The tale of the lone Reaper

Grab a pint and listen to my tale of trickery and survival from last night. I left port under the Reaper’s emissary flag and flying the flag of the Reaper’s Mark. Though I was flashing my pirate colors I was really only interested in finding random treasure and grinding a bit of Hunter faction. It didn’t take but a few island stops to have some serious loot on board. My next small island stop revealed a skeleton captain looking for treasure. Upon relieving him of his treasure map I uncovered a Reaper’s Chest and a cursed Chest of Sorrows. “Well”, says I, “I better go see the Reaper, I can always fish later.” So I set sail towards the Reaper’s hideout. I’m bailing tears out of the boat and watching the horizon as I’m pulling up to the hideout when here comes another sloop. White sails, all lanterns turned on, and their coming straight at me. No time to stop at the hideout now, but I got the blubberin’ baby chest on board and running means I have to deal with his cryin’. I also wanted to unload the Reaper Chest to make me less of a mark on the map, so I devise a plan. I turn downwind past the hideout and fix my sails. I put the Chest of Sorrows on my rowboat and cut it loose...a small sacrifice considering my other loot onboard. As my boat passes the hideout I grab the Reaper Chest and slip over the side under the water. I make it safely to the island, sell the chest and hop a mermaid back to my boat. Once back on board I discover that the row boat with the shiny treasure on it hadn’t been enough to get them to stop chasing me. It was time to take the fight to them. By now they had settled-in right behind my boat, rookie mistake (remember the white sails and lanterns?). I slipped over the side of my boat again and waited for them in the salty brine. As they passed I grabbed their ladder and scurried aboard. I find the Captain at the helm blissfully unaware of a stow away. The first mate is up at the bow looking at me own ship. I start hacking at the captain and he strafes and jumps overboard. I run up to the bow and before the first mate ever turns around I blunderbuss him in the back and finish him off with my sword. Now I drop anchor and climb up the mast hoping to find and explosive barrel...nothing. I hear the captain swimming full speed up to the boat and I look down from the crows nest to see him coming. Right as he reaches the ladder I jump off the crows nest and land behind him in the water. He stops climbing and looks around but doesn’t look down deep enough. I blunderbuss him from below and finish him off with that shot...he must have not had any fruit on him after the backstabbing at the helm. With both pirates killed I throw my fire balms onto the deck and hop a mermaid back to my boat. I never see those guys the rest of the night and after a few detours I make it back to the hideout for an uneventful turn-in. While turning in I notice a lone row-boat much like the one I cut loose with the blubberin’ chest and I smiles to meself thinking that maybe those guys had earned themselves some treasure after all.