The Lore of Fort of the Damned
Mysterious forces are at work in the Sea of Thieves
The Fort of the Damned update to Sea of Thieves continues the game’s ongoing story with subtle teases and changes, and we’ve got it all summarized for you here. We give you the facts, so you can start speculating.
If you’re falling behind, check out The Lore of Smuggler’s Fortune for a run down of all the ongoing plot threads leading up to Fort of the Damned. This update, a few characters have moved around and the focus remains pretty tight on the warping of Old Boot Fort into the titular Fort of the Damned. But, let’s have a closer look at this update’s lore…
Old Boot Fort, We Barely Knew Ye
Someone has been messing about with Dark Rituals on Old Boot Fort and as a result the island has been permanently warped, acting as a sort of bridge between the Sea of Thieves and the Sea of the Damned.
The interior of the Fort of the Damned has six statues of the Ferryman, holding a lantern that needs to be lit with a Flame of Fate.
The Ritual Table in the Fort’s interior is similar in design and layout to the one that can be found in the Captain’s Quarters of the Blackwyche on Shipwreck Bay. On the table lay a Hexing Skull, an Enchantment Vessel, and an Evil Eye. And to start the Fort of the Damned a Ritual Skull is needed to be placed on the beheaded skeleton in the cage.
So who did this? At current, we have no clues as to who could have been behind the warping of Old Boot Fort, and we don’t know why Old Boot Fort was used in particular. Is it on some sort of leyline that means it has a closer connection to the Sea of the Damned than other locations in the Sea of Thieves?
Were Graymarrow and the Shadows of Fate the intended targets? Perhaps this was Graymarrow’s attempt at returning to the land of the living.
Should we be keeping an eye on Shipwreck Bay? After all, a similar ritual table has been set up there, are we going to see Shipwreck Bay be warped and twisted as well?
Stitcher Jim’s Watchful Eye
Stitcher Jim has moved location from the Uncharted Island at L13 and is now at Castaway Isle, joined by the Masked Stranger. The Masked Stranger doesn’t have a lot to say or show this time around, still remaining (or choosing to remain, perhaps) mute, and without any sketches around them.
Stitcher Jim on the other hand is keeping an eye on the Fort of the Damned and has a whole load of information about what has been going on. It’s through him we know how to activate the Fort and call forth the Shadows of Fate. It is mighty suspicious how he knows so much about dark magic and the supernatural, although he tries to play this off as having been an underling of the Gold Hoarder and learning a thing or two about Skelly kind.
Why doesn’t Jim just go and stop the skellies himself, or at least help out? Well it seems he has some issues with the Ferryman and is worried that if he ends up paying a trip to the Ferry of the Damned that he may not be given pass to to leave.
The Flames of Fate
An important topic to broach in this Lore update is the Well of Fates and the Flames of Fate.
Introduced in last year’s Festival of the Damned Update, these Flames were an addition that rewarded players for dying in New and Interesting Ways, and gave them beacons to discover and light with these Flames. They were purely cosmetic however and just gave a small extra way for players to decorate their ships and show others the kind of encounters they had. The Well of Fates appeared in the hold of the Ferry of the Damned and there wasn’t too much lore given to it. However, it seems with this Fort of the Damned update there is a little bit of a hint about the origin of the Well of Fates.
When asking the Ferryman about the Well of Fates, he used to just give a very vague answer, but now that has slightly changed.
Changes at Liar’s Backbone
Something is being unearthed at Liar’s Backbone. The northern part of the island looks like it has sunken down, revealing an alcove covered in vines and foliage, and a mechanism that is missing what could be a lever or some way to activate it.
Not much is known about what is happening here, nor are there many clues as to what could be, so all we can do for now is watch and wait.
It is worth noting that when Stitcher Jim was first introduced to Sea of Thieves this is the island he could be found at, looking out toward the Devil’s Roar. Is there a connection there, perhaps?
Amaranta’s Return
Amaranta has returned to her post outside the Glorious Sea Dog Tavern, making no mention of her time away… did she really just skive off for a month?
From last month’s lore post, you’ll remember that many have speculated Amaranta to be the Masked Stranger that cavorts with Stitcher Jim. That theory is thoroughly debunked, narrowing down the suspects for that hooded figure.
So there you have it, a round up of the recent changes and lore speculation that came with the Fort of the Damned update. It’s a pretty mysterious one for sure, having a large effect on the world itself but no real understanding of the purpose or the goal. What was Amaranta up to, and is she still planning to betray the Sea Dogs? Who is the real Masked Stranger (perhaps Wanda the Warsmith, somehow working for or on behalf of Captain Flameheart)? What is the purpose of the Dark Rituals that created the Fort of the Damned and are seemingly impacting Shipwreck Bay?
Only time will tell- stay tuned here for more Lore updates with every new patch.
For our full Guide to the Fort of the Damned event, click here
Don’t forget to read all the gameplay changes from this latest update
And finally, our monthly Shopper’s Guide shows you the latest cosmetic additions to the game
