It was a dark and stormy spawn at Galleon's Grave Outpost. I was going thru my usual routine of stocking and setting my gear and tack for an exploration voyage. I stepped on my sloop's deck to douse my lanterns per my usual routine when...I saw the water break off my port bow! While the glimpse was brief it was clearly a human-shaped figure! The hairs raised on my arms and my hook started to tingle as if my fist was still there and clenched. My first thought was, Drat it all...a scallywag has encamped and is attempting to sneak aboard! I jumped to the dock and from there to the nearby shore for a closer look while giving myself room to draw my battered but trusty Ferryman's Cutlass! But...not a soul was in sight. I know what you're thinking mateys...ole SpecialAdvisor has been at the grog...again. But not a single drop had past my lips. My Souls Tankard was still clipped to my belt and dry. I searched yet again. I thought...there has been some rumors on the wind of Cursed Sails, but Skellies don't swim...thank goodness...and had I ever seen one at an Outpost? No. I thought...a Mermaid? My only truck with the Merfolk has been helpful...but one never knows. Indeed...one never knows when 'that' tide may turn. I searched and searched but...nothing. But I was 'certain' sure that a shape had surfaced. A shark I asked myself? No...I had not been in the water, nothing to draw one of the blood-thirsty beasties to the surface...and the shape 'was' humanoid. I went back aboard and checked below decks...thinking possibly while I had leapt to shore the nerdowell had clambered aboard and was waiting in ambush below...I slowly checked by the brig, behind the provision barrels, goose-flesh standing tall...all clear. I went back on deck with the wind howling and the patter of rain hitting the tarp all seemed clear...but was it? I slowly and carefully finished my provisioning and with one last glance across the horizon with me Merchant's Spyglass...I spotted a shipwreck a league or so off shore and headed out with the wind at my back...but still with an eerie sense of foreboding for what may lie ahead...or worse behind in my wake. Fair Winds and Following Seas to you all mateys...but watch the water round yer vessel while anchored! No fear have ye of evil, says you? Arrrgh...properly warned ye be, says I!
Scoff if you will Mateys! ...but after reading this you'll keep a weather eye on the waters round yer vessel when anchored!
@a-cranky-eskimo ...well mebbe so matey! But neverthe less...I had to sail a fine ways away before the hairs on my arms went back to 'at ease' from attention! Every word is true...shiver me timbers if it ain't so!
@specialadvisor haha, who knows, maybe there is some sort of SoT hero brine ghost pirate sneaking around peeking at unsuspecting ships and their crews, lying in wait, biding it’s time, until it is ready to unleash its curse upon some poor treasure laden victims!
@a-cranky-eskimo ...for a long time after that I kept hearing an echo...as if Davy Jones himself was saying "Do you fear... death? Do you fear that dark abyss? All your deeds laid bare, all your sins punished?" I started ticking off my past deeds and weighing my past actions and hoping for an uneventful voyage ;-)
@specialadvisor yeah I’m sure your good, I may have to watch my back after the hungering deep debacle I participated in. Nary a ship on the server remained afloat except our own, the beast itself dared not attack us after seeing us lay waste to a legend galleon and it’s 3 sloop armada. Surely there is a special place in Pirate hell for us. Lol
@purplemajic aye...it be so matey! Sure is an ill omened start to a voyage when ya can’t even pull outta port due to them darn scallywags!
Luckily it don’t happen too often. Think I’ve only been back-shot once in a tavern on spawn. Guess those are good odds given my time on the Sea of Thieves :-)
Solo tonight I boarded three sloops that were anchored, with sails down, one of them was occupied. The guy had no idea I was on board, he just kept staring at my sloop with his spyglass as it sailed away.
Guy was lucky he had no goodies, so I just made a smiley face on his map and shot myself out of his cannon to find a mermaid.
Seriously mateys pay attention.
