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</gallery>|date=Summer of 1899 (2023)|recurring=No|alias=The Starved War<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/A_Cultural_Exchange|A Cultural Exchange|Fallen London|}} ''"Many Londoners refer to the incident with the stalactite [...] 'the Horticultural Show'. Others, [...] however inaccurately, the 'Starved War'."''</ref>|notable_figures=[[Starved Men]]<br>
</gallery>|date=Summer of 1899 (2023)|recurring=No|alias=The Starved War<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/A_Cultural_Exchange|A Cultural Exchange|Fallen London|}} ''"Many Londoners refer to the incident with the stalactite [...] 'the Horticultural Show'. Others, [...] however inaccurately, the 'Starved War'."''</ref>|notable_figures=[[Starved Men]]<br>
[[The Admiralty]]<br>
[[The Admiralty]]<br>
[[Sinning Jenny]]|related=[[The Roof of the Neath]]}}<blockquote>''"Handbills, barkers, and elaborate posters throughout London proclaim the news: for the first time since the Fall, the London Horticultural Show has returned. The event promises showcases, awards, and the studious attentions of the Sneering Horticulturist."''<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/The_London_Horticultural_Show!|The London Horticultural Show!|Fallen London|}}</ref></blockquote>
[[Sinning Jenny]]<br>
[[The Starved Lithologer]]|related=[[The Roof of the Neath]]}}<blockquote>''"Handbills, barkers, and elaborate posters throughout London proclaim the news: for the first time since the Fall, the London Horticultural Show has returned. The event promises showcases, awards, and the studious attentions of the Sneering Horticulturist."''<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/The_London_Horticultural_Show!|The London Horticultural Show!|Fallen London|}}</ref></blockquote>


The '''London Horticultural Show''' was a significant event of the third year of 1899.__forcetoc__
The '''London Horticultural Show''' was a significant event of the third year of 1899.__forcetoc__

Revision as of 23:01, 10 November 2023

"There are some things we were not meant to know, they say. But you wouldn't be down here if you took that seriously."

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.


"Handbills, barkers, and elaborate posters throughout London proclaim the news: for the first time since the Fall, the London Horticultural Show has returned. The event promises showcases, awards, and the studious attentions of the Sneering Horticulturist."[2]

The London Horticultural Show was a significant event of the third year of 1899.

A Little City of Horrors

"Lady ______ has kindly volunteered the use of her false-summer home, along with its magnificent glasshouse."[3]

In the third year of 1899, the London Horticultural Show was held for the first time since the Fall.[4] All Londoners were invited to cultivate plants and fungi[5] to present in a great competition,[4][6] and a mansion in Watchmaker's Hill with a large glasshouse was provided for the show by one Lady ______.[7][8] Notable plants cultivated for the event included:[9]

A purple mushroom.
A 'Purple Maiden' lily cap.
  • 'Purple Maiden' lily-caps (Lactarius pseudomurex): a violet mushroom worn in hats and accessories. Used to signify forgiveness or a willingness to resume a romantic relationship.[10]
  • 'Marigold Madness' lily-caps (Agaricus xanthos): a rare yellow mushroom recently introduced for commercial purposes. Unrelated to other lily-caps; considered a pest that may appear in attics or basements. Grows on damp paper, especially "impersonal correspondence." Not safe for ingestion.[11]
  • 'Golden screamer' mandrakes (Mandragora officinalis lacrimosum): a mandrake that may scream, sing, or cry. Unrelated to mandrakes of the Surface.[12]
  • 'Violant wing' lily-caps (Lactarius rhizomaticus): a violant mushroom that may grow in unexpected nooks and crannies, including within a careless mycologist's throat.[13]
  • Cautionary Orchids: said to originate from the Regent of Caution's very own gardens.[14] Appears to never grow nor change, but always gazes through windows to symbolize vigilance.[15]

The Horticultural Show soon commenced on a fine afternoon.[16] Attendance was middling,[17] but drinks were plentiful.[18] His Amused Lordship raised his glass for a toast, and began his opening remarks.[19]

Don't Look Up

"A plunging eclipse. A sentence no longer suspended. Piercing pillar of rock. Streaking speleothem. A vasty knife to pierce London's skin. Yours, too."[20]

"The inside of the stalactite drips with amber. A hand emerges first, broad and meaty as a bear's paw. It grasps the rock, which yields with the tenderness of flesh. Another hand follows, this one smaller, ten-fingered – each ending in a cluster of wicked hooks."[21]

A stalactite destroying a house.
Coincidence?

Unfortunately, His Lordship's speech was cut short[22] as a cathedral-sized stalactite from the Roof of the Neath fell upon the glasshouse,[23][24] devastating both the building and the crowd in attendance.[24][25] The stalactite then broke open,[26] revealing a horde of Starved Men - practitioners of the Shapeling Arts who inhabit the Roof.[27] Further Starved descended upon the city from above, transported either by six smaller stalactites that followed the large one, or through balloons and their own accord.[28]

A humanoid being with warped facial features.
A Starved Man.

