Hi all! This is just a story I came up with for my character. I've taken liberties with some of the lore from Sea of Thieves, as well as references from other works such as Goonies and to a minute extent, Star Wars (it's obscure but fans will likely get it), while incorporating it into the game world of Sea of Thieves.
Since this is fictional back-story of my character, I'm not sticking too close to the game lore when I reference certain in game characters or locations.
Other than that, I hope you enjoy!
Chapter 1
Our story begins unlike other tales of seafaring adventurers.
OneEyed W1lliam wasn't always know by this name. He was once William Pordobel. A land loving scoundrel of a man, who found himself on the run from many a royal house for his misdeeds.
This led him to a life at sea. He joined various crews, but eventually put together a small crew of his own. Just a small band of sailors aboard his brigantine which he won in a game of cards. She wasn't much to look at, but she was fast. Eventually they stumbled upon an old frigate that had run aground. After days of work, they managed to wrench her free of the rocks and patch her up. They were now able to take on more crewmembers. They also had a leaky old sloop to round out the "fleet". Together they hunted and looted many ships across the seas.
Some years passed, before William and his crew came across a marooned sailor who had been stuck on a small atoll for 12 years, and with nothing but a few banana trees for sustenance!
His name was Billy, and he told a fantastical tale of a gold laden galleon that had sunk their ship all those years ago. What caught William's attention was when he said the ship was manned by the dead. Surely this was a jest, or maybe years of being alone may have had it's toll on poor Billy.
The crew all laughed at Billy, making fun of him and saying he should be left on the island to die, but William did not take kindly to this. He shouted at his crew to respect a man for surviving as long as he did (especially on nothing but bananas!), while reminding them that a few themselves were nothing more than bilge rats and beggars when they first met. "Anyone invited aboard any of our ships is to be afforded respect as a guest"! Billy was both surprised and humbled that a pirate would defend him, even as a stranger.
William asked to hear more of this tale, and Billy didn't disappoint. He said that to this day, he sees that galleon sail past from the east time to time, and sail back days later with a fortune in plunder that would glow in the night sky, before disappearing over the horizon.
That night, William called the crew together and put out a plan to ambush this galleon the next time it sailed past with gold in its hold. "Alright lads. I don't buy this ship of the dead nonsense, but if there really is a galleon that travels in these parts laden with gold, it's worth a look eh?". The crew nodded in agreement.
Four days later, his scouts spotted the ship, and just like Billy said, she was coming from the east. They hurried back to the others and reported their findings. "This is it mates! Lets get ready!" Shouted William, and all three ships sailed east to lie in wait for the galleon to return.
Three days later she reappeared, bathed in a golden glow of light from the treasure she held.
It was a cloudy day with rain on the horizon, but the waters were strangely calm with only some light wind in the air...but the galleon continued to glide on the water as if it had a full billow in its sails!
William was aboard the frigate with Billy at his side, flanked by the brigantine on the starboard side and the sloop port astern. As the galleon drew closer, the 3 ships prepared engage. The storm had begun moving towards them and the wind began to pick up.
William shouted "Angle & drop the sails! Keep a tight formation until just before we are in cannon range!" The other ships followed suite and they began an intercept course. Billy's face grew nervous as they inched closer to the galleon. William saw this, turned to Billy and said "Hold fast Billy, you'll be alright mate".
As they drew closer, the watchman in the crows nest of the brigantine started shouting down to the commander and pointing towards the galleon...William shouted at the Brig commander "What is it?"
The commander of the brigantine lifted his speaking trumpet and shouted "LOOK AT THE SAILS!" The watchman in the frigate focused on the sails, and his eyes widened....He shouted down what he saw, and a crewman ran up to William with frantic breaths. "Well? come on man, out with it!" ordered William. "The...the sails... Cap'n, the sails... they're all torn with the mark of a skull & crossbones".
