[IC] Tower of Prospect

[Epsir]

The sailors of the Jubilance had fallen silent, those in the rigging enjoying the sea breeze and lazing in the calm after their final maneuvers. Now, the noise came only from the water and the consorting travelers aboard. The ship had been set on its course, and bar docking the only thing left to do was to drift into port. Their transit was to be simpler than others', the ships that trailed after would need to wait for a clearing at the dock. Even in the mist, the tiny rowboats of the port authority could be seen skittering along the pier, heading out to the nearest ships. In a few minutes, the Jubilance had been given its own liaison from the authority, a trio of soldiers from the Corps. They came clad in the light gray, angular mail of the Pomrian military, missing helmets and very clearly missing their sea legs. Two of them, a man and a woman, wore feathered blue berets over their dark hair, denoting their status as officers. Silently, the male officer strode off down the deck towards the bridge, holding fast to the railing the whole way.

The woman left behind took her time looking over the people on deck. A couple dozen, probably everyone on board and at least those intending to depart here. Her pale blue eyes, tinged almost lavender, sought out every detail, every hint of experience she could find on the people coming to her homeland, to leave their mark on it for better or worse. She smiled, done with gawking, and put her armored fist up in the air to call the attention of those still interested in the trio of newcomers. "On behalf of the Crown and my lord Hector II, I welcome you all to Pomria." She called, raising her voice in an attempt to speak out to the deck full of people. "Those of you who have come specifically to visit Bauchan forest are advised to register your presence at the office of the Containment Corps. Additionally, the Corps is always looking for hired hands. Private expeditions have occurred but only the government of Pomria is equipped to guarantee your safety within the woods. Regardless of where you find employment, I wish you all safe passage and good fortune in the country. That is all for your foreword. We will begin customs processing upon entering the docks, please make yourselves ready to move!" After that, the officer fell silent, leaving the deck to go back to its business as they passed the time until arrival. Safety was a relative word, and a shoddy promise. She'd just been stationed here, but the little talk she'd heard amongst the old hands was anything but positive. It was among her duties to change that.

[Sightles]

Gideon stood on the docks of the approaching ship, slowly drifting into port. Gideon had been in Pomria for only a short amount of time, but he had already gained sizable knowledge of the area. The Bauchan forest was increasingly becoming a target of interest, with many expeditions into forest. Gideon had seen a handful of adventurers before now, the idea of joining them entertaining him, but ultimately failing to convince him to join on the journey. Gideon had seen many different kinds of people, all heading for the treasure in the forest. Gideon leaned lazily on his stave, as he watched the boat approach. Gideon had spent the last several days going out with an older gentleman, whom had been generously been allowed to use the military port, occasionally. The old man 'hired' Gideon to go out on his small schooner to help with fishing. Gideon had just been dropped off, and the old man had left for home, leaving Gideon on the stone dock. Gideon had no home, and often attempted to find areas outside of the docks to sleep, but to no avail, leading to his nightly imprisonment by the port authorities on more than one occasion. Gideon would do what he was apt to do with most ships that came into port: Ask the captain if there was any kind of work he could do for the captain, in exchange for a ride to another land. Gideon was nearly tired of Pomria, even though his period here was short.

[DrowsyPangolin]

Aldric stood near the bow of the Jubilance, leaning slightly over the railing. His eyes were affixed on the nearing dock. He'd heard many tales about Pomria as of late, stories of an unearthly forest spreading across the land, and of a tower supposedly filled with untold treasures. He glanced around behind him at the crowded ship. No doubt the others around him had been brought here by the same stories. He had little idea of what this journey would actually lead him to, but such thoughts didn't concern him too much. The young man's musings were cut to an end by the soldier calling them all to attention. She mentioned that they should go to Office of the Containment Corps. He logged the name in his mind, as he would certainly be making his way there after they docked. he had no doubt the majority of the other passengers would likely be heading the same way. A thirst for adventure tended to do that to people. As the woman finished speaking, he again turned towards the dock, watching as it grew closer and closer. The woman had told them all to make ready, but he had few personal belongings other than what he carried on his person. He brought one hand to the shaft of the hammer that hung on his back. They'd be arriving soon, and he'd learn just what this new chapter in his life would bring.

