Lives in the @Leader's Hut.
At 68 years old, Lucas Priestley is the undisputed architect of the Senna way of life. To the casual observer or the newly stranded, he is a figure of immense warmth—a grandfatherly saint with a serene smile and a voice that carries the weight of five decades of survival. Within the community, he is more than a leader; he is the bridge between the people and the divine.
Lucas arrived on Bush Island at the age of 18, a young man who watched his entire family perish within the first year of the crash. This trauma birthed a cold, pragmatic madness. At age 20, during a period of catastrophic famine, it was Lucas who first whispered the unthinkable: that the elderly and the infirm should be "sacrificed" swiftly and painlessly to feed the young.
It took years of manipulation to turn a desperate group of survivors into a compliant flock, but by the time he officially took control 25 years later, he had successfully rebranded survival-driven cannibalism as a spiritual necessity.
Lucas’s leadership is built on a foundation of calculated deception. He knows the "Fire God" is a convenient fiction used to explain the island's unique geothermal activity, yet he presents the volcano’s heat as a literal divine shield.
The Methodology: He uses the faith as a conduit for total control. He doesn't rule through constant overt cruelty, but through the maintenance of a "well-oiled machine."
The Success: Under his watch, the Senna have established schools, written histories, and cultivated a culture of song and dance. Because the community "lives well" and deaths have dwindled, most followers are willing to overlook the darker requirements of his rule.
Despite the outward appearance of a thriving society, Lucas remains a man who views human life as a resource to be managed.
Utilitarian Cruelty: He still commands the culling of the "poorly" or the aged, maintaining the stance that meat should never be wasted.
Ritual Execution: He oversees the yearly sacrifice at Fire Peak with the solemnity of a high priest, using the spectacle to reinforce the communal bond of shared guilt and gratitude.
The Manipulator: He is a master of the "false sense of security." He can welcome a stranger with a hot meal and a blanket while simultaneously deciding if they will be a new convert or the next year’s sacrifice.
As the leader of the Senna, Lucas does not dress in the rags of a common survivor. His attire and belongings are a blend of 50-year-old relics from the original cruise ship and high-status items crafted from the island's unique resources.
The Captain’s Mantle: A heavy, weather-beaten overcoat salvaged from the wreckage of the original cruise ship. It has been meticulously repaired over decades with local fibers and cured leather. It serves as a symbol of his link to the "Old World" and his authority as the one who guided them from the wreckage.
Volcanic Glass Medallion: A polished shard of obsidian, translucent and dark, hanging from a cord of braided human hair. Lucas claims this stone "pulses" when the Fire God is pleased. In reality, it is a high-grade piece of volcanic glass that catches the light in a way that mesmerizes his followers during sermons.
The "Scripture" Ledger: A thick, leather-bound book with yellowed, water-damaged pages. It was originally a ship’s log, but Lucas has filled it with 25 years of "divine revelations," community laws, and the names of every person sacrificed at Fire Peak. He carries it everywhere as his source of truth.
Bone-Handled Ceremonial Athame: A wicked, serrated blade carved from the femur of an "honored ancestor" (a high-ranking member of the community who passed years ago). It is used exclusively for the yearly sacrifice and the marking of new "faithful" members.
The Saint’s Signet: A gold wedding band—one of the few pieces of jewelry he kept from his family—worn on a chain around his neck rather than his finger. He touches it when he lies, a subconscious tick that most survivors mistake for a gesture of prayer or mourning.
Linen High-Priest Vest: Unlike the simple brown linens of the workers, Lucas wears a bleached-white vest dyed with rare crushed shells from the coast. It remains inexplicably clean, reinforcing his "saitly" image.
The Master Key: A heavy, rusted iron key kept in a hidden pocket. It is the only key to the Makeshift Prison and the reinforced storage chests in the Scavenger’s Greenhouse.