Another pirate in these parts? He had not heard of this from other pirate crews. William quickly drew his spyglass and trained it on the galleon...he slowly lowered the spyglass. The sails were indeed tattered and torn, yet she was gliding atop the waves with ease. How can this be? He raised the spyglass again. "What the.....what in blazes is that thing?" William saw a galleon that should not even be able to float. In addition to the tattered sails, she had a rotting hull adorned with lanterns and wooden spikes, and some kind of massive skull for a figurehead. He handed the spyglass to Billy to have a look.
Billy's eyes grew wide. "It's come for me. It knows I'm here". "Who's come for you mate?" replied William. "That sail...it's a cursed sail. It belongs to a ship of the dead from a cursed fleet. Ships with Kraken Skull figureheads. They know I'm on this ship, and that galleon is coming to finish me off! If they get back to the Sea of Thieves and I still live, the Gold Hoarder & Flameheart will hear of this and come for me. We're all doomed! I should have stayed on that blasted island!" said Billy in a wavering frightened voice as he started to back away.
"Krakens? Gold Hoarders? Flameheart? Sea of Thieves? What the devil are you talking about? Get ahold of yourself man!" shouted William as he shoved Billy into the captains quarters. "You'll stay here until the battle is won. I'll not have a rambling madman on deck!" Billy just curled up into a ball in the corner of the cabin and started to whimper.
The ships were almost in firing range. The gun crews at the ready. The storm was almost upon them, and wind started to pick up.
Almost as if it were deliberate, the sound of cannon fire rang out from the galleon at the exact moment that thunder roared and lightning struck the sea. Seconds later, a violent swell appeared next to the galleon. A second, identical ship rose from the depths and pulled up alongside the galleon. Everyone just stood in disbelief at what they had just seen. "This has to be some sort of bad dream" though William, but he dare not show his concern in front of his crew.
William raised his speaking trumpet and shouted "I do not care of dead men sailing dead ships! I only know that there is a fortune aboard that galleon that is ripe for the taking! If we succeed, we will be unchallenged by anyone who hears of the battle that we are about to wage today! We will be revered and celebrated by our brothers and sisters in arms, and feared by those who oppose us! I have never served with a finer crew in all my years at sea, and I ask you all to fight like you have never fought before....for fortune favors the bold, and we are AS BOLD AS THEY COME!"
Crews aboard all three ships shouted and cheered in unison, before a serious tone took hold and everyone manned their stations.
The battle was about to begin...
Chapter 2
The battle had raged on for a half hour. Somehow they managed to stay on the outskirts of the storm, but they had to do something fast before the storm's wrath would be upon them. Crews aboard the frigate and brigantine scrambled about, patching holes, bailing water, and firing away at the two galleons. The sloop would dart in and out between the ships in the hopes of drawing some of the fire away from the others, giving them time to regroup. She was small but nimble and able to dodge many of the volleys.
"Blast this cursed storm!" shouted William. Something had to be done or they would not last much longer.
He signaled his quartermaster to muster 3 sailors for a raid. "I need sailors who are fast on their feet and deadly with a blade. I'll also need a powder barrel. Get Billy up here as well, then signal the sloop to break off and pull up alongside. Have the Brigantine act as a decoy for a moment." The quartermaster hurried off and returned with 3 sailors, Billy and the barrel.
A moment later the sloop was alongside. William and his party boarded the sloop, bringing the powder barrel with them. Before breaking off, he ordered the quartermaster to take command. "When we depart, I'll need you and the brigantine to try and separate those ships! We'll get the attention of the one with the empty hold". The quartermaster nodded and headed off to the helm.
"Alright! Here's the plan. We are going to board one of those ugly things and set off the powder keg in the hold. That ought to even things up a bit for us eh?" barked William. "Once we pull up alongside that ship, you three will join me and board the ship. We'll fight our way into the hold and set off that barrel. Now, helmsman. Once we are aboard, slip back and stay astern of the ship to avoid the cannons....and be ready to pluck us from the sea when we jump!"
He then pointed to two of the sailors. "You man the port side harpoon, and you on the starboard harpoon!" Pointing to two others, "The two of you, on the guns!" W1lliam turned to the helmsman, "You and Billy go below and take that barrel with you. Make sure we stay afloat!"