The young man looked over his shoulder, his eyes glancing around the other passengers. He hadn't become acquainted with too many of them outside of small talk, something he now regretted. From what he'd heard, their journey could be a dangerous one, and it wasn't something one man could do on his own. He noticed several of his shipmates grouping up, and his eyes began flashing around the group, hoping to see someone who felt as lost as he did in the current situation.

[PandorasBox]

With the hood of her cloak up to hide her cat-like features, Bast stumbled out into the bright sunlight of the deck, clutching the nearest hand rail for support as the ship lurched beneath her, and her stomach twisted uncomfortably. She'd at first been delighted to board the Jubilance, only to have fallen sea sick for the entire journey. The sensation of the ground constantly moving had kept her bed ridden, and ruined any sense of curiosity she had about the ship. She preferred her paws to be on non-moving ground thank you very much! But despite this, she still wanted to see how exactly they planned on docking - and also she wanted to be first in line to get off.

Her attention was caught by the woman with the strange feathered hat, whom was addressing the crowd that had gathered on the deck. Exactly what was said, Bast wasn't entirely sure - she was far more interested in the way that the feather twitched and waved in the wind, as if it were alive. She hadn't been able to truly hunt anything for ages now, and the feather was a nice reminder of exactly what she planned on doing once she was on dry land again. Sadly, the woman and her feathered hat soon departed, leaving Bast to wait impatiently to be allowed to leave. She sighed, and glanced around the ship, noticing that groups of travelers seemed to be banding together in preparation for entering the forest, although a few stood alone. Her eyes connected with one such individual - a tall red haired man - just as the ship dipped. It was enough to cause the Neko to lose her balance and fall to the side, her hood slipping off and revealing her face in the process, only to smack her head on the railing as she hit the ground. She muttered a string of curses under her breath as she held her head, hoping it would stop spinning. Bast really couldn't wait to get off.

[Epsir]

A whistle blew, and the crew returned from their stay of silence. The Jubilance was coming into port, and her crew made short work of getting the vessel's mooring cables dockside. The deck rocked back and forth gently as the ropes were drawn around the bollards, and then came to a final rest with the ship hugged up against the pier. The officer from before returned from the ship's aft, tailed by the captain. He didn't look the part, a young man with a messy head of white hair. In all truth, it wasn't the size of vessel he was used to skippering but that was what crews were for. There was a gold rush in the making, and his borrowed ship would be at its head. Without a word, the captain took up his scripted position at the front of the ship to watch the Pomrians conduct their disembarking procedure. The officer left his side, rejoining his two comrades at the side of the vessel. The dock workers had run up the gangplank and it was now fastened at the railing. Almost as soon as it'd been brought out the line began to form, those in a hurry to get off the ship. Some lingered, searching for a group. The woman from the Corps stayed even as the other two went to find a rowboat out to another ship, taking out a small pad from the pouch at her hip and preparing to take the tally of people on board as they departed. Slowly, the line began to move.

Among the visitors caught out in the middle of the deck, unsure of where to find his spot in line or who to look towards, a man with a boyish, energetic face wandered. His dress made him seem more likely a part of the crew, being obviously aged and well worn clothing. A loose, tan shirt over black working pants, both of which continued to function as clothing on the virtue of expert patchwork. It was made to seem decorative even though it existed for sheer necessity, with patterned hems and clever placement. Worn elbows became the elbow pads of an older man's shirt. The only undamaged thing on his person was a brown canvas bag he wore over his left shoulder and currently held fast to his person with his right hand. The pockets along its side made it reminiscent of a doctor's bag, which it was to some extent. The man found himself caught out, looking nervously between the few similarly stuck stragglers on deck as he found himself between a tall man in a blue coat and someone obscured in a black cloak. The latter toppled to the ground, seeming to bang her head against the railing. He froze and looked back to the other stranger, looking for some kind of cue. Did these adventurer types just help each other out or was that disrespectful? A tiny part of him pleaded the red headed man to act first, but even still he began to gravitate towards the unfortunate traveler.

