In Sea of Thieves, the goal is to collect treasure, which isn’t always a chest. In the strange world of SoT, Skulls are also worth a lot of money.
They come in many different sizes, colors, and shapes. The Ritual Skull is one of the many kinds of glowing skulls you might see while travelling over the waves.
For a new player, it can be hard to keep track of all the different kinds of treasure, emissaries, and quests.
There is a lot to think about. This guide will tell you where to find Ritual Skulls, how to use them, and who will buy them from you.
What Does A Ritual Skull Look Like?
A Ritual Skull looks like, well, a skull. It has red markings across the front, and unlike the other common Bounty Skulls, Ritual Skulls emit a white glint from a distance.
Where Can You Find Ritual Skulls?
Ritual Skulls can be gotten in a number of different ways, and you might even find some while you’re just doing quests and destroying Skelly ships. Here is a list of all the places you can look for a Ritual Skull.
- A Skeleton Fleet Captain’s Ship – Ever seen the floating ghost of a ship on the horizon? That’s a Skeleton Fleet world event. Sail over and you’ll be attacked by a number of Skeleton Ships, with the final ship emerging from the waves being the Captain’s Ship. It’s much larger than the rest and drops a Ritual Skull when blown to pieces.
- Skeleton Ships – If you’re looking to farm for Ritual Skulls, the Skeleton Fleet event is a great idea, as regular Skeleton Ships can drop the Skulls as well.
- Larinna’s Skull Stash Voyage – You may have noticed Larinna stood next to the door of the tavern on various Outpost islands. Once a month she offers up a Skull Stash Voyage, which can be purchased with 40 Doubloons. This quest guarantees a Ritual Skull.
- Ashen Winds Event – Another world event, you can spot the Ashen Winds location by keeping your telescope trained on the horizon. Look out for a pillar of reddish flame. An Ashen Lord will spawn here — like Captain Grimm, or Old Horatio — which drop a guaranteed Ritual Skull.
- Ashen Chest – Ashen Chests are found across the Sea of Thieves. You may find them on a Skeleton Ship, after defeating a Captain’s Ship, or from inside a Skeleton Fort. These chests have a chance to drop a Ritual Skull. Check out the full guide on Ashen Chests and Keys here.
- Ghost of Graymarrow – Once you complete a Fort of the Damned (more on that in a moment) the final boss spawns, the Ghost of Graymarrow. He will drop a Ritual Skull once defeated.
- Collector’s Chests – Regular old Treasure Chests can drop Ritual Skulls, too. However, you will need to defeat a Skeleton Captain (often found wandering around small islands) and complete the Skeleton Order’s Riddle Map they drop.
What Are Ritual Skulls Used For?
A Ritual Skull is needed to complete the Fort of the Damned. This spectral island fortress is located in the Sea of Thieves within the Ancient Isles area.
The process behind completing the Fort of the Damned is a bit more complicated than just dumping a Ritual Skull there.
Here’s what you need to know.
- Flames of Fate – To activate the Fort of the Damned raid you also need to acquire 6 Flames of Fate. You collect these by dying in a series of different ways and scooping up the flame from aboard the Ferry of the Damned (the ghost ship you go to when you die). You need to die by a shark, fire, a skeleton, lightning, a poisonous snake, and by other pirates on the Sea of Thieves.
- At The Fort – Place the flames around the central room of the fort — you can’t miss the statues with their lanterns — and prepare for the raid to begin.
- Place The Ritual Skull On The Headless Skeleton – Once the lanterns are lit, a room will open up with a headless skeleton inside. Place the Ritual Skull where its head should be and the raid will begin.
- The Battle – Waves of Skeletons will spawn with colors that correspond with the lanterns. You will need to shine the respective colored lantern on them before you can slice them to bits. The final boss, the Ghost of Graymarrow, will spawn when the waves have been defeated.
The Fort of the Damned is a good place to get a lot of treasure, but pirates looking for PvP and easy loot also go there.
Because your crew is busy with the skeletons, it can be hard to keep raiders from taking your ship and your loot when they are busy with the skeletons. You should be ready for a fight.
Can You Sell Ritual Skulls?
When you don’t have time to work on a Fort of the Damned, you can sell ritual skulls to Larinna at the tavern or to the Servant of the Flame at the Reaper’s Hideout for a quick profit.
Larinna will give you 10 Doubloons, but with a Level 5 Emissary flag, the Reapers will give you up to 25. If you fly their flag, the Reapers will also give you Reputation and Emissary value.
