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SPOILER WARNING!
This article contains information that may ruin your enjoyment of discovering the game's secrets for yourself.
Read at your own risk!
Disambig This article is about the Tall Tale. For other pages of the same name, see The Shroudbreaker (Disambiguation).
The Shroudbreaker
The Shroudbreaker quest
Type Tall Tale
Issuer Mysterious Stranger
Story arc Shores of Gold
Part 1/9
Reward 8,000 Gold
Tale chronology
←  Previous      Next  →  
The Cursed Rogue


Double Quotations Left
A Mysterious Stranger speaks of an ancient relic with the power to reach a lost island...

The Shroudbreaker is the first Tall Tale in the Shores of Gold Arc. The Tale Book can be voted for on the table next to the Mysterious Stranger in the Tavern of any Outpost. The Tall Tale can be voted to be cancelled at the Ship's Voyage Table. Players can unlock three Checkpoints during this Tall Tale. If they wish to continue the Tall Tale at a later time, they can vote on any acquired Checkpoints at the 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 Shroudbreaker Tall Tale is 8,000 Gold.

This Tall Tale must be first completed in order to access the second Tall Tale, The Cursed Rogue.

Summary[]

The Shroudbreaker Tall Tale takes players across The Ancient Isles to find what happened to the Pirate Lord's Ship Magpie’s Wing and whether it still has clues to the location of The legendary artefact Shroudbreaker. The Tall Tale starts and ends with the Mysterious Stranger at any Tavern.

Walkthrough[]

For a full, step by step Walkthrough of the Tall Tale with Hints and Images, visit The Shroudbreaker Walkthrough Page!

TT1Book

The Tale Book can be found and voted for in any Tavern.

The Tale Book[]

Tale Book icon

Once the Crew has voted on the Tall Tale and listened to the Mysterious Stranger, they are given The Journal of the Pirate Lord Tale Book, which they can find and take out in the Map Radial Menu. Any Tale Book can be viewed with the Primary Use button (Left Mouse Button/Right Trigger). Once taking a closer look at the Tale Book, it's pages can be turned with the Q and E keys on a Keyboard and the Left and Right buttons on a Controller. As players progress the Tall Tale, they can pick up or receive additional pages in their Tale Books. These pages may be different depending on the types of puzzles that players encounter during the Tale - some puzzles have many variations, taking players to different locations for a more varied experience.

NPCs[]

The following are the NPCs and Enemies encountered during The Shroudbreaker:

Dialogue[]

Click the button below to reveal the voiced dialogue in the Tall Tale:

Mysterious Stranger's Opening Lines

Mysterious Stranger

One moment. You'd do well to heed my warning, for this is no ordinary voyage you're contemplating!
Few pirates have even heard of the Shores of Gold, let alone seen them with their own eyes.
They say it's an island riddled with untold riches, ancient secrets, hidden tombs, and deadly traps.
But you won't find it on any map, for it was swallowed up by the mists of the Devil's Shroud.
This book is the journal of the Pirate Lord himself.
It tells of his first ship, the Magpie's Wing and the journey he took to find the mythical Shroudbreaker-
The only way to part the fog and reach the Shores of Gold!
If you dare to follow in the footsteps of the greatest pirate who ever lived, then take the journal and use it to find the wreck of the Magpie's Wing.
It holds clues to the Shroudbreaker's whereabouts.
Bring it to me, and I'll set you on your way to the Shores of Gold.
But don't be fooled. Only the bravest, strongest pirates will be able to make it back alive…
I wish you luck. You're going to need it.
Heh heh heh...

Mysterious Stranger's Closing Lines

Mysterious Stranger

Great Ramsey's Ghost! I heard all the stories, but to actually hold the Shroudbreaker in my hands… I never thought I would see the day.
Something's wrong...
There should be four jewels set in the base that grant the Shroudbreaker its power, but they've been removed.
Without them, you won't last five minutes in that fog.
Now let me think...I did hear tell that Captain Briggsy made it to the Shores of Gold.
If that's true, she might know the whereabouts of these missing stones. Not that she'd ever say.
Sometimes, even the best pirates fall victim to their greed or hatred, and it changes them.
Strips the flesh from their bones. Gives 'em power, but twisted 'em up inside. Briggsy is one such abomination.
People call them Skeleton Lords and most pirates flee at their approach.
Not even the Order of Souls dares challenge them, and rightfully so, but you… you are going to have to hunt one down.
I have eyes and ears across the Sea of Thieves, if you gather any of the missing pieces, I'll see they're restored to the Shroudbreaker on your behalf.
For now, head to Plunder Outpost and speak with Madame Olivia about Briggsy's whereabouts.
Remember, Skeleton Lords are NOT to be taken lightly.

