Here is my fifth content drop idea. Please note, this drop is as if the previous four exist in the game. You can find them below:
Scholars of Curses - New Trading Company / 16 New Loot Types
The Fractured Isles - New Tool / Encounter / World Event
Trial of Fools - New Gameplay / Enemies / Vanity Items
Turned Tides - New Encounter/Area/Voyage Type
Warning I've written the full campaign below, this is a lot of text.
Raised Chains
-Lore-
The Ferry of the Damned has vanished from the Sea of Thieves, the only remnants is the plaque that once sat above the portal back to the land of the living. An unlikely alliance between pirates and trading companies must band together. Otherwise death may once again mean the end of a pirate.
Along this master voyage, old foes resurface. Shadowy figures of those defeated will once again emerge from the depths. Tales of legendary pirates will become true.
-Objective-
- Introduce a story driven campaign.
- Bring together all gameplay elements currently in the game.
- Revisiting elements of previous campaigns.
- Create a new experience using existing mechanics.
- Bring a more challenging voyages for seasoned players.
-Overview-
The Raised Chains is a campaign targeted at players who are familiar with base mechanics of the game. The entry requirements below are designed so new players won’t start the campaign without knowing;
- Must be level 10 with the three base trading companies.
- Must have done at least 1 voyage for the three expanded companies.
- Must have completed at least 5 Bilge Rat commendations.
- Must have died at least 3 times in the game (will become clear why).
The campaign will begin once the player dies for the first time after all criteria is met. It will appear as a voyage in the players inventory. It can also be tracked by the commendation screen. This will help track when a player completes part of the campaign they may not be up to with other crews.
The update will also introduce a notice board to all outposts, this will have multiple uses. Its primary use is to help players find others in the server to assist in their campaign.
The campaign itself will be divided into four acts, each ending with a major battle. Each act will be divided into four to five chapters. If a player logs out unlike regular voyages their progress will be saved to the start of the chapter they are on.
New Mechanic – Notice Board
The notice board will appear at all outposts and will be linked across the server. Meaning if a player posts a notice it will appear on all the boards for someone to claim. Its uses are as follows;
- Discard found voyages for other crews to complete.
- Notify crews server wide of a meeting place to form an alliance. Additional information can be added to show goals of the alliance.
- Display where your crew is in Raised Sails incase another crew wishes to assist.
Raised Chains – Act 1
The Damned Sea - Chapter 1
- Player starts campaign upon death and entering Sea of the Damned.
- They’ll now be in a rowboat with remnants of a destroyed ship around them.
- A plaque will be shinning in the water (as treasure does normally).
- Inspecting it will give the player their first riddle, directing them to a tavern.
- They’ll speak to Duke and then The Mysterious Stranger.
- They’ll be instructed to retrieve the plaque.
- On attempting to do so they’ll receive a curse and fail to bring the plaque through.
- Duke will remind the player about the rumour of Flameheart stealing a cannon from the Ferryman which in turn was stolen by Warsmith.
A Salty Request - Chapter 2
- The player will seek out Wonda, who will inform of Salty’s possible whereabouts if they help her with a cargo run.
- Cargo run is unique, moving flammable material that can’t be in light for too long or it’ll become damaged and eventually explode. Also they’ll be moving gunpowder kegs.
Shadow of a pirate can protect the cargo meaning the pirate can carry the cargo with their back to the sun.
Once completed this will become a possible cargo run in the future once the player is level 20 with Merchant Alliance. - Wonda will tell the player where Salty is at Wander’s Refuge.
- On their journey to Wander’s Refuge the player will first encounter the Deadalodon. A skeletal/ghostly version of the original Hungering One.
This can’t harm the player, similar effect to “Ship in a Bottle” from Scholars of Curses. - Once they find Salty he says he’ll help them find Flamerheart’s wreck if they bring him parrot feathers.
My Feathered Friends - Chapter 3
- The player’s master voyage updates instructing them to head to a Merchant Alliance representative.
- Merchant Alliance refuses to help unless if there is a demand for parrots.
- Player can talk to all vendors on the island until they have four requests.
- Once returning to Merchant Alliance they’ll receive an animal gathering voyage.
These require the player get bait from the tavern as well as cages from the trading company.
The voyage itself is optional, if abandoned can be repurchased from merchant alliance.
Once completed parrots will be added to animals gathering voyages once the player reaches level 25 with Merchant Alliance.
