What do we do with a dead albatross early in the morning?

[Fluen]

I was headed for Barbados to do some investigating (as in plundering) the abbey in Bridgetown, when I rummaged around in the chest in the Puerto Rico tavern guest room. And whoops! dead albatross.

Fortunately I got a hint about finding a famous naturalist and hand the albatross over to him. But first I have to find him. Apparently he lives in one of the English colonies, so I decided to search my way through all of them.

After a stop at Jamaice I set out for Cayman, where I had a tryst with a buried treasure (and everybody else trying to lay claim on it before me).

Damn right, that bird brings bad luck! Well, I did find the treasure (and a nice one as well). But then I went to aquire myself a letter of marque from the governor of Cayman and instead got a job searching for Elisabeth Shaw. A rather big deal when all I wanted, was the ability to enter the facilities on Antigua rather than the prison. In a depressed mood I went to the tavern to gamble my sorrows away - just to chat up Peter Blood and get talked into saving his crew sentenced to hanging in Havana.

I could do that, I thought, Cuba was just a stop before Eleuthera. And I did manage to save Peter Blood's crew and find his first mate Emilio - barely. It appears, Spanish soldiers can smell Peter Blood from miles away - or else it was the carcass of the albatross. Aside from the soldiers espected to patrol the outskirts around Havana, when a whole pirate crew is about to be hanged, every bit of jungle between Bahia de San Antonio and Havana was crawling with Spanish soldiers.

Two ambushes, a group of grumpy locals and a patrol later the only ones left of the party headed for Havana were Peter and me, and that man is way too friendly and left me to do all the fighting with people not directly involved in the execution of his crew.

Yes, way too friendly. Peter and Emilio now follow me everywhere - even into the guest rooms in the taverns, and that's a place, where a woman wants her privacy. But I'm not going back to Jamaica, before I have visited all the other English colonies first. I'm certain Peter will talk me into doing something about his ship, when we arrive there.

On Eleuthera was where the treasure found on Cayman added to my misfortune. Rather than share my idea about buying ourselves some nicer ships, the crew wanted to sign articles and threatened mutiny. While my own crew aboard "Sirius" turned more tolerant, once I shared my private fortune with them, the officers in command of my other ship "Aldebaran" where unable to keep the crew in a good mood. I even encouraged them to share some more of the rum!

Because I'm still the brain of this operation, my decision about saving the money for buying better ships stand. So I'd have to hide it from the crew. Rather that leave all that nice gold somewhere in a place, where another entreprising soul armed with a spade could get his or her greedy hands on it, I decided to be modern and place it with a loan shark. I just hope, he doesn't hide it somewhere, someone with an pickaxe or spade can get to it.

And still the albatross continues to bring me bad luck. My next desitination was Nevis with a stop at Turks to trade the medicine from Eleuthera to new goods. But either Peter or Emilio said something wrong to the shopkeeper at Turks, or that dead bird has really begun to smell, because the man refused to trade with me. The smith was less sensitive - or perhaps all that hammering and smoke from the forge has robbed her of both hearing and sense of smell. She only uttered a sigh and repaired my sword, which after the meeting with all those Spanish soldiers was in dire need of it.

I decided a bit of good luck was in order and stopped a La Tortue to pick up Joshamee Gibbs and his compass. At least he knows, where he's welcome and stays on "Sirius" rather than follow me everywhere. And he and his compass may direct me to the best shipwright and tailor in the Caribbean - I wonder, if he uses wood for both lines of products?

The naturalist was not to be found on Nevis either. Considering my luck so far, I'm about to take a chance by stopping at Antigua, but I did manage to get a letter of marque, and I hope a few bottles of rum will make anyone in my company unable to form words or smell anything, so I can do my trading and enquiring in peace.

 

[Fluen]

I was slightly more lucky on Antigua. No, I found no naturalist there either, but on the other hand I didn't see the inside of the prison or get a closer look at the gallows, so I count that as a success. A letter of marque is apparente able to overcome a dead albatross and to irritating pirates.