Quest Items[]

There are several Quest Items present in each Tall Tale. These Items serve as elements of progression within the Tales and are of no value to anyone else aside the Crew doing the Tale. The following Quest Items can be acquired during the Shroudbreaker Tall Tale:

Mercia's Journals[]

The Commendations of the Tall Tale reveal that there are five Mercia's Journals hidden away in the Tall Tale. These five Journals can only be found and read when the Tall Tale is active and they are only present for the Crew who is doing the Tall Tale. The Journals are hidden around The Ancient Isles Region retelling the accounts of Mercia (from the Novel Athena's Fortune) and her own search for the Shroudbreaker Artefact. Each of the Journals give hints of the next journal's location.

The locations and the contents of the five Journals are presented below. Click Expand under any Journal to see an image of its exact location.

CLICK FOR JOURNALS

What is the Devil's Shroud?[]

Found on Uncharted Island (N-13) stashed between three rocks on the beach. It mentions Ancient Spire Outpost.

Dialogue icon

Finally, a balmy day, and a chance to document my research before it all spills out of my head and overboard.
Ramsey has been thinking again, and that usually means I'm the one due for a headache. He called for me late last night...
"Mercia. How might we stay safe in the Devil's Shroud?" I just stared at him. We all know how dangerous that fog is.
It surrounds the Sea of Thieves, but it ebbs and flows. Sometimes it swallows whole islands for months or even years at a time.
Sail into that mist, and you'll start to choke. The deck beneath your feet will splinter. The Shroud feasts on ships and sailors alike.
Being me of course, I told Ramsey I'd find a way. I've left my notes tucked away at Ancient Spire. I'll see what I can learn...

 

Mercia Journal 01

An Ancient Clue?[]

Found in a cave atop the Ancient Spire Outpost, this Journal mentions Devil's Ridge.

Dialogue icon

Did you ever walk into a room thinking about something so hard, you couldn't see it right in front of you? The truth is like that, sometimes.
While filling my tankard below deck, I happened to glance down at the map table. Ancient Spire. In the Ancient Isles. The truth...
I've asked to set course for Devil's Ridge, nearby. If I'm right, the key to breaching the Shroud has been in front of me all along.
We like to think of ourselves as being the first to find a way of reaching the Sea of Thieves, but that isn't the truth. Not one bit...

 

Mercia Journal 02

Comings and Goings[]

In a camp by the Northern Cannon on Devil's Ridge, this Journal mentions Thieves' Haven.

Dialogue icon

The First Ones. The Lost Tribes. The Ancients. Whatever you call them, they lived here, in what we now know as the Sea of Thieves.
Signs of their civilisation can be found all over the place, even on islands that were once claimed by the Devil's Shroud.
They built temples, altars -- places that were important to them. They couldn't simply pack up and leave when the fog drew in...
I'll need to cross-reference some of my oldest notes, stashed away back at Thieves' Haven. Our first hideout! How nostalgic.

 

Mercia Journal 03

The Shroud Breaker[]

Inside an overgrown shack in the middle of Thieves' Haven, this Journal mentions Plunder Outpost.

Dialogue icon

It exists! Proof lies in some of the most obscure places (Ramsey won't let me write down where) but the relic's real enough.
As near as I can tell, they used the artefact like a beacon to protect their homes and places of worship from the Shroud's effects.
At other times, it was taken to a vault to recover its powers. When I told Ramsey, he replied "Ah, so it's a shroud breaker, then!"
All of this seems to have inspired him. We're making for Plunder Outpost on Ramsey's orders, to see a man about a map...

 

Mercia Journal 04

The Shores of Gold?[]

Placed by a Campfire on Plunder Outpost.

