Expedition Open Voyage to Croper's Cove: Hang the Treasure!

[Gyles Stowett]

"Seaward ho! Hang the treasure! 'Tis the glory of the sea that has turned my head."
– Squire Trelawney, Treasure Island​

Captain's Log, Her Majesty's Golden Hide. Bouillabaisse Harbour, 17 Notembre 1765. The Hide is restless. I can feel her. The sea is calling her. She is a soaring soul, our Hide, a creature of pure instinct. She is eager to be away, away to be in the arms of her lover, the great Ocean. She pulls at her anchor cables, at her mooring lines, each time a little more forceful, a little more urgent. The sea is calling her. She must answer. After refit and repair of some months' undertaking, we ready ourselves to embark to the edge of the World. First word was sent to Quartermaster Prizzack, then to the Purser, each in their respective wheelhouses, to prepare such space below deck and in the ledger as could be made for one hundred fresh souls, real payment being the matter of distant future concern, to be resolved by the discovery of the great Treasure of Croper's Cove – and division of such on our return with it to Imperium waters. Afterward was assembled a company of sailors to recruit into service just such a hundred of the Imperium's best gutter rats, Bilge brawlers, and rovers, all with a certain gambler's sense of luck. For make no mistake, the Treasure is a gamble. There will be dangers, there will be death, strange beasts, there will be hunger and thirst and disease. Perhaps there will be no Treasure at all to be found and we shall go back as Empty-Pawed Jacks, the lot of us - if we are all of us to survive the Voyage ahead. What, what may befall us on this fateful, some say foolhardy, venture? May the Blessings of Her Grace the Empress Tumble Down Upon You Like a Golden Fog.

"You may well ask yourselves why we're all here."

Gyles was standing at the quarterdeck rail where new wood had replaced old splinters. What a mischief Old Northwester was playing today with the waves. Almost as if you know what's coming.

Hard to believe before him stood a dozen shy of five hundred beasts, from main deck to forecastle, filling the Hide from stem to quarterdeck where the officers and warrants were gathered. He smiled knowingly as one paw went into his coat pocket, tracing the fold creases and raised letters on the parchment within. Fresh inked.

A new leaf, you could say, eh, Sarabande?

"We're the Navy, by thunder: word runs round quick in this village, don't it!" He held up the unfolded document, allowed the wind to open it. "It's official. We have our mandate from the Empress 'erself. We have our heading! The Treasure of Croper's Cove, that's our aim. We've a map, don't we! We've provisions to the wales!"

A cheer.

"We've the Imperium's finest lot o' Slups bilge rats!"

Laughter and a bigger cheer.

"Gutter snipes of the Yard!"

Hurrahs and guffaws.

"Rakings and scrapings of the Trenches!"

Deafening roars of agreement.

Gyles waved his arms wide for quiet. "Some o' you are new, some of you ain't, an' some of you've been with us for the whole show. We've lost friends and companions. Had our share of heartache, ain't we?" Hushed agreement now. "Had our share of glory an' gilders, too. From Hrushka to the Eastern Campaign to Urk. Still alive somehow, eh, an' singed the Devil's chinwhiskers for his trouble! Ain't it so, Master Prizzack?"

The shaggy old rat closed his one good eye and nodded. "No lie, Cap'n."

"I've nothin' special to say you've not heard a thousand times before, no fine words or verse or any of that pretty stuff the Ministers deal in. By Fire, we've wealth beyond imagination waitin', names to make, teeth to cut, songs to sing, blood to spill! I for one am ready to taste it all. 'Tis time to weigh anchor and be off."

The ship rolled beneath them, fighting her leash to the seabed below.

"I say. Demmed if our Hide ain't raring at the bit! Shall we let her free?"

"AYE!"

"Away with us, Master Prizzack, and have the mechanics start the boiler, if you please. Lively to it. Let's show Bully Harbour what a dozen sails and a bellyful of fire can do!"

As the drums beat to action and the crew rushed to and fro, this way and that, heads full of gilders and glory, as canvas was unfurled, lines pulled taut, orders barked and paws scrambled in answer, Gyles spoke through the clangor to Silvertongue, who stood by a table that had been brought to the quarterdeck with a fair heap of letters on its scored surface. "Lieutenant Songfox, have the veterans of our last engagement come up. I believe we've some names to make here and now, wouldn't y'say, sir?"

@Silvertongue Songfox @Arthur Barrett @Amnesty Greysoul @FinnianBrightfur @Kaii Nashirou @SwifttailTheFox @Till Dupré @Kinza Rainclaw @Lorcan Rainclaw @Morgan Liu @Vihmastaja @Darragh Harper @Greeneye @Kerney Erdősi @Alwyn Ryalor

 

[Silvertongue Songfox]

"Right away, Captain." Silvertongue said firmly, paws clasped behind his back- a stoic expression replacing his usually cheery smile. He was not going to take his new position anything other than seriously. He strode briskly across the desk, a beast with purpose, slipping between rushing beasts with expert ease, finding each member who had survived that cursed expedition and telling them plainly. "The Captain has requested your presence, post haste."