The brig and frigate began their assault on the main galleon with treasure to force it to separate from the it's companion. A moment later, the galleon turned hard to starboard and made a beeline towards the brigantine, while the second ship continued on it's course, unleashing broadsides towards the frigate.
This was their chance! With William at the helm, they made a quick approach from astern to the rotting galleon. "Fire the harpoon and reel us in!" shouted William.
It worked! the galleon crew was so focused on the frigate that they did not notice the sloop slip in behind them. "Alright let's go", said William. He and three others climbed up the sloop mast, then hopped into the small opening in the ships hull leading to the captains quarters. As soon as they were aboard, the sloop detached the harpoon and slipped back a ways with Billy & the two other sailors onboard.
Chapter 3
There was a foul stench aboard. Rotting wood, dead fish, and an unbearable odor which could not even be put into words. One of the men could no longer keep it together and vomited onto the floor in the captains quarters. "Quiet!" whispered William as they peered out onto the deck. They could hardly believe what they saw. Skeletons firing cannons, brandishing pistols and blunderbusses, and running below deck with supplies to repair holes as quickly as they appear.
"We have no choice", said William. "There's no way for us to get below deck without being seen. We'll have to fight our way down." He instructed one of them to hide the powder barrel in the corner, and remain there until he is summoned.
"When I call for you, take that barrel, run right into the hold as far as you can. The lower the better. You light that fuse and run! As soon as you see the sky, you jump off this wretched ship and swim to the sloop. We'll be right behind you keeping these cursed things off your back. Understood?" Aye sir, she replied.
He looked at the other two and nodded. The three of them darted out and started attacking the skeletons. A few good hacks and they just fell apart. "This is too easy" thought William...and he was right. With each skeleton they put down, an new one would rise from beneath the deck plates. "There has to be a way to clear a path" thought William. Just then, he hears a hissing voice barking orders from above. William looked back to find what appeared to be the captain at the helm. That was it! he shouted at the other 2 to join him and they hacked and slashed their way towards the captain.
Sure enough, the skeleton crews shifted their attention to the helm and started making their way over to protect their captain. As soon as there was a clear path, William shouted "GO NOW!" In an instant, the sailor hoisted the powder barrel and sprinted across the deck and down to the lower deck. There were a few skeletons still below so she put down the barrel and started to hack and slash her way through. She would then go back for the barrel and move further before having to do it all over again as more skeletons rose up to replace the ones that were destroyed.
William knew something was wrong so he ordered one of his men to go below while he and the remaining sailor would continue their decoy tactics. They would cut down a couple of skeletons, rush the captain, then break off, and repeat this dance while darting up and down the steps to the helm.
The the two sailors below decks worked together to get further into the belly of the beast. the young woman set the barrel down in the middle of the hold and began unfurling a long fuse. As they worked their way back, they managed to leave the hold and were now near the map table of the lower deck. A that moment, she heard a loud scream. She turned around only to see her crewmate cut down by a skeleton at the foot of the steps going to the top deck. The man had fallen to his knees, his shoulders slumped and head down as he drew his last breath. She unsheathed her cutlass and began to fight furiously with one hand, while holding the fuse in the other.
Back on deck, the other crewman started shouting " I think something is wrong! They should be back by now!". William agreed, and gave the order to make their way back towards the entrance to the hold. Below deck, the sailor knew that she had to do something fast. She looked around and saw a nearby lantern. She smashed it with her sword and used the flames to fight the fuse. Now she had to fight her way back and off this ship.
She couldn't remember the exact length of fuse that she managed to unfurl, but she estimated having a minute or two before the powder would ignite. She had to move fast but she was quickly being surrounded by skeletons as she tried in vain to make her way out. She looked back and the fuse was nowhere in sight....that meant she had less than a minute left. Suddenly she felt a sharp pain in her leg as she fell to one knee. She looked back to see her trousers soaked in blood. She'd been shot in the leg. There was no way she would make it out now. She got back to her feet and kept fighting with her sword like a vengeful spirit. Hacking and slashing at any skeleton in reach.