- While at sea their ship will be attacked by the Deadalodon again, this time it can do damage to the ship. But the player can’t damage it back. Forcing them to run.
- After the player brings Salty feathers (either as an alive parrot or can be collected from a dead parrot) he’ll agree to help.
War of Sea - Chapter 4
- Salty will lead them to empty south-west corner of the map.
- Here a fleet encounter will begin. On the final wave Salty will abandon ship.
First wave 3 sloops.
Second wave 1 sloop, 1 galleon.
Final wave 2 galleons. Warsmith’s galleon has no ladders and is armoured. (Warsmith’s ship is less aggressive until the other galleon is sunk).
The player can’t actually sink Warsmith, instead once they’ve endured the battle for so long the Deadalodon will appear and attack Warsmith’s ship.
- Warsmith will dive ending the counter, the Undeadalodon will dive also.
- The player’s master voyage will update telling them to return to Duke.
Some rewards will float at the end of the counter to be cashed in.
There’ll also be cosmetics unlocked themed around parrots.
A title will become unlocked.
(Sometime after the campaign is released, armoured Skellie galleons will appear in fleets.)
Raised Chains – Act 2
A Slayer’s Son - Chapter 5
- The player will travel back to Duke to begin the second act.
- The player will mention the Deadalodon in which they’ll be told Merrick may hold the answers. Sending them to Shark Bait Cove.
- There the player will find a the painting and a new journal from Merrick. Leading the player to several islands. Hunting journals on the way to follow Merrick’s journey.
- Eventually they’ll end up on Shark Tooth Key where they’ll find Derrick.
- He’ll inform them Merrick has retired, but has passed his tales onto him.
- Deep in the ocean to the west is wreck that holds tons of cursed artifacts.
Depths of Booty - Chapter 6
- Seagulls will be above the wreck, but are only visible if someone in the crew has reached this point of the voyage.
- Upon diving the players will be able to see a light very deep in the ocean. This is impossible to reach even when consuming bananas.
- On returning to Derrick he’ll suggest finding out the merfolk’s secret, sending them to The Sunken Grove to the north.
- The blocked entrance in the center of the island can be blasted open with a keg and the player can enter and dive. To find a hidden cave.
- Inscriptions on the walls indicate the merfolk curse can be temporarily applied with a song, which can only be played with a specific instrument.
- Returning to Derrick he’ll remind them about the Fools who have arrived with instruments of all kinds. As well as the Scholars who know all about curses.
Trial of The Fool King - Chapter 7
- The player can speak to a Fool at any of the outposts. Once they describe the instrument to the fools, they are told that nothing like that instrument exists. But their master may be able to make one.
- The player is given the option to take a master trial key or take it at a later time. If the key is lost a new one must be bought.
- The player must enter and get to at least the 15th level of the trial when the Fool King will appear and offer them an ultimate challenge.
- This will be only three floors but the trials are much harder and are hybrid floors of two of the trial types (skill, survival, puzzle, memory).
- Once completed these floors will appear after reaching level 10 in a trial run. Completing them grant extra rewards compared to regular floors.
- The Fool King will give the player this new instrument which is a cross between uilleann pipes and a hurdy gurdy, with a slot for a gem in the center.
Crusade of Curses - Chapter 8
- After the player speaks to a representative of the Scholars they are told the ship they are seeking is actually the wreck of their ship. They agree to help if the player brings the remainder of the lost treasure to them.
- They give the player a special compass of curses which directs them Mermaid’s Hideaway.
- Upon arriving the player has to play the instrument in the underwater cavern, some merfolk will appear and will sing a harmony.
- The player will mimic this, then teaching them the new song.
- The compass then directs the player to the most nearby mermaid statue for them to collect the gem inside.
- Now when holding a gem it gives the player the option to consume it which will place into the slot on their instrument.
- When playing the instrument with a gem inserted it will increase movement speed in the water as well as giving the player the ability to breath underwater.
- However it will also make the surface of the water glow the colour of the gem and the music can be heard from the surface.
- The gem will slowly lose its glow and degrade from ruby to emerald to sapphire. After this the gem will become gray and lose all effects, it can be sold for 250g.
- Finally the player will use the new tool to dive to the Scholars wreck and reclaim their treasure.
- The Scholars voyages can now lead players to deep wrecks which hold more rewards. Prior to sending them there it will send them to a mermaid statue.
War of Rubble - Chapter 9
- When speaking to the Scholars they’ll gift the player a new type of cursed cannon ball which has a blue glow. They’ll also mention the odd looking parrot that was hiding behind the bar.
