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| {{Neath_Location|image1 = Portcecil.png|caption1 = Giant chess pieces! Art from Sunless Sea.|location = [[The Unterzee]]|allegiance = The Principles of Coral|notable_inhabitants = The Principles of Coral<br>
| | #REDIRECT[[The Principles of Coral]] |
| [[Rubbery Men]]|music = [https://failbettergames.bandcamp.com/track/benthic Benthic]}}''"Rumpled convolutions of coral fill the water, glimmering with silvery light. The harder you look, the more you see shapes amid the chaos, almost as if they were sculpted. This one could be a crenellated castle: that one, a horse's head."''<ref name="port cecil">{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.gamepedia.com/Port_Cecil#Port_Cecil|Port Cecil|Sunless Sea|}}</ref>
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| '''Port Cecil''' is the largest island in the center of a coral reef known as the '''Principles of Coral'''.__forcetoc__
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| ==The Grandmasters==
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| ''"A sourceless silver glow. A haven for players of games."''<ref>{{FLCitation|https://sunlesssea.gamepedia.com/Port_Cecil#Port_description|Port description|Sunless Sea|}}</ref>
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| The inhabitants of Port Cecil are strangely fond of chess, playing obsessively as if under a hypnotic spell. The chessmen they use are made of [[scintillack]], a kind of glowing coral, and the pieces are abrasive and often blood-soaked. Particularly invested players may hallucinate that the pieces have their own individual agendas, reflecting the politics of the [[Great Game]]. Or, they may see that the chess mirrors the power struggles of the Neath, between the [[Lorn-Flukes]], the [[Echo Bazaar]], [[Mt Nomad]], and the [[Gods of the Unterzee]], among others.<ref name="chess">{{FLCitation|https://sunlesssea.gamepedia.com/Port_Cecil#Interactions|Chess|Sunless Sea|}}</ref>
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| These hallucinations may not all be figments of the imagination, however. The whole of Port Cecil is bathed in a soft silver light, with the appearance of some form of unreality,<ref name="port cecil">{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.gamepedia.com/Port_Cecil#Port_Cecil|Port Cecil|Sunless Sea|}}</ref> and this glow may grant the citizens of the port strange waking dreams involving the Neath's political intrigues, including the activities of major factions like the [[Khanate]] and the [[Fathomking]].<ref name="port report">{{FLCitation|https://sunlesssea.gamepedia.com/Port_Cecil#Interactions|Gather intelligence|Sunless Sea|}}</ref>
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| Every now and again, mysterious ruins may rise from the Unterzee, its stones and structures encased in amber,<ref>{{FLCitation|https://sunlesssea.gamepedia.com/In_Amber|Event description|Sunless Sea|}}</ref> similar in composition to the deep amber traded in [[Fallen London]].<ref>{{FLCitation|https://sunlesssea.gamepedia.com/In_Amber|Chip some of the amber away to sell|Sunless Sea|}}</ref> These ruins resemble those seen in desert countries, and are full of mysterious, shapeling skeletons, but they can be dangerous to explore, as they may sink at any moment back into the blackness from which they came.<ref>{{FLCitation|https://sunlesssea.gamepedia.com/In_Amber|Examine the ruins|Sunless Sea|}}</ref>
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| There's a small [[Rubbery Men|Rubbery]] population at Port Cecil,<ref name="labyrinth contact">{{FLCitation|https://sunlesssea.gamepedia.com/Port_Cecil#Interactions|A contact in the labyrinth|Sunless Sea|}}</ref> and other factions from around the [[Neath]], such as the [[Presbyterate]], may gather here to play chess and hold diplomatic meetings.<ref>{{FLCitation|https://sunlesssea.gamepedia.com/Port_Cecil#Interactions|Assist the Gnomic Gallivant in his revolutionary scheme|Sunless Sea|}}</ref>
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| ==Scintillack==
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| ''"Coral that glimmers as if moonlit. It makes marvellous jewellery or terribly expensive tea."''<ref name="scintillack item desc">{{FLCitation|https://sunlesssea.fandom.com/wiki/Scintillack#Item_description|Item description|Sunless Sea|}}</ref>
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| ''"Of course, you think. They broke from the Shining Mind: they have its vitality, but not its weariness or experience."''<ref name="gather scintillack">{{FLCitation|https://sunlesssea.gamepedia.com/Port_Cecil#Interactions|Gather Scintillack|Sunless Sea|}}</ref>
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| [[File:Scintillack.png|alt=A jewel-like piece of coral.|thumb|A Knob of Scintillack.]]
