The Pillars of Command

Harken, ye wanderers of uncertain fate,

Within this devlog, we unveil the foremost souls who yet draw breath aboard our imprisoned vessel. They are not merely figures of passing narrative, but fulcrums upon which the destiny of this ship trembles. The fragile threads of your rapport with them, as captain and sovereign of this drifting tomb, shall dictate the course of all that is to come. Their loyalty or the dreadful absence of it shall seep into the very marrow of command itself, a matter upon which we shall expound in a later account.

Colonel of the Marine Infantry – Benjamin Hughes

Benjamin Hughes believes in only one faith – the faith in strength and subordination. He never knew his family, and everything his upbringing provided was confined to the shabby corners of Field Lane in London. He enlisted in the army to escape a death sentence imposed on him by a street gang. There, it turned out that a tough character and the ability to comply with the hierarchy were among the most important traits that could ensure a proper career. For his merits in the battle of Vuelta de Obligado, he was promoted to captain. The Smith expedition became his first opportunity to lead his own men.

Researcher – William Spencer

If he hadn't been a scientist, William Spencer probably would have been a politician and a dangerous one, as he would have been driven by ideology. Wealthy parents had no trouble providing education for their son, in whom they invested more than just money they gave him absolute support and trust. Seeing his enthusiasm, they did not protest when still a student of biology and quite unexpectedly he announced his desire to join the navy. Young and ambitious, firmly believing in the laws of nature and Darwin's revolutionary theories from recent years, he became the true embodiment of modern corruption in a conservative world.

Doctor - Francis Trevor

Coming from a family with long medical traditions, Francis grew bored of the closed court environment from a young age. So, when after his studies at St. George's in London, he announced to his parents that he was joining the army, they were in shock. They only recovered when their son returned as a naval surgeon and war veteran from Navarino, which also halted their attempts to disinherit Francis. However, the war changed him significantly, increasing his interest in human anatomy even further.

Chaplain - Mike Thompson

Mike Thompson had to fight for a long time against the reputation of being a reveler. Not that he didn’t deserve it. After all, "Chaplain Mike" in 1826 was a notorious name in certain circles in Plymouth, ones which gentlemen don't discuss, and was also the name of a highly recognizable, illicitly distilled gin and this was no accident. Rumor has it that Thompson was changed by his service under Charles Napier in the battle near Cape St. Vincent in 1833. Whatever happened then, the chaplain transformed into a stern, principled priest, for whom faith defines an individual.

And these accounts are but the faintest whisper of the histories entwined within the crew of the HMS Chione that forlorn vessel now held fast within the merciless embrace of polar ice. Each soul aboard bears their own tale, their own secrets, festering beneath the surface like things best left undisturbed. They are no faceless assembly, but a congregation of fragile wills, awaiting your command.

Yet mark this well, O captain

for in such a tale as this,

there are no endings unmarred by darkness… and none in which all may be saved.