Curators

"Are you quite sure you want to know this?" Beyond this point lie major spoilers for Fallen London, Sunless Sea, Sunless Skies, or Mask of the Rose. This may include endgame or major Fate-locked spoilers. Proceed at your own risk. You can find out more about our spoiler policy here.

"Intelligent, locomotive-sized chiroptera, able to pry an engine apart with their claws, or pummel it with their hellish shrieks. Curators accumulate hoards, which they guard violently. Each hoard collects artefacts or creatures themed to the Curator’s particular obsession."

Curators are a race of space bats that hoard treasures in the High Wilderness.

An Anatomy Lesson

"The Masters wouldn't care for you saying so. But the wings, the arms and legs, all fit."

While Curators have many things in common with their earthly counterparts, they also possess humanoid hands, which allow them to hold items - or food - while in flight. Most Curators are also hermaphroditic, which is referred to as their "dual nature." Some possess only one set of reproductive organs; these are are called Runts, and are often seen as outcasts. Curators may also possess other anatomical oddities, such as horns or even semi-sentient teeth which can move independently from their owner.

It is shown that, while their typical size is massive, Curators can shrink in size to interact more properly with humans. However they can also lose control of this ability while upset, returning to something closer to their original size.

Like other bats, Curators are sensitive to sound; they can even enter a state of intoxication when exposed to music.

Merciless Pedlar-Magnates

"Once, we gathered here. We held our bargains and boasted of our chiefs. Our bands displayed the finest of goods. Our magnanimity was sharp as knives. All knew our worth. Then the light came. They made of our grounds sport. A dancing place. A laughing place. They made bargains of their own."

A Curator formerly known as Mr Apples.

Each Curator possesses an inherent desire to acquire and hoard a unique type of thing. This obsession is present even before birth; in fact, an expecting parent Curator can experience its child's obsession as a unique form of pregnancy cravings.

Curators spend much of their time alone or in small groups called flocks, traveling and hunting in the High Wilderness, but occasionally they congregate in large numbers to trade and socialize. During these gatherings, they follow a strict calendar called the Order of Days that determines their activities:

• The Day of the Hunt, a time for killing lesser creatures and showing off trophies.
• The Day of the Feast, a time for eating and socializing.
• The Day of Council, a time for discussions and debates.
• The Day of Bargain, a time for trading.
• The Day of Slaughter, a time for murder between Curators.

Some Curators become very successful during their long lives, achieving the ranks of band leaders and magnates amongst their comrades.

Crimes and Messengers

"Charity is a crime. The punishment severe."

Curator society is harsh, and there are many actions and situations which can result in ostracism of an individual. Some of these include:

• Hoarding
• Light-bringing
• Impersonation
• Delivery of false testimony
• Perpetration of the crimes of knife and of candle
• Idleness
• The dwelling-on of dreams
• Runtery
• Aberration
• Pursuit of a Treachery
• Failure and defeat; a fall from king to beggar
• Glass-whispering
• Charity
• Truth-strangling
• Violation of the Order of Days, “which determines the hour of the hunt, the feast, the council, the bargain, and the slaughter”

Outcast Curators sometimes enter into servitude to Messengers, for protection and a chance to escape their previous misfortune. One such group can be found serving the Echo Bazaar in the Neath. A different flock once served the House of Rods and Chains, although they have been disbanded since its death.