols against 100 skeletons.
The Ferryman agreed with this sentiment after my second visit. Or was it third?
Regardless! A cruel twist of fate, the blasted undead were no longer our concern. A Galleon, bright Green with golden accents were descending upon us rapidly, a gilded lion adorning the bow. Fortunately we'd not bothered to slay the skeletons manning the gun towers, and so, an absurd scenario played out before us. Living and dead working together to sink a common foe!
Fought tooth and nail we did! 2 pirates, and untold undead gunners showered this accursed green monstrosity of a ship with iron and lead. Time and time again they passed us by, each time taking twice the hits they could deal to us.
Arr the crew of the Unsinkable II may not be the best and brightest, prettiest nor most well groomed of pirates, but by the Krakens eye, we fight to the end, and we give it all!
And our ship earned her namesake on this day, for even though we was bucketing from the mid deck on more than one occassion, still she floated! Defiant to the end, like her crew, refusing to submit.
Alas though, the villainous Galleon got the best of us.
A lone boarder knocked me overboard, to battle for my life amongst the skeletons and sharks, leaving Chris to fend for his, and his ships life.
In this moment, I grasped the only chance I believed we had, and began to swim towards the fiendiesh foes Galleon, braving the toothy foes of the sea.
By the time I reached their ladder, our ship was sailing off, no doubt more boarders had weighed our anchor and set our ship on a collision course towards hitherto nearby rock formations. I ascended the ladder, and surveyed our nemesis' ship. A lone pirate remained sporting a detestable hat and ugly beard. A swift delivery of lead through my blunderbuss fixed both those issues in a flash however!
But my situation was hopeless. My ship was long gone, only the sea Gods would know what happened to my Helmsman, and I was left alone, surrounded by foes, above and below.
In my infamous infinite Captain's wisdom, I decided a nap was in good order.
Using what precious time I had before the contemptuous crew returned, I snuck behind their Captain's quarters, and laid down on the balcony, well out of sight.
I'll admit, I wasn't quite sure what my next move would be here. 4 of them, 1 of me. My ship gone, crewmate, gone, banana count diminishing, pants chafing my.. coral reef. The sounds of battle raging was all I had for company. The enemy pirates making quick work of the skeletons.
At one point I believed salvation was at hand! A sloop arrived, and began firing relentlessly upon the Galleon, and a hardy fight they put up.
But alas, they sailed off. I presume, my vantage point was quite limited from my hiding spot.
Who knows how much time passed. Oddly enough, the silence was what awoke me. The dastardly doolalies had destroyed the undead pirate Captain, and swiftly began loading their spoils. Very swiftly. Too swiftly in fact... Almost as soon as they started loading their plunder, they raised anchor.
Before I knew it, with the sun setting after a long day's fightin', The Unsinkable II swooped in! Chris had survived, somehow! Sails billowing, and cannons roaring, they perforated these pirates from stern to bow!
I knew my time was now; And I ran into the deck, blasted a gunner straight to the Ferryman's ship. Let loose their anchor, surely this would aid my ship's efforts I thought. Another vehement villain raced up from below deck, no doubt struggling to hold their rickety boat together, attempting to catch the anchor. But my bullets were faster! Another passenger for the Ferry.
Now, as they were sitting ducks at the mercy of the mighty Unsinkable II, I set about to finish the job. The last remnants of these scurvy ridden landlubbers were busy below deck, desperate to hold the flow of water back. The first man I saw put up a fight at least, but I prevailed. Before the last one could be slain, their ship was well and truly sunk.
I raced to escape the hold lest I get caught in the undertow, alongside the very last villainous pirate. A brief battle ensued, but he perished as well.
Their ship sunk, and loot spilling into the sea, I finally had the chance to see my Helmsman again, and his tale was as fine as mine! He'd killed both boarders in a heated fight, but alas our ship still hit rocks. Took him half a day to get her seaworthy again at a nearby outpost. Upon his return journey to my rescue, who did he encounter but the friendly sloop crew we first met at Plunder Outpost! Indeed this was the same sloop who'd tussled with this Galleon before the Fort fell. And eager were they, to join us in a fine act of revenge.
And revenge was swift and merciless!
Our new comrades helped us load our newfound wealth, and we set course for the nearest outpost.
Though, as we were getting underway, I noticed our haul was rather... Light. 'Twas but a few chests of gold, cursed skulls and some silks and sugar. A crate of each.
Hardly the fortune of an undead dread Pirate captain.
I ordered Chris to bank hard to Port, and one of our newfound crewmates fired me via cannon straight back to the Fort as they sailed on to the Outpost.
