The Cantigaster: Difference between revisions
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<blockquote>''"You can see immediately that the Cantigaster was once a man. Now he is a living, shuddering sac of poison. His flesh swells green and soft like rotting fruit. Foul venoms ooze beneath his skin."''</blockquote> | <blockquote>''"You can see immediately that the Cantigaster was once a man. Now he is a living, shuddering sac of poison. His flesh swells green and soft like rotting fruit. Foul venoms ooze beneath his skin."''<ref name=":3" /></blockquote> | ||
'''The Cantigaster''' is a bloated and horrifying creature, which possesses—and oozes—the deadliest venom known to man. | '''The Cantigaster''' is a bloated and horrifying creature, which possesses—and oozes—the deadliest venom known to man. | ||
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==A Permanent Form of Death== | ==A Permanent Form of Death== | ||
Cantigaster venom can bring a more permanent form of [[death]] than that usually suffered by residents of the Neath, and it works best when applied to a blade,<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/A_careful_sort A careful sort, ''Fallen London''] ''"Cantigaster's venom works best on a blade, but it does the job handily in coffee. You slip away as the screaming and thrashing begins."''</ref> though it expires fast.<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Catching_a_mystery Catching a mystery, ''Fallen London''] ''"Your Cantigaster venom probably won't even last until morning."''</ref> It can be dried to retain its deadly effects.<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Arrange_a_major_betrayal Arrange a major betrayal, ''Fallen London''] ''"[…] you remembered to wear gloves, but one must also not absentmindedly handle one's lunch right after touching dried cantigaster venom. Finding the right antidotes keeps you from the game for an afternoon. And you've lost your taste for tinned ham […]"''</ref> The [[The Cheery Man|Cheery Man]] was poisoned with half a drop of Cantigaster venom, which left him barely able to walk<ref name=":2">{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/Blind_Bruiser|Blind Bruiser|Sunless Sea|}} ''"My employer is a gentleman of considerable vitality and also humour. However, and as much as it pains me to say, he is not the man he was. Years ago, an ingrate of no current importance poisoned him with Cantigaster venom, and he hasn't been right since. Can't walk, most days. I have made what may yet transpire to be a rash promise to restore him, and I am hereby solicitin' your assistance."''</ref> and do other things.<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Hint_that_you_might_want_to_stay_the_night Hint that you might want to stay the night, ''Fallen London''] ''"You're out of luck, my friend," he slurs. "Time was... but it's Cantigaster venom, y'see. Not even a drop. Half a drop. But I can't hardly stir from this chair. And I can't hardly stir, if you take my meaning. So off home with you. Sleep well."''</ref> Even its vapours are dangerous, as one sniff took away the [[The Sardonic Music-Hall Singer|Sardonic Music-Hall Singer]]'s colleague's voice.<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Join_her_in_her_rooms_2 Join her in her rooms 2, ''Fallen London''] ''"It was just a sniff! It's not like she drunk it. I didn't mean to take her voice completely."''</ref> | <blockquote>''"Only poison I know that's strong enough to kill for sure. And I've personal 'istory to back that up. Should be undetectable. Keeps things fair."''<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Procuring_Cantigaster_Venom_(Cheery_Man) Procuring Cantigaster Venom, ''Fallen London'']</ref></blockquote>Cantigaster venom can bring a more permanent form of [[death]] than that usually suffered by residents of the Neath, and it works best when applied to a blade,<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/A_careful_sort A careful sort, ''Fallen London''] ''"Cantigaster's venom works best on a blade, but it does the job handily in coffee. You slip away as the screaming and thrashing begins."''</ref> though it expires fast.<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Catching_a_mystery Catching a mystery, ''Fallen London''] ''"Your Cantigaster venom probably won't even last until morning."''</ref> It can be dried to retain its deadly effects.<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Arrange_a_major_betrayal Arrange a major betrayal, ''Fallen London''] ''"[…] you remembered to wear gloves, but one must also not absentmindedly handle one's lunch right after touching dried cantigaster venom. Finding the right antidotes keeps you from the game for an afternoon. And you've lost your taste for tinned ham […]"''</ref> It is undetectable to the normal eye if dissolved into another liquid.<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Procuring_Cantigaster_Venom_(Cheery_Man) Procuring Cantigaster Venom, ''Fallen London''] ''"Only poison I know that's strong enough to kill for sure. And I've personal 'istory to back that up. Should be undetectable. Keeps things fair."''</ref> | ||
