New World Lore – The Story of Ebony Hawk
Here we break down the pages belonging to The Ebony Hawk within New World lore. The story of a ship lost to sea and a terrible ritual to appease the monster lurking below.
Bosun’s Note – New World Lore
There has been confirmation that there is something, or multiple things in the water in New World. Ebony Hawk is the beginning of lore pages, this first one found in New World in Sleepy Tallow. The book you can find states:
“The Captain found some kind of book when we were last ashore. He believed it contained the answer we needed to leave this cursed island. The Ebony Hawk’s a fine ship, and many believed she would survive the journey. Despite tales of the doomed Vendetta, most of the crew felt it was worth the effort.
After spending hours going over that book in his cabin, the Captain finally stormed up to the deck in a state. He claimed he’d discovered some kind of ritual that would grant us safe passage. He insisted we would have no need to fear the Maelstrom. But it would require a sacrifice of some kind. When pressed on this, he grew silent and retreated to his cabin.”
So essentially, the captain of the ship finds a book and determines that the answer to their problems and curse relies on the crew to strap a man to the mast of the ship and perform the ritual. The captain believed this would appease the “monster”, but instead, it just creates another monster. As events progress on the ship, things get worse and the ship falls to the sea, and thus, the book is lost.
New World Lore – Captain’s Journal
The captain believes he is the last left alive, but there he has undergone quite the change…
The actual passage from the Captain’s Journal reads:
“A black wind howls. Screams echo against the rocks. For all I know, I’m the last left alive. This is my punishment for trifling with forces beyond my ken.
I turned us into the storm. I lashed Klaus to the mast and performed that blasted ritual. There was naught else to try. I vowed that we would escape this godforsaken place. I believed any sacrifice was worth our freedom.
This blasphemous ritual should’ve appeased the monster. Instead, it created another.
If I still had the book, perhaps I could find a way to undo this. Or some way to control whatever poor Klaus has become. But the sea claimed the book, washed it overboard during my failed attempt.
The screams have stopped. But now something pounds at my door. I shall let it enter and end this terrible nightmare…”
A Rigger’s Plea – New World Lore
From other pages found throughout New World, it might be assumed that the crew didn’t just crash or turn around, much worse things proceeded. Other pages around Sleepy Tallow suggest this has been a place of darkness for centuries.
The evidence in “A Rigger’s Plea” suggests the crew may have sailed out to head back home. Further details about a monster not being satisfied with the horrid ritual that was stated.
“What have we done? We knew this was blasphemy but none dared speak out. Some power seemed to still our voices. But we heard the screams when the Captain began the ritual. They will forever haunt me!
And it was all for naught! The storm did not abate! The monster was not appeased! We were forced to turn back! None of us could bear to look at what remained of our first mate.
We are returning home, sworn to secrecy. But our sin will not be cleansed. We must surely pay for what we have done…”
Gunner’s Letter – Final Chapter of The Ebony Hawk
The crew made it back home to bring Klaus’s body back to the village. But there was something terribly wrong, they had made a dire mistake… The passage of Gunner’s Letter in New World Lore states:
“We brought Klaus’s body back to the village… or what was left of it. He didn’t disappear right away, so we may’ve been too far from the island for the magics to work right. All seemed normal until the black clouds rolled in. Middle of the day, and not a drop of sunlight to be found… like this place wasn’t fit to be warmed no more.
The wolves came with the darkness, and… It was like they knew who were in the crew! They attacked them, tore them to pieces! Then, they started on our families…
Have to get out of here. Think the wife and I will make a dash for it, over the rocks… toward the light…”