The Fifth Figure

The Fifth Figure is an epic book rarely found when looting a gold pirate chest located on a Pirate King Settlement. It describes the story of a mysterious figure who fight against figures resembling the pirate kings.

Source

 * Gold Pirate Chest

Text
Once upon a time in this land, there lived five mighty figures. The first figure was named Ivis. He loved anything that was green and grew, and loathed anyone that destroyed the nature that he loved. He lived to the west.

The second figure was named Rhin. He loved battle, and never missed an opportunity to test himself in combat. Those that beheld him claimed he could take on challengers ten times his size, and he would occasionally do it blindfolded. Despite his belligerence, he was an honorable man, and was fair to those who did not wish to fight him, and to those who conceded in fair combat. He lived to the south.

The third figure was named Vhox. He loved words and knowledge. He also had a great fascination with the spirits and the fabled powers that they could bestow upon the living. It is said that his greatest power was his words and that he could use them to beguile spirits into giving him wisdom and telling him secrets about the world around him. He lived to the east.

The fourth figure was named William. He loved nothing more than to sail the sea. They say that there had likely never been a better sailer to grace this world, and definitely never one with a bigger smile. He lived to the north.

The fifth figure was very mysterious indeed. He seemed to appear in the world as if out of nowhere, right in the center of where the other four figures lived. And he was just as powerful as he was mysterious. However, as mighty as he was, he had an empty heart. Into that emptiness, he let flow in jealousy and it filled his heart to the top. He envied the four other figures and their passions, for he did not possess a passion of his own.

The fifth figure set out to steal the passion of the other four. First he traveled to the east. He studied the nature that Ivis loved so much and found that it possessed as many means of death as it did life. Using his beloved nature against him, the fifth figure concocted a potent potion from the eastern flora, with wich he poisoned Ivis. He then tried to steal Ivis passion, but found that he could not, for his heart was already full. So he crafted a scepter and placed the passion in it for safekeeping.

Second, the fifth figure traveled to the south. He watched and studied Rhin long and hard, learning everything there was to know about his strategies in battle, and mastering the techniques himself. He then approached Rhin and challenged him to a duel. The fifth figure defeated him in fair combat, but showed no mercy. After he had slain Rhin, he tried to steal his passion, but found that he could not, for his heart was already full. So he crafted another scepter and placed the passion in it for safekeeping.

Third, the fifth figure traveled to the west. He found Vhox and watched him. He listened to the words Vhox spoke and the way he could twist them into amazingly detailed weaves of manipulation that he could use to pull over the eyes of even the spirits that so fascinated him. The fifth figure studied hard, and when he was confident in his own ability to twist words, he approached Vhox. The fifth figure weaved the most perfect and impressive lie ever heard by ears that can hear. He tricked Vhox into believing that by taking his own life, he could learn the greatest secret of the spirits. When Vhox lie on the ground, slain by his own dagger, the fifth figure tried to steal his passion, but found that he could not, for his heart was already full. So he crafted a third scepter and placed the passion in it for safekeeping.

Last, the fifth figure traveled to the north. He found the waters where William was sailing, but could not catch him. William preferred to be alone at sea, and was too good of a sailor to be caught. So the fifth figure delved deep into the study of both shipcraft and sailing. After a long time of study, practice, and trial and error, he had crafted the fastest ship ever seen, and developed new techniques to sail it with impossible speed. On the night that the fifth figure tracked down William again, there was an intense gail. A chase like no one could imagine ensued. With the intense wind at both of their backs, and waves the size of mountains, legend has it that the two ships spent more time in the air than on the sea, and at speeds that not even the birds could fly. Eventually, however, the fifth figure caught up to William and rammed his ship, which flung him overboard to be drowned by the fury of the storm. When the sea had calmed, the fifth figure found the body of William and tried to steal his passion, but found that he could not, for his heart was already full. So he crafted a final scepter and placed the passion in it just like before.

Despite the years of dedication and hard work, the fifth figure had not achieved his goal. His heart had been full of jealousy and had no room for the passions that he tried to steal. After killing William in the storm, he traveled back southward to where he had begun. He began to think hard about the last few years. He remembered Ivis and how he loved all things living. Then he thought about how he had killed Ivis and taken that beacon of passion away from the west. Some of the jealousy in his heart swirled and morphed to sadness.

Then he thought about Rhin. In the time that he studied Rhin, he saw the passion that he held for battle, but also the honor and compassion that made him who he was. Then the fifth figure thought about how he had shown no mercy to Rhin after defeating him, and how he extinguished that beacon of passion from the south. The jealousy in his heart swirled some more and some of it morphed into sadness.

Then he thought about Vhox. He thought about how he had a desire and a passion for knowledge so great that he was willing to sacrifice himself for the belief that he would give him more knowledge, which he so loved. Then the fifth figure thought about how he had lied to Vhox and how his sacrifice had been in vain. He had crushed that glowing beacon of passion from the east. The jealousy in his heart swirled even harder and more of it morphed into sadness.

Lastly, he thought of William. He knew of his passion for the freedom of the open sea, and how he loved nothing more than to be alone with the ocean. He then thought of how he had killed William, drowning a glowing beacon of passion that could have glowed for years more in the North. He also thought of how he had not been able to watch, learn from, and come to know William like he did the others. Now, he could never do so. This thought caused the jealousy in his heart to swirl and churn and turn completely into sadness.

With his heart filled to the brim with sadness, the fifth figure began to cry. He wept and wailed so loud, it could be heard from many islands away. He wept for a long time as his heart was very large, and he had a lot of sadness to drain away.

Finally, his heart was empty. Empty as it had not been in a long time. With this realization, the fifth figure stood up and understood. Never again would he let his heart be filled with jealousy. For he now realized that in order to find true passion, he would have to keep both an open mind, and an open heart.

Trivia

 * The fifth figure could be the stranger on the starting island, or the player itself.