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Are the people of Whither quiet and reserved? Do their diets mainly consist of cave-fish, beasts from the Pale Wastes, and passable beer? Do the constables of Whither give unclear sentence lengths, and does Whither have a mayor?<ref>{{FLCitation|https://sunlesssea.gamepedia.com/Whither#Interactions|Shore leave in Whither|Sunless Sea|}}</ref> Are there vendors in Whither who sell various forms of zee-food, like [[Food_in_the_Neath#Tyrant.27s_Treat|tyrant's treat]] or shredded [[:Category:Creatures#Jillyfleurs%20and%20Jillyfish|jillyfish]]?<ref>{{FLCitation|https://sunlesssea.gamepedia.com/An_Intriguing_Smell|Try something mysterious|Sunless Sea|}}</ref><ref>{{FLCitation|https://sunlesssea.gamepedia.com/An_Intriguing_Smell|Try the shredded jillyfish|Sunless Sea|}}</ref> Do these salesmen also have meats to accommodate... other hungers?<ref>{{FLCitation|https://sunlesssea.gamepedia.com/An_Intriguing_Smell|“Do you have anything more... robust?”|Sunless Sea|}}</ref>  
Are the people of Whither quiet and reserved? Do their diets mainly consist of cave-fish, beasts from the Pale Wastes, and passable beer? Do the constables of Whither give unclear sentence lengths, and does Whither have a mayor?<ref>{{FLCitation|https://sunlesssea.gamepedia.com/Whither#Interactions|Shore leave in Whither|Sunless Sea|}}</ref> Are there vendors in Whither who sell various forms of zee-food, like [[Food_in_the_Neath#Tyrant.27s_Treat|tyrant's treat]] or shredded [[:Category:Creatures#Jillyfleurs%20and%20Jillyfish|jillyfish]]?<ref>{{FLCitation|https://sunlesssea.gamepedia.com/An_Intriguing_Smell|Try something mysterious|Sunless Sea|}}</ref><ref>{{FLCitation|https://sunlesssea.gamepedia.com/An_Intriguing_Smell|Try the shredded jillyfish|Sunless Sea|}}</ref> Do these salesmen also have meats to accommodate... other hungers?<ref>{{FLCitation|https://sunlesssea.gamepedia.com/An_Intriguing_Smell|“Do you have anything more... robust?”|Sunless Sea|}}</ref>  


Are the people of Whither obsessed with riddles, holding the high-stakes '''Contest of Riddles''' to wager on guessing the correct answer?<ref>{{FLCitation|https://sunlesssea.gamepedia.com/A_Contest_of_Riddles|Event description|Sunless Sea|}}</ref> Do these Contests include [[Drownies]] as participants, who stake the '''Riddles of Pearls''' from the court of the [[Fathomking]],<ref>{{FLCitation|https://sunlesssea.gamepedia.com/A_Contest_of_Riddles|Attempt one of the Riddles of Pearl|Sunless Sea|}}</ref> as well as players from [[Irem]], staking the legendary '''Great Riddles of Irem'''?<ref>{{FLCitation|https://sunlesssea.gamepedia.com/A_Contest_of_Riddles|Attempt one of the Great Riddles of Irem|Sunless Sea|}}</ref> Do Whithern and Iremi engage in rivalries of rhetoric at [[Frostfound]] to determine the difference between a question and a riddle, calling it the '''Game of Truths'''? Is the winner of this game allowed to enter Frostfound without risk?<ref>{{FLCitation|https://sunlesssea.gamepedia.com/Frostfound#Frostfound|Take tea with the squatters at the dock|Sunless Sea|}}</ref>
Are the people of Whither obsessed with riddles, holding high-stakes '''Contests of Riddles''' to wager on guessing correct answers?<ref>{{FLCitation|https://sunlesssea.gamepedia.com/A_Contest_of_Riddles|Event description|Sunless Sea|}}</ref> Do these Contests include [[Drownies]] as participants, who stake the '''Riddles of Pearls''' from the court of the [[Fathomking]],<ref>{{FLCitation|https://sunlesssea.gamepedia.com/A_Contest_of_Riddles|Attempt one of the Riddles of Pearl|Sunless Sea|}}</ref> as well as players from [[Irem]], staking the legendary '''Great Riddles of Irem'''?<ref>{{FLCitation|https://sunlesssea.gamepedia.com/A_Contest_of_Riddles|Attempt one of the Great Riddles of Irem|Sunless Sea|}}</ref> Do Whithern and Iremi engage in rivalries of rhetoric at [[Frostfound]] to determine the difference between a question and a riddle, calling it the '''Game of Truths'''? Is the winner of this game allowed to enter Frostfound without risk?<ref>{{FLCitation|https://sunlesssea.gamepedia.com/Frostfound#Frostfound|Take tea with the squatters at the dock|Sunless Sea|}}</ref>


