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Trading Companies
In General
The Five Main Reputations. Clockwise: Athena's Fortune, Merchant Alliance, Order of Souls, Gold Hoarders, and Reaper's Bones (middle).
The main source of income for the player character, the Trading Companies have been around since shortly after the Sea of Thieves was discovered. A representative of each company save the Reaper's Bone can be found on every outpost, from the Shores of Plenty to the Devil's Roar. Each representative sells voyages that the player must complete to gain rewards.
Initially the game had only four Trading Companies: the Gold Hoarders, the Merchant Alliance, the Order of Souls, and Athena's Fortune. The Hunter's Call and the Sea Dogs were introduced in the Anniversary update, while the Reaper's Bones were introduced in the Ships of Fortune update.
- 100% Completion: While possible, completing all the commendations in the game is a lengthy task and can be entirely RNG based.
- Achievement System: Each Company has commendations that are completed by turning in certain items or killing specific enemies. These commendations typically come in five ranks, though some are a one time deal.
- And Your Reward Is Clothes: Cosmetic rewards in the form of clothes and tool skins are the main rewards that the Trading Companies offer. These are themed around the Trading Company.
- And Your Reward Is Interior Decorating: Ship Decorating. Like the clothes mentioned above, you unlock new skins for your boat the more reputation you have with a Trading Company. These are also themed around the Trading Company.
- Colour-Coded for Your Convenience: All of the Companies have colors assigned to them.
The Gold Hoarders
In General
"Your Success Brings Us Fortune"
One of the Trading Companies found in the Sea of Thieves. Founded by the treasure hunter known as Rathbone, the Gold Hoarders seek the treasures found all throughout the Sea to fulfill their ever growing greed. The Gold Hoarders are in possession of the keys that are used to unlock the chests found in the Sea, giving a portion of the riches to the pirate(s) who turn in said chests.
Members of the Gold Hoarders are said to fall under the "Curse of the Gold Hoarder" as their greed grows; patches of their skin and their eyes start to turn into gold. No one knows the cause of this curse...
- Arbitrarily Large Bank Account: The Gold Hoarders, along with the rest of the Trading Companies, never seem to be short of gold to give you. Granted, the Gold Hoarders make their coin from the chests and other loot you bring them. And it's a video game.
- Bling of War: As your reputation with the Gold Hoarders grows you unlock pieces of the Gold Hoarders Set for you ship. Unsurprisingly a bright gold color makes up the majority of the color scheme, and the figure head is a literal bag of gold!
- Gold Fever: All members of the Gold Hoarders have a lust for gold, or any type of treasure in general.
- Gold–Silver–Copper Standard: Almost all the treasure in Sea of Thieves follows this standard. The cheapest to be sold to the Gold Hoarders is a Castaway's Chest, while the most expensive is a Captain's Chest. And those are just the regular chests.
- Loves Only Gold: Natch.
- Money Fetish: Quite possibly.
- Skeleton Key: The Gold Hoarders are in possession of these. The chests of the Sea of Thieves are locked with iron made from the chains of the first Kraken. Even if you tried for years, you'd never be able to open a chest without the right key.
- Theme Naming: All members of the Order have names that start with H.
Humphrey the Hoarder
Humphrey the Hoarder
"Who would ever want more than the splendour of gold?"
The Gold Hoarders' liaison to Sanctuary Outpost. Originally just another pirate, he joined the Gold Hoarders when he realized just how much money the company actually had compared to how much they gave to the pirates bringing them chests.
- A Day in the Limelight: One of the Sea of Thieves: Origins supplementary comics focuses on Humphrey, and how he came to work for the Gold Hoarders.
- Eyepatch of Power: No real power, but it is a thick leather piece with an large emerald stuck in it.
- I've Come Too Far: His current mentality. Between the indoctrination of the Gold Hoarders and his gradual succumbing to the gold curse, he eventually gave away his wedding ring to the Gold Hoarder as a sign of loyalty to the company.
- The Lost Lenore: Came to the Sea of Thieves to find money to pay for treatment for his sickly wife, but hasn't left the Sea in years and doesn't know if she's even still alive.
- Predatory Business: A victim of it. He and his wife used to run a trading post until the Grand Maritime Union came knocking. They were able to fight them off for a time, but when she fell ill Humphrey was forced to head to sea to pay for her treatment.
- Suddenly Shouting: Does this occasionally when the player speaks to him, mainly when discussing someone trying to steal gold from the company.
- Trapped in Villainy: Humphrey actually feels a fair amount of remorse about his lot in life, but the combination of the gold curse and the Gold Hoarder's own fanaticism have forced him to remain where he is.
Herbert the Hoarder
Herbert the Hoarder
"Get chests."
The Gold Hoarders' representative on the Ancient Spire Outpost. A man of few words.
- The Quiet One: As close as one can get without being speechless. His longest piece of dialogue is three short sentences.
Horace the Hoarder
Horace the Hoarder
"Gold! It's magical lure calls to me, Horace of the Gold Hoarders."
The Gold Hoarders' liaison on Dagger Tooth Outpost.
- Loves Only Gold: More than any other member of the Gold Hoarders, save possibly the Gold Hoarder himself.
Hugh the Hoarder
Hugh the Hoarder
"I'm Hugh the Hoarder, eagle-eyed accountant for our gold acquiring company."
The Gold Hoarders' liaison on the Golden Sands Outpost. Has very little trust for pirates. Is apparently the accountant for the Company.
- No Honor Among Thieves: Seems to think this way. After being robbed what little trust Hugh had for the pirates on the Sea is all but gone.
Harry the Hoarder
Harry the Hoarder
"Hello! I'm Harry the Hoarder. Unlike my thrifty colleagues, I just love sharing out as much gold as possible."
The Gold Hoarders' liaison on Plunder Oupost. Harry seems himself as a philanthropist.
- Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: Could be seen as this. Harry claims the gold he makes from the chests you bring him goes back to the community of Plunder Outpost, but there's no way to prove him wrong or right.
Hyde the Hoarder
Hyde the Hoarder
"Hyde of the Gold Hoarders, nice to meet you. Bring me chests, you get a cut. A fair cut, honest... cross my heart."
The Gold Hoarders' liaison at Morrow's Peak Outpost.
- Classified Information: When asked about Stitcher Jim, he tells you that that business is above your station.
The Merchant Alliance
In General
"Trading Trust For Greater Prosperity"
One of the longest standing companies in the Sea of Thieves, the Merchant Alliance deal mostly in trade goods, ranging from commodities such as rum or fine silks to live animals such as pigs and snakes. They buy their wares from the pirates that come to shore and then sell said product to their buyers.
- Black Market: While not the same Black Market as run by the Bilge Rats, there are certain merchants are willing to buy and sell illegal goods.
- Intrepid Merchant: The Merchants could be seen as this, as they were all willing to go to the Sea of Thieves.
- Proud Merchant Race: An Organization rather than a race, but it still applies. Most seem to take great pride in their work.
- Theme Naming: All members of the Order have names that start with M.
Chief Trader Mollie
Chief Trader Mollie
"Our business is concluded."
Founder of the Merchant Alliance, Mollie used to work for the Grand Maritime Union in the wider world, but an ill-fated voyage to the Sea of Thieves convinced her to turn on her superiors and build her own company.
- Badass Boast: From said comic: "I will see you buried and burn down the orphanage your children are sent to!"
- Black and Nerdy: She's very intelligent, and the combination of that and her skin tone is part of what kept her from advancing very far in the GMU despite her successes.
- Boom, Headshot!: How she cut ties with her superiors in the GMU.
- Corrupt Corporate Executive: Much of her time with the GMU was spent performing hostile takeovers on smaller businesses across the seas. Granted, she could be either brutal or compassionate in her methods, but the fact remains that she still aided in the Union's domination willingly.
