The Lore of Smuggler’s Fortune
Masked Strangers and piles of bones…
Grab a grog and settle down to a nicely cooked Ruby Splashtail as we talk you through the recent lore goings-on brought about in Smuggler’s Fortune…
For a Guide to the Smuggler’s Fortune voyages and commendations, click here!
For Everything New in the Smuggler’s Fortune Update, click here!
Building up the Bilge Rats
Duke the Bilge Rat has been very busy since these past few months. First, when the Trading Companies were looking to stock up gun powder for defense, Duke found where the Skellies had been stashing their hoards and had us pirates voyage to collect them. Then, a large quantity of powerful Dark Relics were stolen by the Skellies who began using them in all manner of sinister rituals, and Duke helped us voyage to get them back. He even began collecting the mysterious Reaper’s Chests, whose dark magic certainly contained some value for him to profit from.
All of this has been part of Duke’s plan to get in the good graces of the outpost Trading Companies, and build up his wealth enough to open up his own shop: Duke’s Black Market. He now sells one of a kind cosmetic items for Doubloons and for Gold, right there in the tavern where he spends his days drinking and sharing tales. But that’s not the end of his story…
Rag and Bone Man
Following the masses of Reaper’s Chests delivered to him over the course of the last month, Duke made enough profit to open up his Black Market shop with the goodies found within those chests. Unfortunately, he couldn’t pawn off everything he found. A large quantity of the Chests just contained rags and old bones… So he did what any good pirate would do, and buried his problems. Thanks to Duke, Shipwreck Bay is strewn with Rag and Bone Crates waiting to be resurfaced. Luckily, an old familiar face caught wind of his plight and offered him a solution, to show how he’s changed his ways…
The Phantom of Uncharted Island I-13
Which brings us to the ever trustworthy and-totally-wouldn’t-betray-your-alliance pirate known as Stitcher Jim. It’s been awhile since we’ve seen this rogue, but he has resurfaced, and hearing about Duke’s trash problem has prompted him to prove his worth and literally help clean up his act. He’s sorted it so that the Seaposts across the Sea of Thieves will take in and dispose of the contents of the Rag and Bone Crates, allowing him to get in the good books of the folks of the Seas, and allowing pirates willing to take on this task the chance at Doubloons. But has he really changed?
Stitcher Jim has set up a little camp over on the Uncharted Island at I-13 and he’s brought a friend with him, one who he claims saved him and has become the “flame to his heart”. Aww! We do love a blossoming romance… Whilst he can be found near the makeshift tent featuring the Derrick and Merrick portrait on the Western island, she can be found on the Eastern island, standing beside the scaffolding at the dig site. When approached and spoken to, all she’ll respond with is blank ellipsis.
Her entire body is covered from head to toe in thick clothes, seemingly similar to the Hunter set cosmetics, albeit it with a hood. And covering her face is the elaborate mask that was discovered atop the scaffolding during Dark Relics. What she doesn’t say with words she however says with the pencil and paper, scattered about the uncharted island are five pages with various drawings on them.
There remains much speculation as to the identity of this Masked Stranger. As the mask they wear was previously thought to bear the resemblance of Amaranta of the Sea Dogs, there is good reason to think it may be her under that disguise. Another theory is that it is Wanda the Warsmith, a character we haven’t seen since the Cursed Sails event where we presumably sent her to a watery grave. The reasoning for this is that one of their drawings is of Wanda’s Workshop, and why would they draw that if they had no connection to the place? Some also believe that this is Flameheart himself, but we have some doubts about that based on the physique of the Masked Stranger and a quote from Design Director Mike Chapman stating that “Flameheart is resting”.
For now we are keeping our spyglasses firmly on them and awaiting their next moves.
Budding Business
Across the outposts new shops have opened their doors, enticing pirates to enter and browse their wares. These shops are the Pirate Emporium and they have been set up by an entrepreneurial group of ex-Gold Hoarders, all with a sharp mind for an aspect of business and with a hungering for Ancient Coins.
Ancient Coins have recently been discovered in the Sea of Thieves, and some believe they contain some portion of magic to them mixed in with the gold. A magic that can keep the Devil’s Shroud at bay.
The members of the Pirate Emporium claim to have had quite some hefty financial backing to help set up their enterprise and to be able to offer the goodies they do, but just who are these benefactors? Speaking with them, they give hints that it may have been the Grand Maritime Union, a massive trading force in the outside world that has yet to establish a foothold in the Sea of Thieves. The reason the Grand Maritime Union haven’t been able to get to the Sea of Thieves is that their vessels are much too large to pass through the Shroud unscathed, but if Ancient Coins can really lessen the Shroud’s effects… and the Emporium are hoarding these mysterious coins…Could these Emporium peddlers simply be the envoy for this sinister trading Union? Let’s meet these mysterious vendors:
Eduardo of Plunder Outpost
The Smuggler
This guy claims to be the Face of the entire Pirate Emporium outfit. He was once a smuggler and is quite the gruff fellow. As he says, stay on his good side.
Earl of Ancient Spire Outpost
The Coin Lover
Earl is a lover of all things coin. From the humble gold coin, to the weighty Doubloon, all the way up to the magical Ancient Coin. Personally for him, he would love to catalogue all the Ancient Coins that come his way.
