Burning Blade Cutlass (object)
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This article is about the mystical item important to the story of Sea of Thieves. For the treasure item pertaining to the world event, see Blade of Souls. For the cosmetic item, see Burning Blade Cutlass. |
The Burning Blade Cutlass, at times also known as the Sword of Souls or the Blade of Souls, is an object-type point of interest in Sea of Thieves. It can be found at The Reaper's Hideout or upon sinking the Burning Blade.
Lore
In Pendragon's Possession
In an effort to quell rampant skeletal threats on the seas, Madame Olivia appointed Sir Arthur Pendragon as the Champion of Souls and had requested and overseen the creation of a powerful blade to help him on his sworn mission; the Sword of Souls. Its immense power had many uses, but its primary purpose while wielded by Pendragon was to conquer cursed skeletons to extract their souls while at the expense of his energy and ability. He would also work on behalf of the Ferryman to free bound spirits that were beyond his reach of saving, using an enchanted lantern to locate them. After being captured and slain by Graymarrow, he understood that while the Sword of Souls could be used to release captive spirits, the process could be done in reverse and bind spirits instead, and used this knowledge to imprison Pendragon’s soul in a framed portrait for many years.
Much later, Pendragon was freed by Stitcher Jim using stolen Dark Relics. Reignited with the need to help souls, he set out to continue his mission despite his now ghostly existence. He could not reveal the location of these souls himself, as the lantern he carried could only be wielded by the living, but the Sword of Souls was bound to his very spirit which meant its purpose and function could still be carried out by Pendragon, even in death. Pendragon followed the lead Stitcher Jim had provided, using the Sword of Souls to free Captain Martha Jane and Captain Randall Stone, who had each been trapped while in pursuit of The Ashen Dragon. This voyage of freeing spirits all but ended when the final soul released was none other than the feared Captain Flameheart.
Distraught and ashamed of falling for the lies he had been fed, Pendragon decided to use the power he still possessed to fight Flameheart and defend the Sea of Thieves. He would then ally with Grace Morrow to track down Stitcher Jim to attempt to prevent the return of the Ashen Lords, but was too late to stop the ritual. Pendragon would then use the Sword of Souls to free the Blackwyche crew from their captivity in Stitcher’s Chest of Rage that was used in the ritual.
As Flameheart’s plans began to be carried out, Pendragon joined in retrieving the Veil of the Ancients from the Shrouded Ghost alongside Belle and Merrick. He used the Sword of Souls to inspect the Veil only to find it to be powerless without its stones. Later, as the Time of Resurrection was cast upon the seas, Pendragon helped Belle find what became of Stitcher Jim, realizing he had been reconstructing Flameheart’s body for his rebirth as well Jim’s role as the Herald of the Flame. After the conflict at Molten Sands Fortress and the Herald of the Flame was destroyed, Pendragon used the Sword of Souls to once more destroy Flameheart’s skull. While the skull was vanquished, the body itself was stolen under Pendragon’s nose and Jim’s now empty skull would be served in place of Flameheart’s original.
At a loss of ways to prevent the return of Flameheart, Pendragon used the Sword of Souls in a last ditch effort to imprison Flameheart in the farthest reaches of the Sea of the Damned, fulfilling his resurrection in the ancient prophecy rather than outright denying it. This gambit, however, came with the risk that if he did not have the strength to overpower Flameheart and his forces, Pendragon himself would instead be cast into the Sea of the Damned and once again bound in portrait. To obtain the power to complete the ritual, his allies conquered Sea Forts that were linked with the Sea of the Damned and delivered Bewitching Dolls to Belle. No matter the outcome, the Sword of Souls itself would be forever tainted with Flameheart’s essence as a result of his attempt and would be stained with dark power. In the end, Pendragon and his allies were not able to overcome Flameheart’s might and Pendragon was lost to the Sea of the Damned. The Sword of Souls was left corrupted and changed by the ritual after his disappearance.
In LeChuck's Possession
In the aftermath and ensuing war, The Pirate Lord ordered that powerful artifacts and important secrets would be stored and sealed away under Port Merrick for safe keeping, most valuable of which was the now tarnished Sword of Souls. LeChuck, in pursuit of Guybrush Threepwood, after his most recent defeat, followed him and Elaine Marley to the Sea of Thieves and then into the Sea of the Damned. After witnessing the power present in the Sea of the Damned, LeChuck came up with a plan to trap Guybrush in a prison using powerful memories. To harness this power, he returned to the living world and disguised himself as The Pirate Lord and requested that pirates help him track down and obtain the Sword of Souls. Using combined possessions from both Pendragon and Flameheart, a compass was formed that pointed towards the corrupted blade. Once the vault that housed the Sword of Souls was discovered, LeChuck fled with the sword as the real Pirate Lord arrived, disappearing back into the Sea of the Damned.
