A little of both! If your character comes with a pre-existing set of people who they know they can work with, the people organizing the expedition aren't going to question it. If your character is alone but wants to help and just needs to be told where to go, we can provide NPCs to crack the metaphorical whip.

Basically: do you need justification to make new friends? We have you covered. Do you want a hazardous field trip with friends? We also have you covered. :)