A cursed tale from the DrumZombie Halloween Lore Collection
The Legend of Captain Brinehook
When the tide pulls back at Wrecker's Point, old sailors see the scratches in the rocks—deep gouges left by bony claws dragging something from the surf. They don't speak his name, because some legends have a habit of answering when called from the deep. He wasn't always a creature of brine and nightmare. Once, he was Captain Brinehook, a man who believed death was negotiable.
The Bone Merchant's Bargain
Before the curse, Brinehook captained The Marrow Gale, a ship that harvested the dead like others plundered gold. He struck a deal with the Ossuary Lords, ancient entities of the abyss: gather enough bone to build their underwater cathedrals, and death would forever pass him by. But the sea always collects its debts.
The Damned Voyage
On a blood-moon Halloween night, Brinehook’s ship encountered a glowing, phosphorescent vortex in the water—a place where the veil between worlds grows thin. Ignoring the pleas of his crew, the captain laughed and steered his ship directly into the anomaly. The Marrow Gale and all its souls vanished into depths where even light fears to tread.
The Harvester of Fear
Decades later, the ship drifted back, a silent ghost ship. But Brinehook returned too, transformed into something between life and the abyss. His flesh was gone, but his will remained. He was no longer a harvester of bone, but a harvester of fear.
He doesn't seek treasure or revenge. He seeks recognition, drawn to those who are brave or foolish enough to wear his mark. When he materializes from the darkness, seawater streaming from his rotted coat, he holds his cursed lantern high and poses the one question that has echoed across centuries of maritime terror. It's not a threat. It's an invitation.
"Argh... You Afraid of the Dark?"
Answer the Captain's Call. Wear the Legend.
This shirt is more than a pun; it's a tribute to a legend who dared to challenge the darkness. It's for those who greet fear with a grim smile.