My suspicions were correct; Those confounded doolalies of pirates had left a good chunk of the treasure behind! They'd even abandonded many of the most valuable trinkets!
Extra treasure, no fuss. As our shiny new crew began to sell the first haul, I prepared the second one. A bit more modest sure, but there was almost 5,000 gold coins worth of items left behind!
Before I knew it, all of us had returned to Plunder Outpost, richer and merrier!
On this day, friendship and faith prevailed against the darkest, and meanest of pirates. And so long as the Unsinkable II sails, friendship shall prevail again, come what may!
*PS; The sharks have started to gnaw incessantly on the keel of late though, I fear we might need to repair the hull if they keep this up...
PPS; Other crews are also reporting abnormal shark attacks and damages to their ships. Is something afoot?*
Captain Tundra.
The Unsinkable II, Captain's Log, day 36.
Shiver my timbers, shiver my bones... The grog holds my madness at bay, for now. Who'd have ever believed a fish, a fish I tells ya, could rattle the minds of hardy pirates.
How to start such a terryifying tale?
From the beginning I suppose...
The Unsinkable crew, Boson Craig, Helmsman Chris, Quartermaster Bill and myself, Captain Tundra, had spent the night at Plunder Outpost, our preferred destination for some Pirate R&R; Rum and Robbery.
Upon our entrance into the tavern, a new face greeted us. Duke he called himself, one of them Bilge Rats. Adventurer's less interested in gold and the very concept of personal hygiene, but moreso in daring quests.
After a bit of idle chat, he bestowed upon us; A rumor.
A rumor about something very old, and very hungry, and an unfortunate pirate bard named Merrick, last seen around Shark Bait Cove; Even today a foreboding place, riddled with the bones of the ancients, whom roamed the lands and seas about us 'afore even the Athena's Fortune set sail.
Our crew be tough n' brave, and I can't recall time where any of my men ever let me down, except failing to replace the grog keg on our ship from time to time or passing out on my bed after depleting said keg, but even so, this rumor stirred a nervoussness in me.
Few pirates today pay heed to the paintings on the islands we so eagerly plunder, most dismiss them as mere fancy tall tales from aeons long past. Even when the Athena's Fortune sailed these waters, the ancients were long gone, and their legends with them.
But I've always had a fascination with them, and their strange artistic depictions of obscure and unknown beasts not found on any island I've set foot on. This fascination kept my reservations at bay, and so, we weighed anchor and set course for Shark Bait Cove!
Wasn't hard finding ol' Merrick, drunken fool set up camp on the South West beach, relentlessly playing his drum.
His words said he was sober, his breath told us otherwise.
Merrick's an odd fella, two peg legs, 1 hand missing along with an eye. We inquired about his oddly extensive set o' missin' limbs. He was quite forthcoming about his eye, but his legs misadventure he would not reveal.
At first. After a bit of encouragement, he told us he'd written journals about it, one of which he'd left near the center of Shark Bait Cove. Annoyed but our interests piqued we set off for it.
'Twas mostly drunken ramblings, but Chris, being an accomplished Helmsman and Navigator, spotted a clue amidst the pages. A clue that would take us North, on the first part of our long journey.
Tina, a charming redhead on Golden Sands outpost confirmed our suspicions; There was more to Merrick's tale than a mere journal, though she herself was unaware.
Being the merry band of Pirates we are, we settled Merricks outstanding, and absurdly large bar tab, and set off for our next destination.
Our travels, though largely unventful, took us across uncharted islands and outposts. Though at a passing through Dagger Tooth outpost we encountered a galleon, full of pirates like ourselves, who'd been investigating Merrick's tales on their own.
An honorable and hardy bunch, we decided we should follow this quest through, together.
The Unsinkable II was chosen as our shared vessel, fitted with fine guns, and enough supplies to accomodate the larger number of crewmen. Though sadly but 1 keg of grog was aboard. (Bill and Craig keep telling me adding more would unbalance the whole vessel...)
But our new crew got settled in, and we set off for adventure! If only we knew...
As we all pieced the puzzles together from Merricks scattered journals, it all became clear; Merrick had unwittingly summoned a hideous beast from the depths of the deepest, darkest seas, using his famous shanties.
A beast far older than man, a hungry monstrosity that has lurked below waves even when the Earth was young, and mankind in its infancy.
This misfortune had cost him his legs, his ship and his crew.
But the journals were vague, and quite frankly too drunkenly written to read, we had no choice but to return to Merrick himself.
Upon our arrival back to Shark Bait Cove, a single sloop approached. They too it seems, had followed Merricks trails, which had led them back to him, same as us.
