Pirate-King Leopold: Difference between revisions
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== A King Among Thieves == | == A King Among Thieves == | ||
<blockquote>''"Leopold has a particular fascination with the Surface. He still thinks of it as home, in some ways. Endearing, isn't it?"''<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/A_Walk_with_the_Lady_of_the_Cages|A Walk with the Lady of the Cages|Sunless Sea}}</ref></blockquote>The Pirate King controls all trade on the Isle, most prominently including trade in [[Gaoler's Honey|gaoler's honey]]. The extent of his influence is shrouded in legend; some believe he can take the form of a crimson [[Tigers|tiger]] and invade their dreams, while others assume he simply eats | <blockquote>''"Leopold has a particular fascination with the Surface. He still thinks of it as home, in some ways. Endearing, isn't it?"''<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/A_Walk_with_the_Lady_of_the_Cages|A Walk with the Lady of the Cages|Sunless Sea}}</ref></blockquote>The Pirate King controls all trade on the Isle, most prominently including trade in [[Gaoler's Honey|gaoler's honey]]. The extent of his influence is shrouded in legend; some believe he can take the form of a crimson [[Tigers|tiger]] and invade their dreams, while others assume he simply eats his rivals.<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/The_Rose_and_Tiger|Significant tokens|Sunless Sea}} ''"As far as you can gather, the Pirate-King's name is Leopold, and he controls all the trade on the island. Half of the Catties believe that he can take the form of a crimson tiger, and creep into their dreams. The other half suspect, more prosaically, that he simply eats those who displease him."''</ref> | ||
Despite his fearsome reputation, Leopold is described as looking more like a lawyer than a pirate.<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/A_Meeting_with_the_Pirate_King|A Meeting with the Pirate King|Sunless Sea}} ''"He looks, as it turns out, more like a lawyer than a dissolute lord - though he is at least wearing a robe of patterned-silk over his dark suit. Behind him you see a wall of what you think are wine-racks. On closer inspection, the racks hold bottle upon carefully-labelled bottle of red honey."''</ref> However, this is perhaps more appropriate to his background: he is the son of Sir Stamford Raffles, a British colonial official of what was then called the Dutch East Indies, | Despite his fearsome reputation, Leopold is described as looking more like a lawyer than a pirate.<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/A_Meeting_with_the_Pirate_King|A Meeting with the Pirate King|Sunless Sea}} ''"He looks, as it turns out, more like a lawyer than a dissolute lord - though he is at least wearing a robe of patterned-silk over his dark suit. Behind him you see a wall of what you think are wine-racks. On closer inspection, the racks hold bottle upon carefully-labelled bottle of red honey."''</ref> However, this is perhaps more appropriate to his background: he is the son of Sir Stamford Raffles, a British colonial official of what was then called the Dutch East Indies, best known in [[Fallen London]] as the man who "brought the tiger to the labyrinth."<ref>{{Citation|https://www.failbettergames.com/news/the-mysteries-answered|The Mysteries, Answered|Failbetter Games}} ''"'Who brought the tiger to the labyrinth?' Sir Stamford Raffles, who has been an enigmatic presence in Fallen London since its earliest days, and who founded the Zoological Society of London."''</ref> Leopold was born in 1818 to Stamford and his wife Sophia, and raised in his father's territories. In 1821, after either eating an [[Exile's Rose]] or consuming the honey made from one,<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Sidebar_Snippets|A letter fragment, dated Singapore, 1821|Fallen London}} ''"I have, I fear, at last determined the cause of our poor Leopold's sad disappearance. You will recall that I sent by the Borneo a very considerable collection of [illegible] ... identified one variety as the sinister exile's rose of the Bosphorus. Sophia had long admired their colour [illegible] ... gardens here about the Government-house [illegible] ... although here they call it 'lion's rose'."''</ref><ref name="sacred">{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Sidebar_Snippets#Honey|What is prisoner's honey?|Fallen London}} ''"from the Natural History of Pliny the Elder: "... there is another kind of honey; its effect is attributed to the flowers called exile's rose, which are found in sacred places from Pontus to Baetica. One who consumes these flowers departs and does not return."''</ref> possibly in a desperate attempt to save his life, a three-year-old Leopold was transported into [[Parabola]].<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Sidebar_Snippets|A letter fragment, dated Singapore, 1821|Fallen London}} ''"There are of course no lions here, though many tigers. I would not mention this except that when I dream of Leopold, as still I often do, it has always seemed to me that there is a great cat present, the colour of sunset, which is also the colour of the roses...""''</ref> Curiously, sightings of young Leopold have occurred in the [[Cave of the Nadir]], although the nature of the Nadir leaves the timing of these unclear.<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/A_Weakness_in_the_Air|A Weakness in the Air|Fallen London}} ''"Someone says: "The light is strong. And I think that Parabola must be close in this place. Often I smell roses. I see a child, and a great cat. They wait for me to dream.""''</ref><ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Dream|Dream|Fallen London}} ''"The cat (is it a lion? Shadows slide over its coat) watches as the child marks its name on the rock. "Papa," he says. "I miss you still. Come back for me." They turn and go. The marks on the rock are each a sign pointing dreamwards. This is Parabola."''</ref> | ||