This new cursed cannonball type can be found in barrels once the full campaign is complete.
Its main effect is that it can collide with ghostly creatures.
Its effect on regular ships is that it will make an initial hole but actually pass through the ship and make an exit hole also.
- Salty can be found behind the tavern, he’ll say that he lied about leading them to the wreck. He’s actually in a way linked to Warsmith and knew she was still “alive” and wanted them to finish the job.
- He gives them her new location but mentions she has commandeered a Husk and made some improvements compared to the regular Husks. Recommending stocking up on resources, especially grapples, and highly recommends forming an alliance.
- He also lets them know that the Husk is currently dived as the Deadalodon is circling the area.
- Once ready for battle the player can collect a crate of cursed cannonballs from the Scholars. During this chapter a new crate can be bought once all the balls have been depleted.
- Salty send the player to just north of Old Faithful Isle which is where the battle begins
- First the Deadalodon will attack, the battle is the same as a regular megalodon battle. Except it can only be hurt by the cursed balls. It will also occasionally vanish and reappear.
- A few moments after it is defeated. The Husk will rise from the depths. Similar to the galleon there are plates of armour on the fort, meaning the player can’t shoot grapples here until the armour is first destroyed. The Husk itself is more aggressive moves more frantically.
- Once The Husk is defeated a sloop will rise from the sea.
- On the captain wave of the fort, a mixture of skellie types will spawn as well as two random captains.
- On unlocking the treasure room Warsmith will be inside. Upon defeating her, her skull will remain there will also be a journal in this room.
- The players master voyage will update telling them bring the journal to the Order of Souls.
There will be treasure to collected in the treasure room, inside the Husk and from the Deadalodon when it is defeated.
A new title will be unlocked.
Cosmetics themed around merfolk and deep sea will be unlocked to be purchased.
A new ghostly shark figurehead and sails can be unlocked.
New cannon cosmetics can be unlocked.
Raised Chains – Act 3
Order of Five – Chapter 10
- The player can bring the journal to any Order of Souls representative to begin act 3.
- They will be told that the journal written in an ancient pirate code that they can’t decipher. They know the location of five cursed pirate captains that hold the answers if their skulls were returned.
- A new voyage will be added to the players inventory in the form of two maps and one cursed compass.
- The cursed compass will direct them to a location where an golden galleon will spawn. It can shoot up to three different types of cursed cannonballs. (These will cycle through, not all effects can be fired at once).
- One map will take them to an island with a wave of each of five harder variant skellie types. (mechanical, plant, shadow, gold, barnacled). The final wave will be a new hybrid type, such as golden shadow, along with 3 keg skellies.
- The other map will send them to and island with a bunch of normal skellies, followed by three hybrid captains at once.
- The skulls dropped have a high chance of hosting a curse.
After all five are cashed in the player will receive a translated journal. This can be accessed from their inventory. It will hold lots of snippets of lore hinting towards future content, but the main purpose will reveal the location of Flameheart. Which is on course outside the Devil’s Shroud.
Shroudbreaker - Chapter 11
- If the player is stuck their master voyage will tell them to speak to Duke once more who will remind them of Captain Morrow’s figurehead that cut through the Shroud.
- This will send the player to speak with Captain Morrow on Morrow’s Peak Outpost.
- She inform the player that the figurehead was shattered across the Roar possibly even further. The magic is held in the figurehead itself and unless if they had some way of tracking magic it was impossible.
- The Scholars inform this isn’t something they’ve looked for before they’d need a sample to create a tracker. They suggest the location of some pieces.
It could be possible that part of the figurehead is in the water near a volcano, the steam is what could’ve cleared the Shroud.
More could be at the bottom of the oceans.
Some could be buried in the beaches.
Some possibly some had made its way west. Which is what caused the Shroud to disperse there, but it’s location there would be impossible to find at the moment.
- They recommend speaking to people to find out if anything has been found near any active volcanoes.
- With this the player can travel to the various islands and speak with NPCs, or manually check the volcanoes. Eventually they’ll find out enough information that the land sometimes changes under sea when a volcano erupts, also no one had explored the volcano at Y25.
- Here when the volcano erupts the player can find an opening under sea to a secret cave. (meaning they’ll have to endure the heat to get inside). Inside they can find part of the figure head and collect it, there’ll be an opening full steam in the cave. When the player enters this they’ll be fired out the volcano into the sea.
