Sail captain. The Brethren raised your colors at dawn. Below is what you'll need to know before the first cannon roars.
Deep dives: Lore Codex covers every ship, faction, treasure, and encounter, cross-linked from every HUD info button. · Sailor's Manual covers wind, trim, and the points of sail.
The Situation
→ Lore Codex: The Setting
It is the close of the 17th century in the Caribbean. Jamaica, your home water, sits ringed by seven liberated isles the Brethren of the Coast have called theirs for generations. The British Crown disagrees. Patrol brigs and the occasional naval frigate now anchor at each island, flying the Cross of St George and choking the trade routes the Brethren depend on.
The Crown does not forgive easily. Neither do you.
Your Mission
→ Lore Codex: The Seven Isles
Free the seven isles. One at a time. Sink Royal Navy ships, weaken the garrison, sail to the shore, and claim the island under the Brethren flag. Every island you liberate adds to your Infamy, the ledger of reputation that follows you between voyages. Every captain at every Brethren port knows your name by the number under it.
Liberate all seven and the voyage is complete. Then weigh anchor again, for there is no shore the Crown does not eventually try to reclaim.
Your Vessel
→ Lore Codex: Ship Classification
Brig. Two masts of stacked square sails plus a jib forward and a spanker aft. Quick on a beam reach, agile in stays. Your starting ship, and what every voyage begins on. Armament: five-pellet bow burst for chase, two cannons per side (fore + aft) for broadsides.
After four islands liberated, the dockyards refit you into a full Brethren Frigate: three masts, four cannons per side (twice the brig's broadside count, same per-ball damage), much more hull. Heavier and slower to turn, but feared. The frigate is permanent for the rest of the voyage. The next morning's run resets you back to a brig, since every voyage starts humbly.
The Enemy
→ Lore Codex: Ship Classification
Royal Navy Brig. The standard Crown patrol. Sticks close to whichever island it guards.
Royal Navy Frigate. Heavy escort. Three masts, twice the cannons, harder to sink. Defends Crown Cove at the heart of the archipelago and the most fortified satellite island.
Sink enough Crown ships in a single voyage and the Admiralty dispatches Hunter Fleets at the 15-, 30-, and 50-kill marks. These frigates have no home island and no retreat. They pursue until they sink.
How You Earn Infamy
→ Lore Codex: The Code of Infamy
| Action | Reward |
|---|---|
| Each ship sunk | +10 Infamy |
| Each common treasure recovered | +10 |
| Each rare treasure | +50 |
| Each legendary treasure | +100 |
| Each enemy boarded | +30 |
| Each island liberated | +40 |
| Voyage completed (all seven isles) | +500 |
| New best time | +500 |
Infamy persists between voyages. Even captains who go down with their ship keep what they earned before the end.
Pickups in the Open Water
→ Lore Codex: Pickups & Buffs
Loot Chests drop from sunken enemy ships. Tap a chest by sailing through it for coin in the hold.
Powder Barrels. Temporary +60 % cannon damage.
Grog Barrels. Temporary +40 % sail thrust.
Sea Encounters
→ Lore Codex: Open-Water Encounters
The Caribbean is never quiet. Roughly once a minute, an encounter surfaces. Sail through to trigger it.
Mermaid Pod. A coin flip: either +30 HP or −15 HP.
Drifting Wreck. Free loot plus a random barrel.
Castaway Raft. +15 HP and +30 Infamy. The Brethren honor mercy.
Whirlpool. −20 HP, but a rare treasure spits out. Also a 0.7 % chance a Reef Crab clings to the hull as a Sea Companion.
Dark Cloud Front. −12 HP from lightning singeing the rigging, plus a common treasure roll. Also a 1.0 % chance a Stormling peels off the cloud as a Sea Companion.
Sea Monster Shadow. −35 HP and an 8 % legendary / 92 % rare treasure roll. Also a 1.5 % chance the kraken decides to follow you home as a Sea Companion.
Treasures & Cursed Cargo
→ Lore Codex: Treasures
The world hides 38 historical treasures drawn from real Caribbean pirate folklore. Each entry links straight to the Wikipedia article behind it. Three tiers, three Infamy payouts:
- Common (28 entries, +10 Infamy). Coins, navigational tools, period artifacts.
- Rare (10 entries, +50). Iconic pirate hauls.
- Legendary (8 entries, +100 plus a buff that lasts the voyage). The Cursed Cargo.
Every Cursed Cargo you have ever recovered enters your permanent hold. Between voyages, the Cargo screen lets you pick one to carry out as the curse you sail with. Choose the Black Pearl for one-second cannon reloads, the Trident for endless tailwinds, or the Aztec Gold for +25 % damage at the cost of −25 % hull. Every voyage sails under a different curse.
Sea Companions
→ Lore Codex: Sea Companions
Three rare creatures roam the seas. Befriend one on its specific ocean encounter and it joins your roster for life, sailing alongside any Cursed Cargo you carry. The odds are slim, so most captains weigh anchor dozens of times before all three are aboard.
Kraken Companion. 1.5 % drop from a Sea Monster Shadow. Latches onto enemies within 220 px and chews for 6 HP every 0.75 s.
Reef Crab Companion. 0.7 % drop from a Whirlpool. Scuttles between enemies and claw-slaps for 3 HP plus a 0.6 s rudder stun.
Stormling Companion. 1.0 % drop from a Dark Cloud Front. Hovers in your wake and zaps the nearest enemy for 9 HP every 2.5 s, with a 4 HP AoE splash to any other ship within 40 px.
The Climb: Ranks of the Brethren
→ Lore Codex: Ranks of the Brethren
Infamy climbs the captain through eight ranks. Each rank stamps a more ornate wax seal on every dispatch you sign. The lower ranks add small details to your deck; the top three unlock the prestige paint: hull tint, sail stripes, glowing bow gem, the works.
| Tier | Title | Threshold |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | Deckhand | 0 |
| 1 | Powder Monkey | 800 |
| 2 | Sea Dog | 2,000 |
| 3 | Buccaneer | 4,500 |
| 4 | Privateer | 9,000 |
| 5 | Pirate Captain | 16,000 (cyan paint + bow gem) |
| 6 | Dread Pirate | 24,000 (purple paint + silver-purple sail) |
| 7 | Brethren Lord | 40,000 (forest-green paint + gold-green sail + emerald bow gem) |
A typical complete voyage pays around 800 Infamy. Powder Monkey is one good voyage. Brethren Lord is the long climb — dozens of voyages, the title only a handful of captains will fly.
Set Sail
Pick your Cursed Cargo, weigh anchor, and find your first patrol. The Brethren can wait no longer. The wind is up.
For the full breakdown of every ship, treasure, encounter, and companion, see the Lore Codex.
For wind, trim, and points-of-sail, see the Sailor's Manual.