A notice, of sorts, left nailed to a wall in wolfstack docks.
"Help wanted."
It’s wording is to the point and clear.
"Pre-Requisites: Experience at zee. Sturdy eyewear."
Following this statement, appears to be a sketch. To most it would appear as an indiscernible mass. To those who had actually listened to any of the innumerable tales and descriptions, it would appear to be a rather detailed sketch of a rather infamous spider council.
"The Tree has been sighted North. We hunt for it’s heart."
No compensation or salery is listed on the flyer. Simply a time and date at which to arrive at a particular indistinct pier to the south of london.
One final note is added at the bottom in Post Scriptum:
"This will be extraordinarily dangerous. Caution is advised."
Those who follow the instructions on the notice will arrive to an otherwise unoccupied pier, full to burst with nothing but fog and darkness. In the early hours of the morning, the only light radiates from false stars above and the large boat floating quietly at the end of the boardwalk. edited by Neonir on 8/3/2016
The Dean steps off a dinghy and onto the dock. He teeters and wobbles a little, his most recent expedition has been a long one, and it’ll take time for him to get his land legs back. After stepping off the dock he waves a flag towards his zubmarine, where his first mate waves a different flag in response. Satisfied, he then heads straight to The Juniper Dog , his favorite gin bar. On the way, something catches his eye, a notice tacked onto a nearby tavern wall.
“Help wanted,” the Dean reads aloud.
He notes the time and place, and continues towards the bar.
(/*The Dean will join this expedition, if there is room */)
“Do you have everything packed?”
“Yes dear.”
“Including a good coat if you go far North?”
“Yes dear.”
“Are you sure you don’t need anymore knives or guns?”
“Yes dear.”
“Enough boots, gloves?”
“Yes dear.”
A moment of silence and the shuffling of luggage.
“I should come with you.” The statement and responses sound old, performed many times before this moment.
“With that man? No.”
“So you are just going to leave me here?”
“London needs somebody to hunt snakes and spies while I’m gone.”
A resigned but still loving glare.
“My evening rose, it is merely a spider-council. You can hunt those in this sleep. There is far more danger from us drinking and falling off the boat then from that.”
A mollified silence.
“Send a bat when you can.”
“I will.”
One of the figures slips away in the fog and darkness. The other one hoists up their luggage, including a cage of bats. (More for the bats safety then an actual worry about them escaping.)
Dirae Erinyes regards the boat with a critical eye. “Well, I’ve ridden in worse tramp steamers.”
“You just missed her actually.” Dirae Erinyes give a bashful laugh. “She’s not very happy with me at the moment for signing up on this without her - but she has her duty and I have mine. Did you enjoy the book I sent?”
"Oh darn! I do still want to meet her at some point. The book was wonderful! I quite enjoyed the nefarious botanisste. She had the best lines in the book. I must say though, our feline acquaintance would not have approved."
The Dean glances at the steamer, it’s underside softly illuminated Apocyan in the waves.
"I take it you also saw the notice?" edited by Dean Lee on 8/3/2016
“I haven’t heard much. Most of them are rumors - that it once pretended to an opera singer, that it killed seven special constables in one night. . . but I don’t know what is true.”
“I am curious myself - I’m hoping the leader of this expedition could fill us in - if we can find him.
Granted, he usually rather boisterous when it comes to socializing, so it shouldn’t be hard.”
Amelia had seen the flyer many times on her trips through each bar in Wolfstack. So had her men who had voiced some interest in traveling out to Zee again. But even she had seen some sketchiness to the details. No addressee, no details on payment, and nothing about any supplies needed for such a perilous and potentially long journey. She had voiced many times it was "a fool’s journey" but her crew seemed invested if only to see who would be foolish enough for such a journey.
So she journeys to the appointed spot, two men on each side of her. Though she holds no interest in the journey itself, her curiosity is held merely on who commissioned such. The crowd alone seems to feel the same and she notes the few familiar faces she sees among them. "Oi," she calls out. "Which o’ ye dunce caps made the ad?" It’s most likely none of them. But she does love stirring a reaction to gauge out tepid feelings and general appeal.
Martin wandered onto the pier and towards the crowd, having seen the flier and noticed the crowd he had become curious of what this "tree" was. There was no mention of who was leading the hunt, when the expedition was leaving, or of what the payment for the job was to be on the flier and so for the time being he merely remained curious.
The Dean waves to the newcomers.
“Ahoy!” he cries out cheerfully,
“I take it you also saw the Help Wanted poster.”
He stops to examine the four newcomers,
“What are your names?”
Amelia quirks an eyebrow at the cheerful voice. "Ya sure ye be sayin’ tha so casually, mate? Never kno’ who among ya be wantin’ more than a name ta call their own." She then sets her sights on the crowd itself. Though Flesh Stick gets a genuine smirk from her, the men that joined her don’t seem amused.
"Fought tis be worff it," says one.
"Far too many scrawny fings," says the other. "Could beat 'em wiff a cudgel. Real easy."
"Ya mean tha obvious amateurs," Amelia cuts in. "Yer missin’ out ‘n tha rest o’ crowd. But tha be naught whar our focus should lie. Look alive, look alive. Never kno’ who could be watchin’ today or in tha morow. But one fings clear, I fink many be like us. Curious fer tis hunt ‘n wonderin’ who commissioned it."
There’s a "Yes Ma’m!" shared between them before they stand stalwart between her once more.
The voice comes from within the ship at the end of the pier, a moment later a door opens and a fairly broad shouldered man of noble bearing steps out of the helm of the ship to overlook the crowd for a moment.
"Hrmm…Seems about right."
"Congratulations to each of you on passing the first and only test, that is, the test to see if you have the ability to follow simple instructions. Quite honestly, while I did mention on the flier that experience at zee and eye protection was necessary, to be quite frank, that was more for your benefit than mine, I simply need bodies…Not in the literal sense mind you. Dont worry, this will not be one of those soothe and copper situations, if all goes well, each of you will be coming back to london as heroes."
The man chuckles to himself, then moves to the edge of the ship closest to the crowd.
"I believe introductions are in order. Greetings, I will be your captain, Lord Gregory, do not ask my first name, it’s not important. I do try not to get too caught up on formalities at zee, as such, you may call me what you wish, so long as it is clear and respectful. We shall be sailing in my ship for this expedition, all food, drink, lodging have been provided for each of you by our sponser for this trip. We shall wait only a litle longer before we set sail, so if you have unfinished business, questions about this expedition, or companions you would like to invite along, now is the time." edited by Neonir on 8/5/2016