Exile's Rose: Difference between revisions
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<blockquote>''"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>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Sidebar_Snippets#Universal|A letter fragment, dated Singapore, 1821|Fallen London}}</ref></blockquote> | <blockquote>''"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>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Sidebar_Snippets#Universal|A letter fragment, dated Singapore, 1821|Fallen London}}</ref></blockquote> | ||
[[File:Isleofcats port.png|alt=An island city with a field of red flowers.|thumb|[[The Isle of Cats]]]] | [[File:Isleofcats port.png|alt=An island city with a field of red flowers.|thumb|[[The Isle of Cats]]]] | ||
Exile's Rose may be crossbred with another flower from Hell to produce a red-petaled variant.<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Work_out_what_the_hell_he%27s_talking_about|Work out what the hell he's talking about|Fallen London}} ''"The petals you brought him are from a rare and deadly flower: something you get when you cross-breed exile's rose with a flower they brought out of Hell."''</ref><ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Start_with_the_petals|Start with the petals|Fallen London}} ''"The petals look to be from the flower called exile's rose: but they're red."''</ref> When Lamplighter Bees consume the pollen from these flowers, they go mad and extract memories from the minds of those nearby, producing [[Gaoler's Honey]].<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/The_Honeyed_Tongue|The Honeyed Tongue|Sunless Sea}} ''"When lamplighter bees suck the nectar of the crimson strain of exile's rose, they are driven to madness. They enter the brains of humans and harvest their memories." [...] "Those memories are instilled in red honey. [...]"''</ref> In 1821, [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stamford_Raffles Stamford Raffles] imported a red strain of Exile's Rose to Singapore (which may or may not be the same variant used to make red honey), identifying them as the "sinister exile's rose of the Bosphorus" and "lion's rose." Leopold, his son, encountered these flowers and vanished from the Surface.<ref name="lion">{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Sidebar_Snippets#Universal|Sidebar Snippets#Universal|Fallen London}} ''""I have, [...] at last determined the cause of our poor Leopold's [...] disappearance. You will recall that I sent by the Borneo a [...] 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'. Singapura [...] many tigers. I would not mention this except that when I dream of Leopold, [...] 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><ref>{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/Memories_Stewed_in_Honey|Story description|Sunless Sea}} ''""The spice-scented docks of Malacca," Leopold breathes [...] He returns [...] eyes bright. "I am very partial to memories of the Far East. Very thoughtful of you.""''</ref> He would later go on to become the Pirate-King of the [[Isle of Cats]].<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/A_Meeting_with_the_Pirate_King|Story description|Sunless Sea}} ''"What might one expect from Leopold, Pirate-King of the Isle of Cats: [...] 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> | Exile's Rose may be crossbred with another flower from Hell to produce a red-petaled variant.<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Work_out_what_the_hell_he%27s_talking_about|Work out what the hell he's talking about|Fallen London}} ''"The petals you brought him are from a rare and deadly flower: something you get when you cross-breed exile's rose with a flower they brought out of Hell."''</ref><ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Start_with_the_petals|Start with the petals|Fallen London}} ''"The petals look to be from the flower called exile's rose: but they're red."''</ref> When Lamplighter Bees consume the pollen from these flowers, they go mad and extract memories from the minds of those nearby, producing [[Gaoler's Honey]].<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/The_Honeyed_Tongue|The Honeyed Tongue|Sunless Sea}} ''"When lamplighter bees suck the nectar of the crimson strain of exile's rose, they are driven to madness. They enter the brains of humans and harvest their memories." [...] "Those memories are instilled in red honey. [...]"''</ref> In 1821, [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stamford_Raffles Stamford Raffles] imported a red strain of Exile's Rose to Singapore (which may or may not be the same variant used to make red honey), identifying them as the "sinister exile's rose of the Bosphorus" and "lion's rose." [[Leopold]], his son, encountered these flowers and vanished from the Surface.<ref name="lion">{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Sidebar_Snippets#Universal|Sidebar Snippets#Universal|Fallen London}} ''""I have, [...] at last determined the cause of our poor Leopold's [...] disappearance. You will recall that I sent by the Borneo a [...] 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'. Singapura [...] many tigers. I would not mention this except that when I dream of Leopold, [...] 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><ref>{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/Memories_Stewed_in_Honey|Story description|Sunless Sea}} ''""The spice-scented docks of Malacca," Leopold breathes [...] He returns [...] eyes bright. "I am very partial to memories of the Far East. Very thoughtful of you.""''</ref> He would later go on to become the Pirate-King of the [[Isle of Cats]].<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/A_Meeting_with_the_Pirate_King|Story description|Sunless Sea}} ''"What might one expect from Leopold, Pirate-King of the Isle of Cats: [...] 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> | ||
== Historical and Cultural Inspirations == | == Historical and Cultural Inspirations == |
Revision as of 01:28, 15 February 2025
"Plucked from the walls of Hell. How far you'll go to win your intended's favour. Or perhaps an indication of where they ought to go."