- A Day in the Limelight: Like Humphrey and Madame Olivia, her backstory was revealed in one of the Sea of Thieves: Origins supplementary comics.
- Ignored Expert: When the GMU first attempted to invade the Sea of Thieves, Mollie was part of the group that determined the route their fleet needed to follow through the Devil's Shroud. Her plan was dismissed by the fleet's commanders, and as a result only a single (extremely battered and vulnerable) vessel made it through.
- Quality over Quantity: Holds this belief, and is disgusted by her fellow merchant Mavis' insistence to the contrary.
- Robinsonade: Spent some time trapped on a small island after her superiors made off with her supplies following their shipwrecking in the Sea of Thieves. Only when she was rescued did she learn that there was a mermaid waiting to take her back to civilization just offshore.
- Token Good Teammate: Mollie believes deeply and promotes ethical business as well as animal care, showing disdain for how Senior Trader Mavis handles business.
Senior Trader Marley
Senior Trader Meg
"I'm Senior Trader Marley, yeah? Here at the Merchant Alliance, we embrace any and all who sail under our banner."
The Merchant Alliance liaison at Galleon's Grave Outpost
- Chatty Hairdresser: Comes off as this through his dialogue.
- Gender Bender: Used to be known as Senior Trader Meg; Rare rewrote him to reflect his voice actor's transition.
- Old Friend, New Gender: As of March 2024, he's become this for the player.
- The One Guy: Has since become this.
Senior Trader Mavis
Senior Trader Mavis
"Time is money to the Merchant Alliance. My name is Senior Trader Mavis and I can only spare you a few seconds."
A Merchant Alliance liaison located at the Golden Sands Outpost. Mavis cares only about the speed of her deliveries, putting her at odds with Chief Trader Mollie.
- Married to the Job: A line of dialogue implies that she is this, dismissing the idea of having a drink or relaxing in anyway so that she can move more product.
- Quantity vs. Quality: Firmly believes in Quantity over Quality.
Senior Trader Mandy
Senior Trader Mandy
"You are speaking to Mandy, Senior Trader. Briefly state your intended business with the Merchant Alliance."
Stationed at Dagger Tooth Outpost Senior Trader Mandy is a Merchant Alliance liaison found in The Wilds. Mandy is quite fond of animals.
- Animal Lover: When you click on her some of her voice lines imply that she is this: "I love pigs!", "Don't forget the animals", "Snakes are misunderstood you know", and "Please don't scare the chickens".
Senior Trader Maureen
Senior Trader Maureen
"I'm Senior Trader Maureen, your lifesaving guide to navigating the perilous seas of merchant life."
The Merchant Alliance liaison located on Plunder Outpost. She is very open and honest about the dangers of the Merchant Voyages.
- Animal Lover: While not as much of an animal lover as Mandy, Maureen does hold a bit of respect for the animals that come into her care.
- Brutal Honesty: Holds nothing back when explaining the dangers of the voyagers she sells.
Senior Trader Mildred
Senior Trader Mildred
"Hello dearie, I'm Senior Trader Mildred. How can the Merchant Alliance be of assistance to you?"
The liaison of Ancient Spire Outpost, Senior Trader Mildred is the oldest member of the Merchant Alliance in the Sea of Thieves.
- Elder Employee: Mildred is much older than her co-workers.
- Had to Be Sharp: Considering the time period and the dangers of the Sea of Thieves this shouldn't come as a surprise.
Senior Trader Matilda
Senior Trader Matilda
"I'm Matilda and I represent the Merchant Alliance here in the Roar. I don't hold with cowardly types. Trade must continue!"
The Merchant Alliance liaison located at Morrow's Peak Outpost.
- Enemy Mine: Invoked. Matilda makes mention of seeing a navy take over the Sea of Thieves, seeing no good reason to trust pirates. Not that she has a choice at the moment; it's the pirates or the skeletons, or going broke.
- Intrepid Merchant: More so than the rest of the Alliance. Matilda believes that with some elbow grease and a steady hand, the Devil's Roar can be civilized.
The Order of Souls
In General
"Omnes in servitium animarum"
One of the original three trading companies to set up in the Sea of Thieves the Order of Souls is dedicated to studying and understanding the evil found in the sea. Through the use of dark magic and ancient rituals members of the Order are able to read the minds of both the living and the dead, using this knowledge to uncover the secrets around them.
- Barefoot Sage: All of them have magical abilities and go barefoot.
- Black Eyes of Evil: All members' eyes are blackened by kraken ink that the Order uses to see between worlds.
- Black Magic: Members of the Order use this.
- Crafted from Animals: The ink in their eyes is Kraken ink, which helps them see beyond the world.
- Dark Is Not Evil: The motif and general design of the Order is very dark, not to mention their magic. That being said the Order seeks to help the denizens of the Sea rather than harm them, and they're working to rid the Sea of Thieves of its persistent skeleton problem for good.
- The Friend Nobody Likes: Despite their goal to uncover the secrets of the Sea and to help people there are still plenty of characters who mention that they do not trust the Order members.
- Gratuitous Latin: The companies motto. It translates to "All in the service of Souls."
- Hollywood Voodoo: Their tents have shades of this, being filled with skulls and odd occult symbols.
- Mind Reading: Members of the Order are able to do as such. They need only to touch the skull of a being, living or dead.
- Theme Naming: All members of the Order have names that start with O.
Madame Olivia
Madame Olivia
"Crack those clavicles!"
The woman who founded the Order of Souls, together with her friends Omina and Ozanne. Powerful and mysterious, she nevertheless seeks only the best for the Sea of Thieves...and if her own power should be increased in the process, well that's just a nice bonus. She can be found on Plunder Outpost.
- Alchemy Is Magic: One of her creations is Madame Olivia's Fresh Face Tincture, a potion that allows a player to completely change their appearance, face, body, gender, and all.
- The Archmage: If there's mystical trouble afoot in the Sea of Thieves, and cannonballs and swords won't solve it, you go to Olivia.
- Black Eyes of Evil: Not evil, but her eyes are blackened by kraken ink that the Order uses to see between worlds.
- Cute Witch: Decently attractive, and the Order of Souls' most powerful practitioner.
- A Day in the Limelight: As with Humphrey and Chief Trader Mollie, her backstory was revealed in one of the Sea of Thieves: Origins supplementary comics.
- "Eureka!" Moment: In her youth, she and her friends were little more than wannabe witches with no real power. Then, Ozanne unveiled a strange skull...
- Fantastic Racism: REALLY hates skeletons. Most of her dialogue consists of asking you to break their bones in various cruel, alliterative ways. Apparently they took something of great importance from her in the past, though what has yet to be revealed.
- Tragic Keepsake: She owns a watch given to her by Pendragon, which she guards fiercely and refuses to loan. Unfortunately, in "Dark Deception" the Pirate Lord Imposter tricks pirates into stealing it, so he may turn it into a compass capable of tracking Pendragon's Sword of Souls.
Madame Olwen
Madame Olwen
"Let me, Madame Olwen, help you achieve great success within the Order of Souls."
The Order of Souls liaison stationed at the Ancient Spire Outpost.
- Creepy Good: She’s one of the nicest Order representatives, bidding the player good fortune and how happy she is to see them… but all in an unsettling monotone.
- Mrs. Exposition: Has little dialogue outside explaining what the Order is and what they are doing.
Madame Oprah
Madame Oprah
"Let Madame Oprah see if you've got what it take to serve the Order of Souls."
Stationed at Dagger Tooth Outpost, Madame Oprah is one of the liaisons of the Order of Souls. She shows open disdain for the player.
- Dude, Where's My Respect?: Insists that the player calls her Madame and treat her with respects.
- Evil Old Folks: Depending on how one views the Order she could be seen as such.
- Grumpy Old Woman: Comes off as this.