Dialogue icon

Well. This escalated quickly. Ramsey remembered the drunken ramblings of some old salt who'd sailed too close to the Devil's Shroud.
The old man claimed he'd glimpsed a glittering island... One where the very ground was made of gems and precious metals.
It sounds impossible, but as Ramsey likes to say, that's just another way of describing something we haven't seen yet.
At first light, we'll be setting out to find that Shroudbreaker. If these Shores of Gold are real, it's the only way we'll reach them.
I should get to my bunk and try for sleep. From now on, Ramsey's voyage journal can tell our story...

 

Mercia Journal 05

Commendations and Rewards[]

Any Player who completes a Tall Tale receives 8,000 Gold. This reward can be increased by Event reward multipliers and shared through Player Alliances.

The Shroudbreaker Commendations and Cosmetic Rewards are listed below:

The Shroudbreaker (Quest)
Name Requirement Reward
The Lost Voyage Discover Magpie's Wing Ship Log
Vault of the Ancients Discover the Ancient Vault
The Key to Adventure Find the Shroudbreaker Artefact
The Shroudbreaker Complete 'The Shroudbreaker' Pirate Lord Hat
Mercia's Lost Memories Discover all of Mercia's Journals
Footsteps of the Pirate Lord Complete the Tall Tale 5 times
A Sunken Legacy Complete all commendations for 'The Shroudbreaker' Tall Tale Magpie's Wing Cannons

Notes[]

  • The final step of the Tall Tale will keep infinitely spawning Coral Skeletons on the Island, making it easy to farm Skeleton kill Commendations.
  • Gold Hoarder Treasure Vaults become inaccessible for Crews that have this Tall Tale active.
  • The final Checkpoint of this Tall Tale can be used to give other Players easy completions of the Tale, as it spawns the Shroudbreaker Artefact on the Voyage Table. The Player who put down the checkpoint can leave before the item is turned in for completion so that they can still keep their Checkpoint in their Quest Inventory.

Bugs[]

  • The Totem Vault on Crook's Hollow has been noted to not update different parts of the puzzle and locking players out of the Tall Tale.

Patch history[]

  • 2.0.15 (May 27, 2020)
    • Beginning this Tall Tale during a new player’s Onboarding should no longer cause the Mysterious Stranger’s dialogue to overlap.
    • The Ancient Vault altar will continue to show dig site locations even if the player migrates beforehand.
    • The Ancient Vault altar will continue to show dig site locations even if players leave the Vault area and return.
  • 2.0.5 (July 17, 2019)
    • Tall Tales ‘Shroudbreaker’ New Puzzles – The Shroudbreaker Tall Tale has had a range of new Vault Puzzle variants added to provide a varied experience each playthrough.
  • 2.0.4 (June 19, 2019)
    • ‘The Shroudbreaker’ Tall Tale Book – To reduce player frustration when accidentally starting ‘The Shroudbreaker’ Tale inside the tavern, the area surrounding the Tall Tale Voting Book has been redressed and the barrel removed.
    • ‘The Shroudbreaker’ Ship’s Log – To improve initial discoverability for The Magpie’s Wing ship’s log, players will now find a more detailed map of the sunken ship location in their Quest Book at the start of the Tale. Other potentially confusing island and region references have also been removed. The ship’s log itself is now placed in the centre of the room on the Captain’s chair to aid discoverability.
    • Puzzle Vault VFX now correctly reset after failing a Vault.
    • Puzzle Vault braziers can no longer be relit with a lantern once they have been extinguished by rising water inside an active Vault.
    • Players should no longer find duplicated Vault medallions if their crew migrates servers while in the process of collecting the medallions for the Vault.
  • 2.0.2 (May 23, 2019)
    • Players who migrate servers after having retrieved the Shroudbreaker artefact in the first Tale will now be able to correctly hand in and complete the Tale.
    • Resolved numerous cases where spawned quest items were cleaned up after an extended period of time prior to players reaching them, triggering a ‘Tale Failed’ state.
    • Resolved an issue preventing the display of water splash VFX from falling water in puzzle vaults.
  • 2.0.1 (May 8, 2019)
    • ‘The Shroudbreaker’ - Ambush skeletons should no longer spawn on top of each other.
  • 2.0 (April 30, 2019)
    • Starting Your First Tale – Begin your adventure by visiting the Mysterious Stranger at any Outpost tavern. Beside the Stranger you’ll find a quest book which you can vote on with your crew to begin the Tall Tale.
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