F.F. Gebrandt: Difference between revisions
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Gebrandt is the inventor of several renowned products, all labeled with her name. These include, but are not limited to: | Gebrandt is the inventor of several renowned products, all labeled with her name. These include, but are not limited to: | ||
* Medicines: Tincture of Vigour, Superior Laudanum, Milk of Magnesia (a laxative)<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Send_him_out_to_the_dispensary Send him out to the dispensary, ''Fallen London''] ''"You're in luck. The pharmacist has a stock of Mrs Gebrandt's new remedy, Milk of Magnesia. A spoonful later, your terrier is much restored. Enough to tell you something he learned while acquiring the hangover in the first place."'' | * '''Medicines:''' Tincture of Vigour, Superior Laudanum, Milk of Magnesia (a laxative)<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Send_him_out_to_the_dispensary Send him out to the dispensary, ''Fallen London''] ''"You're in luck. The pharmacist has a stock of Mrs Gebrandt's new remedy, Milk of Magnesia. A spoonful later, your terrier is much restored. Enough to tell you something he learned while acquiring the hangover in the first place."'' | ||
</ref> | </ref> | ||
* Food and drink: Incorruptible Biscuits,<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Secure_a_shipment_of_dubiously_preserved_food Secure a shipment of dubiously preserved food, ''Fallen London''] ''"Gebrandt's biscuits are the most impervious food in the market: […] in the mouth, they shatter into shards that scratch and claw at your palate. The mushrooms (preserved into tins and heated until they become mush) are similarly permanent."''</ref> Superior Lager (apparently not very good)<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Buy_a_round_of_F.F._Gebrandt%27s_Superior_Lager Buy a round of F.F. Gebrandt's Superior Lager, ''Fallen London''] ''"Gebrandt's attempts […] have met with mixed results; patrons grimace […] as they sip their lager – but sip they do. You don't catch much of the conversation, though; a Garrulous Drunk waves his way through the tables to sit at your ear and talk."''</ref> | * '''Food and drink:''' Incorruptible Biscuits,<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Secure_a_shipment_of_dubiously_preserved_food Secure a shipment of dubiously preserved food, ''Fallen London''] ''"Gebrandt's biscuits are the most impervious food in the market: […] in the mouth, they shatter into shards that scratch and claw at your palate. The mushrooms (preserved into tins and heated until they become mush) are similarly permanent."''</ref> Superior Lager (apparently not very good)<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Buy_a_round_of_F.F._Gebrandt%27s_Superior_Lager Buy a round of F.F. Gebrandt's Superior Lager, ''Fallen London''] ''"Gebrandt's attempts […] have met with mixed results; patrons grimace […] as they sip their lager – but sip they do. You don't catch much of the conversation, though; a Garrulous Drunk waves his way through the tables to sit at your ear and talk."''</ref> | ||
* Industrial products: Verdant Stimulator (a powerful and technically illegal fertilizer),<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Apply_a_bottle_of_F.F._Gebrandt%27s_Verdant_Stimulator_(4_FATE)|Apply a bottle of F.F. Gebrandt's Verdant Stimulator (4 FATE)|Fallen London|}} ''"Rare, immensely expensive and technically illegal, this stuff would make a boulder bloom."''</ref> Flame-Resilient Paper (created as a result of her research on the [[Correspondence]]),<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Converse_on_the_Correspondence Converse on the Correspondence, ''Fallen London''] ''"The flameproof paper was originally born out of necessity. I wonder if I should have put it on the market – it only gives people even more unwise ideas."''</ref> Superior Postal Adhesive (requires a license to use),<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Descend_(The_Abyssal_Depths) Descend (The Abyssal Depths), ''Fallen London''] ''"''''What is that caulk?'' ''"F.F. Gebrandt's Superior Postal Adhesive […] Illegal without a licence, obviously.""''</ref> Patent Illuminating Cap (a miner's cap equipped with a tiny glim-lamp that shines colors of the [[Neathbow]])<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/F.F._Gebrandt%27s_Patent_Illuminating_Cap|F.F. Gebrandt's Patent Illuminating Cap|Fallen London|}} ''"A miner's cap fitted with a highly miniaturized glim-lamp. Wearing it in a dark place turns the world blue, cyan, and peligin."''</ref> | * '''Industrial products:''' Verdant Stimulator (a powerful and technically illegal fertilizer),<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Apply_a_bottle_of_F.F._Gebrandt%27s_Verdant_Stimulator_(4_FATE)|Apply a bottle of F.F. Gebrandt's Verdant Stimulator (4 FATE)|Fallen London|}} ''"Rare, immensely expensive and technically illegal, this stuff would make a boulder bloom."''