The invading Starved immediately began reshaping the infrastructure of London.[29][30] They transmuted structures into flesh, bone,[31][32] and other materials,[33] and cleaved roads with rivers of fat.[34] Many buildings were weakened and collapsed during the assault, trapping anyone caught inside.[32] One enormous Starved turned Wolfstack Docks into his personal alchemic vat, changing the water however he pleased,[35] and panicked crowds choked the train station at Moloch Street,[36] making travel out of London extremely difficult. The Starved Men did not deliberately target civilians, but they were uncaring of casualties and willing to repel with force anyone who interrupted their work,[37][38] resulting in brutal street fights.[39]

The War for London

"Jenny declines to comment on the 'incident' at the London Horticultural Show. "I'm more interested in what's happening right now." She's converted a vacated building on Ladybones Road into a field hospital. Whether the building was vacated before she arrived is none of your business."[40]

""Por— ah, left, thirty degrees!" Up on the roof, a woman throws up a frantic series of flag signals. There's the report of a naval gun, halfway across London. This shell lands true, catching the Starved Men in its blast."[41]

A nun holding a unique necklace.
Sinning Jenny

As the conflict in London continued, its citizens looked to authority for help. However, the Masters were too busy debating whether the Sixth City was due to fall,[42] and the Empress took shelter within the Shuttered Palace while her staff shooed away petitioners.[43] In the end, it was Sinning Jenny who took matters into her own hands to spearhead the relief effort.[44] She set up field hospitals for the injured,[45] ensured citizens received food, medical supplies, and shelter,[46] and acted as a leader for crowds of volunteers to rescue the wounded and repair the damage upon London.[47][48] The Admiralty was initially caught unawares by the attack,[49] but they soon mobilized cannons and crew to strike back against the Starved threat.[50][51] Eventually, Jenny and the Admiralty's representative, the Overworked Commodore, convened a war council in the HMS Vaunted to discuss strategy and gather intelligence.[52][53]

A hand clutching a piece of glowing amber.
A Starved Man.

While the Starved Men possessed superhuman durability and were able to survive seemingly fatal wounds,[54] London was able to mount a counterattack. The city restricted its amber supply, repelled any incoming Starved from the Roof, and inflicted upon them grievous wounds, all while keeping civilians relatively protected.[55] Many Starved were forced to retreat from London entirely, but one group remained, still fixated on their work to reshape London.[56] Once cornered, they soon surrendered, and were captured by the Admiralty.[57][58]

The Lithologer's Confession

"I dig nock... intengd thish. We saw the signs, and thott to acht. The bochdy, the bochdy we were shaping was nockt — From the beginning. We watch. I watch. The rock. The lights. Patterns and signs and warnings. Always reshaping. Patterns reveal. What shape things will be. What shape things might be."[59]

"We wished to prevent a painful rebirth. The city's next great change, in a long line of them. How many has it been now? Four? Some of you fought us. But there was no time – we had to act, before..."[60]

A humanoid with an eye resembling a stone with several lens.
The Starved Lithologer

Communication with the captured Starved Men was initially difficult,[61] and the Overworked Commodore was reluctant to negotiate at all.[62] This was ameliorated after one of the captives, the Starved Lithologer, reshaped their vocal cords to speak more clearly.[63] The Lithologer revealed that they had watched the Roof for signs of the future,[64] and it was foretold that the Sixth City was due to fall.[65] The Starved Men of the Roof consist of many separate factions,[66] and as it turned out, the one that invaded London was trying to save the city all along! This faction viewed London not as a city, but as a vast organism,[67] and they sought to reshape London's "body" to survive the next Fall. For their part, the Lithologer expressed regret for the destruction and injuries this incursion had caused.[65]

A sunset.
The Sun

While their faction's attempt to change London's fate ended in failure, the Lithologer warned that another group of Starved had other plans, seeking to accelerate London's cataclysmic change.[68] The citizens' survival was a secondary concern for them, and they viewed their actions as a mercy.[69] To this end, they began building a weapon: a massive cornea of shaped flesh[70] that would drill a hole in the Roof,[71] and focus the resulting sunlight directly onto London, potentially killing all its inhabitants.[72][73]

For All The World Like An Eagle

"Your fellow captains hail from all across the Neath. Members of the Admiralty, plus those Londoners conscripted to make up numbers. Devils with miniature insignia on their shoulders – perhaps a remark on the Admiralty's ostentatious epaulettes? Polythremian ships, self-captaining, hover within earshot. Khanate pilots loiter near the front, regarding the Starved Lithologer with level disdain."[74]

"Three dark shapes plummet from the bottom of Industry. Is it dropping ballast? No. The first of the shapes spreads vast, membranous wings, and the plummet turns into a glide, a bank and rise and an impossible curve. Claws gut the first Starved Man before it has seen the creature coming. The other two shapes unfurl, and the heights are quickly awash in blood."[75]

A blimp exploring the ceiling of a cave.
An airship.