"The flower pressed to the paper, its petals flattened like ink. Velvet to the touch and wet with unstolen nectar, the Exile's Rose is redolent of dark promises made at midnight. London's veterans returned from the war on Hell wearing them on their breasts."[1]
Exile's Rose is a strange flower used to brew Prisoner's Honey and Gaoler's Honey.
Sable-Petaled
"I have seen fairer roses. But few make so clear a statement. Hell tends its gardens well. Thank you."[2]
Exile's Rose is a mysterious black flower[3] grown in gardens near the walls of Hell.[4][5] It also appears on the Surface, such as in "sacred places from Pontus to Baetica."[6] This flower symbolizes grim promises made at the midnight hour, and veterans of the Campaign of '68 returned home wearing Exile's Roses on their uniforms.[7] It is also a key ingredient in Zzoup, a popular dish.[8] It is unclear if Exile's Rose originates from Hell proper, or if it originally appeared elsewhere.[9][10]
Honey-Brewing
"...THE ROSE, WHICH IS CALLED EXILE'S ROSE, has a property of passage. So shall I brew a honey from its dusts and pollens, and the honey shall be sweet, and it shall bring those who taste it, here to your dwelling. And sometimes they shall stay forever."[11]

Lamplighter Bees fed on the nectar of Exile's Rose produce Prisoner's Honey,[12] a drug that temporarily transports imbibers to Parabola.[13] Exile's Rose itself may also be consumed to enter Parabola, but those who do so never return.[6] According to the Order Serpentine, the Fingerkings felt lonely being trapped behind the mirror,[14] and asked the "grumpiest bee in both worlds" (who might represent the devils) for help. The bee retrieved Exile's Rose from a "far place,"[10] and used its "property of passage" to concoct Prisoner's Honey and transport dreamers to Parabola.[15] In exchange, the Fingerkings granted the bee one-fifth of all they gained thereafter.[10]
Red Variants
"When lamplighter bees suck the nectar of the crimson strain of exile's rose, they are driven to madness. They enter the brains of humans and harvest their memories. Those memories are instilled in red honey. Each sip is a burst of memory on the tongue."[16]
"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'."[17]

Exile's Rose may be crossbred with another flower from Hell to produce a red-petaled variant.[18][19] When Lamplighter Bees consume the pollen from these flowers, they go mad and extract memories from the minds of those nearby, producing Gaoler's Honey.[20] In 1821, Stamford Raffles imported a red strain of Exile's Rose to Singapore (which may or may not be the same variant used to make red honey), identifying them as the "sinister exile's rose of the Bosphorus" and "lion's rose." Leopold, his son, encountered these flowers and vanished from the Surface.[21][22] He would later go on to become the Pirate-King of the Isle of Cats.[23]
Historical and Cultural Inspirations
Pontus is part of Anatolia in modern-day Turkey, whereas Baetica was a Roman province on the Iberian peninsula. The Bosphorus is a strait that divides Istanbul, Turkey. This specific regional indication implies that Exile's Rose was inspired by Rhododendron ponticum, whose honey infamously contains a group of neurotoxins that result in cardiac and consciousness-altering effects in humans.[24] Unlike Exile's Rose, this species of rhododendron blooms purple or pink.
References
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