- Had to Be Sharp: Like Mildred of the Merchant Alliance, Oprah's age speaks of her experience considering the setting.
Madame Oksana
Madame Oksana
"This is the Order of Souls and I am Madame Oksana, reader of minds and gatherer of secrets long lost."
The Order of Souls liaison of the Galleon's Grave Outpost.
- Dude, Where's My Respect?: Is rather annoyed that people view her magic as nothing more than parlor tricks and tarot readings.
Madame Olive
Madame Olive
"Hello traveller, I am Madame Olive. At the moment I'm helping out the Order of Souls."
Liaison located on Sanctuary Outpost, Olive dreams of a life beyond the Order of Souls. Olive tasks you with finding the whereabouts of her best friend Wild Rose and Rose's husband-to-be George in the fifth Tall Tale.
- Childhood Friends: Was one with Wild Rose.
- Desperately Looking for a Purpose in Life: Her voicelines and dialogue hint that she's not happy with the Order, and desperately seeks out more in her life.
- Fetch Quest: Sends you one to find her friends Wild Rose and George on their wedding day.
- True Companions: Was one to Wild Rose and George.
Madame Olga
Madame Olga
"I am known as Madame Olga. I represent the Order of Souls and our glorious cause to learn the secrets of the Skeletons."
The Order of Souls liaison found on the Golden Sands Outpost.
- Fortune Teller: Madame Oksana sends people to Olga when they bother her about fortune-telling.
- I Did What I Had to Do: After being captured and locked in a Sea Fort during “Forts of the Forgotten”, Olga is left very shaken by the experience after her rescue and determined to not go through the experience again. As such she complies to the Dark Brethren’s demands when kidnapped in “The Forsaken Hunter”, reluctantly acquiescing to their orders to build them a means of travel to the Sea of the Damned and to pass on a threat to Wonda.
Madame Oya
Madame Oya
"I knew your journey would bring you here, and will again. I am Oya of the Order of Souls. Can you feel the spirits of the land roaring?"
The liaison found at Morrow's Peak Outpost.
- Hollywood Voodoo: The way she speaks of the spirits of the land comes off as this.
The Bilge Rats
Duke
Duke
"Follow your nose!"
The emissary of the Bilge Rats across the Sea of Thieves, Duke is the one that points the players towards whatever new strangeness has arisen in hopes of setting them on the path to greater adventures. As for himself, he prefers to stay behind, in the tavern, making sure the grog supply hasn't expired.
- The Alcoholic: It is very rare to see Duke without a tankard in hand. If you do, you know something's wrong.
- Bandage Mummy: Ever since returning from his hunt for the Heart of Fire, Duke's been wrapped in bandages to recover from the injuries he took.
- Became Their Own Antithesis: Duke setting up the Black Market and selling Mercenary Voyages has made him just another Trading Company representative, something the Bilge Rats were supposedly formed to fight against. He later realizes this and it helps convince him to leave the group.
- Big Fun: Duke is pretty hefty fellow, but he's always ready to down a grog and see what the world has to offer. At least, until he came back from the Heart of Fire. He's still up for excitement and drinking, but he's tempered with melancholy for his screw-ups with Stitcher Jim.
- Desperately Looking for a Purpose in Life: As of the Vaults of the Ancients update, Duke has quit the Bilge Rats and is now trying to find out what he wants to do next. For the moment, he's taken up residence at the Lagoon of Whispers with his old friend Umbra and is helping her build the place up.
- Face–Heel Turn: In Dark Brethren, he joins the titular evil alliance, having become disillusioned with the life of piracy. In The Forsaken Hunter he also aids Amaranta’s murder of Merrick.
- Friend in the Black Market: The Smuggler's Fortune update saw Duke open a Black Market of his own, offering pirates unique cosmetics and voyages in exchange for gold and doubloons.
- Horrible Judge of Character: Allowed Stitcher Jim to join the Bilge Rats, believing he had genuinely turned over a new leaf. Suffice it to say, he may have had a bit too much grog that day. He's still beating himself up over it.
- Written-In Absence: Disappeared from the game world for a few months to seek out the Bilge Rats' leader, Larinna, leaving Stitcher Jim to handle his usual duties. Then he came back, and revealed that he hadn't seen Larinna in years, and that he had actually been hunting for Captain Flameheart's lair.
Larinna
Larinna
The founder and leader (as much as there is one) of the Bilge Rats. Larinna is a wiry and witty young woman with a passion for adventuring and exploration who wants nothing more than to live her life as she sees fit, and encourages others to do the same. Following a long leave of absence, she eventually took on Duke's job as emissary of the Bilge Rats following his departure.
- The Ace: Larinna is an all-around fantastic pirate; she knows how to sail, swindle, and fight with the best of them, and was even offered a position as a Pirate Legend after her very first voyage!
- Action Girl: She defeated the Gold Hoarder on her first voyage!
- All There in the Manual: Her backstory makes up one half of the Athena's Fortune novel, detailing her first voyage on the Sea of Thieves and her encounter with the Gold Hoarder.
- Berserk Button: The Trading Companies, Athena's Fortune included. She hates the fact that they constantly try to enforce their wills on the world, be it through commerce, magic, or infamy, and founded the Bilge Rats specifically to push back against them.
- Bold Explorer: Her motivation.
- Friend in the Black Market: Taking over for Duke.
- The Gadfly: She takes pride in the fact that she can waltz into the Tavern of Legends and thumb her nose Pirate Lord's attempts to make her a 'proper' Legend, as well as use the Black Market to siphon coin away from the Trading Companies for the "Bilge Rat grog fund".
- Guile Hero: Sank a pursuing galleon with a cursed Chest of Sorrows, filling the whole ship with water without firing a single cannonball.
- Not in This for Your Revolution: When the Pirate Lord gave her the opportunity to be named a Pirate Legend, she refused so she could become a legend on her own terms.
- Supporting Leader: To the Bilge Rats. The group doesn't have a real command structure, but all agree that if they did, she'd be on top.
- We Have Become Complacent: Has this view regarding the Bilge Rats under Duke, thinking he spent too much time lazing about in taverns when he should have been out in the world.
The Sea Dogs
DeMarco Singh
DeMarco Singh
Left: DeMarco, Right: Lesedi
One of the two children of the Pirate Lord and one of the founders of the Sea Dog Arena. DeMarco is a flamboyant showman of a pirate, reveling in competition and glory.
- Character Death: He was found murdered on Sea Dog’s Rest, and uncovering the circumstances of his death is the focus of the first Mystery plot.
- Dressed to Plunder: The Sea Dogs as a whole have some of the most outlandish outfits in the game, with red frock coats and brightly colored feathers being distinct across the faction, with DeMarco himself leading the charge.
- Foolish Sibling, Responsible Sibling: The Foolish to Lesedi's Responsible.
- Heroes Love Dogs: Adores his own pet dog Leopoldo. Sadly, Leopoldo also vanished after chasing a chicken into a hole on a distant island, and DeMarco has promised a great reward to those who can find him.
- Hunter of Monsters: Successfully brought down a Megalodon at some point. Its head now adorns the interior entrance of the Glorious Sea Dog Tavern.
- Large Ham: If the Arena trailer is any indication, he's pretty theatric, Milking the Giant Cow and Chewing the Scenery in equal measure.
- Put on a Bus: The removal of Arena marked his departure from the game.
- Bus Crash: Followed by the discovery of his murder at Sea Dog’s Rest.
Lesedi Singh
Lesedi Singh
Left: DeMarco, Right: Lesedi
The Pirate Lord's daughter and co-founder of the Sea Dogs. Compared to her brother, Lesedi is a bit more level-headed and sensible, but still a pirate through and through.
- Berserk Button: Her eye, or lack thereof. The player bringing it up has her debate dueling you on the spot.
