Problems as a dm/players won't commit to story

[Orius]

Sounds like the players want a pirate game... the best thing I can tell you is see if you can figure out something like that you can have fun with and spin the story that way!

You could have sea god try to recruit them. Then again too, this is only 4th level, so a war of the gods is really something that the PC's won't start touching until name level/paragon tier/whatever. Right now, take the time to start planting clues and hints to the metaplot and wait for them to get powerful enough to actually participate in it in a meaningful way.

 

[Squizzle]

The next island they encounter is the corpse of the sea god. Shenanigans ensue.

 

[ST]

My wife suggests a ship's figurehead that speaks prophecy, a la Illiad/Odyssey or Clash of the Titans.

Heck, the Odyssey is pretty much "people try to get home, the gods make their life interesting", lots of inspiration can be drawn there.

 

[Herobizkit]

Watch some old Hercules: The Legendary Journeys episodes to come up with fun and interesting ways for Gods to interact with lowly scrubs.

I thought of a plot that the God/dess of the Sea and the God/dess of Storms were at odds because the latter kills every merchant, pirate etc. on purpose, discouraging people away from the sea and thereby draining Sea's power. Sea starts a chain of events that involve protecting the PC's until they have gained enough power to challenge Storms... maybe nudging them to islands full of monsters and treasure, granting them access to sunken ships and cities, questing for potent magical lore and items, all while the PCs are being pirates and (at first) oblivious to the source of their good fortune.