T he B ook of

V o y ages
 CONTENTS
First Voyage: Roach’s Fortune 11
Chapter 1: Roach’s Riddle 15
Chapter 2: Keep(ing) Treasure 23
Chapter 3: Between a Flaming Rock... 33
Second Voyage: The Lord Guardian 39
Chapter 1: Cliffhanger 43
Chapter 2:Where is Everybody? 47
Chapter 3: He Wants a Cracker? 55
Chapter 4: ‘Saving’ Ancient Spire 61
Third Voyage: Poor No More 67
Chapter 1: Fishin’ for Kraken 71
Chapter 2: Party at the Plunder 77
Chapter 3: Hunting Bel 85
Chapter 4: That’s Protector Poole, If You Please! 91
Forth Voyage: A Burning War 97
Chapter 1: Gunrunners 101
Chapter 2: A Rival Alliance 107
Chapter 3: Preparing for War 119
Chapter 4: The Battle 129
Epilogue: Where to Go From Here 141

Writer Playtesters
WJ MacGuffin Heather Beacher, Scott Casper, Christopher Dundon, Josh
Grumble, Colin Heffernan, Kiran Mandrekar, Michelle Mandrekar,
Editor Emily McGlawn, Kurt LaRue, Joseph Merritt, Mike Pisani, Chris
Matthew Sprange Last, Norelle Last, Sean Last, Liam O’Dea and Jacob Slade.

Layout & Illustration Additional Playtesters

Amy Perrett, Anderson Andrew Preston, Shelley Preston, James Thomas, Jason Cross,
Maia, Andoni Fernandez, Reiss Archibald, Mike Chapman, Dale Murchie, Ben Miller,
Jon Torres Rob Masalla, Jayhunt Saulog, Christopher Davies, Tom Grove

Special thanks to Peter Hentze, Adam Park and the whole Sea of Thieves team.

© 2019 Microsoft Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Microsoft, Rare and Sea of Thieves are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies.
Avast, ye lubber! This here tome contains
secrets beyond the ken of scurvy pirates. Here SO, WHAT’S THE
be dragons and all that.

Or to put that another way… If you are not

planning on using this book as a GM, stop
reading now! Everything past this point is for
GMs only.
ABOUT THE BOOK
ASHEN JEWELS
CAMPAIGN ABOUT?
Any good tale of piratey adventure needs an epic
backstory to give us an idea of why everything
is happening. In this case, it concerns some
cursed magic objects called the Ashen Jewels,
on account of they are jewels that seem to be,

OF VOYAGES well, burning.

Many years ago in the Sea of Thieves, a Skeleton

The Book of Voyages is a collection of Voyages
Captain called the Jewelled Rover tried taking
for the Sea of Thieves RPG, all linked by a
over the Sea with a skeleton army. This was not
common theme. We call that a ‘campaign’,
the most original plan ever conceived but the
because reasons, and this one is called the
Ashen Jewels campaign. It picks up where the
introductory Voyage, Dead Man’s Debt, in the
first book left off. While it is not absolutely
necessary to have played through that Voyage,
it is highly recommended. Not only does it
teach the rules to this game, it also sets up the
relationship between the PCs and the campaign’s
main villain, the treacherous Captain Silas
Norridge. Also, Dead Man’s Debt is a piratey
adventure and we all like a bit of adventury
pirate-ness!

Anyhow… the Ashen Jewels campaign features

four Voyages that detail how Silas tries to take
over the Sea of Thieves. That means players can
earn up to four new Legendary Dice, one at the
end of each Voyage. It is possible for a PC to
become a Pirate Legend by the time they have
finished the campaign!

5
 Jewelled Rover was not at her most rational
by that point. She had been turned from a
modestly successful pirate named Sarah Bates
into a fabulous undead megalomaniac who could
control skeletons.
How could that happen? Well, that would be
because of the Ashen Jewels.
Sarah Bates stumbled upon a shipwreck on the
ocean floor and, like any good pirate, set out to
plunder it down to the deck planks. Little did
she know this was the wreck of the Burning
Blade, the ship owned by the infamous Captain
Flameheart. This wreck naturally contained a
great many cursed items and of them all it was
the Ashen Jewels that Sarah Bates chose to take
away with her.
The Jewels have a particularly nasty curse.
They embed themselves inside the owner and
eventually turn them into a jewelled version of
a gold skeleton. Once the process starts it is like
an addiction; the owner has to put more jewels
into their body but the craving never stops.
Merfolk were the first to discover the Ashen
Jewels - but the terrifying effects led them to
discard them, several of which washed up on the
shores of Kraken’s Fall.
Sarah Bates was less wise than the Merfolk but
also more strong-willed (or maybe she was just
determined to carry on her piratin’ career) .
Once the jewels were embedded she began to
display scurvy-like symptoms, then gradually
turned into a skeleton. Such was her iron will
that she did not lose her mind. Instead she
became a skeletal pirate lord, her bones bedecked
in glorious jewels… and she found she could
command other skeletons.
6
This opened up some new possibilities and soon
the Jewelled Rover was leading an attempt to
take over all the outposts in the Sea of Thieves.
How she met her end is not known but someone
defeated her (obviously, because she does not
control all the outposts in the Sea of Thieves!)
and left her shattered skeleton on Sailor’s
Bounty. Whoever did this was clearly not a
proper pirate because they were wise enough
not to take the jewels. Instead they remained
buried on Sailor’s Bounty, far from what passes
for civilisation in the Sea, and were forgotten.
It is the nature of cursed items to resurface
sooner or later and so the Ashen Jewels were
eventually found by a proper pirate… one Silas
Norridge. The Ashen Jewels campaign is about
what Silas Norridge tries to do with them.
Silas’ Super-Original Plan
In the wider world, Silas was considered a capable
pirate captain. Not the best by any stretch but
good enough that he could find people to join
his crews. Of course, he is convinced that he
really is the best pirate in the world. In his mind,
everything he does is the best piece of piratin’
ever and anything that goes wrong is the fault
of others, who might be trying to derail his plan
because they are jealous of his brilliance.
Pirates tend to like freedom but Silas wants to
be their unquestioned leader. He is so egotistical
that, in his mind, his leadership would help
pirates everywhere to thrive and become more
successful. All pirates deserve his direction and
any that disagree are unworthy to call themselves
pirates. As far as Silas Norridge is concerned
there are two kinds of pirates; those that follow
his orders and tell him how great he is, and idiots
who deserve to be ignored, imprisoned or impaled
on a cutlass and left to rot.

When Silas heard rumours about the Sea of
Thieves, he quickly became obsessed with
getting there. His leadership would turn a pirate
paradise into... well, an even better paradise!
Unfortunately for him, the pirates in the Sea do
not want a leader. Serving under a captain makes
sense but not a king or whatnot.
Silas did manage to attract some followers but
as their numbers grew it became obvious that it
was all getting far too organised for everyone’s
liking. Everyone but Silas, that is. Some pirates
sailed away but Silas was able to force others
into swearing dire oaths of allegiance. Soon he
began calling himself the ‘Lord Guardian’ and
announced his great mission to bring all the
pirates in the Sea of Thieves under his wise and
capable leadership… whether they liked it or not.
Silas suffered a bit of a setback recently, when
one of his schemes went awry. If you have just
played through Dead Man’s Debt, you know how
that happened. Silas eventually washed up on
the shores of Sailor’s Bounty, in the northwest
corner of the Sea of Thieves. There, as if they
were just waiting for him, he discovered the
Ashen Jewels. With the jewels embedded in his
body he began his transformation into a Skeleton
Lord – and not just any Skeleton Lord, oh no!
Silas was becoming the greatest Skeleton Lord
who ever lived. Or should that be undeaded?
Anyway… Silas gained power, and a fabulous new
look, on Sailor’s Bounty and is ready to begin his
conquest of the Sea of Thieves.
CAMPAIGN
SUMMARY
The first Voyage begins a little while after the
events in Dead Man’s Debt.
• • Roach’s Fortune: The PCs are hired by the
Gold Hoarders to find Roach’s Fortune, a
fabled and massive treasure chest buried
somewhere by Captain Thomas Roach. The
trouble is that the location is hidden by a
riddle and that riddle was torn into three
parts. The PCs must find the pieces, figure
out the riddle and defeat waves of skeletons
before unearthing it. Silas shows up to steal
the fortune, but the Ashen Jewels make Silas
abandon the fortune to seek more of them.
• • The Lord Guardian: The PCs visit Ancient
Spire Outpost and discover that it is
overrun by skeletons. After speaking to
some survivors, they must find an intelligent
skeleton named Salty and determine why
there are so many skellies there. Silas
controlled the skellies (through the Ashen
Jewels inside him) just so he could ‘rescue’
the islanders and demand their allegiance.
• • Poor No More: As Silas builds an alliance
with him as The Lord Guardian, the trading
companies on Plunder Outpost hire the
PCs to find magic earrings that permit
communication with merfolk. Their idea is
to use merfolk as an intelligence network to
track Silas and his allies. After finding the
magic item, the PCs find Plunder Outpost
has fallen to Silas, making its ‘Junior
Protector’ very rich. The PCs must take on
the mission of convincing the merfolk to join
an alliance against Silas.
7
 • • The Burning War: Silas fully turns into
a Skeleton Lord and begins attacking
outposts. The PCs must convince the trading
companies to ally against Silas. Once the
PCs are ready, they lead a ramshackle fleet
against Silas’ ships and battle for the future
of the entire Sea of Thieves!
The Ashen Jewels
These cursed diamonds, rubies, emeralds,
sapphires, and assorted other shiny bits of
rock, are hot to the touch. When placed on the
skin they quickly, but very painfully, embed
themselves in the flesh, appearing only as a
small lump under the skin. Once embedded the
Jewels compel their host to get more Jewels. The
compulsion is minor at first but grows into an
obsession once enough Ashen Jewels are added.
When a character has 11 or more in their body,
they die and come back as a skeleton. Depending
on the strength of their will they will become a
regular, captain or lord skeleton.
The Jewels grant both power and drawbacks
depending on how many of them are inside
someone. We refer to that person as the host.
Power: A PC gets bonus dice when solving
Problems involving skeletons. An NPC increases
the difficulty of any skeletonistic Problems they
are involved in. These bonuses must be narrated
as some kind of control over skeletons.
• • 1 Jewel = -1 difficulty with skeletons
• • 2-3 Jewels = -2 difficulty with skeletons
• • 4-6 Jewels = -3 dif f icult y and +1 dice
wit h skeletons
• • 7-10 Jewels : -4 dif f icult y and +2 dice
wit h skeletons
8
Drawbacks: The host slowly starts to become
obsessed with getting more Ashen Jewels
and must solve Problems during Voyages like
Constant thoughts of those jewels make you
seek them (X/3) with the Difficulty being the
number of jewels currently in the body. The
jewels also mimic the symptoms of scurvy,
leading to bleeding gums, thick skin, swelling
and limb pain. Once the character has 11 or more
jewels, they will turn into a skeleton.
• • If the PC has 1-2 Legendary Dice, they
become a weak skeleton.
• • If the PC has 3-4 Legendary Dice, they
become a Skeleton Captain.
• • If the PC has 5+ Legendary Dice, they
become a Skeleton Lord.
The Power of an Oath
This campaign features pirates making oaths of
allegiance to Silas. Would a pirate actually stick
to such an oath?
For the most part, yes. Pirates rely on their
reputation a lot, even more so in the Sea of
Thieves. If word got out that a pirate broke an
oath they took willingly, then few people would
want to sail with that pirate. Although pirates
betray each other all the time, breaking an oath
is a serious matter. There are times when pirates
need to work together to survive and someone
who breaks their oaths cannot be trusted at all.
Thus pirates who have sworn allegiance to Silas
will not openly defy or work against him. Some
might be a bit creative with what they really meant
when they swore, and perhaps work quietly behind
the scenes to hurt Silas, but few would outright
act against him after taking the oath.
GM Advice
Being the GM for the Ashen Jewels campaign
is a lot of fun, especially because you know the
secrets behind the Voyages! Here are some tips
to help make things even easier for you.
• • Keep Book 1 and Book 2 nearby. The Book
of Pirates can be used by anyone, as it has
the rules to the game, and people will likely
need to refer to it during the game. The GM
• • Use NPC personalities when roleplaying.
might need some of the information and
advice found in the Lore of the Sea.
• • Watch for imbalanced power. Every player
starts with 2 Legendary Dice. They gain
1 at the end of each Voyage but they lose 1
when their PC dies. It is possible to have
some players with 4-5 dice and others with
just 1. That kind of power imbalance is not
much fun. If this happens, remember that
a Consequence happens to the PC with the
• • If a new Problem is needed, ‘look’ around.
most Legendary Dice. That should even
things a bit but if it is not enough, feel free
to adjust the Difficulty or Timer so the
weaker PC has an easier time at succeeding.
The GM can also send PCs on short quests
to earn enough Gold Tokens to buy a new
Legendary Dice.
• • Guide rather than control. Each Voyage
features a plot and as described in The Lore of
the Sea, GMs should strike a balance between
sandbox (total freedom to do anything in the
game) and railroad (going through scenes as
if the Voyage was on rails) . Stick to the plot
when possible but if players want to go in a
different direction, the GM should do their
best to accommodate that.
PCs can use their main and hidden
personalities to affect dice. NPCs do
not. However, the GM should use those
personalities when roleplaying as the NPC.
For example, Harland the Hoarder from
Roach’s Fortune is Formal | Spoiled. Talk in a
correct-and-proper manner for the most part
and if Harland gets flustered, act spoiled
and huffy.
Those can make the game interesting
when making new Problems but that can be
hard on a GM. If the GM is stuck for what to
do, imagine what the scene looks like and use
what the PCs would see as inspiration. For
example, if the PCs are at an outpost there
will be other people there – and that means
plenty of other pirates to use as Targets for
new Problems.
9
F irst V oyage :
R oach ’ s Fortune
 SUMMARY
The pirates are hired by the Gold Hoarders to
find a fabled treasure called Roach’s Fortune. A
riddle leads to the treasure but it was split into
three pieces and given to different people. The
PCs must acquire the pieces, solve the riddle
and defeat all the skeletons in a fortress before
they can unearth the treasure chests. Then they
are to deliver the treasure to Morrow’s Peak
Outpost in The Devil’s Roar… where they find
Captain Silas Norridge waiting for them.
Background
After Silas was defeated at the end of Dead
Man’s Debt, he found himself on the beaches of
Sailor’s Bounty in the northwest corner of the
Sea of Thieves. He was angry and desperate
for allies, so he tried communicating with the
local merfolk. Surely they would recognise Silas’
greatness! Because humans and merfolk do not
speak the same language, they were confused
and directed Silas, through hand gestures and a
bit of interpretive dance, to the biggest treasure
on the island. After all, that is what all those
human pirates always want, right?
That treasure turned out to be the cache of
Ashen Jewels that once belonged to the Skeleton
Captain Jewelled Rover. Not knowing their
power or curse, Silas took them and continued
to plot his revenge. He planned on offering
the Jewels to the Gold Hoarders for cash then
double-crossing them and sailing away with both
the Jewels and a boatload of coinage. That would
12
show everyone that Silas was the best pirate in
the world. In Silas’ mind it was the greatest plan
ever.
The Gold Hoarders naturally wanted the Jewels
because they like anything of value, not just (but
especially) gold. However, they quite rightly
mistrusted Silas. They made a counter-offer
which had three important parts.
1. Silas would give the Jewels to the Gold
Hoarders
2. Silas would join the Gold Hoarders
3. Silas would help find the long-lost
Roach’s Fortune
In return, Silas would get paid for the Jewels
plus a hefty bonus from Roach’s Fortune.
Silas readily agreed, not because he planned on
following through with the deal but because he
was certain the ‘best pirate in the Sea’ (guess
who he cast in this role… ?) would be able to take
the Jewels and Roach’s Fortune. He was too
busy planning his conquest of the whole Sea of
Thieves to waste time hunting down the lost
treasure himself, so he told the Gold Hoarders
about his old crew and how they would be just
perfect for the task. Again, this seemed like a
particularly good idea to Silas.
At that point, Silas had not yet fallen victim to
the Jewels’ curse. By the end of the Voyage, he
will have.
Carryovers
In a Sea of Thieves campaign, the players’
choices affect what happens in the next Voyage.
These elements are called carryovers because
their impact carries over to the next adventure.
In this Voyage there are two carryovers.
• • The first is Gabrielle Paret, a captain in
the Bilge Rats. Making friends with her
(as opposed to stealing from her) becomes
significant in the second Voyage.
Preparation
Every player needs a character. If they played
through the introductory Voyage Dead Man’s
Debt, they can continue to play the same pirates.
If not, go through character generation on page
15 in The Book of Pirates. As usual, new pirates
start with two Legendary Dice. The GM should
also print any handouts so that they are ready
when their time arrives.

• • The other carryover is Madame Olive. How

the crew treats her is reflected back at them
when the need help from the Order of Souls.
If they are disrespectful, they will come to
regret it in the second Voyage.

13
chapter 1:
R oach ’ s Riddle
 SUMMARY
The pirates need some coin, so they attack a ship
whose crew made fun of them at a tavern. Then the
crew are approached by a Gold Hoarder liaison.
He hires them to find three pieces of a riddle that
reveals the location of a massive treasure.
Y
ou know these pirates. One night
at The George & Kraken tavern,
you almost got into a fight with them
over some cards and they said some
really mean things about you. Then
you heard gossip that this crew went

CHAPTER
INTRODUCTION
The GM can read the text presented here to the
players or base their own narration on it. Just
be sure to get the piratin’ started and everything
will flow from there.
on a Merchant Alliance cargo run
and you set sail to find them in the
hope of doing some vengeful piratin’.
Hours later, you spotted them making
a run for Dagger Tooth Outpost.
That means they likely have the
cargo aboard! You are just within
cannon range on the starboard side
but they seem intent on sailing away
from you.

Y
ou all knew each other back
You began in a region called the
in the wider world when you
Ancient Isles. Now you are entering
sailed with Captain Silas Norridge
The Wilds and the sun seems to shy
(In the introductory adventure, you
away from you. The sky and water
discovered he is here in the Sea of
both grow darker and the wind turns
Thieves trying to recruit pirates
against you. How do you want to
to his flag). Now that you’re stuck
deal with the pirate ship you have
in the Sea, you have to make some
been chasing? Your Problem is The
coins for food, grog and things to do.
Hammerhead will dock at Dagger
That’s why you are chasing a pirate
Tooth Outpost before you can
brigantine called the Hammerhead.
interfere 5/4.

16
Crew of the Hammerhead
Captain Floriana, Zheng the Goat, Nardo
& Modest Molly
Weak | 5 | No weaknesses

The Hammerhead
Brigantine
Interrupt: -2 Victories with speed

17
 A GOLDEN
Before going any further, have the players say
where their PCs start on the ship. The difficulty
comes from four weak pirates aboard (2 and +1
for each pirate) . There are three options here:
STRANGER
1. Start shooting: If the players want to fire
Once the Hammerhead Problem has been solved,
cannon at the fleeing ship, ask them to create
fast-forward to the outpost.
an official Solution. Shooting could mean
sinking the ship, in which case a new Problem

Y
arises: A case of rum will sink and be lost ou dock at Dagger Tooth
forever 4/4. If the timer runs out, the chests
Outpost. While daytime, the
are irretrievably sunk. Only cannon on the
starboard side can be used, at least for now.
sun is hidden behind an overcast sky,
making everything look gloomy. An
2. Board the ship: By getting aboard the
old shipwreck blocks the small bay
Hammerhead, the crew can take over the ship
(once they solve the Problem of the pirates and gulls swirl over the jagged peaks
there) and steal the case of rum hidden in the that gave this island its name. You
captain’s quarters. During narration, be sure
see the usual outpost buildings here;
to describe sailing close enough to board and
fight the enemy pirates.
Shipwright, several stores, a tavern
and representatives of the three
3. Give up: The crew does not have to do
anything with the Hammerhead! The only
trading companies: Gold Hoarders,
thing that needs to happen is to visit the Order of Souls and Merchant
Dagger Tooth Outpost but even then, you Alliance. It’s the last of those that
can change this to another outpost if your
you need and you can see their
pirates are determined to go elsewhere.
liaison farther down on the dock.

GM Note: If the GM ran Dead Man’s Debt before

this, let the players know that the two inept
This is Senior Trader Molly, who will pay 3 Gold
pirates from that Voyage’s competition (Nardo
Tokens for the rum. Molly is not fond of pirates
and Modest Molly) are part of the Hammerhead’s
and is coldly polite towards the crew, hoping to
crew. These pirates are decidedly incompetent, so
conclude the transaction as quickly as possible.
feel free to toss in some comic relief such as Nardo
tripping and falling overboard or Zheng the Goat
Once the rum is delivered, the crew sees a Gold
shooting his captain by mistake.
Hoarder coming their way. They notice this is
not the usual liaison for Dagger Tooth Outpost.
Remember, in the Sea of Thieves RPG you do not
roll dice for specific actions like firing every
single cannonball at an enemy ship. Instead,
everything from sailing closer to killing pirates
gets included in narration when players roll
Victories. If they get a and choose a new
Problem, why not have those pirates fire a
cannonball into their ship’s hull?

18
 W
alking across the white sand
is a strange-looking pirate.
He wears a dirty white shirt, a yellow
sash as a belt and dark breeches. The
weird part? His left arm and leg are
covered in gold. It moves like skin
but it shines in the weak sunlight.
His dark hair hangs partially in front
of this face but you can see he is
smiling. ‘It is an absolute pleasure to
see a crew that knows how to get the
job done. This is exactly the kind of
crew my employer wishes to hire! My
apologies, where are my manners?
My name is Harland and I work for
the Gold Hoarders. It is a pleasure to
make your acquaintance.’

Harland will invite the crew to The Snake Pit,

the tavern run by Teri. Once everyone has
some grog and is sitting at a table in the corner,
Harland will explain the job.

Harland the Hoarder

Formal | Spoiled
Powerful | 8 | Weak with gold
Interrupt: -1 Timer with gold
Danger: -1 Victory with talking

19
 W
‘ hat I am about to disclose must be kept secret. Before we begin, I would ask
that all of you take an oath to keep this information to yourselves. Are we
all agreed?’

