Dark Brethren (quest)

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Dark Brethren
Type	Tall Tale
Start location	Tale book found near The Castaway
Story arc	Sea of Thieves: A Pirate's Life
Part	4/5
Reward	8,000
Tale chronology
← Previous	Captains of the Damned
Next →	Lords of the Sea

A distant fortress holds the greatest Pirate Treasure of all, but evil lurks inside...

Dark Brethren is the fourth Tall Tale in the A Pirate's Life Arc. The Tale Book can be voted for at the Castaway's Camp on any Outpost. The Tall Tale can be cancelled by voting at the Ship's Voyage Table.

The details on the location of the Tale Book, related Commendations and unlockable Cosmetics are all presented in the Tall Tales Reputation Menu.

The reward for completing the Dark Brethren Tall Tale is 8,000 .

This Tall Tale must be completed in order to access the fifth Tall Tale, Lords of the Sea.

Chapters

Prologue

The Castaway

So, you travelled to the Sea of the Damned, walked its shores and found one who was lost in him own past…
Not many can walk beyond the veil that way.
The things they see steal away their minds forever…
'Til they even forget that them dead…
But Davy Jones will not forget how you stood in him way.
Nor will him forgive the Siren Queen for failing him. He—
Wait-- we are not alone…
You know you cannot hide from me, Jack Sparrow!

Jack Sparrow

Uh, I wasn't hiding! I was… eavesdropping. Vastly different pastimes.

The Castaway

There him stand… Another pirate who's twice come back from the land of the dead.
Who escaped the raid on Isla Tesoro and even found the Fountain of Youth…

Jack Sparrow

Oi! Have you been gossiping about me with this… this strange, book-obsessed individual?
Whatever they've told you, it's not true.
Unless it's flattering, in which case it's all true but they left out the best bits.

The Castaway

The man who stole the only trinket that can reach Davy Jones… A pendant, twin to the one Jones himself possesses.

Jack Sparrow

How can you know all this? That pendant—

The Castaway

Belongs to me.

Jack Sparrow

You can't be…

Calypso

Aye, this time it was the sea what brought you back to me, Jack.

(Calypso magically removes her "Castaway" disguise)

Jack Sparrow

Tia Dalma! Uh, Calypso! Shouldn't you… be floating on a cloud, or bubbles, or whatever it is sea goddesses do?
And while I'm asking the questions, am I alive or am I not?

Calypso

The Sea of Thieves is a haunting place. It bestows many gifts, even upon the dead.
That is why I followed the Black Pearl here. To protect these sacred waters from Davy Jones and that which follow him.
That is all the answers I have. Now you must listen…
Davy Jones know that the pirates of this world threaten him plans.
So, him summonin' his own dark version of a Brethren Court, made of those cruel and corrupted souls who long to rule the Sea of Thieves.
If him succeed, him power will be greater than ever before.

Jack Sparrow

This is why I love running into old friends. They always have such cheery news.
But if Jones is inviting his friends for tea, that means we know where to find him, and, by the by, my Treasure.

Calypso

You speak the truth. And since you still hold the key to his fortress, with my sketches you can find your way inside.
Think of what you want most, Jack Sparrow. It will show you the way.

Jack Sparrow

Right. Well, given that these are unfamiliar waters, and I lack a ship with which to sail upon them, a critical decision must be made.
You will always remember this as the day your crew was joined… by Captain Jack Sparrow!
Now I know that's a great honour to bestow upon a humble vessel such as yours, but don't you worry – I promise you won't be an imposition.
Tia Dalma, about that Treasure. If it was entrusted to Davy Jones, that can only mean--

Calypso

Hush! There are some truths not ready to be told.
Their time will come when the deed is done. Now make sail, witty Jack, and be swift!

Jack Sparrow

Oh. Well then… See you aboard!

The Court Convenes

Upon entering the meeting room of the Dark Brethren, Wanda, Davy Jones, Duke and The Gold Hoarder can be seen holding a meeting. As long as you don't move in too close, their dialogue can be played in full.

