"Talks in bad pirate voice because REASONS!"
It be years since me short voyage in the Closed Beta of the Sea of Thieves, back when the Pirate Code was treated as little more than a set of guidelines than actual rules, what with pirates tossing folks into the brig for no good reason and regularly camping ports to sink unprepared ships and all that dreadful business. Come on, a pirate has to have SOME standards, even if they have to be few in number!
I had made it my business to keep me sails aimed clear away from the Sea of Thieves to avoid such business altogether. But, after reading a heartfelt (and recent) story of a father spinning tall tales of his pirating adventures to his family, I was inspired to plant myself before the mast and set sail to these waters once again!
It also helped that I heard rumors of a certain captain named for a bird causing quite a stir around these waters, and a pirate does love a good rumor...
Anyway, before I knew it, I found myself among the crew of a Brigantine with all manner of fancy decorations, captained by a pirate that glowed purple like the stars. Sadly, the name of their mighty vessel escapes this tired mind of mine, but I recall something of their name: Mojojo... eh, the full name eludes me. As it happens, I had arrived whilst the crew was in the midst of a battle! Unfortunately, I was caught unprepared, so it wasn't long before I found myself before the Ferryman, right along side the captain himself.
I think all of us scallywags have been through this at least once.
Like any pirates worth our sea legs, we returned to our ship, dusted ourselves off, and set sail. As we were sailing the seas, we had another crew member added to our ranks! It was good timing too, for soon after their arrival, we had found another Brigantine that flew pirate colors! Seeing the opportunity for both a fight and loot, we sailed into position and opened fire as it was leaving port. I assure ye, we made sure it had a fighting chance before firing! It took us a few passes, but we managed to sink her and take the loot for ourselves. Funny thing to note is that a bit before we did battle with the Brigantine, we had encountered a Skeleton Galleon! Twisted vessels such as these are fierce opponents, but attack only when provoked. Thinking that caution was the better part of valor, the captain ordered that the skeletal vessel be left alone for the moment.
Note the phrase "for the moment". Sometime after our fight with the Brig, we had found the Skeleton Galleon again. This time, however, the captain ordered us to fire at the ghastly thing! A mighty tough ship, she was! Cannon shot after cannon shot had found their mark, and yet she would not sink quickly or easily! Her own cannons certainly kept us busy in the hold! During the course of battle, the cursed boneheads thought it best to ram us! Thank goodness, we had the good sense to fix up the ship in a hurry, but what happened next took me by surprise:
Our captain decided that the best action to take at that moment was for him to board the Skeleton Galleon, loot the captain's quarters for a spell, and jump back onto our ship! Ha-ha, I raise my mug to that blasted pirate!
Anyway, we went on to sink the Galleon and take her treasures for ourselves. Soon after sailing off to our next adventure, we found ourselves a Skeleton Fort, no doubt one of ol' Flameheart's haunts. After knocking out the fort's cannons, we ventured into its depths to clear it out and, of course, steal that which wasn't nailed down. It wasn't easy to take the place over: no matter how many ghostly foes we bested, more kept coming!
I MIGHT have visited the Ferryman again during the raid... BUT, I've gotten me fair share of kills!
The only way to end the swarm of spirits was to take down the Captain. By the seas, did he hit like a cannon with his sword swipes! But, we sent him screaming back to the afterlife! Which meant that it was time to take all of the shiny goodies that was stashed in the fort. Once we emptied the place out, we went back to sailing.
It was not long before we found yet another Skeleton Galleon, but by this point, our captain had gotten a little carried away with their love for treasure. Earlier, I had tried to recommend that we sail to port to sell off our swag, but they would not budge. Can't blame them, really. I mean, pirates and treasure go together like good drink and mugs! As we fired upon the Galleon, we failed to notice the ocean turning black...
Ink black.
The Kraken had pounced upon our vessel, completely ignoring the Galleon! The beast made short work of the crew, the ship, and yours truly, grabbing us with its gigantic tentacles and tossing us into the depths both figuratively and literally. We ALL saw the Ferryman that time!
Our hard-earned loot was gone, our ship was sunk, but...
How can I possibly say that I DIDN'T have a great time with me crew!? They were a friendly and helpful bunch, though they didn't talk much. Good hands before the cannons and mast, sound shooters and skilled with the blade. If there was one thing I learned from this venture, it was this:
Turns out, at least some pirates honor the code these days, much to me pirate heart's joy!
Here's to many more tales to come!