Upon hearing the truth,[76] the Overworked Commodore called for an fleet of aircraft[77] to locate the Starved weapon.[78][79] The Admiralty converted the University's cricket pitch into an airfield and designated the area Station IX (Provisional).[80] The Starved Lithologer's faction pledged to assist in stopping the weapon;[81] to bolster the airfleet,[82] London also commissioned the help of the Khanate, Polythreme, the pirates of Gaider's Mourn, and the monks of Godfall. Even Hell came to the city's aid upon hearing the dangers to London involved sunlight.[83][84]

The ceiling of a cave with massive stalactites.
The Roof of the Neath

Once the Starved weapon was located,[85] the diverse airfleet[86] departed for the Roof to destroy it before its completion.[87][88] Mr Iron, Mr Fires, and Mr Pages also accompanied the fleet in Fires' personal vessel, the Industry.[89] As the airships neared the Roof, Starved Men attacked with falling debris[90] and boarded the approaching craft.[91] They even deployed their own massive airship of shaped flesh.[92] The airfleet fought back,[93][94] and the Masters themselves engaged in direct wing-to-hand combat with the Starved,[95] but many aircraft were damaged or destroyed.[96][94]

Soon, the airfleet reached the weapon itself.[70] The Starved Men attending to it immediately acted in its defense, assaulting the remnants of the fleet.[97][98] Meanwhile, the weapon's eye turned its gaze towards London,[99] and primed itself with sunlight, ready to fire[100][101] - until, against all odds, a single airship sacrificed itself to ram and destroy the eye,[102][103] saving London from doom.[104]

The Horticultural Show, Once Again

"The city has become exceptionally invested in the Horticultural Show. Londoners have spent weeks sweeping broken glass from the streets, filling in insurance forms, knocking down – or occasionally debriding – those buildings too unsafe to let stand. After that ordeal, fungi, uncomfortable chairs, overpriced refreshments, and copious rosettes are a blessed relief."[105]

"There is no sign. No one has ordained that this garden should be so. It is not even sanctioned by the London Horticultural Society; they are conducting their own attempts to assert normality. There is a wide disparity in horti- and fungicultural knowledge on show – some of these plants may well strangle and kill each other before the season is out. But the garden is not there to be beautiful."[106]

A grey image of a rose with red features.
The Starved Rose

With the ordeal concluded, London decommissioned its airfleet and began to recover. The Horticultural Show was reopened, as Londoners needed a relief from all the recent mayhem.[107][108] During the ceremony, citizens banded together to build an informal community garden using scraps from airships, contributing their own flora and fungi.[109][110] The Starved Lithologer also attended, seeking to understand why London sought a return to normalcy,[111] and they were soon accompanied by another Starved Man, who sought to contribute a Starved Rose[112] as a peace offering.[113] An awards ceremony was later held to judge whatever botanical marvels (or evidence thereof) remained after the first show was... ah, unexpectedly cancelled.[114]

As for the hole in the Roof, it gradually began to heal with the help of the Starved Men.[115] At the original venue of the Horticultural Show where the stalactite fell, the Starved Lithologer organized the Starved Embassy to prevent future conflicts between the Starved Men and London. To this end, the two parties would exchange gifts, providing opportunities to learn of one another's culture.[116][117] After all, life must go on.[114]