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| '''Scintillack''' is glowing coral found across the [[Unterzee]] that serves as a trade commodity and as the main export of Port Cecil.<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.gamepedia.com/The_Venturer%27s_Desires|"Something bright."|Sunless Sea|}}</ref><ref>{{FLCitation|https://sunlesssea.fandom.com/wiki/Scintillack|Scintillack|Sunless Sea|}}</ref> This variety of coral is known for its moon-like glow, and it's used in jewelry and extremely luxurious tea.<ref name="scintillack item desc" /> It can also be used in snuff,<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Consignment_of_Scintillack_Snuff|Consignment of Scintillack Snuff|Fallen London|}}</ref> if snorting fire is suited to one's tastes,<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/A_well-packed_keg_of_Scintillack_Snuff|A well-packed keg of Scintillack Snuff|Fallen London|}}</ref> but said snuff is questionably legal at best.<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Create_a_double_consignment_of_Scintillack_Snuff|Create a double consignment of Scintillack Snuff|Fallen London|}}</ref> As an aside, scintillack may also "scream" when it is burnt.<ref>{{FLCitation|https://sunlesssea.fandom.com/wiki/The_House_of_the_Question|Lift Stone's Curse|Sunless Sea|}}</ref>
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| The scintillack chess sets used in Port Cecil can be dangerously engrossing, especially when observed too closely, and this may prove disadvantageous during chess games played with said pieces.<ref name="chess" /> Silvery coral growths also cover the elder inhabitants of the port, as they play, languish, and dream in Port Cecil for as long as they possibly can.<ref name="port report" />
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| Harvesting scintillack at Port Cecil may prove hazardous; breaking off the coral directly is illegal and often results in acid burns and blindness. Furthermore, searching for stray scintillack deposits without proper precautions may lead to madness, as the harvester hallucinates the scintillack beads resembling eyes: eyes that monitor their every move, their every sin, and their every thought...<ref name="gather scintillack" />
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| === Blue Scintillack ===
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| ''"It blazes with apocyanic radiance. Wars have been fought for less."''<ref name = "blue scintillack item description">{{FLCitation|https://sunlesssea.fandom.com/wiki/A_Lump_of_Blue_Scintillack#Item_description|Item description|Sunless Sea|}}</ref>
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| [[File:Blue scintillackeditrectangle.png|alt=A blue, jewel-like piece of coral.|thumb|A Lump of Blue Scintillack.]]
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| '''Blue scintillack''' is an extremely rare and coveted substance that peppers the wilds of the Unterzee. It is most notable for emitting tremendous amounts of [[apocyan]] light,<ref name = "blue scintillack item description"/> which can be spotted even from far away; this light may remind an observer of the lost sky of the [[Surface]], or even the light of the [[The High Wilderness|heavens]] themselves.<ref>{{FLCitation|https://sunlesssea.fandom.com/wiki/The_Wisp-Ways|Blue|Sunless Sea|}}</ref> Due to its scarcity and unique properties, blue scintillack is highly sought after and sometimes fought over,<ref>{{FLCitation|https://sunlesssea.fandom.com/wiki/Pigmote_Isle#Interactions_5|A new start|Sunless Sea|}}</ref> often through forms of subterfuge or even outright war.<ref name = "blue scintillack item description"/>
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| Scintillack deposits are also a common sight at [[Pigmote Isle]],<ref>{{FLCitation|https://sunlesssea.fandom.com/wiki/Pigmote_Isle#Interactions_2|Purchase scintillack|Sunless Sea|}}</ref> and the island has a closely guarded lump of blue scintillack that is sought after by many other factions of the [[Unterzee]],<ref>{{FLCitation|https://sunlesssea.fandom.com/wiki/Pigmote_Isle#Interactions_2|Steal the Rat Star|Sunless Sea|}}</ref> such as the masked gatherings of [[Visage]] and the courts of the [[Fathomking]].<ref>{{FLCitation|https://sunlesssea.fandom.com/wiki/Pigmote_Isle#Interactions_3|Support the Visage claim|Sunless Sea|}}</ref><ref>{{FLCitation|https://sunlesssea.fandom.com/wiki/Pigmote_Isle#Interactions_3|Support the Fathomking's claim|Sunless Sea|}}</ref>
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| ==The Principles of Coral==
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| {{Major spoiler small}}