- The piece can be returned to the Scholars who will give them a compass to another piece which is deep underwater.
- They’ll inform them that their compasses seem to have stopped working on the curse, but rumours are the Gold Hoarder may have tracked a piece down and have a map to its location. The maps received will have a ton of “Xs” on some of these will be fakes and instead will act as a geyser, spawn some skellies, or have the effect of a cursed cannonball.
Once this voyage is completed, these effects are added to level 35 Gold Hoarder voyages. - The player are informed the final piece must be in the Groaning Expanse.
Swamp of Sorrows - Chapter 12
- Arriving at the outpost in the Groaning Expanse the player will first need to map the area if they haven’t already.
- The mapmaker will inform them that something odd had been spotted but she won’t disclose the information until you complete a special voyage for her.
- This will be like a smaller Athena’s Voyage, with one map for each trading company. The player does however have to turn in these items to the mapmaker and receive less money for them. Failure to do so means the voyage will need to be repeated.
- Once completed this type of voyage can be purchased at all times.
- They will always feature one cursed item.
- For the voyage in the master campaign there will always be three Chest of Sorrows from one island.
- The mapmaker will reveal she had the piece all along and give them it as a final reward.
- The parts will need to be given to any shipwright who tells the player to return in one in-game day. They mention that someone looked like they were moving in above the Order of Souls, however they’re not open for business yet.
Going to the door of this location the player can see an “Under Contruction” type sign as well as a small table that says free samples. This is a hint to future content, the sample is a potion that temporarily turns the player into a skellie, but also grants them ability to stay deep in the Shroud without being hurt.
War of Fury - Chapter 13
- When the figurehead is completed it can be added to the players ship. The shipwright informs the player that they had someone test it. And its power only seemed to work one location, elsewhere the ship was still affected by the Shroud.
- They also remind the player about the potion samples.
- Now the player has the location of Flameheart’s base, the means to travel there and the ability to survive on the ground there, they can begin their voyage.
- The area north of the Devil’s Roar can now be entered, the Shroud in game now appears more like it is described in the lore, as a thick fog.
- There’s several uninhabited islands in this northern area but only one that appears to have structures on it carved into the rock. Visiting any of the other islands they’ll find hints to the correct island.
- On arriving on the correct island (called Treasure Trove Cove) there’ll be tons of a new skellie type roaming.
These are scorched skellies, similar to golden skellies they can be debuffed by a bucket of water. They hold the same health as a regular bandanna skellie, are faster than regular skellies and cause damage when near a player even if they’re not attacking. - It is possible for a player to sneak through the camp without combat, whenever too much damage is dealt to a player the potion effects will wear off. So they will have to be weary getting too close to skellies for too long.
- In the treasure room is a single crate with a similar appearance to the Box of Wonderous Secrets. When this is collected all skellies on the island will become aggressive. Forcing the player to fight their way back through if they hadn’t killed them already. The island will also act as an active volcano with lava flows, geysers and earthquakes appears. Flameheart himself is nowhere to be seen.
- When the crate is picked up the players master voyage will update telling them to bring it to Captain Morrow
- Returning the box to Captain Morrow will grant the player a large cash reward, she mentions there were some gauntlets inside that weren’t her style, along with a skull.
This will end Act 3, rewards are;
The gold received from Captain Morrow
A new title.
The ability to collect free sample potions.
More cosmetics themed around the Devil Roar and Groaning Expanse.
Raised Chains – Act 4
Lost at Sea – Chapter 14
The player can return to Duke and report that Flameheart was a dead end. He’ll inform the player that there are rumours that Flameheart has returned to the Sea of Thieves. He’ll also recommend that they take the skull they found to the Order of Souls.
If this is lost it can be collected again from Captain Morrow, it is impossible to sell this skull. Trying to cash it in will automatically trigger the dialogue with the Order of Souls.
They’ll inform the player that the memories show a skellie receiving a box with glowing inscriptions on it from a skeleton with a flame inside its ribcage. It then shows it later being slain by a man wearing the same pedant as Captain Morrow, who had chains wrapped around his arms. The last thing the skellie sees was him leaving with the same box as the first memory.
Speaking to Captain Morrow, she’ll remind the player of Stitcher Jim who betrayed her crew and his own as he was secretly working for the Gold Hoarder. She recommends speaking to the Gold Hoarders representatives.
They’ll say not speak of Stitcher Jim, as he had betrayed them and stole the box after he found out it held the secrets on how to bring things back from the land of the dead.