The [[The Cheery Man|Cheery Man]] was poisoned with half a drop of Cantigaster venom, which left him barely able to walk<ref name=":2">{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/Blind_Bruiser|Blind Bruiser|Sunless Sea|}} ''"My employer is a gentleman of considerable vitality and also humour. However, and as much as it pains me to say, he is not the man he was. Years ago, an ingrate of no current importance poisoned him with Cantigaster venom, and he hasn't been right since. Can't walk, most days. I have made what may yet transpire to be a rash promise to restore him, and I am hereby solicitin' your assistance."''</ref> and do other things.<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Hint_that_you_might_want_to_stay_the_night Hint that you might want to stay the night, ''Fallen London''] ''"You're out of luck, my friend," he slurs. "Time was... but it's Cantigaster venom, y'see. Not even a drop. Half a drop. But I can't hardly stir from this chair. And I can't hardly stir, if you take my meaning. So off home with you. Sleep well."''</ref> Even its vapours are dangerous, as one sniff took away the [[The Sardonic Music-Hall Singer|Sardonic Music-Hall Singer]]'s colleague's voice.<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Join_her_in_her_rooms_2 Join her in her rooms 2, ''Fallen London''] ''"It was just a sniff! It's not like she drunk it. I didn't mean to take her voice completely."''</ref> | |||
[[The Masters of the Bazaar]] are immune to Cantigaster venom.<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Conduct_your_own_researches Conduct your own researches, ''Fallen London''] ''"[...] Cantigaster's venom has been proven to be ineffective against the Masters (Cf the case of the Emerald Harlequin). [...]"''</ref> It's possible that the Duchess is also immune; after all, she is not very careful with her procedures.<ref name=":0">[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Set_forth_into_the_cellars Set forth into the cellars, Fallen ''London''] ''"[...] Foul venoms ooze beneath his skin. The Duchess kisses him fondly and they embrace. [...]"''</ref> | [[The Masters of the Bazaar]] are immune to Cantigaster venom.<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Conduct_your_own_researches Conduct your own researches, ''Fallen London''] ''"[...] Cantigaster's venom has been proven to be ineffective against the Masters (Cf the case of the Emerald Harlequin). [...]"''</ref> It's possible that the Duchess is also immune; after all, she is not very careful with her procedures.<ref name=":0">[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Set_forth_into_the_cellars Set forth into the cellars, Fallen ''London''] ''"[...] Foul venoms ooze beneath his skin. The Duchess kisses him fondly and they embrace. [...]"''</ref> | ||
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<blockquote>''"The Duchess kisses him fondly and they embrace. You watch as the Duchess... as she milks the poison from his skin. The Cantigaster sighs with relief as his venoms trickle into a stone bucket. The Duchess looks up. Has she seen you? You flee the cellar."''<ref name=":0" /></blockquote> | <blockquote>''"The Duchess kisses him fondly and they embrace. You watch as the Duchess... as she milks the poison from his skin. The Cantigaster sighs with relief as his venoms trickle into a stone bucket. The Duchess looks up. Has she seen you? You flee the cellar."''<ref name=":0" /></blockquote> | ||
The Cantigaster is locked away in the [[The Shuttered Palace|Palace]] cellars, where it is occasionally attended to by the [[Duchess]].<ref name=":1" /> Beneath the oozing, swollen flesh of the monster is the Duchess's father-husband,<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Speak_to_the_Postlapsarian_Synod_on_the_Eucharist Speak to the Postlapsarian Synod on the Eucharist, ''Fallen London''] ''"…oh, no, no. She’s far older than that. Before Anthony’s time, certainly. And I think she’s his daughter, not his sister-wife. And we don’t talk about him in mixed company."''</ref> bitten by an asp, a twenty-foot long Egyptian cobra with midnight blue belly and potent venom in its fangs,<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Breed_the_Plated_Seal_2 Breed the Plated Seal 2, ''Fallen London''] ''"Some time later, the trap door opens and something appears, slithering on a midnight blue belly. A cobra! It must be twenty feet long. The venom dripping from its fangs leaves smoking holes in the stone roof the size of grapes. Its hood bears the Correspondence symbol for ‘A gift to remind a woman of something best forgotten'"''</ref> before the fall of the Second City in Egypt. The snake was sent by the Duchess, who wanted to kill her father in order to be with her lover, a scribe.<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/The_Calendar_Code The Calendar Code, ''Fallen London''] ''"She kills her betrothed. She kills him with a snake. To be with her lover, the scribe." The translator shakes his head. "The scribe knows it can never be. He knows they will find out, and they will come for him. He writes that he is already dead. And the betrothed doesn't even die. He becomes—"''</ref> She regretted this action immediately<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Breath_of_the_Void My Kingdom for a Pig, ''Fallen London''] ''"Dart, little snake, dart. Bite, little snake, bite. Sink your fangs until your venom wells from welts as red as treachery. Come, little snake, come. I'll stroke your head. Now my betrothed is dead. What, little snake, have I done? What, little snake, have I done?"''