 

[Amatis Moontail]

Dr Amatis Moontail Swiftly walked onto the dock, his snout buried in the paperwork he carried. Multiple times as walked he bumped into dock workers and sailors running this way and that doing whatever sailors do. To be honest, Amatis had no idea what that was. Anyways, despite their annoyed glares he avoided eye contact and kept walking.

He had walked halfway across the dock before he realised he had no idea where he was going. Of course, he would never admit to that and ask for help. He was a scientist! He plumbed the very depths of the undiscovered! Surely finding where he was meant to be would be easy.

As he walked back up the dock, he peered at the names of each of the ships, cross-referencing them with his paperwork. It took far longer than he would have liked with all these beasts in the way, but finally he found the Golden Hide.

Unsure of where to go from there, he simply stood, looking around. He was starting to regret his request to leave the confines of his desk. While it was certainly dull, there hadn't been nearly as many beasts. Here it was loud and uncomfortably crowded, and it took all his self restraint to just turn around and return to the museum.

Finally he took a deep breath, pushed his glasses up, and strolled onto the ship in what he hoped was a confident way, stumbling a little as the ship rocked, and towards a young fox rushing around who he suspected was a sailor.

"I'm looking to speak to the captain," he addressed the sailor "I have paperwork here about a position as a natural scientist aboard the..." he checked his paperwork again, not wanting to get it wrong and look like a fool, "...Golden... Hide... Yes, the Golden Hide."

(btw, the fox mentioned is @Silvertongue Songfox )

 

[SwifttailTheFox]

Swifttail had just turned toward the companionway, ready to head below deck to check the boiler again, when a familiar paw settled lightly on his shoulder.

He turned, and there was Silvertongue, having woven through the bustling crew like a fish darting upstream. Duty had smoothed his features into something firm and composed, but the moment their eyes met, a softer warmth broke through.

“The Captain has requested your presence, post haste,” Silvertongue said, voice steady and formal, just as he’d spoken it to every veteran he’d sought out today.

Swifttail’s ears lifted. “Of course, Silvie!”

Before the todd could slip away to find the next beast on the Captain’s list, Swift leaned in and pressed a quick, discreet kiss to Silvertongue’s cheek. A tiny spark of joy fluttered through his chest at the contact.

“I’ll go see ’im now!” he added, tail giving a barely-contained twitch before he reined it in and trotted off.

Silvertongue was already gone again, off to deliver the next summons.

The quarterdeck awaited him ahead, the ship around him alive with motion with sails unfurling, and lines flying. The Hide practically shivered with eagerness as the crew worked as one to get her underway. Swift bounded up the steps, the excitement from the Captain’s rousing speech still buzzing through his paws.

He spotted Captain Stowett near the rail, parchment in paw.

Swift straightened and snapped crisply to attention.

“Captain Stowett, sir! You wished to see me? I’m happy t' report the boiler is nearly at pressure. We should be ready t'get underway in mere moments.”

He held steady, respectful and eager, awaiting whatever the Captain had called him for.

@Gyles Stowett @Silvertongue Songfox

 

[Silvertongue Songfox]

Silvertongue had placed a paw to his cheek, smiling softly. He hadn't noticed the wildcat approaching until he was being talked to. "Ah-! Oh, right. A scientist, you say? I'm sure the Captain will be happy to have you. Just follow me, please."

He waved a gloved paw, urging the newcomer to follow him. Heading back over to the Quarterdeck, he casually slid into place besides Swiftail, holding his hat to his chest and saluting. "Sorry to bother, Captain, but we've got a new recruit with some paperwork for you to sign." He motioned for the cat to step forward. "Says that he's a scientist."

 

[Kaii Nashirou]

Before Swifttail managed to get to quarterdeck, Kaii already was there, waiting at attention after reporting for duty. It was mere seconds before his friend and brother in all but blood came outside, followed promptly by his lover and another one of Kaii's friends, Silvertongue. This time also including a new member, one that Kaii's ears perked towards upon the mention that he is a scientist.

Firstly however, greetings were in order. So he simply moved from behind the doors that obscured him and hid from the rest once they were opened and the others entered the spae and stepped to form a line with the other two foskateers. "Swifttail, Silvertongue. Good to see you friends." He spoke flatly, but with a modest smile, continuing on. "I was just about to show my report upon the engine's status, I would appreciate you joining me on this."