Wanda

Well, Jones? The Dark Brethren have heeded your call, and now I'm sure we're all curious to learn why we were summoned.
Was your dalliance with the Siren Queen not all you dreamed it might be?

Davy Jones

PAH! The Sirens are loyal to me as long as I can summon their precious "daughter".
However, they cannot guard my Lock if pirates sail free and interfere without consequence!
That is why I have sought new orders...

Gold Hoarder

Jones... Obeys...?

Wanda

Oh-ho? The legendary Davy Jones is now in service to another?
Tell us, who might this fearsome individual be?

Davy Jones

The blaggard who absconded with my heart...
Now - this Dark Brethren court has formed, and our strength will control the seas once and for all.

Duke

What you've promised may have brought our loyalty to the Brethren, but not even Captain Flameheart has been able to conquer the Sea of Thieves.
Why should we expect to succeed?

Davy Jones

Flameheart was blinded by his own rage and obsessed with killing.
Control of these waters is not about slaughter of our enemies. It's about what happens next...

Duke

You're talking about the Ferryman...

Davy Jones

Aye, with the power of the Treasure I possess and the full force of the Dark Brethren at my side,
we finally have might enough to destroy his vessel.

Wanda

And you'll be his replacement?

Davy Jones

I most certainly will, Warsmith. And only those pirates who swear an oath to the Brethren will return from my vessel!
We'll command every pirate on the Sea of Thieves... Ah, but that's only the beginning of the Captain's plans...
And those who follow orders will be duly rewarded.
As I promised, Gold Hoarder. 882 gold coins of immeasurable value... the Aztec Gold of Cortes!
Payment in full for obedience.

Gold Hoarder

Cor... tes... Cursed...

Davy Jones

Aye, by a treasure bathed in blood.
The Aztecs delivered these coins to Cortes in exchange for their lives, but his conquests continued.
Now, any mortal who takes so as a single coin will be punished for all eternity.
You yourself have paid the price for such greed before.

Gold Hoarder

Where... is Cap'n...

Davy Jones

That is not your concern. Once we've secured this world for the Brethren, he'll sail to us.
Now, the preparations are complete. It's time to bridge the worlds and take our rightful places as Lords of the Sea!
BEGIN THE RITUAL!

Journals

My Darkest Hour

Found after entering the first door into the Coral Fortress. The journal is amongst some wreckage to the right, as you pass through the door.

(It’s unclear who wrote this journal…)
“The need for hiding my face will soon be gone.” I wrote those words on what I believed would be the eve of my greatest triumph, earning me a place at my love’s side.
I had worked ceaselessly to bring you back from beyond the veil. Hearing your whispered words as I struggled, enthralled by the prospect of reigning as your queen.
As your battles raged on, I came to realize that there would never be a seat for me at your side. Like Stitcher Jim before me, I had unwittingly served my purpose.
Then came the day I confronted you. Confessed my love to you, and demanded proof of your devotion to me. Your laughter froze my burning blood to ice.
Flameheart, my ‘King’, I will take great pleasure in annihilating the Sea of Thieves as you watch, helplessly, from the heavens. You shall have nothing left to conquer.

 

Following

After first entering the Coral Fortress there is a water-filled tunnel to swim through. The journal is on the left, near the end of the tunnel before the rock blockage at the end.

Following, by First Mate Yenay
Whenever I am lost in the cold and the dark, he comes to me.
How many merfolk truly swim below our feet as we sail our Sea of Thieves? I am so used to their familiar song, I scarcely stop to wonder.
Like my fellow pirates, I have been rescued from the icy waters and spirited back to my ship by the kind touch of many merfolk, men and women alike.
It was rude of me not to pay them more heed, perhaps, but I was usually distracted by the heat of battle or concerned for the safety of my ship.
That is, until the day I noticed that there was only one mer searching for me. Each and every time, the same. No matter where I sailed, he was there.

 

Company

After the water-filled tunnel near the start, you'll enter a tall room. While moving up the room, there is a pulley to move across a plank of wood. After this, step onto the yellow coral and drop down onto a ledge below. This is where the journal is located.

