The Elder Continent

"Why do they call it the Elder Continent? That vast continent to the South with a glowing mountain at its heart - where the Presbyter has ruled for a thousand years - is older by far than any of London's civilisations. Which is embarrassing."

Adam's Way. Beyond this port city lie the kingdoms of the Presbyterate, shrouded in lies. Art from SS.

A vast, sprawling continent to the south of Fallen London and the location of the Garden and the Mountain of Light, called Stone by zailors. It seems to have been founded by survivors from the Third City. The only named city is Varchas, however, there are at least 77 countries.

Adam’s Way is the gateway to the Elder Continent, a waterway stained incarnadine with the Mountain’s blood, through which only living ships can pass. The Wax Wind also blows from the South, and it’s not exactly good for one's health, because it's literally wax. (This also blows through Polythreme.)

Fallen London allows access to the Carnelian Coast, which is nominally part of the Elder Continent but not treated as such here, and with the Exceptional Story: Flint, will allow access to Apis Meet (Adam's Way). There may be another way in the future. Sunless Sea allows access to Port Carnelian, Adam's Way, and Varchas, but only for a day at a time.

The Garden: Eden?

The Garden’s presence in the Neath seems to predate the Bazaar’s; only flying things may enter, and to harm one is considered a crime. Snuffers once walked freely in the Garden, but were cast out. Sounds familiar. Perhaps it is Eden, but far more mysterious...

The Garden provides a strange source of vitality to the entire continent; fruit can grow from rocks, bones can sprout from the soil. Dark-dewed cherries and St. John’s Lilies both come from the Elder Continent, and Hesperidean Cider is made from apples which grow in the Garden.

The source of the vitality is the Mountain of Light, an entity that is quite high up on the Great Chain of Being. It lies near, or perhaps in, the Garden. While it does not provide eternal life like the Garden, it does bathe the whole continent in soft light. It is also the source of the Wax Wind.

The Presbyterate

The College of Mortality governs the seventy-two kingdoms of the Presbyterate; it elects a leader, called a Presbyter, through a ceremony that seems permanently fatal to anyone who isn’t from the Continent. After the Presbyter’s time in office is up, he lives nameless among the College of Mortality.

The College of Mortality is a necessity due to the increased vitality on the elder continent.  Even for the neath, it's citizens are hard to kill.  So to prevent overpopulation, the College of Mortality makes sure no person lives longer than they should.

The Mithridate Office is an arm of the Presbyterate; namely, its aim is to confuse foreigners by spreading false stories of the Elder Continent.

Strange Dangers

There is a disease that sets souls on fire. There is no cure, and even for people raised on the Elder Continent, this is invariably fatal. Beyond that, fungal infestations are very common due to the increased vitality, anyone who harvests fungi are almost sure to get a very severe infection, to the point where there may be more mushroom than human.

Tigers are a powerful and influential faction here, do not press your luck with them.

The vitality here is powerful enough that even the stones and pebbles thirst for blood. Even when removed from the Elder Continent for decades, they will still drink any blood spilled on them.

Original by NiteBrite/Mrs. Brite