</ref> Flame-Resilient Paper (created as a result of her research on the [[Correspondence]]),<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Converse_on_the_Correspondence Converse on the Correspondence, ''Fallen London''] ''"The flameproof paper was originally born out of necessity. I wonder if I should have put it on the market – it only gives people even more unwise ideas."''</ref> Superior Postal Adhesive (requires a license to use),<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Descend_(The_Abyssal_Depths) Descend (The Abyssal Depths), ''Fallen London''] ''"''''What is that caulk?'' ''"F.F. Gebrandt's Superior Postal Adhesive […] Illegal without a licence, obviously.""''</ref> Patent Illuminating Cap (a miner's cap equipped with a tiny glim-lamp that shines colors of the [[Neathbow]])<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/F.F._Gebrandt%27s_Patent_Illuminating_Cap|F.F. Gebrandt's Patent Illuminating Cap|Fallen London|}} ''"A miner's cap fitted with a highly miniaturized glim-lamp. Wearing it in a dark place turns the world blue, cyan, and peligin."''</ref> | ||
* Patent Neathoscope, Containing and Displaying All Seven Colours of Exotic Light (a prism that refracts the colors of the Neathbow)<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/F.F._Gebrandt%27s_Patent_Neathoscope,_Containing_and_Displaying_All_Seven_Colours_of_Exotic_Light|F.F. Gebrandt's Patent Neathoscope, Containing and Displaying All Seven Colours of Exotic Light|Fallen London|}} ''"A dazzling contraption for safely viewing and displaying those colours that are unique to the Neath. Delightful at parties. WARNING: Do not gaze onto the device for longer than seventy-three seconds."''</ref> | * '''Novelties:''' Patent Neathoscope, Containing and Displaying All Seven Colours of Exotic Light (a prism that refracts the colors of the Neathbow);<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/F.F._Gebrandt%27s_Patent_Neathoscope,_Containing_and_Displaying_All_Seven_Colours_of_Exotic_Light|F.F. Gebrandt's Patent Neathoscope, Containing and Displaying All Seven Colours of Exotic Light|Fallen London|}} ''"A dazzling contraption for safely viewing and displaying those colours that are unique to the Neath. Delightful at parties. WARNING: Do not gaze onto the device for longer than seventy-three seconds."''</ref> Cylindrical Phénakistiscope (a device that creates an illusion of motion when spun, resulting in an apparent looping animation)<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/F.F._Gebrandt%27s_Cylindrical_Ph%C3%A9nakistiscope|F.F. Gebrandt's Cylindrical Ph%C3%A9nakistiscope|Fallen London|}} ''"Set it spinning and watch through the slits – tigers leap; urchins brawl; steamers zail. Insert a candle and view it in a darkened room and the black-on-white silhouettes reveal hidden details. Comes with a complement of seven unique picture strips."''</ref> | ||
Gebrandt is an active public figure. She is an occasional guest at the [[University]]'s Department of Infernal Rarefactions, where she lectures, engages with attendees on scientific matters,<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/The_Charming_of_F.F._Gebrandt The Charming of F.F. Gebrandt, ''Fallen London''] ''"F.F. Gebrandt is giving a rare public lecture at the Department of Infernal Rarefactions. Perhaps you should attend and meet her."''</ref> and may attend others' lectures herself.<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Would_you_care_to_give_a_guest_lecture%3F Would you care to give a guest lecture?, ''Fallen London''] ''"The students are keen. The staff are coolly intrigued by your theories. F.F. Gebrandt may be in the audience."''</ref> She also runs an advice column, offering medical and relationship guidance,<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Help_Mrs_Gebrandt_answer_her_correspondence Help Mrs Gebrandt answer her correspondence, ''Fallen London''] ''"F.F. Gebrandt receives many requests for medical information - and also for help with less scientific problems. It's a busy time of year. A number of ghost-writers have been drafted in to help."''</ref> with questions selected to ensure broad applicability to her readership.<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Write_to_F.F._Gebrandt_2 Write to F.F. Gebrandt 2, ''Fallen London''] ''"In veiled terms. Very veiled terms. She answers advice columns for the papers, and whatever she says in reply to you must be suited to any readership."''</ref> When overwhelmed, she employs ghostwriters to assist with responses, though all advice is subject to her final approval.<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Be_sympathetic Be sympathetic, ''Fallen London''] ''"You draft a letter suggesting that the young lady simply ask her fiancé […] 'That will never do,' says Mrs Gebrandt. 