Cornelius: Difference between revisions
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<blockquote>''"It was my fault. I called on the Discordance, I read the law of ice, I tried to enter the Adulterine Castle."''<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Hear_him_out_2|Hear him out 2|Fallen London|}}</ref></blockquote> | <blockquote>''"It was my fault. I called on the Discordance, I read the law of ice, I tried to enter the Adulterine Castle."''<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Hear_him_out_2|Hear him out 2|Fallen London|}}</ref></blockquote> | ||
[[File:Furnace.png|alt=A woman wearing a large helmet and overalls.|thumb|[[Furnace Ancona]]]] | [[File:Furnace.png|alt=A woman wearing a large helmet and overalls.|thumb|[[Furnace Ancona]]]] | ||
Cornelius once led the [[Tracklayer's Union]] alongside [[Furnace Ancona]].<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Ask_about_those_stones_out_in_the_frozen_patch_of_Neath|Ask about those stones out in the frozen patch of Neath|Fallen London|}}''""Back then, there were two leaders to the Union," [...] "Furnace, of course, and then Cornelius, [...]""''</ref> While building the [[ | Cornelius once led the [[Tracklayer's Union]] alongside [[Furnace Ancona]].<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Ask_about_those_stones_out_in_the_frozen_patch_of_Neath|Ask about those stones out in the frozen patch of Neath|Fallen London|}}''""Back then, there were two leaders to the Union," [...] "Furnace, of course, and then Cornelius, [...]""''</ref> While building the [[Moloch Line]] between [[London]] and [[Hell]],<ref name = "first learned">{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Ask_how_she_first_learned_about_stones_like_the_one_you_found|Ask how she first learned about stones like the one you found|Fallen London|}} ''""It was when we worked on the devils' line," Furnace says. "Have you heard of The Hurlers? [...] I had a partner then [...]"''</ref> he specialized in bargaining with the [[devils]] who hired them.<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Ask_about_those_stones_out_in_the_frozen_patch_of_Neath|Ask about those stones out in the frozen patch of Neath|Fallen London|}} ''"[...] Cornelius, who did most of the bargaining with the Devils that hired us.""''</ref> When the TLU reached the [[The Hurlers|Hurlers]] - the great standing stones marked with the frozen [[Discordance]]<ref name = "first learned"/> - their Supervising Deviless wanted the stones excavated, but Furnace refused due to the dangers.<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Ask_about_those_stones_out_in_the_frozen_patch_of_Neath|Ask about those stones out in the frozen patch of Neath|Fallen London|}} ''""The crew gets as far as the Hurlers [...] the Deviless in charge wanted all the stones dug up, catalogued and shipped to Hell. Furnace said no, it was dangerous and it wasn't in our contract."''</ref> In response, the Deviless deliberately stoked Cornelius' curiosity,<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Ask_questions_about_the_history_between_Furnace_and_the_Devils|Ask questions about the history between Furnace and the Devils|Fallen London|}} ''"[...] Furnace [...] blames us for [...] accident? It was a deliberate action against her former partner. [...] "''</ref><ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Ask_how_she_first_learned_about_stones_like_the_one_you_found|Ask how she first learned about stones like the one you found|Fallen London|}} ''"[...] we worked on the devils' line," Furnace says. "Have you heard of The Hurlers? [...] I had a partner then, and he knew some strange alphabets." [...] Our Supervising Deviless would tease him that he couldn't read the stones. [...] she made a show of smuggling him a [...] dictionary [...]"''</ref> motivating him to study the Hurlers anyway.<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Ask_about_those_stones_out_in_the_frozen_patch_of_Neath|Ask about those stones out in the frozen patch of Neath|Fallen London|}} ''"[...] the Deviless in charge wanted all the stones dug up, [...] Furnace said no, [...] But Cornelius always did need to keep people happy, so off he goes [...] amateur archaeology."''</ref> She was also the one to take Cornelius' soul.<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Ask_how_she_first_learned_about_stones_like_the_one_you_found|Ask how she first learned about stones like the one you found|Fallen London|}} ''"[...] "Afterward – he didn't live long. The Deviless has his soul on her mantelpiece. She said it was much enhanced by 'the enlivening tribulations of his final days'.""''</ref> | ||
[[File:Blackgaz.png|alt=A black rectangle.|100px|thumb|Forbidden.]] | [[File:Blackgaz.png|alt=A black rectangle.|100px|thumb|Forbidden.]] | ||
