Arklander Culture: The Chosen

By the beginning of CRASH, the Ark is (and has always been) under the harsh control of the Chosen of Silverkrist. The Chosen believe they own the Ark. Their hierarchy, their Crew and their faith are what keep the engines running and puts fish on the table. Any attack on them is seen as an attack on the Ark itself. The Captain is their leader, and from them all holy power stems. Other groups on the Ark answer to the Chosen, at least initially.  The Silverkrist is celebrated in ritual singing, in prayer and by keeping the Ark running smoothly. Every watch-shift, deck-scrubbing, quarantine drill, engine trimming and expedition is accompanied by improvised hymns and prayers. Nothing works without at least a muttered invocation of the many names of the Silverfish. Technology from the Old World can only be operated safely by The Chosen.  The other ships, fleets and coastal settlements encountered by The Ark are by default servants of the Devil-hydra or even the land-lubber demons of the Rotland Mother. Ideally the Ark should board and take all other ships they encounter and raid any settlement they can find. They are the Freebooter Pirate-Crusaders of the Dead Blue Sea, after all.  Mutations are a sign of the favour of God, the Silver Fish who will guide the Chosen to the fabled underwater city of Eden. Entirely non-mutated humans are soulless and harmless and can be treated as slaves. There are a number of them with the Ark, known as Golems. Names: A majority of the Arklanders believe in the baroque and ever-changing gospel of the Chosen of Silverkrist. Many mark their faith by taking a double name, adding a Biblical name to their own. For instance, a Chosen gear-head Engineer might be called Seth-Fanta or Naptha-Adina.