A/N: Hey everybody! You may remember me from that Origins of Dreams thingy I wrote a little bit ago. If you enjoyed that, you might also enjoy this. Based upon the story structure so well-established by my pally Leider Hosen, this story envisions a Souls-style game set in an age of piracy and nautical warfare that is slowly coming to an end. It features area, enemy and boss concepts straight from my own imagination, as well as a story that is somewhat original in style to the well-trodden formula we know.

Without further ado, I give you… Dark Seas.

Prologue Cutscene

"Water, water, everywhere,

And all the boards did shrink;

Water, water, everywhere,

Nor any drop to drink."

― Samuel Taylor Coleridge, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner

"Man rose from the sea. He was born from it. Raised by it. Nurtured by it.

But the sea was not man's to claim. The sea is nobody's to claim."

A silhouetted figure slowly drags itself up the rocks on a high tide. Their tattered clothes are whipped backwards by a fierce sea breeze.

"Many have tried. Four great powers once came together to found a land of freedom and equality upon the restless oceans. It was named Freegalia."

The figure appears in front of a pair of worn, algae-covered wooden gates that lead through a gaping cliff face into a large city built upon the sea. Their gloves, weathered by the elements, press gently against the wood, trying to push it open.

"Freegalia was a powerful land, brimming with the energy of the ancients, and within its proud walls the four great powers brought much prosperity to their people. Within the old waters, they found the cure for death itself, spreading it amongst their kin. But one day, they were betrayed by their most trusted associate."

A new figure emerges onto the balcony of a tall, grey-stoned tower, looking out over Freegalia's expansive regions.

"King Podrice and his imperial legions set about ruining their nautical empire. They sent great fleets to destroy Freegalia, sending it into the depths of the ocean. The ancient waters were lost, buried under a hail of flame and timber. Podrice and his armies pursued the four great powers to the ends of the earth, until the water ran no more, and the sea was barren. But still, they never gave up."

Great galleons shift in a churning sea, their sails flapping wildly. Freegalia is set alight, the screams of the dying filling the air, escaping ships sinking under cannonfire.

"The age of piracy was over, and the age of imperialism had begun. Podrice retired to his castle in Grassun Keep, surrounded by his legion of faithful soldiers. The land of Dayle was forever condemned to his lethal touch."

"And yet, the ancient bloodline survived, and flourished on the outskirts of the land. Freegalia, eventually all-but a myth passed about by word-of-mouth, was said to be the key to reversing the fortunes of the spurned ancestors. The reclamation of the fabled cure-all waters was said to be enough to destroy Podrice and end his tyrannous reign for good."

Pan over a pool of deep, evanescent green water, glimmering with hope, and prospects for the future.

"But only a true Freegalian heir could ever hope to find the fabled lost city. Many have risen and fallen, slain by the imperials, the natives of the islands of Dayle, and the foulspawn creatures that arose from the ashes of Freegalia. And so, the seas of time churn, awaiting their next hero…"

Camera zooms on a new figure, striding out of the darkness and into the light.

Character Creation!

Choose from one of nine build presets:

· Sailor: Atypical seafaring warrior. Has a natural prowess with firearms and imperial weaponry.

· Foreigner: Traveller from a distant land beyond Dayle. Utilizes eastern weaponry like katanas, whilst possessing a natural ability in Tidal Divinations.

· Marauder: Savage bandit, wielding boarding axes and firearms. Bestowed with inhuman stamina and prowess.

· Trader: Silver-tongued merchantfolk with a large collection of oddiites and trinkets. When threatened, can utilise a pair of twinblades in battle.

· Explorer: Magpies of the Dayle seas, always on the lookout for treasure, and with a greater capacity to carry them. In combat, fights with a cutlass or firearm.

· Pilgrim: Follower of the Covenant of the Six Seas. Proficient in the use of New Age Charms, as well as in the use of blunt weapons like maces and hammers.

