All of the following were inspired by Greek, Japanase, Welsh and Norse mythology. All were considered to be usable in game permanently, after the time limited campaign is over.
Theme: Ancient Catacombs
~ This new campaign would see crews step away from the seas and their ship and journey far beneath, into a maze of wonder requiring an iron will, and stomach.
Story: Goddess of magic, crossroads and ghosts
~ Hecate grows tired of our endless voyages and seeks to liven things up, inviting pirates to test their mettle. She resides in a special maze that she created full of traps, snakes, skeletons, and best of all... ghosts! Entrance can only be granted once you retrieve the necessary stones, depending on which difficulty you choose those can change. A special stone can be found within the Catacombs, they call it Vaidurya, encased in gold and emeralds, thought to give it's owner access to a magic long forgotten... and an unknown source wants it. The Merchant Alliance is paying handsomely for any pirates who can locate it, but all who know of its existence seem to underestimate Hecate herself. However, appearances of ghosts have been recorded as of late, and the Merchants have heard of one at The Sunken Grove who might have more information? (The ghost will be revealed to be the last person who attempted to retrieve her gift, Pere. He will tell you of his excursion into the catacombs, of the illusions and demons he saw, the traps that wiped out his crew, and of Hecate and her wicked laugh. Bestowing the Bethel stone, he presents you with a puzzle, which at the end has you take a leap of faith into The Sunken Grove, which normally would kill you. The Phalos stone will then be retrievable from the pool of water at the base of the island. If you choose either Medium or Hard difficulties, you will need to solve more puzzles, which will be on multiple islands)
Can you make it all the way through to the end of the Ancient Catacombs and defeat Hecate at her own game?
Quest Starter NPCs
The Shores of Plenty ~ 1-2 Players
*Sanctuary Outpost, Chief Trader Mollie
"Our business is expanding, and you are at the right place, at the right time. It seems an unnamed client believes there to be an artefact below the seas, normally I would not ask a mere pirate such as yourself to retrieve a high value item, but Mavis has already recruited more of your kind."
The Ancient Isles ~ 2-4 Players
*Ancient Spire Outpost, Senior Trader Mildred
"Oh Deary! Great to see you again! Matter of fact, there is special cargo that must be found and retrieved at once! I cannot guarantee you'll make it out alive, but you must go below the depths you're accustomed to on this voyage! Good luck, love."
The Wilds ~ 2 crews of 4 Players
*Galleon's Grave Outpost, Senior Trader Meg
"Let me finish me grog! ... Okay, what now? Yes, yes. An artefact, some ruins, ghosts, just take it, grab it and dump it will ya? Go get em!"
Mechanics: Stones of Hecate
(Second half of description is for use AFTER the time limited campaign is over)
- Bethel & Betyl; received from the ghost at The Sunken Grove, endowed with life, these pair of stones become mobile respawn points. (instead of spawning on your ship)
- Ahd & Dehr; these stones protect against evil charms, and allows players to see through traps if looked at through the middle of the stone. Recovery from snakebites, when held.
- Phalos; rewarded after solving the puzzle at The Sunken Grove, this stone locates the exact entrance to the catacombs. Can banish a skeleton captain. (Disappears once you reach the center)(Single use, Auto-kill)
- Urim & Thunim; these stones reveal supernatural knowledge, a magical map of the maze that only the wielder can read. Can be used to find buried treasure.
- Singha & Steinn; speaking stones, used to communicate between two crews. Only the wielder can hear the other.
- Gjoll & Dovik; these stones bind the goddess, bring them together to release her. Fire emits from them, reaching farther than the lantern.
- Vaidurya; the most precious stone, beauty beyond compare, the prize for slaying the goddess. (Can be turned in to the "Exploration NPC"? For a large amount of gold and title. Turning in "X" amount of Vaidurya unlocks the Hecate Hat, Jacket and Dress)
Side questOnly available in 'Hard' difficulty - Seki; if your Alliance is brave enough to steer away from using the map, go off the beaten path and defeat the waiting traps, this stone will be rewarded. Kills anything it comes into contact with. (Can be used on Hecate, comes with a skull vessel allowing for transport, but you must leave behind either Bethel or Betyl)
Easy ~ requires only Bethel and Phalos stones
Medium ~ requires Bethel, Ahd, (Urim for crews of 3+) and Phalos
Hard ~ requires ALL stones
Entrance: The Isle of Last Words
Once you enter the Ancient Catacombs your ship will disappear, this will be a seperate instance, and you will spawn inside upon the Bethel (Betyl) stone. Make sure you leave all worldy possessions behind! (Don't leave any loot!) Bananas are scarce, as mostly you be faced with traversing a maze, and disabling (or cheesing) traps! The harder the difficulty, the longer the maze! (Multiple paths can be taken, some shortcuts can even be found, but beware as there are also deadends.)