== The House of the Question ==
== The House of the Question ==
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Is there a temple northwest of Whither proper, and is it the only place where one can find an answer on this island? Yes, ''yes it is''.<ref name = "house question story description"/>
Is there a temple northwest of Whither proper, and is it the only place where one can find an answer on this island? Yes, ''yes it is''.<ref name = "house question story description"/>


The '''House of the Question''' is a temple dedicated to the [[Gods of the Unterzee]], with richly decorated shrines maintained for each mysterious power. The House is managed by several initiates who conduct the various rituals there, and they're capable of drawing a god's attention,<ref name = "gain storm attention">{{FLCitation|https://sunlesssea.gamepedia.com/The_House_of_the_Question|Gain Storm's Attention|Sunless Sea|}}</ref> or lifting their infamous curses, through certain strange rituals.<ref>{{FLCitation|https://sunlesssea.gamepedia.com/The_House_of_the_Question|Lift Storm's Curse|Sunless Sea|}}</ref>  
The '''House of the Question''' is a temple dedicated to the [[Gods of the Unterzee]], with richly decorated shrines maintained for each mysterious power. The House is managed by several initiates who are capable of drawing a god's attention,<ref name = "gain storm attention">{{FLCitation|https://sunlesssea.gamepedia.com/The_House_of_the_Question|Gain Storm's Attention|Sunless Sea|}}</ref> or lifting their infamous curses, through various strange rituals.<ref>{{FLCitation|https://sunlesssea.gamepedia.com/The_House_of_the_Question|Lift Storm's Curse|Sunless Sea|}}</ref>  


The altar of [[Storm]] is rich and red with blood and wines, and the initiates perform violent rites often involving live sacrifices for the choleric god.<ref name = "gain storm attention"/> [[Stone]]'s shrine is lit with an eternal flame, and her rites involve donating fuel for her fire and reciting incantations in the language of the [[Elder Continent]],<ref>{{FLCitation|https://sunlesssea.gamepedia.com/The_House_of_the_Question|Gain Stone's Attention|Sunless Sea|}}</ref> or burning a massive pyre of treasure as an offering to her.<ref>{{FLCitation|https://sunlesssea.gamepedia.com/The_House_of_the_Question|Lift Stone's Curse|Sunless Sea|}}</ref> The shrine of [[Salt]] is covered in written stories, and its rites involve providing tales for the initiates to add to the walls.<ref>{{FLCitation|https://sunlesssea.gamepedia.com/The_House_of_the_Question|Gain Salt's Attention|Sunless Sea|}}</ref> No one can quite articulate how to lift Salt's curse, but the ritual involves strange bells, a white petal to symbolize the curse's end, and the phrase ''"All shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well."''<ref>{{FLCitation|https://sunlesssea.gamepedia.com/The_House_of_the_Question|Lift Salt's Curse|Sunless Sea|}}</ref>
The altar of [[Storm]] is rich and red with blood and wines, and the initiates perform violent rites, often involving live sacrifices, for the choleric god's favor.<ref name = "gain storm attention"/> [[Stone]]'s shrine is lit with an eternal flame, and her rites involve donating fuel for her fire and reciting incantations in the language of the [[Elder Continent]],<ref>{{FLCitation|https://sunlesssea.gamepedia.com/The_House_of_the_Question|Gain Stone's Attention|Sunless Sea|}}</ref> or burning a massive pyre of treasure as an offering to her.<ref>{{FLCitation|https://sunlesssea.gamepedia.com/The_House_of_the_Question|Lift Stone's Curse|Sunless Sea|}}</ref> The shrine of [[Salt]] is covered in written stories, and its rites involve providing tales for the initiates to add to the walls.<ref>{{FLCitation|https://sunlesssea.gamepedia.com/The_House_of_the_Question|Gain Salt's Attention|Sunless Sea|}}</ref> No one can quite articulate how to lift Salt's curse, but the ritual involves strange bells, a white petal to symbolize the curse's end, and the phrase ''"All shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well."''<ref>{{FLCitation|https://sunlesssea.gamepedia.com/The_House_of_the_Question|Lift Salt's Curse|Sunless Sea|}}</ref>


There is no fourth shrine dedicated to that which is not a god, and besides, what ''are'' gods, anyway?<ref name = "house question story description"/>
There is no fourth shrine dedicated to that which is not a god, and besides, what ''are'' gods, anyway?<ref name = "house question story description"/>

Revision as of 18:59, 18 March 2021

 "Is this secret perhaps not as carefully guarded as it should be?"

Do spoilers for Fallen London, Sunless Sea, or Sunless Skies lie beyond this point? Might this entail midgame or Ambition-related content? Should you proceed with caution?