Just then, William and the other sailor appeared at the top of the steps. "Come on! You can make it! let's go!" shouted the sailor. William saw the blood and he knew she was in trouble. As he started to make his way down the steps, she quickly pulled her flintlock, pointed it at William and shouted "NO! STAY BACK OR I'LL SHOOT!"
William looked at her in disbelief! "There's no time to lose Cap'n! The lit fuse is almost at the barrel." She looked her captain in the eyes and said " It's been a great honor to serve with you, but you need to leave now and save what's left of our crew. They need you now". She then turned and fired her pistol at an approaching skeleton.
As a tear ran down her cheek, she said her final piece. "You be sure to tell the lads what Fiona did here today!" William nodded to Fiona, and tossed her his cutlass. With a sword in each hand, she limped onward while taking down skeleton after skeleton, until William could no longer see her in the darkness of the ship.
At that moment, the last remaining sailor grabbed William by the arm and said "We have to go sir!" seconds later, the crew aboard the sloop spot the two men jump off the port side of the galleon. A few seconds later, the air is shattered by the sound of a massive explosion, Debris flies all around the hulking vessel as she slowly starts to sink.
As the two men are pulled aboard, they watched the tip of the mast slip beneath the waves. They turned the ship and made their way back towards the rest of the fleet. They could see that they had taken a beating. The brigantine was on fire, and the aft mast on the frigate had collapsed, yet both remained defiant and kept fighting.
Suddenly, without warning the galleon dove beneath the waves and disappeared. Minutes go by, but the ship was nowhere to be seen. Perplexed at what had happened and with sighs of relief, the crews begin to regroup and start tending to the wounded and repairs, believing the ship had retreated upon seeing it's escort destroyed. "We lost the treasure, but we survived. Billy, you have some explaining to do when we get back to my ship."
Chapter 4
The sloop pulled up alongside the frigate. The brigantine crew had gotten the fire out, and the frigate had cut away the destroyed mast. All three ships began to limp away when they heard the strangest noise...a horn of some kind. William looked around and could see no other ship in sight.
Without warning the galleon rose back up from the water next to the brigantine and smashed right through her. The ship split in two and almost immediately sank beneath the waves.
As the galleon made it's way towards the frigate, Billy ran up to William and shouted "Find Ramsey! Find Athena's Fortune!" He pushed William off the frigate and knocked him onto the sloop's deck. Billy shouted at the sloop helmsman "Get him out of here! Sail towards the storm. It's your only hope!"
As the sloop began to sail away, Billy stood at the ladder and stared at the fast approaching ship. He closed his eyes, clenched his fists and stood tall. William could only watch as the galleon ripped through the frigate, setting off a massive explosion. The powder magazine had been hit. There was nothing left but debris and bodies in it's wake. It was as if the devil himself was in control of that cursed ship!
As the sloop sailed further into the storm, the sky grew dark and fearsome. William began to douse the lanterns in an effort to hide their location from the fast approaching galleon, but not before a sniper managed to let out a single shot. The bullet hit the lantern nearest to him and sent glass shards flying into his eye!
With a small fire near the map table, and blurred & bloody vision, William was helped up by one of sailors. He tore his sleeve and tried his best to bandage William's head to cover the wound. A second shot tore through the sailors chest. He dropped to his knees and keeled over.
Thunder, lightning and heavy rain filled the sky, as a massive wave struck the sloop on the starboard side, sending the helmsman into the sea and William into a wall and knocking him out cold.
As he came to, he kept hearing Billy's words repeat in his mind. "Find Ramsey...Find Athena's Fortune". What did all of that mean? Just then, William noticed that he was on land. Lush greenery around him, birds chirping and a warm sunny day above. As he got up to look around, he could make out the sloop afloat in the bay albeit heavily damaged. There was campfire nearby. He was alone.....or so it seemed.
William looked around for a moment. He was having a hard time only seeing from one eye. Before him appeared a ghostly apparition bathed in an emerald green light. "You look a little worse for wear, my friend. You must be on quite the journey." it said....
