Mr Eaten: Difference between revisions
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==SEEK== | ==SEEK== | ||
{{Extended spoiler}} | |||
<blockquote>''"...the laws of the Judgements, whose mask is God, are present even here beneath the earth. Lightly present, but present. And a reckoning, as the saying has it, will not be indefinitely postponed."''<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Yes.|Yes.|Fallen London|}}</ref></blockquote>[[File:Chapeloflights_port.png|thumb|A light in the distance.]]Mr Eaten still holds considerable power and influence over the [[Neath]], despite his death. His voice echoes from deep waters and wells, for all water remembers the well from which it once came.<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Confront_him_(King-in-Coral) Confront him, ''Fallen London''] ''"He will get his due, as I will get mine. Just as all water carries the memory of the well, all water carries the memory of the zee."''</ref> He is at his most powerful in [[Parabola]], and as such he communicates mainly through dreams.<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/In_your_dreams,_you_hear_a_voice_echoing_hollowly_each_night|In your dreams, you hear a voice echoing hollowly each night|Fallen London|}} ''"Yet you feel in your hungry bones whose name it was. Mr Eaten's name, you are certain, is a word in the Correspondence!"''</ref><ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/An_Alphabet_of_Scars|An Alphabet of Scars|Fallen London|}} ''"Lately you've been doodling. What have you been doodling? Something you've seen in your dreams, you think. A Correspondence sigil [...] 'The Name!' one stout fellow shrieks."''</ref> He holds a bitter grudge against the [[Bazaar]] and the [[Masters]], and Veils in particular,<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/The_hook_and_the_bait The hook and the bait, ''Fallen London''] ''"Is it opening, now, does it open? Are there snares we can grasp, to place them tinily in our flesh, as we will take the flesh of Vake-the-betrayer, black as the knives? Dear deep void those knives. My flesh was not meant for them... Ah, ah, ah, ah."''</ref> and is actively seeking revenge against them. So all-encompassing is his hatred that it even extends to the Bazaar's master, [[the Sun]].<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/ENDURE ENDURE, ''Fallen London''] ''"If the Sun is Its master, let the Sun be drowned [...] My hate will not be contained until the Sun is cindered and damned, until Its heart is empty as theirs. [...] The Message: no more."''</ref> By the rage of the [[Flukes]]<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/The_Name The Name, ''Fallen London''] ''"In the water around you, the Flukes rear and roar. A mighty limb enwraps your zubmarine. [...] This is your end. You, this is the end of you. The last thing you see is the extinction of light, as they take your hard-won skin."''</ref> or by the justice of the [[Judgements]]:<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/%22What_is_due%3F%22|'What is due?'|Fallen London|}} ''"You will have your revenge. And in so doing you will bring light to the Neath. I am convinced, you know, that the White planned this from the beginning."''</ref><ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Here_Be_Dragons Here Be Dragons, ''Fallen London''] ''"The Judgements [...] silently agree and express their Will. Their Will comes, at last, to Earth, to the Neath, as a storm crosses the sea."''</ref> a reckoning will not be postponed indefinitely. | |||
Mr Eaten is allied closely with the [[Lorn-Flukes]]<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/So_hungry So hungry, ''Fallen London''] ''"The morning comes. You remember nothing. Almost nothing. There is the sound the Lorn-Flukes do not make, there beneath the black and crushing silence. There are three of them. They are allies. So let us feast."''</ref> and other beings from [[Axile]].<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/The_ink_and_the_ink|The ink and the ink|Fallen London|}} ''"Do you recall how we came to that place? And they sang of their lightnings and shapeful disgrace? And we tilted our vanes and ennobled our spires. They welcomed us then and commingled all choirs. And not enough, not enough. Still It mourns, and still waits the Sun."''</ref> He also has his own servants, known as '''Seekers of the Name''', who receive his commands through dreams. Seeker dreams involve themes of water, hunger,<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/But_the_view_outside_your_window_isn%27t_right But the view outside your window isn't right, ''Fallen London''] ''"The moon shines on a flooded desert. The waters lap around the wreck of a dirigible. The night breeze that flows through the open window is cold and salt and sad. Your stomach growls."''</ref> candles,<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Pluck_something_from_the_water Pluck something from the water, ''Fallen London''] ''"A soft sweet burst of savour, and a warmth in your eyes and your tongue and your heart. The shriek of monkeys and the chanting of the God-Eaters. And then you’re awake: and your mouth is full of cold wax. That is a candle in your fist. But something remains."''</ref> and cannibalism, as well as an overarching command to travel [[Avid Horizon|North]]. ''<small><choose uncached=""><option>North. North. NORTH</option><option></option></choose></small>'' In keeping with the latter command, Mr Eaten seems to have a strong influence in the northern area of Void's Approach, and has a congregation of worshippers in this area, at the [[Chapel of Lights]].