References

  1. ↑ A Cultural Exchange, Fallen London "Many Londoners refer to the incident with the stalactite [...] 'the Horticultural Show'. Others, [...] however inaccurately, the 'Starved War'."
  2. ↑ The London Horticultural Show!, Fallen London
  3. ↑ Perambulate to Watchmaker's Hill, Fallen London
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 The London Horticultural Show!, Fallen London "A mild buzz spreads throughout London. [...] for the first time since the Fall, the London Horticultural Show has returned. The event promises showcases, awards [...]"
  5. ↑ Perambulate to Watchmaker's Hill, Fallen London "The business of plants and mushrooms is an unhurried one."
  6. ↑ In the Glasshouse, Fallen London "All of London is invited to nurture and grow plants for the Horticultural Show [...]"
  7. ↑ Perambulate to Watchmaker's Hill, Fallen London "Lady ______ has [...] volunteered the use of her false-summer home, along with its magnificent glasshouse."
  8. ↑ Inveigle your way onto the delegation, Fallen London "[...] Lady ______'s Watchmaker's Hill estate."
  9. ↑ In the Glasshouse, Fallen London "Game Instructions: Grow plants for rewards, prizes [...]"
  10. ↑ 'Purple Maiden' lily-caps, Fallen London "'Lactarius pseudomurex, the purple lily-cap. [...] used in hats and decorative corsages. [...] often given to signify forgiveness; [...] suggests that one is open to resuming a broken-off romantic entanglement [...]"
  11. ↑ 'Marigold Madness' lily-caps, Fallen London "A rare decorative mushroom, newly introduced to deliberate cultivation. [...] 'Agaricus xanthos, the common yellow cap. [...] recently introduced as a commercial mushroom, now sold under the name 'lily-cap'. Unrelated to other [...] 'lily-caps'. Long known as a rare [...] pest. Encountered primarily in basements and attics, [...] Likes to grow on damp paper; prefers impersonal correspondence (such as a bill or legal notice) [...] known symptoms of ingestion include nausea, vomiting, rashes, violent migraines [...]"
  12. ↑ 'Golden screamer' mandrakes, Fallen London "'Mandragora officinalis lacrimosum: the screaming, singing, or crying mandrake. Possibly a misnamed species unrelated to Surface mandrakes."
  13. ↑ 'Violant wing' lily-caps, Fallen London "'Lactarius rhizomaticus, the violant lily-cap. Known for [...] developing mushrooms in unexpected places, such as the underside of chairs, the interior of teapots, and the throats of unprepared mycologists [...]"
  14. ↑ Cautionary Orchids, Fallen London "Taken, at great expense, from the very gardens of the Regent of Caution."
  15. ↑ A Very Cautionary Orchid, Fallen London "You keep it in a pot, though it never grows or changes. Its head is always turned towards the window, and its warning [...] be vigilant."
  16. ↑ The Opening Ceremony, Fallen London "Seating has been prepared [...] It's a fine afternoon for it – the false-stars are noticeably bright."
  17. ↑ Find a seat, Fallen London "The organisers have rather overestimated enthusiasm for the event [...] many more chairs than people."
  18. ↑ Charging Up, Fallen London "[...] "I fear we've rather over-catered, so do drink up.""
  19. ↑ Charging Up, Fallen London "His Amused Lordship takes the stage with a broad smile. "Well then!" He regards the meagre crowd. "Not the finest showing, but still, everyone who matters is here, what?" [...] His Lordship clears his throat. "Welcome," he says, "to the re-inaugural London Horticultural Show. [...]"
  20. ↑ Stalactite, Fallen London
  21. ↑ State of Emergence, Fallen London
  22. ↑ An Interruption, Fallen London "His Amused Lordship laughs [...] toasts Roofward. "To Lon—" [...] Something lands in his glass. It bursts – a rain of wine and flashing shards."
  23. ↑ Stalactite, Fallen London "Stalactite [...] A plunging eclipse. [...] Piercing pillar of rock. [...] A vasty knife to pierce London's skin."
  24. ↑ 24.0 24.1 Rise, Fallen London "The stalactite has torn through the great glasshouse and now stands [...] stabbed deep into the earth. [...] cathedrals wish they could command such stature."
  25. ↑ Fall, Fallen London "You're not alone. Others fall with you – one of them is still holding a potted rose. So many others. [...] Slipping deeper into darkness."
  26. ↑ Rise, Fallen London "[...] the stalactite peels open."
  27. ↑ State of Emergence, Fallen London "The inside of the stalactite drips with amber. A hand emerges [...] Another hand [...] A gangly figure [...] Another follows, then another [...] more figures extrude themselves from fissures in the rock. [...] Starved Men. You've seen them [...] on your expeditions to the roof."
  28. ↑ Spilling Out, Fallen London "[...] you see what has befallen the rest of London. A half-dozen smaller stalactites have fallen, each spilling Starved Men [...] More descend in small balloons, or [...] through patagia and air sacs. They are all over the city."
  29. ↑ State of Emergence, Fallen London "The first to hit the ground make for the main house, laying their hands [...] upon its walls. Stone warps and shifts, and the building bows in on itself [...]"
  30. ↑ Trail of Destruction, Fallen London "London is in pieces. Half a dozen buildings have fallen on Flowerdene Street, or else have been reshaped [...] a dread new topology imposed by the Starved Men."
  31. ↑ The War in London 2, Fallen London "London is overrun. Buildings, their quoins and cornice stones made flesh, ripped open and left to bleed."