- Disability Superpower: Averted. As the comics demonstrate, if there's one thing Lesedi hates, it's her lack of depth perception.
- Dressed to Plunder: Like all the Sea Dogs, though special attention is paid to the amulet around her neck.
- Early-Bird Cameo: Lesedi appeared in-game a month prior to the arrival of the Arena, supervising the construction of the Glorious Sea Dog Tavern under the name 'Woman with Eyepatch' and foreshadowing the Anniversary Update.
- Eyepatch of Power: One of her more distinctive features. Exactly how she lost the eye is unclear, offering several different explanations as to how it happened.
- Foolish Sibling, Responsible Sibling: The Responsible to Demarco's Foolish.
- Put on a Bus: She too went off to parts unknown when Arena was removed.
- The Bus Came Back: She later made a brief cameo mourning her brother’s death, and claims to have uncovered the truth of his murder detectable only with her spyglass.
- True Companions: Apparently considers the Sea Dogs this to an extent, demonstrating concern during the Smuggler's Fortune update when Amaranta disappeared from her post.
Amaranta
Amaranta
"Every dog will have its day!"
The vice-leader of the Sea Dogs. While she is still loyal to the faction, she LOATHES the Singh twins, believing that their policies of fair competition go against what the Arena should really be about: winning, by whatever means necessary.
- Blood Knight: Perhaps more than any other Sea Dog, Amaranta is obsessed with crushing her opponents as remorselessly as possible.
- Misblamed: She was accused of murdering DeMarco, which she claims to not be responsible for, though the resentment and loss of reputation pushed her to join the Dark Brethren and then kill Merrick.
- The Rival: To the Singh twins. The RPG's 'Juliana's Heart' expansion has her also take this role to the players, challenging them to a match in the Arena when Juliana unexpectedly pledges her heart to one of them.
- The Social Darwinist: Believes that only the best fighters should be allowed to compete in the Arena, while the rest can "go back to finding spotted pigs for the Merchant Alliance."
- The Starscream: Is almost certainly planning a mutiny against the Singhs, though so far nothing has materialized beyond a Dartboard of Hate in the tavern's upper rafters.
The Hunter's Call
Merrick
'Merry' Merrick
"Wanna hear about how I lost me legs?"
Founder of the Hunter's Call and huntsman extraordinaire. Originally appeared during the game's first major update, the Hungering Deep, after inadvertently waking the dreaded Megalodon the Hungering One and rallying pirates to band together and hunt the beast down. Much later, he reappeared with the rest of his family as part of the Hunter's Call company.
- Badass Longcoat: He found one between the Hungering Deep and the Anniversary update.
- The Bard: Merrick really likes the drums, and apparently writes sea shanties on the side.
- Character Death: He was murdered by Amaranta during “The Forsaken Hunter”, and the Dark Brethren’s agents in the Sea of the Damned captured him before he could return on the Ferry. Eventually he was rescued, but he opted to stay a spirit and hide in the Athena’s Fortune tavern to protect his family.
- Disappeared Dad: He was this to his son Derrick and daughter Annick, until Derrick tracked him down.
- Drowning My Sorrows: Merrick took his Accidental Murder of his old crew pretty hard, having apparently been sober until then, unusually for a pirate.
- Family Man: Post Hungering Deep, Merrick has become very devoted to his family.
- Handicapped Badass: Merrick is missing an eye (plucked out by a parrot), his left hand, BOTH of his legs (lost when he woke up the Hungering One), and was still able to not only survive all of these injuries, but go on to help lead an entire trading company.
- Henpecked Husband: He shows shades of this after reuniting with Serik, though he doesn't seem to care too much, recognizing just how much he screwed up leaving his family behind.
- Hunter of Monsters: He once was part of a crew of shark hunters, and now is part of the Hunter's Call, who are basically a company mixing Supreme Chefs and these.
- Jungle Drums: He was inspired to write the shanty that summoned the Hungering One by Ancient wall paintings depicting them using drums to honor the beast.
- Put on a Bus: He originally vanished after the end of the Hungering Deep event, only to reappear much later with the rest of the Hunter's Call.
- Rags to Riches: Played With. Prior to the Anniversary update he had abandoned his family, lost his ship and crew, and was reduced to stealing livestock from the outposts. A year later and he is one of the heads of an entire trading company, though they're still not exactly the highest up on the pyramid.
- Retired Badass: After the Hungering Deep, Merrick has retired from shark hunting to lead the Hunter's Call with the rest of his family.
- Sea Dog Peg Leg: He has two, after accidentally waking up the Hungering One. This being the Sea of Thieves, they haven't slowed him down.
- Shout-Out: His old ship, the Killer Whale, and his rivalry with the Hungering One is one to Jaws, which featured another shark hunting ship called the Orca.
Serik
Serik
Merrick's estranged wife, who he left to go shark hunting. The two have since reconciled, and lead the Hunter's Call together, though Serik is officially the company's leader.
- Older Than They Look: At first glance, she looks middle-aged or older. She's actually only thirty. She cites the rough conditions of life in the Sea of Thieves as the reason, and mentions to the player that she's interested in finding a rumoured Fountain of Youth beyond the Devil's Shroud.
- The Sleepless: Another reason she says she looks so haggard. Apparently this the norm for shopkeepers on the Sea, and it wears on her.
- Supreme Chef: As leader of the Hunter's Call, one of Serik's skills is her ability to prepare whatever meat and fish pirates are able to sell her.
Derrick
Derrick
Merrick's son, who looks nearly identical to him.
- Ascended Meme: Originally, he was part of a joke made by player Dr Nefari0us about how much his player character coincidentally looked like Merrick. The devs first responded by placing a portrait showing the two at Merrick's old campsite, then by making him into a full NPC in the Anniversary update.
- Daddy's Girl: A male equivalent. Derrick admires his father greatly, and emulates him a fair amount.
- Tattooed Crook: A pirate, and heavily inked (by Merrick, no less).
Annick
Annick
"Some fish like certain bait. But not as much as I like bait. Mmm...bait."
Merrick's daughter. Located at Three Paces East Seapost in The Wilds.
- Family Business: The Hunter's Call members are all related in one way or another.
- Theme Naming: All members of the Hunter's Call's name ends in 'ick'. Serik is the exception.
- Trademark Favorite Food: Bait! According to her dialogue Derrick once dared her to eat a piece of Kraken meat, and even a nibble made her sick.
Zharick
Zharick
"Apparently, there are different colours of each fish, some of them are extremely rare and exist only in rumour. I can't tell the difference though and I don't really care."
Merrick's sister and ex-wife of Emerick. Located at Brian's Bazaar in The Devil's Roar.
- Deadpan Snarker: Her dialogue can come off as this.
- Family Business: The Hunter's Call members are all related in one way or another.
- Theme Naming: All members of the Hunter's Call's name ends in 'ick'. Serik is the exception.
Emerick
Emerick
"You can cook food at campfires on islands and... WAIT! No, don't d-do it, for the smell w-will bring the almighty wrath of t-that undead J-Jonah d-down upon you!"
Zharick's ex-husband. Located at The Wild Treasure Store in The Wilds.
- Family Business: The Hunter's Call members are all related in one way or another.
- The Paranoiac: Believes Jonah, a merchant who shares the dock at The Wild Treasure Store, to be a Skeleton Lord. According to Zharick this is one of the reasons they are no longer together.
- Suddenly Shouting: At certain points in his dialogue he shouts.
- Theme Naming: All members of the Hunter's Call's name ends in 'ick'. Serik is the exception.
Hendrick
Hendrick
"A true chef will cook any food they find. Sample everything — the earthy saltiness of a Black Coated Pig, the sharp sourness of a red Striped Snake and the sublime contrast of the Bittersweet Battlegill. You must develop and hone your taste if you have any chance of becoming a master chef like me."
