The Seekers

The Seekers are some of the toughest people in all of Arbor and they need to be, as they have one of the most dangerous jobs in the city, journeying into the upper branches of The Great Tree. However many people see the Seekers as heroes and far more take to placing them upon pedestals of greatness, it is not uncommon for children to aspire to join their ranks when they are young. However there is much darkness to their work with Seekers rarely dying in the comfort of their bed.

"We go up into the tree and keep what lurks up there in the dark from making it's way down here, but every time we come back we leave a little behind until there is nothing left and we don't come back at all" -Former Blue Seeker before their last journey

Public Agenda:

Publicly the Seekers only goal is to ensure the well being of The Great Tree. Secondarily, the Seekers catalogue and keep at bay the creatures that live in the branches and boughs of the The Great Tree. Less well known but still vaguely understood though is the Seekers goal of finding anything in the Tree that might be of value, mutated bark or a new type of flower, there is still much to explore in The Great Sky Highway and many dangers lurk in the dark of the canopy.
In addition to this they also serve as a guard for the Inner Ring as they along with The Gatherers are the only ones trusted with any matters that close to The Great Tree.

Duties:

1. Ensure that no creature that lives in the upper boughs of The Great Tree makes its way into the city.
2. Catalogue any and all creatures that make their home in the branches and canopy of The Great Tree.
3. Destroy any obvious threats to the safety of Arbor.
4. Make note of any fruit, leaves or other items that may be about to fall from the The Great Tree and inform The Gatherers of it's estimated drop point.
5. Inspect The Great Tree for any signs of damage, sickness or degradation and report these immediately to The Silver Council and repair where possible.
6. Explore and attempt to map The Great Sky Highway
7. Retrieve any materials that are of use to Arbor that wouldn't be caught by The Gatherers

Public Perception:

Lower Class

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For the lower class, the Seekers are seen as almost mythic figures. They are individuals who have ventured into the unknown depths of the Great Tree and returned with incredible stories and treasures. Many in the lower class view the Seekers with a mix of awe and envy. They see the Seekers as people who have achieved something truly remarkable, and who have done so despite coming from humble beginnings. Some in the lower class may even see the Seekers as a source of inspiration, and may aspire to one day become a Seeker themselves.

Middle Class

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The middle class views the Seekers in a more mixed light. On one hand, they understand the risks and sacrifices that the Seekers have made in order to explore the Great Tree, and they may admire their courage and determination. However, they also see the Seekers as a reminder of the harsh realities of life in this society. The middle class may feel that the Seekers are a reminder of the stark class divide that exists in this society, and may even view the Seekers with a sense of resentment or jealousy.

Upper Class

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The upper class views the Seekers with a sense of condescension and superiority. They see the Seekers as reckless and foolish individuals who have put themselves in grave danger for the sake of adventure and treasure. They may view the Seekers' quest for knowledge and discovery as a waste of time and resources. They may also view the Seekers as a potential threat to the status quo, and may work to undermine the Seekers' efforts or discredit their accomplishments.

History:

In the earliest records of the Seekers going all the way back to the founding of Arbor and the discovery of The Great Tree they were originally called the Protectors and would serve as the guardians of the tree. Anointed by the high priests of the The Order of the Fallen Leaves the original Seekers would stand watch at the tree and form a ring of steel around it should anyone try and take more than The Gatherers provided. Of course with the trees growth and changes in society and power structures so too did the Seekers and their role change. Slowly they lost the trappings of guardians of the trees eschewing the strict protectorship they once employed to more stewardship and exploration.

Attire / Common Garb / Quirks:

They have two uniforms though three if you count their dress one which is just a slightly nicer version of their Inner Ring uniform.

Field Uniform:

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Worn when Seekers venture into the boughs of The Great Tree, this uniform is nearly all function with little thought given to from and every moment of design given over to keeping the brave people who venture into the high branches the best chance of survival. It should be noted that the list below is for an ideal uniform and not every member has everything on it as lower ranked members are often given hand me downs until they have proven themselves worthy of a full set to call their own, of note a full uniform for a member of the Seekers runs somewhere in the neighborhood of 20,000 Leaves.

• Simple brown slacks reinforced with Great Tree Bark numerous pockets line both legs for storing instruments.
• Plain White Undershirt. (reinforced)
• Brown over shirt long sleeve. (reinforced)
• Oversized brown chore coat. (reinforced)
• Insignia of the Seekers Patch right shoulder, rank patch below, height patch below that.
• Tough Brown Work Boots with climbing cleats.
• Helmet light equipped Great Tree Bark helmet. (reinforced)
• Individualized weapon. (highest quality)
• Steam powered propulsion and lift system - This item replaces the archaic manual climbing the Seekers used to need to do and instead propels them into the sky should they be unable to propel themselves by other means. (highly experimental and prone to failures)
• Heavily modified climbing kit - As the bark of The Great Tree is difficult to crack into they are unable to use pitons as you normally would instead they have a system of grappling hooks that wrap around themselves to allow them to hoist themselves into higher and higher branches and repel down when they need to return.

