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==Oops! All Hands==
==Oops! All Hands==
<blockquote>''"How many hands does the Prester's Hand have?"''<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Associating_with_a_Youthful_Naturalist|Associating with a Youthful Naturalist 415|Fallen London|}}</ref></blockquote>The Sacristan's alternate title is more accurate than one might expect. Beneath its bulging peacoat<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Evade_the_right_arm|Evade the right arm|Fallen London|}} ''"Fabric shreds. Buttons bounce. The Second Sacristan's pea-coat bursts asunder at the seams, ripped by its own razor hands. More arms erupt from within."''</ref> is a being with ''infinite'' arms and hands.<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Negotiate_with_a_beckoning_hand|Negotiate with a beckoning hand|Fallen London|}} ''"You barely repulse one hand before twenty more lunge."''</ref><ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Abandon_ship!|Abandon ship!|Fallen London|}} ''"Birds burst from the hold. Bats flock into the air. Insects swarm – bees, frost-moths, butterflies – and a hundred thousand arms strain after them."''</ref> The Sacristan's arms are inscribed with the words of the Prester, written in the [[Correspondence]]:<ref name=":1">{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Climb_around_the_fingers|Climb around the fingers|Fallen London|}} ''"Only now do you notice the sigils inscribed on the arms, the long strings of calligraphy [...] A single glance, and suddenly the text burns in your brain:'' I am eternal. ''Again and again, repeating on each limb:'' And yet my reign is circumscrib’d by Law and Fate. ''Carved into every talon:'' I will feast at my funeral, and my child shall be my cup-bearer. [...] Yet I am generous: all shall feast.''"''</ref><blockquote>''I am eternal. And yet my reign is circumscrib’d by Law and Fate. I will feast at my funeral, and my child shall be my cup-bearer. Yet I am generous: all shall feast.<ref name=":1" />'' </blockquote>There is no face beneath its captain's hat and cravat; only ''more'' arms.<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Blessed_by_the_Prester%27s_Hand|Blessed by the Prester's Hand|Fallen London|}} ''"The Second Sacristan's pea-coat bulges. Massive lumps shift inside. Beneath the traditional captain's cap, you see no face, even at this close range. But concealed by the Sacristan's knotted cravat, there are more lumps where most zailors would have a face. Long arms extend with long claws at their ends. Too many elbows. Impossible joints. Segmented limbs that spread, prepared to seize you in their grip."''</ref> Even its eyes are gems inlaid in gold rings on its fingers.<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Beat_back_a_burning_hand|Beat back a burning hand|Fallen London|}} ''"You catch one final glimpse as the cravat unravels too: fingers for a face; ruby eyes stuck in gold rings. They sparkle through the smoke, glinting beneath the captain's cap..."''</ref> The only communication it appears to be capable of is a deafening screech.<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Negotiate_with_a_beckoning_hand|Negotiate with a beckoning hand|Fallen London|}} ''"Deep within the pea-coat, something like a low rumble develops. Rising in volume. Increasing until the Second Sacristan's screech could shatter glass."''</ref>
<blockquote>''"How many hands does the Prester's Hand have?"''<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Associating_with_a_Youthful_Naturalist|Associating with a Youthful Naturalist 415|Fallen London|}}</ref></blockquote>The Sacristan's alternate title is more accurate than one might expect. Beneath its bulging peacoat<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Evade_the_right_arm|Evade the right arm|Fallen London|}} ''"Fabric shreds. Buttons bounce. The Second Sacristan's pea-coat bursts asunder at the seams, ripped by its own razor hands. More arms erupt from within."''</ref> is a being with a potentially infinite number of arms and hands.<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Negotiate_with_a_beckoning_hand|Negotiate with a beckoning hand|Fallen London|}} ''"You barely repulse one hand before twenty more lunge."''</ref><ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Abandon_ship!|Abandon ship!|Fallen London|}} ''"Birds burst from the hold. Bats flock into the air. Insects swarm – bees, frost-moths, butterflies – and a hundred thousand arms strain after them."''</ref> The Sacristan's arms are inscribed with the words of the Prester, written in the [[Correspondence]]:<ref name=":1">{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Climb_around_the_fingers|Climb around the fingers|Fallen London|}} ''"Only now do you notice the sigils inscribed on the arms, the long strings of calligraphy [...] A single glance, and suddenly the text burns in your brain:'' I am eternal. ''Again and again, repeating on each limb:'' And yet my reign is circumscrib’d by Law and Fate. ''Carved into every talon:'' I will feast at my funeral, and my child shall be my cup-bearer. [...] Yet I am generous: all shall feast.''"''</ref><blockquote>''I am eternal. And yet my reign is circumscrib’d by Law and Fate. I will feast at my funeral, and my child shall be my cup-bearer. Yet I am generous: all shall feast.<ref name=":1" />'' </blockquote>There is no face beneath its captain's hat and cravat; only ''more'' arms.<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Blessed_by_the_Prester%27s_Hand|Blessed by the Prester's Hand|Fallen London|}} ''"The Second Sacristan's pea-coat bulges. Massive lumps shift inside. Beneath the traditional captain's cap, you see no face, even at this close range. But concealed by the Sacristan's knotted cravat, there are more lumps where most zailors would have a face. Long arms extend with long claws at their ends. Too many elbows. Impossible joints. Segmented limbs that spread, prepared to seize you in their grip."''</ref> Even its eyes are gems inlaid in gold rings on its fingers.<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Beat_back_a_burning_hand|Beat back a burning hand|Fallen London|}} ''"You catch one final glimpse as the cravat unravels too: fingers for a face; ruby eyes stuck in gold rings. They sparkle through the smoke, glinting beneath the captain's cap..."''</ref> The only communication it appears to be capable of is a deafening screech.<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Negotiate_with_a_beckoning_hand|Negotiate with a beckoning hand|Fallen London|}} ''"Deep within the pea-coat, something like a low rumble develops. Rising in volume. Increasing until the Second Sacristan's screech could shatter glass."''</ref>