‘Then we can begin. For as long as our trading company can remember, pirates
have told tales of Roach’s Fortune. Have you heard of it? While I am not enamoured
of gossip, rumours say there are 10, 20 maybe even 50 chests filled with rare jewels
and precious stones buried... well, no one knows the location. To find Roach’s
Fortune, you need to solve a riddle. It is a pity that riddle was torn into three pieces
or our company would have found it already. To be sure, we tried. Repeatedly! Alas,
none could find it. ‘

‘Things have recently changed, as we came into possession of one piece of the riddle.
What I want you to do is to gather the riddle’s remaining parts and solve it. I will
present the piece we possess, once we have agreed to terms, but we are unsure of
the other two pieces’ locations. Once you have the complete riddle, you will find
the fortune and deliver it to Hamish the Hoarder on Morrow’s Peak Outpost in the
region known as The Devil’s Roar. This is a relatively new outpost, so our brethren
there will find the additional funds most useful.’

We will award you the standard rate for finding treasure chests. That is 200 gold
per chest; quite a sizeable income for your crew. In addition, whenever you turn in
treasure chests at our Morrow’s Peak Outpost liaison in the future, you will receive
double the normal payment! Do we have a deal?’

If the players want to determine if Harland is
lying, the Problem can be Remain unsure if
Harland is lying (8/4). Teamwork is allowed but
limit it to two pirates; any more and Harland
will feel harassed and walk away, returning only
when things have calmed down. Use Harland’s
Interrupt ability to decrease the Timer by 1
when it hurts the pirates’ chances the most.
Solving that Problem means the player knows
Harland has failed to mention something about
his personal request but is otherwise truthful.
What he has not told the pirates is that the
company plans on paying Silas a lot for this
treasure but he has no idea that Silas is this
crew’s former captain so it may not have seemed
relevant to him.
Harland will go about convincing the pirates to
take this job in his usual formal and polite way.
If the crew hesitates, Harland will offer a 5 Gold
Token bonus for Roach’s Fortune, making it
obvious parting with the extra gold is painful for
him. Gold Hoarders hate giving up gold, after all.

20
When the crew takes the job, give the players
handout #1. Harland has no idea where the other
riddle pieces can be found, so the players will
have to create a plan to find them.
Before the players leave Dagger Tooth Outpost,
they see that a brigantine with ‘Shark Hunter’
hull paint and sails has just docked next to their
ship. This is the Sargasso, crewed by four strong
pirates loyal to Silas. They are paid to keep watch
over Dagger Tooth and see if anyone gets hired
by Harland to seek Roach’s Fortune. When they
saw the players’ ship come here, they decided to
pay a visit and learn as much as they can.
This scene allows Silas to learn what the PCs are
doing and Silas will use that knowledge to show
up at the end of Chapter 2. There is no Problem
to solve, as the enemy crew will not fight or push
too much. They just act nosey and arrogant much
like a lot of pirates in the Sea of Thieves.
Crew of the Sargasso
(4 Pirates)
Strong | 12 | Weak with Blunderbusses
Interrupt: -1 Victory with Teamwork
Interrupt: -1 Timer with talking
The Sargasso
Brigantine
Interrupt: -2 Victories with speed
21
 chapter2:
Keep(ing) Treasure
 SUMMARY
The pirates find out who holds the missing riddle
pieces; a Bilge Rat captain and the Order of Souls
on Sanctuary Outpost. Once the riddle has been
put together, the crew can sail to Skull Keep, defeat
the skellies there and dig up Roach’s Fortune.
Where are the other pieces of Roach’s riddle?
One is owned by Gabrielle Paret, a one-armed
captain in the Bilge Rats. The other is held by
Madame Olive, the Order of Souls liaison found
on Sanctuary Outpost. How can the players
discover this? That is up to them but here are
some common sources of information:
• • Ask the Order of Souls: Since their magic
allows them to read the memories of dead
pirates, they can tap into their lore and
reveal that Madame Olive owns one of the
pieces the pirates are looking for. They
do not know who owns the other. Madame
Oprah is the representative on Dagger
Tooth Outpost. However, the Order takes
care of their own and will not just hand
over that information. The crew will need to
convince Oprah that they mean no harm and
would never attack Olive to get the piece.
The Problem can be Madame Oprah refuses
to share what she knows (8/4).
Madame Oprah
Formal | Dismissive
Powerful | 8 | Weak with bounty skulls
Interrupt: -1 Timer with talking
Danger: -1 Victory with magic
24
• • Ask Teri the Tavernkeep: Tavernkeepers
tend to know many things, so asking Teri
is a good idea. She does not know about
Madame Olive but she heard that Captain
Gabrielle of the Bilge Rats keeps a torn piece
of paper aboard her ship Black Code in a
lockbox. Teri hates Gabrielle because she
repeatedly accuses Teri of being a drunkard.
Although true (Teri drinks most of her
tavern’s grog) , Teri hates hearing that. The
crew can get information from Teri by either
sobering her up, in which case the Problem is
Teri will remain too drunk to help (8/4), or
suggesting they will steal it from Gabrielle.
In that case Teri will not care enough to
help (6/4). Don’t forget her Interrupt (-1
victory with talking) .
• • Ask some random pirates: It is not like
pirates are known to eavesdrop or gossip,
right? If the crew starts randomly talking to
other pirates about the riddle, they will face
an interesting Problem like Pirates will start
a fight over Roach’s treasure (6/4). Even if
the crew does not mention Captain Roach,
the pirates will figure it out. There are only
so many legends concerning a riddle in three
pieces, after all. Once they realise someone
might find that massive treasure, they begin
fighting over who will find it first. That
includes fighting the PCs.
• • Ask Olive or Gabrielle: Once they get in
contact with Olive or Gabrielle, the pirates
might be able to ask them about the other
missing piece of the riddle. Olive suspects
Gabrielle has one piece and Gabrielle knows
the same about the Order of Souls but not
Olive specifically. Of course, this depends
on how the crew treats these two NPCs.
Neither will be very talkative if the crew
attacks to gain the riddle piece.
 Sailing the Sea
In this chapter, the crew will need to sail
between several islands. How should the
GM run these travel scenes? That depends
on what is needed.

If the game is running long or the players

have already had some good fighting
and adventures, then just transition to
the next island and save time for more
important scenes. If the game is running
short or the players have mostly spent
time talking to NPCs, the GM can throw
in an encounter or two in between islands.
These can be combat (rival pirates,
another skelly ship) or navigation hazards Teri the Tavernkeep
like a storm or even a curious Megalodon. Unambitious | Depressed
Massacring the pirates in a Megalodon Strong | 6 | Weak with grog
attack might not be a great idea but having
Interrupt: -1 Victory with talking
one sniffing around creates opportunities
for tension and ill-thought-out schemes to Interrupt: cause a PC to get drunk off
get away from it. grog instead of the tough choice

Note: Teri is often drunk, so her hidden

personality is normally active.

Madame Olive: Finding Olive is as easy as sailing
to Sanctuary Outpost. When the players arrive,
she is in the Order of Souls two-storey house
(on the ground floor) located in the centre of
the island. She assumes the crew is here to take
a quest for a bounty skull but she will quickly
realise what the pirates are talking about.
1. The bounty skull of Captain Liang, a
Skeleton Captain on Crescent Isle in the
Shores of Plenty region. Liang has six
plant skeletons protecting him and she is a
powerful enemy. Getting this skull does not
give any gold tokens; it is the price of the
riddle piece.

2. 10 Gold Tokens - Modify this number to fit

That does not mean Olive is ready to give them the
the situation. If the GM needs the game to
piece! She knows the value of the riddle. She plans
move along, Olive wants as many tokens as
to hold onto it until someone makes a worthwhile
the crew can afford right there and then.
offer. To her, that means one of two things:

25
 Olive will readily offer both options to the
crew as long as they treat her with respect. If
the crew gets nasty, she defaults to her hidden
personality trait and sends them out without the
riddle piece. Winning her over again will require
a new Problem like Madame Olive will kick you
out of her house for your insolence (8/4).

Of course, the crew could decide to attack her or

steal it from her later on. Both are fine, as this is
a pirate game! There are consequences, however.

• • If they attack Madame Olive, she will defend

herself. Olive will kill one PC with a pistol
Madame Olive
Adventuresome | Brash
(8/4). Be sure to use her abilities during
Powerful | 8 | Weak with bounty skulls
combat. If they kill her, the crew can find the
piece upstairs in her small but tidy bedroom. Interrupt: -1 Timer with an Order of
Souls house
Olive is one of the two carryovers in this
Voyage and while Olive will return from death Danger: -1 Victory with magic/curses
like any pirate she will spread word through
her trading company of the PCs’ attack.

• • If they get her out of the way, PCs can

ransack Olive’s belongings to find the
piece. You will be seen ransacking Olive’s
stuf f (6/4). It is locked in a small music box
underneath the counter. If the crew fails this
Problem, Madame Olive catches them in the
act. She will not attack here; instead, she
will scream bloody murder and let everyone
know on Sanctuary Outpost that the crew
dared try to rob her. That should result in a
few new Problems to solve. Skeleton Captain Liang
Powerful | 8 | No Weakness
As the crew leaves Sanctuary Outpost, they Interrupt: -1 Victory with cutlass
spot a brigantine so far on the horizon that Danger: Must pick two options from
they cannot see any distinguishing details. If tough choice
the players want to know more about the ship,
they must solve this Problem: The brigantine
will remain a mystery 10/3. This is the Sargasso
from Chapter 1 discreetly following the crew. Plant Skeleton Group
They will not engage the PCs, as they are just (6 Skellies)
there to report to Silas. If challenged they will
Average | 9 | Weak with Cutlasses
try to use the brigantine’s Interrupt ability to
slip away. Interrupt: -2 Victories with water

26
Captain Gabrielle: Gabrielle is harder to find. • • Alvaro will discover you while trying to
Her galleon Black Code was last seen heading find the riddle piece (8/4).
north towards Old Faithful Isle but getting this
info from local pirates might require solving a
Be flexible with this scene and let the players
Problem like The pirate will keep the location
take the lead, then react to their plans
of the Black Code to himself (4/4). Gabrielle and
accordingly.
her crew of three other pirates did sail for Old
Faithful Isle in search of buried treasure and
When the players finally get their hands on the
they are anchored just off the north beach.
riddle piece, Gabrielle and her two pirates will
appear coming out of the jungle carrying three
When the players arrive, Gabrielle and two
treasure chests. You can make this an official
pirates are searching the island. That leaves one
Problem such as Gabrielle and her pirates will
pirate (Alvaro the Quartermaster) behind aboard
realise what you are doing (10/4) or let the crew
the Black Code but the PCs will not know for
slip away if they came up with a clever plan. If
sure how many remain aboard. Let the PCs see a
the PCs steal the chests, turning them in earns
pirate mopping the deck or repairing the rigging
1 gold token each but no new Legendary Dice
and emphasise how they cannot see if anyone is
since these chests are not part of their Voyage.
in the captain’s cabin or below deck. Build some
paranoia beforehand!
For the record, Gabrielle is willing to part
with her riddle piece... but only if the crew are
At this point, the only bad strategy is to sink
willing to burn down Teri’s tavern on Dagger
the ship, as this will send the lockbox containing
Tooth Outpost. If they do, they earn Gabrielle’s
the riddle piece into the ocean. Retrieving it is
friendship for quite a long time. This is a
possible but it will take a long time of searching
carryover that can affect the crew in the second
the wreckage. Typically, the PCs will either try
Voyage, so make a note of what happens here.
to board the ship (and kill anyone they find) or
surreptitiously steal the lockbox from the cabin.
Once more the PCs will spot a brigantine, quite
There can be several Problems here, such as:
far off and sailing in a different direction. This
is still the Sargasso and they are quietly tracking
• • Someone spots you while trying to sneak
the PCs again.
into the cabin (8/4).

• • Alvaro will kill one PC (8/4).

27

Captain Gabrielle Paret
Empathetic | Manipulative
Dreaded | 10 | No weakness
Interrupt: -1 Victory with fighting
Interrupt: Lose half (rounded down)
Victories in the hold with her ship
Danger: -2 Victories with fighting in Middle
or Long range
Danger: One cannot belay a
28
Alvaro the Quartermaster
Diligent | Excitable
Powerful | 8 | Weak with cutlasses
Interrupt: Must pick two options from
’ tough choice
Danger: cause -1 Victory + tough choice
Gabrielle’s Pirates
(2 pirates)
Average | 6 | Weak with talking
Interrupt: -2 Victories with fighting
DIGGING A KEEP
Once the crew has all pieces of the riddle, it will
be easy to learn that Roach’s Fortune is buried
on Skull Keep, an island deep in The Wilds. It
was placed there so long ago that the island is
now a skeleton fortress complete with cannon,
walls, skeletons and a Skeleton Captain. That’s
right, the crew will have to assault a fortress
manned by undead pirates! Now that’s the stuff
of proper piratey adventure!
A
s you sail towards Skull Keep, a
strange cloud appears on the horizon.
It is in the shape of a skull and greenish
lightning flashes in its eye sockets.
Such a cloud forms when a skeleton fort is
active and skeletons are ready to fight whoever
disturbs their fortress.
As soon as they get close to Skull Keep, a
skeleton fires a cannon at their ship : The fort is
shooting cannonballs to sink your ship (3/4).
If the crew wants to sail around the island, that
will work because the fort’s cannon are locked
in place and are unable to shoot outside of a
small arc. Trying to kill the skelly manning
(skeletoning?) the guns is possible but the
skeleton is in Long range, so only cannon and
Eyes of Reach can hit it.
Once the skelly cannon issue has been solved,
the crew needs to figure out how to get the
treasure. It is buried beneath the middle of
the island, inside the fortress. The pirates
have various options or might come up with
something else entirely. Inventive pirates are
effective pirates!
• • Lay siege: If the pirates want to soften up
the fort by firing their brigantine’s cannons
at it, the Problem will be Skeleton pirates
will board your ship (8/4) as skellies Leap
form the fort towards their ship. The GM
can Extend the timer if the crew anchors just
within cannon range. Bombardment will help
players solve the first Problem encountered
when getting inside the fort.
• • Frontal assault: If the pirates just land on
the beach and stomp forth looking for a fight,
they deserve a cheer for their bravery at
least. They also deserve several Problems
caused by the fort’s skeletons emerging from
the ground in waves. First to pop-up are
six normal skeletons: The skeleton group
will kill you all (7/4). GM Note: If the crew
laid siege prior to invading the fort, use 5/5
instead for this Problem. Next will be a wave
of six gold skeletons: The gold skeletons
will also kill you all 14/4. Finally, the PCs
face six shadow skeletons and a captain: The
shadow skeletons will kill you all 14/4 and
The Skeleton Captain will kill one PC 8/4
(these happen as the same time) . Shadow
skellies depend on darkness, so the GM will
need to establish the time of day. There will
be enough time between waves to heal with
bananas. If the crew are having a hard time
in this scene, decrease the difficulty a little
for the later waves. However, if they are
easily defeating the skellies the GM should
send a gunpowder skeleton (or two) at them.
• • Slipping In Unawares: The pirates may
decide on stealth instead of attacking the
fort. That sounds nice but it will not work.
The eerie cloud above Skull Keep shows
it is active. Any human setting foot inside
the fortress will cause skeletons to burst
through the ground and attack. This does
not prevent optimistic pirates from trying, of
course. They might think at first they have
succeeded and then have skellies popping up
from the ground all around them. That could
be a fun surprise (at least for the GM) .
29
 Once all skeleton-based Problems are solved,
the treasure can be dug up from the centre of
First Wave the island. Given how many rolls were needed
(6 Normal Skellies)
to survive the fighting, there is no need to have
Weak | 7 | No weakness players roll to find the exact spot to dig.

Second Wave
Y
(6 Gold Skellies) ou keep digging at the sandy soil
Average | 14 | Weak with guns until you hear that unmistakable
Interrupt: -2 Victories with cutlasses thump of shovel striking chest.

Third Wave After some more careful digging,

(6 Shadow Skellies) you unearth a stout treasure chest
Average | 14 | Weak with Light with an unusual lock that seems to
Interrupt: -2 Victories with darkness faintly glow green. A stylised ‘TR’
is burned into the chest’s wood. You
keep digging and eventually have 25
treasure chests!

Have the players narrate how they get the 25

chests back to their ship and where they stow
them. Then an old friend drops by. Well, okay,
not really. It’s captain Silas Norridge and not
even he is deluded enough to think that he is
friends with the PCs these days.

If the players mentioned looking out for

anything unusual, read the following:

M
ovement catches your eye and
Skeleton Captain you see a galleon approaching
Drunken Duncan the island. Using a spyglass, you can
Powerful | 8 | No weakness see the ship is painted dull yellow
Interrupt: -1 Victory with guns
with a figurehead of a sleeping woman.
Danger: Must pick two options from The red sails show betentacled skull.
tough choice
Yes, this is the new Maiden’s Rest
captained by Silas Norridge. If it
GM note: There is no need to use all three
waves. Change things as needed. For example, stays on its course, it will be here
if the players kept getting awful dice rolls when within 10 minutes.
fighting the first wave, consider forgetting about
the second or third.

30
If the players never discussed keeping watch
they are bad, naughty pirates! Read the
following instead :

M
ovement catches your eye and
you see your old captain’s
ship just a few minutes away!
The dull yellow galleon, with the
sleeping woman figurehead, is within
cannonball range but has not fired
yet. You can make out four human
pirates aboard. Silas is nowhere to be
seen but this looks a lot like his ship.
However, you recognise one pirate.
Silas Norridge
You last saw him aboard the Sargasso, Blunt | Disloyal
that ‘shark hunter’ brigantine at Powerful | 8 | No weaknesses
Dagger Tooth Outpost. Interrupt: -1 Victory aboard his ship
(usable once per Problem)

While the crew were clearing the skeleton Danger: Any causes 1 Injury in addition
to the tough choice but cannot kill a PC
fortress, one pirate aboard the Sargasso
suffered a well-timed ‘accident’ at the hands
his crewmates. His oath of allegiance to Silas
caused him to return to life aboard the Maiden’s
Rest, where he told Silas about Skull Keep. Silas Crew of the Maiden’s Rest
immediately sailed there, hoping to steal Roach’s Strong | 12 | Weak with blunderbusses
Fortune and use the coins to buy as many Interrupt: -1 Victory with teamwork
allegiances as he can. If the pirates question
Interrupt: -1 Timer with talking
the timing of all this, well, fighting hordes of
murderous skellies can really makes time fly.
The Maiden’s Rest
Silas’s ship will anchor near the players’ ship. Galleon
Then he will come out of his cabin and use a Interrupt: -2 Victories with combat
speaking trumpet to politely but firmly demand
Roach’s Fortune.

The best outcome here is for the PCs to defeat
Silas and sail for Morrow’s Peak Outpost.
However, it is possible for the PCs to lose. If
they all die, Silas sinks their ship. They all come
back from the Ferry of the Damned aboard their
ship but it is now near Blind Man’s Lagoon,
many leagues away from Skull Keep. They will
have to be creative in finding Silas and stealing
back their treasure.

31
 chapter 3:
Between a flaming rock...
 SUMMARY state they are sailing to avoid as much of The
Devil’s Roar as possible, they will sail within
After bringing Roach’s Fortune aboard their striking distance of a volcano.
ship, the crew sails for the Morrow’s Peak

Y
Outpost in The Devil’s Roar. They must ou hear and feel a rumble from
navigate past an active volcano before they
the nearest island. Dark smoke
can anchor there. When they turn in Roach’s
Fortune as instructed, they discover the Gold
begins to billow from the highest
Hoarder there is actually Silas Norridge, who is peak before it explodes! You can see
now a formal member of the trading company. As lava pouring from the peak’s side
the island’s occupants back Silas, Roach himself
but more importantly, the volcano is
shows up determined to get his fortune back.
throwing glowing-hot rocks far and
wide! Splash! One of those rocks just

HEARING THE flew over your ship, landing in the

nearby water with a loud splash and

DEVIL’S ROAR hiss of steam.

Now that the crew has Roach’s Fortune, they

are supposed to deliver it to Morrow’s Peak
This creates a Problem Falling volcanic rock
Outpost. Greedy PCs might try to turn in these
will sink the ship (6/3). If any player rolls a
chests with another Gold Hoarder liaison but
while trying to solve it, and wants a new
they will all refuse to take them once they see
Problem, go with A volcanic rock has set the ship
the ‘TR’ on the chests. That means the chests
on fire (3/5). The goal is to create new Problems
are part of Roach’s Fortune and other Hoarders
that threaten the ship and showcase how The
know there is a deal in place regarding it.
Devil’s Roar is both exciting and dangerous.