[DrowsyPangolin]

Aldric had continued scanning the ship for a few moments until his gaze met a pair of bright green eyes beneath a hood. For a moment, he considered approaching the stranger, until the ship dipped in the waves, sending her toppling to the ground. As her hood fell, the young man was a bit taken aback. The person before him had features like a cat. He had never seen anyone like her, that was for sure. He looked on with a puzzled gaze for a few moments before overcoming his shock. Cat or no, there was no sense in ignoring common courtesy. Aldric approached the Neko and outstretched a hand. "Need some help there?" Aldric gave a slight chuckle as he extended his hand. It seemed whatever she was, she didn't have her sea legs.

Only a moment after that thought crossed his mind, help felt the Jubilance lurch underneath him, forcing him to brace himself to maintain balance. It seemed they'd arrived in Pomria at last. As he reached out, he noticed a boyish-looking young man approaching from the side, seemingly coming to offer help to their fallen compatriot as well. Aldric glanced towards him for a moment as the ship came creaking to a stop. He looked over the man. Patchwork clothing and what seemed to be a doctor's bag weren't usually the tell-tale signs of a great adventurer, but first impressions weren't always correct. "Hi there, I'm Aldric." He smiled. "Oh, and to you, too." He nodded towards Bast.

[Sightles]

Gideon watched as the ship lurched to a stop. Much more travelers and adventurers than the last boat that came. Gideon smirked as several of the passengers were obviously not the sea faring type, evident by their poor sea legs that Gideon could witness from his current position. Gideon sighed, and made his way to the boat, ready to go confront the captain of the vessel with his proposal of travel for work. Gideon allowed himself to wonder for a bit, about where exactly he'd end up this time. Gideon had thought about heading back to his country, which probably wouldn't end up working out for him. He had heard of a land far away from Pomria, however. A land with many warring city-states, and aspiring militaries. He could always try to become a instructor if all else failed, or even an adviser, or maybe even a diplomat. He shrugged off the thought for now, as he stood on the dock, waiting for an opening in the throng of adventurers, in order to make his way up the gangplank.

[PandorasBox]

Before Bast could attempt to claw herself back to a standing position, a helpful hand entered her vision. It the was the red haired man, offering assistance in standing up. Her eyes narrowed as she glared at him with irritation. She did not need the assistance of some human who seemed to be more used to ships than she was to keep her balance on this contraption. As she thought this, the ship lurched again, causing the stranger to brace himself, and for Bast to hit her head on the side of railing again. Suddenly, praying to the gods to curse all ships didn't seem like half a bad idea... The stranger offered his hand again. She eyed it warily for a moment, before sighing and accepting his help up. Only because it would have been rude to ignore his help - it's not like she needed his assistance or anything like that, no not in the slightest. Another man had approached, this one looking fairly young, and somewhat low on funds - or was this some new strange human fashion? The tall stranger introduced himself to the both of them, calling himself Aldric. Nice name for a human she supposed. Bast raised the hood on her cloak again, and dug her claws into the railing, the woodwork be damned, in order to try and give herself a bit more stability should the ship lurch again.

"Thanks," She muttered, feeling slightly embarrassed about being so inept on water. "The name's Bast."

[Epsir]

He'd been about halfway to opening his bag before the stranger stood up seemingly unharmed. He had half expected to see blood streaking the catlike face of the cloaked woman, and was relieved to see that she was fine. It would have been a perfect time to leave but the red head, named Aldric, had acknowledged him and started introductions. The man with the bag paused a moment, hesitating but realizing quickly that this was the sort of group everyone else was in the middle of forming. Smiling faintly, he stepped forward and closed the small distance remaining between him and the two at the railing. "Johnathon Wenigsten," He said, returning Aldric's greeting. "Pleased to meet you all. It's nice to finally be here, eh?" He tried to make talk, as was his habit, although before silence had set in his mind had already crept back to Bast's fall. "Are you sure you're okay? I have gauze and things..." He added, nudging out the bag he'd been cradling against his chest. Practicing his trade had been reason for his journey to Pomria in the first place. There wasn't much he could do even if there was a problem but it never hurt to ask.