Company, by First Mate Yenay
The others think I have sunstroke. That is how I explained throwing myself over the ship’s railing and into the sea. In truth, I longed to see him.
He broke the surface of the waves at my side, as I knew he would, but I did not take his hand right away. I wished to drink in all of him that I could.
He is… not precisely handsome, for a life at sea soon knocks such conceits out of us with everyday bumps and bruises. But he has kind eyes.
I am certain that he is following our ship. In those rare moments when the wind is still and the seas are quiet, I can hear the echo of this song.
Tonight, when the others are asleep, I will go for a moonlight swim, and stay in the water with him until the dawn, or the sharks, come to part us.

 

Davy Jones

On a box on the right, after you enter the captain's cabin of the Flying Dutchman.

(It’s unclear who wrote this journal…)
I was born to be a weaponsmith rather than a common criminal, but you cannot live a life at sea without hearing the legend of Davy Jones.
For a pirate, clinging to their last seconds of life and watching the final grains of sand tumble through the hourglass, his arrival must induce sheer terror.
His bargain is simple: agree to serve aboard his mighty vessel, the Flying Dutchman, and avoid taking that final step across life’s threshold.
Those scoundrels who betray their pact with Jones, or who displease him in some other way, are cast down to his Locker. Pirates for all eternity, indeed.
This is a world where the pirates’ life hangs not by the fragile thread, but by the mighty golden chain. With our help, Jones will have strength enough to sever it.

 

Risk

Found in a large chamber soon after the room with the Dutchman. Swim down to the left to find an open cage chained to the floor, containing the journal.

Risk, by First Mate Yenay
The Captain took me aside today, She wasn’t cruel, only concerned. She reminded me that we know so little about the mer and where they came from.
I am not about to listen to old stories of pirates being dragged under the waves and transformed! And if it were to happen, at least I could be with him.
I dove into the sea again that night, eager to wash away the argument. I soon found that I was not the only one who had a confrontation that day.
There was a scratch on his arm. Deep, I think, though he would not let me touch it. Nor tend to the wound, not that I knew how. I swam with him instead.
I awoke today to a wrongness – to a silence. Now it is nearly the evening, and I have not heard his song. Every moment until sunset is agony.

 

A Better Offer

Found underneath a platform with a ladder on it after hopping across the floating shipwreck pieces.

(It’s unclear who wrote this journal…)
“If you want peace, prepare for war.” Words spoken by a general whose bones long ago crumbled to dust. Words that these bones still remember.
I have spent my life preparing for war. More than that – I have crafted war, mastered the art of it. Once, I came close to losing myself to its flames.
My efforts were unappreciated, my finest weapons used by pitiful pirates to skewer snakes or hack at one another in some pointless brawl, but I persisted.
My loyal Skeleton Fleets introduced the Sea of Thieves to the truth of war. Better yet, my efforts at The Reaper’s Hideout taught pirates to war among themselves.
None of it has been enough, but now…an invitation. The ultimate test of my skills. Fashioning a War that will end all Wars. How can I possibly refuse?

 

Change

Found resting in a yellow set of coral towards the left of the Ocean Crawler fight room.

Change, by First Mate Yenay
It has been weeks since I felt like writing anything. Like feeling anything. Weeks since I have seen him. And then today… a shadow, under the ship.
There was singing, too, but it was… different. A sad song. The others heard it, I could tell. The Captain has had her pistol loaded ever since.
Sirens are nothing but an old pirate legend, but legends have a way of coming true out here, don’t they? The Merchants talk of so many missing crews…
If pirates can become merfolk, then what might merfolk become?
The sad song is back. Louder. All around us now. He is here, and he is not alone.

 

A Change of Location

Found at the top of a siren statue puzzle room after the water level has raised.