In order to fulfil that deal, the pirates need to

Assuming they survive, the pirates will
reach Morrow’s Peak Outpost, which means
eventually dock at Morrow’s Peak Outpost.
sailing through The Devil’s Roar. Start by
asking the players how they want to sail to
Morrow’s Peak Outpost. Unless they specifically

34
 T
his island is different than ones
you’ve visited in the past. While
there are some trees and shrubs, most
of the island has no vegetation. Large
rocks jut up from the sandy soil and
many have glowing red crystals that
are warm to the touch. A dormant
volcano takes up the northern half
of the island. Thankfully, you spot
the usual outpost buildings and see
pirates going about their business. A
sloop named Ruby’s Glow is docked
here and its captain is unloading a
crate of bananas.
The deal struck with Harland in Chapter 1
requires the PCs give Roach’s Fortune to
Hamish the Hoarder. The Gold Hoarder tent is
not far from the docks, so getting there is easy.
What happens next depends on how things
ended in Chapter 2.
• • If the crew killed Silas, the tent is occupied
by Hyde the Hoarder. He will politely ask
the pirates to wait until Hamish can be there,
saying Harland made some special deal with
the new member. Hamish shows up in about an
hour; go to ‘Give Hamish His Treasure’ below.
• • If the crew did not kill Silas but defeated him
at Skull Keep, use the same situation as if
they killed him.
• • If the crew lost to Silas, then skip straight
the next section.
GIVE HAMISH
HIS TREASURE
I
nside the tent is a tall man with his
back to you. He wears a long coat
that glows red in spots, like heated
iron, and a gold chain wraps around
his waist. He hears you approach and
turns. It’s Silas Norridge but dressed
as a Gold Hoarder!
If the players instantly say they are attacking,
pause the game for a moment. The GM will need
to explain two points:
1. Silas is not doing anything threatening
(other than wearing his usual snarky smile) .
2. People in the Sea of Thieves will defend any
trading company liaison being attacked by
pirates and will shun them completely until
amends are made.
Because Silas is an authentic Gold Hoarder now,
the island’s residents will defend him. His new
name is Hamish the Hoarder and he really is
the person who should receive Roach’s Fortune.
In other words, the PCs already agreed to
give the fortune to him, although they did not
realise it at the time. Doing anything else would
be betraying their agreement with the Gold
Hoarders and that will not bode well for the
PCs’ future in the Sea of Thieves.
35
 Of course, the PCs can attack Hamish/Silas! Run
the fight as normal but keep introducing new
Problems as people on Morrow’s Peak Outpost
come to Hamish/Silas’ rescue.
If the players do not attack, Silas will explain
loudly enough to draw a small crowd.
M W
‘ ercy, me old crew. Mercy!
Even old Silas needs coin to
live by. There are just too many
pirates in these waters. So why not
join the company with the most
gold, eh? They could certainly use
my incredible talents as a pirate!
My duty here is clear. I am to take
Roach’s Fortune for the company.
Or... are you now dishonourable dogs
who will betray the Gold Hoarders?
Actually, I don’t care. Give the
fortune, keep the fortune... it’s all
the same to ol’ Silas. I have more
important things to do.’ With that, he
starts to walk away.
The goal here is to put the players between a
rock and a hard place. They are unlikely to want
to help Silas at all but they did promise to hand
over the treasure to this Hamish person, and
despite Hamish turning out to be Silas they are
still bound by the deal. Let the players fret over
this no-win situation. If they refuse to deliver
the fortune, the crowd all but demands they
do it anyway. This might turn into a fight, as
described above, but sensible players will realise
they do not really have a choice.
36
Why is Silas walking away? By now, he has
several Ashen Jewels embedded inside him and
the call to find more is hard to resist. He wants
to get looking for more Jewels.
Whatever the pirates decide to do, just as they
get started read the following:
ith all the commotion around
the Gold Hoarder tent, no
one saw the ship approaching fast.
It’s a skeleton ship! The galleon is
made from driftwood and planks,
and its lights are glowing green and
blue. The ship beaches itself and a
dozen skeletons jump onto the wet
sand. So does the ship’s captain, an
imposing figure with a large, golden
belt buckle with the initials ‘TR’.
Yes, this is the skeleton of Captain Thomas
Roach. He felt his fortune sailing away from its
hiding spot, so he tracked it down, determined to
win it back. His crew is mostly made up of normal
skeletons but he does have a few gunpowder
skellies running ashore as well. During this
scene, the GM can keep all 12 weak skeletons as
one group or divide them up as needed.
Here is how the NPCs will react:
• • Silas will scream, ‘Your fortune lies in this
tent and these people stole it!’ Then he will
run for the Ruby’s Glow. Unless stopped he
will steal it, sail to his ship hidden over at
Devil’s Ridge and escape. The skeletons will
leave him alone here because of the Jewels
inside him. The GM should narrate this as
something unusual but not clearly magical or
anything like that.
• • The other humans on the outpost will be
ready to run away but players can convince
them to stay and fight. The crowd will
abandon you to the skeletons (6/3). If
they do, reduce the difficulty of any fight
Problems against the skellies by 2.

• • Roach and his skeleton crew will only attack

if attacked first. If not they will slowly
march to the Gold Hoarder tent, collect the
25 treasure chests and return to their ship.
Then some skellies will push the ship back
into the water and sail away.
Skeleton Captain

This Voyage has several endings depending on Thomas Roach

how the PCs react to Roach’s arrival.
If the PCs fight Roach and the skeletons, winning
does not mean they get Roach’s Fortune. It
belongs to the Gold Hoarders. If the crew all
dies, they return aboard their ship and see the
outpost’s humans losing the battle. Eventually,
Roach will defeat the remaining humans and take
back his fortune. The Gold Hoarders will initially
refuse to pay the PCs as promised but they will
eventually give the crew 10 Gold Tokens ‘to
maintain goodwill between us’.
If the PCs try to run away, they have to fight a
group of skeletons, at least, if not Roach himself.
The humans on the island lose the fight and
Roach gets his fortune back. Silas still gets away
since the skeletons do not bother him. The crew
can argue for payment as with the fight.
If the PCs try to steal Roach’s Fortune, well,
that is a bad idea. All Gold Hoarders know any
chest with ‘TR’ burned into the wood is part of
this fiasco and will refuse to pay for it. Since the
chests cannot be opened without Gold Hoarder
keys, the crew gets nothing but some massive
paperweights. Plus, Silas gets away again.
Dreaded | 10 | Weak with his fortune
Interrupt: -1 Victory with guns
Interrupt: Lose half (rounded down)
Victories in the hold with his treasure
Danger: -2 Victories with combat in Hand range
Danger: One cannot belay a
Skeleton Crew
Weak | 13 | No weakness
Gunpowder Skeleton
Average | 4 | No weakness
Interrupt: All PCs nearby die when one PC dies
If the PCs focus solely on Silas, skeletons will
get in the way. Create a Problem like Skeletons
will kill one of you (7/3) or even Silas slips
away when skeletons attack you (8/4). Even if
they kill him, the Jewels stay inside Silas and
he comes back from the Ferry of the Damned
aboard his ship anchored near Devil’s Ridge.
Assuming the PCs manage to save the outpost,
the people there will give them 5 Gold Tokens as
a way of saying thanks.

THE END
37
S econd V oyage :
The Lord Guardian
 SUMMARY
After stealing a bounty skull from some inept
pirates, the PCs sail to Ancient Spire Outpost
to earn some gold for it. There, they find the
outpost deserted except for an army of skeletons.
A few humans are trapped in the tavern and
they explain that the skeletons kept appearing in
the night. The Order of Souls liaison sends the
pirates to find Salty the Skeleton Parrot in the
hope of some answers, at which point they learn
about the Ashen Jewels and their powers. The
pirates must return to the outpost in time to
stop Silas Norridge from ‘saving’ the island and
becoming its Lord Guardian.
Background
In Roach’s Fortune, Silas Norridge managed to
get some Ashen Jewels embedded inside him.
This cursed treasure gives power over skeletons.
He learned of the power when a skeleton ship
refused to attack him and his crew. He realises
the potential of having obedient skellies but he if
he wants to be The Lord Guardian of the entire
Sea of Thieves, he needs human followers. After
all, everything Silas does is great, so if he wants
to be The Lord Guardian that’s the best possible
outcome for all pirates!
Silas hatches a plan. Using the power of the
Ashen Jewels, he will call forth as many skeletons
as he can on Ancient Spire outpost. He will wait
until the situation is dire, then sail up and offer
a deal to the humans still alive on the island:
Become his willing subjects and, in return, Silas
will save them from the skeletons. This will
establish Silas as the outpost’s Lord Guardian.
Carryovers
If the GM ran Roach’s Fortune before this
Voyage (you really should have!) , there are two
carryovers from that Voyage to consider:
40
• • Captain Gabrielle Paret: She will be found
in Chapter 2 hiding from the skeletons. If
the crew were nice to her, she will be an ally.
If not, she will try to betray the crew at her
first opportunity.
• • Madame Olwen (or another Order of Souls
liaison) : The crew will speak to a member
of the Order of Souls for help with the
skeletons. If they treated Madame Olive
well when searching for a riddle piece in the
previous Voyage, things go smoothly. If not,
things go... not exactly smoothly.
In this Voyage, there is one big carryover:
Ancient Spire Outpost.
• • If the crew defeats Silas in the last chapter
before he can extract oaths of allegiance
from the survivors there, this island will hail
the PCs as its defenders. All the NPCs there,
including Gabrielle Paret, will thank the
crew and the grog will flow freely.
• • If the crew fails to stop Silas, they are
banned from ever visiting Ancient Spire
Outpost again. If they dock there in the
future, all NPCs will regretfully refuse to
do business.with them Even the trading
companies will refuse to accept chests, skulls
or cargo.
Preparation
A map of Ancient Spire and Wanderer’s Refuge
will definitely help but are not required. It would
be good to go back over what happened in Dead
Man’s Debt and Roach’s Fortune to get everyone
back up to speed. As usual, have players pick
their Weapon cards. While no ship combat is
expected here, have the brigantine ship card on
the table just in case. The GM should also print
the handout at the end of this Voyage.
chapter 1:
C liffhanger
 SUMMARY
The Voyage opens on Lookout Point with the
PCs facing off against a group of inept pirates.
Their boatswain stands on the edge of a cliff
and holds a bounty skull. If he dies, gold tokens
will be lost. Once dealt with, the PCs pick which
outpost to sail towards to turn in the bounty
skull for a reward.
HOLD
THAT SKULL
A
while back (during the Roach’s
Fortune adventure to be specific),
you hunted down a ship called the
Hammerhead because its crew almost
started a tavern brawl with you over
some cards. You found them and dealt
with them in proper pirate fashion.
Yesterday, you heard two things.
First, these same pirates have again
been talking trash about you, saying
you are all lucky landlubbers without
any true pirate skill. Second, the
Hammerhead sailed for Barnacle Cay
with a quest to get a bounty skull.
44
T
oday, you are anchored next
to the Hammerhead on the
southwest side of the island. Near
the edge of a rocky cliff on the
northwest side, you spot the four
pirates congratulating each other
on killing a Skeleton Captain. Their
captain, Floriana, holds a skeleton’s
skull like a trophy. They seem much
more interested in congratulating
themselves than watching for anyone.
What do you want to do?
Typically, PCs will attack the Hammerhead’s
crew and steal that bounty skull for themselves.
That soon becomes multiple Problems but
the GM should focus on the attack first with
The pirates will kill you all (4/4) and Captain
Floriana will kill one PC (4/4). Floriana is
weak with blunderbusses, so grant an extra
Legendary Dice temporarily to any player with
the blunderbuss card face-up and intent upon
solving her Problem. Floriana is also the captain
by default, so she is much weaker than normal for
a Sea of Thieves captain. If the players want to
try something else such as intimidating the crew
of the Hammerhead, keep the base difficult at 4.
There is an important change, however. When
the first shows up and a player gets a new
Problem from it, or if the Hammerhead’s crew will
lose the next round, Floriana will hold the skull
over the cliff and threaten to drop it into the
churning, shark-infested sea below. Floriana will
lose the skull for everyone (5/2). The Timer is set
low because Floriana expects to lose, and is ready
to make the PCs victory a hollow one, and the
Difficulty is one higher because she could easily
drop the skull by accident.
The PCs best bet is to talk to her but fighting
could work as long as they explain how to catch
the bag before it drops. This is a Hateful bounty Plant Skeleton Group
skull and is worth 5 Gold Tokens. If the skull Average | 4+X* | Weak with cutlass
drops, it lands safely in shallow water. Floriana Interrupt: -1 Victory with water
miscalculated the sea depth. There are sharks * ‘X’ is the number of players minus one
nearby, so the GM can have one attack the pirate
going after the skull if the previous Problem was Gunpowder Skeleton
resolved very quickly. Average | 4 | No weakness
Interrupt: All PCs nearby die when one PC dies
One round after Floriana threatens to drop the
skull, one plant skeleton for each player plus a
gunpowder skeleton burst up from the ground.
Players will have to decide how to split up their
attention. The plant skellies can be kept in one
group but the GM should treat each gunpowder
skeleton as its own Problem due to their unique
Interrupt. If one blows up, the second one can
go as well.

Once the PCs have the bounty skull, remind

Captain Floriana Calvo
Determined | Pessimist
Average | 4 | Weak with blunderbusses
Interrupt: -1 Victory with fighting
Note: Floriana has gotten more experienced
since the events in Roach’s Fortune. The rest
of the crew? Not so much.
Crew of the Hammerhead
Zheng the Goat, Nardo & Modest Molly
Weak | 5 | No weaknesses
them that they can sell it at the Order of Souls
on nearby Ancient Spire Outpost. They will not
receive a new, permanent Legendary Dice for
this since it was not their official Voyage but
those 5 Gold Tokens can make a difference.
This Voyage assumes the players agree to
visit Ancient Spire Outpost. Another outpost
will work but the GM will need to change all
references in the rest of this Voyage to the
new island. That can be annoying, so try to get
the players to sail for Ancient Spire without
railroading them.

45
 chapter 2:
Where is Everybody?
 SUMMARY
Ancient Spire Outpost is overrun by skellies and
only a handful of humans are still alive on the
island. The PCs find them in the tavern, where
they learn about skeletons appearing overnight.
After fighting off a huge wave of the undead, the
PCs must reach the Order of Souls building on
the island to try to find a solution.
Ancient Spire is actually two islands. The larger
has a sandy beach, the usual buildings and dock,
and some small caves in the rocky peak. The
smaller island is mostly stone and caves but
there is a wooden ‘bridge’ connecting the two
high above the water.
A
s you approach the outpost,
you see two boats anchored at
the docks; a galleon and a sloop. You
sail closer and see a pair of skeletons
armed with pistols walking around
on the beach by the docks. They are
oblivious to your approach, at least so
far. Any skellies that show up at an
outpost are usually destroyed by the
locals but there they are. There are
no other signs of life.
When the crew gets closer, they can also see the
galleon is the Black Code, the ship captained by
Gabrielle Paret found in the Roach’s Treasure
Voyage. The sloop is painted shades of green
with a yellow sail.
The crew will not know there is anything wrong
with the outpost, just that the docks have two
ships and there are two skellies wandering
about the shoreline. That is unusual but not
48
impossible. The goal for this scene is to get the
PCs trapped on the island but without making
the players feel forced to go there. To do this,
the GM gets to wield an army of skeletons.
If the pirates go ashore, the skellies will charge
when they get within Middle range.
T
he two skellies on the beach
see you and charge. But then
you hear hissing behind you and
see five more skeletons running
towards you!
The Problem here is likely to be The skeletons
will kill you all (8/5). The Timer is increased
by 1 because the skellies behind the pirates
need to run and catch-up before attacking.
When someone chooses a new Problem from a
, or the original Problem is solved, a pair
of gunpowder skellies pop-up from the sandy
beach. Due to their unique Interrupt, each
should be treated as its own Problem like The
gunpowder barrel explodes killing you (4/4).
Remind players of the gunpowder skeletons’
Interrupt ability. That should make the players
think twice about attacking, at which point the
GM should skip to ‘Batten Down the Tavern’ on
the next page.
If some, or all, of the pirates stay behind on
their ship, they will discover that they are not
safe there, either.
A
s you watch your friends fight
the skeletons on the island,
you hear noises coming from over
the gunwales. Skeleton pirates are
climbing up Jacob’s ladders while a
good dozen or so are hacking at your
ship’s hull with their cutlasses.

There are two Problems here: Skeletons will kill
everyone aboard the ship (5/4) and Skeletons
will sink your ship (13/6). Encourage players
to see the island as the safest bet, especially
if pirates on the island have not triggered the
arrival of gunpowder skeletons yet. If the ship
sinks, the crew has no choice but to go ashore.
If they insist on remaining in the water, send
a friendly shark or two along to keep them
company. Merfolk will raise the ship eventually
over by Castaway Isle but the crew would have
to reach it.
Where are all these skeletons coming from? Silas
used his newfound powers (thanks to the Ashen
Jewels) to summon skellies from under the sand
and soil. He kept doing this until the entire
island was overrun. The crew cannot see how
many skellies are there but they soon will.
Skeleton Group
(7 skeletons)
Weak | 8 | No weakness
Gunpowder Skeleton
(2 but play them individually)
Average | 4 | No weakness
Interrupt: All PCs nearby die when one PC dies
BATTEN DOWN
THE TAVERN
Once everyone is on the island, read the following.
A
‘ hoy!’ You hear a familiar voice
yell at you and you can now see
Tasha the Tavernkeep poking out
of a hole in the wooden roof of The
Unicorn tavern high up on the main
island. ‘We’re in here, get inside or
die out there. Your choice!’ Then she
ducks back down into her tavern.
There are probably 10 skeletons
between you and the tavern.
The Problem here will be Skeletons will kill you
before you reach the tavern 11/5. This will be
a tough one, so adjust the Difficulty based on
the number of players. A full table could handle
Difficulty 11, but only having three players
might require Difficulty 8 instead. Narrate an
exciting running fight as the pirates struggle to
reach the bar. When they reach it, the door will
open and all the crew can get safely inside.
The crew will find six people in The Unicorn.
Each is very stressed, so use their hidden
personality as a roleplaying guide.
49
 Tasha the Tavernkeep
Chatty | Gossiping Colin the Tailor
Shady | Conspiratorial
Powerful | 8 | Weak with water
Average | 4 | Weak with gold
Interrupt: -1 Timer with her tavern
Interrupt: -1 Timer with clothing
Danger: -1 Victory with fighting

Colin the Tailor is drunk from too much grog,

Tasha, tavernkeep and owner of the tavern.
so he is sitting at a table mumbling about
She’s pessimistic right now and will openly
conspiracies against him.
spread false rumours about anyone, including
the PCs.

Tall Henry & Owen the Cook

Senior Trader Mildred
Matronly | Cold
Powerful | 8 | Weak with weapons
Interrupt: -1 Timer with fighting
Danger: -1 Victory with Quest Cards
Senior Trader Mildred is scared and shows
it by being cold to everyone. She keeps saying
some will have to be sacrificed if any in the
tavern are to survive.
Average | 6 | Weak with fighting
Interrupt: -1 Victory with fighting
Two average pirates: Tall Henry and Owen
the Cook. They own the sloop Narwhal, which
is docked at the island. Both are convinced that
this is a curse of some kind because they stole
from Merchant Alliance vessels and they talk
about killing themselves to get back to their
sloop.

50

Captain Gabrielle Paret
Empathetic | Manipulative
Dreaded | 10 | No weakness
Interrupt: -1 Victory with fighting
Interrupt: Lose half (rounded down)
Victories in the hold with her ship
Danger: -2 Victories with fighting in Middle
or Long range
Danger: One cannot belay a
Gabrielle Paret, captain of the Black Code and
member of the Bilge Rats. She is helping Mildred
create a plan to escape but she keeps suggesting
Tall Henry and Owen the Cook run out the
front door as a distraction.
Carryover Note
How did the PCs deal with Gabrielle in Roach’s
Treasure?
• • If the crew treated Gabrielle nicely (and did
not simply steal the riddle piece from her) ,
then she will trust the PCs and help them
whenever possible.
• • If the crew treated Gabrielle disrespectfully
(stealing from her, fighting her crew, etc. ) ,
then she does not trust them at all and will
try to kill them when the opportunity arises.
Here is what the crew can learn inside the tavern:
1. Yesterday, everything was normal - as
normal as it gets in the Sea of Thieves.
2. During the night, people heard some unusual
noises but nothing all that weird, so no one cared.
3. Near dawn, screams could be heard. People
ran to their windows and saw more skeletons
than anyone had ever seen before. They were
mounting attacks all over the outpost but
some were kidnapping people instead of just
killing them.
4. As far as Tasha and the rest know, they are
the last humans alive on the island. However,
two buildings appear secure from this
vantage point; the room above the Order of
Souls tent and the Weaponsmith’s Shop. No
one is inside the shop, but Madame Olwen is
in her building; see below.
5. Gabrielle mentions how she was planning
on visiting Madame Olwen at the Order
of Souls house but had to fall back to the
tavern because there were so many skeletons
running around getting stabby with anyone
they encountered. She thinks Olwen will
have some answers since the Order of Souls
knows so much about magic and curses.
Nobody on the island knows this yet but the
kidnappings are part of Silas’ plan. He knows
some people have to die to make the skeleton
threat suitably terrifying, but he wants most to
survive so they can be ‘rescued’ by him and his
crew. Those kidnapped are tied and gagged in
the smaller island’s caves where they will not be
seen by passing ships.
In this scene, the GM should give players time
to debate, plan and argue with the others but not
for too long. There is a Skeleton Captain named
Marius Munter on the island who knows the
living are holed up in The Unicorn. He approaches
and requests to parley with the humans in his
51
 only-somewhat-sentient way. He will try various
bargaining gambits but his ideas always end up
with someone opening the tavern door.
• • ‘Be friendly. Open door. Invite me in for
drink. We talk.’
• • ‘We let you go to ship. Pick one. Sail away.
We just want island. Open door to talk.’
• • ‘Leave weapons there. Come out and leave.
We set fire to tavern if you don’t.’
Colin, seeing conspiracies everywhere, has
already decided the PCs are the real threat and
readily agrees to any or all of this. Everyone
else in the tavern has misgivings.
What happens if the players actually agree to
Captain Munter’s offer? Skeletons break into
the tavern and will kill everyone (16/4).
Let this scene grow on its own. Colin keeps
trying to open the door, while Gabrielle is set
on using Tall Henry and Owen the Cook as bait.
Mildred will try to prevent both from happening
Skeleton Captain
Marius Munter
Powerful | 8 | No weakness
Interrupt: -2 Victories with pistols
Danger: Must pick two options from
tough choice
52
and Tasha keeps interrupting to share mean
(and unfounded) gossip. Gabrielle will either
ask the PCs for help in reaching the room above
the Order of Souls tent or suggest using the
PCs as bait instead, depending on the carryover
situation.
When the talking and planning is getting a bit
old, Gabrielle announces she is going out through
the roof and over to the Order of Souls near the
beach with or without anyone else. That should
get the players to agree on visiting Madame
Olwen, so let them create a plan for getting there
safely. The Problem will be Skeletons will kill
you before you reach the Order of Souls house
(11/5). Skeleton Captain Munter is also outside
but he will not get involved unless a pirate
targets him specifically. He knows his skellies
have the upper hand and wants to toy with the
humans before killing them.
Just as the crew agrees to visit the Order of
Souls tent, read the following:
S
omething slams into the tavern’s
door, shaking it in its frame. Then
you hear the telltale sound of a lit fuse!
This is a gunpowder skeleton about to blow up
the front door (and put a decent sized hole in
the front wall) . The Problem is A gunpowder
skeleton will blast away the door and wall (4/2)
- the Timer is lower to represent a short fuse
but the PCs can only roll to solve this Problem if
they can reach the skeleton somehow. The door
between this skelly and the people prevents most
from rolling for solutions without some clever
ideas. This should send PCs scurrying up a
makeshift ladder to Tasha’s hole in the roof with
a new Problem: Skeletons will kidnap everyone
in the tavern (8/4). If nothing is done to prevent
this, everyone but the PCs and Gabrielle will be
captured and taken to the jungle.
UPSTAIRS,
QUICKLY NOW
In order to reach the Order of Souls house
without being killed, players will have to narrate
how they flee, doge, fight or distract deadly
skeleton pirates. When they reach the house,
they can see the second floor door open and
Madame Olwen looking at them. She shoots
a skeleton with an Eye of Reach and calls out
‘Upstairs, quickly now!’
Y
ou see a small bedroom with
a tidy bed, dresser and small
table with a few candles. The room is
completely undecorated except for a
landscape painting over the bed and a
spidery crack in the white plaster wall.
Madame Olwen is tall and young, for a
member of this trading company, and
the angry look on her face is a little
intimidating even to pirates.
‘You are safe,’ she says, ‘at least for
now. The future is far less certain. But
no one should be captured by those
troublesome creatures. Did you come
here seeking to merely survive or do
you have something grander in mind?’
Madame Olwen tries to stay helpful but with the
island overrun by skellies she is thinking about
destroying something to make herself feel better.
Once the talking has stopped, she explains that
while she does not know exactly what is wrong,
she knows someone who might have an answer:
a skeleton named Salty. Olwen will explain
that Salty was once human but was cursed by
a cannon brought up from the wreckage of the
Burning Blade, the ship once owned by the
infamous Skeleton Lord Captain Flameheart.
Salty is a skeleton but not only does he have
most (but not all) of his human intelligence,
he does not have the same hatred that other
skeletons seem to have in abundance. That
means Salty might have knowledge or ideas
about why so many skeletons have suddenly
appeared here. Olwen asks the crew to sail to
Wanderer’s Refuge where Salty is known to
reside, talk to him and help solve this mystery
before Ancient Spire falls to the skellies. Olwen
does not explain that Salty is a skeleton parrot
because her destructive side is taking over.
She wants the PCs to leave quickly and knows
a discussion about an undead parrot that’s
really a person could take longer than her little
remaining patience will permit.
Madame Olwen
Helpful | Destructive
Powerful | 8 | Weak with bounty skulls
Interrupt: -1 Timer with talking
Danger: -1 Victory with magic
53
 chapter 3:
He Wants a Cracker?
 SUMMARY
After fighting to reach their ship, the crew sails
for Wanderer’s Refuge. There, they find Salty in
the caves. From him they learn about the Ashen
Jewels and how their host can control skeletons.
Salty even knows there are some Ashen Jewels
on Old Faithful Isle. The players must decide
whether to get the Jewels or return straight
to Ancient Spire and find the one controlling
the skellies.
The crew has to sail through the Ancient Isles
to the northwest and reach Wanderer’s Refuge.
Before they can do that, they must reach their
ship. Given how many skellies are active on this
outpost, this will be tough.
The wording of this Problem depends on what
the players plan to do but it likely boils down
to The skellies will kill you all before you
reach the ship (11/5). Modify this by changing
the Difficulty, Timer or how many PCs will die
depending on the plan. For example, the players
might plan a distraction to thin the number of
skellies between them and the docks. Here, the
Consequence changes to only kill those running
the gauntlet and the Difficulty decreases to
reflect fewer skeletons in the way. Encourage
players to get creative and reward exciting ideas
with lower Difficulties or higher Timers.
Once at their ship, the pirates can use its map
to find Wanderer’s Refuge and sail there. Given
how much fighting has already occurred so far
in this Voyage, the GM should probably just cut
to the island. But if there’s need for it, the GM
can introduce a skeleton ship, rival pirates or
even a Kraken to liven things up.
56
WANDERING TO
WANDERER’S
W
anderer’s Refuge is one of the
larger islands in the Sea of
Thieves. There are plenty of beaches and
jungle, and a thin waterway runs under
the island’s centre, forming a natural
tunnel too small for even a sloop. At
least from your ship, you do not see any
skeletons or rival pirates anywhere.
Salty is in some caves below the island’s high
point but the crew has to find him there. This
can be done two ways:
The Simple Way
Use the Problem Salty remains undiscovered
(10/U). When the players have around 5
Victories in the hold, they discover the cave
network. Once the Problem is solved, the crew
finds Salty in what looks to be some kind of
alchemy lab. Ask the players to narrate stomping
through the jungle first, then finding the cave
entrance near the middle of the island. If players
pick a new Problem for their tough choice, the
GM can use a snake or a group of skellies, or
have one of the pirates ‘discover’ a deep hole and
need to be rescued from it.
The Complicated Way
Rather than just use one Problem, create three:

1. Just as the pirates get close to the island, A

plant skeleton with a cannon will sink the
ship before it can be safely anchored (4/4).
Use the ship card and limit teamwork to
those who can use cannon or helm.

2. Once on the island, they can find signs that

pirates have gone into the cave network with
Evidence pointing the way cannot be found (5/U).

3. Finally, the crew can reach their destination

with Salty’s location in the caves cannot be
found (5/U).

Y
ou reach a small cavern lit by
torches set in the rough walls.
You can see a wooden table covered
with alchemical equipment like
bottles, kettles and candles. Someone
once lived here, as there’s a bed, some
rugs and an iron stove. A humid mist
makes a slight haze here and the
temperature is cool. Your eyes spot
some movement and standing on a
wooden barrel is... a skeletal parrot.
It has a few feathers on the wings
Salty the Skeleton Parrot
Ambitious | Angry
and tail but it’s otherwise like your Strong | 6 | weak with crackers
average skelly – just that it’s a parrot Interrupt: -1 Victory with fighting
skeleton. Interrupt: -2 Timer with talking

57
 This is Salty, a former pirate turned into this
creature by a powerful curse. Like Madame
Olwen said, he is mostly intelligent and can
even speak. However, he tends to squawk and
demand crackers in between sentences. The GM
should play Salty as well-meaning but confused.
He will talk to the PCs willingly but since he is
ambitious, he will demand 3 Gold Tokens before
he explains anything important. If the PCs pay,
then there is no Problem. If they refuse, the
must solve the Problem Salty will refuse to talk
to you (6/4).
Here’s what Salty can (eventually) explain:
• • He helped a former friend Wanda (Salty
might digress into a bit of a rant about the
‘former’ part and his plans for revenge) pull
up a cursed cannon from the wreckage of
a ship in the depths. This led to the cursed
cannonballs that control people or ships
when they strike true.
• • When asked about why there would be so
many skeletons on one island, Salty says
this reminds him of the Ashen Jewels. These
cursed items were on the same ship he got the
cursed cannon from, so they might give their
owner power to control skeletons. That might
explain why so many are on Ancient Spire
but bringing that many skellies out of the
ground would likely require a good handful of
Ashen Jewels, not just one or two.
• • The jewels are hot to the touch, so maybe
that is where the name comes from (Salty
does not quite remember that the wreck
he found was the Burning Blade) . He also
explains this is mostly legend and rumour,
and he could be wrong.
Then Salty gets a vision ( ‘squawk! Polly has
a vision!’) . Since he is a skelly of sorts, he can
feel ‘an itch’ from a few Ashen Jewels on Old
58
Faithful Isle. He will use his beak to draw a
very poor treasure map so the players can find
them if they want (see handout #4) . He can feel a
much bigger itch from Ancient Spire but that is
all for now.
GM note: Salty does not know about the Ashen
Jewels’ curse! It is reasonable to assume that
they are cursed but do not explain how the
Jewels come with any drawbacks. That is for the
players to discover on their own. Salty will also
refuse to go anywhere, as his bitter dreams of
revenge make him stay where he believes Wanda
will show up.
At this point, the players have an important
choice to make:
• • Go to Old Faithful Isle and get some Ashen
Jewels or go straight back to Ancient
Spire Outpost.
• • If they go for the Jewels, go to ‘Hot Stones’
below. Once that scene is over, the players
will likely head to Ancient Spire. Continue to
Chapter 4.
• • If they go to Ancient Spire, skip the ‘Hot
Stones’ scene for now and go straight to
Chapter 4. If the players want to visit Old
Faithful Isle after defeating Silas in Chapter
4, the use the ‘Hot Stones’ scene below and
finish the Voyage after one PC gets a Ashen
Jewel embedded inside them.
Hot Stones: The crew can reach Old Faithful
Isle without a Problem. Once there, they can use
the handout #4 to explain where to look for the
Ashen Jewels. Finding them will be easy; getting
them is another story.
 Y T
ou approach the ruins of a
wooden fort near the centre
of the island. There’s a wall and
a guardpost above the entrance,
with sharpened poles sticking out
from either side. Inside the walls,
you can spot some chickens, a pig
and... yes, at least six gold skeletons.
Seabirds call out overhead but you
can still hear the metal-on-metal
noise made by gold skellies walking
stiffly around. The Ashen Jewels
are supposedly buried right were the
skellies are stumbling around.
These skeletons must be defeated in order to
dig up the Ashen Jewels but players could try
solving both of these Problems at the same time.
Whoever works on digging up treasure cannot
add Victories to the skeleton Problem.
• • The gold skeletons will kill you all (14/4).
• • The Ashen Jewels will remain buried (5/U).
When the Jewels Problem is solved, the pirates
adding Victories to that solution unearth a small
treasure chest decorated with stylised flames.
Unlike normal chests in the Sea of Thieves, this
one is unlocked. Opening it reveals one Ashen
Jewel for every 2 players (so if there are six
players, there will be three Jewels) . These can
be diamonds, emeralds, rubies or sapphires.
If any pirate touches a jewel, they find it very hot
but not dangerously so. If anyone grabs one (as
opposed to just touching it) , read the following:
he jewel feels uncomfortably
hot against your skin. Then
suddenly, you feel searing pain like
someone put your hand in boiling
water! Take one injury! As quick as
the pain appeared, it’s gone. But so is
the jewel! You can see a lump under
your skin where it once was and that
spot is warmer than normal. But the
pain is completely gone and you feel
just fine now.
At this point, the GM must pull that player(s)
aside and explain two things in private:
• • The Ashen Jewel is attached to their bone.
It might be removed by carving it out but
the character really does not want that to
happen. In fact, the character wants to see
what this all means and is perfectly fine with
the Jewel. He will not kill to keep it under
the skin but he will argue.
• • This character now gets a special ability
no other PC has. When solving a Problem
that involves skeletons, the Difficulty is
decreased by 1 as if the PC has an Interrupt.
Explain to the player that this should show
up in narration as some mystic, unexplained
ability to control skeletons to a small degree.
If anyone has more than one Ashen Jewel
inside them, modify the above accordingly (-2
Difficulty for 2-3 stones, for example. )
Gold Skeleton Group
(6 Gold Skellies)
Average | 14 | Weak with guns
Interrupt: -2 Victories with cutlasses
59
 chapter 4:
‘Saving’ Ancient Spire
 SUMMARY
When the PCs get closer, they do not see a
single skeleton. That’s because Silas used the
power of the Ashen Jewels to drive all the
The crew arrives at Ancient Spire where Silas
skellies into the sea. Of course, he extracted
and his crew are waiting. If the PCs went for
oaths of loyalty from the remaining humans and
the Ashen Jewels first, then Silas has managed
now the entire outpost is allied with Silas and
to convince the outpost to proclaim him as the
calls him their Lord Guardian.
island’s Lord Guardian. If the PCs went here
first, they catch Silas in the act. In the end, the
The crew can dock at the outpost without
players’ choice dictates whether Ancient Spire
incident. In fact, the only negative response will
falls to Silas or not.
come if the players decide to attack the Maiden’s
Rest since the people of the island are allied with

VISITED
Silas now. If they remain peaceful, the pirates
can find Silas having some grog inside The
Unicorn. Tall Henry and Owen the Cook are

OLD FAITHFUL quietly drinking in a corner, trying to forget

their alliance with him.

ISLE FIRST
E
ven in the dim light inside the
If the crew retrieved the Ashen Jewels from tavern, you can see that Silas
Old Faithful Isle first, this gave Silas enough is unwell. Red spots dot the skin on
time to show up as the outpost’s saviour and win
his arms and his legs seem swollen.
its allegiance.
A plate of uneaten food rests on his
table. He sees you and smiles broadly,

A
s you sail closer to Ancient
and you can see blood in his mouth.
Spire Outpost, you see two
You’ve all seen these symptoms
things that send shivers down your
before in pirates suffering from
spine. First, you spot the Maiden’s
scurvy but this seems extreme. A
Rest, Silas Norridge’s ship here in
few rather dangerous-looking pirates
the Sea of Thieves, anchored at the
stand around the table.
docks. The Black Code is gone but
the Narwhal is still there. Second,
Silas’ flag — a red flag with a
betentacled skull — flies from several
spots on the island, including The
Unicorn Tavern.

62

N
‘ o fights here, lads,’ he says.
Then he winces in pain. ‘Ha,
getting a bit old for this, I think. Still,
welcome to my island. Now, get off
it. By order of The Lord Guardian,
which is me, you are hereby banned
from Ancient Spire Outpost. No
trading company may do business
with you and no supplies will be
given. Even the grog has run dry for
you interlopers. Be gone!’
Silas looks like he has scurvy but that is a side
effect of the Ashen Jewels. Even Silas does not
know that yet.
The crew can start a fight here. They can even
kill Silas, who will simply appear back on his
ship along with his guards. There are enough
pirates loyal to Silas, along with the folk of the
island who have given oaths, that the pirates
cannot win. They will end up leaving one way
or another and, as they do, a familiar voice calls
to them from behind some rocks. Gabrielle Paret
is here. She was killed by Silas for refusing his
oath and returned to Ancient Spire, which she
plans to leave as soon as possible. She quickly
explains that she will be in contact again and
that Silas will be defeated… just not today.
63
 WENT
A great scene here would be for the PCs to arrive
in the cave just as Silas is finishing his speech.

STRAIGHT HERE? ‘
L
ike I said, the skeletons obey me
out of fear. I can save this island
The GM should only use this section if the
and protect it from harm but you will
players skipped Old Faithful Isle and the Ashen
Jewels there. have to be loyal to me. Take my oath
and this outpost will be saved by my
incredible strength. Deny me, and I’ll

A
s you sail closer to Ancient
abandon you to the skeletons. I await
Spire Outpost, you see a hated
your choice but not for much longer.’
and worrisome sight. Silas Norridge’s
ship, the Maiden’s Rest, is anchored off
What happens next depends on the players.
shore! The Black Code and Narwhal
are still at the docks. Many skeletons • • If the crew attacks Silas, he will likely die.
are still there but they seem to be Silas will kill one PC (10/4). Use the same
Problem whenever the Timer runs out. The
standing still instead of walking
remaining humans who will be attacked by
around or attacking the buildings. more skellies than even an educated pirate
could count. That includes the PCs. Ancient
What’s going on? Silas reached Ancient Spire and Spire will fall to the skellies and pirates in the
is in the caves on the second island negotiating Sea of Thieves will quickly learn to sail past
with the humans trapped there. He clearly has this island… except the Bilge Rats who will
some kind of power over skeletons, although Silas come here regularly to pick a fight with the
is claiming they respect – and fear! –his epic skeleton horde.
piratin’ skills. Silas knows the Jewels have some
• • If the crew speaks against Silas, the
effect here but he honestly believes he is such a
Problem becomes The people will side with
great pirate that even skellies fear him.
Silas and obey him (10/4). Let the players
have fun giving speeches and explaining
If the crew goes ashore, the skellies will ignore
why siding with Silas is a bad idea. Silas will
them. Silas told them to wait and do nothing until
never acknowledge having the Ashen Jewels.
further orders. Play up how creepy this scene is,
If the PCs solve this Problem, an enraged
what with murderous skellies frozen in mid-step.
Silas uses his power to make all the skeletons
The Unicorn and the Order of Souls building
attack. However, a few humans survive and
have both been breached and any humans left
Ancient Spire is saved.
alive are tied up in the caves listening to Silas tell
them how great he is and why they should swear
allegiance to him. If the players do nothing, Silas
will convince everyone except Gabrielle to accept
him as their Lord Guardian. Even Madame Olwen
will agree to this.

64
 Silas Norridge
Blunt | Disloyal
Dreaded | 10 | No weakness
Interrupt: -1 Victory aboard his ship
Interrupt: -2 dice with skeletons

Danger: Any causes 1 injury in addition

to the tough choice (but cannot kill a PC this way)
Danger: -1 Timer with fighting

As the crew sails away, they spot the Black Code heading towards them under a white flag. No
matter how the crew treated her in the last Voyage, Gabrielle will peacefully arrive and ask to parley.
She explains that Silas may have won today but she and the Bilge Rats will work hard to ensure he
falls sooner rather than later.

THE END

65
T hird V oyage :
P oor N o M ore
 SUMMARY
Human spies would be easy enough to find but
Silas might discover any sent into his alliance.
Instead, the trading companies decided merfolk
When the PCs get attacked by a skeleton ship
would make an incredible network of spies…
manned by Silas’ human allies, they accidentally
if they could communicate meaningfully. That
run into Poor Poole. He explains how he is
requires a set of magical earrings once used by
trying to attract a Kraken so he can use a
Diving Bel. Once they get their hands on the
tentacle to earn his way into a huge party
set, the trading companies can negotiate with
thrown by the Bilge Rats. A Kraken appears and
merfolk to be their spies against Silas.
the PCs must defeat it. Using that tentacle, they
get into the party and find a secret meeting of
The companies agreed to meet on Plunder
the trading companies. The companies want to
Outpost to make plans. As cover, Duke
find a magic earring that permits communication
announced a wild party on the island. Not
with merfolk and use them to spy on Silas’
everyone was invited; only pirates who could
alliance. Since the PCs proved themselves
prove their skill would be welcome. Word spread
worthy, they are tasked with finding it. After
of this Bilge Rat celebration and pirates all over
finding the earring, they return to find the
began trying to prove their worth. One such
island is loyal to Silas and must negotiate with
pirate was Poor Poole, who quickly became a
merfolk themselves.
loyal fan of Silas.

Background As this Voyage begins, Poole is trying to find a

Regardless of whether he took over Ancient Kraken in hopes of taking a tentacle to the party
Spire Outpost in the second Voyage of the as proof of his skill. Unfortunately, he has very
Ashen Jewels campaign, Silas continued building little skill.
his empire. He started to win over the more
disreputable pirates in the Sea and word of
his alliance spread. The trading companies
(including the Bilge Rats and Sea Dogs) grew
alarmed over this and decided they need to know
what he was planning.

68

Carryovers
The carryover from the last Voyage is Ancient
Spire Outpost. If Silas established himself as
the outpost’s leader, the PCs cannot do any
business on the island. They can still dock there
but the trading companies and businesses there
will refuse to work with the PCs. If the pirates
managed to stop Silas, they can use this island
as needed.
Harland the Hoarder from Roach’s Fortune will
make an appearance here in Chapter 2. While
not technically a carryover, the GM should feel
free to adjust his response depending on how the
PCs treated him in that earlier Voyage.
There are two new carryovers to consider for
the final Voyage of this campaign.
• • Magical earrings: In this Voyage, the PCs will
be tasked with finding magical earrings that
let them speak with merfolk. If the PCs hold
onto these, they can be used in the campaign’s
last Voyage to ally with the merfolk.
• • Poor Poole: This hapless NPC becomes rich
and powerful by this Voyage’s end. His fate
will affect the final Voyage as well.
Preparation
Besides the usual cards for players, the GM
should print the two handouts and map of
Kraken’s Fall. This Voyage will feature more
ship battles than earlier ones, so get all the ship
cards ready for use. While players normally get
a banana and cannonball token at the start of
the game, this time they do not. They can still
have a plank token. The reasons for this are
explained in Chapter 1, starting on page 72.
69
 chapter 1:
F ishin ’ for K raken
 SUMMARY
The PCs are negotiating at a seapost when thick
fog rolls in. A skeleton ship soon appears and
heads straight for the crew and their ship. As
the fog clears and the enemy is defeated, the
PCs find Poor Poole in his sloop fishing for a
Kraken. Surprisingly, it works… so the PCs must
fight the Kraken. They also discover Duke is
throwing a wild party on Plunder Outpost and
that a Kraken tentacle would get them inside.
S
ilas’ alliance continues to
grow and people are getting
nervous. They are stockpiling
important supplies like bananas and
cannonballs, making them scarce.
Which is a Problem since you do not
have any right now.
That’s why you are docked at
Stephen’s Seapost. More a rock than
an island, a seapost is a small trading
post where someone sells supplies
and items. That someone here is
Stephen. He is a broad-shouldered
pirate with a blue bandanna, facial
scars, a black eye patch and a
leather apron over dark clothes.
He stands behind a wooden table
in a ramshackle open-air ‘store’. He
seems determined to get more gold
than those supplies are worth, as
his prices are twice as high as they
should be. Perhaps you can haggle
with Stephen?
72
Stephen
Determined | Defensive
Strong | 6 | Weak with Merchant Alliance
Interrupt: -1 Victory with gold
Interrupt: -1 Timer with supply tokens
Stephen created this seapost to sell plunder he
steals as a pirate. There is good money to be
made selling bananas and cannonballs these
days and Stephen has managed to come by a
decent supply of both. He even has two cursed
cannonballs; a peaceball and a ballastball.
The GM should play Stephen as a firm but calm
businessman who just so happens to also be a
bloodthirsty pirate. He is willing to sell 1 Banana
or Cannonball Token for 1 Gold Token each but he
is asking for 2. If the players accept that, there is
no Problem. They pay 2 Gold Tokens per player
and an extra 4 Gold Tokens for their ship and then
each player has one of each token and their ship
is restocked. The two cursed cannonballs go for 3
Gold Tokens apiece separately.
If the players want to save some gold, they
will have to bargain with him. Stephen will
not budge from his high prices (6/4). The GM
should use Stephen’s abilities to reduce the
Timer and remove one Victory to complicate the
haggling. Failing to solve this Problem means the
exorbitant prices are set in stone. If any pirate
gets too pushy or threatens Stephen, then there
is a new Problem: Stephen refuses to do business
with all of you (6/3). If the players do not solve
this Problem before the timer on the other runs
out, then those high prices remain in place.
Whenever the transaction is complete, Stephen
will give the crew his version of an advert: A
square piece of wood with simple words burned
into it. He asks that the PCs help spread the
word about this little business venture. As
Stephen hands them this, let the players know
that a thick fog is rolling in fast. This is not
unusual in the Sea of Thieves, so assure players
this happens often. What is more unusual is the
skeleton galleon hiding in the fog.
If the crew stated they were keeping a watch
for anyone coming towards them, the fog
complicates things. They must solve the Problem
The fog obscures anything you would normally
see (10/3). When the skelly ship arrives, the
Problem is The skeleton ship will sink yours
(9/4). If the crew spotted the ship beforehand,
extend the Timer to 5 or even 6. The ship flies
Silas’ betentacled skull and, weirdly, half of the
crew are human. Silas’ growing powers over
skeletons (thanks to the Ashen Jewels) allow this
to happen.
Skeleton & Human Crew
(4 skellies, 4 humans)
Weak | 9 | No weakness
Skeleton Galleon
Interrupt: -2 Victories with fighting
During this fight, do not forget about any Ashen
Jewels embedded in the PCs. Any character
with 1 Jewel can decrease the Difficulty of their
Problem by 1 (even with Teamwork) . With 2-3
Jewels, they get -2 Difficulty.
The skelly ship has cursed cannonballs. If
any player chooses a new Problem for a
, a peaceball hits their ship. That means they
cannot use cannon stations for one round. This
73
 means that anyone manning the guns cannot add
Victories to a Solution involving a fight. The
GM should use the Interrupt as soon as possible,
as the PCs likely have enough Legendary Dice
by now to make short work of Difficulty 9.