Behind him, the deck of the Jubilance had nearly cleared itself between the haste of the adventurers and the efficiency of the Pomrian officers. The lady with the blue beret still stood waiting, occasionally writing down another tally with a smile and a few words of encouragement as the strays on the deck of the Jubilance filtered out. The gangplank was clear for the most part now, with the rush crowd now making its way down the pier. The more organized groups were who remained on the deck, getting their things from the below decks or waiting for their contacts in Pomria to arrive. The day was still young, not that it was easy to tell through the fog. As the other ships pulled in to port and let their ravenous entrepreneurs loose on the town, the streets of Perimeter slowly began to take on life in the distance.

[DrowsyPangolin]

Aldric watched as the Neko managed her way to a standing position. She thanked him and introduced herself as Bast. Their other shipmate, the young man with the bag, had introduced himself as Johnathon. Aldric smiled, nodding to each of them. "A pleasure to meet you both." He turned towards the young man with the bag. "Yeah, it took long enough didn't it?" He chuckled. "Well, looks like everyone else is raring to go." He motioned towards the group rushing down the gangplank. Indeed, it seemed the majority of their shipmates were departing quite speedily. "So, where are you two headed from here?" He didn't like the idea of heading out alone, though most of his recent life had consisted of lonely journeys. A change of pace would be nice. Johnathon had offered Bast some medical supplies, though it didn't seem like her fall had hurt her all that much. He was still interested in her origins, but he had adjusted to her appearance fairly quickly. He walked slowly towards the gangplank, expecting the two of them to depart with him.

[Sightles]

Gideon waited patiently as the occupants of the ship departed the gangplank, opening up a clear path for him to advance onto the ship. From his position, he could see a few occupants of the ship still mulling about on the deck. Gideon took this moment to advance up the gangplank and onto the deck. Gideon almost instantly identified the captain, standing at the aft as the rest of the crew finished up porting procedures, as captains are apt to do. Gideon, still using his stave as a walking stick, approached the captain from behind, "Excuse me, you are the captain, correct?" Gideon asked, addressing the fairly young looking man, with his bush of white hair.

[PandorasBox]

The patchwork man introduced himself as Johnathon, and seemed concerned about whether Bast had actually hurt herself during her fall or not. She touched her head where she'd hit it against the rails, and found that a bump was starting to swell up. "It will bruise," She said in response to Johnathon, "but it shouldn't be a problem, thanks." She'd taken worse knocks before. Aldric pointed out that everyone was leaving the ship, and followed that up with a question, but Bast didn't catch it. She was completely focused upon that fact that she could now get off the ship. With a quick exclamation, the Neko moved as quickly as she could manage while still retaining her balance, and scurried down the gangplank, and onto dry land, where, thankfully, the floor was not constantly moving underneath her. The sensation of having the ground under her feet caused her to sigh blissfully. It then occurred to her that she'd literally just run off from the people she was having a conversation with. Even for Neko's - who didn't have quite as high standards of manners as humans did - that was pretty rude.

Bast spun around to the face the ship again, expecting to see Aldric and Johnathan again. She rubbed her head ruefully. "Sorry, I've just been dying to get off that thing."

[Epsir]

A bruise wasn't that bad, although he wondered momentarily if a bruise would even be visible underneath a layer of fur. It would still be sore but what was he going to do, start handing out ice? It wasn't going to be a problem. Wenigsten looked back over to Aldric for his question, but was startled out of his initial reply by Bast rushing past them towards the dock. Her sudden exit alerted him to the fact that the gangplank was now clear, except for some armor-clad dock worker boarding the ship. They were free to go, and he joined Aldric in his walk across the ramp. "I'm hoping to find a tavern or somewhere that will let me set up shop. Someone is going to have to keep all these adventurers sewn up," he said, answering the stalled question and immediately regretting his choice of expression. "And hopefully there's a clinic with actual tools looking for skilled hands," he went on, trying to change the tone as they strolled onto the pier towards Bast. "Don't worry about it, I'm sure everyone is," he said, dismissing the apology.