<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Attend_a_service_at_the_Chapel_(no._1) Attend a service at the Chapel, ''Fallen London''] ''"Oh yes," the Priest says, smiling, "the Drowned Man hums tonight. His song like fish-roe clouds the water." He waits for the congregation's assent, his eyes shadowed. "We will feel him in the harps of us, and if his tune is caught it will be raised to the sky where the bright birds pass—"''</ref> | Mr Eaten is allied closely with the [[Lorn-Flukes]]<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/So_hungry So hungry, ''Fallen London''] ''"The morning comes. You remember nothing. Almost nothing. There is the sound the Lorn-Flukes do not make, there beneath the black and crushing silence. There are three of them. They are allies. So let us feast."''</ref> and other beings from [[Axile]].<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/The_ink_and_the_ink|The ink and the ink|Fallen London|}} ''"Do you recall how we came to that place? And they sang of their lightnings and shapeful disgrace? And we tilted our vanes and ennobled our spires. They welcomed us then and commingled all choirs. And not enough, not enough. Still It mourns, and still waits the Sun."''</ref> He also has his own servants, known as '''Seekers of the Name''', who receive his commands through dreams. Seeker dreams involve themes of water, hunger,<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/But_the_view_outside_your_window_isn%27t_right But the view outside your window isn't right, ''Fallen London''] ''"The moon shines on a flooded desert. The waters lap around the wreck of a dirigible. The night breeze that flows through the open window is cold and salt and sad. Your stomach growls."''</ref> candles,<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Pluck_something_from_the_water Pluck something from the water, ''Fallen London''] ''"A soft sweet burst of savour, and a warmth in your eyes and your tongue and your heart. The shriek of monkeys and the chanting of the God-Eaters. And then you’re awake: and your mouth is full of cold wax. That is a candle in your fist. But something remains."''</ref> and cannibalism, as well as an overarching command to travel [[Avid Horizon|North]]. ''<small><choose uncached=""><option>North. North. NORTH</option><option></option></choose></small>'' In keeping with the latter command, Mr Eaten seems to have a strong influence in the northern area of Void's Approach, and has a congregation of worshippers in this area, at the [[Chapel of Lights]].<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Attend_a_service_at_the_Chapel_(no._1) Attend a service at the Chapel, ''Fallen London''] ''"Oh yes," the Priest says, smiling, "the Drowned Man hums tonight. His song like fish-roe clouds the water." He waits for the congregation's assent, his eyes shadowed. "We will feel him in the harps of us, and if his tune is caught it will be raised to the sky where the bright birds pass—"''</ref> |
Revision as of 21:13, 12 March 2025
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WARNING: Beyond this point lie spoilers for Fallen London's most infamous storyline: Seeking Mr Eaten's Name. Turn back now. You can find out more about our spoiler policy here. |
"Who is Mr Eaten? A good question. Not a wise one." (If you find the answer to this, you'll wish you didn't know.) "I have so often been consumed."
Mr Eaten is an ancient, mysterious emptiness, a voice, a hunger. <choose uncached=""><option>Something is wrong here.</option><option></option></choose> The circumstances surrounding his death, during the fall of the Third City, continue to cast a shadow over events in the Neath. Almost all of the who, what, and why surrounding this creature are waterlogged in mysteries so deep that they drown even the most resilient of enquirers. One thing is known, however: a reckoning will not be postponed indefinitely. <choose uncached=""><option>Do you hear the well calling?</option><option></option></choose>
GRIEVE
"The light on the edge of sleep was mine. I was Mr Candles. I will not be again."[1]

Mr Candles[2] was one of the eleven Masters of the Bazaar. He oversaw trade in candles and holding authority over dreams[3] from his lighthouse, situated between Parabola and reality.[4] Alongside Mr Cups (or Wines), he was likely responsible for the Fall of the First City.[5]
The Second City proved to be a major setback for the Bazaar and the Masters. The Pharaoh’s Daughters tricked the Masters,[6] who were trapped for two thousand years.[7] Desperate, they sought a scapegoat, and that scapegoat was Mr Candles.[8] Candles was considered a runt among Curators (the Masters' species) as an individual who lacked the "Dual Nature." Runts are considered no better than food for their siblings,[9] and the very notion of "runtery" is a crime in Curator society that served as the primary reason for Candles' exile from the High Wilderness.[10] Candles knew full well what his colleagues thought of him, and that they would betray him eventually, but he held out hope that they would not turn on him.[11] <choose uncached=""><option>Foolish, foolish, foolish.</option><option></option></choose>
HATE
"Is it opening, now, does it open? Are there snares we can grasp, to place them tinily in our flesh, as we will take the flesh of Vake-the-betrayer, black as the knives? Dear deep void those knives. My flesh was not meant for them. And their teeth like the tenderness of insects. Ah, ah, ah, ah."[12]

Before it fell, the Third City was ruled by three priest-kings who relentlessly hunted any creature they could to sate their hunger.[13] The priest-kings were aware of the Masters’ nature, and contacted them to strike a dangerous bargain.[14]
At some point around 900-1000 CE, the Bazaar arranged for the purchase of the Third City, offering its priest-kings the flesh of a god as their price.[15] Candles, believing only a small part of himself would be required, consented to the deal — but Mr Veils knew better, and led Candles to his doom.[16] The priest-kings struck before dawn,[17] snaring Candles on a hook, pinning him in place, and carving out pieces of his flesh to eat using obsidian knives.[18] Devouring Curator flesh granted the priest-kings ascension along the Great Chain,[19] turning them into the immortal God-Eaters.[20] <choose uncached=""><option>The knives. They glistened. They cut. And oh, how they ate.</option><option></option></choose>
