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Attention all Scientists, Engineers, Airship Operators, Marksmen, Explorers, and Cooks!

Paranormal enthusiast and Explorer Rackella S. Hertford is in search of an airship and crew for an expedition into the Congo in response to rumors of a necromancer operating in the area. If you are a qualified airship captain with a skyworthy airship of reasonable size and a crew of reasonable trustworthiness, feel free to fill out an application and send it to me post-haste. I am also searching for an engineer to help repair machinery and weapons, a scientist with enough knowledge of the paranormal to aid in the research and analysis of any undead we may find, at least two marksmen capable of shooting through the thick foliage of the jungle, an explorer who is familiar with jungle travel, and a cook (this last is highly important and must be greatly skilled in the culinary arts).

Job Descriptions

Airship Captain
-must be in posession of a trustworthy airship and crew of at least five
-must have at least 10 years experience
-must be familiar with air maps of the Congo region (maps available upon request)
-in charge of navigation

Engineer - Taken
Name: Eufrasi L. Reingott
Desired position: Engineer
Years experience and/or reference of character: No formal training, but nearly 2 decades of salvage work has left him with a substantial amount of technical know-how with most non-exotic machinery
Any other information about yourself that I should know: Character Profile for more information

Scientist - Taken
Name: Giles Falcon Oates
Desired position: Scientist/Biologist
Years experience and/or reference of character: Great, great, great grandson of the antartic explorer Captain Laurence 'Titus' Oates, Giles knew it was time for him to set out on an expediton himself.
Any other information about yourself that I should know: pretty much what I just said up there. Born in England. Studied at the Universiy of London and came out with a masters in Biology.
Physical description or photograph (optional): Lanky, but standing only 5'5, Giles wears his dark straight hair pulled back in a pony-tail. He has slightly tanned skin, and dark eyes. Believes in being clean shaven all the time.


Marksmen - Both Taken
Name: Corporal Silas "S" Darkfeather
Desired position: Marksman
Years experience and/or reference of character: No qualifications. Nine years served as an infantryman in the British Army. Recently given dishonourable discharge.
Any other information about yourself that I should know: He left school to join the military at an early age. Current age unknown. The dishonourable discharge is not to be asked about. He is an expert in close-quarter fighting, and has served in two different wars. His prefered weapon is a semi-automatic rifle.
Physical description or photograph (optional): 5'9". Wide build. Dark brown hair. Green eyes. Large, broken nose. Dark complexion, presumably from years serving in foreign countries. Many scars and old wounds. Clothing - optional. Weapon - obligatry.

Explorer - Taken
Name: Rhett Winchester Metven
Desired position: Explorer
Years experience and/or reference of character: 14 years of in-the-field experience, grew up 'tagging along' on expeditions all over the world with her uncle, no formal schooling but she is curious
Any other information about yourself that I should know: fascinated with indigenous Afrikan cultures
Physical description or photograph (optional): Rhett has coppery-brown hair in a braid down her back, a few streaks of white show her age, and hazel eyes. She has a two parallel scars running from her hairline to just above her left ear. Because of the amount of time she spends in the sun, Rhett is tan to the degree that it is difficult to tell her original nationality, it doesn't help that she picks up the accent of whoever she is talking to or around. Her clothing is stereotypical for explorers: boots with tan pants tucked into the top, a belt and pack filled with doodads (some useful and some not) and hand drawn maps, a fitted button-up shirt with the sleeves rolled up to past her elbows, and a walking stick.


Cook
-must be able to provide samples of cooking during interview
-must be able to prepare food that keeps well in the humidity of the jungle
-must be able to discern whether or not local plant life is edible
-in charge of preparing and serving meals

Mission Outline

The object of this expedition is to investigate rumors of a necromancer active in the Congo region of the African continent. This necromancer has been terrorizing local villagers with his reanimated corpse-slaves and is responsible for at least two deaths and numerous serious injuries. The expedition will set out within the month and will travel by air to the Congo River, where it will be docked. The expedition will then travel north to the village of Metunga, where the necromancer is said to reside. There is a high possibility of running into not only the undead, but also hostile tribes of the living and corrupt members of King Leopold of Belgium's rubber trade. Due to the dangerous nature of this expedition, all members must observe the following rules:
-the laws of physics do not enjoy being toyed with. Unreasonable displays of power (i.e. god-modding) are severely looked down upon and will result in being let go from the expedition, regardless of the group's location at the time.
-inattentiveness likewise is scorned, and all members are expected to be aware of their surroundings and fellow crew members. ((that is, one-liners are not allowed, and you must know what is going on at all times.))
-Dr. Hertford is the organizer of this expedition and is therefore in charge of all parties involved. Any discrepancies between crew members must be reported to her for proper handling. ((if you have a problem with another rp-er, talk to me rather than allowing the whole rp devolve into a shouting match))

Application


A Bit About this Mission's Organizer

Name: Dr. Rackella S. Hertford
Occupation: listed as vampire hunter, but also has training with werewolves, zombies, and other such problematic supernatural phenomena
Years experience: Dr. Hertford began her forays into the paranormal at age seventeen, when she helped defend her tiny New England village against a vampire. Shortly afterwards, she was noticed by the Tillinghast Association, where she received education, training, and occupation. She has been with the Association for eighteen years.
Additional information: Dr. Hertford is usually quiet and reserved around new people, but when she opens up she is quite talkative. When she is not staking vampires or beheading zombies, she can usually be found drawing, reading, or brewing tea and eating scones.
Physical description or photograph (optional): Rackella stands at about five-foot-six and is of medium build. She has a copious amount of dark brown hair that refuses to be tamed, hazel eyes, and somewhat pale skin, though this is likely due to underexposure to the sun. While on the job, she is typically dressed in olive-green slacks, a white linen shirt, black vest, and knee-high leather boots. She is seldom seen without her beloved bowler hat.