10 men strong now, Merrick had little choice but to divulge his darkest secret.
He fashioned drums for us all, crafted from wood and shark-skin caught around Shark Bait Cove, and shared with us, the shanty he had used to summon this beast many moons ago.
I ordered the men back to the ships, and to prepare for battle.
1 sloop, 1 galleon, 10 men, 1 hungry beast. I felt aprehension going in, sure, but my crew, all 7 along with the sloop, remained stalwart throughout, sharing their excitement and readying themselves for the fight of a lifetime.
I was no fool, I'd seen the monuments and paintings around Shark Bait Cove, and knowing from Merrick himself that these depictions of the monster was not merely the fancy imaginings of primitive tribes, but something tangible and all too real, my deepest fears grew. I remained as sturdy and decisive as possible; For no crew will heed the commands of a cowardly Captain.
We sailed East, but a short distance from Merrick himself, though the sail seemed to last forever. Until we sighted the Devil's Ridge. As an evil omen sent from the darkest depths, the peak of this treacherous island resembled the frightening maw of a terrible beast. We knew we were in the right spot.
We grabbed our drums, and in unison we played with all our hearts, and we played until the sound of crashing waves and a thundering roar completely drowned out our song.
All held their breath, hearts dropped, spine chilling fear grasped us all, as the Hungering One rose from the depths.
It beared the scars of countless battles, no doubt with both beast and man alike. Horrible, eldritch glowing eyes stared us down, impossibly so, for I spied no less than 2 sets of eyes! 4 in total, each one awful, full of malice and an unspeakable intelligence.
I ordered sails in battle positions, guns loaded and angled. The battle began.
The beast charged, and I called for a full starboard broadside. It did nothing but anger the beast.
As it rammed us, bearing its dreadful, gaping maw, an untold stench befell the ship. The odour of untold aeons worth of decaying corpses devoured, escaped its jaws. For a brief moment, time stopped. We'd never faced a threat such as this before.
To this day, I know not what compelled me to raise my voice; Surely madness and terror was overtaking me every bit as much as the men. But I was still their Captain, 'twas on my shoulders to save us, or die trying.
"Fire everything!" I cried.
It worked! For a spell at least, the beast retreated. As we regained our compusure, reloaded and patched up the ship as best we could, it set a course for the sloop crew.
I know not what transpired on that unfortunate ship, only that both men perished, along with their boat during the battle. They lasted longer than most would have, I feel, but sadly, such ancient abonimable horrors are not so easily slain.
The beasts attention soon turned back to us, circling our ship, seemingly just to taunt us, as our guns and cannons had little effect on it. As soon as I could order a port broadside, the beast was ramming and biting at our ship from the starboard side! I've never witnessed such speed and ferocity.
But we fought on! Quartermaster Bill himself braved the beast, completely without fear, brandishing his trusty cutlass against the mighty monsters countless jagged teeth.
Was Quartermaster Bill eaten moment later? Maybe.
Did that stop him? Never!
All day we battled, with each strike the beast claimed another victim. Altogether I count 5-6 casualties.
But alas, as the sun began to set, we prevailed!
The beasts death rattle shall haunt my nightmares forever more, but the cheers of my intrepid crew shall spur me on in the day.
We all took time to contemplate, and repair after the beast fell. A few of us dove into the waters, wanting to witness our nemesis up close.
The crew was spirited to have vanquished such a foe, as they should be, for every man fought valiantly. But my mind only rested on the beast. If such a monster could have evaded the entirety of the Sea of Thieves for so long, what in Three Sheets Neate's name could still be lurking below?
I still see the eldritch green eyes, with their unholy glow when I close my eyes at night...
Not long after, the beasts decrepid, oozing corpse floated down again, to the unfathomable depths from whence it had came. And our voyage back to Merrick began.
Merrick was, to say the least, astonished that we'd destroyed this ancient evil. But initial disbelief was soon replaced with joy, elation and a night filled with drunken revelry and merriment!
And ol' Merrick himself was only too happy to indulge with his countless, drunken bards tales and songs.
Thus concludes this terrifying tale. Though the crew prevailed, and we all got matching tattoos (along with some matching scars...) my mind still dwells on that ancient abomonation, and what other horrors might lurk below the dark waves.
Grog still keeps my hook n' hand steady, and me crew spurs me on to new adventures, but I fear that one day, sooner perhaps, than later, we again shall have to face and fight untold beings from ages gone by.
But even with my mind shaken, my faith in my Unsinkable crew and fellow pirates remain!
Captain Tundra