</ref><ref>''[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/The_Calendar_Code The Calendar Code, Fallen London] "'Love is intoxicating, overwhelming. Age, status, rank – they offer no immunity. In the grip of love I did something I will always regret. I will never be free from the consequences, and suffer deeply for my actions then. Yet I still cherish the moments that led me there. I can never forget, and I do not want to."''</ref> and bargained with the [[Bazaar]] to save the pharaoh's life in exchange for her city.<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/%27...look_forward_so_very_much_to_your_next_visit...%27 '...look forward so very much to your next visit...', ''Fallen London''] ''"A long time ago... three cities ago in fact... when I was more than a Duchess, but still a friend to cats... I was betrothed. I loved him a great deal, and when a serpent stung him, I was distraught. I would have done anything to save him. The Bazaar knew as much. [...]"''</ref><ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Breath_of_the_Void My Kingdom for a Pig, ''Fallen London''] ''"You had to do it, didn't you? But now you have a choice. High on the palace balcony, above the purple riverbank, they wait until the glyphs have dried – a disc; a tool embedded in a block – to collect the contract. Remember, above all, the sun will always rise somewhere."''</ref> Whatever methods the Masters devised to save his life did the job and he lived on, but it also left him in this tormented state.<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Set_forth_into_the_cellars Set forth into the cellars, Fallen ''London''] ''"You can see immediately that the Cantigaster was once a man. Now he is a living, shuddering sac of poison. His flesh swells green and soft like rotting fruit. Foul venoms ooze beneath his skin."''</ref> | The Cantigaster is locked away in the [[The Shuttered Palace|Palace]] cellars, where it is occasionally attended to by the [[Duchess]].<ref name=":1" /> Beneath the oozing, swollen flesh of the monster is the Duchess's father-husband,<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Speak_to_the_Postlapsarian_Synod_on_the_Eucharist Speak to the Postlapsarian Synod on the Eucharist, ''Fallen London''] ''"…oh, no, no. She’s far older than that. Before Anthony’s time, certainly. And I think she’s his daughter, not his sister-wife. And we don’t talk about him in mixed company."''</ref> bitten by an asp, a twenty-foot long Egyptian cobra with midnight blue belly and potent venom in its fangs,<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Breed_the_Plated_Seal_2 Breed the Plated Seal 2, ''Fallen London''] ''"Some time later, the trap door opens and something appears, slithering on a midnight blue belly. A cobra! It must be twenty feet long. The venom dripping from its fangs leaves smoking holes in the stone roof the size of grapes. Its hood bears the Correspondence symbol for ‘A gift to remind a woman of something best forgotten'"''</ref> before the fall of the [[The Second City|Second City]] in Egypt. The snake was sent by the Duchess, who wanted to kill her father in order to be with her lover, a scribe.<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/The_Calendar_Code The Calendar Code, ''Fallen London''] ''"She kills her betrothed. She kills him with a snake. To be with her lover, the scribe." The translator shakes his head. "The scribe knows it can never be. He knows they will find out, and they will come for him. He writes that he is already dead. And the betrothed doesn't even die. He becomes—"''</ref> She regretted this action immediately<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Breath_of_the_Void My Kingdom for a Pig, ''Fallen London''] ''"Dart, little snake, dart. Bite, little snake, bite. Sink your fangs until your venom wells from welts as red as treachery. Come, little snake, come. I'll stroke your head. Now my betrothed is dead. What, little snake, have I done? What, little snake, have I done?"''</ref><ref>''[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/The_Calendar_Code The Calendar Code, Fallen London] "'Love is intoxicating, overwhelming. Age, status, rank – they offer no immunity. In the grip of love I did something I will always regret. I will never be free from the consequences, and suffer deeply for my actions then. Yet I still cherish the moments that led me there. I can never forget, and I do not want to."''</ref> and bargained with the [[Bazaar]] to save the pharaoh's life in exchange for her city.<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/%27...look_forward_so_very_much_to_your_next_visit...%27 '...look forward so very much to your next visit...', ''Fallen London''] ''"A long time ago... three cities ago in fact... when I was more than a Duchess, but still a friend to cats... I was betrothed. I loved him a great deal, and when a serpent stung him, I was distraught. I would have done anything to save him. The Bazaar knew as much. [...]"''</ref><ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Breath_of_the_Void My Kingdom for a Pig, ''Fallen London''] ''"You had to do it, didn't you? But now you have a choice. High on the palace balcony, above the purple riverbank, they wait until the glyphs have dried – a disc; a tool embedded in a block – to collect the contract. Remember, above all, the sun will always rise somewhere."''</ref> Whatever methods the Masters devised to save his life did the job and he lived on, but it also left him in this tormented state.<ref name=":3">[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Set_forth_into_the_cellars Set forth into the cellars, Fallen ''London''] ''"You can see immediately that the Cantigaster was once a man. Now he is a living, shuddering sac of poison. His flesh swells green and soft like rotting fruit. Foul venoms ooze beneath his skin."''</ref> | ||
