While Sea of Thieves' world may look a little empty at first glance, if players dig a little deeper, then a whole treasure trove of interesting and unique characters bursts open. By exploring Sea of Thieves' overworld, and taking up various company missions, players will soon learn more about the sea they sail on, and who used to inhabit the same waves.
One of Sea of Thieves' most prominent characters is Captain Flameheart. Despite only appearing in a few quests that were added post-launch, Captain Flameheart has been a part of Sea of Thieves since before release, first appearing in the game's E3 2016 trailer. Players were only drip-fed small lore details through notes and quests about Flameheart and his whereabouts until 2019's The Seabound Soul update, in which Captain Flameheart was finally introduced. Now, Captain Flameheart is one of the main antagonists, sending his spectral, undead forces after anyone who sails on the Sea of Thieves.
Captain Flameheart's Adventures Aboard the Burning Blade
The earliest records of Captain Flameheart suggest that, at one stage in his life, he tried to retire. From a lifetime of sailing on the Sea of Thieves, Flameheart had accrued quite a haul in treasure and used that much of that money to buy a large estate and settle down.
Around this time, Flameheart would find a young orphan, whom he rescued, and lovingly named Flameheart Junior. Flameheart Senior spent his retirement training his adopted son. Together, they both spent their days swimming, sword training, and sailing. The nights were spent by telling stories, with Flameheart Senior regaling his son with all the tall tales of the Sea of Thieves.
As the years passed, the two became even closer, until the passing of Flameheart Senior. Upon his death, Flameheart Junior left the estate, and set out to start his own pirating adventure. Once Junior left, Flameheart Senior returned to the Sea of Thieves once more, having faked his death to send his son away. The call of the sea was too enticing for Flameheart, and within months he had his own ship, called the Burning Blade, and his own loyal crew. Flameheart was a captain once more.
Over the years, Captain Flameheart built a fairly substantial fleet, giving him the ability to swiftly defeat anyone who stood in his way. Though the circumstances are unknown, Flameheart would somehow be transformed into an undead Ashen Lord and would give these mystical powers to his top crewmates.
Now, with the Burning Blade decked out with magical burning cannons, and a crew imbued with the powers of an Ashen Lord, Captain Flameheart set out to rule every inch of the Sea of Thieves. Flameheart's desire for domination led to a fair few ship battles, one of which was fought against the Pirate Lord Ramsey Singh, the founder of the Athena's Fortune company.
Captain Flameheart's Demise and Vengeance
After years of pillaging the Sea of Thieves' various outposts and settlements, Captain Flameheart was cursed, causing his soul to be permanently bound to his skull, and immobilizing his physical body. The crew of the Ashen Dragon, a ship in Flameheart's fleet, took his body to Flintlock Peninsula, where they sealed it inside an underground chamber.
Many years later, the Masked Stranger and their associate Stitcher Jim devised a plot to reanimate the dead Captain. Together, the two tricked the Bilge Rats company into resurrecting Flameheart by using the Sword of Souls to remove the curse placed on him. Upon doing so, Captain Flameheart's skull shot into the sky, announcing to the world that he will soon have vengeance on the Sea of Thieves. Soon after, a fleet of ghostly ships appeared on the waves, being the first step in Flameheart's plan.
Sea of Thieves is out now for PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.