'If people start behaving like that, I shall never sell any […] There's no arguing against this agenda."''</ref> Her column subtly promotes her tonics, reinforcing her business interests.<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Be_cruel_to_be_kind_1 Be cruel to be kind 1, ''Fallen London''] ''"Your reply is full of dire warnings about this kind of scandalous conduct – and hints that the writer should stock up on F.F. Gebrandt's sal volatile forthwith, as a countermeasure against the fainting fits she is so evidently prone to."''</ref><ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Write_to_F.F._Gebrandt Write to F.F. Gebrandt, ''Fallen London''] ''"Mrs Gebrandt - or one of her ghost-writers - replies to your letter in a very timely fashion. And in amongst the veiled barbs and thinly disguised advertisments for tonics and tinctures nestle a few nuggets of genuine wisdom."''</ref> Additionally, Gebrandt has founded a "church," though it functions more as a gathering place for academics rather than a site of worship.<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Make_a_substantial_donation_to_F.F._Gebrandt%27s_church Make a substantial donation to F.F. Gebrandt's church, ''Fallen London''] ''"It's more like a university common room than a vicarage. But Mrs Gebrandt is pleased at your generosity. Would you like to assist with a small experiment?"'' | Gebrandt is an active public figure. She is an occasional guest at the [[University]]'s Department of Infernal Rarefactions, where she lectures, engages with attendees on scientific matters,<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/The_Charming_of_F.F._Gebrandt The Charming of F.F. Gebrandt, ''Fallen London''] ''"F.F. Gebrandt is giving a rare public lecture at the Department of Infernal Rarefactions. Perhaps you should attend and meet her."''</ref> and may attend others' lectures herself.<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Would_you_care_to_give_a_guest_lecture%3F Would you care to give a guest lecture?, ''Fallen London''] ''"The students are keen. The staff are coolly intrigued by your theories. F.F. Gebrandt may be in the audience."''</ref> She also runs an advice column, offering medical and relationship guidance,<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Help_Mrs_Gebrandt_answer_her_correspondence Help Mrs Gebrandt answer her correspondence, ''Fallen London''] ''"F.F. Gebrandt receives many requests for medical information - and also for help with less scientific problems. It's a busy time of year. A number of ghost-writers have been drafted in to help."''</ref> with questions selected to ensure broad applicability to her readership.<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Write_to_F.F._Gebrandt_2 Write to F.F. Gebrandt 2, ''Fallen London''] ''"In veiled terms. Very veiled terms. She answers advice columns for the papers, and whatever she says in reply to you must be suited to any readership."''</ref> When overwhelmed, she employs ghostwriters to assist with responses, though all advice is subject to her final approval.<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Be_sympathetic Be sympathetic, ''Fallen London''] ''"You draft a letter suggesting that the young lady simply ask her fiancé […] 'That will never do,' says Mrs Gebrandt. 'If people start behaving like that, I shall never sell any […] There's no arguing against this agenda."''</ref> Her column subtly promotes her tonics, reinforcing her business interests.<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Be_cruel_to_be_kind_1 Be cruel to be kind 1, ''Fallen London''] ''"Your reply is full of dire warnings about this kind of scandalous conduct – and hints that the writer should stock up on F.F. Gebrandt's sal volatile forthwith, as a countermeasure against the fainting fits she is so evidently prone to."''</ref><ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Write_to_F.F._Gebrandt Write to F.F. Gebrandt, ''Fallen London''] ''"Mrs Gebrandt - or one of her ghost-writers - replies to your letter in a very timely fashion. And in amongst the veiled barbs and thinly disguised advertisments for tonics and tinctures nestle a few nuggets of genuine wisdom."''</ref> Additionally, Gebrandt has founded a "church," though it functions more as a gathering place for academics rather than a site of worship.<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Make_a_substantial_donation_to_F.F._Gebrandt%27s_church Make a substantial donation to F.F. Gebrandt's church, ''Fallen London''] ''"It's more like a university common room than a vicarage. But Mrs Gebrandt is pleased at your generosity. Would you like to assist with a small experiment?"'' |
Revision as of 22:10, 6 February 2025
"General consensus has it that she is Fallen London's greatest chemist. A substantial minority would say she is the city's most shrewd industrialist."[1]
F.F. Gebrandt is widely regarded as London's greatest chemist and industrialist.