Inner Ring Uniform:

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In the case where a Seeker is stationed or must participate in an operation in the Inner Ring they need to be identifiable and stand out while still maintaining an air of nobility. As the Inner Ring is one of the most Upper Class areas and it would not do to have your guard be strutting around in dirty worn workman's clothes such as the those worn in the field. Unless otherwise noted the outer wear worn by the Seekers is reinforced with Great Tree Bark and Great Tree Fiber offering unparalleled protection while maintaining flexibility.

• Plain White Undershirt
• Silver Waistcoat
• Black overcoat. Stitched in silver into the right shoulder is the insignia of the Seekers along with their rank and height reached
• Black Top Hat with Silver band
• Standard issue Steam Pistol
• Black Slacks
• Black Dress Shoes
• A Preserver Blade (rarely used within the confines of the Inner Ring)

Exposure

Long exposure to the tree exacts a heavy price on those that must work closely around it, a change comes over many of the Seekers in a few different ways though notably in all of them after just a few months of work on the tree their eyes begin to take on a strange red hue deepening as the years go by. The nature of the changes appear to originate from a suffusion of magic from the great tree, in addition to this as one ventures higher and higher in to the canopy the changes come on more rapidly and spending even short amounts of time can cause unknown or unpredictable effects, however these effects only occur on the return journey as if attempting to leave the tree exacts a price on your body or staying so close to it means you leave something behind. So there is an kind of tiering along the tree that denotes how high you should go before you may experience some terrible mutation or change. Not every Seeker experiences this however and some are shown to be more resistant than others as for why this might be further extensive testing is needed...

Structure and Hierarchy:

The Seekers hierarchy is sorted into a very simple structure with a loose consideration into how high each of the ranks is suited to go and what they can mostly see when they reach their maximum. Only the most trustworthy and connected individuals being inducted into their ranks at all though there is one exception to this.

Wayfinder

The aforementioned exception to trust, criminals can elect rather than face whatever punishment they are to be dealt can instead choose to become a wayfinder and explore an uncharted section of The Great Sky Highway if they return alive their record is expunged and they have the option to enter the Seekers rank properly. Wayfinders are the very bottom of the pecking order and are often called the walking dead as few of these people return alive once they make their way into the tree.

Brown

Lowest grading of Seekers these are the people that primarily work on the large trunk of the tree and the Inner Ring, you will not often find a Brown on their own though they are still formidable they are usually dispatched in groups of 5 or more.

Green

Middle grading of the Seekers cleared to explore the The Great Sky Highway though usually only the lower limbs and branches and most often only on established pathways. This classification is often dispatched in pairs though it is not unheard of to meet a solo one coming back from the tree.

Black

Second highest possible grading a Seeker can reach, the name comes from the notion that at certain heights in the tree the foliage becomes so thick and congested you lose sight of the sun and see only the blackness of shadows cast upon you. Black grades work alone most frequently electing to keep to themselves. It's said that after spending so much time in the tree above Arbor they begin to develop desires to never leave her leaves. In addition to this depending on the amount of trips made many have taken on characteristics of the tree such as bark like skin or other changes.

Blue

Absolute highest grading a Seeker can receive through few if any ever receive this particular grading. It's colour is a reference to the clear blue sky one would see if you could make it to the top. Without exception all Blue graded individuals are at least a little strange and where the Black grades will spend days in the upper boughs with no contact it's not unheard of for a Blue to go missing for a year only to turn up at their own funerals when they hear there is a party happening.

Notable People:

"Elias the Exile" - Elias was once a prominent member of The Order of the Fallen Leaves , but his unorthodox beliefs and discoveries in the Great Sky Highway led to his expulsion from the group. Now, he wanders alone, searching for redemption and a sense of purpose. He's a man of faith, but the Highway has put his beliefs to the test and he's not sure of what to believe anymore.
"Kiran the Lost" - Kiran was once a brilliant engineer and inventor, but after losing his wife and child in an accident related to his work on Great Tree-related technology, he became obsessed with the idea of using his creations to bring them back. He lost his mind, becoming isolated and paranoid, and now his inventions are more like traps and death machines. He is a shadow of his former self and his only goal is to reach the top of the tree to find something that could give him peace.
"Nessa the Brave" - Nessa was once a renowned warrior and leader, known for her courage and strength. However, her quest to reach the top of the Tree cost her everything, including the lives of her comrades and her own limbs, leaving her with prosthetic replacements. Despite her injuries, Nessa continues to push herself to the brink, driven by a need to uncover the truth about the Great Tree and atone for her past mistakes.

Territory:

The tree itself is the territory of the Seekers and while they have a small presence inside the Inner Ring most high ranking Seekers avoid it.

Notable Structures:

The Seekers home, The Knothole is located within the Inner Ring at the base of The Great Tree which they share with the The Gatherers.
The Seekers quarters within the building are somewhat isolated from the Gatherers and they prefer to quarter in rooms closest to the tree in fact the highest ranked members choose to have rooms and offices in the chapel which is connected directly with the tree.

Leader

Sikhil Nalambar

Parent Organization

The Great Tree Workers