Merrick's brother and co-founder of the Hunter's Call. Hendrick is an accomplished chef with ambition to bring gourmet cuisine to the Sea of Thieves. Located at The Spoils of Plenty Store in the The Shores of Plenty.
- Family Business: The Hunter's Call members are all related in one way or another.
- Insistent Terminology: Corrects the Player Character when they reger to him as anything but 'chef'.
- Supreme Chef: Is implied to be this, what with his cooking of fishes and meats from all sorts of creatures. Aims to be this as well, hoping for a dining hall at every outpost.
- Theme Naming: All members of the Hunter's Call's name ends in 'ick'. Serik is the exception.
Aifrick
Aifrick
"Trophy fish are worth a lot more than the standard sized versions. If it feels like a big fish is on the line, it's worth battling for it! Did you know I once fought to land a Shadow Stormfish of sixteen hours?"
Serik's sister and a veteran hunter of of unparalleled experience among the members in the Hunter's Call. Located at Roaring Traders in The Devil's Roar.
- Family Business: The Hunter's Call members are all related in one way or another.
- Retired Badass: Implied to be. Her dialogue hints that she is the hunter Merrick wishes he was.
- Shipper on Deck: She doesn't seem fond of Merrick, and says that her sister would have been happier with the merman she was with.
- Theme Naming: All members of the Hunter's Call's name ends in 'ick'. Serik is the exception.
The Reaper's Bones
The Servant of the Flame
The Servant of the Flame
"Drink deep of the pirate's life..."
A strange figure that acts as the sole emissary of the Reaper's Bones company. Their motives are unknown, but they are adamant in their belief of the Pirate Code's inferiority, and urge pirates to join their cause in bringing true freedom to the Sea of Thieves...consequences be damned.
- Ambiguous Gender: Their golden mask hides their face, and their voice is a mashup of both female and male voiceovers.
- Equipment Spoiler: As you rank up in the Reaper's Bones you acquire figureheads on the Servant that increase in complexity before finally depicting the Servant removing their mask: the face beneath is that of a laughing skeleton, with a single huge ruby in one eye.
- Evil Sounds Raspy: It's honestly hard to tell what they're saying at times, which many players take as a hint that they are probably a skeleton.
- Evil Counterpart: Like their company, they represent this for the Trading Company representatives as a whole, being a Token Evil Teammate that actively encourages their pirates to attack other crews from the Trading Companies.
- The Faceless: Never takes off their mask, unless you count the top tier Reaper's Bones figurehead. See Equipment Spoiler above.
- Red and Black and Evil All Over: As with rest of the Reaper's Bones.
- The Social Darwinist: The Servant espouses the virtues of self-reliance and passion, advising you to take what you want from anyone who would try to stop you.
Athena's Fortune
The Pirate Lord
Ramsey Singh, the Pirate Lord
"Stay a while and share some tales!"
Ostensibly the ruler of the Sea of Thieves, the Pirate Lord is considered to be the greatest pirate to have ever lived. It was his crew that first broke through the Devil's Shroud to reach the place now called the Sea of Thieves, and it was he who established much of the rules (such as they are) that govern the region today. At some point he died, but his spirit still lingers on in his own hidden tavern, accessible only by those deemed 'Pirate Legends.' He is also the father of the two founders of the Sea Dogs, DeMarco and Lesedi.
- Ambiguously Brown: His skin tone isn’t really apparent given he is a green glowing ghost, but his last name Singh suggests he may be of South Asian descent. Additionally, his daughter Lesedi has brown skin and a noticeable Indian accent.
- Badass Family: His children are legends in their own rights, as can be seen via the gallery of paintings in Arena lobby, which also features a few images of Ramsey's own accomplishments.
- Baritone of Strength: His voice is quite deep, and he is, after all, "the greatest pirate who ever lived."
- Big Fun: The Pirate Lord has a notable gut on him, and is quite the jovial character.
- Characterization Marches On: In his earliest appearances, the Pirate Lord's dialogue was more boastful and he responded indignantly to anyone who called him Ramsey. Later on his personality became friendlier and his dialogue more humble.
- Disappeared Dad: To DeMarco and Lesedi, having left them with his wife to pursue his dreams of piracy. They apparently don't bear too much of a grudge, though.
- Dressed to Plunder: It's a bit ragged and worn, but Ramsey's wardrobe is still quite befitting of a legendary pirate. The player can obtain his hat and coat as rewards for completing certain Tall Tales.
- Father Neptune: The first and most successful pirate to ever sail the Sea of Thieves, and therefore the expert on all its secrets.
- Ghost Pirate: Natch.
- In the Back: How he died, if the three daggers sticking from him are any indication. The culprits are so far unknown.
- King of Beasts: Has this motif. See Meaningful Name below.
- The Leader: Of Athena's Fortune, and the Sea of Thieves as a whole.
- The Lost Lenore: His wife, Athena, who he left behind with the infant DeMarco and Lesedi. Her fate remains unknown, but Ramsey is still a bit regretful that he left her behind regardless.
- O.O.C. Is Serious Business: The Pirate Lord rarely gets angry, even when the people he puts faith in disappoint him. His wrath has only been glimpsed a few times, such as in "The Forsaken Hunter" where he was furious at the Dark Brethren for creating the Twisted Sea Dog Tavern as their base, viewing it as an insult toward his son DeMarco, and in "The Fallen Sea Dog" when he kills the Siren Queen with a rockslide for murdering his son. The Pirate Lord also seemingly gets upset in "Dark Deception" when his hidden vault is robbed, though in this case his open indignation is a hint that this isn't really the Pirate Lord.
- Our Ghosts Are Different: He's definitely dead, but aside from being made of glowing green energy, it doesn't seem to have changed much for him. This extends to the other inhabitants of Athena's Fortune as well.
- Meaningful Name: His last name, 'Singh' comes from the Sanskrit 'Sinha' meaning lion. Much of his behaviour as Pirate Lord fits the 'regal lion' archetype. His Sea Dog Peg Leg is also carved to look like a lion's paw.
- Pirate Booty: Ubiquitous across the Sea of Thieves, but the unbreakable chests that the player has to bring to the Gold Hoarders are specifically his, made from enchanted iron to protect their contents as part of a scheme to bring some semblance of order to the early Sea of Thieves.
- Retired Badass: Prior to his death, he had already decided to retire from piracy to open the Athena's Fortune tavern.
Belle
Belle
"There are powerful memories here, I feel it. Take this lantern, it will reveal them to you."
The right hand of the Pirate Lord, who spearheads the efforts to resist Flameheart and the Reapers. Little is known of her origins, but she bears an exhaustive knowledge of the Sea of the Damned, along with an enchanted buoy and lantern that let her uncover secrets across the Sea of Thieves.
- Ms. Exposition: Belle typically shows up at the start of Adventures to brief the player on what to do on their mission to assist Athena's Fortune.
- Pensieve Flashback: Her lantern can reveal past events as well as memories crossing over from the Sea of the Damned.
- Really 700 Years Old: She's an unspecified amount of centuries old, but doesn't show any sign of it, apart from her revenant-esque appearance.
- Shrouded in Myth: Little is known about Belle's past, but whatever brought her to Athena's Fortune was enough to put her on a first name basis with the Pirate Lord. The Servant refers to her as "treacherous" and Flameheart claims she has "chosen the wrong side", suggesting she may have some past connection to the Reaper's Bones.
- Warp Whistle: Belle owns a magical bouy that she can use to travel across the Sea of Thieves at great speed, sinking beneath the waves and emerging wherever she wishes.
The Mysterious Stranger
The Mysterious Stranger
"Greetings, pirate."
A mysterious stranger who greets the player after they wake up from their post-arrival party hangover. He serves as the Pirate Lord's eyes and ears outside of the Tavern of Legends, and is the one to grant the player access once they achieve Pirate Legend status.