· Sea Hexer: Heretical sorcerer utilising the darker side of Tidal Divinations, Tidal Hexes. Executed on sight in Dayle.

· Sellsword: Wandering mercenary sent to damage the Imperial ranks. Uses a wide variety of weapons in combat, including the lesser-seen flail class.

· Village Fool: Moronic champion of the low people. Escaped from the village stocks to go out on a grand quest, but forgot their attire and gear. Won't last five seconds.

The various stats you will level throughout the game:

· Resilience: Governs HP and HP-recovery rate. – Best Class: Sailor.

· Endurance: Governs stamina bar and resistances to afflictions. – Best Class: Marauder.

· Vitality: Governs equipment load and speed of weapon strikes. – Best Class: Foreigner.

· Ambition: Governs item drops and resistance to The Curse. – Best Class: Trader.

· Cartography: Governs proximity to treasure, ability to withstand hidden traps. – Best Class: Explorer (treasure proximity is a new feature to Dark Seas. Essentially, the higher the stat, the higher chance you will be prompted at random intervals to dig in the earth and find a rare and valuable item)

· Dexterity: Governs attack power of light weaponry and firearms. – Best Class: Foreigner.

· Prowess: Governs attack power of heavy weaponry and firearms. – Best Class: Marauder.

· Skill: Governs attack power of special weaponry. – Best Class: Sellsword.

· Zeal: Governs power and duration of New Age Charms. – Best Class: Pilgrim.

· Arcane: Governs power of Tidal Divinations – Best Class: Foreigner.

· Inner Soul Darkness: Governs power of Tidal Hexes, lowers resistance to damage. Increases number of enemy attackers in an area. – Best Class: Sea Hexer.

The last one is particular interesting as it allows you to set your own difficulty going forward, whilst also slightly nerfing anyone who uses the most batshit OP source of attack in the game, Tidal Hexes.

Here are the options of starting gifts (prized treasures):

· Bag of Salt: A bag of salt that can be exchanged for 10'000 doubloons, the currency of the game.

· Jewel of the Frigid Bay: Shiny treasure celebrating Mattas' pilgrimage across the new world. Grants extra power to New Age Charms if held in trinket spot. (Trinket spot is an optional extra ring slot that can be filled by various different gemstones, each possessing a different effect)

· Bloodstained Nail: Gory token taken by the marauders that haunt the Barren Sea. Can be driven into flesh to grant extra weapon damage for a short period of time.

· Dead Jellyfish: Corpse of a beached jellyfish, taken from the shores of Alscratio Island. Spread its life essence across a weapon to grant it the power of poison damage for a short period of time.

· Firefly Napalm: Jar filled with flaming bugs native to Alscratio Island. Spread their life essence across a weapon to grant it the power of fire damage for a short period of time.

· Remnants of a Beachlurker: Bone fragments of a Beachlurker, an insidious creature that feeds on darkness. Spread its life essence across a weapon to grant it the power of curse damage for a short period of time.

· Golden Nugget: Chunk of gold ore mined from the caverns of Dayle. Can be shattered to grant a luckbearing aura that grants increased item drop/treasure proximity for a short period of time.

· Parrot Skull: Odd item with no apparent effect. Supposedly taken from an old parrot named Crackers.

Once you have created your character (eye patches and wooden limbs are available) you are greeted by another cutscene.

"Young seafarer, you have one goal. Unite the blood of the four great powers, and breathe new life into fabled Freegalia, so that the world might be freed from Podrice's iron rule. To accomplish your goal, you must seek the four beings responsible for Freegalia's foundation.

Captain Wovern, the revered captain of the old ship Darktreader, and ruler of the Barren Seas. (A tall, muscled man with a scraggy black beard and a pair of gigantic machetes, facing away from you on the darkened deck of his ship.)