Wait until either the skelly ship is defeated or there

is likely just one round left, then read the following:

F
rom out of the fog, you see
a battered, unpainted sloop
with torn white sails suddenly fade
into view. The ship is crewed by a
single pirate. He has short, curly
black hair, sunburned skin, tattered
and very cheap clothes and has the
kind of beard favoured by people
who cannot grow beards very well.
All the ship’s lanterns are off and
several ropes tied to the single mast
lead overboard, obviously tied to Poor Ulysses Poole
Greedy | Submissive
something heavy.
Weak | 2 | No weakness

‘Heeeelllllloooooo!’ he bellows in a
squeaky voice. ‘I’m friendly, I swears
it! Just heres doing some fishings
for no particular reasons at all! Any
chance you coulds be so kind as to
not kills me? I hates that!’
If given the slightest chance, Poole will excitedly
explain that Duke and the Bilge Rats are
throwing a party on Plunder Outpost. Not only
can people hobnob with trading company leaders
and talented pirate captains, there is free grog
in the tavern. There is even a drinking contest
to win as much gold as you can grab. Use this
opportunity to make the party so attractive that
the players want to go there too.
There is, however, a catch. To get invited, you
have to prove your worth as a pirate. Poole
cannot, so he decided it would be a good idea
to try to attract a Kraken, defeat it and take a
piece of Kraken tentacle to get into the party.
The ropes on his ship are tied to pig carcasses
in hopes he can fish for a Kraken. He is not the
brightest pirate in the Sea and this is not a good
idea at all. Unfortunately, it works.
Poole is a big supporter of what Silas has been
doing in the Sea of Thieves and he openly
admits that. He might even rave about how
great Captain Silas is. The PCs will probably
react negatively to that but before they can do
anything they discover that Poole’s plan has
actually worked. A Kraken appears.

74
 • • If the PCs survive, so does Poole. As above,

T
he sea catches your eye and you he manages to get a piece of Kraken tentacle
notice it has quickly turned as if the PCs did not do that themselves.

black as night. Then you stumble to

the deck as your ship and the sloop
suddenly stop moving. With an eerie
quietness, four gigantic tentacles
rise up around both of your ships!
They are covered with giant suckers
but then the tips open to reveal huge
mouth with sharp teeth!
The GM should make note of how the PCs
treated Poole, as he will make another
appearance in the last chapter of this Voyage.
What happens if the PCs refuse to worry about
the tentacle piece? They can find some other
way to prove their worth and get into the party.
Leave that up to the players to figure out.

The Problem is The Kraken will sink your

ship and kill everyone (20/5). This is a very
tough enemy and it is entirely possible that the
PCs will all die and their ship be sunk. The GM
should remember that the Kraken can only use
one ability each turn (an Interrupt or a Danger
but not both) . Poole will not be of any help, as he
is focused on a different Problem: The Kraken Kraken
will descend without leaving behind a part
Legendary | 20 | Weak with cannonballs
of a tentacle (10/5). The Difficulty is so much
lower because it is not focused on defeating the Interrupt: Cause a new ship-related
problem when no Victories are rolled
Kraken, just taking a chunk out of it. A player
who asks about cutting off some tentacle like Interrupt: Grab one PC (see below) during
a fight
Poole wants can work on that Problem but not
the avoiding-death one at the same time. Interrupt: -2 Victories with fighting
Danger: Cause 1 Injury to any PC on the
• • If the PCs die, the Ferryman’s portal takes top deck or crow’s nest station
them to a beach on Shark’s Bait Cove. Their Danger: One creates a new Problem
ship will be docked just off shore, as will Holes in the hull will sink the ship 2/4
Poole’s sloop. In fact, Poole will be on the Danger: -1 Victory with sailing
Ferry of the Damned along with the PCs and
* When a PC is grabbed, they cannot work on
will appear on the beach right with them. their previous Solution and are Middle range
They will probably be delighted about that… from the ship. Escaping the tentacle means
If the PCs did not get a piece of tentacle, solving The tentacle causes 1 injury 3/4.
This Problem repeats itself until solved, at
Poole will proudly (and stupidly) show the
which point the tentacle drops the PC.
one he got to the PCs and mock them for not
being as good as him.

75
 chapter 2:
Party at the Plunder
 SUMMARY
Once at Plunder Outpost, the PCs must prove
their worth before being allowed ashore. Once
they have managed that, they find the party
is in full swing and the PCs can participate as
they wish. To get inside the tavern and earn
a handful of gold, they must win at a drinking
contest. During the festivities, they are
approached by several trading company liaisons,
including Duke himself, to track down magical
earrings so they can use merfolk as spies against
Silas’ alliance.
PLUNDER
OUTPOST
When they arrive at Plunder Outpost, the PCs
find the docks are full, with even more ships
anchored just off-shore. Tables and chairs
normally found in the Drowned Rat tavern are
on the beach and there are dozens of pirates
there singing shanties, dancing, drinking and
gambling. The air smells of salt, sweat and grog.
This is a proper pirate party!
78
To get onto the island, the PCs must do one of
three things:
1. Present the Kraken tentacle part they got
from fighting the sea monster earlier.
2. Present some other kind of trophy or proof of
their pirate skill. They can surely come up with
a way to do that, even if it is nothing more than
telling tall tales of their exploits. After all, an
accomplished pirate is a boastful pirate!
3. Sneak onto the island : A pirate will see
you and yell about your cheating (14/4). If
they are caught, the pirates can still present
proof, as above, but if they have none they
are tied up and dropped back on their ship.
Ask players to narrate what they do at the party.
There are plenty of songs, dances and of course,
fights. Weapons are rarely used, as the partying
pirates want to prove who is stronger, not kill
anyone. Just about the only thing the PCs
cannot do is resupply. Everything that wasn’t
nailed down on Plunder Outpost went into this
celebration. The GM can use Problems to have
fun, such as:
• • A drunk pirate will knock you unconscious
with her fist (6/3).
• • You will lose 2 Gold Tokens instead of
winning 2 in a game of dice (10/5).
• • A thieving pirate steals one of your
Weapon Cards (8/4).
But eventually, it will come down to the
drinking contest.
THE DRINKING
amount of Legendary Dice but the results will be
a little different as this is not an official Problem.

CONTEST •• : One of the Hammerhead’s pirates gets

too drunk and leaves the contest.
Everyone wants to get inside the Drowned Rat •• or : The PC held his liquor and is still
tavern. Not only is there free grog but everyone in the contest.
inside gets one chance to win some free treasure.
However, only a crew that wins a drinking •• : The PC is too drunk and leaves the
contest can enter. contest.

•• A still can belay a . This keeps

The contest is held on the beach and a pirate
the PC in the contest but it also keeps the
known as Sally Spar acts as the organiser. At
Hammerhead’s crew in as well. However,
least four PCs must participate to make the
neither result gives a fun or tough choice.
whole crew eligible. Everyone will sit around a
large table with their tankards empty. Sally will
Example: If a player with 4 Legendary Dice rolls 1
pour grog for everyone each round, about half
,2 and 1 , that player has to choose
a tankard. Then everyone drinks as quickly as
between 1) knocking an enemy out of the contest but
they can. The contest continues until all but one
knocking himself out as well, or 2) keeping both in.
pirate is too drunk to continue. The winner is
the last crew with someone still in the game. The
However, Nardo will try to cheat right from the
losing crew? They each lose a finger... (These are
start. You fail to notice something is wrong
pirates, after all) .
with the drinking contest (4/3) begins on round
1 and needs to be solved to notice him pouring
Who is their opponent? It is none other than
poison into a PC’s tankard. The GM should pick
the crew of the Hammerhead: Captain Floriana,
the PC with the most Legendary Dice (and pick
Zhen the Goat, Nardo and Modest Molly.
randomly if there is a tie) as the target here. If
They are not happy when they realise they are
they fail to solve this Problem, that PC takes 1
competing against the PCs. Nardo even throws
Injury, throws-up and is out of the contest.
up out of nervousness, then says he is making
room for more grog.
Once the PCs have won, the pirates cheer and
escort (or carry) the winning crew to the tavern.
To play, the GM should first ask which PCs are
participating. Then each will roll their normal

79

THE SECRET
MEETING
Once the crew are inside, read the following
out loud :
T
he tavern is full of people,
candles, coloured lanterns and
plenty of food. A small pirate band
with a concertina, hurdy-gurdy and
drum sit in the corner playing songs.
A crowd of around 20 people are
here, one man stands out, Duke, who
is wearing a stained jacket over his
usual pirate clothes and standing
near the grog keg on the bar. He is
talking to a few of the better-dressed
individuals in the tavern.
Then Tanya the tavernkeep shouts
for everyone to quiet down. ‘We have
newcomers to the party. It’s time for
the salmagundi!’ The crowd roars and
parts to reveal a giant iron cooking
pot. It’s full of chicken, pork, eggs and
vegetables, and you can see some faint
steam rising from it.
This is the ‘as much gold as you can grab’ that
Poole discussed. Salmagundi is an old dish and
here it fills the cooking pot. But Duke tossed in
a few rare and expensive gems. Newcomers to
the Drowned Rat get five seconds to reach into
the warm muck and find a gem. If they pull it out
in time, they keep it!
80
The Problem is: You do not get the gem in time
(6/2). Teamwork cannot be used without an
extremely clever idea but each PC gets a try. If
successful, they get 4 Gold Tokens to represent
the gem.
However, one of the gems is actually a Ashen
Jewel. Duke had no idea about this and just
dumped some out of a bag. Any PC with at least
1 Ashen Jewel will feel an ‘itch’ and know there
is one in the salmagundi. If a player wants to
try to grab that Jewel in particular, use the same
Problem but increase the Difficulty to 9.
After everyone has had a turn, Duke approaches
the PCs.
I
‘ remember you! You won that
competition for the boat I tried to
gamble away! Ha ha, well met!’ He
slaps a meaty hand on your shoulder
in a friendly but slightly painful way.
Then his voice lowers to a whisper.
‘A nd if we can steal some of your time
tonight, I think we have an offer you
will want to hear – and take up.’
He will lead the PCs to the well-dressed people
he was talking to earlier. These are:
• • Harland the Hoarder (who met the PCs
during Roach’s Fortune) .
• • Madame Oletta, a member of the Order of
Souls.
• • Senior Trader Mabel, the liaison for the
Merchant Alliance.
• • Tiny Tariq, a Sea Dog representative.
Harland the Hoarder
Blunt | Pessimistic
Powerful | 8 | Weak with gold
Interrupt: -1 Timer with gold
Danger: -1 Victory with talking
Senior Trader Mabel
Friendly | Hurtful
Powerful | 8 | Weak with weapons
Interrupt: -1 Timer with fighting
Danger: -1 Victory with Quest cards
Madame Oletta
Blunt | Disloyal
Powerful | 8 | Weak with bounty skulls
Interrupt: -1 Timer with talking
Danger: -1 Timer with magic
Tiny Tariq
Genteel | Arrogant
Powerful | 8 | No weakness
Interrupt: -1 Timer with fighting
Danger: -1 Victory with ship fighting
81
 Duke
Boisterous | Controlling
Pirate Legend | 12 | No weaknesses
Interrupt: -2 Victory with cutlasses
Interrupt: -2 Victory with his ship
Interrupt: -2 Victory with cannons
Danger: -1 Victory when talking
Danger: -1 Timer when fighting
Danger: -1 Victory when fighting

Duke and the others are concerned about Silas
and his alliance. They need more information if
they are to do anything about it (and Tariq isn’t
even sure they should) . They decided to meet in
the Drowned Rat, using the giant party as an
excuse to get together.
they are making one faux pas after another, just
laugh at them. Each company representative will
act differently:
• • Harland asks rude, blunt questions: ‘Are you
going to betray us as soon as you leave?’

• • Oletta seems to believe this is all in vain and

The others want to use the PCs as a tool against
Silas but they need to make sure they are not
still working for the self-proclaimed ‘Lord
Guardian’ of the Sea. This boils down to These
pirates will think you work for Silas (13/6).
The Difficulty should be 16 thanks to Duke and
the others but the base is lower due to the casual
nature of this challenge. Any chosen for an
Injury will still temporarily remove 1 Legendary
Dice just like fighting because the dice pool
represents reputation as well as skill. These
Injuries will heal themselves when the PCs
finally leave the party but not until then.
The GM should not make this too difficult
but watch how the players roll. If they are
rolling well, use Harland’s Danger and Oletta’s
Interrupt abilities to complicate things. And if
Silas will soon control the entire Sea but
she will ask about the PCs’ memories of Silas
from the wider world.
• • Mabel will be jolly and a little tipsy, and her
questions focus on what could make the PCs
betray someone.
• • Tariq will calmly stop any arguments,
pointing out that anger will not help anyone
today. If the PCs get overly rude, he will
threaten them with equal calm.
• • Duke drinks most of the time before finally
asking, ‘Are you serving Silas?’ Any negative
answer is good enough for him.
Once they are convinced the PCs are not
working for Silas, Duke will nod to Tariq, who
explains the offer.

82
 ,

L
adies and gentlemen, we have a proposal that should benefit us all. This so-
called ‘Lord Guardian’ is getting dangerously out of hand. Currently, our
greatest enemy is not Silas but a lack of information. Is he planning something
much more than an alliance? Will he attack outposts and how? We do not know and
that can sink our cause. But we may have a solution, if you will be so kind
as to indulge us.

There is a story popular in the Sea that there exists a pair of magical earrings.
Perhaps you have heard it? If the tales are true, a pirate known as Diving Bel used
these to speak with the merfolk. Pirates cannot understand the mermaids and
mermen in the Sea, and it is readily apparent that they do not understand us. Yet
the magic in these earrings is strong enough to win communication between us.

Imagine if we could tap into the merfolk as our eyes and ears! We would be able
to track Silas wherever he sails and learn about his activities. This will give us the
upper hand. If Silas wishes us harm, we can attack first and stop him. But if he wants
nothing but to feed his bloated ego, then he can be left to build his imaginary empire.

Would you be willing to fight for our cause? We would have to negotiate fair and
reasonable compensation for your work, of course.’

When the PCs have found the earring, they are
to return to this tavern where Tariq will meet
them. He will pay the PCs, take the earring and
start trying to win merfolk spies.
The reward, besides the usual +1 permanent
Legendary Dice for each player, is open to
negotiation. Senior Trader Mabel will open with
600 coins (6 Gold Tokens) but the players could
try to get more. If the GM needs a Problem for
this, use The of fer will only be 6 Gold Tokens
(8/3) and add 1 to the Difficulty for each Gold
Token they ask for above 6.
Madame Oletta will sombrely explain that
Bel earned the nickname ‘Diving’ because she
routinely dives deep into the seas farther than
anyone else has managed. She has not been seen
for some time and suggests the crew start where
she was last seen; the tavern on Ancient Spire
Outpost. Yes, the same island that might or might
not have been lost to Silas in an earlier Voyage…

83
 3:
chapter
H unting B el
 SUMMARY: A
s you sail onwards, you spy
a weathered, old crow’s nest
The PCs sail to Ancient Spire to investigate
where Bel can be found. After a few scenes, they and mast sticking out of the water.
learn that she was last seen on Kraken’s Fall. Shipwrecks like this often attract
Heading there leads to a puzzle in the caves. seabirds but none are circling
Solving that puzzle gives a magical earring
overhead. There must not be
to the PCs so that they can return to Plunder
Outpost. anything here that interests them
any longer.
Once they reach Ancient Spire, they will need
to get inside the tavern. This depends on a
The players should recall that Bel excels at
Carryover.
diving. There is no clue in the crow’s nest, so
the PCs will have to dive into the wreck itself.
• • If this island is still free, the PCs will have
When they look underwater, they can see the
no trouble getting inside. In fact, Tasha the
mast is stuck on a reef and the bulk of the ship is
Tavernkeep will hug each pirate and set them
much deeper.
up with free grog and food.

• • If the island fell to Silas, the crew can still
dock and visit the island but no one does
business with the PCs. If they enter The
Unicorn, Tasha will sadly ask them to leave.
In this case, the players will need to figure
out what to do next.
Tasha has no idea who Bel is and says she does
not usually trouble herself with memorising
details about her customers, however she invites
the crew to look around if they want. This
Problem is relatively easy: A clue will remain
hidden 4/U. Once solved, the PCs find a crude
image carved into the wall by a back table. It
shows a unicorn looking at an upside down ship.
The unicorn’s horn is tilted at a strange angle.
Taking out a compass will show the horn is
pointing south of the island.
Reaching the ship requires a good solution to The
water drowns you before you reach the wreck
(12/4). There are sharks in the area, so they can
make a great new Problem should any show
up. If a PC dies trying to solve this Problem,
they will reappear aboard their ship in 2 rounds.
In the wreck the pirates find only one thing of
note: A barnacle-encrusted wooden handbill from
Stephen’s Spoils. Bel was a frequent shopper
there and this is the next spot in the search for
the earrings.
Returning to their ship requires another
solution, this time for The water drowns you
before you reach the surface (12/3). The Timer
is shorter because even the best diver would run
out of air eventually. Once this is solved or the
drowned pirates have returned to life, the crew
will likely sail back to Stephen’s Spoils.

The crew needs to sail to the south of Ancient

Spire. Unless the GM needs to add in a few
additional complications here, the pirates soon
find an old shipwreck.

86
Once there, the question of how the crew
treated ol’ Stephen becomes relevant. If they
were respectful, Stephen will help them without
charging. He demands a 3 Gold Token ‘rude tax’
before helping if the crew were unkind. If they
threatened or attacked him, Stephen will simply
refuse to even speak to them and the crew will
have to solve this new Problem.
What help can Stephen provide? He does not
keep records or anything but he can remember
Bel. She was one of his first customers and he
made the mistake of giving her credit. She bought
many things from him, including a shovel and
compass but she never returned to pay. Before
she left, she gave him a riddle sealed in a bottle.
He was supposed to find his payment using it but
Stephen lost trust in her when she never came
back and believes the riddle to be worthless.
If the players want it, he will sell it to them for
1-3 Gold Tokens depending on how well the
pirates do at haggling. Like many riddles in the
Sea of Thieves, this one is magic. Only the first
two lines are legible. The rest reveal as the crew
reaches certain spots described on the paper.
Stephen remembers Bel talked about... maybe
fighting a Kraken to the northeast? Northwest?
Something like that. Bel did not fight a Kraken
but she did sail to Kraken’s Fall to the northeast.
When the crew announces they will sail for
that island, give them handout #5 and point out
Kraken’s Fall on the map.
87
K RAKEN’S FALL
As usual, sailing to Kraken’s Fall should be
uneventful unless the GM needs to add some
drama or excitement. This Voyage has been light
on fighting, so feel free to add another skeleton
ship attack (maybe featuring some cursed
cannonballs) or some of Silas’ pirates coming to
harass the crew.
A
s Kraken’s Fall comes closer, you
see all manner of gigantic bones
scattered over the rocky island. You
hope these are from many beasts, as
if they all belonged to one Kraken it
could swallow a galleon whole. The
wind is picking up and the palm trees
here bend in the strong gusts.
The riddle’s first location is a small camp built
by a castaway. A few wooden poles support a
purple canvas cover over a hammock and some
ruined barrels. The players can either find that
location on their own or they can roll for it: The
rest of the riddle remains hidden (10/U). Once
there, the PCs must play a sea shanty (or at least
sing one) to reveal the next part.
A
s you play your song, you hear
unnerving whispers that you
do not understand. Suddenly, there’s
a burst of wind and glowing green
light. You watch as the unintelligible
lines on the riddle contort themselves
into actual sentences.
Give the players handout #6. The next location
is at one of the shallow pools on the island
where a skeleton (an actual dead one, not an
undead pirate) holds onto a broken bucket. Nine
paces away is the spot where they need to dig.
Again, let players find the location or roll for it.
A
s you dig, you hear your shovel
strike something metal. You
unearth a decorative coffer small
enough to hold in one hand. It is
sealed with red wax all around the
edge of the lid. Inside, you find the
most beautiful earring! There’s only
one but it is made to look like a tiny
conch shell made from gold, silver
and a pair of tiny diamonds.
This is the magical earring that they have been
looking for. Everyone assumed there would be a
pair but they were wrong. Let the players worry
about that.
If anyone puts the earring on, nothing happens
unless there happen to be merfolk nearby. In
that case, the pirates can speak to the them.
They might not have a lot to say right now ( ‘Um,
I like the shape of your keel? Is that a good
compliment to a human?) but roleplay the scene
if the players want it.
89
 chapter 4:
That’s Protector Poole,
I f Y ou P lease !
 SUMMARY
While the pirates are away tracking down Bel,
Silas and his alliance arrive at Plunder and
either force oaths from the people there or
kidnap them. The players return to find they
have to pay a tax to dock there. The remaining
Unlike Ancient Spire, the crew are not banned.
They can dock and conduct business as normal.
Well, normal except for Poole. He will approach
the crew when they come ashore.
If the PCs treated Poole well in the fight
against the Kraken:

leaders ask the PCs to speak with the merfolk
using the earrings, where they discover the
truth about the Ashen Jewels and Silas.
H
‘ eeeelllllloooooo! Ha ha,
welcomes back! What do you
thinks? Nots so poor anymore,

BACK TO
right? See, that fightings with the
sea beastie is just what I needed to

PLUNDER
realise my full potentials. The Lord
Guardian heards I single-handedly

OUTPOST
defeated a Kraken, although he
heards that mostly from me. But
then he decides I am to be the Junior
The crew should head back to Plunder Outpost
to deliver the earring to the trading companies Protector of Plunder Outpost!
as agreed. When they approach, they see
something unusual. Normally, you have to pays your
taxes to visit the island. That’s 100

B
y now, the big party has ended and coins per head. But since we’re old
there are just a few unconscious mates, how ‘bouts I lets you come
bodies on the beach. At the end of the ashore for only 200 coins total? One
docks is a man sitting in what could time offer, minds you!’
only be called a throne. Getting closer,
you can see this is Poor Poole, but
he looks very different. He’s wearing
brand-new, fine clothing normally
reserved for the rich. He drinks from
an opulent goblet, and an Eye of Reach
leans against his throne. A pair of
scruffy pirates approach Poole, bow
quickly and share a few words. Then
they bow again and head back to the
island. Sure enough, you see Silas’ flag
flying from the outpost’s docks.

