TW: At any point in any Explorer thread there may be obscene language, violence, blood, threats, bodily harm and seasickness. ---
The tang of the salty air carried a current of electricity that sank deep into your bones and settled in your ribcage. Even the most hardened sailors had to agree. There was always a small thrill when a ship moved out to sea, but this
particular moment had everyone moving as if raw lightning was under their feet. It was a heady cocktail— a mix of trepidation, a dash of exhilaration, and a pinch of hesitation... all shaken up with the knowledge that their benefactor had deemed it necessary to set sail at night rather than in the daylight hours when everyone could see.
Scuttlebutt was it was part of some ritual, as it had to wait until the full moon. Others still said it was for security, as it was hard to hide four ships pulling out of port and all heading in the same direction. This last part seemed to be the favorite of the rumors, as even the Captain believed it to be true. This was no small task they were setting off on, after all. Anyone who had known anyone who had seen that obelisk in the Meeting Place knew something big was happening, and not everyone who had an interest in treasure had seen fit to sign up. By setting off at night, it would be easier to douse the lights and disappear on the open ocean if the Solar Halo and her escorts appeared to be being followed.
Either way, it was far too late for second thoughts. Everyone aboard had had plenty of time between the signing of their contracts until now, and the Captain had made it crystal clear that this would be no pleasure cruise. Which was more than obvious, given that the sailors not only needed to turn to their duties in dim lighting, but they also had the added challenge of working around just so many passengers.
The Solar Halo was no small ship, thankfully. There was space plenty in the crew's quarters, hammocks set up between posts to bed down in with ladders leading up the posts three hammocks high. The cargo hold held only the essentials, carefully calculated to last the long journey once final stops had been made and leaving plenty of room for whatever would be brought back. But while the Solar Halo was a beautifully crafted ship (truly, their benefactor had spared no expense), it was not made for leisure. The deck, alive with the flurried movements of the crew, did not hold much space for idle congregation. The three other, smaller ships that had also been commissioned had even less space for such things.
This was the part that made the Captain most nervous. An added passenger or two was no issue, but for this many... at least for a fair share of them there could be assigned chores such as helping in the kitchen or scrubbing the floors, but the voyage was calculated to be a very long one, and there was nothing in the world that Captain Amryth hated more than bored, useless, whining, useless passengers. She almost wished that the group had been placed on the other accompanying vessels, but she knew such a feat would have been impossible. It was far easier to keep a group in one place on the largest of the four, rather than attempting to make work difficult for all the vessels involved. Plus, the additional money for care and keeping was too good to pass up.
Surely, looking at the state of her guests, any behavioral discrepancies was nothing a few barked orders couldn't cure. Squaring her narrow shoulders, Amryth took a deep breath and stepped forward, descending the stairs to the main deck and leveling a stern, harsh glare to the gathered group still lingering by the banisters as the port shrank further and further into the late night gloom.
"If you are all done sight-seeing, we have work to do. Usel— mm." She took a moment to collect herself, her full lips pursed in careful thought. "Esteemed guests, if you would direct yourselves to either the crew's quarters or the mess. I'm sure with such a distinguished and varied collection such as yourselves you will find a way to keep one another occupied.
Quietly."
Amryth began to ascend back up the stairs, when seemingly struck by another thought. She looked over her shoulder, a dark thin eyebrow raised as she stared at each one of the gathered gaggle.
"I have supplies for registered passengers and crew only. I will not tolerate the sudden addition of another, is that clear?" She scowled at the group. "So keep it in your trousers."
Another pointed glare, and Amryth ascended again, returning to her actual duties of managing her crew and hopefully never to return to another moment of babysitting again.
---
Summary: All of our brave explorers have been loaded into the flagship, the Solar Halo, and summarily been banished belowdecks to keep the hell out of the way once the ship has left the port far behind. The Solar Halo and her three companion vessels are now in the open ocean headed due south with no expectations of stopping until they find what they are looking for. This presents all player characters with an equal opportunity to mingle and get to know one another, and I highly suggest your characters do so in case they find a problem only one of them can solve. B)
Explorers Event Posting OrderNephero, EckhartVonMusel, ForeverUnforgiving, Trenzalor, Sarang, Kingfisher, GoblinFae
Explorers Roster and Current Status