(It’s unclear who wrote this journal…)
I have become used to hiding. I hid my arm from customers, not to mention my hag of a sister, when my skeletal curse first began to claim it.
Later, I hid my name, then my voice, and – reluctantly – my face. Whenever a fresh start was needed, I would depart. Retreat, too, is a part of war.
Thankfully, I have become quite adept at sailing beneath the waves, an advantage shared both by Davy Jones and the Flying Dutchman itself.
Jones was wise to ally with the Sirens. Temperamental as they are, their spires and fortresses are born from the sea, and Jones cannot set foot on land.
As his allies, we shall soon carry the Eternal Bargain of Davy Jones to places he may not tread. I have arrived, and the Dark Brethren court is about to form…

 

Rescue

Found against the right wall of the ramp that leads down into the courtroom.

Rescue, By Yenay
Even as he tore our ship apart, he was weeping. Tears from those blank, pale eyes, no longer kind. Twin mirrors, reflecting my horrified face.
The Captain is gone. She flung herself into the water with her pistol and blunderbuss, ignoring my panicked shriek not to hurt him. Buying us time.
I don’t feel despair. I don’t even feel fury. I feel certainty, because I know what has to be done. Finally, it is my turn to rescue him.
Disease can be cured. Curses can be put right. Somewhere on or under this vast, strange Sea of Thieves, there is a way to restore his song.
I am Yenay, First Mate no more. However long it takes me, I will not stop and I will not falter. Not until I am once again gazing into those kind eyes.

 

The Brethren Convenes

Found in the room of the Brethren Court resting against a chair at the table in the center of the room.

The Brethren Convenes, by Wanda the Warsmith
Scrutinizing this strange collection of faces – some unfamiliar, some unexpected – I have finally realized just what has drawn us here.
The Fallen Ruler – the gold on his skull now mottled and tarnished, whose greed could never be sated by the paltry tributes of his disciples.
The Outcast – blamed by his kin for causing chaos, now lured here by the Sirens’ song. He sees, at last, that his dream is over. It is time to wake up.
Davy Jones himself – once a pirate, whose greatest love was the sea, but that sea betrayed him in the end. Took all it could, gave nothing back.
We are all here because we have lived the lie of the pirate’s life, in our own ways, and it brought us nothing but anguish. Now it is time for the lie to end.

 

Commendations and Rewards

Commendations
Image	Commendation	Requirements	Rewards
	Secret Waters	Discover a different way to descend.	n/a
	Dutchman's Rest	See a sailor's worst nightmare with your own eyes.	n/a
	Symphony of Sorrow	Survive a fierce battle aboard a ship.	n/a
	Dark Desires	Learn more about the Dark Brethren.	n/a
	Ritual of Thieves	Overcome greed's fury before time runs out.	n/a
	Dark Brethren	Complete 'Dark Brethren'.	Unlocks the Pistol of Sunken Sorrow in the Armoury.
	The Siren's Call	Discover all the hidden Siren Murals in the Coral Fortress.	n/a
	Heart of a Thief	Peek at the contents of some private correspondence.	n/a
	Lost at Sea	Discover all the hidden Journals in the Coral Fortress.	n/a
	Fortress of Sorrow	Legendary Commendation: Complete all commendations for 'Dark Brethren'.	Unlocks the Figurehead of Sunken Sorrow in the Ship Customization Chest.

Patch history

• 2.9.0 (October 19, 2023)
  • Players can no longer walk through the pipe organ in the Chamber of Sorrow.

• 2.8.3 (June 15, 2023)
  • A typo in the initial notification when starting the Tale from a checkpoint has been corrected.

• 2.7.2 (January 19, 2023)
  • Collecting the Siren Heart from Jack while holding an item will now drop the held item on the ground and collect the Siren Heart.
  • Areas of rising and lowering water no longer display an incorrect texture.

• 2.7.1 (December 15, 2022)
  • Crates found during the ‘Dark Brethren’ Tall Tale now contain fewer blunderbombs.
  • ‘Dark Brethren’ – During the intro to the final battle, Jack should no longer be seen floating in the air and his voice can now be heard.

• 2.5.0 (March 10, 2022)
  • It is now impossible to avoid the battle with the Ocean Crawlers in Chapter 4 by climbing over the coral.

