Mr Eaten

"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.)

WARNING: As the focus of Fallen London's most infamous and masochistic storyline, any information related to Mr Eaten constitutes a major spoiler by definition. Although certain elements of his backstory and ultimate fate are closely guarded secrets, there is still much publicly available lore that many would prefer to learn on their own. Proceed at your own risk.

"The light on the edge of sleep was mine. I was Mr Candles. I will not be again."

Mr Eaten, an inescapable, sagacious and perilous of some especially unspecified gender. Something is wrong here. Formerly known as Mr Candles and also known as the Drowned Man, was one of the thirteen Masters of the Bazaar, overseeing trade in lamps and candles and holding authority over dreams. The circumstances surrounding its 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 though, a reckoning will not be postponed indefinitely.

What Mr Eaten Was

Mr Candles was one of the thirteen Masters of the Bazaar, overseeing trade in lamps and candles as well as holding authority over dreams. It may also have been responsible for brokering the Bazaar's contract with the Flukes of Axile (you may remember Axile as the planet the Rubbery Men hail from). He along with Mr Cups are likely responsible for the Fall of the First City. Mr Candles had an unusual fondness for the Second City, and became a willing partner in its imprisonment of the Bazaar. This, in addition to certain other transgressions, led both the Bazaar and the notoriously impatient Mr Veils to decide that it had become a liability.

The Death of.. well, "What Eaten Used to Be"

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. Mr Veils lured Mr Candles to the Third City under false pretenses of friendship, but this was in fact a betrayal. Mr Candles was drowned in a well underneath a temple (assumed to be Kingeater's Castle), and the priest-kings consumed its flesh, becoming the God-Eaters. Its remains were likely buried somewhere in the northernmost reaches of the Neath. Following Candles' death, the Masters erased all records of its existence and knowledge of its name.

Post-Death

Mr Eaten still holds considerable power and influence over the Neath, despite its death. It is capable of projecting its voice from the roar of deep water or as an echo from wells, but is at its most powerful in Parabola, and as such it communicates mainly through dreams. It holds a bitter grudge against the Bazaar and the Masters, and Veils in particular, and is actively seeking revenge against them. He seems to have a strong influence in the northern area of Void's Approach, and his worshipers can be found in the utterly terrifying Chapel of Lights. Mr Eaten is allied closely with the Lorn-Flukes, and has its own human servants, known as Seekers of the Name, who receive its commands through dreams. Dreams sent by Mr Eaten generally involve themes of water, candles, and cannibalism, as well as an overarching command to travel North. Seven candles for seven false saints. Seven is the number. Seven is the number. All shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well.