  32. ↑ 32.0 32.1 The Collapsed Corner, Fallen London "The building has half-collapsed. The Starved Men have turned wooden beams into bone, which snapped [...] You can hear the voices of those still trapped within."
  33. ↑ Marbled Flank, Fallen London "The streetside wall [...] an umbra of flesh spreading from its centre. [...] You've seen sand, mud, and salt, but flesh seems to be their favoured transubstantiation."
  34. ↑ Sinuous Streets, Fallen London "A scissure severs the street ahead – a wound in the fabric of the city. Viscous strands of sinew span the two halves, [...] something liquid flows, a [...] river of stone rendered to fat."
  35. ↑ Put to Zee: Hazardous Materials, Fallen London "A Starved Man bigger than a cargo hoist wades through the waters of the harbour. [...] The harbour is littered with his experiments. Water turned to ice. Water turned to stone. Water turned to acrid, bilious slime. Water turned to basalt, [...] Water turned to caesium – although not for very long. [...] The dockers and Admiralty staff have temporarily restricted dockside access."
  36. ↑ Go alone and by night, Fallen London "The Starved Men have not taken particular interest in Moloch Street station. [...] traversing the streets around the station requires running a gauntlet of falling masonry, scared citizens, and opportunistic robbers."
  37. ↑ Trail of Destruction, Fallen London "They do not like to be slowed, and they do not take kindly to attempts to slow them down. But nor is the aggression directed towards the citizenry. The wounded are mostly those swept up in the Starved Men's path – or those who tried to impede them."
  38. ↑ The Tenderising Ministrations of the Starved, Fallen London "The Starved Men pay no attention as the wounded are carted away. But when Jenny's crew lays hands to the buildings, their heads snap up. [...] they turn and converge on the gathered helpers."
  39. ↑ Unfolding Violence, Fallen London "Two Londoners [...] the Starved Man pays them no attention as they shout obscenities at it. Until one of them takes a cricket bat and brings it down over its head [...] The Starved Man blinks as blood runs into its eyes. [...] The woman hefts the bat again. The Starved Man catches her arms and flings her bodily into the wall."
  40. ↑ Appeal to Sinning Jenny, Fallen London
  41. ↑ London's Fist, Fallen London
  42. ↑ Demand admission as a Master of the Bazaar, Fallen London "Mr Pages glowers [...] Wines waves [...] Mr Fires does not break its flow. [...] "—not be allowed to happen. It is too soon." [...] "Irrelequential. We have all observed the sympdicators. The city's duratinuance is coming to a end. We should hasten our preparations for its successor." [...] Are they speaking of the Starved Men's attack? [...] Mr Irons [...] 'A DISTRACTION' [...] "We are focused on a more exurgent matter," agrees Pages. [...] 'THIS IS WHY WE DID NOT CALL ON YOU. YOU LACK THE NECESSARY PERSPECTIVE.' [...] The debate continues, circular, endless."
  43. ↑ Plead for assistance, Fallen London "The Veteran Privy Counsellor [...] does not permit any mention of the w_r, and certainly not of the S____d M_n [...] "The Palace knows well enough how to function in times of— Well, at all times." [...] where is Her Enduring Majesty? "She is safe, have no fear on that front.""
  44. ↑ Plead with Sinning Jenny for aid, Fallen London ""London is bleeding. But people are also bleeding. [...] "I'm needed." [...] "No one is doing anything." [...] "There are those that have a duty to London, and they are doing nothing." [...]"
  45. ↑ Plead with Sinning Jenny for aid, Fallen London "She looks around the field hospital. "If I'm helping out there, I'm not helping in here. [...]"
  46. ↑ Join a search party, Fallen London "Jenny assigns you to a [...] group. Urchins [...] report back when people need help – or when they spot a choice stash of food or materiel (and don't want to keep it to themselves). You walk the streets [...] shepherding people away from the unfolding violence and towards [...] safety [...]"
  47. ↑ Join a search party, Fallen London "All over London, people need help. And Jenny is making that happen."
  48. ↑ London's Heart, Fallen London "Sinning Jenny marches at the head of the crowd [...] starts issuing orders. People move [...] tending to the wounded and getting them to safety. [...] clearing and rebuilding."
  49. ↑ Plead with the Admiralty for aid, Fallen London ""Themselves are inside, figuring what to do. We weren't exactly prepared for a threat of this nature." [...] "It's going to take some time for orders to come down the line, and until they do, no one is getting inside. No one.""
  50. ↑ London's Fist, Fallen London "There's a boom [...] "Por— ah, left, thirty degrees!" [...] a woman throws up a frantic series of flag signals. There's the report of a naval gun, [...] This shell lands true, catching the Starved Men in its blast."
  51. ↑ Press the advantage, Fallen London "[...] the Admiralty spotters signal another barrage, but only succeed in blowing a hole in the street behind the retreating Starved."
  52. ↑ Council of War, Fallen London ""This isn't working," say Sinning Jenny. [...] Admiralty leadership [...] is meeting in the operations room of the HMS Vaunted. Jenny has dragged you [...] along so that [...] "Those wretched shell-shovers don't dominate the agenda." [...] "We're prosecuting a war – using primarily naval materiel – inside of our own city," says the Overworked Commodore. "I'd say it's working as well as it can.""