==References==
==References==
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Revision as of 06:21, 14 November 2024

"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.


"You said 'Sacristan'. On the Delight, I said 'Commander'. Same person, if that monster can be called a person."[1]

The Second Sacristan is an agent of the Presbyterate[2] who directly enforces the Prester's will[3] and serves as the commander of the Delight.[4] Also known as the Prester's Hand,[5] they oversee the recruitment of sailors to the Presbyterate's forces,[6] and the handling and punishment of prisoners aboard the Delight. The latter duty includes the administration[7] and removal[8] of the infamous Traitor-Tongues.

The Sacristan appears to be an unusually tall and gangly humanoid wearing a peacoat,[9] a zailor's cap, and a cravat.[10] They have clawed limbs[9] that feature an alarming number of joints.[11] Their cabin is lit by hundreds of candles,[12] some of which were once human.[13] The Delight's masked sailors[14] see the Sacristan as a haloed saint or other divine figure.[15]

Oops! All Hands

"How many hands does the Prester's Hand have?"[16]

The Sacristan's alternate title is more accurate than one might expect. Beneath its bulging peacoat[17] is a being with a potentially infinite number of arms and hands.[18][19] The Sacristan's arms are inscribed with the words of the Prester, written in the Correspondence:[20]

I am eternal. And yet my reign is circumscrib’d by Law and Fate. I will feast at my funeral, and my child shall be my cup-bearer. Yet I am generous: all shall feast.[20]

There is no face beneath its captain's hat and cravat; only more arms.[21] Even its eyes are gems inlaid in gold rings on its fingers.[22] The only communication it appears to be capable of is a deafening screech.[23]