92
If the PCs treated Poole poorly:
H
‘ eeeelllllloooooo! If it ain’t the
scurvy dogs what left me for deads.
Good thing Captain Silas showeds up
when he did and helped me defeats that
sea beastie. Did such a good jobs that he
named me Junior Protector of his newest
outpost – this one, of courses!
Nows, it almost pains me to be sayings
of this but there is a tax on using this
island for those not parts of Silas’
alliance. It’s 100 coins per head. You
can pays me directly because I’m a
protector of the people, I ams!’
While Poole may demand taxes and has a rifle
nearby, he will not fight no matter what. He
knows he would lose any combat with the PCs,
so he will act like it was his idea to let the players
through without paying the ‘Protector’s Tax’.
If the crew goes back to the tavern, it is open
like normal. Then either through a tavern
window or when the PCs are outside the main
door, they here a ‘Pssst!’ from the nearby jungle.
There, they can find a bloodied but living
Tariq. He fought alongside Duke against Silas’
skeletons and humans but was overwhelmed.
Duke got away and Tariq hid in the jungle
hoping to see the PCs.
Tariq can explain some of what happened :
• • Silas heard about the party and arrived too
late to catch the PCs. He brought several
ships with him as well as a goodly number of
pirates and, believe it or not, skeletons. They
seem to be working together for the so-called
‘Lord Guardian’.
• • Silas is sick and looks downright scurvy. But
even accounting for that, he looked pale.
• • Angry that Duke’s party was not in his
honour (as befitting a Lord Guardian) , Silas
demanded everyone on the island swear an
oath of loyalty to him. Many refused. Some,
like Duke, fought and escaped. The rest who
refused were put in chains and taken aboard
some of his alliance’s ships. They sailed to
the northwest quite some time ago.
• • Many pirates agreed to take Silas’ oath. This
outpost is now under his protection and rule.
• • That so-called ‘Protector Tax’ is bleeding
pirates dry. Fewer are showing up to turn in
treasure or spend their coins and the locals
are furious with the tax and Poole.
• • So far, Poole has been killed five times (three
by Tariq himself) but the Junior Protector
keeps returning like he owns the place.
Which right now, he kinda does.
Lastly, Tariq has a request for the crew: Take the
earring they brought, speak to the merfolk and get
them to spy on Silas and his alliance. The pirates
can leave the outpost much easier than Tariq can
93
 and he knows Silas has pirates out there looking
for him. He will be alarmed if the crew explains
there is only one earring. He will be worried that
the PCs are lying and plan on selling the other
one. Lastly, he explains the Bilge Rats will find the
PCs in a few days to learn about the merfolk.
Some players may want to stay and help Plunder
Outpost. Typically, this means going after Poole.
That has no effect on the story but can make
for a fun side plot. No one will come to Poole’s
defence but killing him will not help since he
will just return. The crew will need to create a
solution that does not rely on violence.
The only side plot the crew should not explore
is the missing people. This means the crew
would have to explore around 20 islands to the
northwest and untold leagues of open sea hoping
to find a clue. That would take so long that it
would quickly become boring.
TALKING
WITH MERMAIDS
The players will have to figure out how to find
merfolk. They can come and go from Plunder
Outpost easily enough, although Poole will
meekly try to collect the tax whenever they
come back.
One promising idea is to fall overboard on
purpose. This will bring a mermaid to their help.
The crew might try to use a speaking trumpet
underwater, which could work as well. The GM
should reward creativity and fun ideas. However
they go about it, they will find a mermaid who is
very confused and surprised over being able to
communicate with a human.
94
Y
ou see a vague shape swimming
up from deep below you with
incredible speed. It bursts above
water and stares at you. The mermaid
is young with short hair, a sleeveless
leather top and a necklace with a
Megalodon tooth. Sure enough, her
bottom half is scaled and ends in a
powerful tail. She looks confused and
points at you and then your ship.
She will listen to the idea about becoming spies
but she needs to be convinced that this is for
real and not pirates seeking to extract another
bargain from her people: The mermaid will
not ask her people to help your cause (4/4).
There cannot normally be any Teamwork here
since only one pirate can wear the earring and
communicate. However, a suitably inventive
pantomime performance by the other pirates
might help if it amuses the GM.
If the mermaid is finally convinced that this
is a legitimate and important request, she will
explain that she needs to speak to her kind and
then swims away. Getting a response will take a
bit of time (at least in the game setting) , so ask
the players what they want to do. If they just
want to wait, the mermaid returns to wherever
she spoke to the PC about two hours later…
along with about 50 merfolk.
 A
n older-looking merman swims
forward. He has long hair and
a thick beard, and he wears a dark
leather vest. His eyes are the colour
of the deep blue sea. ‘The bargain
is our law. The bargain does not
demand we spy for your people.
Therefore, we will not.’ He waits for
an answer.
This can be handled two ways.
• • If the players want to roll, this becomes the
Problem The merfolk remain unconvinced
to help you (6/4). The GM should remember
that, while he can adjust the Difficulty here,
only one PC can communicate with merfolk
at a time and Teamwork cannot be used
without resorting to interpretive dance on
the part of the other pirates. The earring can
be passed around but only one player can
use it at a time.
• • If the players prefer to roleplay, the GM
should listen carefully to their words and
decide whether the merfolk help based on
what they said.
This is a carryover to the next Voyage but
merfolk spies – whilst useful – are not necessary
or required for success there.
If the PCs prevail, the unnamed merman says,
‘We do not understand this situation well.
However, we understand what you ask of us and
why you ask. On behalf of my people, we agree.
THE END
We shall swim after Silas and report back to...
you? Is it you that we will speak with?’
Let the players decide who will receive all the
intelligence gathered by merfolk. Anyone will
do, really. Then the merman explains about the
Ashen Jewels.
‘Be aware that this captain will not live long. He
is infected with Ashen Jewels. Ashen Jewels are
a treasure. Ashen Jewels are also a curse. He has
power over skeletons for now. He will become
a skeleton soon. If your people find more of
Flameheart’s cursed treasure, do not touch them.
The jewels will demand you find more. They will
turn you into skeletons. Bury them deep so my
people do not find them.’ With that, all merfolk
dive below the water’s surface and swim away.
If the crew do not know about Captain
Flameheart, that is fine. They do not need to
know about this legend, just that the Ashen
Jewels are cursed. Any PC with one or more
Jewels embedded inside them will not believe the
curse is real. Sure, they might think a lot about
getting more Ashen Jewels, and sure, they are
feeling a bit ill these days, but neither is due to
the beautiful, haunting Jewels, right?
If the crew fails, The unnamed merman says,
‘The bargain has served both our people well.
The bargain will be upheld but only the bargain.’
With that, all merfolk dive below the water’s
surface and swim away.
If the merfolk are asked to stop helping Silas’
pirates who are lost at sea, they will refuse. The
bargain is clear; there are no exceptions.
95
F orth V oyage :
A B urning W ar
SUMMARY
While chasing down pirates selling guns to Silas’
alliance, the crew discovers another outpost
has fallen. They must build a rival alliance to
stop Silas, which requires convincing trading
companies to work together. Then they face a
big decision. Should they go get more Ashen
Jewels and take control over skellies, rescue
kidnapped Bilge Rats for a bigger army or
prepare the defence of the outpost? Lastly, the
PCs and their allies meet Silas – who is now a
Skeleton Lord – and his fleet in a massive battle
for control of the Sea of Thieves.
Background
Silas found some more Ashen Jewels and
now has enough to turn into a skeleton. Silas’
megalomania and obsession with being accepted
as the Sea’s ruler have resulted in him becoming
a Skeleton Lord.
Silas’ plan was never subtle or especially
original, although while he was still part human
he was a bit more sneaky than the Jewelled
Rover who just attacked everything with her
army of skellies. Now Silas has decided to go
down the same road, making war on anyone who
will not swear allegiance to him. The pirates of
the Sea of Thieves will either become his loyal
subjects or he will build the biggest brig in
creation for them and throw away the keys. He
begins his campaign of conquest by launching an
attack on Sanctuary Outpost.
Carryovers
There are two carryovers from the last Voyage
(Poor No More) :
•• The first is the magical earring from the last
Voyage. If the PCs still have Bel’s magical
earring, then they will be given the option to
recruit merfolk as more than just spies. This
can benefit them in the final battle against Silas.
• • The other is Poor Poole. In the last Voyage,
Poole became the Junior Protector of
Plunder Outpost. If the PCs treated him
badly on the whole, he will appear in the
final battle looking for revenge. If they
treated him more-or-less nicely, he will
change sides and help the PCs.
Captain Gabrielle Paret also returns but no
matter what happened between her and the PCs,
she is on the same side as them.
Since this Voyage ends the Ashen Jewels campaign,
there are no carryovers from this Voyage.
Preparation
Get all the Ship Cards ready, as there will be a large
sea battle later on. Supply tokens might be used
often here, so the GM should have extras ready.
99
chapter1:
G unrunners
 SUMMARY
The crew are chasing down some pirates who
were selling guns to The Lord Guardian’s
alliance when they spot several ships sailing away
from the Shores of Plenty. These are survivors
running from an attack on Sanctuary Outpost by
a Skeleton Lord and they are heading to join Silas
for protection. Captain Gabrielle Paret returns
and asks the crew to help build their own alliance
against Silas and this new Skeleton Lord.
The Problem here is The Constant Richard will
get away (16/4). The Difficulty is 16 thanks
to the captain (10) and three strong pirates
(+2 apiece) . While the GM cannot typically
add different threat level enemies, these are all
pirates working on the same ship. The galleon
can only use its Interrupt with fighting but the
PCs’ ship might have Interrupts that apply.
Captain Salvador de Burgos
Dreaded | 10 | No weakness

RUNNING DOWN
Interrupt: -2 Victories with talking
Interrupt: Lose half (rounded down)
Victories in the hold with his ship

THE GUNRUNNERS Danger: -1 Victory with combat in Hand range

Danger: One cannot be used to belay a
Once everyone is ready to begin, read the
following aloud.

S
ilas’ alliance is powerful and he has Crew of the Constant Richard
control of at least Plunder Outpost (3 strong pirates)

by now. There’s talk of fighting him Strong | 10 | Weak with blunderbusses

but some pirates are siding with him
by choice. The crew of the galleon
Constant Richard are stealing supplies
and weapons from free pirates and
selling them to Silas’s alliance.
Interrupt: -1 Victory with teamwork
Interrupt: -1 Timer with talking
The Constant Richard
Galleon
Interrupt: -2 Victories with fighting

You have chased them down but the

galleon seems intent on running
rather than fighting. In hot pursuit,
you are approaching Wanderer’s
Refuge from the southeast. It looks
like the Constant Richard intends to
flee into the Shores of Plenty.

102
When the PCs stop the galleon from escaping,
the chase may become a fight… or not, depending
on the players’ choices.
• • If the pirates open fire as soon as they can,
then the fight has begun. The Constant
Richard will sink your ship (16/4). Captain
de Burgos’ second Interrupt can be used
since he is using his ship in the fight and the
galleon’s Interrupt applies as well.
• • The pirates can try talking. If the crew want
to parley, both ships will anchor where they
are. Then the Problem becomes Captain de
Burgos will refuse to stop running weapons
to Silas’ alliance (10/4). Be sure to use his
Interrupt here.
• • It’s possible that the pirates will demand
the guns and supplies, promising to leave
the Constant Richard and her crew alone
afterwards. The first Problem is You see
nothing wrong (10/2) to notice the enemy
crew about to ambush them. Then the PCs
must solve The enemy crew will kill you all
(10/4) and Captain de Burgos will kill one
PC (10/3).
Although the Constant Richard has recently made
a lot of money running guns to Silas, on this
occasion she is not carrying weapons or supplies.
Silas has started paying a bounty on people
and the crew of Constant Richard have captured
five pirates he is interested in. These include
Gabrielle Paret, Nardo and Modest Molly who
will be familiar from previous Voyages.
If the Constant Richard is sunk, the captives
will be seen struggling in the water. If there is a
boarding action the PCs will spot them through
a hatch. Alternatively, the enemy crew might
agree to hand over their captives instead of
the cargo the PCs thought they were carrying.
One way or another the GM should ensure the
pirates free these captives.
Not that all of them are grateful about it. Nardo
and Modest Molly will try to get away as soon as
they can. Given their past experiences with the
PCs, that’s not unreasonable. Gabrielle will be
glad to see the PCs, even if they have not always
got along very well. The PCs are not part of Silas’
alliance and right now that is good enough for
Gabrielle. Captain Gabrielle is a bit embarrassed
about the whole incident but explains that she
was kidnapped while on a quest to deliver some
rare spices for the Merchant Alliance.
A
‘ new pirate crewed with me
for that run. I shouldn’t have
trusted him, the filthy swine! He
tackled me as soon as we went ashore
on Thieves’ Haven. Next thing I
know? I’m tied up and tossed into
that ship’s hold. And because that
crew wouldn’t stop talking, I know
those pigs work for Silas!
I will pay you for rescuing me but
there’s something more important
to discuss. We cannot ignore Silas
anymore! If you let me go, I will
speak to the Bilge Rats and Sea Dogs.
I will tell them it is time to go after
The Lord Guardian before he ruins
piracy in the Sea of Thieves. Will you
do the same for other companies? You
earned their trust after getting that
earring for them, so if they will listen
to anyone, it’s you. I can guarantee
you that the Bilge Rats will reward
you handsomely for this!’
103
 Gabrielle will offer 5 Gold Tokens for her rescue
and soon afterward the pirates spot sails on the
northwest horizon. Four ships are heading in
their general direction. There are two galleons
(the Hercules and Sea Lyon) , a brigantine (the
Truegood) and a sloop (the Bonny Betty) . If the
Constant Richard was taken without a fight, the
GM can add two skeleton galleons chasing after
the ships to increase the drama.
The four ships are sailing fast but will pass close
enough for communication. Their crews explain
how a new Skeleton Lord led a small fleet of
skeleton ships and sacked Sanctuary Outpost.
These ships are fleeing the skellies and are
hoping to reach Plunder Outpost so that they
can take The Lord Guardian’s oath and gain
protection. They are convinced that only Silas
can protect them from this new threat because
Silas at least has a plan for the Sea of Thieves.
Naturally, they do not know Silas and the
Skeleton Lord are the same person.
Gabrielle will react by saying that this is
probably a trick. She is sure that Silas is
responsible for the attack, maybe even disguised
as a Skeleton Lord to frighten everyone into
offering the loyalty he craves. He tried that
on Ancient Spire Outpost back in the second
Voyage The Lord Guardian, so there is every
chance he is doing it again.
The key to this scene is enticing players to build
an anti-Silas alliance without feeling like they
104
have no choice. By now this should not be a hard
sell but the GM should offer carrots instead of
sticks to help convince the players. Gabrielle
might offer rewards but any true pirate would
jump at the chance to take up arms against
Silas. After all, what he is doing will amount to
regulating piracy on the Sea of Thieves and if
there is one thing a pirate hates it is regulations!
• • If pressed for details about this reward,
Gabrielle pledges 10 Gold Tokens for each
pirate, plus the glory of a rollicking good
pirate adventure the likes of which no pirate
has seen before! To a Bilge Rat, that is even
better than gold.
• • She can also offer the crew’s pick of any
ships captured from, including his own ship
the Maiden’s Rest.
• • Play on how Silas keeps causing Problems
for the PCs, and how Silas will keep coming
after them until he is defeated.
• • Since no trading company liaison is assigning
this Voyage, the GM should explain that it
will grant +1 permanent Legendary Dice
when complete. In other words, make sure the
players know this is an official Voyage.
Gabrielle thanks the PCs for taking up this
idea. She and the PCs will part ways to rally
support and meet on the southernmost point of
Wanderer’s Refuge when they are ready.
chapter 2:
A R ival A lliance
 SUMMARY Haddow the Hoarder at Galleon’s Grave Outpost
(found in the Ancient Isles) tends to speak for the
company. That said, any Gold Hoarder liaison can
The pirates sail between several islands in the
work if the players want to head somewhere else.
hope of building an alliance to defeat Silas. They
will have to decide who to approach and where
For the Order of Souls, Madame Olivia is the
to go, making this a sandboxy section of the
founder and leader. She is normally found on
adventure. Each trading company the pirates
Plunder Outpost. But did the PCs save that island
approach will have a test for them and will not
from the Lord Guardian? If they did, no problem.
join the alliance until it is completed.
But if Silas controls Plunder Outpost, Madame
Olivia went to Dagger Tooth Outpost rather than

ALLIANCE
deal with Silas and his supporters.

As for the Merchant Alliance, its leader is Senior

BUILDING Trader Mollie based out of Sanctuary Outpost. As

with Madame Olivia, however, Silas has displaced
her. She has just arrived on Morrow’s Peak
While the trading companies are receptive to
Outpost and can be found there.
the idea, they are not sure if they can trust the
PCs. Rumours suggest the PCs sailed under Silas
Each company the PCs get to join their alliance
in the wider world (very true), they are cursed
will make things a little easier in the climactic
(true for any with Ashen Jewels) or they prefer
battle in the last chapter. Even though these three
attacking weak pirates instead of anyone strong
trading companies will not be fighting, their
like them (this might be true) . The company
support will make a difference. However, it is not
liaisons may have heard of the PCs, but that does
absolutely necessary to obtain the support of all
not necessarily mean they want to form an alliance
three.
with them. Each trading company will demand
the PCs perform a test to demonstrate their
GM Note: After two of the companies have sided
commitment to the cause.
with the PCs, the GM should use ‘A Poor Update’
below as the next scene. Once this is settled, the
Where are the trading company leaders? No one
pirates can approach the last company.”
really knows who runs the Gold Hoarders, but

108
A POOR UPDATE
H
‘ eeelllllloooooo! Nice to sees you

Exactly when and where this incident occurs

depends on the PCs’ actions. Whichever groups
the pirates decide to recruit, the GM should
insert ‘A Poor Update’ between the second and
third attempt.
again, ha ha! Now waits, don’t be
shooting at me alreadys! I’ve comes to
apologise, I haves. You were rights and
I was wrongs. Silas is a monster! And
I don’t means that like a story or what

A
s you sail towards your next
island, you see a sloop heading
your way. There’s a white flag on the
mast and the ship looks unpainted
and rough. The lone pirate aboard
is... wait, is that Poor Poole? He seems
to be waving at you urgently.
Poole has had a change of heart and desperately
wants to join the PCs’ alliance. He loved being
rich and still supports Silas but he witnessed
the change from Silas to Skeleton Lord and that
nearly scared him to death.
haves you. He was so sicks, I thought
he hads the scurvies for sure. But then
he swallows this emeralds and then he
shudders so bads that he shakes the
flesh from his bones! No, I tells the
truth! By the times he stopped shaking,
Silas was a skeleton with all these
jewels sticking to his skull and bones!
He doesn’t even calls himself Silas no
more, just the Lords Guardians.
There is no ways I am working for a
skeleton, not at alls! So’s I come here
hoping to joins your alliance. People
are talking about it all over the Sea
and I wants in. Please?

If the PCs accept Poole, he will be overjoyed

and will even give his last gold to the PCs: 1
Gold Token. However, he will panic in the final
battle and betray the PCs in an act of world-
class cowardice.

If the PCs reject Poole, then he will worry so much

about this situation that he decides to go back and
support The Lord Guardian. This is especially true
if the PCs open fire on his pitiful sloop.

109
 THE GOLD
I
‘ t’s not like we weren’t thinking

HOARDERS
of this before! But ally with the
likes of you? That’s a tall order and
I’m coming up short. Tell you what.
Since the Hoarders value gold so much, the PCs
must deliver a sizeable amount of gold to them in If you can do a little odd job for
order to persuade the company to join their alliance. the Gold Hoarders, that will help
establish a little trust.

I
n the tent, you see a blond,
There’s a captain who is refusing to
bearded man wearing brown
do business with us. He has a bunch of
clothes and a green sash as a belt. His
chests but he wants a copy of our key.
right hand and arm are covered with
Not that he would know how to use it
gold and parts of this left are turning
but still, we don’t like pirates hoarding
as well. He hears you approach and
treasure chests. That’s the job of more
smiles brightly while wringing his
capable men. If you can get six chests
hands. ‘You’re dealing with Haddow,
off his ship in the harbour here and
esteemed Gold Hoarder and master
deliver them to me, I guarantee the
coin counter at Galleon’s Grave. Got
Gold Hoarders will have your back.
a treasure chest for me? Do you need
Financially, of course. We are above
a treasure map to get a treasure chest
fighting like brutes.’
for me?’

Once they PCs explain their intentions, Haddow

will give them a long and calculating stare. Then
he will make an offer.