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| {{Character|title1 = The Principles of Coral|image1 = Cavelake2gaz.png|caption1 = The Pulse of the Principles.|location = Port Cecil|allegiance =Independent |relationships = [[The Flukes]]<br>[[The Nacreous Outcast]]|alias=The Shining Mind}}
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| ''"Between stars. Descend the chain. I rest here. I forget."''<ref name="gather scintillack" />
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| ''"The game soothes the pangs of dissolution in. But I want so to be less. I am tired of thought. Will you help me? Sleep will not enough. I desire no dreams. Will you help?"''<ref name="move a paw">{{FLCitation|https://sunlesssea.gamepedia.com/The_Pulse_of_the_Principles|Move a Paw|Sunless Sea|}}</ref>
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| The Principles of Coral, also called the '''Shining Mind''',<ref>{{FLCitation|https://sunlesssea.gamepedia.com/Port_Cecil#Interactions|Something has changed|Sunless Sea|}}</ref> is actually a sentient, chess-loving power,<ref name="move a paw" /> waited on by [[Rubbery Men]] including the [[Nacreous Outcast]].<ref>{{FLCitation|https://sunlesssea.gamepedia.com/The_Pulse_of_the_Principles|Offer assistance with dissolution|Sunless Sea|}}</ref> The Mind is the true source of the silver glow that lights Port Cecil from beneath,<ref>{{FLCitation|https://sunlesssea.gamepedia.com/Port_Cecil#Interactions|An Extra Move|Sunless Sea|}}</ref> and it may rarely speak, almost telepathically, to certain visitors that draw its attention.
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| The scintillack pebbles that dot Port Cecil are broken bits of the Principles of Coral, and they are as alive as their host, with none of the experience or weariness that currently troubles the Principles.<ref name="gather scintillack" /> This scintillack is also used to mark the servants of the Principles, burning them with distinctive, glowing scars.<ref name="give fluke core">{{FLCitation|https://sunlesssea.fandom.com/wiki/The_Pulse_of_the_Principles|Give the Principles a Fluke-Core|Sunless Sea|}}</ref><ref name="labyrinth contact" />
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| The Principles of Coral used to be a [[Lorn-Fluke]],<ref name="give fluke core" /> but it grew exhausted as time went on. It now wants to free itself of its sentience, and to do this, it seeks to descend a few rungs down the Great Chain of Being;<ref name="give wakeful idol">{{FLCitation|https://sunlesssea.fandom.com/wiki/The_Pulse_of_the_Principles|Give the Principles a Wakeful Idol|Sunless Sea|}}</ref> it's already much of the way there, which is why it appears the way it does, seemingly inanimate but very alive.<ref name="give fluke core" /> To descend the Chain, the Principles of Coral needs to lose a chess game, with the [[Nacreous Outcast]] serving as its surrogate;<ref name="win the match">{{FLCitation|https://sunlesssea.gamepedia.com/The_Pulse_of_the_Principles|Win the match|Sunless Sea|}}</ref> it must also provide ''another'' creature, acting as a "counterweight" of sorts, with an ascension, thus satisfying the Chain's arcane rules and sending the Principles into the dreamless sleep it so seeks.<ref name="give wakeful idol" /><ref name="move a paw" />
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| Perhaps most importantly, the Shining Mind ''never'', ''ever'' regrets. Not even when it left [[Axile]] with its fellows on the behest of the [[Bazaar]]; not then, and definitely not now.<ref>{{FLCitation|https://sunlesssea.fandom.com/wiki/The_Pulse_of_the_Principles|Give the Principles Heartmetal|Sunless Sea|}}</ref><ref>{{FLCitation|https://sunlesssea.fandom.com/wiki/The_Pulse_of_the_Principles|Give the Principles an Ambiguous Eolith|Sunless Sea|}}</ref>
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| ==Scintillack Chess==
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| ''"You don't often look at chess-pieces: not really look. The Bishops, with their hooks. The Night, with its mane and teeth. The Kin and the Cream, white mingled with red. The Roots that pin the corner of the board down, to keep you safe from your opponent. You lift a Paw to toy with it: touch its velvety pads."''<ref name="chess" />
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| ''"Checkmate. Look too closely, did we? You need to be careful with scintillack chess-sets."''<ref name="chess" />
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| [[File:Chesspiece apocyan.png|alt=A bright cyan knight chess piece.|thumb|An [[Apocyan]] Chess Piece.]]
