Adventures Ahead: ‘Forts of the Forgotten’

The open ocean has always been a dangerous place to navigate thanks to the ever-present threat of sea monsters and skeleton ships, but things have gotten even more treacherous in recent days. This is thanks largely to the sudden arrival of six new Sea Forts – imposing bastions packed with Phantoms eager to take pot-shots at passing pirates.

The arrival of these ghostly garrisons was foreshadowed in the events of ‘Shrouded Islands’, Sea of Thieves’ first story-driven Adventure. Before we explore what these Sea Forts might mean for Flameheart’s future, it’s worth recalling how they came to be…

Give Us a Belle

The sudden onset of an ominous fog across the Sea of Thieves was bound to draw comment sooner rather than later – particularly from visitors to Golden Sands Outpost, who learned that the once-tranquil trading point had been laid waste and its residents were nowhere to be seen.

This supernatural smog also drew the attention of a long-awaited arrival on the seas: Belle, known to many as a Legend of the Deep, arrived on the scene soon after. As someone with unfathomable knowledge of the Sea of the Damned, Belle is determined to prevent the likes of Captain Flameheart from using that ethereal realm for their own ends.

Misty Misdeeds

Pirates dispatched by Belle to investigate these shrouded islands found themselves at Shipwreck Bay, a landmark that’s gloomy enough at the best of times. Lanterns furnished with the Flame of Souls revealed moments from the past – more specifically, an occult ritual by masked Phantoms loyal to The Reaper’s Bones.

Leading these renegades was none other than the Servant of the Flame, confessing a familial tie to Flameheart (and putting an end to some long-standing arguments in the process). While they’ve always stood firmly against the established Trading Companies, the Reapers have now begun moving to more actively assist Flameheart in his plans for conquest. Like father, like son, it would seem.

Heart and Soul

The purpose of the Reapers’ rituals became clear when crews ignited an oversized brazier at Shipwreck Bay, summoning forth a Soulflame Captain – a figure thought by most to be nothing more than a myth. Pirates were all too eager to take up arms against this new threat, which unfortunately proved to be rather foolhardy…

The Soulflame Captain was intended to be a sacrifice rather than a soldier; its destruction released energies that briefly bridged the divide between two worlds. Flameheart took full advantage of this event to bring forth his Sea Forts, created from the memories of those who dwell within the Sea of the Damned, and manifest them permanently in the land of the living.

I Fort the Lore

With the Sea Forts in place and their soldiers pledging allegiance to Flameheart, the fog cloaking those afflicted islands has mostly vanished, although Golden Sands remains as stubbornly shrouded as ever. Unwilling to leave the Outpost’s denizens to an unknown fate, Belle has continued her search and has an idea of their location at last.

Pirates will soon have reasons other than riches to face the Phantom hordes, for it’s in the newly manifested Sea Forts that the hapless captives have been imprisoned. If they’re not saved from the intimidating Phantom Jailor and those he serves, Wonda and her neighbours are sure to face a sticky end before too long.

Pirate crews looking to enact a daring rescue (not to mention earn an exclusive Memento from this Adventure) should sharpen their swords and prepare themselves to lay siege in ‘Forts of the Forgotten’, running from March 24th to April 7th. After all, who knows what useful information Flameheart’s prisoners might have gathered during their time in captivity…?

Previously
Adventures Ahead: ‘Shrouded Islands’