Haddow the Hoarder

Prideful | Demeaning
Powerful | 8 | Weak with gold
Interrupt: -1 Timer with gold
Danger: -1 Victory with talking

110

Haddow says the captain is Jan Van Dyk of the
brigantine Salacia and, knowing him, he will
be in the Broken Tusk drinking and gambling.
Haddow does not know where Jan’s crew will be.
It is up to the PCs to decide how to get those chests
but it probably comes down to theft or gambling.
STEALING
THE CHESTS
It is currently mid-afternoon and the outpost
is busy, so this will be hard. Going right now
means the Problem is People will see you
getting aboard the Salacia (24/4). Once seen,
pirates will laugh and jeer loudly enough to
get everyone’s attention, which means Jan
will notice as well. This can quickly turn into
Captain Jan will kill a PC (10/4) and Jan’s crew
will kill you all (10/4). Remember that Jan can
use his Danger ability each turn to keep on
the table.
Defeating the crew means they return from the
Sea of the Damned in two rounds, meaning these
Problems might come back again if the PCs do
not hurry. The six treasure chests are in the
captain’s quarters behind a locked door.
If the PCs wait until nightfall, they can try
stealth instead. Two of the three crew will
be aboard the ship (one sleeping, one keeping
watch) , so first the Problem is A pirate will
see you and raise the alarm (8/4). Adjust the
Difficulty down if the players come up with a
clever way to sneak aboard and remove those
chests. Jan will stay in the Broken Tusk until he
falls asleep there.
WINNING
THE CHESTS
THROUGH GAMBLING
When the pirates walk into the tavern, Jan will
have just cleaned out a pirate who storms off
muttering obscenities while Jan laughs. He has
about 4 Gold Tokens’ worth of coins in front
of him and he asks if anyone else wants to lose
their money to him. To get Jan to bet his six
chests, he must first lose those 4 Gold Tokens.
Jan is playing an old card game called Maw. The
tricky part of this game? It is against the rules
to explain the rules (except that one) . Players
have to figure out how to win by losing at first
and piecing together how to play. Here, that
means the Problem is The card game will be too
complicated to understand (10/4). But there are
two points to note:
1. All PCs can play but teamwork is cheating. That
means each player must solve the complicated-
rules Problem separately in 4 rounds.
2. At the start of each round (beginning with
Round 2) , each PC in the game loses 1 Gold
Token to Jan. This represents him winning
the pot as the PCs struggle to understand
how to play.
Once that Problem is solved, the PCs have
figured out how to play. Then they must solve
Jan will win 2 Gold Tokens from you (10/4).
Each PC that solves this gets 2 Gold Tokens
from Jan. He has 4 plus whatever he won under
the previous Problem. Continue using this
111
 Problem until Jan is broke. Then he will offer
six unopened treasure chests. When Jan loses,
he will get paranoid and demand to know what
the PCs are really doing but he will honour his
debt and give the chests to the PCs.
And if any player wants their character to cheat,
have them include that in their narration. Then
when a forces a new Problem, use Jan will
catch you cheating (10/3).
When the PCs deliver the chests to Haddow the
Hoarder, he will not pay them like normal. He
never offered to do that. But he does say he will
get the Gold Hoarders to join the alliance and
spend coin to help fight Silas.
Jan van Dyk
Curious | Paranoid
Dreaded | 10 | No weakness
Interrupt: -2 Victories with talking
Interrupt: Lose half (rounded down)
Victories in the hold with his ship
Danger: -1 Victory with gambling
Danger: One cannot be used to belay a
Crew of the Salacia
(3 pirates)
Strong | 10 | Weak with blunderbusses
Interrupt: -1 Victory with teamwork
Interrupt: -1 Timer with talking
112
THE ORDER
OF SOULS
The Order of Souls want the pirates to capture
a Skeleton Captain for them in order to prove
their commitment.
Once at Dagger Tooth Outpost, the PCs will
find Madame Olivia in her tent. She is slow
to trust others but that will work to the PCs’
advantage. If they manage to convince her to
join the alliance, then their offer must be a good
one and the other members will support it.
Y
ou see a younger woman with
long, red hair and dark streaks
under her eyes. There is a tattoo on her
neck, and she wears a leather corset
over a dark blue dress. She seemed to
be talking to a skull but quickly put it
away when you came close.
‘I’ll stand no rudeness or familiarity
from you. With that clear, let me see
if you are capable enough to serve
the Order of Souls.’ Then she looks
each one of you up and down before
finally frowning. ‘You are not here to
achieve something small. What is it
you seek?’
When the PCs bring up joining an alliance,
she is deadly silent as she stares at the PC who
talked. Then she sighs.

Madame Olivia
Zealous | Bitter
Powerful | 8 | Weak with bounty skulls
Interrupt: -1 Timer with talking
Danger: -1 Victory with magic
Plant Skeleton Group
(6 skellies)
Average | 14 | Weak with cutlasses
Interrupt: -2 victories with water
Note: Since these appear right on the beach,
at least one plant skelly will be in the water
unless the players state they are luring these
away from it.
Shadow Skeleton Group
(8 skellies)
Average | 18 | Weak with light
Interrupt: -2 victories with darkness
T
‘ he Order of Souls has already
agreed to ally against this Captain
Silas Norridge but not your alliance. If
you wish to earn our support, you must
first earn our respect. That is sorely
lacking at the moment.
Take your ship and sail for Marauder’s
Arch. There, you will need courage
and cunning, for you are not to defeat
a Skeleton Captain but kidnap one! Yes,
our Order wants more than just the
skull this time. Find three graves side-
by-side and raise your lantern above
them all. Fight the skeletons that arrive
but do not destroy the captain. Bring
him to me and your reward shall be
well-earned.’
Once at Marauder’s Arch, the PCs can find three
graves on the northside beach. When they raise
a lantern there, the beach erupts with a wave
of plant skeletons and the Problem is Plant
skeletons will kill half of the PCs (14/4). Once
the plant skellies are defeated, a bigger wave of
shadow skeletons attacks, creating the Problem
Shadow skeletons will kill all of you (18/4).
Shadow skellies can use their Interrupt in the
dark, so time of day will be important. If the PCs
have been successful of late, it will be dark by
the time they arrive. If they have struggled, give
them some daylight.
Also, don’t forget to adjust the Difficulty or
Timer if the PCs are close to Pirate Legend
status by now. You want this to be a challenge,
so if the GM has five players with five dice each,
the incident needs to be made more challenging.
113
 GM note: If any PC has some Ashen Jewels
inside them, remember that they can reduce the
difficulty for any skeleton-related Problem they
work on. This applies to all skellies, including
the Skeleton Captain.

• • 1 jewel = -1 difficulty with skeletons

• • 2-3 jewels = -2 difficulty with skeletons

Once the shadow skeleton Problem is solved, the

middle grave shudders and a Skeleton Captain
emerges. This is the captain the PCs must
kidnap, so they cannot use any weapons. In fact,
they have to solve two Problems here.

• • The Skeleton Captain will kill a PC (10/4).

• • The Skeleton Captain will be destroyed in

the process (10/4).

If any new Problems arise, the GM can send

extra skellies or damage the Skeleton Captain
with Problems such as The captain’s skull will
fall of f its body (6/2). Skeleton captains can talk
a bit and this one will threaten the PCs for the
entire journey back to Dagger Tooth Outpost
with lines like, ‘I am a powerful demonic force!’
or ‘I will stride through the gates of hell with Skeleton Captain
your head on a pike!’
Murray the Mauler
Once delivered, Madame Olivia will first put the
Powerful | 8 | No weakness
skeleton in a large chest and lock it tight. Then
Interrupt: -1 Victory with eyes of reach
she will sigh and resignedly state the Order
of Souls will join their alliance. She says that, Danger: Must pick two options from
although they will not fight, they will lend aid tough choice
through their magic and knowledge.

114
THE MERCHANT
ALLIANCE
Morrow’s Peak Outpost is in Devil’s Roar, but
do not throw any volcanoes or falling rocks at
the PCs’ ship unless things have been uneventful
recently. Once at the island, they can find
Senior Trader Mollie balancing her books in the
usual spot on the dock.
A
‘ h, greetings! Allow me to
introduce myself. I am Senior
Trader Mollie. Did you come for a
purpose other than your fledgling
alliance? My apologies if that
unnerves you. I assure you that
I only heard of the alliance a few
moments ago from a sailor trading in
some pigs. How may I be of service?’
Mollie is more concerned about the PCs’
capabilities than their purpose. Therefore, she
has a task of her own to determine if they are
strong enough to build an effective alliance.
Senior Trader Mollie
Ethical | Pompous
Powerful | 8 | Weak with weapons
Interrupt: -1 Timer with fighting
Danger: -1 Victory with crates or cages
Y
‘ ou will need to perform a
small service to earn our
trust, as it cannot be purchased.
That might sound rather odd for a
group of traders but while gold is
quite important, capable service is
invaluable. If you would speak to
Tallulah inside her establishment The
Charred Parrot, she will present you
with some rum and fine cloth. These
need to be transported to Fetcher’s
Rest to the north. A gentleman who
goes by the name of Walter the Feared
will take receipt of both commodities.
If you manage to do this quick enough
and with the cargo intact, you may
return here to discuss joining your
regrettable but needed group.’
Tallulah is the tavernkeep and she does have
rum and silk: Four crates of each, to be specific.
As the PCs head back to their vessel, Mollie will
cry out a quick warning.
M
‘ ind you, those rum bottles are
quite old. It would be in your
best interests to move them gently
lest one crack and spill its contents.
And you wouldn’t let the cloth get
wet, would you? Water will definitely
ruin the cloth, making it all but
worthless. There’s a good Sailor!’
115
 Both concerns are true. If the PCs jostle the rum
too much, some bottles will break. The cloth will
be ruined if it gets wet. Either one will ruin the
deal with the Merchant Alliance. The GM should
make a careful note of where the PCs put all
eight crates, as that can make a difference if the
ship takes on water or gets attacked.
Sailing to Fletcher’s Rest is not hard but when
they arrive, the island’s volcano is erupting.
That means the PCs can face several Problems.
The GM should use any of these as needed.
Walter is normally very nice and even friendly.
That is, until he gets stressed and his hidden
personality comes out. Then he is incredibly
and casually violent, punching anything (even
the dock) out of anger. If all eight crates are
delivered intact, then he is just fine. If two
crates are damaged, he will rage against a
wooden dock post for a bit before calming down
and thanking the PCs. If more than two crates
are ruined, he will flip out and start attacking a
random PC. There is no telling what he might do
if all the crates are spoiled!

• • Falling volcanic rock will put a hole in your

ship’s hull (8/4).

• • Water leaking inside your ship will ruin the

fine cloth (6/3).

•• Violent motions will break a bottle of rum (6/3).

• • The ship catches fire (4/4).

The key to this scene is presenting multiple

small Problems to split the PCs up. With so
many Legendary Dice, the PCs can easily solve
any one of these Problems alone. By presenting
them with one Problem while at least one other
is still being worked on, things can get dramatic.

Can the PCs just wait for the eruption to end?

Yes, actually. Mollie told them to be quick but
she was talking about not taking the better part
of a day, not waiting 20 minutes until flaming
death rocks stop falling from the sky. But if the
players misinterpret this as meaning they must
hurry no matter what, they will just have to deal
with the Problems that causes. Walter the Feared
Sociable | Violent

T
Powerful | 8 | Weak with cutlasses
here is a short dock near the
west middle of the island and Interrupt: Must pick two options from
tough choice
sitting there whittling a stick is
Danger: cause -1 Victory + tough choice
Walter the Feared.

116
THE MER OLK
Gabrielle did not suggest speaking to the
merfolk but if the PCs still have Bel’s magical
earring, have a try at recruiting them.
Finding one of the merfolk is easy; a PC can fall/
jump/be pushed off the ship as it sails away. The
first mer-person who arrives will quickly stop
anyone trying to talk about an alliance, saying
this is too important not to bring in others. As
with the end of Poor No More, an older merfolk
will eventually appear and parley with the
PC. The Problems begin with The merfolk do
not care about what happens to humans (6/4)
and once solved, The merfolk will not join
your alliance (8/4). The GM should explain
Teamwork cannot be used as only one PC can
speak to the merfolk at a time.
Even if the pirates are successful, the older
merfolk will not pledge to fight or anything
specific. Instead, all the pirates get is a promise
they will help when the moment is right.
117
 chapter 3:
Preparing for War
 SUMMARY
Pirates report the Skeleton Lord’s fleet is sailing
for Golden Sands Outpost. The crew has to figure
out whether to defend that island, travel to The
Devil’s Roar for more Ashen Jewels or rescue
some kidnapped pirates to swell their ranks ahead
of the fight. All three can be done but this means
several outposts will fall to Silas’ onslaught.
The PCs have arranged to meet Gabrielle on
the southern tip of Wanderer’s Refuge after
speaking to all the trading company liaisons. As
they get close, the pirates can see there is no one
there. Gabrielle finally shows up very late in the
day and not alone.
Y
ou see several sails on the
horizon. There’s four... no wait,
six ships sailing straight for this
island. As they get closer, you can
see they all fly a long triangular flag
showing that they are part of an
alliance. Then you notice the Bilge
Rat markings on the ships.
Eventually, all six anchor near your
vessel. A rowboat brings Gabrielle to
you. She is carrying something the
size of a small chest but it is covered
in a blanket. ‘A hoy pirates,’ she says in
a tired voice. ‘I have done my job. The
Bilge Rats and the Sea Dogs are ready
to move against Silas. Well, mostly
ready. Some are still sleeping off the
grog. But I brought you a present.’
120
W
ith a flourish, she pulls off
the blanket to reveal a bronze
bird cage with a skeleton parrot
inside. ‘Squawk, squawk! Salty wants
a cracker! Wait, this isn’t Ashen
Reaches! Is it?’
Gabrielle went to Kraken’s Fall looking for Duke
when she stumbled upon Salty the Skeleton
Parrot, who was last seen in the Voyage The
Lord Guardian. He explained about the Ashen
Jewels and how he helped the PCs. Then he
said he could feel there is a bunch of Jewels
on the island Ashen Reaches in The Devil’s
Roar. Gabrielle promised to bring him there but
realised coming here was more important.
Any PC with Ashen Jewels inside will perk up
upon mention of more Jewels and should be
eager to go get them right away. The GM should
remind players about the curse if needed.
If the PCs encountered Poor Poole between the
second and third trading companies, they will
already know Silas had turned into a Skeleton
Lord named The Lord Guardian. If that scene was
skipped, the PCs learn about that change now.
While they are talking to Gabrielle, the PCs
hear something in the jungle to the north. It is
coming closer. Ask them what they want to do.
This is a group of four friendly pirates from the
Due Response looking for help but the players do
not know that yet. If they plan a quick ambush
or something similar, have them solve the
Problem You attack whatever is moving without
seeing it (4/2). Killing one of these pirates will
make them fire back, creating a new Problem:
Pirates in the jungle will kill you (12/4). The
players can stop fighting at any time but they
will have to convince the newcomers that it was
all a mistake.
These pirates are Bilge Rats and they explain
that they barely survived a battle with the
new Skeleton Lord’s ships. A fleet was heading Crew of the Due Response
(4 pirates)
directly towards Golden Sands Outpost but
perhaps worse, the skeletons were kidnapping Strong | 12 | Weak with blunderbusses
pirates instead of just killing them. Sometimes Interrupt: -1 Victory with teamwork
the skellies waited aboard pirate ships until Interrupt: -1 Timer with talking
people returned from the Ferryman’s vessel.

One pirate explains that she was kidnapped This leaves the PCs with three options if they
and thrown into a massive cave network below hope to stop The Lord Guardian:
Sailor’s Bounty, an island in the northwest
corner of the Sea of Thieves. Dozens of pirates 1. Sail to Golden Sands Outpost and organise a
were chained up there but before she could defence to save the people there.
find out much more she died – she is not quite
2. Sail to Ashen Reaches and get the Ashen Jewels
sure how. She reappeared on the Due Response
there to help in the fight against skellies.
because it was left near Cannon Cove. The
crew of Due Response sailed here to meet 3. Sail to Sailor’s Bounty and free the imprisoned
with Gabrielle and they all but demanded that Bilge Rats there to increase their forces.
Gabrielle go with them to free the Bilge Rats so
they can join the fight.

121

GM note: Like the three trading company quests
in Chapter 2, players can choose to complete
one, two or all of them. However, each task takes
time and Silas’ plan continues to unfold.
• • If the PCs defend Golden Sands Outpost
first, skip to Defending the Sands below.
Otherwise, the island is captured by The
Lord Guardian’s skellies while the PCs are
out doing other things.
• • If the PCs go to Ashen Reaches or Sailor’s
Bounty first, go to the corresponding
section below. Golden Sands Outpost falls by
the time they are finished.
• • If the PCs go to Ashen Reaches and Sailor’s
Bounty, then both Golden Sands Outpost
and Dagger Tooth Outpost will fall.
122
DEFENDING
THE SANDS
As long as the PCs go here first, they will have
6 rounds to prepare for an attack. The outpost’s
residents have heard about the pirates’ efforts to
stop Silas and readily accept help, and as long as
the PCs do not suggest something too outlandish
they will be able to direct the preparations. In
addition to the PCs’ ship, there are 2 galleons
and 1 sloop here.
It is up to the players to decide how best to
oppose Silas’ forces. If they need help, remind
them that the attack on the outpost will come in
two stages. First, the enemy will sail their ships
close enough to fire cannon and send people
ashore. Then the skellies and their human allies
will attack and kidnap as many people as possible.
Because the Avast system is flexible, the players
do not have to create specific plans. They just
need to solve the Problem The outpost will have
no defences ready for an attack (16/6). Players
should narrate details and specifics to their
narration, such as blocking the docks or creating
sniper nests. This Problem ends in 6 rounds. If
the players solve it, then the next two Problems
will have a smaller Difficulty and a larger Timer.
If the PCs run out of time, then The Lord
Guardian’s fleet arrives too soon to affect the
next Problem.
Speaking of which, the first Problem caused by
the invasion is The enemy fleet will sail close
enough to bombard and storm the island (20/4).
If the PCs were successful in preparing, it is
(17/5). In order to add Victories to the Solution,
a PC must be close enough to the enemy ships
to do something useful rather than sitting
comfortably on the beach watching the fight.
Although this fleet has many skeleton ships in it,
there are no human vessels. In other words, this
is not all of the Lord Guardian’s forces. The GM
should make sure the players realise that, as the
full battle comes later.
If the PCs solve this Problem, the next one is
Some skellies and enemy humans will kidnap
the outpost’s humans (14/5). This changes
to (13/6) with preparations. If the PCs failed
to solve the enemy fleet Problem, then the
next one is The Lord Guardian’s allies will
kidnap the outpost’s humans (24/4). Successful
preparations do not help with this Problem as
cannonfire from the ships will demolish defences
and disrupt clever plans.
If the PCs fail this last Problem, Golden Sands
Outpost falls to The Lord Guardian. Likely,
the PCs will die in the process and their ship
will be sunk, so they will appear at Discovery
Ridge (south in the Ancient Isles region) with
fresh bodies and a renewed ship. If they are
successful, they can go after the Ashen Jewels
on Ashen Reaches or to free some pirates held
prisoner on Sailor’s Bay. Remind any player
whose PC has some Ashen Jewels to demand the
first choice.
ASHES, ASHES
Ashen Reaches is in the far southeast corner
of The Devil’s Roar. Because the PCs are now
familiar with the volcanoes here, they can set a
course to avoid all of them except for the one on
that island.
A
s you approach the island, you
see black smoke drifting from
the volcano on the southern side.
Although the air smells like sulphur,
the volcano is not active. At least,
not yet. It’s impossible to tell when it
might erupt.
What happens next depends on how the players
said their characters would approach the island :
• • If they come from the northwest, west or
south, then that is all the description they
get. They can anchor anywhere but there is
no sign of a ship on these sides.
• • If they come from the north or east, they
spot an enemy brigantine anchored just off
the island. This is the Golden Tide and it
flies the red-and-gold betentacled skull of
The Lord Guardian.
123
 The Skeleton Lord wants even more Ashen Jewels
and if Salty the Skeleton Parrot can detect them,
so can he. He sent his most loyal pirates here to
get the Jewels (while wearing gloves) and return
them to him on Sailor’s Bounty.

While no one has a treasure map for these

particular jewels, anyone with at least 1 Ashen
Jewel in them will be able to find them by
solving The Ashen Jewels will remain lost
(10/U). The GM should reduce the Difficulty by
how many Jewels are inside that PC.

When the PCs arrive, the enemy pirates have

just found the Jewels inside a cave underneath
the volcano. There are 5 Ashen Jewels there,
now held in a leather bag. Of course, the volcano
above starts to rumble and threatens to erupt as
soon as the PCs get to the caves.

The enemy crew will do two things once they

Captain Peggy Brown
realise the PCs are there. The captain will grab
the bag and run for his ship. Then the rest of
Dreaded | 10 | No weakness
the crew will attack the PCs. The first Problem
Interrupt: -1 Victory with talking
is The captain will reach his ship (10/3) while
the second is The pirates will kill you all (16/4). Interrupt: Lose half (rounded down)
Victories in the hold with his ship
Players cannot roll for both, so they must decide
if they want to chase after the Jewels or fight Danger: -1 Victory with fighting in Close range
back. Obviously, if nobody fights the pirates Danger: One cannot be used to belay a
they will kill all the PCs.

Any PC cursed with Jewels beforehand will

face a new Problem when the enemy is defeated :
The Ashen Jewels force you to take all of them Crew of the Golden Tide
(14/4). Here, the GM should add one to the (3 powerful pirates)
Difficulty for each Jewel already inside. Even Powerful | 16 | Weak with cutlasses
if the players work well together and agree on Interrupt: Must pick two options from
sharing them equally, previously cursed PCs will tough choice
still demand all the Jewels. Explain the effects
Danger: cause -1 Victory + tough choice
on page 59 so players know what they might be
fighting over.

124
At this point any PCs who already had a Jewel
or two start to get sick. They show signs of
scurvy, which include loose teeth, mood swings,
pain, swelling and red spots on the skin. There
are no in-game effects right now but these
players should be aware that their characters are
visibly sick.
As for the volcano, the GM should decide
whether to have it erupt or not. If the previous
Problems were solved quickly, it can be fun to
add some boiling seawater and threaten to sink
the pirates’ ship but if there were plenty of new
Problems from or too many injuries/deaths,
it might be best to just move forward.
PIRATE PRISONERS
Sailor’s Bounty is now The Lord Guardian’s
headquarters, so the PCs will not be able to
easily free people from the caves.
S
ailor’s Bounty is a series of small
islands with a larger one found
in the southwestern half. Most of
the islands are rather flat and you
can see at least two dozen masts on
the far side, their sails rolled and
tied up. All fly the betentacled skull.
Even from a distance, you can see
movement all over the islands.
In order for the PCs to free the Bilge Rat
prisoners, they must:
• • Sneak onto the island without being noticed.
• • Get into the caves without being noticed.
• • Free the pirates chained up there.
• • Get them back to their ship.
There are 20 pirates imprisoned here. If the PCs
brought any vessel larger than a sloop, they will
all fit aboard. Not comfortably but anything is
better than being Silas’ prisoner in a damp cave.
It is entirely up to the players how they go about
the rescue. Some of the most likely ideas are:
• • Create a distraction to the north or east:
Assuming the players are coming from the
other direction, this creates two Problems,
one right after the other: The pirates and
skellies will remain where they are (16/4) and
if successful, The enemy will sink your ship
(20/4). The second Problem does not need to
be solved in order to rescue the pirates, as
the attack comes after the distraction worked
but obviously a ship is needed to get the
prisoners away from the island.
• • Wait until nightfall and sneak onto the
main island: This creates the Problem The
pirates and skellies will see you come
ashore (16/4). If the PCs fail to solve that, a
group of skellies and humans will raise the
alarm and attack with The pirates will kill
you all (14/4), The skellies will kill you all
(7/4) and A gunpowder skeleton will kill one
PC (4/3). Of course, all that noise will bring
more of The Lord Guardian’s allies, so the
GM may have to reuse these Problems.
• • Attack!: While this is technically an option,
it is not a good one. There are simply too
many enemies and ships on Sailor’s Bounty
for the PCs to defeat.
Since many of The Lord Guardian’s subjects are
skeletons, they can reduce a relevant Problem’s
Difficulty by 1 per Jewel embedded within a pirate.
Just carrying them in a bag does not do anything
except make a pirate who already has some want to
reach in and grab the inviting hot gems….
125
 Once on the island, finding the caves is not
hard. There will be two guards on each entrance
The Lord Guardian’s
(one human, one skeleton) but since The Lord
Guardian is focused on building an attack Loyal Humans
(6 pirates)
against the outposts in the Sea of Thieves, this
is more about making sure no one gets out. The Average | 14 | Weak with talking
only challenge is to take care of the two guards Interrupt: -1 Victory with fighting
quietly enough to avoid raising the alarm.
The Lord Guardian’s

Y
ou enter the caves and feel the Loyal Skeletons
(6 skeletons)
temperature grow cooler. In
Weak | 7 | No weakness
the flickering torchlight, you see
before you a pitiful sight. 20 pirates Gunpowder Skeleton
Average | 4 | No weakness
are chained in iron shackles in these
Interrupt: All PCs nearby die when one PC dies
caves. Some are stuck to the walls,
while others are chained together in
a line. Most are sleeping but a few see
you enter and look excited.