Then he had paused and pulled up the few pages of written data he brought. "Come Swift, we should let the captain deal with the new recruit. And in the meanwhile, I would gladly hear from you upon how do you think our pressure affects the tempo of wear of the gears..." Kaii went on, occupying Swifttail with technical matters, while also listening to what this new scientist had to offer.

 

[Amnesty Greysoul]

Amnesty had thought she had a sense of how busy the ship would be when setting sail. She had been wrong. There was a whole world of difference between the hubbub required to keep the ship functioning and the seething activity present when the entire crew of five hundred beasts was on deck, preparing to get underway. It was overwhelming.

And it was exhilarating.

This is the only thing you missed from the horde.

Which explained, perhaps, the roil of guilt and other mixed feelings that threatened to twist her stomach into something unrecognizable. She would deal with it later. Right now, she had duties to attend to. This early in the day it seemed unlikely anybeast would already be falling ill from exertion, but it was never impossible. So as she lent her paws and her back to the work on the deck, her slate-colored eyes kept a watch on her fellow crewmembers, the better to provide aid before they had to be carried down to the infirmary.

 

[Till Dupré]

The roar of beasts in the air, Till hurried as quickly as they could to the Hide's gangplank. Everything was so alive and looking ready to get under way and here Till was having almost overslept and missed boarding. Silently she cursed the uncomfortable room at the inn and how long it had taken to get to sleep on the small, itchy bed. Whether the place really didn't have accommodations for badgers or whether it had been her Alkamarian accent doing her out of a good room would remain a mystery.

Bulky bag on their back, skillet on hip, Till approached the nearest official-looking person with papers in paw.

"Allo! Permission to come aboard ze ship? I am ze new cook!"​

 

[Gyles Stowett]

Quartermaster Prizzack's big bushy eyebrows knit at the appearance of the newcomer at the gangplank and he held up a closed fist to stop the deck crew from pulling it up. "Old off, buckoes, one more comin' aboard!" he called. "Up ye come! We're shovin' off!"

When Till got on deck, he tramped straight up to her.
It must've been a mighty strange sight, grizzled little rat looking up at that great mountain of a creature, as if it was the most natural thing in the world. Nothing different about them from anybeast else as far as he was concerned, that much they could tell.

"Well, stripe me." The weathered face broke into a kindhearted smile. Either he didn't notice the Alkamarian twang, or he didn't pay it no mind. "Welcome, young un. Wot's that? A cook? Ain't put off to sea yet, but we already found the treasure, mates, hear?" There was little in this life sailors loved more than a good cook. He took Till by one great finger in his small ratty paw as he elbowed his way through the clamoring throng, a beast following a well-worn path through the chaos he'd trod a thousand times before and knew better than he knew himself. "Come, come. Bless yer fer a saint, love. Warms the cockles o' this ole heart to 'ave a real cook in the galley again. Ole poisoner Grimshaw's been feedin' us on boilt bootstraps an' jellyfish when 'e ain't feedin' us 'ardtack an' questionables, would ye believe." He shook his old head slowly in wonderment at this stroke of fortune as he led her toward the quarterdeck stair. "Best see the Cap'n quick-like, get all the 'enscratch an' nonesuch out the way. All this work's goin' to make hungry beasts, a lot of 'em! What's yer name, matey?"

@Till Dupré

 

[Darragh Harper]

Darragh wanted to go aloft.

Anybeast could stow mooring lines, or scrub a deck, or pump the bilge. You just pushed and pulled. Eskila was right to call him a ‘pull-it’ rather than a poet. When Darragh went aloft though, he was a proper sailor, because not everybeast could spring up the ratlines like he did. Not everybeast could effortlessly balance himself on the footropes of the main topgallant yard, wind pulling at clothes and fur, ship swaying below, waiting for the order to let loose the furling lines and let fall the sail.

On shore he was sometimes a scribbler, a stationary salesbeast, or a kit-sitter. He had had his adventures - sneaking into an exclusively aristocratic library, escaping the destruction of the opera house… meeting a kindred poetic soul. There had been fights and drinking and dressing fancy, the typical hard-and-fast life of a Bully Harbour rogue. None of it made Darragh hold his head higher though, than when he had confidently marched back up the gangplank of the Golden Hide, haversack slung over his shoulder. There goes a Navy jack, lads. There goes a tough sailor stoat, better not catch his eye! Little Darragh towered ten feet tall on days like this.

The Golden Hide's young poet felt his heart light in his chest, listening to Captain Stowett’s speech. He recognised the art in the officer’s words - though Stowett professed disdain at fancy jargon. It was a fine performance that called upon their camaraderie, their excitement for the adventure ahead, and their zest for rewards and recognition. The Captain had to be the foundational rock of the ship, the beast that made them a crew, not just a rabble of cut-throats that happened to be good at tying knots. Darragh reflected that Captain Stowett had a sizable pair of boots to fill, after the captaincy of Talinn Ryalor, and the terrible consequences that the elder fox would now have to bear.