• 2.4.0 (December 2, 2021)
  • Ambient noises in The Coral Fortress should no longer cut out when moving around in the ascending chamber.

• 2.3.1 (October 14, 2021)
  • Starting this tale from a checkpoint will remind crews that the Mermaid Statue at the entrance can bring players to the right location for the Tale.
  • The chains holding the large ship piece should now move correctly when the ship pieces are raised.
  • There should no longer be an invisible wall beneath the red coral in the Dark Brethren room.
  • Players should no longer be able to reach otherwise inaccessible areas by jumping on the coral attached to the mast in the Sunken Chamber.
  • Rebinding the left and right movement controls should no longer prevent sideways movement on water slides.
  • Interrupting Davy Jones should no longer cut off his dialogue and prevent him from saying “Begin the ritual!”

• 2.2.1.1 (August 25, 2021)
  • Upon approaching the Coral Fortress, players should now more consistently hear Captain Jack Sparrow’s voice as he is speaking.
  • Upon uncovering the mysterious meeting, players should now more consistently hear the characters’ voices as they are speaking.

• 2.2.1 (August 17, 2021)
  • When a crew engages in an encounter and the room is locked, other crews approaching the encounter room will now find a notification on the locked door indicating that the room is currently in use by another crew.
  • Improved client stability when interacting with the organ during the Dark Brethren Tall Tale.
  • The Reputation page should no longer be shown prior to unlocking the Tall Tale.
  • Players now see an appropriate prompt when approaching a pulley that has previously been disabled.
  • Large waterfall visual and audio effects no longer play when the waterfall is inactive.
  • In the final encounter, the timing of the music has been improved when Captain Jack Sparrow cuts down the Cannons for players.
  • During the organ sequence, Jack Sparrow no longer briefly appears in an incorrect location.
  • Rain and thunder should no longer be heard when inside the Flying Dutchman.
  • The Dead Man's Chest Key now sits properly in the lock when unlocking the chest.
  • The Gold Hoarder's Gem now appears in his hand when he returns from the fight.
  • The right-hand Crab on the tilting mast now animates properly after the Gold Hoarder is defeated.
  • When the Crab falls from the mast during the final encounter, supporting audio effects can now be heard.
  • After dying in the Chamber of Sorrow, the music should now start when a player respawns.
  • It is no longer possible to jump into the Shipwreck’s planks in the Shipwrecked Room.
  • A small door behind a waterfall which Jack Sparrow opens for you now correctly shows the space beneath.
  • It is no longer possible to jump onto inaccessible areas from coral in the Ritual Chamber or the Fortress.
  • Players can no longer fire themselves up from a Cannon to the suspended shipwreck in the Ritual Chamber.
  • After starting from the Chapter 3 checkpoint, a floating Jack Sparrow should no longer be seen near the doors to the Chamber of Sorrow.
  • After starting from the Chapter 3 checkpoint, when the shipwreck is lowered, Jack Sparrow should now appear correctly.
  • Jack Sparrow no longer floats slightly above ground level when docked to the cannon to fire at Davy Jones in the Ritual Chamber.
  • There is no longer a floating piece of coral in the large cave after the Shipwrecked Room.
  • Jack Sparrow no longer intersects with the ground when coming out of the slide.
  • Music in the ascending chamber should now play whenever the player is in there, regardless of whether or not the Sirens have been left alive in the lower chamber.
  • Jack Sparrow’s legs no longer pass through the gold piles in the Ritual Chamber.
  • Players can no longer become stuck and unable to escape from shipwreck debris outside the Coral Fortress.
  • Players can now easily get back up to the raised platform near the entrance to the Ritual Chamber.
  • Davy Jones' lips are now synced to the VO in the final encounter.
  • Players no longer stutter after performing a jump from the shipwreck bridge while it’s still being raised.
  • The statues that light up to show wave progress in Chapter 2 now illuminate correctly when a player joins an encounter already in progress.
  • Players can no longer gain access to the Coral Fortress from outside by firing themselves from a Cannon.

• 2.2.0 (June 22, 2021)
  • Introduced.