Right now, the main Problem is The Bilge Rats

remain chained in the cave (14/U). The GM
should let players decide how to free them.
There are two keys but the guards do not have
them. One is with Skeleton Captain Carlyle who
is currently waiting on the northwest beach.
The other is with Captain Moses Leecham who
is currently aboard his galleon, the Revenge. The
prisoners know this, as they have seen both use
the keys often enough. Of the two, the Skeleton
Captain will be easier, especially with the power
of the Ashen Jewels.

126
The PCs might find another way to rescue the
captives, perhaps leading them to safety without
removing the chains. Breaking the chains for
each prisoner will be very hard to do. It will
also make a ton of noise and take hours – during
which time every enemy on the island will
descend upon them.
Skeleton Captain Carlyle
Powerful | 8 | No weakness
Interrupt: -1 Victory with random weapon type
Danger: Must pick two options from
tough choice
Depending on how the PCs free the Bilge Rats,
they may have to solve additional Problems such
as Enemy pirates will see you escaping with the
prisoners (16/4) or even Enemy pirates will kill
you all (16/4).
Once aboard their ship, the PCs can sail to any
free outpost. The freed prisoners will cheer for
the PCs and give them a total of 6 Gold Tokens
as a way of saying thanks.
Captain Moses Leecham
Dreaded | 10 | No weakness
Interrupt: -1 Victory with talking
Interrupt: Lose half (rounded down)
Victories in the hold with his ship
Danger: -1 Victory with fighting in Middle range
Danger: One cannot be used to belay a
127
chapter4:
T he B attle
 SUMMARY
With their makeshift alliance ready, the crew
sails with their allies to meet the Skeleton Lord
in battle. If they did not already know, they
discover he is Silas who has finally succumbed
to the Ashen Jewels’ curse. The battle between
the PCs and Lord Guardian to decide the fate of
the Sea of Thieves once and for all.
Gathering the Allies
There is no time left for preparations. The
pirates must fight now or Silas will take control
of the Sea of Thieves. They sail to meet their
allies, hoping that someone else will turn up at
the rendezvous. Where that is depends on the
players’ choices in the third chapter.
• • If the PCs defended Golden Sands Outpost,
then The Lord Guardian does not conquer
any more outposts. The final battle happens
off the shore of Golden Sands, as the
Skeleton Lord wants another go at it.
• • If they went for more Ashen Jewels or to
rescue pirates (but not both), the climactic
battle will be held off Dagger Tooth Outpost.
• • If they went for both, then the final battle
happens near Galleon’s Grave Outpost.
That said, this battle can be held anywhere in
the Sea as long as there is an island nearby. If it
makes more sense for the GM to start the battle
near Shipwreck Bay, then start it there.
130
A
s you sail around the tip of
the island, you see the biggest
group of ships you have ever laid
eyes on. Sloops, brigantines and
galleons all sit offshore, and pirates
are busy loading as many supplies as
possible onto the ships. You see some
familiar vessels, including Captain
Gabrielle’s Black Code, the Narwhal,
and even the Hammerhead.
Players may want to resupply here as well. Ships
can carry up to 3 supply tokens in the hold and
each player can have 1 apiece. If a player asks
about cursed cannonballs, their PC must first
solve Any cursed cannonballs here remain hidden
(10/U). Solving it means the PCs as a group can
have 2 cursed cannonballs of their choice.
Before starting the scene, the GM should convey
the bonuses from building a strong alliance.
• • If the Gold Hoarders joined the alliance,
they bribed a lot of pirates into helping fight
for your side. -1 Difficulty for any Problem
with a star ( * ) and -2 Difficulty for every
Problem in the second stage (the land battle) .
• • If the Order of Souls joined the alliance,
they used the memories of dead pirates to
predict how skellies fight. -1 Difficulty for
any Problem with a star ( * ) and -2 Difficulty
for the skeleton ship Problem in the first
stage (the sea battle) .
• • If the Merchant Alliance joined the
alliance, they dug through their supplies
to find the best for the PCs’ alliance. -1
Difficulty for any Problem with a star ( * )
and -2 Difficulty for the human ship Problem
in the first stage.
• • If the merfolk joined the alliance, they
interfere with the enemy’s rudders and help
keep track of the ships. -1 Difficulty for any
Problem with a star ( * ) and if the PCs’ ship
sinks, it will be renewed in two turns right
in the middle of the fight instead of a few
islands away.
These advantages are cumulative. If the PCs
managed to get all four groups to join the
alliance they will receive a total of -4 Difficulty.
FIRST STAGE:
THE FLEET BATTLE
As the two alliances sail towards each other, the
ships will meet first.
A
thin but chilly fog rolls over
your fleet but it is not thick
enough to hide in. Up ahead, you start
to see sails, one after another. Using a
spyglass, you can see the betentacled
skull flying from their masts. They
get closer and you can see their fleet is
not in a line. It’s more broken into two
sections: skeleton ships and human
ships. The wind shifts and hits from
the right, giving both sides equal
speed and mobility.
T
hen you spot her. The Maiden’s
Rest leads the fleet. Standing at
the bow, you spot what might be Silas
Norridge. But he is a Skeleton Lord
now. A good dozen Ashen Jewels
cover his skull and arms. He casts
his gaze over your whole fleet then
turns slightly to look right at you. His
mouth opens but you hear no words.
The GM should start this stage by asking which
part of the enemy fleet the PCs want to focus on:
Skellies or pirates. Although some ships have
mixed crews, some do not. More importantly,
this choice reflects the look of ships. The
alliance will help with both, so choosing one side
will not let the other do better. Be sure to get the
different Ship Cards ready, as knowing which
PC is at what station will be vital to this scene.
What happens if some or even all the PCs
die? There are no changes to the Avast
system, so they spend two turns aboard
the Ferry of the Damned before appearing
back aboard their ship. If every PC is dead
and a Problem is still ticking away, that
Problem is cancelled (so the Consequence
will not happen) , any Victories in the hold
are lost and a Solution will need to be
started all over again.
If the Pirates Engage the Skeleton Fleet...
Their Problem begins as Skeleton ships will sink
yours (18*/4). Skelly ships often have cursed
cannonballs and if a PC picks a new Problem
from a , the PCs’ ship will be hit by ballastball
first, facing new Problem The ship is taking on
water and will sink (5/4) and then a venomball
(PCs all take an Injury) .
131
 Skeleton ship crew
(8 gold skeletons)
Average | 18 | Weak with guns
Interrupt: -2 Victories with cutlasses
Skeleton ship
Galleon
Interrupt: -2 Victories with fighting
Any Ashen Jewels can be used as described
on page 59 of this book but whenever a PC
uses their power, the curse takes a turn for the
worse. As the scurvy-like Problems wrack their
body, the pirate takes 1 Injury in the same turn.
Anyone with 4+ Jewels takes 2 Injuries back-to-
back. Banana Tokens can be spent to heal (and
recover Legendary Dice) like normal. If a PC
dies this way, they return healed but still lose a
permanent Legendary Dice like normal for death
in the Sea of Thieves.
If The Pirates Engage the Human Fleet...
They spot a familiar vessel trying to get within
cannonball range: The Sargasso (from Roach’s
132
Crew of the Sargasso
(4 Pirates)
Strong | 12 | Weak with Blunderbusses
Interrupt: -1 Victory with Teamwork
Interrupt: -1 Timer with talking
The Sargasso
Brigantine
Interrupt: -2 Victories with speed
Fortune) . The crew of Sargasso will quietly
drop one of their crew overboard, who will try
to board the PCs’ ship and drop their anchor.
While that is happening, Sargasso will sail in a
circle and shoot cannons.
The GM should start with The Sargasso will
sink your ship (12*/4). But when a PC picks a
new Problem from a bad roll, they get An enemy
pirate boarded your vessel and will drop your
anchor (7/2). Players who state they are watching
for borders can increase the Timer to 4.
Since this is a fight with a human crew, the
Ashen Jewels do not apply.

No matter which fleet the PCs take on, Poor
Poole shows up in his dull, unnamed sloop in the
middle of the chaos. This is a carryover, so what
he does next depends on how the PCs treated
him in the last Voyage Poor No More.
• • If they treated Poole nicely, even if they
rejected him earlier in this Voyage, Poole
starts on the enemy side but switches in mid
battle. The GM should narrate how Poole’s
ship suddenly fires on a skeleton galleon,
adding 1 Victory to the hold for a Problem
the PCs are solving.
• • If they treated him badly, he tries to ram the
PCs’ ship and then explode the gunpowder
barrel he stored near the bow. This creates the
Problem Poole’s sloop will ram yours (3/2). If
failed, the next Problem is Poole’s gunpowder
barrel will blow a hole in your ship (4/2).
Neither is hard to solve but it takes rolls away
from solving the main Problem.
When the PCs are done with Poole, the GM
should use whichever fleet the PCs did not
yet engage.
B
etween the light fog and haze
from gunpowder smoke it’s hard
to keep track the action but it looks
like The Lord Guardian’s alliance is
retreating! A few ships are listing
badly and one is even on fire and they
are making a break for the nearby
outpost. In fact, you already see one
ship beached there, its crew escaping
to dry land. The Maiden’s Rest has
reached the shore and you do not see
The Lord Guardian anywhere.
The GM should set this battle at whatever outpost
was determined by PC choices described previously.
The Lord Guardian and his subjects (human and
skeleton) are losing badly thanks to the PCs,
so they are running ashore as best they can to
avoid being killed and sent back to their ships.
Those are mostly underwater right now, so
they will spend extra time on the Ferry of the
Damned as merfolk try to resurrect all those
sunken ships. The battle now moves onto land.
133
 SECOND STAGE: THE MAIN
THE ISLAND BATTLE ENEMY FORCE
The pirates and their allies will have to fight

A
s you anchor safely offshore, their way ashore before they can begin to engage
you notice the humid wind is the main force. Because plant skellies can heal in
water, the enemy sends them out to fight at the
getting colder and stronger. Sure
beach under the command of a Skeleton Captain.
enough, you spot a storm coming The PCs face two Problems at once: Plant
in from the north. The island’s skeletons will kill you before you come ashore
trees are bending in the wind and (18*/4) and The Skeleton Captain will kill one of
you on the beach (8/4). The skelly captain will
you feel a light drizzle starting
target the PC with the most Legendary Dice.
to descend. Enemy humans and
skeletons are running for shelter but
they occasionally fire a shot at your
alliance. It looks like they are trying
to establish a defensive position.

The Lord Guardian and his crew are already

hiding somewhere on the island. Where exactly
depends on which outpost they are on but it
will always be the best hiding spot, whether this
means a tavern, cave, jungle or anything else
available. Getting to them means going through
the main force, who know they are cornered and
will fight hard.
Skeleton Captain
Alice Sullivan
Plant Skeleton Group Powerful | 8 | No weakness
(8 skeletons)
Interrupt: -1 Victory with cutlasses
Average | 18 | Weak with cutlasses
Danger: Must pick two options from
Interrupt: -2 Victories with water tough choice

134
The GM can use the plant skellies’ Interrupt at
any time. When narrating the scene, include how
the plant skeletons are healing thanks to the
rain and seawater, and how pirates from the PCs’
alliance are advancing as well.
The Ashen Jewels’ power applies to both
Problems, so the GM should adjust the
Difficulty appropriately. As in the first stage,
using them comes at a cost. Any PC with at
least one Ashen Jewel embedded inside will
take a turn for the worse, suffering 1 Injury as
the scurvy-like symptoms become debilitating.
Having 4+ Jewels means taking 2 Injuries.
However, this is more severe than in the first
stage and Banana Tokens do nothing to heal the
Injury! It remains in effect for one day, at which
point the PC gets the Legendary Dice back.
Once the current Problem is solved, read the
following to the players:
T
he storm gets worse and the
rain is starting to get annoying.
You stand on the beach, looking
towards the buildings and The Lord
Guardian’s pirates waiting there.
They have built makeshift barricades
in front of buildings and several
pirates are on the roofs taking aim
with eyes of reach. A gust of wind
threatens to knock you down. As
your alliance’s pirates attack the
enemy, a group led by a portly
captain slice through several and
calmly walk towards you.
This is a group of particularly capable (and evil)
pirates that readily took Silas’ oath because they
really wanted to hurt people. There are two
new Problems to face. First, it is The enemy
will drive you back into the sea (28*/5) and
Dread Captain Denny will kill two PCs (10/5).
However, the storm has become so bad that all
players roll one fewer Legendary Dice as if they
were Injured (minimum 1 dice) . The Timers are
higher because the storm impedes the enemy
as well. The GM should remember to adjust
the first Problem’s Difficulty depending on the
groups who joined the PCs’ alliance.
Before combat begins, the GM should create
a short plan on how to use Interrupts and
Dangers to make things as difficult as possible.
Since there are two Problems, the pirates and
the captain can each use 1 Interrupt (if the
condition is met) and 1 Danger on the same
turn. That means the pirate group could cause
two options and -1 Victory for each rolled
by PCs in the same round. After that, only the
Danger can be used again.
It is likely that some PC will die in this action
and they will appear aboard their ship two
turns after dying (and with -1 Legendary Dice
permanently) . Ashen Jewels are not used here as
there are no skeletons to control.
135
 THIRD STAGE:
THE LORD GUARDIAN HIMSELF
When the PCs finally defeat Dread Captain
Denny and his pirates, give them one round to
spend a Banana Token to heal or to find supplies
on the outpost. Spending a turn searching will
provide two supply tokens of the player’s choice
(such as 1 Banana Token and 1 Bullet Token) .
Then read the following aloud :

T
he rain eases up some and you
can see much more clearly.
The enemy tried setting fire to the
outpost’s buildings but thanks to the
weather all they achieved was a few
weak plumes of smoke rising into the
air. The fight is still going on but
your side is clearly winning now.
Your pirates keep dying, reappearing
on their ships in the harbour and
Dread Captain
Denny Mercier then coming back for more, but since
much of The Lord Guardian’s fleet is
Dreaded | 10 | No weakness in Davy Jones’ Locker, their pirates
Interrupt: -1 Victory with talking
are running thin. Skeletons do not
Interrupt: Lose half (rounded down)
Victories in the hold with his ship come back, so the ground is littered
Danger: -1 Victory with fighting in Middle range with their bones glistening in the
Danger: One cannot be used to belay a rain and weak sunlight. The tide is
definitely turning against the enemy.

The Lord Guardian is nowhere to be seen, at

Powerful Pirate Group least not yet.

(6 pirates)
Powerful | 28 | Weak with cutlasses The PCs will need to track him to his hiding
spot. Again, exactly where depends on which
Interrupt: Must pick two options from
outpost was chosen earlier by the GM. If the
tough choice
GM is unsure where this should be, go with
Danger: cause -1 Victory + tough choice
the tavern or another building not visited by
the PCs during the second stage. Finding the

136
Skeleton Lord can be a Problem such as The
Lord Guardian remains lost (14/U) or the GM
can just have players roleplay through a quick
search of the outpost.

When they finally find him, read the following

to the players:

T
he man you knew as Captain
Silas Norridge is gone. This
thing wears the same clothes but
that’s the only resemblance. It’s a
skeleton now but one covered with
Ashen Jewels. It’s hard to know how
many exactly, as they slowly move
around his bones like fat roaches on
a corpse. He stands there next to two
Skeleton Captains. His mouth moves
and you hear a raspy, almost hissing
The Lord Guardian
(formerly Silas Norridge)
version of Silas’ old voice. Blunt | Disloyal
Pirate Legend | 16 | No weakness
‘Wait! Before you attack, listen to me Interrupt: -1 Victory aboard his ship
plea! I beg you!’ Interrupt: -2 dice with skeletons
Interrupt: -3 Victories with fighting
If the players do not want to hear The Lord
Danger: cause -1 Victory + tough choice
Guardian, they can start fighting. This creates
two Problems: The Skeleton Captains will kill Danger: -1 Timer with fighting
two PCs (12*/4) and The Lord Guardian will
kill two PCs (16/4). No quarter will be offered
once the fight begins, so the GM should not
hold back. Use all the Interrupts and Dangers
as soon as possible. Remember that only one
Danger can be used per round but Silas can use
Two Skeleton Captains
Powerful | 12 | No weakness
an Interrupt and a Danger in the same round.
Interrupt: -1 Victory with random weapon type

The key to making this fight epic is narration. Danger: Must pick two options from
tough choice
Do not just keep rolling! Whenever a player
rolls, ask them to narrate fighting against a

137
 Skeleton Lord in a blinding thunderstorm.
Whenever an ability is used, the GM should
narrate what happens in the story when it takes
effect. For example if the GM takes away 3
Victories using The Lord Guardian’s Interrupt,
describe how he heals with a banana or narrowly
avoids the pirates’ attack with a dramatic and
menacing flourish.
If the players allow him to speak:
I
‘ urge ye, if ye truly love the Sea of
Thieves and the pirate life, join me!
Pirates here need leadership and there
is none but me fit to provide it! I was
the greatest of all pirates before my
ascension to skeletal majesty and now
I am the greatest being ever to sail
any sea! Let me lead you and you will
come to rejoice in my overlordship!’
The Lord Guardian goes on like this for a
while and whilst the PCs are distracted he uses
the power of his many Ashen Jewels to try to
control any pirates with Jewels inside them.
Each faces the same Problem: The Ashen Jewels
make you want to ally with The Lord Guardian
138
(6/3). The Difficulty depends on the number of
Jewels inside the character:
• • 1 Jewel: -2 Difficulty
• • 2-3 Jewels: No change
• • 4-6 Jewels: +2 Difficulty
• • 7-10 Jewels: +6 Difficulty
Since this is more-or-less an internal struggle,
Teamwork cannot be used without a great
explanation from the players. Any new Problems
can be enemies not defeated yet coming to
defend their Lord Guardian or a PC wanting to
attack anyone trying to help free him from The
Lord Guardian’s influence.
Anyone who fails this Problem is not forced
to attack the PCs unless they attack The Lord
Guardian but they will walk over to his side
and argue that he’s right. Convincing these PCs
to come to their senses is a new Problem: The
PC remains allied to The Lord Guardian. If a
fight breaks out, each PC has their own Problem
with the Difficulty equal to 2 + the number
of permanent Legendary Dice owned by that
player. (See PCs Fighting Other PCs on page 86
of the Book of Pirates.)
If The Lord Guardian is defeated in battle, his bones
fall to the ground. PCs under his control are freed
and the skeletons still active across the outpost just
stop moving. Seeing this, any remaining pirates on
his side flee one way or another.
 E pilogue :
Where to Go From Here
 Finally, Silas/The Lord Guardian has been
defeated for good! This is the end of this Voyage,
so each PC gains a permanent Legendary Dice.
If anyone was at 5 dice, they become a Pirate
Legend and can carry on to go up to 7 dice! But
what else?
• • Pirates who sided with The Lord Guardian
will not be welcome at the Sea’s outposts for a
while but eventually the bitter memories will
fade. Duke and the Bilge Rats will thank these
pirates for providing the opposition in one of
the greatest pirate adventures of all time and
that will help others forgive and forget.
• • The outposts will return to normal slowly
but surely. Supplies will soon be available and
regular, run-of-the-mill piratin’ will resume.
• • The trading companies do not offer any
rewards, as they spent a lot (literally and
figuratively) to support the PCs’ alliance.
• • Pirates report fewer skeletons and skelly
ships for the next few weeks but after a while
they appear as often as they used to.
But Duke and Gabrielle will hand each player a
gilded envelope sealed with black wax. Inside
are two things: 1) a formal invitation to become
a Bilge Rat and 2) a mark of favour that can be
turned in to any Bilge Rat to obtain their help.
Duke is purposefully vague about what this
means. Gabrielle will pay the 10 Gold Tokens for
each pirate as promised and the PCs get a new
ship of their choice.
142
THE ASHEN
JEWELS
The Lord Guardian’s old bones have 13 Jewels
and some of the PCs may have their own.
• • PCs can remove any embedded inside them
but might die in the process: Removing the
Ashen Jewels will kill you (6/4), modifying
the Difficulty by the number of Jewels as
described above. Of course, any character
who has the Jewels will not want to lose any.
In fact, he wants more!
• • Any PC with 11+ Jewels turns into a
skeleton as described in the beginning of
this book. Turning into a skelly means
the PC is now an NPC and the player will
have to create a new Pirate starting with
2 Legendary Dice. This former-crewmate
might be the focus of a future Voyage.
What if they come up with the staggeringly
original plan of using an army of skeletons
to take over the Sea of Thieves?
• • Duke and Gabrielle strongly advise the PCs
to gather the Jewels in a box or bag and toss
it into a volcano in The Devil’s Roar. They
do not recommend tossing it in the ocean
for fear it will hurt the merfolk. The trading
companies will quickly learn about these
cursed items and refuse to buy any.
Of course, it is completely up to the players
what they choose to do. If they want to keep a
few Ashen Jewels for their power, they will have
to deal with the consequences.
NEW VOYAGE AND
CAMPAIGN IDEAS:
Here are a few ideas for Voyages or even a new
campaign after defeating The Lord Guardian.
• • Throwing the Jewels into a volcano can be
a Voyage in itself. Maybe skellies will rise
up to prevent their destruction or maybe
some former Silas allies will know about
their power and want all the Jewels for
themselves. Will a PC give into temptation
along the way and embed more?
• • Rebuilding outposts take supplies, so the PCs
can be tasked with retrieving them from far-
flung islands while avoiding enemy pirates
who want the same. What happens if there are
not enough cannonballs to go around?
THE END
• • The PCs have earned a reputation as
skeleton ‘hunters’ and a group of pirates
wants to create a new version of Bilge Rats
that only prey on skellies. Will the Bilge
Rats take kindly to this and does the pirate
group have an ulterior motive?
• • Although most people in the Sea of Thieves
will eventually forgive enemy pirates, not
all will. The PCs might be hired to kidnap
and imprison a specific crew as revenge. But
what will the PCs do when they discover
how the targets never actually sided with
The Lord Guardian?
•• How will Poole or the crew of the Hammerhead
treat the PCs after this is all over?
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