As soon as she put up a sign, a man, clad in black shirt, pants, and wearing a protective, metal chestplate examined the advertisement. Marksman needed? The man thought, a 'Hmmm' escaping his lips, though inaudble to those around him, and then proceeded to quickly follow the woman who put the notice on the messageboard.

Anyone would see that Jonathan was no ordinary man. His rifle, one he always carried anywhere, was rugged, and wasn't unlike anything anyone saw before, because it looked as if it was heavily modified. He looked like a man that has seen war.

"Oy, you the one that put this notice up there, right? Says here yer lookin' fer a marksman. Well, I'm one, and I'm interested."

Dr. Hertford turned to face the two men who soon approached her. Thanking God for her luck in finding two applicants so soon, she inspected the men before her. One was clad in black and carried a large and lethal-looking rifle, and the other was casually dressed. Both of them expressed interest in accompanying her party into the Congo.

Dr. Hertford introduced herself and, turning to the first man, said, "Excellent! If you could fill out an application, that would be wonderful. You look like just the sort of person needed for this job." And he did. Shooting reanimated corpses through dense jungles with low visibility was not a task for the faint of heart, and the man before her was clearly anything but.

Turning to the other man, Dr. Hertford said, "I am indeed in need of a biologist. You are, I trust, familiar with the concept of necromancy? I will need a scientist who is not going to dismiss this case as peasant superstition." Dr. Hertford was always a bit apprehensive about scientists not affiliated with the Tillinghast Association, largely due to their unwillingness to believe paranormal studies a credible field. She hoped desperately that the man before her would not dissapoint.

"If either of you know of others who would be interested in any of the positions mentioned on the advertisement, please feel free to let them know."

"Application?" He said, both puzzled and annoyed. Most people that knew Jonathan knew he was a war veteran, ex Queen's Guard, and one of the best Scout Snipers ever to come out of the Army.

"Look miss, not to be rude eh, but I'm a fighter. I'm here 'cause ya need a marksman. I didn't think I had to fill out some sorta application, one would think I'm joining a convenience store or something."

The man adjusted the rifle that was slung over his shoulder, then sighed, almost inaudible thanks to his mask.

"I can do the job, no questions asked. I will protect you, if that will be me job. My soldier ID is 157782-0. You can check in the Archives, and look for Jonathan Shneider."

"Ma'am, if they are not filled soon, will we be heading off on our own?" Giles asked quietly. He had moved up behind the Doctor and was peering at the list with interest.

Three days. Rhett Winchester Metven had only been back in 'civilization' for three days and she was itching to leave. It was strange to be walking through a city with paved roads and everone covered to their fullest. Rhett herself wore a long jacket over her clothing, finding anything cooler than the Afrikan heat to be near chilly.

She overheard someone talking about an expedition and moved closer to the small group of people at the notice board. Her walking stick--black and nearly as tall its carrier with a lion head carved on the top--produced a tap with every other soft step until she was standing close to them. Anywhere would be better than staying in a modern city, Rhett decided.

"Excuse me sirs, ma'am, I couldn't help but hear your conversation. What was this about expedition?" she looked local enough, though she was extremely tan, but her voice was more weighted, and she spoke as though English was her second language.

((I just sort of assumed they were in Britain or somewhere near there...))

Dr. Hertford looked up at the sound of a voice calling from above. Standing on the roof of a nearby building stood a tallish man holding a switchblade.

"Ah, Corporal Darkfeather," she called up to him, "I see you have received my letter of acceptance."

Dr. Hertford studied the man above her carefully for a moment. She was still unsure of what to think about Corporal Darkfeather. Come to think of it, she was unsure of what to think about anyone on this expedition. Mr. Oates seemed eager enough for adventure, but she did not know whether or not his adventurer's blood would be able to counteract his inexperience. Mr. Shneider's gruff, to-the-point attitude would definitely serve them all well. She knew nothing at all about the extremely tan woman who had just approached, though said woman showed interest enough in the expedition. Oh well, may as well try and be optimistic...

Turning to the aforementioned woman, Dr. Hertford replied, "As the Corporal said, we are going to the Congo to deal with a necromancer. We are in desperate need of staff for this expedition, so if you are interested, do feel free to sign on."

"That I did, Doc! You won't regret letting me aboard... I hope."

Flicking the switch-blade back in, he placed it in his trouser pocket and leapt off the building's edge. On the way down, he grabbed the drainpipe. Stopping abruptly, he leapt from his hanging position, covering the last couple of storeys before landing on the cobbled ground below, crouched. He then stood, and looked upon the newcomers with a glare of a man who knew who he could kill, and who could kill him. Satisfied, he took a military-like position - arms clasped behind his back, legs apart, strong chin.
And then he smiled.

"Well, well, we do have a motley bunch! I'm sorry, Doc, but I doubt I can keep this lot alive." He laughed, in a harsh, deep kind of way before coughing.