Ahoy, Pirates! There are some treacherous waters ahead, so you'd better look out for squalls! After all, we all know that October is the time when evil spirits set about their dark deeds. At the very end of the month here on Steam, we will be hosting a big giveaway, but first, you're in for a terrifying journey to uncharted islands. All you need to do to take part is keep up with the game news. Every other day, we will release an installment of a story that we will be writing together with you, with a choice for everyone to make at the end of each chapter. Every vote in the comments will be taken into account, and for those that want to flesh out their answers, the story might play out in a very different way. You'll encounter some pleasant surprises along the way, so we encourage you to keep up with our updates. ;) And now, let's get started. _____ You are part of a crew of seasoned sailors that have braved the seas many times together. Each one of you dreams of captaining a ship one day, free to sail the seas under their own flag. But for now, all of you pitch in and pull your weight for a common cause. It's been four days since you left a trading port. Your ship is set on a well-traveled and familiar course through calm waters, the wind is favorable and fast, and the clouds on the horizon threaten a cold fall shower that might dispel the thickening mist, which has been gently creeping aboard since midday. A deck boy climbs up the rigging towards the crow's nest, peering intently into the distance once he settles there. Any sailor, no matter how experienced, knows how dangerous sea fogs are, how quickly they can lead a ship off course and run it aground over underwater rocks. The captain has good cause for concern: the ship is sitting exceptionally low, its holds chock-full of goods to sell. The first mate gives a call to trim the sails and slow down. As the ship decelerates, a milky-white shroud creeps over the deck and keeps rising, faster than anyone expected. Your bewildered crewmates carry on, looking around uneasily now and then, and somewhere in the shadows, you hear a quiet murmur. "The boatswain has always been rather religious," you think to yourself. "Man overboard!" Suddenly, a muffled and unnaturally distant cry rings out over the deck from the nest. Sailors rush to the side to see a shoddily cobbled-together boat swaying on the waves nearby, and a man clinging to it. His body is submerged, only his head and one hand still above water to clutch at the frail wooden frame. "Pull him up," the captain orders. You go about rescuing the man quickly. He's completely exhausted after staying in the water for so long, his muscles cramped, his body ice-cold and almost lifeless. As soon as you haul the poor fellow aboard, he starts coughing up a lung. "Don't go there," he croaks. "Turn back. Turn back." The sailors huddle around, clearly confused. "There are keys," one of the men who dragged the poor fellow out of the water pipes up. "Lotsa keys in the boat." With these words, he opens his hand, and several thud onto the boards. Silver and gold, in all shapes and sizes. They look mesmerizing, alluring, and somehow filled with promise. AG7QE-0650A-28DLP P794W-YWWIC-B6ZPM R4YX3-L5WXE-ZG89I The captain kneels near the saved man and asks where he hails from. "What sinking ship did you flee?" The saved man answers with a hoarse, "No, don't go, they're all there." The man, his grim words, and the frigid, unnatural fog all fill you with dread. You step aside and look at the madman's boat tied to a boom. As your eyes glide over the water, you notice something dark floating on the surface. Straining to focus, you manage to make out some planks. They look like pieces of wreckage, but you're absolutely sure that just a little while ago, before the thick fog settled in, there was no sign of another ship anywhere nearby. Irrational fear grips you. It seems the whole crew has gathered around the saved man, and hasn't noticed your predicament. You consider your options: Tell the captain a wrecked ship might be nearby. Keep silent. ___ Leave a comment with the number of your reply down below. If you feel like it, you can give a more detailed answer alongside the number. ;) You have 12 hours to think this through.