Pilgrim Mattas, the emissary of the New Age and conqueror of the unknown world. (An aged man wearing white and gold plated armour somewhat comparable to a samurai's set, holding a prayerbook in one hand)

Captain Salidor, holder of the Phantom Blade and king over the Isle of the Dead. (A thin man with a trenchcoat, surrounded by dense jungle and a mass of mysterious gravestones)

And the merchant brothers Hyraat and Boliver, prosperous traders of the united world. (Two young men with cheery faces in golden robes)

Shed their blood, young seafarer, and bring peace to Dayle. That is all I must ask. That is all we ask."

Cutscene ends, cue the first level.

- IMPERIAL GAOL –

That's right, it's another fecking prison level. You start out in a small cinderblock cell facing out into a wide, circular room, with several mean-looking guards dressed in blue Imperial garbs and wielding sharp cutlasses.

Suddenly, there is an explosion in the distance, and all the guards go running outside, one of them dropping their key just a few metres outside of your cell. With a good strain, you manage to grab the key and unlock your cell.

Depending on what class you started out with, you will have the following weapons:

Sailor: Imperial Sabre – Standard blade of the imperial legion, King Podrice's lethal legion. Similar in combat to a longsword from DaS./Imperial Musket: Firearm used by the majority of the lower echelons of the Imperial navy. Long reload times are made up for in sharp damage.

Foreigner: Palmsplitter: Katana so-named for its practical uselessness in Dayle, this weapon is nonetheless lethal against most enemies/Ripple Divination: Sends a short-range shockwave through an enemy's body, dealing damage over time. 10 Casts.

Marauder: Crushing Handaxe: One-handed axe used to break bones. Similar to a hand axe/battle axe from DaS/Black Market Blunderbuss: Heavy-hitting firearm with a very small ammo capacity and long reload times.

Trader: Bejewelled Twinblades: Sparkly twinblades that, in spite of their well-kept appearance, grant standard effectiveness in battle/Flintlock Pistol: Small one-shot pistol packing enormous damage potential if used up-close.

Explorer: Dayle Cutlass: Standard-use cutlass of Dayle inhabitants. Useful against un-armoured foes/Flintlock Pistol (same as above)

Pilgrim: Mattas Mace: Mace resembling the legendary weapon of Pilgrim Mattas, conqueror of the unknown world - similar to the mace from DaS/Restoration New Age Charm: Heals up to a third of a full health bar. 10 casts.

Sea Hexer: Shattered Deacon Staff: Staff of an old deacon of the New Age, who was turned by the gnawing darkness of the frigid bay. Used to cast Tidal Hexes, and Divinations with reduced damage/Dark Glimpse: Control an enemy for up to two minutes. 20 casts.

Sellsword: Old Hook & Chain: One of the new flail weapons, constructed out of scrapheap materials. Can be used to flay off armour or deal chip damage to tough enemy hide/Sellsword Scimitar: Curved blade of the sellswords of Dayle, used to deal damage to unarmoured foes.

Village Fool: Bullwhip: Leather whip utilised in the discipline of common cattle. Hardly an effective weapon, but in some dire circumstances, anything is better than nothing.

Combat in this game is a lot like in Bloodborne, with no shields and guns replacing the left hand slot.

So, first area time. The Imperial Gaol is a short tutorial level, set in a dank old prison on an island just off the shore of Grassun Keep. The security is minimal inside now that all the soldiers have run outside, but you will encounter a few enemies.

Cursed Prisoner: A fellow Freegalia descendant who has succumbed to the Curse of the Barren Sea. They wear emaciated clothes and use their fists to attack, but watch out for the tentacles which spew from their mouths at intervals, as these can actually do some decent damage.

Gaol Bat: Small enemy along the lines of the flies in Blighttown. More of a nuisance than anything else, but if you aren't careful enough you can contract one of three afflictions in the game, Pestilence, from these enemies. Unlike in other Souls games, afflictions in this game are not curable without obtaining certain items and do not fade over time or even with death. Pestilence has the effect of constant stamina drain, meaning you will never be at full stamina and will only be able to swing a few times per bar until you get it cured. And the item to cure it won't be available until the next area, so be careful!

