What is the letter Mentioned in the 2023 10320, Eldorado Fortress?

[brickingupbrad]

While building my Lego Eldorado Fortress I cam across a letter hidden in the side of a wall. The instructions have a little blurb that says "A hidden letter? Whom could it be from? Who can solve this mystery?"

Later while building the prison tower it has this blurb "How this poor skeleton met his fate is unknown. Perhaps he was trying to escape? ‘Or went in search of the hidden letter?"

I believe that this is a reference to a set or a piece of Lego lore, I could be wrong but it does seem significant. There is also this blurb in the first instruction booklet that also makes me think this

"The model design brings back all the charm of the original set and includes clues to the many stories that have taken place here over the past 30 years. See if you can spot the details that will remind you of the original set and uncover the updated features, functions and minifigures."

I have been looking but couldn't find the connection. I figured I would bring this before some of the biggest Lego pirate fans I have seen.

 

You can find the parts I am talking about here in the instruction books:

https://www.lego.com/en-gb/service/buildinginstructions/10320

(I do hope I posted on here right. This is my first time posting on Eurobricks forum. I am learning Lego pirates lore and history for a video series I am working on and also want to thank the forums I have seen already on here about the audio dramas and books that have also helped me learn the lore better!)

[Aanchir]

I don't think it's a specific lore thing, just a potential "story starter" for dreaming up your own storylines. Perhaps it's a deceased prisoner's last will and testament, or evidence of the governor's corruption that the pirates are seeking out for blackmail purposes, or a captive pirate's decree of pardon which the governor's men have "misplaced", or a coded message revealing the location of a fabled treasure hoard. Regardless, its purpose seems to have been intentionally left open-ended.

[Jack Sassy]

2 hours ago, brickingupbrad said:

This is my first time posting on Eurobricks forum.

Welcome to the forum, don't be shy because some people know more about LEGO Pirates than others, we all are a friendly lot (long as ye have the rum ).

1 hour ago, Aanchir said:

a coded message revealing the location of a fabled treasure hoard.

Or the letter contains a treasure map. 

 

If LEGO plans to release more Pirates sets in the future, perhaps purspose of this letter will be revealed. For now it truly is up to one's imagination.

[Aanchir]

Just now, Jack Sassy said:

Or the letter contains a treasure map. 

The main reason I didn't suggest that if you want to use LEGO to tell a story involving a hidden treasure map (in general, not just in the context of this set), it'd usually make more sense to use a dedicated treasure map piece for clarity's sake instead of a more ambiguous envelope piece!

[Jack Sassy]

1 hour ago, Aanchir said:

it'd usually make more sense to use a dedicated treasure map piece for clarity's sake instead of a more ambiguous envelope piece!

Indeed, but a map piece is too large for the crate used in the set. But fair enough, a coded message for the treasure chest works too. 

[brickingupbrad]

On 7/15/2023 at 2:05 PM, Aanchir said:

I don't think it's a specific lore thing, just a potential "story starter" for dreaming up your own storylines. Perhaps it's a deceased prisoner's last will and testament, or evidence of the governor's corruption that the pirates are seeking out for blackmail purposes, or a captive pirate's decree of pardon which the governor's men have "misplaced", or a coded message revealing the location of a fabled treasure hoard. Regardless, its purpose seems to have been intentionally left open-ended.

defiantly a really good theory! I could see it as a more open-ended thing! I just wanted to make sure that was the case just in case I missed something!

23 hours ago, Jack Sassy said:

If LEGO plans to release more Pirates sets in the future, perhaps purspose of this letter will be revealed. 

YESSS this would be amazing! Like a small story that goes between sets! 

But you are probably right and its just open ended. Because of the letter in the castle from basil there was a small part of me that was just trying to figure out if there is more to it for a video I am working on!

[Jack Sassy]

39 minutes ago, brickingupbrad said:

YESSS this would be amazing! Like a small story that goes between sets! 

We can always hope LEGO will release more Pirates sets. 