Though...when I asked him about any naturalist on Antigua, the taverner in the outskirts did babble about a cousin named Svend, and when I tried to reply in a similar mysterious fashion (I had had some rum to celebrate getting out of St. John in one piece, and at the time, our conversation made sense to me), showed me a map of a certain "Monkey Island" (never seen that on any sea charts) and fabled about a brotherhood of a three-headed monkey. If that brotherhood is any like the Brethren of the Coast, I better avoid it like the plague.

My last stop was Barbados. In spite of my bad luck (or as it later turned, out because of it) I had acquired another treasure map pointing me the underbelly of Speightstown.

First, I paid the apothecary in Bridgetown a visit. A rumour had indicated, that he shows interest in albatrosses (particularly the dead ones), and if one is able to gather the necessary medical ingredients, he's also able to improve one's health. I didn't really know how to bring up the subject of the albatross (short of slapping the man in the face with it, and that would probably bode ill for our future relationship), so I just asked for the health-improving treatment. But again Peter and Emilio insisted on keeping me company during my treatment, and that was far beyond, what my modesty could handle. So I used lack of money as an excuse for cancelling the treatment.

I made a detour to the lighthouse to see, if the researcher living there might want to research the carcass of the albatross (and take if off my hands), but he wasn't at home, so I only gained a collection of weapons from the highwaymen lurking around the mine in the canyon.

Then I visited the cemetery around the abandoned abbey (no way I'm entering it in my currently unlucky state) and dug up whatever strange things, the natives had hidden there according to a note, I had found in a warehouse, they used for meetings.

Finally I went to Speightstown by foot (the lack of any Spanish soldiers on Barbados made it a much safer travel than on Cuba) and did some shopping for new clothes.

That's about where my bad luck caught up with me. Almost right outside the tailor's I dropped through a weak spot in the underground and into the dungeons, the town is built upon - and landed right on top of other treasure hunters and the shady people using the dungeons for their own purposes. And Peter and Emilio kept trying to chat with our attackers and got in the way of my crew, when they tried to assist me in my fights against the aforementioned shady people.

To add to my literal wounds, I also suffered a proverbial one, when I discovered, that some other treasure hunter had found the treasure before me and had carried it away.

When I returned to Bridgetown, I talked to the serving girl in the tavern. Rumour has it, she also is interested in dead fowl found in strange places (and I'll never again eat anything served there), but she was too busy to talk to me.

I visited the apothecary again to ask about the strange remedies, I'd dug up from the cemetery. That was the first luck, I've had, since I set foot on Barbados. According to the apothecary the strange bottle contains a strengthening potion, that should improve my chances of surviving a hard fight - a kind of last ditch effort. Mind you, this statement came from a man, who names his leeches, as I learned, when I wanted to buy some of his own medicines. And finally, I was lucky! While I searched my pockets for coins, he spotted the albatross and offered to exchange the leeches for the dead bird. I quickly agreed - and hoped, leeches don't cause more bad luck that albatrosses.

Now I'm only stuck with Peter and Emilio, and by now I'm more scared of, what trouble their company may bring me, than what Peter migth talk me into, so I've bought some sandalwood and have decided to make the journey to Jamaica.

 

[Grey Roger]

First, I paid the apothecary in Bridgetown a visit. A rumour had indicated, that he shows interest in albatrosses (particularly the dead ones), and if one is able to gather the necessary medical ingredients, he's also able to improve one's health. I didn't really know how to bring up the subject of the albatross (short of slapping the man in the face with it, and that would probably bode ill for our future relationship), so I just asked for the health-improving treatment.

When you get the choice of what you want from the apothecary, the response you want is:

I'd like to buy some bottles of physic to take with me, if you please.

Also:

But I'm not going back to Jamaica, before I have visited all the other English colonies first. I'm certain Peter will talk me into doing something about his ship, when we arrive there.

On the contrary, get to Port Royale as soon as possible. That will conclude the "Peter Blood's Crew" quest; Emilio should disappear and Peter will not try to persuade you to do anything about his ship, he'll just offer to join you for raiding. If you agree, he joins you as an officer and will then be much more useful in dungeons; if you refuse, he disappears.

Spoiler

The search for his ship only triggers if you go to Guadeloupe and Peter is in your shore party. So if you don't want to do this quest, either decline his offer to join you (and lose that quest permanently); or accept him as an officer and remove him from your shore party (which keeps the option open for later).