- Characterization Marches On: George and Gloria used to speak in rhyme before the Anniversary update; neither of them do in the present day.
- The Dividual: There were originally two strangers: a man named George, and a woman named Gloria. With the release of the Anniversary update, George was given a new voice actor and renamed to simply 'the Mysterious Stranger'. Gloria disappeared for years, but eventually returned in Season 8 at the extended Athena's Fortune tavern.
- Glowing Eyes of Doom: His eyes glow a bright greenish-white, though he himself is quite friendly.
- Revenant Zombie: The tabletop RPG reveals that he may be this, as his distinctive glowing eyes are feature of them in the Sea of Thieves world.
Independents
The Ferryman
The Ferryman of the Damned
"Happiness is the prerogative of the living."
The mysterious helmsman of the Ferry of the Damned, responsible for returning pirates who die to the world of the living. Not exactly the cheeriest fellow.
- Back from the Dead: His Ferry allows the Sea of Thieves' dead to do this.
- Chained by Fashion: He has a shackle around one of his feet.
- Creepy Good: He's a ghost that looks like a desiccated corpse and occupies one of the eeriest places in the game, but he does perform a vital service in ferrying pirates back to the world above.
- The Ferryman: Natch.
- Jacob Marley Apparel: Like all other ghosts on the Sea of Thieves, he wears the same clothes that were on him at the time of his death.
- Mysterious Past: What little we do know surrounds his own death; at some point he was tasked with becoming the Ferryman, and so he crashed his sloop on an island in the Wilds, climbed to the top of the highest peak, and then downed an entire vial of poison to reach the Sea of the Damned. Why he was told to do this, and who, remain unknown, though his journal from the Fate of the Morningstar Tall Tale implies that somebody was trying to stop him.
- The Nameless: Gave up his name when he became the Ferryman.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: He has a gruff and unpleasant exterior, but in the end he has sympathy for those he knows don't deserve their ends, like Wild Rose and George, and will do what little he can to help them.
- Jerkass: At the same time, he has also been known to keep people on the Ferry for months if not years at a time, without so much as a word of explanation, or even press them into service if they piss him off enough.
- Psychopomp
- The Quiet One: Rarely speaks to those aboard his ship, and what he does say is rarely pleasant.
Captain Morrow
Captain Grace Morrow
Formerly the leader of the Forsaken Shores Alliance, a group of pirate crews dedicated to exploring the lands hidden behind the Devil's Shroud. However, on the Alliance's last voyage, they were betrayed by one of their members, Stitcher Jim, and nearly all killed off.Morrow survived, but was trapped behind the Shroud, slowly going mad until the Forsaken Shores update, which reopened the Shroud and allowed others to reach her. She has since taken up the role of unofficial governor of Morrow's Peak Outpost, while also attempting to keep track of Jim's whereabouts.
- Arch-Enemy: Stitcher Jim, for obvious reasons.
- Bold Explorer: The entire Alliance was this, though Grace has since taken up permanent residence on Morrow's Peak.
- Distinguishing Mark: Jim's poisoning attempt left her with a noticeable purplish scar on the left side of her mouth.
- Gameplay and Story Segregation: Grace is very vocal about her hatred for Stitcher Jim, saying that Jim would never show his face on Morrow's Peak while she was there. She said this even during the period that Jim was filling in for Duke, twenty feet away from her in full view in the tavern.
- Go Mad from the Isolation: The years spent alone in the Devil's Roar were not good for her mental health. She's recovered for the most part, but one of her journals makes it quite clear that she wasn't all there for a quite a long time.
- True Companions: The other members of her alliance were this to her. Which only made it sting more when Jim betrayed and murdered them all.
Pendragon
Sir Arthur Pendragon
"Sir Arthur Pendragon, at your serveice."
The ex-captain of the Blackwyche and champion of the Order of Souls. Pendragon spent many years sealed inside a self-portrait in the wrecked ship's cabin after an encounter with Graymarrow, only to be released during the Seabound Soul update.
- Badass Crew: No word as to how badass they actually were, but he once sailed with three others: Dunn, Rodriguez, and his daughter Cavendish.
- Badass Family: His daughter Cavendish was one of the crewmembers aboard the Blackwyche, and still alive in the Sea of Thieves by the time of the Heart of Fire Tall Tale.
- Chronic Hero Syndrome: Has a case, which Stitcher Jim and the Masked Stranger used to trick him into unsealing Flameheart from his tomb.
- Cool Sword: The Sword of Souls, given to him by Madame Olivia and capable of cutting through cursed bone like butter. The player can receive a copy for completion of the Seabound Soul Tall Tale, though like every other sword ingame it is simply cosmetic.
- Famed In-Story: His exploits were notable enough for the otherwise insular Order of Souls to grant him one of their relics and claim him as their champion.
- Gentleman Adventurer: Officially Aristocratic Adventurer, but a gentleman nonetheless.
- Hoist by His Own Petard: In an attempt to atone for his mistake in releasing Flameheart, he attempted to use his Sword of Souls to trap Flameheart in a painting, though this put his own soul at risk. Unfortunately, the Reaper forces proved stronger and Pendragon was locked in a painting himself.
- My God, What Have I Done?: Said almost verbatim after releasing Flameheart.
- Named After Somebody Famous: Go on, guess.
- Odd Friendship: Is apparently on good terms with the Ferryman, calling him an old friend.
- Our Ghosts Are Different: Can easily walk through sealed tomb doors and teleport, but can only interact with certain physical objects, seemingly those containing souls.
- Sealed Good in a Can:
- His self-portrait on the Blackwyche was his prison for years, courtesy of Graymarrow. He was eventually released by an anonymous Stitcher Jim as part of a plan to unleash Captain Flameheart.
- As of the end of "Return of the Damned", Pendragon was trapped in the Sea of the Damned in a failed attempt to seal Flameheart's spirit. His captured soul can be seen in a painting hanging at Reaper's Hideout.
- Shout-Out: His presence reveals Sea of Thieves to be a followup to the Pendragon series of Commodore 64 games from 1985, made by the eventual founders of Rare. His journal in The Seabound Soul even name-drops Dragon Skulle Island, the setting of the series' final installment, as the place from which Pendragon set out to find the Sea of Thieves.
Umbra
Umbra
"I like your style...but I'm looking for something very specific."
A tattooed woman who set up shop on the Lagoon of Whispers, seeking to record the tales of the most legendary pirates in the Sea of Thieves.
- Art Shift: Is notably the only character from the game to be featured in live action, having been portrayed by actress Nida Khurshid during the Quest for the Golden Bananas.
- Early-Bird Cameo: Was the protagonist of the Quest for the Golden Bananas ARG held in the run-up to the game's release. She returned later on in the Legends of the Sea update.
- Storyboard Body: Umbra's tattoos are a chronicle of the tales she believes to be the most important, including her own. The tattoos she offers allow the player to do the same, as they're unlocked by doing notable deeds in the Sea.
- The Storyteller: Umbra's main motivation is hearing about and recounting the stories of the Sea of Thieves' most notorious legends.
- Shout-Out: The tattoos she offers are a way to encourage players to look for these throughout the world, typically relating to prominent community members and their accomplishments.
Salty
Salty
A skeleton parrot that used to a shopkeeper at Golden Sands Outpost. Mishandling a cursed cannon from Captain Flameheart's ship turned him into his current form, and he's been stuck like this ever since.
- Born Unlucky: First his shop starts going under, then he gets turned into a parrot, gets betrayed by his business partner, loses his memories, menaced by Briggsy, and still can't get people to buy anything from him...dude hasn't had a good day for a while.