Ancient Coins were here before the Pirate Lord, in fact the Pirate Lord based his symbol on the first Ancient Coins he came across. And the Emporium have been collecting them from vaults and ruins all to unlock some kind of power.
It’s also through Earl that we first heard that the members of the Pirate Emporium all used to be part of the Gold Hoarders Trading Company.
Emily of Golden Sands Outpost
The Fashionista
She is the Clothing Specialist out of all the Emporium members, as such she sources only the finest and most striking articles of clothing. Since coming to the Sea of Thieves she’s also discovered a love for food, especially dishes that Hendrick prepares.
She also reveals that the Pirate Emporium enterprise was taken under the wing of the Grand Maritime Union.
Ebenezer of Sanctuary Outpost
The Salesman
This man is the Top Salesman of the Pirate Emporium and as such is the one who specializes in trade. In fact it is him you can thank for the prices of the bundles! He can sell anything to anyone. Ever wondered where Peter of the Spoils of Plenty Seapost got his amazing invisible parrot from? Well look no further, it was Ebenezer who sold it to him. What a deal! Do be curt when dealing with him though — time is quite literally money to this man.
Errol of Daggertooth Outpost
The Pets Enthusiast
Errol is a fair bit more talkative than some of the other Emporium members, and is an avid lover of pets, letting us in on a manner of information. It’s through them that we know the Pirate Emporium has some ties to a Grand force outside of the Sea of Thieves. And that their bosses are powerful and incredibly influential.
Apparently the Emporium don’t see themselves in competition with the other merchants and Trading Companies that have established themselves in the Sea of Thieves.
As a pet lover he’s had a few over the years, Jon the Capuchin who loved to dance but unknowingly danced right off the bow and into a Megalodon’s open mouth. Leigh the Barbary who flew too close to an erupting volcano. And Shannon the Macaw who was struck by lightning. Twice.
Earnest, of Galleon’s Grave Outpost
The Talker
Earnest gives information about the Ancient Skeletons, telling pirates that they drop Ancient Coins when defeated.
He places great importance and emphasis on Ancient Coins, having been told that “The future is in the past”.
He also likes to brag that the Emporium is the only place to get certain items.
Elijah of Morrow’s Peak Outpost
Appreciator of the Strong
Only the toughest pirates survive! That’s what drives Elijah and that is his desired clientele, a big reason why he manages the branch of the Pirate Emporium that lies in the perilous hot waters of The Devil’s Roar.
He believes that the Ancients were far stronger than any pirate today, what with being able to make magical artifacts, such as those that were used to chain up Old Mother. He and the rest of the Pirate Emporium believes there are still gifts left by the Ancients that lay undiscovered, as well as places of power lost within the Devil’s Shroud, and they seek to harness that power…
Ellis of The Glorious Sea Dog Tavern
The Peaceful Man
A peaceful man who is more than a little unnerved by the combat and mayhem that goes on around him being the Emporium member situated in The Glorious Sea Dog Tavern.
He tells us a little bit about the Emporium members when they were still Gold Hoarders. One day they discovered a hoard of Ancient Coins on the Shores of Gold, and from then on ordinary gold didn’t have the same allure for them. They realized that the Sea of Thieves had “truly powerful rulers”, and they had the power to move the Devil’s Shroud.
It is worth noting that some members of the Pirate Emporium have what appears to be a flask or potion bottle at their hip.
Gone Missing, Or Simply Skipping Work?
Lesedi Singh, one of the founders of the Sea Dogs, has recently been spotted outside of The Glorious Sea Dog Tavern. Pirates who have been brave enough to ask her as to why are met with a curt response.
Has Amaranta gone missing, or is she simply skiving off work? Despite her presumed disdain for the brother-sister duo of the Sea Dogs and their running of things, we are certain she won’t be gone for long.
Whilst investigating this story we did a little digging and discovered that Amaranta’s name is derived from the Amaranth flower, which has been used as a symbol of immortality since the times of the Ancient Greeks. It even comes from the Greek word ‘amarantos’ meaning unfading.
Strange Sightings on Shipwreck Bay
Whilst digging up those Rag and Bone Crates on Shipwreck Bay some pirates have begun spreading rumours of strange goings-on at the site of the wrecked ship, the Blackwyche. We went out to investigate and can confirm the eerie happenings. In what would have been the Captain’s Quarters, a table has been adorned with candles and the dark relics that the Order of Souls sought to reclaim just recently.
As we can see here, four Bewitching Dolls lay before a Mutinous Effigy and an Enchantment Vessel, all enclosed in a circle of candles made from red wax. What could this symbolize? Who set this up? And are eyes in paintings meant to glow?
Ancients Unearthed
Recent seismic activity has caused some new skeletons to rise up from their resting places. Lucky pirates have been able to get a glimpse of an elusive gold boned skeleton with a blue skull emerging from the ground. Our informant tells us it carries a large sack on it’s back and will scarper the instant any pirate lays eyes on it. In that sack contains a stash of Ancient Coins, so we do advise anyone who sees this skeleton to chase after it immediately and dispatch of it quickly. But, just who are these the skeletons of? The Ancients themselves?
Sea of Thieves’ monthly updates continue to deliver a growing story, with mysterious plot threads interweaving and no end in sight. Who is this mysterious stranger? What are the Grand Maritime Union planning? What will come of the Skellies dark rituals? Stay tuned to Golden Sands Blogpost as we compile all these Easter eggs and juicy bits of lore for you every month!