Cornelius saw Furnace's tendency to advocate for those she disagreed with as inauthentic and self-sacrificing, and implored her to stop many times. With a possible, but not confirmed, desire to "cure" her problem himself,<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Try_for_a_further_understanding_of_his_intentions|Try for a further understanding of his intentions|Fallen London|}} ''""I wanted her to be herself," says Cornelius. "I begged her. Please. Stop carrying the burdens of every person in the union, and just be you. Speak your views, your own views, [...] But she saw that as a diminishment. [...] Maybe I want to lift the weight of it off her. I can't tell. What I know is, I managed it wrong, before.""''</ref> Cornelius read a Discordant Law<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Hear_him_out_2|Hear him out 2|Fallen London|}} ''"I called on the Discordance, I read the law of ice [...]"''</ref> that forbade "speaking more than one truth with the same mouth." This law gave Furnace a new face whenever she spoke for someone she did not agree with personally, ending up with three faces total.<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Claim_curiosity|Claim curiosity|Fallen London|}} ''"Furnace's other two faces [...] "This is what Cornelius' experiment did," [...] "He invoked a power against speaking 'more than one truth with the same mouth.' So when I needed to speak for one of my constituents that I don't personally agree with, this happened. Didn't silence me, though.""''</ref> It also gave Cornelius his extra mouths,<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Hear_him_out_2 |Hear him out 2 |Fallen London|}} ''"The mouths speak: "This is what the Masters made of us." "Of Furnace and me." "Not because they have such power. [...] because in opposing them, we unmade ourselves." [...] "It was my fault. I called on the Discordance, [...]"''</ref> and quickly [[Death|killed]] him.<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Ask_how_she_first_learned_about_stones_like_the_one_you_found|Ask how she first learned about stones like the one you found|Fallen London|}} ''""It was when we worked on the devils' line," Furnace says. "Have you heard of The Hurlers? [...] "Afterward – he didn't live long."''</ref> | Cornelius saw Furnace's tendency to advocate for those she disagreed with as inauthentic and self-sacrificing, and implored her to stop many times. With a possible, but not confirmed, desire to "cure" her problem himself,<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Try_for_a_further_understanding_of_his_intentions|Try for a further understanding of his intentions|Fallen London|}} ''""I wanted her to be herself," says Cornelius. "I begged her. Please. Stop carrying the burdens of every person in the union, and just be you. Speak your views, your own views, [...] But she saw that as a diminishment. [...] Maybe I want to lift the weight of it off her. I can't tell. What I know is, I managed it wrong, before.""''</ref> Cornelius read a Discordant Law<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Hear_him_out_2|Hear him out 2|Fallen London|}} ''"I called on the Discordance, I read the law of ice [...]"''</ref> that forbade "speaking more than one truth with the same mouth." This law gave Furnace a new face whenever she spoke for someone she did not agree with personally, ending up with three faces total.<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Claim_curiosity|Claim curiosity|Fallen London|}} ''"Furnace's other two faces [...] "This is what Cornelius' experiment did," [...] "He invoked a power against speaking 'more than one truth with the same mouth.' So when I needed to speak for one of my constituents that I don't personally agree with, this happened. Didn't silence me, though.""''</ref> It also gave Cornelius his extra mouths,<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Hear_him_out_2 |Hear him out 2 |Fallen London|}} ''"The mouths speak: "This is what the Masters made of us." "Of Furnace and me." "Not because they have such power. [...] because in opposing them, we unmade ourselves." [...] "It was my fault. I called on the Discordance, [...]"''</ref> and quickly [[Death|killed]] him.<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Ask_how_she_first_learned_about_stones_like_the_one_you_found|Ask how she first learned about stones like the one you found|Fallen London|}} ''""It was when we worked on the devils' line," Furnace says. "Have you heard of The Hurlers? [...] "Afterward – he didn't live long."''</ref> |
Revision as of 21:02, 10 June 2023
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Beyond this point lie spoilers for Fallen London, Sunless Sea, Sunless Skies, or Mask of the Rose. This may include midgame or minor Fate-locked content. Proceed with caution. You can find out more about our spoiler policy here. |
"Revolution is our place. Think about it. Scientists. Artists. Speech-makers. Novelists. We're the ones that look at the world and see how it should be and how it's falling short, and we go to work shouting on street corners, or writing angry novels, or packing gunpowder into casing. Different methods. But the soul is always seeking and striving."[2]
Cornelius is a former leader of the Tracklayer's Union, and the leader of the Prehistoricist movement.