The Polymath
"F.F. Gebrandt is a valuable sounding-board, gently pushing and pulling on you until you reach your conclusions. Even if this is not her field of study, she has an ease for recalling facts and making connections."[2]
F.F. Gebrandt is a pioneer of scientific progress, frequently collaborating with notable researchers[3] to refine her tonic formulas.[4] Her dedication to scientific progress is encapsulated in her belief that "science is a team pursuit." She rejects the notion of the lone genius, advocating instead for collaboration as the true driver of societal advancement.[5] Her business ventures are also numerous, and she maintains extensive connections;[6][7] she recently launched a new enterprise — F.F. Gebrandt’s Standard Aerial Transit Company[8] — offering airship tours to the Roof of the Neath.[9]

Gebrandt is the inventor of several renowned products, all labeled with her name. These include, but are not limited to:
- Medicines: Tincture of Vigour, Superior Laudanum, Milk of Magnesia (a laxative)[10]
- Food and drink: Incorruptible Biscuits,[11] Superior Lager (apparently not very good)[12]
- Industrial products: Verdant Stimulator (a powerful and technically illegal fertilizer),[13] Flame-Resilient Paper (created as a result of her research on the Correspondence),[14] Superior Postal Adhesive (requires a license to use),[15] Patent Illuminating Cap (a miner's cap equipped with a tiny glim-lamp that shines colors of the Neathbow)[16]
- Novelties: Patent Neathoscope, Containing and Displaying All Seven Colours of Exotic Light (a prism that refracts the colors of the Neathbow);[17] Cylindrical Phénakistiscope (a device that creates an illusion of motion when spun, resulting in an apparent looping animation)[18]
Gebrandt is an active public figure. She is an occasional guest at the University's Department of Infernal Rarefactions, where she lectures, engages with attendees on scientific matters,[19] and may attend others' lectures herself.[20] She also runs an advice column, offering medical and relationship guidance,[21] with questions selected to ensure broad applicability to her readership.[22] When overwhelmed, she employs ghostwriters to assist with responses, though all advice is subject to her final approval.[23] Her column subtly promotes her tonics, reinforcing her business interests.[24][25] Additionally, Gebrandt has founded a "church," though it functions more as a gathering place for academics rather than a site of worship.[26]
Her laboratory on the outskirts of the city, surrounded by acrid fumes, is her home base for experiments and a meeting point with those who pique her interest.[27] Gebrandt once had a business partnership with Mr Wines,[28] and is familiar with Mr Spices' health status.[29] The Masters of the Bazaar still bother her for her expertise,[30] but she dislikes them greatly[31] and has no qualms about divulging their trade secrets.[28] It is implied that her rapid rise to prominence was due to the Masters' backing, but their coercion — particularly in forcing her to develop a love potion (which she abhorred and deliberately sabotaged) — led to her departure.[32] Her advice column was conceived as a response to this event.[citation needed]
During the Coilheart Games, Gebrandt collaborated with the Tigers to host a yard sale[33] and served as a judge in a Tournament of Intellect side competition.[34] At the annual Fruits of the Zee Festival on Mutton Island, she established a traveling exhibition to promote her Prelapsarian Exhibition and conduct toxicological research.[35] She invited festival-goers to assist in experiments replicating the unique properties of Mutton Island’s well water, assessing its viability as a commercial product and remaining unconcerned with its sacred status.[36]
Paleontological Prominence
"I'm going to nurture the flame of London's imagination. Provide palaeontological education – to start with, a museum to learn from and contribute to. Encourage explorations, help Londoners discover things that have never been seen before. As they grow addicted to the joy of discovery, London shall learn, and rise up on its newfound knowledge."[37]
