Benevolent Association of Dead Folk
Fifteen Full Dead doctors govern an oil rig in the middle of the ocean, and the institution they built from a handful of medical professionals has become one of the most influential governing bodies on the Rum Coast. The Benevolent Association of Dead Folk oversees all aspects of life on the Grand Derrick: trade agreements, shop licensing, legal decisions, punishment, and the medical research that remains the Association's core purpose.
The council maintains an odd number of seats at all times to prevent split decisions, having grown from the original five founders to its current fifteen. Doctor Janet Drummond holds no formal title of leadership, but her influence is decisive; a solid majority of the Association sides with her on major decisions, drawn by what observers describe as a genuine desire to help rather than any talent for manipulation. The Association's top priority is the survival and safety of everyone they contact and the spread of knowledge.
Members rarely leave the Derrick. When mainland communities face dire medical crises, the Association sends aspiring doctors as emissaries to speak and act on their behalf, reserving personal intervention for truly desperate circumstances. The system ensures that the Grand Derrick's governance remains stable while extending the Association's medical reach to the surrounding coast.
The council maintains an odd number of seats at all times to prevent split decisions, having grown from the original five founders to its current fifteen. Doctor Janet Drummond holds no formal title of leadership, but her influence is decisive; a solid majority of the Association sides with her on major decisions, drawn by what observers describe as a genuine desire to help rather than any talent for manipulation. The Association's top priority is the survival and safety of everyone they contact and the spread of knowledge.
Members rarely leave the Derrick. When mainland communities face dire medical crises, the Association sends aspiring doctors as emissaries to speak and act on their behalf, reserving personal intervention for truly desperate circumstances. The system ensures that the Grand Derrick's governance remains stable while extending the Association's medical reach to the surrounding coast.
History
The Association began with the Full Dead who first discovered the Grand Derrick and started treating the poisoned Salt Wise they found there. What started as purely medical work expanded into governance as the Derrick's population grew. The original five doctors made decisions about patient care; as the community swelled, those same five began making decisions about trade, law, and the daily operations that kept an oil rig settlement functioning.
The council grew to fifteen members, adding Full Dead who made notable contributions to the community's survival. The odd-number rule was established early to prevent deadlocked votes, and it has held through every expansion. What was once a desperate medical outpost has matured into the Rum Coast's most organized offshore settlement, governed by the same institution that nursed its first patients.
The council grew to fifteen members, adding Full Dead who made notable contributions to the community's survival. The odd-number rule was established early to prevent deadlocked votes, and it has held through every expansion. What was once a desperate medical outpost has matured into the Rum Coast's most organized offshore settlement, governed by the same institution that nursed its first patients.