- Early-Bird Cameo: Pun intended, Salty first appeared during the Sunken Curse update hanging around on top of the Golden Sands equipment shop. It wasn't until a month later with the Cursed Sails update that we learned who he was and what had happened to him.
- Loss of Identity: Started to lose his human memories during the Cursed Sails event. He's recovered, but still slips into parrot mannerisms from time to time.
Antagonists
Skeleton Lords
Briggsy
Captain Briggsy
"Today you have the honor of dying at the hands of Captain Briggsy!"
A pirate from the early days of the Sea of Thieves, Briggsy was once a beautiful daredevil renowned all across the waves. However, upon her return from an expedition to find the legendary Shores of Gold, pirates were horrified to discover that she had become a terrifying Skeleton Lord.
- And Your Reward Is Clothes: Completion of The Legendary Storyteller Tall Tales's objectives gives the player Briggsy's hat, as well as the sails of her ship.
- Bling-Bling-BANG!: Briggsy's cutlass is completely gold plated and encrusted with gems. The player can acquire it after defeating her.
- Broken Pedestal: For Tasha, the bartender at Ancient Spire Outpost. As a girl, Briggsy liked to entertain her with tales of wonder and derring-do, only for her to Come Back Wrong and start terrorizing the Sea of Thieves herself. Briggsy is well aware that she's become this, and specifically mentions her failure to Tasha in one of her logs.
- Dance Battler: Some of Briggsy's moves in battle are very flamenco-esque.
- Find the Cure!: If you listen to the dialogue of her servants and herself before opening fire, you discover that she's trying to do this for her curse. Notably, one of the skeletons under her command thinks she's completely insane for this, claiming "You can't cure bein' dead!"
- Gameplay and Story Integration: As a servant of the Gold Hoarder, Briggsy has succumbed entirely to the gold curse. As such, she is vulnerable to the same 'thrown water bucket' tactic as any other gold skeleton.
- Thrill Seeker: She built a reputation for this in life.
- Tragic Monster: Briggsy knows exactly what kind of creature she has been twisted into, and hates herself for it. Her journals in The Legendary Storyteller and Shores Of Gold Tall Tales serve as a very effective Apocalyptic Log detailing her descent into curse-induced slavery to the Gold Hoarder.
Rooke
Rooke
A pirate captain with an...unhealthy interest in Wild Rose's fiance, George. Very unhealthy.
- Arc Villain: The main antagonist for the Wild Rose Tall Tale.
- Deal with the Devil: Sought out Graymarrow specifically for the purpose of learning how to bind George's soul. The loss of her skin was considered an acceptable loss.
- Flat Character: Has very little characterization outside of her crazed love for George.
- Not Good with Rejection: Really bad with it, actually.
- Villainous Crush: On George.
- Yandere: When Rose and George are about to be married, she hunts them down and traps their souls in a pair of amulets, keeping George's on her person while leaving Rose's to rot with her corpse.
Graymarrow
Gideon Graymarrow
"Looking to be cursed yourself, aye?"
One of the worst captains to ever sail the Sea of Thieves, Gideon Graymarrow was a Jerkass in life, and only became worse in death, especially once he discovered the secrets to creating Soul Jars.
- Appropriated Appellation: Graymarrow was actually the one to give Ramsey the title of Pirate Lord, though it was intended as a disparaging remark about his attempt to establish a code of honor on the Sea of Thieves.
- Arc Villain: Of the Tall Tales dealing with the legacy of the Morningstar.
- Axe-Crazy: Graymarrow LOVES fighting, and more than that he loves torturing the ones he defeats afterwards.
- Beard of Evil: Somehow held onto his beard despite the rest of him being nothing but bone. Maybe he just has very thick roots.
- Bad Boss: It's mentioned that he treats his crew like slaves, rarely allowing them shore leave and demanding they obey his every whim, unlike most pirate crews.
- Berserk Button: Eli Slate and the crew of the Morningstar.
- Came Back Wrong: Besides being a Skeleton Lord, when his ghost returns during the Fort of the Damned raid he has none of the voicelines are character he did during his initial boss fight. This is explained as it being more of a spiritual 'memory' of Graymarrow than the man himself.
- The Dreaded: To the crew of the Morningstar.
- One-Handed Zweihänder: His shade in Fate of the Morningstar wields a cutlass as long as a man, in one hand.
- The Rival: To Eli Slate. When confronting the Morningstar's crew, he leaves the other members to his Mooks while going after Slate personally.
- Screw This, I'm Outta Here: The ''Athena's Fortune'' prequel novel has him do this to Ramsey's parley once he hears about Ramsey's plans for the Sea of Thieves, though not before giving him a quick "Reason You Suck" Speech. It saves him having to deal with a Kraken.
- Skeletons in the Coat Closet: Adorns himself with a number of skulls on ropes, along with other large bones.
- Soul Jar: Has a penchant for making these, trapping both the crew of the Morningstar and Pendragon in cursed objects. He actually learned it from Pendragon, before turning it on him immediately.
The Gold Hoarder
The Gold Hoarder
"Gold...mine...!"
When the Pirate Lord first entered the Sea of Thieves, he was not alone; he brought with him a crew of three others, including a disgraced merchant named Rathbone. Rathbone was enthralled by the sheer wealth the Sea offered, and schemed to take the whole lot for himself, betraying his crew and stealing the set of magical keys that Ramsey had hoped to use to control the flow of treasure. Rathbone then founded the Gold Hoarders, becoming obscenely wealthy in the wider world, but his greed overtook him and drove him to return to the Sea of Thieves. This final voyage ended with him cursed, eventually transforming him into a Skeleton Lord whose lust for gold would become his driving feature. Rathbone was no more...there was only the Gold Hoarder.
- And Your Reward Is Clothes: His Badass Longcoat is acquired for beating him, and a copy of his shovel can be bought from the Gold Hoarders at higher levels.
- Arc Villain: For the nine chapter Shores of Gold Tall Tale arc.
- Bling-Bling-BANG!: His shovel is plated in gold and encrusted with emeralds.
- Death Course: Protects his hoard with one of these beneath his island, called the Belly of Gold.
- Death by Materialism: How he died initially. He loaded a sloop (and himself) down with so much gold that he sank like a stone when the ship was shot out from under him by vengeful pirates. Unfortunately, it didn't take.
- Glowing Gem: Two emerald Veilstones, stuck in his eye sockets.
- Jerkass: As Rathbone, he was this. Most of his interactions with the rest of his crew were raging about how they weren't spending more time making money. Getting cursed hasn't helped.
- Magical Eye: His eyes are Veilstones that allow him to see all treasures across the Sea of Thieves and Sea of the Damned. And with a ritual binding them to a Trident of Dark Tides, they can even be used to cross between both worlds at will.
- MacGuffin Super-Person: Well, not quite living, really. After his defeat, his skull was stolen by the Dark Brethren for its ability to pierce through the barrier between the living world and Sea of the Damned.
- Loves Only Gold: ...really?
- The Man Behind the Man: For the Gold Hoarders, Briggsy and, to a lesser extent, Stitcher Jim.
- Meaningful Name: Rathbone. Wrath-bone.
- Not Quite Dead:After his defeat in the Shores of Gold, he makes a return in the Pirate’s Life storyline as a member of the Dark Brethren. But his next appearance as merely a battery for the Brethren’s escape plan casts doubt as to his fate.
- Orcus on His Throne: He spends all of his time reclining on his gilded throne deep beneath the Shores of Gold, waiting for his followers to deliver him his tribute.
- Rags to Riches: When he first set sail with Ramsey he was little more than a common grifter, but a few chests from the Sea of Thieves made him a force to be reckoned with. Overlaps with From Nobody to Nightmare given his current state.
- Starter Villain: Intended to be this by the developers. He is ultimately a powerful but low-threat antagonist, more concerned with his hoard than causing trouble, serving as a sort of mini-Big Bad for the player to face before being introduced to Captain Flameheart.