Imperial Guardsmen: There are two of these guys scattered throughout the level, and are basically the Red/Blue-eyed knights of Dark Seas. They are much more agile and aggressive than other enemies in the level, and should be fought carefully. They may occasionally drop their armour set and weapon.

Imperial Guardsmen Hat/Garb/Gloves/Trousers: Attire of the Imperial guardsmen who patrol Grassun Keep and the offshore gaol used to house Freegalian descendants. Althoughly woven with fine silk, they can offer decent protection against light weaponry, although gunfire will tear them apart.

Guardsmen's Blade: Shortsword of the guardsmen of Grassun Keep. Although many of these men were originally stationed at the Keep, their new objective of securing enemies of the state means that many of them have taken up a permanent position on the grim island gaol.

You can find the following items scattered throughout the gaol:

· Salt Pouch: Obtain 5000 doubloons when traded with vendors. (x3)

· Dayle Brandy: Provides faster stamina regen for three minutes. (x2)

· Imperial Telescope: Binoculars of the game.

· Prison Rags set: Rags of prisoners left to rot in the Imperial Gaol. Long ago, the island was said to be host to a terrible curse that rotted its inhabitants from the inside out. Perhaps that is why the old king Podrice saw fit to transform it into a home for his greatest enemies – the Freegalian descendants.

· Torch Splint: Fragment of wood dipped in oil to create a temporary torch. Each splint lasts up to seven minutes before being extinguished, although with each minute passing the light from the torch will grow dimmer.

· And, just before the boss encounter, you find the Spirit Bottle: Luminous green flask said to have contained healing water from Freegalia. Perhaps the legends have some truth to them, for drinking water from this bottle grants mild health restoration. You get 5 chugs off the bat.

After killing the last enemy in the area, you will enter a small, round room ending in a portcullis. As you step forwards, a loud growl and bark will be heard, and a five-foot, two-headed Rottweiler-like dog trailing foam from its gnarled mouth will rush at you from out of the darkness.

Gaol Watchdog is a decidedly-easy boss encounter, as is to be expected from a tutorial fight. However, it does have one good trick up its sleeve.

· Bite: The Watchdog leaps forward, clamping its jaws around the player before releasing them. Does moderate damage.

· Claw Swipe: The Watchdog slices at the player from left-to-right, up to three times in succession.

· Pound: The Watchdog rears up whilst the player is in front of it, and brings both paws down hard upon the earth.

· Backslash: If the player gets behind the Watchdog, it will pivot round and slash at you. This attack has the potential to look adorable, as it sort of looks like the watchdog is chasing its own tail.

· Dark Pulse: The Watchdog's one tricksy move. At a reasonable distance, it opens its jaws and charges a dark ball of energy, which it can then release as a laser. If you take the whole hit, you will most certainly die.

Defeating the Cerberus wannabe grants you the message 'Soul Reaved', and the 'Watchdog's Ink.' Once you get to the hub world of the game, you can use this ink to graft yourself an upgrade using the new tattoo system, which basically replaces boss weapons. The best part is, you can put said tattoo anywhere on your characters body.

The Watchdog Ink description reads: Ink commissioned in celebration of the life of the old Gaol Watchdog. A deformed mutant born from the corruption of its home, the guardsmen of the Gaol nonetheless grew incredibly fond of the pup, and raised it lovingly to defend the Gaol from escaping prisoners.

From its ink, you may get a tattoo of the animal, which grants you double weapon damage when using heavy weapons such as hammers, great hammers and cannons.

With the Watchdog dead, the portcullis opens, and stepping through it grants you a new cutscene introducing you to the hubworld, of the game: The Dragon's Bounty.