The players master voyage will update hinting about the use of the gauntlets that they had found.
If the player enters the Sea of the Damned while wearing the gauntlets they’ll be able to successfully bring the plaque through the portal.
Bringing this to the Mysterious Stranger they’ll tell the player how to find the Ferry of the Damned. They give the player sands of the dead and say to speak to the Scholars who will give them a compass leading there. They’ll end the conversation advising them to speak to Captain Morrow again.
The Scholars will also tell the players that the Ferry of the Damned may have similar properties to the Deadalodon. They say they’ve been working on a new tool to help in the battle, the cursed keg. The first one is free to the player, if it is destroyed a new one can be purchased.
The keg gifted to the player has no effect to other players. For regular/skellie ships it will only fill the lower deck with a bit of water.
If a player has three cursed cannonballs of one type they can exchange these for cursed kegs.
Unlikely Alliance – Optional Chapter
Speaking to Captain Morrow she’ll tell the player she’s heard what she’s up against and advise to not go alone. She’ll assist in the battle if she has a crew and ship.
For the ship the player will have to pay a high fee any shipwright
The first crew member is Derrick, he’ll agree to help if you kill a Megalodon for him. This will have a set spawn location and holds no loot.
The second crew member is Wonda, if the player hasn’t already completed her cargo run they can do this now. Otherwise she’ll say she’ll join.
The final crew member is someone from the Bilge Rats, who Duke will let you recruit if you have completed a certain number commendations with the Bilge Rats.
Stitcher’s Fleet - Chapter 15
The compass will lead the player to open sea to the south-west of Shark Bait Cove.
Once the player enters the correct area, fog will form making a large circle around their ship. If the player has recruited the Unlikely Alliance they will emerge from the fog to the south. Then the first battle will begin.
This battle is similar to a skellie fleet.
- The first wave will have 3 sloops. An armoured sloop, a ghostly sloop and a golden sloop.
- The second will be two galleons, one armoured and one golden.
- When the battle is finished the Unlikely Alliance will return into the fog and then the fog will disperse.
The player’s master voyage will change, the font and style of writing will be different. It will tell the player congratulations for getting this far, when they are ready for the final battle play the merfolks song with four other pirates.
War of Storms – Chapter 16
When the song is played the battle will begin. The fog will reappear along with the Unlikely Alliance.
The Ferry of the Damned will erupt from the sea and float in the sky. Chains will hang from it as it flies around, these can be used to board the ship. When the ship is hit with a blue cursed cannonball it can temporarily can be hit by regular cannons. If the player boards it and detonates the cursed keg, this will allow it be permanently hit with regular cannons. There is no crew on the ship, everything is functional though with a ghostly presence controlling it.
After so much damage is done the ship will instead sail in the sea. The curse that stops cannonballs will no longer apply. A storm will begin in the area and the ship will become more aggressive.
Once the ship is finally defeated a Kraken tentacle will appear from the sea and wrap around it. Before pulling it to the depths.
The Raised Chains – Chapter 17
This encounter will start immediately after the previous, if the player sinks during this battle they will not need to repeat Chapter 16. It can be reinitiated the same way.
Lightning will strike the sea and it will turn a dark inky black. All ships will be slowed down.
The Krakens tentacles will emerge from the depths each of them wrapped in glowing chains, with very few openings. These act as shield to the Kraken.
All eight tentacles have to be defeated. The Krakens body will emerge, and begin to attack the ship similar to how the megalodon does. Both its eyes glowing a deep green hue.
When it is finally defeated, the Kraken will leave and in the sea will be the steering wheel of the Ferry of the Damned.
This can be taken to The Mysterious Stranger for your final reward.
A large sum of all currencies in the game.
A large amount of XP for all trading companies.
A new title.
New cosmetics and ship cosmetics themed around the Ferry of the Damned
Summary of Rewards
Lots of gold staggered throughout the acts
Expanded voyages for all trading companies once the relevant chapter is completed.
Cosmetics themed to each of the acts.
Greater challenges can appear to the player once certain chapters are completed.
The End
I actually began to write this a few weeks back with the speculation of "Small Snails," but held off posting for several reasons. Primarily because I was waiting for the anniversary trailer to drop, but also I was reading through Athena's Fortune and the comic series. I wanted to try avoid topics that may actually be coming in the near future, and change the story accordingly. Somethings may have changed in game since writing it.
Thanks for reading! The next post I'm writing is called Encaged Eclipse.