  53. ↑ Marshalling Intelligence, Fallen London "The Overworked Commodore looks up [...] What intelligence do you have for the Admiralty's resistance efforts?"
  54. ↑ Call in gunnery support, Fallen London "The Starved Men do not enjoy cannon fire. It seems [...] possible for them to recover from even direct hits, but it invokes significant distress [...]"
  55. ↑ The Amber Tide, Turned, Fallen London "Victory is a matter of degrees. London has proven itself adaptable [...] amber supply is tightly controlled. Guns are trained roofwards to intercept any descending stalactites or balloons. [...] the Starved Men have been made [...] to bleed in ways they cannot endure. [...] London has tended her wounds – has protected her people as best it can."
  56. ↑ Contemplate the disposition of the Starved forces, Fallen London "The Starved Men are scattered. Half of them have abandoned the attack, either vanishing off into the fringes of the Neath, or ascending once more [...] Those that remain are clustered [...] still desperately engaged in their work. Fervid, like they know that their time is running out."
  57. ↑ Give the order, Fallen London "You are first through the gates, your rag-tag squad [...] There. Walking out of the shadows. Six of them, [...] "Hold," says your gruff second. "I think... I think they're surrendering." [...] They cooperate as the monks of Godfall bind their many hands at the wrists. [...] they do their best to show willing, the hairy one generally guiding the others."
  58. ↑ Carnate, Incarcerate, Fallen London "The Starved Men prisoners are enjoying a stint in the belly of the HMS Vaunted, chained and weighted, and with the whole ship lined with charges. They have offered no further resistance."
  59. ↑ Hear them out, warily, Fallen London
  60. ↑ Ask why the Starved Men attacked, Fallen London
  61. ↑ Enquire about communication with the Starved Men, Fallen London "Jenny moues. "I think it's clear enough from the manner of their capture that they are trying to communicate." [...] "It's just meaningless noise," chuffs the Commodore. "Enough to give you nightmares.""
  62. ↑ Carnate, Incarcerate, Fallen London ""We should just scuttle her and be done with it," grouses the Overworked Commodore."
  63. ↑ Pick up the thread of the argument, Fallen London "After a lengthy span with an overcurious academic, plus some smuggled amber, this particular Starved individual has reshaped their vocal organs enough to speak."
  64. ↑ Hear them out, warily, Fallen London ""I dig nock... intengd thish. We saw the signs, and thott to acht. [...] They clear their throat. [...] The longer they talk, the clearer their voice becomes [...] "We watch. I watch. The rock. The lights. Patterns and signs and warnings. [...] Patterns reveal. What shape things will be. What shape things might be." [...] You are hearing the tale of the Starved Lithologer."
  65. ↑ 65.0 65.1 Ask why the Starved Men attacked, Fallen London ""What is seen can be changed. All things can be changed. [...] this body, it has fared ill with past changes." [...] "This is not a body, it's a city," blusters the Commodore. [...] "Yes. We sought to reshape the city, to help it avert a greater change which it could not endure. [...] We were helping—" [...] "You were tearing down our homes and tearing up our people." [...] a flash of a very human expression. Shame. "We wished to prevent [...] The city's next great change, [...] How many has it been now? Four?" [...] there was no time – we had to act, before..." [...]"
  66. ↑ Direct its attention towards the Starved Men, Fallen London "[...] the Starved Men across the London of your memory is full of fractious factions and warring wants, [...] Even on the Roof, where other forces swarm and muster, there are no outcasts – just two communities, working to different ends."
  67. ↑ Press for more details of the plan, Fallen London "They do not deal with you. They deal with the city and its change, as we did. It does not occur to them to negotiate with the blood in its veins, the cells that make it up. We were incorrect, of course. Our perspective has changed."
  68. ↑ What Lies Above, Fallen London ""Our way was the kinder way," says the Starved Lithologer. "We saw the signs, and sought to change them. [...] Others among us believe in catastrophic change. They saw the signs, and seek to hasten it.""
  69. ↑ Press for more details of the plan, Fallen London ""We expect the Starved to mount heavy resistance. They've seen how London can fight." [...] "They truly do not understand why you resist," rasps the Lithologer, "as we did not. Resisting a change that is already happening leads to..." [...] "Misshaping. They are used to overcoming that resistance. They will do so [...] "God forbid that they take our lives into account." [...] "They do not deal with you. They deal with the city and its change [...] It does not occur to them to negotiate with the blood in its veins, the cells [...]"
  70. ↑ 70.0 70.1 Also Into You, Fallen London "A great ocular mass. A distended cornea the size of the [airship] itself [...] Helping these things hold their strained shape as they prepare to channel inimical sunlight."
  71. ↑ In Sight, Fallen London "Something moves upon the Roof above the oculus. [...] The sound of stone on stone. Above the eye, the Roof is coming apart."