Can you find out more about our spoiler policy here?


Template:Whither Location"Behind the great arch over the Bay, the Pale Wastes stretch, white and silent as the face of the moon. From here, you might almost imagine they were snow. North of the city, the salt-pools fizz with unlikely colour."[1]

"The citizens of Whither enjoy questions: so much so that they always answer a question with another question. This can make intelligence-gathering frustrating."[2]

Whither is a city located to the far north of the Unterzee near the salty Pale Wastes and the Isle of Codex - or is it?

No Answers?

"Why are there so many questions in Whither?"[3]

"Are you asking for any particular reason? At what time of day? Is that your hat? Might it be six?"[4]

Is Whither is a melancholy city of chilly evenings and muted tones?[5] Is Whither a place where questions are asked? Does everyone communicate by answering questions? Can the answers be anything other than questions, and will a citizen get exiled from Whither to Codex if their answer is not a question?[6][7] Does a strange wind blow through Whither, speaking of the Avid Horizon?[8]

Are the people of Whither quiet and reserved? Do their diets mainly consist of cave-fish, beasts from the Pale Wastes, and passable beer? Do the constables of Whither give unclear sentence lengths, and does Whither have a mayor?[9] Are there vendors in Whither who sell various forms of zee-food, like tyrant's treat or shredded jillyfish?[10][11] Do these salesmen also have meats to accommodate... other hungers?[12]

Are the people of Whither obsessed with riddles, holding high-stakes Contests of Riddles to wager on guessing correct answers?[13] Do these Contests include Drownies as participants, who stake the Riddles of Pearls from the court of the Fathomking,[14] as well as players from Irem, staking the legendary Great Riddles of Irem?[15] Do Whithern and Iremi engage in rivalries of rhetoric at Frostfound to determine the difference between a question and a riddle, calling it the Game of Truths? Is the winner of this game allowed to enter Frostfound without risk?[16]

The House of the Question

"North-west of Whither town, the House of the Question stands alone. Here the initiates of the House make offerings to the three gods of the deep zee, and perhaps a fourth who is not a god. It's the one place in Whither where you can sometimes get a straight answer... for a price."[17]

A mysterious temple sitting on a cliff face.
The House of the Question

Is there a temple northwest of Whither proper, and is it the only place where one can find an answer on this island? Yes, yes it is.[17]

The House of the Question is a temple dedicated to the Gods of the Unterzee, with richly decorated shrines maintained for each mysterious power. The House is managed by several initiates who are capable of drawing a god's attention,[18] or lifting their infamous curses, through various strange rituals.[19]

The altar of Storm is rich and red with blood and wines, and the initiates perform violent rites, often involving live sacrifices, for the choleric god's favor.[18] Stone's shrine is lit with an eternal flame, and her rites involve donating fuel for her fire and reciting incantations in the language of the Elder Continent,[20] or burning a massive pyre of treasure as an offering to her.[21] The shrine of Salt is covered in written stories, and its rites involve providing tales for the initiates to add to the walls.[22] No one can quite articulate how to lift Salt's curse, but the ritual involves strange bells, a white petal to symbolize the curse's end, and the phrase "All shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well."[23]

There is no fourth shrine dedicated to that which is not a god, and besides, what are gods, anyway?[17]

References?

  1. ↑ Whither, Sunless Sea
  2. ↑ Gather intelligence, Sunless Sea
  3. ↑ A Port Report: Whither, Sunless Sea
  4. ↑ Gather intelligence, Sunless Sea
  5. ↑ Explore the town, Sunless Sea
  6. ↑ Codex, Sunless Sea "Exiled for giving answers. That's Whither for you. Anything new?"
  7. ↑ Ask what she seeks down here, Sunless Sea
  8. ↑ Explore the town (The wind speaks), Sunless Sea
  9. ↑ Shore leave in Whither, Sunless Sea
  10. ↑ Try something mysterious, Sunless Sea
  11. ↑ Try the shredded jillyfish, Sunless Sea
  12. ↑ “Do you have anything more... robust?”, Sunless Sea
  13. ↑ Event description, Sunless Sea
  14. ↑ Attempt one of the Riddles of Pearl, Sunless Sea
  15. ↑ Attempt one of the Great Riddles of Irem, Sunless Sea
  16. ↑ Take tea with the squatters at the dock, Sunless Sea
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 Story description, Sunless Sea
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 Gain Storm's Attention, Sunless Sea
  19. ↑ Lift Storm's Curse, Sunless Sea
  20. ↑ Gain Stone's Attention, Sunless Sea
  21. ↑ Lift Stone's Curse, Sunless Sea
  22. ↑ Gain Salt's Attention, Sunless Sea
  23. ↑ Lift Salt's Curse, Sunless Sea
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