Me and a friend were slooping about, when we sunk a ship and found we was carrying two ritual skulls. The sever seemed pretty dead, so we figured, screw it we’ll try FOTD and hope not to get attacked. On our way there after the flames of fate were retrieved, we saw a galleon, one crewed by pirate lords, no less. Athena’s sails on their masts and thirsty for blood they turned towards us.

Assuming the battle would go sour for us, we turned and fled, hoping to avoid conflict. I jumped off, grabbed the ladder, and talked of our plan to do the FOTD, suggesting an alliance. I was met with a blunder bust to the face.

At this point they anchored at the fort. It was beginning to get late, so my crewmate and I decided either we get an alliance and do it together, or we end our session. We sail back for another go at negotiations.

I hide in the water near their ship, and attempt to convince them while playing a shanty. Eventually they agreed and raised their flag, to which we returned the favor.

They already had a ritual skull, which made 3. All 3 runs of the fort went swimmingly, asside from some mistrust from both sides, especially when loading kegs.

They suggested we put the loot on their ship. An immediate red flag to me, but we figured they gain little from selling it after leaving an alliance over staying in it. We accepted, begrudgingly.

My friend decides it would be best if one of us stays on the galleom while they travel to the outpost, while the other mans our helm. This idea was promptly shut down by a simple, “go back to your ship.” Another huge red flag. Ain hindsight this is the point at which a keg should’ve been used, but my friend convinced me to let them be. We start following them, making sure they continue on the path to Ancient Spires

Suddenly, battle music. Horns. Roars. We’ve been Rare’d. A skeleton galleon, skeleton sloop, and a meg all arise from the depths. We sink the sloop quickly, moving to the galleon next to help protect the galleon and the loot aboard. Our alliance member shoots (and misses) a few cannonballs but ultimately runs. We assume its due to their fear of losing loot, but being pirate legends, they should have the know-how to fight the ship. We ignore this however, turning back to Ancient Spires, with the galleom following us now, from much further behind due to the wind. We pulled up our sail partially to let them catch up, but they were moving much slower than expected.

A look at the map reveals they’ve turned and headed for Dagger Tooth outpost. A bad sign. This had happened to us once before. We prepared to the dreaded message, and then it came. “A crew has left the alliance.”

Drat. We spin around and come after them, sailing through a storm to beat them there. They drop the repears bounty and chest to avoid us knowing their location. I sail to where i last saw them, and came out of the storm facing them, and gaining. They pull up sails and begin docking with us closing in. 600ft 500ft 400ft BOOM. A stronghold keg blown from our ladder. Our ship was lost, but my crewmate and I survive. We swim to shore, with the galleon having fled into the distance.

Preparing to give up, we see them turning back. They hadn’t had much time to dock, much less sell, so we decided to hide in the tavern, where the athena’s chest would undoubtedly be. We wait quietly. One of their crew spots our mermaid, but they opt to ignore it. Cautiously, one steps through the tavern door with a glowing blue chest. My friend and I leap the actions with blunder-bust and sword. One of their members sells his chest before dying, while the other dies just before. We pick up his chest and sell it ourselves. Not only our first Athena’s Chest, but our first stolen Athena’s as well.

We run to the dock, when suddenly my friend notices something. I hear a gasp, a moment of silence, and the largest explosion i’ve heard in my life. The galleon had left the stronghold kegs, numbering about 6 in the crows nest. The ship was devastated, and sunk rapidly. We fought the last two on land, and began to sell. They had sold 2 of the 3 athena’s chest, but we got the rest.

Then I see them, on the horizon, coming for revenge. My friend hides to give updates once I die, while I fight. I take out two before passing. For pirate legends, they didn’t exactly have skill with the sword or guns.

After a visit to the ferry, I grabbed the ship and came back, my friend finding his mermaid as I approached. He manned the cannon, and we fought hard against them. They had looted the island, and simply had more supplies, more hull, and more firepower than us, but we were staying a float, and givin them hell. This battle lasted around half an hour, during which a large death spiral occurred, along with 4 separate boarding attempts. The battle was grueling, and neither side was making much progress with a sink. As we headed away to make some space for repairs, a kraken rose from the depths, nearly killing us. Luckily, we escaped.

5am at this point, nearly falling asleep. We decided to make one last stand, one last statement, and then bid them goodnight. My crew mate set the sails to full speed and aimed for their broad. A flurry of firebombs were released, and with a simply ‘Talley Ho!’ and some choice words regarding the betrayal, we left our ship to sink.

If only they had accepted their initial defeat at the outpost, I may have gotten more sleep!

TLDR; a ship betrayed us on the FOTD, we followed them to the outpost and used the stronghold kegs to sink them. They came back, we fought, and we left due to how late it had gotten.