  72. ↑ Look up (What Lies Above), Fallen London ""They are preparing," says the Starved Lithologer. "We were not fast enough. We did not do enough." [...] "They have been digging upwards. They mean to... assist the city in a thorough metamorphosis." [...] "The sun," says the Commodore. "The b____y sun.""
  73. ↑ Rapprochement, Fallen London ""They mean to burn us," [...] "Bathe the city in sunlight. [...] The Starved Lithologer turns their great eye upwards [...] "They truly see it as a kindness. One short, sharp change. From down here... I think the perspective is different.""
  74. ↑ Join the briefing, Fallen London
  75. ↑ This Wild Highness, Fallen London
  76. ↑ Plan of Attack, Fallen London "The Overworked Commodore stands. [...] A faction of the Starved Men have a weapon through which they mean to direct the sun on London. [...]"
  77. ↑ Consider who might help in London's hour of need, Fallen London ""So unless London is to become the target of an unknown weapon of the Roof, we need airships. And allies.""
  78. ↑ Field Commission, Fallen London ""We have a fleet, of sorts. But that's only half the battle." To stop the other faction of the Starved Men and their weapon, you first must find it."
  79. ↑ Field Commission, Fallen London ""The Roof is a big place. [...] our Starved, hmm, allies claim they don't know where it is, either.""
  80. ↑ Station IX (Provisional), Fallen London "Previously known as the University's cricket field. Airship mooring posts [...] Eyes ever turn upwards: the skies are not secure. But, perhaps, soon."
  81. ↑ Rapprochement, Fallen London "The Starved Lithologer raises their arms [...] "We will help. Those of my faction who remain. We can sculpt away the error.""
  82. ↑ Rapprochement, Fallen London ""London needs all the allies it can get. [...] "You were good for intelligence gathering. How do you feel about international relations?""
  83. ↑ Station IX (Provisional), Fallen London "The airfield is busier with every passing hour. The Starved Lithologer directs long-limbed compatriots around to help with construction. [...] Dockhands mill about, [...] Monks of Saint Stalactite's brotherhood can be heard singing [...] Corsairs bare golden teeth at any Admiralty engineers who come too close to their airships. [...] Clay Men lift chassis with useful, if unsettling, ease. [...] The Khaganian contingent stand out. [...] their ships fully illuminated with bright, white bulbs. [...] The devils, whose craft buzz uneasily, do whatever they please."
  84. ↑ Beseech Hell for aid, Fallen London "[...] the citizen of London [...] The weight of London's need was weighed against the requirements of the white city. [...] they revealed a morsel of interest. Sunlight, they said. [...] Hell prepared itself for war."
  85. ↑ The Board is Set, Fallen London "Word is spreading: the Starved weapon has been located. All airship captains have been summoned. The fleet stands ready."
  86. ↑ Join the briefing, Fallen London "Your fellow captains hail from all across the Neath. Members of the Admiralty, plus those Londoners conscripted [...] Devils [...] Polythremian ships, [...] Khanate pilots [...]"
  87. ↑ Plan of Attack, Fallen London "The Overworked Commodore stands. [...] A faction of the Starved Men have a weapon through which they mean to direct the sun on London. [...] "It has taken time for them to finish constructing—" [...] The Commodore grinds his teeth. "They are ready. Our reconnaissance flights have located the weapon. The fleet will move to destroy it. [...]"
  88. ↑ Give the order (Into the Cold, Black Yonder), Fallen London "Lines are cast off, ballast loosed. The [airship] drifts Roofwards. [...] You join the steady throng of air ships threading their way upwards."
  89. ↑ Plan of Attack, Fallen London "A thought occurs to him. He fixes his eyes on [...] Mr Pages' [...] Will you require a ship, or do you intend to..." [...] the searchlight glare of Mr Fires. [...] the silent Mr Iron [...] scrawls a reply. 'INDUSTRY SHALL BEAR US.' A talon flicks out to indicate Fires' personal airship [...]"
  90. ↑ Roof, Rocks, Ruin, Fallen London "[...] the first stalactite falls. [...] even those vessels quick enough to break up the larger rocks with cannon fire must contend with the resulting stony rain."
  91. ↑ Opening Salvoes, Fallen London "A shout goes up [...] Starved Men are descending, in balloons and under their own power. They strike at the hulls and the crew, or hurl handfuls of amber that dissolve or remake."
  92. ↑ Reach and Grasp, Fallen London "A large mass [...] you could mistake it for an errant member of the fleet – it has the size and approximate shape of an airship. [...] you see the knots of flesh that make up its hull. The great lungs that form its air envelope. The [...] Starved that have formed themselves into this thing."
  93. ↑ Bring your guns to bear, Fallen London "[...] the St Stalactites Saison ploughs through the lot of them at speed. The battle-brigade of Godfall's monks [...] grab hold of any Starved craft in range and assault them with gleeful cheer."
  94. ↑ 94.0 94.1 Proceed, unmolested, Fallen London "The Lifeship has been lying in wait. [...] it drags it down. The Starved craft, at least, talks back. The Lifeship rumbles happily as it ploughs towards the earth."