The Duchess still visits him at midnight each Sunday, in the third wine cellar under the Shuttered Palace,<ref name=":1">[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Making_Your_Name:_The_Duchess_and_the_Cantigaster Making Your Name: The Duchess and the Cantigaster, ''Fallen London''] ''"It's Sunday, approaching midnight. The servant said that you'd learn what you needed to in the third wine cellar."''</ref> to milk venom out of his skin and bring him relief; what she takes away, presumably, is Cantigaster venom.<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Set_forth_into_the_cellars Set forth into the cellars, Fallen ''London''] ''"[...] You watch as the Duchess... as she milks the poison from his skin. The Cantigaster sighs with relief as his venoms trickle into a stone bucket. [...]"''</ref> | The Duchess still visits him at midnight each Sunday, in the third wine cellar under the Shuttered Palace,<ref name=":1">[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Making_Your_Name:_The_Duchess_and_the_Cantigaster Making Your Name: The Duchess and the Cantigaster, ''Fallen London''] ''"It's Sunday, approaching midnight. The servant said that you'd learn what you needed to in the third wine cellar."''</ref> to milk venom out of his skin and bring him relief; what she takes away, presumably, is Cantigaster venom.<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Set_forth_into_the_cellars Set forth into the cellars, Fallen ''London''] ''"[...] You watch as the Duchess... as she milks the poison from his skin. The Cantigaster sighs with relief as his venoms trickle into a stone bucket. [...]"''</ref> The Duchess sends him to [[Parabola]] sometimes.<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Untapped_wealth Untapped wealth, ''Fallen London''] ''"[...] But a deep pond comes up with something startling. It claims to remember when the Cantigaster was 'his real self, before the asp bit and the pact was sealed. That's why they won't abide talk of that place, you know. She's still there, though, isn't she? Sending him to Parabola when she wants, no doubt. Sometimes the Clay come back here and tell the rest of us these things. Don't you go thinking we live in the past all the time.'"''</ref> | ||
There are some implications that the Pharaoh<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Hand_over_a_multitude_of_scraps_for_a_Breath_of_the_Void Hand over a multitude of scraps for a Breath of the Void, ''Fallen London''] ''"The Shivering Relicker hasn't shown up in person: she's just given Pinnock a note for you. It reads "This is the sound of an invocation made by the Pharaoh to the Bazaar. Don't let it out.""''</ref> had a more active part in securing the deal between the Bazaar and the Second City.<ref>[https://sunlesssea.fandom.com/wiki/Dreams_of_a_City Listen, ''Sunless Sea''] ''"There is an air of celebration. As with many languages spoken in dreams, you understand the meaning without understanding the words: a great disaster has been averted, the King's folly is ended by the Princess' cunning, the heralds of night are bound. [...]"''</ref><ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Breath_of_the_Void My Kingdom for a Pig, ''Fallen London''] ''"He will open his mouth to the stars. He will scream until his voice is gone, until his lungs are filled with blood, until the void between the stars opens between his teeth. And his daughters will bow, and his priests and attendants will pray, and the horizon will part like a sleeper's eyelids at sunrise."''</ref> | There are some implications that the Pharaoh<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Hand_over_a_multitude_of_scraps_for_a_Breath_of_the_Void Hand over a multitude of scraps for a Breath of the Void, ''Fallen London''] ''"The Shivering Relicker hasn't shown up in person: she's just given Pinnock a note for you. It reads "This is the sound of an invocation made by the Pharaoh to the Bazaar. Don't let it out.""''</ref> had a more active part in securing the deal between the Bazaar and the Second City.<ref>[https://sunlesssea.fandom.com/wiki/Dreams_of_a_City Listen, ''Sunless Sea''] ''"There is an air of celebration. As with many languages spoken in dreams, you understand the meaning without understanding the words: a great disaster has been averted, the King's folly is ended by the Princess' cunning, the heralds of night are bound. [...]"''</ref><ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Breath_of_the_Void My Kingdom for a Pig, ''Fallen London''] ''"He will open his mouth to the stars. He will scream until his voice is gone, until his lungs are filled with blood, until the void between the stars opens between his teeth. And his daughters will bow, and his priests and attendants will pray, and the horizon will part like a sleeper's eyelids at sunrise."''</ref> | ||
Revision as of 11:10, 13 March 2025
"You can see immediately that the Cantigaster was once a man. Now he is a living, shuddering sac of poison. His flesh swells green and soft like rotting fruit. Foul venoms ooze beneath his skin."[1]
The Cantigaster is a bloated and horrifying creature, which possesses—and oozes—the deadliest venom known to man.