Wielding the changed weapon, now reconstructed as the Burning Blade, LeChuck was able to manipulate and mold the powers found there and construct a false version of Mêlée Island that would control Guybrush’s perception so vividly that he would never want to leave. Just as he was ready to return to the Sea of Thieves and assume the role of Pirate Lord by overthrowing him, LeChuck was forced to cloak Mêlée Island in a thick and impenetrable fog to disguise it from the outside world, as Kate Capsize found it while searching for Guybrush for her own vengeance. Creating the shroud around the island had drained the Burning Blade of its newfound power, resulting in LeChuck manifesting Monkey Island from his own memories in order to regain some of the Blade’s power from the catacombs deep below. Pirates freed Guybrush and teamed up with Elaine and Kate to chase LeChuck through the underground tunnels, only to allow him to recharge its power and gain the upperhand. He captured them and used the Blade to force an unwilling Elaine to become his bride. Pirates, Kate, and The Pirate Lord intervened just in time to stop the wedding ceremony and steal back the Burning Blade. LeChuck was defeated and the Pirate Lord took the Blade back to the Pirate Legend Hideout to have a closer watch over it and to study its new abilities after being used to harness the Sea of the Damned.
In Tasha's Possession
Tasha, who had suffered a skeletal curse and had been desperate for a remedy to be found, enlisted the help of Madame Olivia and The Order of Souls. In a race against the Dark Brethren to discover the whereabouts of a supposed cure, memories leaking into The Wilds saw the return of Captain Briggsy, who swore to find a way to save Tasha from her fate. As a bargaining token for Briggsy’s assistance towards the Dark Brethren’s motives, Wanda provided Tasha with a Cursed Cannonball of her own design to slow the effects of the curse placed upon her.
Briggsy, as her use to the Dark Brethren waned, helped the Pirate Lord in securing Skulls of Siren Song due to their link to the Sea of the Damned. In return, the Pirate Lord gave her access to the Burning Blade, after realizing that its formed power would allow Tasha to be cured through positive and cherished memories prior to her curse. While in the Pirate Legend Hideout, she also reunited with Louise, Tasha’s mother, after she had perished on a voyage they had gone on together long ago. Together with Teddy, Lousie’s husband and Tasha’s father, the three of them recounted memories of Tasha and poured their thoughts into the Blade before giving it to her.
In possession of the Burning Blade, the effects took hold and Tasha’s skeleton curse began to heal over a number of weeks. No longer in need of the Cursed Cannonball provided by Wanda, Tasha gave it to Wonda for future purposes and forging. Knowing the power and value of the Burning Blade, Tasha chained it to her countertop to monitor and safeguard as her cure subsided completely. One morning, however, she came down the stairs of her tavern to find that it was stolen in the dead of night. The Pirate Lord came to inspect the tavern and to check in on Tasha, coming to the conclusion that Flameheart must have greater plans with the Blade and ordered it to be retrieved by the Reaper’s Bones. He believed that it may no longer serve the power of good as a result of its possession and transformation by those who wish to do evil.
In Flameheart's Possession
Having finally seized the weapon that has long been tainted by his power, Flameheart reformed the Burning Blade once more into the Blade of Souls and bound its very being to his reconstructed flagship, the Burning Blade vessel. Its power is now used by those crewing the Burning Blade by visiting Ancient Temples and extracting knowledge from the dead using dark rituals. Should those crewing the Burning Blade return its ownership to Flameheart, he uses the Blade of Souls to combine the gathered knowledge into his oracle, The Orb, growing his strength and his preparation for future conquest. Those who oppose Flameheart, however, can obtain the Blade of Souls for themselves by sinking the Burning Blade. It can either be used as a weapon or sold to the Trading Companies for gold and reputation.
Dialogue
"I did what I could, coming to the tavern around bedtime to tell stories."
"It wasnn't much and I couldn't bring myself to tell her what happened."
"Butat least she could get a taste of the adventurer her mum truly was."
"She was like an only niece to me; "and I was her favourite mad auntie Briggsy!
"My birthday, 'er birthday. And her mum's o' course. Never forgot it."
"But especially at the Festival of Giving 'n' Grogmanay."
"She loved things to be pretty - like her - eyes all excited at the idea, sparkling in the firelight."
"She'd squeeze them with all her might, hangin' on to me. It was like she knew somehow..."
"Knew she'd be losin' me soon enough, bless'er. She only let go when sleep took her."
"Off to the land of nod, dreaming of all them funny stories and pictures..."
A moustachioed pirate saying, "Once, I sailed The Sea of Thieves, laying trapped spirits to rest with my trusty blade..."
A green woman on a floating object warning, "If we should fail, his soul will be cast into the void intended for Flameheart, and he will be lost to us - perhaps forever..."
A bearded pirate growling, "The Sword of Souls is a formidable weapon. It was created to release captive spirits, but when fully reforged as the Burning Blade, it will grant the power to enslave them..."
An evil pirate with a large hat saying, "I may have lost my Burning Blade, but I can still have my fun..."
Trivia
- Cutlass cosmetics exist for both the Sword of Souls and Burning Blade stages of this item's existence.