The Scientist-Philosopher
"You've heard of this Tomb-Colonist. Once he was a partner of Furnace Ancona. There are rumours that he is still around, somewhere."[3]

A former partner of Furnace Ancona,[4] Cornelius is a scholar and philosopher[5] with expertise in many fields. His repertoire includes esoteric languages, such as the Correspondence,[6][7] as well as the art of constructing creatures.[8] To accomplish the latter, he employs various techniques, including the Shapeling Arts, to assemble his creations from bones, viscera, souls, and amber.[9] He can also use more mundane practices, such as selective breeding, to accomplish nonetheless extraordinary results.[10] He is also skilled at appealing to others' hopes and ideals to win their favor.[11]
Cornelius is the founder of the Prehistoricist ideology.[12] Its basic principles are that humans are not suited for hard labor, and instead should find and employ creatures that thrive on such work.[13] Cornelius believes that the Great Chain of Being is a rule that there is, or may be created, a creature suited for every role, and that humans are not workhorses, but agents of revolution who better the world in whatever ways they can.[14]
Appearance and Personality
"He unwinds the bandage around his head. His face is covered with tiny mouths, none of them bigger than an eye. When his first mouth is silent, the other mouths speak, or grimace. All these mouths give him a strange cadence; he speaks with one voice and another, like verses of poetry."[15]

Cornelius is an apparently young man wearing tomb-colonist bandages who walks with an asymmetrical gait.[16] Beneath his wrappings, his face is covered in numerous tiny mouths, each of which can speak and emote independently.[17][18] Rather than argue amongst themselves, these mouths repeat, rephrase, or build upon one another's statements.[19][20]
Cornelius is a talkative person even if one ignores his many extra mouths,[21] though he is not candid and his answers may seem prepared or rehearsed.[22] He is fond of animals[23][24] and has a preference for nonhuman company;[25] he has been rumored to cavort with devils.[26] He gets along well with fellow scholars and anyone he feels kinship with,[27][28] but also has a tendency to people-please.[29][30] Cornelius is soulless: he willingly gave up his soul before his first death and does not want it back, as he feels it has not been with him during "anything that matters."[31]
Mouths Upon Mouths
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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. |
"This is what Cornelius' experiment did. He invoked a power against speaking 'more than one truth with the same mouth.' So when I needed to speak for one of my constituents that I don't personally agree with, this happened. Didn't silence me, though."[32]
"It was my fault. I called on the Discordance, I read the law of ice, I tried to enter the Adulterine Castle."[33]

Cornelius once led the Tracklayer's Union alongside Furnace Ancona.[34] While building the Moloch Line between London and Hell,[35] he specialized in bargaining with the devils who hired them.[36] When the TLU reached the Hurlers - the great standing stones marked with the frozen Discordance[35] - their Supervising Deviless wanted the stones excavated, but Furnace refused due to the dangers.[37] In response, the Deviless deliberately stoked Cornelius' curiosity,[38][39] motivating him to study the Hurlers anyway.[40] She was also the one to take Cornelius' soul.[41]

Cornelius saw Furnace's tendency to advocate for those she disagreed with as inauthentic and self-sacrificing, and implored her to stop many times. With a possible, but not confirmed, desire to "cure" her problem himself,[42] Cornelius read a Discordant Law[43] that forbade "speaking more than one truth with the same mouth." This law gave Furnace a new face whenever she spoke for someone she did not agree with personally, ending up with three faces total.[44] It also gave Cornelius his extra mouths,[45] and quickly killed him.[46]
After his return from death, Cornelius spent half a year in the Tomb-Colonies.[47] His status is a subject of rumor and debate among the Tracklayers,[48][49] and he continues to advocate for Prehistoricism.[50] He still cares deeply for Furnace,[51] but is critical of her and her leadership;[52][53] for her part, Furnace refuses to work with him in the future due to his actions.[54] One day, Cornelius plans to return to the Tracklayers' Union, hoping to regain power and continue the pursuit of his ambitions.[55][50]
References
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