So I just checked the Microsoft Store for any updates and ended up seeing something very interesting on the front page.
On the upper right corner, there seems to be four skeleton bosses coming to Sea of Thieves.
(Close up of them)
Now it could be a hint towards a future update but the next screenshot proves otherwise.
The bottom four achievements showcase these new bosses in all their glory.
Given that the next update Ashen Winds is coming out very soon, I think its possible that these new bosses are the new encounter that Andrew was talking about during the latest Sea of Thieves News video, plus their skulls look similar to that of the Ashen Winds Skull which was also announced in the video.
I clicked on the achievements and got full versions of them below:
From their appearance, they are definitely fire related and the third one, called Old Horatio given from the Achievements, heavily resembles the huge skeleton from the Seabound Soul.
(Image is from the Wiki)
I think its possible that these four are the Ashen Lords that Flameheart has talked about during Heart of Fire.