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| The strange chess played in Port Cecil is quite dissimilar to the chess familiar to those from [[London]]. The scintillack chess pieces seem to take on slightly different, but still recognizable, forms,<ref name="chess" /> and this strange game isn't localized strictly to Port Cecil; it may also be played by very specific agents of the [[Great Game]].<ref name="play coded chess">{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Play_coded_chess_with_an_anonymous_opponent|Play coded chess with an anonymous opponent|Fallen London|}}</ref> However, these pieces need not strictly be scintillack; they may be made of other materials, perhaps for the sake of symbolism or practicality.<ref>{{FLCitation|https://sunlesssea.gamepedia.com/The_Pulse_of_the_Principles|Setting up|Sunless Sea|}}</ref>
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| *'''Nights''' are said to have manes and sharp fangs, and may wound those who move them.<ref name="chess" /><ref>{{FLCitation|https://sunlesssea.gamepedia.com/The_Pulse_of_the_Principles|Move a Night|Sunless Sea|}}</ref> The Principles considers them ornamental, but such ornaments are, after all, vital in chess.<ref>{{FLCitation|https://sunlesssea.gamepedia.com/The_Pulse_of_the_Principles|Give the Principles a Hunting-Trophy|Sunless Sea|}}</ref>
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| *'''Bishops''' appear to take on a spiraling shape and possess sharp hooks.<ref name="pulse story description">{{FLCitation|https://sunlesssea.gamepedia.com/The_Pulse_of_the_Principles|Story description|Sunless Sea|}}</ref><ref name="chess" /> The Principles of Coral uses its Bishop as a counterweight for its descension on the Great Chain of Being.
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| *'''Roots''' are the corner pieces of the chessboard,<ref name="pulse story description" /> and serve as protection from a player's opponent.<ref name="chess" /> The Principles uses its own Roots to protect against its troublesome, but incurable, fear of its own impending descent.<ref>{{FLCitation|https://sunlesssea.gamepedia.com/The_Pulse_of_the_Principles|Give the Principles Heartmetal|Sunless Sea|}}</ref>
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| *'''Paws''' are considered relatively safe pieces to move,<ref>{{FLCitation|https://sunlesssea.gamepedia.com/The_Pulse_of_the_Principles|Move a Paw|Sunless Sea|}}</ref> and the Principles seems to use Paws to represent the works of its servants, such as the [[Rubbery Men]].<ref>{{FLCitation|https://sunlesssea.gamepedia.com/The_Pulse_of_the_Principles|Give the Principles an Ambiguous Eolith|Sunless Sea|}}</ref>
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| *'''Pawns''' are mentioned, but their purpose is unknown, and it's unclear whether these pieces are separate from the similarly-named Paws.<ref name="play coded chess" />
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| *The '''Cream''' is described as a "terrible" piece; this presumably indicates it possesses great power on the chessboard.<ref name="pulse story description" />
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| *The '''Kin''' is the most important of the chess pieces, and its victory or defeat can determine the outcome of a chess match.<ref name="win the match" /> The Principles of Coral seems to use its Kin to represent its family, the [[Flukes]], and perhaps as a representation of what it once was.<ref name="give fluke core" />
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| ==References==
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| <references />
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| [[Category:Places]]
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| [[Category:The Unterzee]]
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| [[Category:Formatted]]
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| [[Category:Cited]]
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| [[Category:The Neath]]
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