  95. ↑ This Wild Highness, Fallen London "Three dark shapes plummet from the bottom of Industry. [...] The first of the shapes spreads vast, membranous wings, [...] Claws gut the first Starved Man before it has seen the creature coming. The other two shapes unfurl, and the heights are quickly awash in blood. [...] One is brutal [...] carving each into bloody, bubbling chunks. Another pauses at each of its marks, [...] while a clawed hand simply brushes the skin. Those Starved scream as they fall. The last [...] the air shimmers around it, [...] the Starved whose blood boils within them, who find themselves indebted to the ground, [...] the air simply betrays and will allow no further passage."
  96. ↑ Opening Salvoes, Fallen London "The sudden changes in buoyancy cause vessels to sink towards London, or rise to pierce themselves on pointed rock."
  97. ↑ Take aim!, Fallen London "Bring every gun on the [airship] to bear on the Starved oculus. [...] Starved Men are vaulting from the roof onto the [airship] and clambering down to the deck. You have boarders."
  98. ↑ In Sight, Fallen London "Starved Men swarm the deck of the [airship]. London's fleet is in disarray behind you. Rock pours from the Roof like rain."
  99. ↑ In Sight, Fallen London "Ahead, the eye turns, slowly, haltingly, out to gaze upon London."
  100. ↑ In Sight, Fallen London "Something moves upon the Roof above the oculus. [...] The sound of stone on stone. Above the eye, the Roof is coming apart."
  101. ↑ Last Orders, Fallen London "The skin on the ceiling parts, [...] a core of stone – falls from the roof. And what follows [...] Sunlight. A tiny beam [...] The light touches the rock [...] From being magnified and projected down, even as it burns out its channel."
  102. ↑ Fly the (Airship) straight into the Starved weapon, Fallen London "You hold the course. You make yourself a dart. A missile of wood and flesh and fabric. A spear, thrown from London, to put one in the eye of those who would unmake it."
  103. ↑ Attempt to save yourself, Fallen London "You watch the [airship] [...] streaking towards the shattered stalactite. You have made her a dart. [...] A spear, thrown from London, to put out the eye of those who would unmake it."
  104. ↑ An End, at Last, Fallen London ""I know what it looks like when a city ends. It looks worse than this from here." [...] "And better.""
  105. ↑ The London Horticultural Show (Reprise), Fallen London
  106. ↑ Visit the community garden, Fallen London
  107. ↑ The London Horticultural Show (Reprise), Fallen London "The city has become exceptionally invested in the Horticultural Show. Londoners have spent weeks sweeping broken glass [...] filling in insurance forms, knocking down [...] those buildings too unsafe to let stand. After that ordeal, fungi, uncomfortable chairs, [...] are a blessed relief."
  108. ↑ Catch the eye of the Overworked Commodore, Fallen London "Who will command the airfleet [...] "No fleet to command. The craft that made it back are being stripped down and reconverted. Those that Fires didn't lay its claim to first," [...]"
  109. ↑ The London Horticultural Show (Reprise), Fallen London "Amid the the bedraggled-but-proud displays of flora, a nascent garden has emerged. No one decision was made. No one declared it should be what it is. Londoners just started planting."
  110. ↑ Visit the community garden, Fallen London "The 'garden' for now consists largely of a single raised bed. The sides are fashioned from discarded airship hull pieces. People wait patiently to lay in a spreading motley of plants and fungi."
  111. ↑ Approach the Starved Lithologer, Fallen London "They're the only one of their number that dared to come here. [...] "We... truly thought we were helping. I don't think that means much, but it is—" [...] "Unchanging. True." [...] "The city is changing back to what it was before. That is..." [...] "...something I would like to understand.""
  112. ↑ A Scion of a Starved Rose, Fallen London "Pale, flexile, and aromatic. Keep it in a vase of amber, and prepare to be surprised."
  113. ↑ The Peace Garden, Fallen London "A commotion goes up from the entrance – a Starved Man [...] is walking in. [...] He sweeps clear a knot of soil, places something inside, and steps back. [...] The 'rose' is grey [...] The folds of its petals put you more in mind of skin than leaves. [...] the Starved Man bows to the assembled Londoners. Some return the gesture. Others mutter ungraciously [...] Still others tighten their grip on their makeshift weapons."
  114. ↑ 114.0 114.1 The London Horticultural Show Awards Ceremony, Fallen London "The London Horticultural Show Awards Ceremony is being held [...] whichever plants could be salvaged (or photographs of plants; or verifiable eyewitness reports of plants) have been recovered. Judgement must be exercised upon them. Life must carry on."
  115. ↑ Inquire about the state of the Roof, Fallen London ""The Roof is healing." [...] "It is like a body." [...] "The oculus was a wound. The light, an infection. We help, too," [...] "with amber from the forgetting-places, and arts of unscarring. But the wound would heal without us.""
  116. ↑ Inveigle your way onto the delegation, Fallen London "You are called [...] to attend the meeting at the 'Starved Embassy' – the [...] remains of a fallen stalactite in Lady ______'s Watchmaker's Hill estate."
  117. ↑ A Cultural Exchange, Fallen London "[...] the events of that summer arose from a poor understanding of each others' existential idiom. In a bid to ensure that it cannot happen again, the Starved Lithologer has facilitated a cultural program where the two sides exchange gifts."
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