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Sail open waters and ally alongside skeleton buccaneers inSea of Thievesas you go on the first ever Reaper’s Bone Voyage in the game’s new update. Voyage’s are structured questlines that offer anything from treasure hunts to faction tasks that offer unique challenges and hefty rewards along the way.
If you’re flying the Reaper’s Bones flag and chasing something a little more cursed, Flameheart has a new job for you. The Search for Ancient Secrets Voyage sends you on a supernatural excavation, where you’ll dig up forgotten power and fight off vengeful spirits to prove your loyalty. Let’s break down what to expect and how to survive it.
What Is The Search For Ancient Secrets Voyage?
This Reaper’s Bones Voyage is more than a treasure hunt.Captain Flamehearthas discovered that the Ancients, a long-banished civilization with dangerous knowledge, were sealed away across various islands in stone caskets. These tombs hide theSkull of the Banished, a powerful relic he wants in his grasp.
To retrieve it, you’ll summon a Skeleton crew and dig upthree Ancient Pillars. Each is sealed with magic, and you’ll need to help your undead allies break through the protections while fending offwaves ofAncient Phantoms. Once all seals are broken,the final Sarcophaguswill be revealed. Inside? The Skull of the Banished. Grab it, and theVoyage is complete.
Flying The Flag Of The Reaper’s Mark
Starting the Search for Ancient Secrets Voyage isn’t subtle. The moment you or your crew votes to begin, yourship is flaggedwith the Reaper’s Mark, making your location visible to every other pirate on the server via the Map Table. You’ll also be sailing under theFlag of the Reaper’s Markautomatically, and there’s no unequipping it until you either finish or cancel the Voyage.
Since you’ll already be broadcast to the entire server, you shouldrepresent Reaper’s Bonesas anEmissaryto gain extra gold and reputation.
Starting The Search For Ancient Secrets Voyage
Head to your ship’sQuest Tableand open the Voyages menu. Under the Reaper’s Bones Trading Company, look for theReaper Searchessection. That’s where you’ll find the Search for Ancient Secrets. There’s no rep requirement to begin, so any pirate can jump in.
Since Reaper’s Bones Voyages are exclusive to theHigh Seas, you won’t find this one inSafer Seas. Make sure you’re in the right mode before you begin.
Sail Or Dive To The Island
Once you vote to start the Voyage, you’ll get a single Quest in yourQuest Radial. After accepting the voyage, your Quest will point you toward anearby large island. If you chose to Sail, it’ll be close, so no need to worry about long trips or hostile seas. If you picked Dive, you’ll surface right in front of a random large island, ready to begin the hunt without delay.
Meet The Contact
Once you reach the island, your first goal is tofind the contact. Check your Quest scroll for a directional clue. It’ll mention a landmark and acompass directionto help narrow things down. You’re looking for aReaper Parrotperched on a wooden stand, which changes location for each player.
The clue might read something like “Meet Contact Near Northern Shipwreck,” which means you’ll want tosearch the north sideof the island and keep an eye out for a shipwreck nearby.
As you get close, listen for the Reaper Parrot’ssignature squawk. It’ll start making noise when you’re nearby, giving away its location. If you’re having trouble spotting it, try starting from theisland’s centerand moving outward in the direction the clue suggests.
Revive The Order Of Bone And Blade Skeletons
After finding the Reaper Parrot, look nearby for a patch of ground withred smoke risingfrom it. That is where theChest of Bonesis buried. Dig it up to reveal this special chest, which lets you summon theOrder of Bone and BladeSkeletons. These summoned skeletons will follow you, fight enemies, and help you progress through the Voyage. Interact with the Chest of Bones to raise them, and keep an eye out foradditional bony dig sitesaround the island. Digging those up will give you even more skeletal allies.
Besides using Skeletons to fight and dig for you, you cangive them treasureto hold and carry during your voyage.
Finding The Ancient Dig Sites
Pull up the Map from your Quest Radial, and you’ll see three sketchesshowing where to find the Ancient Pillars. Each image includesa quick descriptionlike “East Camp” or “Hilltop Painting” to point you in the right direction.Landmarkssuch as cooking pots, rock art, resource barrels, or distinctive trees will help narrow things down.
Pay close attentionto any distinct indicators in the pictures to decipher their location.
When you get close to the right spot, your Order of Bone and Blade Skeletons will get to work,digging upthe Ancient Pillar automatically. They’ll also unearth any nearbyReaper’s Bonestreasure while they are at it. If you’re not sure where to go next, justexplore the islandand let your skeletons sniff out the right location. Once they start digging, feel free to jump in and help to speed things along.
Unearthing The Ancient Pillars
Once you dig up the first Ancient Pillar, adark cloudwill roll in over the island, signaling to every nearby crew that you’vestarted the searchfor aSkull of the Banished. Anyone watching the horizon will see the storm and know exactly what you’re up to. From that point on,waves of Ancient Phantomswill begin attacking you and your skeleton crew, trying to stop your progress.
With the pillar exposed, approach it and interact tostart winding it up, just like you would a Capstan. Thisbreaks the protective sealand moves you one step closer to the final goal.
Defeating The Ancient Phantoms
Towind the Ancient Pillar, you’ll need to juggle fighting off Ancient Phantoms while interacting with the mechanism. Luckily, the pillardoesn’t resetif you let go, so feel free to hop off it whenever you need to clear out enemies.
If you want to keep your Skeleton crew alive and earn theBony Bodyguard Commendation, take down the Phantoms quickly. Avoid using Firebombs and be cautious aroundGunpowder Barrels, asfriendly firecan take out your allies fast. You can revive them if they get defeated, but you’ll beineligible for the commendationduring the rest of the voyage.
Breaking The Protective Seals
Once you’ve fully wound the Ancient Pillar, it willcollapse and breakone of the seals guarding the Skull of the Banished. The major wave of Ancient Phantoms will stop, but expect smallergroups to show upas you search for the remaining pillars.
Repeat the process with the othertwo Ancient Pillars. While traveling between sites, keep a close eye on your Skeleton crew. Evensmall wavesof Phantoms can wear them down fast.Clear out any threatsbefore moving on to the next dig site.
Finding The Sarcophagus
After breaking all three Ancient Pillar seals, aswirling green beaconwill shoot into the sky, marking the Sarcophagus’s location on the island. The beacon is hard to miss andvisible to every pirateon the server, so you’ll want to move fast before uninvited guests show up.
If rival crews start to engage inPvP,try luringnearby Ancient Phantoms into their path to turn the tide.
Head to the beacon, and your Skeleton crew willstart unearthingthe Sarcophagus. Help them dig while fending off the last waves of Ancient Phantoms. Once fully unearthed, theenemies will stop spawning, and you’ll be able to open the Sarcophagus to claim theSkull of the Banished. The beacon and storm will vanish as soon as it’s opened.
Grab the skullto finish the Voyage, but be ready to defend it on your way out.
Turning In The Skull Of The Banished
The Skull of the Banished is a valuable piece of loot that can be sold to theReaper’s Bonesat The Reaper’s Hideout. You’ll need to hand it over toThe Servant of the Flameat the center of the island for asolid 12,500 Goldand a nice boost to your Reaper’s Reputation.
Just be aware the skull comes with a catch. While there’s no glowing beacon, it does place avisible iconon every pirate’s Map Table. That means rival crews can track you, so sail straight toThe Reaper’s Hideoutand turn it in before anyone tries to take it from you.