It remains unknown precisely how long Leopold spent in Parabola, or how he managed to exit through a mirror into the [[Neath]]. However, his rumored Parabolan power and known lust for wealth<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/Proper_Nomenclature|You offer compensation|Sunless Sea}} ''""I don't really care about money," she confides, as you count out the payment. "It makes Leopold so happy. It's one of the things I admire about him, his ability to take happiness from little things.""''</ref> ostensibly led him to his current position. According to one of the Melliferous Sisters, fifty years ago (around 1837), a 19- or 20-year-old Leopold bested the [[Mother Superior]] of [[Abbey Rock]] in a duel, winning the right to take several nuns with him as the first members of this beekeeping and honey-harvesting order.<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/Cavendish_Abbey|Fuel for the Bee-Smokers|Sunless Sea}} ''"The Sister tells you that the Pirate-King went to Abbey Rock fifty years ago and asked the Abbess to send some of her novices to Port Cavendish. [...] He challenged the Abbess to a duel, and won. She didn't have much choice then! [...] Ask our Abbess if you don't believe me. She was one of those very novices, sent across the zee!""''</ref> | It remains unknown precisely how long Leopold spent in Parabola, or how he managed to exit through a mirror into the [[Neath]]. However, his rumored Parabolan power and known lust for wealth<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/Proper_Nomenclature|You offer compensation|Sunless Sea}} ''""I don't really care about money," she confides, as you count out the payment. "It makes Leopold so happy. It's one of the things I admire about him, his ability to take happiness from little things.""''</ref> ostensibly led him to his current position. According to one of the Melliferous Sisters, fifty years ago (around 1837), a 19- or 20-year-old Leopold bested the [[Mother Superior]] of [[Abbey Rock]] in a duel, winning the right to take several nuns with him as the first members of this beekeeping and honey-harvesting order.<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/Cavendish_Abbey|Fuel for the Bee-Smokers|Sunless Sea}} ''"The Sister tells you that the Pirate-King went to Abbey Rock fifty years ago and asked the Abbess to send some of her novices to Port Cavendish. [...] He challenged the Abbess to a duel, and won. She didn't have much choice then! [...] Ask our Abbess if you don't believe me. She was one of those very novices, sent across the zee!""''</ref> | ||
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Raffles was broadly respectful to Southeast Asian culture, languages, and religions during his career, and made keen efforts to learn about and document all of the above. He also extensively documented, and collected specimens of, the flora and fauna of the territories he governed. While the primary goals of his tenure were to improve local infrastructure and reduce the extent of slavery and substance abuse (as he could not curtail them entirely), it is understandable that his legacy is complicated due to his status as a colonial governor and a key enactor of British rule in the region. Several species are named after him, as is the genus ''Rafflesia'' - which some may consider to be both figuratively and literally on the nose, considering that its constituents are parasitic corpse flowers that smell like rot to attract flies. | Raffles was broadly respectful to Southeast Asian culture, languages, and religions during his career, and made keen efforts to learn about and document all of the above. He also extensively documented, and collected specimens of, the flora and fauna of the territories he governed. While the primary goals of his tenure were to improve local infrastructure and reduce the extent of slavery and substance abuse (as he could not curtail them entirely), it is understandable that his legacy is complicated due to his status as a colonial governor and a key enactor of British rule in the region. Several species are named after him, as is the genus ''Rafflesia'' - which some may consider to be both figuratively and literally on the nose, considering that its constituents are parasitic corpse flowers that smell like rot to attract flies. | ||
The real Leopold Raffles died in a dysentery epidemic in 1821 at the age of three | The real Leopold Raffles died in a dysentery epidemic in 1821 at the age of three, hence the suggestion that in the world of ''Fallen London'' and ''Sunless Sea'', he was fed a part or product of the Exile's Rose in an attempt to cure him. The epidemic also claimed the lives of his siblings, who were all under the age of four. Sir Stamford Raffles died in 1826, in his forties, of a stroke caused by an underlying and unconfirmable neurological condition. | ||
== References == | == References == | ||
Latest revision as of 10:39, 8 June 2025
"I have, I fear, at last determined the cause of our poor Leopold's sad disappearance. You will recall that I sent ... a very considerable collection ... the sinister exile's rose of the Bosphorus. ... here they call it 'lion's rose'. Singapura is Lion City in the Sanskrit ... There are of course no lions here, though many tigers. I would not mention this except that when I dream of Leopold, as still I often do, it has always seemed to me that there is a great cat present, the colour of sunset, which is also the colour of the roses..."[1]
Leopold, the Pirate King, is the pirate-in-chief of the Isle of Cats.
