Life out on the open seas entails a great story of triumph over one's enemies, success in trading and business which both encompass the greater sea-faring adventure that unfolds. One is bound to make countless untold discoveries out on the waters, but be warned, lest ye tread these waters blindly! Not all secrets found may be pleasant ones!
- Even the simple act of diving under the waves can be tense in this game due to the presence of sharks. Quick, tough, and able to take half of your health bar in a single bite, they are the single most persistent threat when exploring wrecks or swimming any distance on the open water. What makes sharks truly unnerving, though, is how sudden their attacks can be; there is no musical cue that plays when a shark has spawned near you and they are completely silent in the water until the exact moment they attack, so it's not uncommon for a pirate to only realize a shark is closing in on them when they hear the Scare Chord that plays when a shark bites a player. Alternatively, the pirate reaches their ship and climbs the ladder up to the deck only to hear the water breach behind them as a shark that had been silently pursuing them makes one last attempt to make a meal out of them before they get out of reach...
- The anomaly knows as The Devil's Shroud, otherwise known as The Red Sea by the community, serves as a response to you and your crew closing in on the border of the world map of The Sea of Thieves. The phenomenon itself is so baffling and otherworldly that it contrasts virtually everything else you can encounter throughout The Sea of Thieves! You wouldn't be blamed if it caught you off-guard the first time or even the second time around.
- Picture this: You and your crew are sailing along, minding your own business, when, as you continue onwards, without warning, the sky suddenly turns dark, black clouds form overhead, and the waters that carry your precious ship and cargo beneath you change from a welcoming and healthy blue to a horrific blood red. Ominous music then slowly begins playing over any regular ambience and it can be heard all throughout the world as long as you remain in The Red Sea, and then finally, continuing onwards through these waters, your ship will suddenly stop in its tracks, just floating in place in this eerie neck of the ocean and an unknown force will then slowly cause the hull of your ship to break apart, requiring you to see to the damage. But make enough headway and soon your ship will no longer be able to handle itself, and you and your crew will then suddenly find yourselves in the water as your ship succumbs to the Sea and sinks down into the depths below. If it weren't for The Mermaids coming to your rescue, this whole scenario would feel like a terrible nightmare, or even the plot of either a Folk Horror or even a Cosmic Horror Story in the making!
- The Kraken. Should you see any ominous looking things on the horizon, such as a skull, the face of Captain Flameheart, a ship-shaped cloud, or a red vortex, this means that there is a world event in that area where players can fight for some substantial loot. Even if you aren't interested in doing that, this is a good thing, because the absence of any of these signs means that the Kraken is waiting in the waters, intending to ambush a ship in the open seas, and unleash its fury! Crews who are undermanned and low on supplies don't stand a chance against its tentacles as it abducts people and smashes any boat unfortunate in its grasp. When the waters around you go dark and the ominous music begins to play, that's when the Kraken strikes!
- During the Captain of the Damned tale (The third tale in the five-part Pirates of the Caribbean crossover story arc) you are chasing the memories of Jack Sparrow through the Sea of the Damned in order to find him. At one point the memories land you right in the middle of the ride that started it all, with all of the familiar sights, sounds, and gags everyone knows and loves. All the while we see memories of Jack Sparrow doing what he does best and it's an overall fun time... until the end. You reach where the ride normally concludes where Jack is swaying on a throne surrounded by treasure, when something spooks him and he quickly flees. The jolly music is gone now, replaced with only an eerie drone. If you were to backtrack at this point you'll discover all of the jovial ghosts you've passed by are all gone too. Advancing in the direction Jack fled, you get to watch as the memories of Barbossa's crew destroy the town just to get their hands on Jack. The clock tower is blown to pieces, the towns people lock themselves in their homes in terror, and you have to fight your way back out through an army of phantom pirates through the ruins of the beloved Disney attraction. Something about it all just gets under your skin.