[TalonCard]

Hey Brad, been a subscriber for awhile now, love the tavern talks, etc. As others have mentioned, this seems to be an ambiguous bit of new lore in the long history of Eldorado Fortress rather than a reference to something established.

It does bring to mind the Secret of La Sceletta, the 5th Pirates audio drama, where a map leading to documents clearing Will the Bos'un's father of terrible crimes was found in the attic of Eldorado Fortress. I don't think this is intended to be related, but they're both interesting hidden secrets of Eldorado.

I'm also working on a video series about Pirates lore, let me know if there's any way I can help!

[Aanchir]

11 hours ago, TalonCard said:

It does bring to mind the Secret of La Sceletta, the 5th Pirates audio drama, where a map leading to documents clearing Will the Bos'un's father of terrible crimes was found in the attic of Eldorado Fortress. I don't think this is intended to be related, but they're both interesting hidden secrets of Eldorado.

That's awesome actually! Even if it's completely coincidental, it shows that writers today and writers back then happened upon similar possibilities for stories that could be told in this sort of genre and setting, even beyond the more obvious prison breaks and gold heists that have been included as play scenarios in the sets since the theme's debut.

[Mister Phes]

On 7/16/2023 at 2:37 AM, brickingupbrad said:

The instructions have a little blurb that says "A hidden letter? Whom could it be from? Who can solve this mystery?"

That's really interesting... because for years I had that printed letter title placed in Governor Broadside's quarters in the top floor of my 6276 Eldorado Fortress.

I don't recall where it came from or why I put it there...  I think it was included with the second hand Eldorado Fortress I acquired from eBay and assumed it was piece aincluded by the previous owner.

On 7/16/2023 at 2:37 AM, brickingupbrad said:

Later while building the prison tower it has this blurb "How this poor skeleton met his fate is unknown. Perhaps he was trying to escape? ‘Or went in search of the hidden letter?"

Here's some crazy speculation... did some 6276 Eldorado Fortress sets include that letter title while others did not?

[TalonCard]

I don't think so; that print was introduced for the first Harry Potter sets in 2001 I believe.

[Mister Phes]

2 minutes ago, TalonCard said:

I don't think so; that print was introduced for the first Harry Potter sets in 2001 I believe.

And you would be correct.

However, I actually mistook it for this piece:

Not that it matters as this is no doubt just a coincidence...

[thewatchman]

I think it’s probably a bit of a nod to the audio drama, however we can safely assume the skeleton is that of a pirate, hence the red bandana.

 If we follow along with skeletons in red bandanas, we have the juniors pirate set “pirate treasure hunt”, so maybe the letter was the map leading to the treasure?

[Mister Phes]

1 hour ago, thewatchman said:

If we follow along with skeletons in red bandanas, we have the juniors pirate set “pirate treasure hunt”, so maybe the letter was the map leading to the treasure?

You mean this set?

[thewatchman]

1 minute ago, Mister Phes said:

You mean this set?

That’s the one. 
 Actually the creator 3-1 has a skeleton in a red bandana too. Maybe just a design choice lego use.

[Mister Phes]

1 hour ago, thewatchman said:

 Actually the creator 3-1 has a skeleton in a red bandana too. Maybe just a design choice lego use.

The bandana colour palette seems rather limited these days... either red or blue... or maybe that's how it was to begin with before green, black and white were eventually introduced.

But if we deduce all skeletons wearing red bandanas are the same character, that may limit our cast of characters.

Nonetheless, there is a slight discrepancy - the bandana included in the original 6276 Eldorado Fortress be this:

Whereas, the bandana included with 10320 Eldorado Fortress and 10679 Pirate Treasure Hunt be different:

 

So does the difference in bandana design indicate different characters?

Or maybe this is over-complicating the matter...   The minfigure designs have been updated from the originals, so the updated bandana design is merely aesthetic.

[thewatchman]

Or, competing theory, that as with barracuda bay, maybe time has moved on, and the original pirate with red beard is in fact the skeleton we see now.

[Bfin9691]

Hopefully they are setting up for more pirates sets or a GWP set to go with this one.