Candles was alive through the whole process, and was still alive when they threw what remained of him to drown in lacre.[18] His remains were likely buried somewhere in the northernmost reaches of the Neath,[21] under a granite well.[22] Following his death, the Masters erased all records of his existence and knowledge of his name.[23] His domain over dreams was given to Mr Wines and Mr Spices, who still fight over it to this day.[3]
SEEK
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WARNING: Beyond this point lie extended spoilers for Fallen London, Sunless Sea, Sunless Skies, or Mask of the Rose. This may include endgame or Fate-locked content, including spoilers for formerly restricted storylines such as the endings of Seeking Mr Eaten's Name. Look away now. You can find out more about our spoiler policy here. |
"...the laws of the Judgements, whose mask is God, are present even here beneath the earth. Lightly present, but present. And a reckoning, as the saying has it, will not be indefinitely postponed."[24]

Mr Eaten still holds considerable power and influence over the Neath, despite his death. His voice echoes from deep waters and wells, for all water remembers the well from which it once came.[25] He is at his most powerful in Parabola, and as such he communicates mainly through dreams.[26][27] He holds a bitter grudge against the Bazaar and the Masters, and Veils in particular,[28] and is actively seeking revenge against them. So all-encompassing is his hatred that it even extends to the Bazaar's master, the Sun.[29] By the rage of the Flukes[30] or by the justice of the Judgements:[31][32] a reckoning will not be postponed indefinitely.
Mr Eaten is allied closely with the Lorn-Flukes[33] and other beings from Axile.[34] He also has his own servants, known as Seekers of the Name, who receive his commands through dreams. Seeker dreams involve themes of water, hunger,[35] candles,[36] and cannibalism, as well as an overarching command to travel North. <choose uncached=""><option>North. North. NORTH</option><option></option></choose> In keeping with the latter command, Mr Eaten seems to have a strong influence in the northern area of Void's Approach, and has a congregation of worshippers in this area, at the Chapel of Lights.[37]
In the Sunless Skies timeline, Mr Eaten is called the Saint of Tapers by the Cult of the Sanctified, though they do not speak his name.[38]
<choose uncached=""><option>A reckoning will not be postponed indefinitely.</option><option></option></choose>
Cultural Inspirations
Throughout the journey of Seeking Mr Eaten's Name, Mr Candles is portrayed as a martyr figure, and it cannot go unmentioned that there are numerous parallels with the life, death, and legacy of Jesus Christ. Candles was originally written as one of twelve[39][19][40] (though it is now established that there were eleven Masters); regardless, Mr Veils plays the role of Judas. The Weeping Scars sustained during Seeking evoke Jesus' wounds upon the cross, and the all-consuming[41] masochistic nature of Seeking links back to the broader Christian concept of approaching the divine through the recollection and emulation of Jesus' suffering. God's Editors have a "secret sibling" organization that assists Seekers,[42] and there are further distortions of the New Testament sprinkled throughout the storyline.[43][44] And of course, Candles is consumed as the Eucharist, granting the heathen God-Eaters "divine grace" (a higher place on the Great Chain of Being): a parallel only emphasized further by the Chapel of Lights as a church of murderous sacrament.[45]
Candles is also likened to the Fisher King, a figure from Arthurian legend. Many versions of the Fisher King's tale are recorded, but they generally involve a king who has been wounded and rendered impotent. The king's wounds cannot heal without the intervention of a chosen hero, adding another layer to Weeping Scars. There are direct references to a wound in the thigh[40] and "the absence of fertility" in Seeking;[46] however, Failbetter appears to be decoupling the concept of runtery from gender or sexual presentation,[47][48] avoiding a variety of troublesome implications that may be derived from the suggested original definition.
The Fisher King is cured when the chosen Knight of the Round Table asks him a particular question. Just as there are multiple options available to the Seeker, this question varies between retellings. It might be spiritual, like "Whom does the Grail serve?" (either God or the Fisher King himself), or a simple question of "What ails you?" But in Richard Wagner's operatic adaptation of the story, the chosen knight Parsifal (Percival), a naive boy, asks his elderly mentor Gurnemanz: "Who is the Grail?" - which might already recall the question about Salt. Gurnemanz explains that "That cannot be said," but that no earthly path leads to the Grail, and Parsifal will learn more about it if it calls him into his service. Parsifal makes an offhand comment about how far he has come in his journey already, and Gurnemanz replies: "You see, my son, time here becomes space." How very interesting.
An Arthurian aside: the Fisher King is the king who owns the Holy Grail, not Arthur. The fact that St Arthur's candle is the candle of constant betrayal and self-flagellation is an entire separate reference to the legendary king who was betrayed and brought down by his own kin; St Gawain's, the candle of decapitation, is a nod to Gawain's bloody victory over the Green Knight.
References
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