---

The captain was deeply absorbed in his own affairs, long past caring about the offload of his passengers and humming a jaunty little sea shanty as he watched the waves. His concentration was shattered by a question posed from behind him. Captain. He was not used to hearing that title, if he hadn't been conversing with the Pomrians earlier he probably wouldn't have been accustomed to answering to it. The white haired young man turned around slowly to see who was addressing him, some sturdy looking guy he hadn't seen around before nor been told to expect. Lovely. Immediately apparent about the captain was the bizarre shade of orange his eyes were, and they were now locked on the stranger on his boat. They were searching, intense, easily mistakable for angry if the rest of his face wasn't owned by a serene glow and a small smile. "Yes, I am the captain. Why are you here?"

[DrowsyPangolin]

It seemed Bast's fall had thankfully not caused her any major damage. As soon as Aldric had asked his question, however, she had bolted off of the ship, evidently tired of the seafaring life. The young man chuckled to himself and walked with Johnathon towards the gangplank. It seemed the young man knew a bit about medicine. A medic was always a valuable asset. Aldric replied, with a smile. "Oh, most definitely. Especially if this forest is even nearly as dangerous as they-" A man brushed by them on the gangplank, evidently making his way onto the ship. Aldric froze in place, halfway down the gangplank, eyes wide. No, it couldn't be, there was no way. For a moment the young man glanced back over his shoulder before shaking his head and continuing. "Sorry about that... right, but if this forest is like they say I'm sure you'll be patching up plenty of would-be adventurers." He chuckled, though there was clearly an uneasiness in him now. Bast seemed thrilled to have escaped the Jubilance back to the safety of dry land. For a brief moment Aldric considered making a comment about cats and their distaste for swimming, but decided against it. "I don't blame you, staying on a ship too long will drive anyone mad, I don't see how the sailors manage."He chuckled. "So, Bast, where are you headed from here?"

[Sightles]

Gideon was take slightly aback by the man's abrupt need to fore go the typical polite procedures to a conversation, but Gideon simply tacked it up as a lack of higher upbringing on the captain's part, "I am Gideon Alabaster, and I was wondering if you, and your ship, was in need of any extra hands." Gideon introduced himself, and hurried quickly to his question. It was obvious whatever the peculiar looking captain's intentions were, he had no time for any riff raff, which may be what Gideon appeared as, if not for his dulled golden breast plate, "I am willing to work for board, and food, as long as I'm allowed to get off wherever I need to." Gideon added, using a small smile in order to help the conversation to turn to a more friendly air, than a business-like one. Gideon still rested lazily on his stave, appearing as no more than a common dock worker, but Gideon hoped his outward appearance would not harm his chances at earning a job.

[PandorasBox]

The two men seemed not to mind about her darting off like that too much, which was fortunate - she didn't want to have offended anyone within seconds of setting foot in a new country. Aldric then inquired as to where she was going after arriving here. Bast frowned, thinking. The old man on the ship had told her she should go somewhere first upon arriving, rather than just head straight into the forest like she wanted to. Her mind clicked as she recalled what he'd said.

"I have to go to the Containment Corps." Although exactly where that was, she wasn't sure. A map would be handy. She glanced at the two of them, tilting her head to the side slightly. The question got her wondering. Why had these two come here in the first place? Ship passage wasn't exactly the cheapest thing around - you didn't just wander onto one because you felt like it. So what was their reasoning? Were they after the treasures in the forest themselves? Aldric looked like he might be, with his weaponry and armor clearly visible. Johnathan was more ambiguous to her. "What about you? What are you going to do now that you've got here?"

