Society of Explorers and Adventurers

**The Society of Explorers and Adventurers** or **S.E.A.** is a fictional colonial and aristocratic secret society from the attraction *Fortress Explorations* which was retconned into the backstory of Tower of Terror.

## History

### 16th century

The Society of Explorers and Adventurers was founded on August 12, 1538 in Porto Paradiso, Italy with a focus on adventure, romance, discovery and innovation. They made their base out of Fortress Explorations overlooking the Mediterranean Sea with said fortress having been haunted by the ghost of Leonardo Da Vinci.

### 19th century

In the first half of the 19th century, the Society was lead by an Italian man named Vitale Robustelli from Porto Paradiso. This was a period of great change and expansion for the SEA as it began expanding globally, predominately through the efforts of members Lord Henry Mystic and club-secretary/inventor Jason Chandler. In 1851 the first female member of the society was named in the form of Camellia Falco, an aviatrix and 19th century inventor of different forms of aircraft who was also the curator of the Museum of Fantastic Flight in Porto Paradiso.

At some point following this, Jason Chandler succeeded Robustelli as president of the society while also becoming close with member Barnabas T. Bullion. In 1880, Bullion began industrializing his mining-operation the Big Thunder Mining Company in the Big Thunder Mountain range of Arizona, a land which was cursed by the angered spirit of Big Thunder which was highly protective of its land. Bullion reached out to Chandler for assistance which Chandler responded to be sending the mining company experimental mining technology of his own design though he also contacted his affiliate Madame Zarkov at the Museum of the Weird in New Orleans and she told him to have Bullion cease the mining. Bullion however did not desist and it proved to be his downfall.

In 1882, Lord Henry Mystic visited Morocco with his beloved pet monkey Albert where the two grew an affection for middle-eastern fashion. Due to this, the fez would come to be a staple piece of fashion for members of the society though it appears that this didn't take true affect until the 20th century. In 1899, the Pillagers Brigade travelled to the Congo where Harrison stole the idol known as Shiriki Utundu and took it back to New York City for his private collection. Seven members of the society met up with Harrison Hightower III in the Hotel Hightower at his New Year's Eve celebration where he unveiled the Shiriki Utundu. Later that night however Harrison disrespected the idol and was killed by it, leaving the hotel to be cursed by the African god and Hightower's own bound spirit.

### 20th century

In the 1900s-1910s, Merriweather Adam Pleasure became dissatisfied with the Society of Explorers and Adventurers and founded his own successor group known as the Adventurers Club. In 1911 Dr. Albert Falls also established the Jungle Navigation Company for the benefit of the society's operations, having also run one of the group's secret headquarters from his victorian jungle manor. By the 1920s, the club had also greatly changed many of its ideals regarding colonial theft and grave robbing with member Garrett Reed having been ousted from the society by Lord Henry Mystic for having commit said crimes in 1927.

In the early 1940s, Merriweather Adam Pleasure was killed in a massive hurricane that struck Florida and which devastated Pleasure Island. Circa 1948, a new member of the society was named in the form of aviator Jock Lindsey in Disney Springs, Florida where a great number of arcane and archaeologically important artifacts were safeguarded. In the mid-1950s, Captain Mary Oceaneer's collection was scattered throughout the tropical Blustery Bay in a hurricane her ship the MS Salty IV was caught in and subsequently marooned in Typhoon Lagoon.

## Tower of Terror connections

### Tower of Terror

Mystic Manor retconned Harrison Hightower III retconned into being a member of the society. The, "Explorers Club Meeting Hall" of the Hotel Hightower was subsequently inferred to be a S.E.A. meeting place as a society meeting in the Hotel Hightower on the night of his disappearance to celebrate the theft of Shiriki Utundu. Hightower is amongst the primary members of the society's roster and is frequently referenced in their lineup throughout different attractions.

### Other connections

#### Expedition Everest

After hearing stories of the Forbidden Mountain in 1938, Captain Mary Oceaneer sent members of the society to Anandapur to investigate. Harrison Hightower III also once hunted for the yeti in the Himalayas in the 19th century and wrote a book on it titled, "*Everest Expedition: In Search of the Yeti*".

#### Indiana Jones Adventure: Temple of the Crystal Skull

A seaplane in the Lost River Delta implies Jock Lindsey to have transported Indiana Jones to the Temple of the Crystal Skull in 1931 (likely prior to Jock's membership). Harrison Hightower III also found the lost temple on one of his victorian colonial adventures; presumably the same one in which he desecrated a nearby temple.

#### Jungle Cruise

Various characters original to the Jungle Cruise are members of S.E.A. including JNC founder Dr. Albert Falls, evil archaeologist Professor Garrett Reed and lost passenger Dr. Kon Chunosuke. The character of Frank Wolff created a map of the, "Jungle Rivers of Adventureland" for Dr. Albert Falls which by around 1936 was modified by the company and bore a S.E.A. crest as a compass. Dr. Albert Falls also used his colonial jungle mansion to hold S.E.A. meetings in a secret room behind the library (though Harrison Hightower III is not referenced as having attended) while another S.E.A. base was the Enchanted Tiki Room along the Polynesian rivers of Adventureland. The ancient cannibal, "Trader Sam" also has assorted connections to S.E.A. members including: having been the alleged grandson of Harrison Hightower III's right-hand-man Billamongawonga, having visited Mystic Point during his mixology studies, been present during the hurricane which hit Typhoon Lagoon and marooned Captain Mary Oceaneer, and be close with the Adventurers Club.

#### The Rocketeer

Jock Lindsey's Hangar Bar references S.E.A. member Jock Lindsey and his, "Air Pirates Circus" as having performed in *Bigelow's Air Circus* on at-least two occasions in the 1930s.

## Appearances

### Tower of Terror

The directory for the Hotel Hightower lists the 5th floor as having been a meeting place for the, "Explorers Club". It should be noted that the society assembled in Hotel Hightower the night of Harrison's demise at the presentation of Shiriki Utundu.