References

  1. ↑ Ask about the Second Sacristan, Fallen London
  2. ↑ Ask about the Second Sacristan, Fallen London "She goes on to explain how the Mithridate Office enlisted mercenaries for the College of Mortality. "The money? Too good to refuse." But despite Nidah's deep coffers, their soldiers, their ships, they only sent one agent of their own. "Wanted to avoid official deployment, which is why the Commander hired so many low-life criminals – such as yours truly.""
  3. ↑ Look closer at the Delight, Fallen London "When the Prester sat down to His table – so the story goes – He bade His cup-bearer to wait always at His right hand. But the table was too long. He needed a second cup-bearer to bring wine from the other end. Larger, stronger than the first, in order to carry the wine. [...] And this second cup-bearer He bade to wait at His left hand, until such times as He saw fit to send someone on errands. To the market and so forth. [...] Cup-bearer is a rough translation. Verger. Valet. Butler. Sacristan. Call it whatever you like, but you don't want to be brought back from the market."
  4. ↑ Observe the enemy ship, Fallen London "[...]awaiting orders from her gaunt and towering commander: the Second Sacristan."
  5. ↑ Ask about the Second Sacristan, Fallen London "Get her to tell you everything she knows about the Prester's Hand."
  6. ↑ Ask about the Second Sacristan, Fallen London "She goes on to explain how the Mithridate Office enlisted mercenaries for the College of Mortality. [...] When she first met the Prester's Hand, in a dilapidated warehouse near the docks, she found the shabby scenery "funny" after the riches the Mithridate Office had promised. Other zailors were there. Then the Sacristan opened a bag filled with masks. "After that, none of us cared about the money anymore.""
  7. ↑ The Traitor Tongue Speaks, Fallen London "Into the Youthful Naturalist's mouth, the Second Sacristan has poured truth itself. Truth is something that shines like a blood-red ruby. Its light sparkles behind his teeth. It shimmers on his lips. The Second Sacristan leans forward to listen, and what the Youthful Naturalist says – each word he speaks – resonates with the music of the spheres."
  8. ↑ Administering the Prester's Justice, Fallen London "The Shrouded Captive would scream, but his tongue is slipping down his throat – pulled backward as you labour together with the Prester's agents. [...] They have hooked something inside, something that squirms. [...] His tongue is no mere tongue. It is the squirming thing: the front end, as it were, if the Masked Corsairs have caught the back."
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Look closer at the Delight, Fallen London "And towering over them by at least three feet, wrapped in a great pea-coat buttoned snug as a straitjacket, their commander also lifts a spy-glass with a gangly, clawed limb – to look at you."
  10. ↑ Look closer at the Delight, Fallen London "You cannot see the commander's face. An excessively knotted cravat obscures any mouth or nose, and the traditional zailor's cap covers the rest. "
  11. ↑ Observe the enemy ship, Fallen London "At this range, you can see how the Sacristan's pea-coat, buttoned so tightly, is nevertheless bulging like an overstuffed sausage. The Sacristan raises a limb – triple, quadruple, no, at least quintuple-jointed [...]"
  12. ↑ Enter the Second Sacristan's cabin, Fallen London "Candles glow, hundreds, around the cabin. Their wicks are fiery beams, as if the world were a stained-glass window and the candles were cracks through which sunlight could directly pour. [...] All the corsairs, kneeling, bright with glory that shines from without and also from within. They are panes in the stained-glass. Their bodies are living light. They line the walls, bowed before their radiant captain..."
  13. ↑ Enter the Second Sacristan's cabin, Fallen London "Candles burn throughout the cabin. Rather large candles. Hundreds amassed like humans huddled for warmth – and some are humans. Empty skin filled with wax; flames guttering in scooped eyes; wicks woven from greasy hair. Corpse-fat to feed the fire."
  14. ↑ Look closer at the Delight, Fallen London "Other zailors aboard the Delight are wearing masks. Lacquer. Stone. Something smooth like tallow or beeswax."
  15. ↑ Enter the Second Sacristan's cabin, Fallen London "...for nothing shines more than the Second Sacristan. Sleeves streaming with sunbeams. Haloed. Bearing a golden cup upon a silver plate. The cup brims with pure honesty."
  16. ↑ Associating with a Youthful Naturalist 415, Fallen London
  17. ↑ Evade the right arm, Fallen London "Fabric shreds. Buttons bounce. The Second Sacristan's pea-coat bursts asunder at the seams, ripped by its own razor hands. More arms erupt from within."
  18. ↑ Negotiate with a beckoning hand, Fallen London "You barely repulse one hand before twenty more lunge."
  19. ↑ Abandon ship!, Fallen London "Birds burst from the hold. Bats flock into the air. Insects swarm – bees, frost-moths, butterflies – and a hundred thousand arms strain after them."
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 Climb around the fingers, Fallen London "Only now do you notice the sigils inscribed on the arms, the long strings of calligraphy [...] A single glance, and suddenly the text burns in your brain: I am eternal. Again and again, repeating on each limb: And yet my reign is circumscrib’d by Law and Fate. Carved into every talon: I will feast at my funeral, and my child shall be my cup-bearer. [...] Yet I am generous: all shall feast."
  21. ↑ Blessed by the Prester's Hand, Fallen London "The Second Sacristan's pea-coat bulges. Massive lumps shift inside. Beneath the traditional captain's cap, you see no face, even at this close range. But concealed by the Sacristan's knotted cravat, there are more lumps where most zailors would have a face. Long arms extend with long claws at their ends. Too many elbows. Impossible joints. Segmented limbs that spread, prepared to seize you in their grip."
  22. ↑ Beat back a burning hand, Fallen London "You catch one final glimpse as the cravat unravels too: fingers for a face; ruby eyes stuck in gold rings. They sparkle through the smoke, glinting beneath the captain's cap..."
  23. ↑ Negotiate with a beckoning hand, Fallen London "Deep within the pea-coat, something like a low rumble develops. Rising in volume. Increasing until the Second Sacristan's screech could shatter glass."
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