Second Ark
Along the Hudson north of Old York's center, a cluster of beached pre-fall barges and military vessels lines the riverbank where the land sinks into sunken lowlands. Small boats and rafts tether to the aging hulks, and a rising bluff flanks the complex to the east. This is the Second Ark, Old York's most critical agricultural resource, operated by the Appleseeds, a joint alliance of the Sainthood of Ashes and the Cult of Fallow Hopes.
Seeds flow south to the Ziggurat Garden Co-Op in the Heights and north to a Baytowne Sainthood reserve. The Appleseeds even set a massive barge adrift downriver, loaded with seeds for wild growth along distant shores. Lead scientist Alan Calhammer, personally selected by Matriarch Rowan Marcos, oversees the New Ark Project from within.
The soil is worth more than blood or bribes, and everyone in Old York knows it. The Second Ark is a fleet of rusting warships reborn as the breadbasket of a starving city.
Discovery and Purpose
Excavators faithful to the Sainthood first discovered the partially submerged vessels, finding enriched soil stored in heavy metal cases within the ship holds and nutrient-rich deposits along the river floor. The discovery proved irreplaceable. The Appleseeds established planting beds on the top stories of the vessels and built research laboratories within the converted hulls. Today, the Second Ark sustains tens of thousands of survivors through reliable seed distribution and agricultural research, meticulously cataloging each plant species and studying nutritional efficiency, maximum yield, and medicinal extracts.Faith and Fortification
The Sainthood tills the garden beds and runs the research labs while the Fallow Hopes templars guard the waterways and shoreline with zealous devotion. Temples have been raised on the ships surrounding the Ark, and the entire complex functions as both farm and fortress. The inner ships are protected by barracks and guard posts, while outer camps at Yonker's Trade Post are controlled by escort gangs who guide caravans in and out.Seeds flow south to the Ziggurat Garden Co-Op in the Heights and north to a Baytowne Sainthood reserve. The Appleseeds even set a massive barge adrift downriver, loaded with seeds for wild growth along distant shores. Lead scientist Alan Calhammer, personally selected by Matriarch Rowan Marcos, oversees the New Ark Project from within.
The soil is worth more than blood or bribes, and everyone in Old York knows it. The Second Ark is a fleet of rusting warships reborn as the breadbasket of a starving city.