A King Among Thieves[edit]
"Leopold has a particular fascination with the Surface. He still thinks of it as home, in some ways. Endearing, isn't it?"[2]
The Pirate King controls all trade on the Isle, most prominently including trade in gaoler's honey. The extent of his influence is shrouded in legend; some believe he can take the form of a crimson tiger and invade their dreams, while others assume he simply eats his rivals.[3]
Despite his fearsome reputation, Leopold is described as looking more like a lawyer than a pirate.[4] However, this is perhaps more appropriate to his background: he is the son of Sir Stamford Raffles, a British colonial official of what was then called the Dutch East Indies, best known in Fallen London as the man who "brought the tiger to the labyrinth."[5] Leopold was born in 1818 to Stamford and his wife Sophia, and raised in his father's territories. In 1821, after either eating an Exile's Rose or consuming the honey made from one,[6][7] possibly in a desperate attempt to save his life, a three-year-old Leopold was transported into Parabola.[8] Curiously, sightings of young Leopold have occurred in the Cave of the Nadir, although the nature of the Nadir leaves the timing of these unclear.[9][10]
It remains unknown precisely how long Leopold spent in Parabola, or how he managed to exit through a mirror into the Neath. However, his rumored Parabolan power and known lust for wealth[11] ostensibly led him to his current position. According to one of the Melliferous Sisters, fifty years ago (around 1837), a 19- or 20-year-old Leopold bested the Mother Superior of Abbey Rock in a duel, winning the right to take several nuns with him as the first members of this beekeeping and honey-harvesting order.[12]
Leopold is addicted to his own product - a fact that he knows and regrets, acknowledging that it was not entirely his choice to begin "[drinking] of the rose's honey."[13] The specific mention of the Exile's Rose rather than red honey is a notable distinction, as consumption of the Surface variety of this flower is implied to also transport a person to Parabola.[7] It can be proposed, then, that Leopold's addiction escalated over time after his trip to Parabola, until only red honey and the memories it brings could satisfy him. He rewards zailors handsomely for providing him with captives with Surface memories to harvest;[14][15] his favorites are people who remember the East Indies, his father's territory.[16]
Historical Inspirations[edit]
Sir Thomas Stamford Bingley Raffles governed multiple territories in what is now mostly the country of Indonesia in the early 19th century. He is best known for his book on the history of the island of Java, as a founder and the first president of the Zoological Society of London, and for increasing British influence in East and Southeast Asia, most prominently by ensuring sea access through control of Singapore. He is also credited as the founder of the contemporary country of Singapore, although he was not responsible for most of the early groundwork.
Raffles was broadly respectful to Southeast Asian culture, languages, and religions during his career, and made keen efforts to learn about and document all of the above. He also extensively documented, and collected specimens of, the flora and fauna of the territories he governed. While the primary goals of his tenure were to improve local infrastructure and reduce the extent of slavery and substance abuse (as he could not curtail them entirely), it is understandable that his legacy is complicated due to his status as a colonial governor and a key enactor of British rule in the region. Several species are named after him, as is the genus Rafflesia - which some may consider to be both figuratively and literally on the nose, considering that its constituents are parasitic corpse flowers that smell like rot to attract flies.
The real Leopold Raffles died in a dysentery epidemic in 1821 at the age of three, hence the suggestion that in the world of Fallen London and Sunless Sea, he was fed a part or product of the Exile's Rose in an attempt to cure him. The epidemic also claimed the lives of his siblings, who were all under the age of four. Sir Stamford Raffles died in 1826, in his forties, of a stroke caused by an underlying and unconfirmable neurological condition.
References[edit]
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