[Epsir]

Being off of the boat was a surprisingly refreshing experience. It wasn't as though it changed much, he still felt tired and the ground under him seemed to be moving just as much as the Jubilance's deck had, but it was satisfying to have won out against the sea, and to have come so close to his goal. Elated, John hardly noticed the change in Aldric as they crossed over onto land. They were the last group off, and the time of the Corps seemed to have run out anyway. The woman in the beret came down after them, handing off the census pad to one of the dock workers who would be with the ship for the duration of its stay, for further alterations presumably. She was quick to disappear, walking off towards the town to get back to work. Bast spoke up about the Containment Corps, and that gave him an even better idea of where to set up shop. "I should go there too..." He remarked. They seemed cooperative, maybe they'd be looking for hands like his besides all the warriors. His interest shifted over to Aldric as he jointed Bast in waiting for the man's answer.

The captain was quiet for a long time as he left the man finish speaking and explaining his proposition. The short of it was, they didn't need help. It was common courtesy to take on fair work for fair wages when a ship and her crew could, but his circumstances were abnormal. "No, it isn't," he said, and was about to leave his answer at that. Even he felt it was a little rude. "This ship isn't going anywhere for a while, actually. The Corps was just through here looking for hands, perhaps you should check in with them." He gave his suggestion with a smile, and hoped the man would leave him alone with just that. His inquiring glare didn't drop as he waited for the man's answer. The suggestion to seek employment elsewhere was something he would have given anyone, but now that he was actually looking, Gideon seemed at least equipped for the job. More so than he seemed seaworthy, at least.

[Sightles]

Gideon's smile flickered for a second at the captain's staggering rudeness, but it soon regained it's normal friendliness, "Very well. Thank you, Captain." Gideon said, with a quick nod. "It's probably for the better, however. It doesn't appear I'd be up to snuff to be apart of your crew." Gideon added, as he sighed, and turned his head towards the docks. "I won't take up anymore of your time. You have quite the ship to captain, I wouldn't want to be a bother." Gideon replied, as he turned on his heel, and ambled his way off of the ship. The sage-like looking man could see a handful of travelers gathered at the base of the docks, having a conversation. Gideon glanced past the handful of people, back towards land. It looked like Pomria was going to be his home for a little be longer. Gideon brushed past the occupants at the end of the gangplank, absentmindedly knocking his shoulder against one of them as he passed.

[DrowsyPangolin]

Aldric smiled slightly when both Bast and Johnathon stated that they, too, were heading to the Containment Corps as well. "I guess that's where I'm heading too. I heard some... interesting things about this forest. I'm curious to see how many of them are true. If the things about the tower are true, I guess that's just an added bonus." He chuckled to himself. "It'll be better if we have a group, I suppose. Assuming you both are considering actually going into the fo-" Aldric felt someone bump against him. He turned quickly to look towards the person. His eyes widened as the man passed by him. He had shaken off his original suspicions, but seeing the man again he knew for sure. He froze in place for a moment, just watching the man walk past them. The color drained from his face, as if he had just seen a ghost. He took a step forward, following the man. He opened his mouth, taking a moment to gather his thoughts before he spoke. "...Gideon? Is that you, brother?" Aldric was shocked, and his voice shook slightly as he spoke.

[PandorasBox]

Bast was pretty pleased that both Johnathon and Aldric wished to head to the Containment Corps as well, as it would be helpful to figure out where exactly she was supposed to go. However, Aldric's speech was interrupted by someone bumping into him from behind. Expecting a simple apology and then both people moving on from the incident without a problem, she was rather confused when the red haired man froze up and stared in shock, before asking the man if he were his brother. She took a good look at the new stranger - at first glance, the two of them didn't have that many features in common, with the different hair colours and eye colours they had, but she also noted the similarities in their faces, and they both had a similar build, although Aldric was notably taller. It could be possible that they were related she guessed, but clearly Aldric and the stranger were the best people to decide this. She stood back to watch the scene unfold.