- Treasure Room: Where else would he keep all that gold?
The Fort Commanders
The Mutinous Helmsman, the Two-Faced Scoundrel, and the Duchess
Left to Right: The Two-Faced Scoundrel, the Duchess, the Mutinous Helmsman
Three new Skeleton Lords that have taken over the various fortresses across the Sea of Thieves. They serve as the end bosses of each fort raid following the Festival of Giving update.
- Dreadlock Warrior: The Mutinous Helmsman...
somehow... - Final Boss: For the Skeleton Forts event.
- Flat Character: None of them have voicelines, and there isn't much in the way of backstory for any of them.
- Moveset Clone: They share their abilities with the other non-Ashen Skeleton Lords.
- Skeletons in the Coat Closet: The Scoundrel and the Duchess have decorated themselves with Kraken bones; the Duchess lining her dress with ribs, and the Scoundrel wearing a skull as a gauntlet.
- Two-Faced: The Two-Faced Scoundrel, though he gets points for it actually being two skulls smashed together as opposed to simple scarring.
The Ashen Fleet
Captain Flameheart
Captain Flameheart
"I will reign over an empire of flame!"
A Skeleton Lord of unfathomable power who once waged war across the Sea of Thieves until ultimately vanishing without a trace. Despite this, many still fear him and his exploits are infamous among pirates, and many are deeply afraid of what could happen should he return.
And they need wonder no more, for as of the Seabound Soul update, Flameheart has returned! And he is very eager to make up for lost time, unleashing everything from ghostly fleets to his Elite Mooks, the Ashen Lords, in a bid to dethrone the Pirate Lord and take the Sea of Thieves for his own.
- Big Bad: The single biggest threat to the Sea of Thieves to date, with numerous updates centering around his attempts to wage war on the pirates that have settled there in his absence.
- The Corrupter: To Stitcher Jim, Wanda/Captain Warsmith, and the Ashen Lords.
- The Dark Arts: A master of them, enough that he can rip holes in reality to summon entire fleets of ghost ships while also being a disembodied soul himself.
- Evil Is Burning Hot
- Evil Laugh: Not as often as one would think, and when he does, it's a subdued, sinister chuckle.
- Evil Overlord: Commands an army of Mooks from a Volcano Lair in a Lethal Lava Land and is plotting to Take Over the World.
- Evil Sounds Deep/Raspy
- Our Ghosts Are Different: He currently exists as a disembodied soul that manifests as a Flying Face of immense size.
- Large Ham: He adores making grandiose New Era Speeches about how powerful he is and what his plans for the Sea of Thieves are, usually while Chewing the Scenery for all it's worth. When not boasting, he's more of a Cold Ham.
- Noodle Incident: The exact circumstances behind his defeat are unknown, only that he thinks he was somehow betrayed "by my own kind."
- Overlord Jr.: There are actually two Flamehearts: Flameheart Senior, a dyed-in-the-wool pirate who was infamous throughout the Sea of Thieves, and his adopted son known as Flameheart Junior. Junior was more of a soft-spoken scholar, and when he attempted to sail the Sea like his father he ended up losing his vessel to the Devil's Shroud, washing ashore on a deserted island. This is where Junior discovered a strange chalice that, when drunk from, turned him into a Skeleton Lord. Junior went on to become the masked Servant of the Flames, who occasionally rattles off how his father’s plans near completion.
- Sealed Evil in a Can: His body was sealed in a tomb in the Devil's Roar, while his soul was trapped within his own skull. The player, alongside Pendragon, are the ones who end up releasing him.
- Villainous Breakdown: As the player makes progress against his ghost fleet, he goes from acting like a malicious Smug Snake to having a full-blown panic attack as his plans fall to pieces.
- Visionary Villain: He has grand plans for the Sea of Thieves, though the full extent remains unknown, that seem to involve spreading his Social Darwinist philosophy throughout the world and incinerating all who resist.
- Volcano Lair: The Heart of Fire, an ancient complex of tunnels and catacombs littered with Booby Traps hidden beneath the Devil's Thirst that serves as his base of operations. Also serves as a Shout-Out to The Secret of Monkey Island, with the ghostly image of his ship, the Burning Blade, resting in a lake of lava at it's heart.
The Ashen Lords
The Ashen Lords
Left to Right: Warden Chi, Old Horatio, Captain Grimm, Red Ruth
Flameheart's Dragons, corrupted by the Ashen Curse into monstrosities the likes of which the Sea of Thieves has rarely seen. As of the Ashen Winds update, they can be found across the largest islands in each region.
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- Body to Jewel: Large parts of their skeletons' have been overgrown with glowing red crystal.
- Breath Weapon: The Ashen Lords are capable of shooting a gout of flame from their mouths. Once defeated, their skulls can then be reused as a Fire-Breathing Weapon.
- Evil Is Burning Hot
- Gem Heart: Each has a notable crystalline growth within their ribcage. It is unclear whether or not it serves as a weak point.
- Lightning Bruiser: The Lords hit hard, and can be surprisingly fast when they want to be.
- Playing with Fire: The Lords can do everything from throwing fireballs to briefly turning the entire surrounding landscape into a Lethal Lava Land.
- Red Eyes, Take Warning: Unlike lesser skeletons or even other Lords, the Ashen Lords' eye glow a bright, fiery red.
- Red Right Hand: Literally. Each of their right arms is covered in spiky red crystal that glows when they use their powers.
- Villainous Breakdown: They begin panicking as the player chips away at their helath, eventually promting them to Turn Red.
Captain Grimm
"My defense is impenetrable!"
Grimm served Flameheart by building the fortresses scattered across the regions, designed to guard the treasure the Ashen armies gathered while plundering.
- Baritone of Strength: Has quite a deep voice, and is a hell of a brawler.
- Boisterous Bruiser: Grimm seems to take genuine joy in battling you, making quips like "You can do better than that!" as the fight goes on.
- Island Base: Specialized in making these.
Red Ruth
"Behold! The might of an Ashen Lord!"
An alchemist and weaponsmith responsible for creating the cursed cannonballs that made the Burning Blade so feared. She also seems to have been Flameheart's strategist.
- Alchemy Is Magic: Ruth created the cursed cannonballs that would resurface during the Cursed Sails update.
- The Strategist: Her dialogue indicates that she was familiar with battle tactics.
Old Horatio
"Flameheart taught me this one!"
There is no such thing as a fleet with no ships; Horatio's job was to provide them. Serving as both shipwright and press-ganger, this Ashen Lord was responsible for making Flameheart's army as fearsome as it was. When Flameheart was first defeated, Horatio was the one who commanded the Ashen Dragon to ferry his remains into the Devil's Roar before destroying himself to hide the ship behind the Shroud.
- Cool Boat: It was his job to make these for Flameheart, and if ships like the Burning Blade and Ashen Dragon are any indication, he was damn good at it.
- Early-Bird Cameo: An apparition of him appears in the Seabound Soul Tall Tale, while the man himself didn't appear fully until the Ashen Winds update many months later.
- Hero Worship: To Flameheart, more than the other Lords if his dialogue is anything to go by.
- Press-Ganged: He crewed the ships he built for Flameheart by conscripting other skeletons.
Warden Chi
"There is a special place in my cells for pirate filth!"
While Grimm was the one who built the fortresses, Warden Chi was the Ashen Lord that Flameheart charged with managing the prisons within them. Her job was to keep the unfortunate prisoners alive, but in agony; a task she seems to have taken great relish in.
- And I Must Scream: She was ordered to keep her inmates alive. Nothing was ever said about them being healthy.
- Hellhole Prison: Half of her job was to oversee these.
- Torture Technician: The other half of her job.
- Wardens Are Evil: She's a warden, and she's pretty evil.