 

[Fluen]

That's what I found out - eventually. I should have remembered the cooking book about albatrosses, but when I set out, I thought, I was looking for a historical person settled in one of the colonies. And after accidentially getting into so many quests in short time I was a bit scared of, what would trigger the search for Peter Blood's ship. I do want as many quests as possible, but in my own time.

Then events just turned out in such a crazy way, I felt, I had the material for a story.

The "rumours" mentioned in the story are in fact, my searches here for what to do about the albatross.

 

[Grey Roger]

That's what I found out - eventually. I should have remembered the cooking book about albatrosses, but when I set out, I thought, I was looking for a historical person settled in one of the colonies. And after accidentially getting into so many quests in short time I was a bit scared of, what would trigger the search for Peter Blood's ship. I do want as many quests as possible, but in my own time.

Be careful. Some quests do have time limits and they're not always explicit. For example, if you ever try the "Help Turks Island" quest, don't go chasing other quests while this one is in progress...

Then events just turned out in such a crazy way, I felt, I had the material for a story.

Good! If you like, you could write that story and then post it in the "POTC Gameplay & Tips" section. Crazy events often make for a good story!

 

[Fluen]

Isn't that, what I just did above? To me that's a story.

 

[Grey Roger]

True enough - I just wondered if you had further adventures to add. If you want, invent a title, then I can move both posts into "POTC Gameplay & Tips" as a story thread under that title. And then, when you have further adventures, you may want to add to that thread.

 

[Fluen]

Thank you, but that is not needed. I don't think, I'll expand on this. Aside from mentioning, that when I finally got rid of Peter and Emilio in Port Royale, I opened the chest in the tavern guest room - and found a cursed coin...

 

[Grey Roger]

In "Realistic" mode, the cursed coin should be harmless. I've found plenty. Originally the curse applied in all modes so I grew to hate them and now don't touch them even though they should be safe. The important thing is, I can choose to leave them in the chest.

Ever played "Tales of a Sea Hawk"? Remember the bit where you meet Danielle and Vincent at the lighthouse, report back to Silehard, then return to the lighthouse and Danielle complains about how long you've been away? She always complains even if you make the journey in record time, but on one occasion she had good reason to complain. This was back in the day when you couldn't leave cursed coins alone in "Realistic" mode, so between going to Port Royale and returning to the lighthouse, I'd taken a bit of a detour to get rid of a coin.

 

[Pieter Boelen]

I thought, I was looking for a historical person settled in one of the colonies.

Basically the apothecary kind-of IS exactly that.
Through the twisted humour of @alan_smithee .
Steven Mather-Wren?

Isn't that, what I just did above? To me that's a story.

Yes!
Yes, it is.

If you're up for it, perhaps you wouldn't mind posting it to our new Facebook Group?
Or maybe somewhere on ModDB?
Either way, I'd say fun stories are more fun when shared!
So thank you for at least already sharing it here.

Thank you, but that is not needed. I don't think, I'll expand on this. Aside from mentioning, that when I finally got rid of Peter and Emilio in Port Royale, I opened the chest in the tavern guest room - and found a cursed coin...

You should have little to fear from those.
Your story confirms you are familiar with the path to the solution; even if you DO end up cursed for a bit.

In "Realistic" mode, the cursed coin should be harmless. I've found plenty. Originally the curse applied in all modes so I grew to hate them and now don't touch them even though they should be safe. The important thing is, I can choose to leave them in the chest.

What kind of PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN fan, are you?

Spoiler

Oh wait... we had deliberately spent the past 18 years ensuring NON-fans can enjoy our work equally.

Ever played "Tales of a Sea Hawk"? Remember the bit where you meet Danielle and Vincent at the lighthouse, report back to Silehard, then return to the lighthouse and Danielle complains about how long you've been away? She always complains even if you make the journey in record time, but on one occasion she had good reason to complain. This was back in the day when you couldn't leave cursed coins alone in "Realistic" mode, so between going to Port Royale and returning to the lighthouse, I'd taken a bit of a detour to get rid of a coin.

FINALLY things make sense!
Always knew those coins were good for something.