A Permanent Form of Death
"Only poison I know that's strong enough to kill for sure. And I've personal 'istory to back that up. Should be undetectable. Keeps things fair."[2]
Cantigaster venom can bring a more permanent form of death than that usually suffered by residents of the Neath, and it works best when applied to a blade,[3] though it expires fast.[4] It can be dried to retain its deadly effects.[5] It is undetectable to the normal eye if dissolved into another liquid.[6]
The Cheery Man was poisoned with half a drop of Cantigaster venom, which left him barely able to walk[7] and do other things.[8] Even its vapours are dangerous, as one sniff took away the Sardonic Music-Hall Singer's colleague's voice.[9]
The Masters of the Bazaar are immune to Cantigaster venom.[10] It's possible that the Duchess is also immune; after all, she is not very careful with her procedures.[11]
What He Was
|
Beyond this point lie major spoilers for Fallen London, Sunless Sea, Sunless Skies, or Mask of the Rose. This may include endgame or major Fate-locked spoilers. Proceed at your own risk. You can find out more about our spoiler policy here. |
"The Duchess kisses him fondly and they embrace. You watch as the Duchess... as she milks the poison from his skin. The Cantigaster sighs with relief as his venoms trickle into a stone bucket. The Duchess looks up. Has she seen you? You flee the cellar."[11]
The Cantigaster is locked away in the Palace cellars, where it is occasionally attended to by the Duchess.[12] Beneath the oozing, swollen flesh of the monster is the Duchess's father-husband,[13] bitten by an asp, a twenty-foot long Egyptian cobra with midnight blue belly and potent venom in its fangs,[14] before the fall of the Second City in Egypt. The snake was sent by the Duchess, who wanted to kill her father in order to be with her lover, a scribe.[15] She regretted this action immediately[16][17] and bargained with the Bazaar to save the pharaoh's life in exchange for her city.[18][19] Whatever methods the Masters devised to save his life did the job and he lived on, but it also left him in this tormented state.[1]
The Duchess still visits him at midnight each Sunday, in the third wine cellar under the Shuttered Palace,[12] to milk venom out of his skin and bring him relief; what she takes away, presumably, is Cantigaster venom.[20] The Duchess sends him to Parabola sometimes.[21]
There are some implications that the Pharaoh[22] had a more active part in securing the deal between the Bazaar and the Second City.[23][24]
Historical Inspirations
The Cantigaster's true identity is the Pharaoh Akhenaten—the Duchess's father. Born as Amenhotep IV, he ascended the throne and reshaped Egyptian religion, casting aside the traditional pantheon in favor of Aten, the sun disk, as the supreme deity. To solidify this radical shift, he abandoned Thebes and established a new capital: Akhetaten (modern-day Amarna), a city devoted entirely to his monotheistic vision. His reign marked one of the most dramatic religious transformations in Egyptian history.
Akhenaten’s family life has long been a subject of fascination and debate among scholars. His Great Royal Wife, Nefertiti, was renowned for her beauty, influence, and possible co-regency. Together, they had six daughters: Meritaten, Meketaten, Ankhesenpaaten (later Ankhesenamun), Neferneferuaten Tasherit, Neferneferure, and Setepenre. He also had a lesser-documented wife, Kiya, whose exact role in his court remains unknown.
Some Egyptologists have suggested that Akhenaten may have married one or more of his daughters—a practice not uncommon among Egyptian royalty to preserve dynastic purity. Meritaten, his eldest, bore titles that imply she may have served as his consort. However, definitive proof of these marriages remains elusive, leaving the subject open to debate among Egyptologists.
References
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