Nobeast was more eager to make for the shrouds than Darragh, but reaching the maintop, he found that a certain, elegantly dressed fox had beaten him there. Silvertongue looked as fine and confident an officer than ever, having mastered the rigging with the easy grace that seemed to come natural to the bard. Darragh tugged the brim of his cap respectfully, and gave a hearty “Aye-aye, sir!” at the summons to the quarterdeck.

Darragh felt out of step with the rhythm of the Hide, as he scuttled back down to the deck. He couldn’t think what Captain Stowett wanted him for. A flicker of nervousness made the stoat’s stomach do a little jig. He wasn’t in trouble, probably. Not majorly, at least. He had arrived for duty on time. He hadn’t been arrested while on shore leave. He had acquitted himself honourably during the battle at the opera house, and given those madcap supremacists their just allotment of Navy steel.

Mentally re-reading the Articles of War to himself, Darragh saluted as he came onto the quarterdeck- one of the myriad Navy traditions that he was poring over, searching for any misbehaviour on his part. Aha! Perhaps this was about his investigation of the Wolf Idol, acting as an Assistant Scientist to Kaii. Doctor Barrett must have reported them after all. That heartless pine marten! Well, Darragh was ready to face the consequences. They had discovered an entirely new metal! That was going in the history (and science) books, breach of medical orders or not.

Darragh stood beside Kaii in the line of Foskateers, straight and tall as he could (ears pricked he could have brushed under the marble fox’s chin), brought his footpaws neatly together at attention, and saluted directly to Captain Stowett.

“Deckswab Harper reporting, sir!” Darragh said, his voice raised over the hubbub. It was a formality to announce himself so, but Darragh expected it might be a while before the Captain could actually bring his attention to a lowly deckswab. Did he hear correctly? Another scientist was coming aboard? That would certainly get the below-decks rumour-mill started.

 

[Morgan Liu]

Morgan hated thinking about Urk.

It wasn't that she hadn't liked the place; she'd barely gotten to see it. Granted, it had been cold, but she'd lived in cold lands before, had shivered on the frigid streets of Blackbone Isle. The waters around Urk had been terrible, true, and she still work up in cold sweats from nightmares of drowning, but that was no fault of the place. She'd been the damned fool who had swam under the keel. No, what really haunted her was the shrews.

She hadn't gotten an accurate count as to how many had died; no one seemed to have taken any, other than a few boasts that they must have killed shrews in the hundreds. That was what haunted her. All of those deaths had been from her failure to communicate, to negotiate their point. If she'd handled it differently, if she'd managed to make their offer understood...

She tried to beat back the shame with logic. There was no one else who could have communicated in her stead. Talinn would simply have bombarded the shrews until they were all dead. True, they'd lost crew in the undertaking, but who knew how many would have died anyway. None of it touched her guilt.

She obeyed the captain's summons, joining the line of beasts reporting, though she kept quiet. She hoped that they weren't about to be rewarded for their performance. She didn't belong beside them in such a case. Yes, she'd spent her time at port fervently learning as much as she could, honing her language skills even further in the hope that, next time, she wouldn't fail, but her quiet guilt told her it was inevitable.

 

[Amatis Moontail]

Amatis stood silently on the quarterdeck, looking around at all the sailors here, unsure if he should let them go first or if they were waiting for him to do something, or if they were all waiting for the captain together.

Well, this was awkward. Dr Amatis Moontail hated awkwardness. He liked things to be in controlled environments where he held the power over the variables. If you were having issues with a plant or a rock you could always just test for whatever was wrong. Here there were too many variables to control for, and he was pretty sure running experiments on the crew would not be approved by anyone. There were so many beasts of all kinds on this deck alone! And half of them seemed to be glancing his way with curiousity.

Curiousity was certainly an admirable trait, unless of course it was focused on him, and then it just made everything so much worse. He wasn't particularly interesting, at least wouldn't say he was. Amatis was just a wildcat with an interest in plants and the like. His work was the interesting part, not him.

He decided that it would be best to let the captain act first and address the gathered beasts however he saw fit. He just hoped the captain would be quick about it or he might give in and return to his desk, consequences with the Board be damned.

Captain... Ah, he was going to need the captain's name soon enough. He buried his snout back in his paperwork, trying to find it in the small, neat typeface. He was certain it was in there somewhere. This also had the added benefit of hiding his face from those gathered here. It was a temporary fix, to be sure, and it probably made him stick out from the crowd, but it did make him feel more secure.