In addition to her passion for chemistry, Gebrandt is keenly interested in paleontology,[38] which became a significant focus of her 1898 campaign for Lord Mayor of London. Running under the slogan "Science Serving Society," her platform emphasized the use of scientific advancements — in her two favorite fields, naturally — to benefit the city's populace.[39] As an initial step, she proposed the establishment of a museum dedicated to paleontology, with the goal of providing education, sparking the interest and curiosity of Londoners of all ages and backgrounds, and eventually driving scientific progress.[40] Her grander ambitions involved reviving extinct creatures to ease the burdens of the working class, a distinctly Prehistoricist ideal.[41] She was careful to clarify that she did not intend to "bring dinosaurs back;" rather, she aimed to advance paleontological research and push back against traditionalism.[42] Gebrandt's campaign was managed by a notable Aunt and a formidable squad of spinsters.[43]
When questioned about the potential for self-interest, Gebrandt pointed out that the people best-equipped to be representatives in a democracy are already wealthy, and the people best-equipped to win an election are already powerful.[44] To her, self-interest was an unavoidable issue — but she claimed great confidence in being able to overcome her own biases, whereas her opponents would not even admit to theirs.[45] In a bid to rally support, she campaigned at the Bone Market[46] and distributed Augmented Electrostatic Machines to her backers: devices capable of converting mechanical energy into electrical energy.[47] She ultimately finished second, well behind the Viscountess of the Viric Jungle;[48] she considered the loss a failure, both on her part and on London's.[49] In a possible future where she won the election, London would have experienced an economic and scientific boom, but Gebrandt would eventually tire of her mayoral position, abolishing it entirely to go back to doing science.[50]
The Museum of Prelapsarian History
"F.F. Gebrandt CORDIALLY INVITES All Londoners to participate in the Raising of a New Museum of Prelapsarian History & accompanying Exhibition, to put on Display Curiosities Historical, Palaeontological, & Philosophical."[51]
Despite her electoral defeat, Gebrandt fulfilled one of her campaign promises two years later. In the summer of the second year of 1899, she spearheaded the establishment of the Museum of Prelapsarian History in Veilgarden. This initiative, known as the Prelapsarian Exhibition, invited Londoners to transform an abandoned estate into a museum and contribute exhibits of historical, paleontological, and philosophical significance.[52]
However, the museum’s opening was marked by unforeseen consequences. Under the directive of the Empress, Gebrandt constructed a time machine of sorts,[53] designed to summon an apparition of the Prince Consort.[54] When the machine overloaded, she attempted to intervene but was stopped by the Empress.[55] The resulting malfunction led to the sudden appearance of Second City structures in London and unleashed ushabtiu — animated stone constructs — throughout the city, causing widespread chaos.[56] Gebrandt quickly took control of the situation, calling upon the citizenry to assist in resolving the crisis.[57] She devised a plan to lure the ushabtiu through a mirror into Parabola, where they would cease to be London's problem. Manufacturing vast quantities of a specially formulated perfume,[58] she deployed it across the city, drawing the ushabtiu into Parabola before smashing the mirror to ensure they could not return.[59]
When questioned at the Fruits of the Zee Festival about her involvement in the incident, Gebrandt deflected responsibility, blaming the Empress' intervention as discreetly as possible to avoid legal trouble.[60]
Personal Life
"He is my closest friend, and the person I trust the most. That's better than most marriages."[61]
Gebrandt is in a platonic marriage of convenience with her best friend, ensuring that societal expectations do not hinder her scientific pursuits.[62] As a result, she is unbothered by dalliances outside of marriage.[63] She implies that she remembers the Regretful Soldier fondly; they may have had a relationship at one point.[64]
She harbors a disdain for Parabola, viewing it as antithetical to scientific principles. Consequently, her Parabolan reflection remains identical to her real self.[65]
References
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