Anthe

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"They call it the city of flowers, but the flowers are crystals, spiral matrices grown on the walls of Anthean caves. The inhabitants of Anthe are at least partly crystal too: they call it "going sharp." Becoming more perfect, and clearer, and colder."[1]

Anthe is a city of crystal located under the Zee.

Those Who Go Sharp

"The inhabitants of Anthe go sharp. Not all at once, but piece by piece, they turn to crystal. They sort themselves by sharpness, too: the sharp-handed cluster with others of their kind, ignoring the keen-footed and the brittle-waisted."[2]

The most notable property of the city of Anthe is that its inhabitants can transform parts of their bodies into crystal. They refer to this process, which requires a degree of mental aptitude,[3] as "going sharp".[4] The precise effects of sharpening vary depending on the body part; most involve the specific part becoming much more functional and efficient, but also losing a particular sensation.[3] The inhabitants of Anthe tend to congregate with others who share their particular type of sharpness.[4]

The many different types of sharpness include, but are not limited to:

  • Sharpness of the spleen, which practically erases a person's ability to feel anger, and is thus desired by diplomats and other professions that need to keep a calm head.[5]
  • Sharpness of the liver, which makes one immune to any drinkable poison, and is desired by people working with toxins, such as assassins.[6]
  • Sharpness of the lungs, which allows one to breathe much less frequently and makes them immune to poisonous gases. It is thus desired by coal miners, smokers,[7] and others that might want to hold their breath for long periods of time.[8]
  • Sharpness of the groin, which greatly enhances one's sexual performance, at the cost of diminishing their passion. The benefits are a double-edged sword, and are thus sought out both by nuns and those who pay regularly for sexual company.[9]
  • Sharpness of the tongue, which makes one's speech very clear and precise, at the cost of their ability to mince words and tell a softer version of the truth. Desired, unsurprisingly, by poets and anyone fanatical about talking.[10]
  • Sharpness of the skeleton, which makes one's bones much more durable, but may lead to more severe injuries when one's bones can do anything other than break.[11] Desired by laborers and anyone else seeking endurance.[12]
  • Sharpness of the skin, which makes one's skin very tough but also as transparent as crystal. Desired by fighters and other people that live dangerous lives,[13] but requires any who leave Anthe to disguise themselves as tomb-colonists to avoid stares and worse.[14][15]
  • Sharpness of the teeth;[16] the effects of this are unknown, though presumably they include unbreakable teeth.
  • Sharpness of the ears;[17] the effects of this are unknown, though presumably they include acute hearing.

The Many Chambers of Anthe

Anthe's caves hold numerous chambers, in which the sharp gather to show off their abilities.[18] These include:

  • The Venous Salon, where the sharp-spleened entertain themselves by reading offensive literature and not reacting in the slightest.[19]
  • The Salon of Silver Salts, where those with crystal livers like to eat and drink dangerous poisons.[20]
  • The Salon of Incense, where the barb-lunged spend their time deep in a haze of incense.[21]
  • The Chamber of Pillow-cut Rock, where the bristle-groined... er, socialize. Surprisingly, not many are exhibitionists.[22]
  • Tongue-point Pinnacle, where the hard-tongued have their crystal-clear conversations.[23]
  • The Bone-Barrow, where those with crystal spines show off their strength by holding up a slowly collapsing ceiling.[24]
  • The Blistering Abyss, where those with transparent skins allow themselves to be attacked with all manner of dangers and remain unharmed.[25]

Even deeper chambers are reserved for those who are multiply sharp:

  • The Shell, a concert hall made out of a giant oyster. This hall is designated for the sharp-lunged and sharp-tongued singers of Anthe.[26]
  • There is also a stage for those who duel with insults for sport, using several sharpnesses to their advantage,[27] but it is unclear whether this is also in the Shell.
  • The Granite Corridor, a place reserved for intriguers and assassins with crystal tongues among other sharpnesses.[28]
  • The Smokehouse, for those able to indulge in substances without limit.[29]
  • Femur and Lung, a drinking house for only the strongest workers.[30]
  • The Dauntless Palate, a club for those immune to every single manner of poison thanks to their multiple sharpnesses.[31]

There are a few other chambers reserved for specific purposes or individuals:

  • The Gallery of Axes, home to the Hooded Anthean, Anthe's prime executioner.[32]
  • The Travertine Vault, where Clay Men from Polythreme try their luck at going sharp in order to gain better station in society.[33]
  • The Cave-Pool, where the Drownies of Anthe prefer to spend their time.[34]
  • Rosina's Chambers, where a very special patient is being treated for her illness.[35]

Gone Even Sharper

"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.


"Do not ask for more instruction ... If you go sharper than you are now, you will never leave Anthe again."[36]

While Anthe's blessings might seem powerful and desirable,[37] it is not obvious to outsiders that going sharp is somewhat addictive. The more crystal one is made of, the more they wish to turn more of themselves sharp, and the less likely it is that they ever leave the city.[38][36] The inhabitants whose bodies have grown entirely into crystal are called the Sharpest, and they live in a giant cavern deep underneath Anthe. The Sharpest have long since ceased being human: their crystal bodies have grown to gigantic proportions, and they have permanently fused with the floor of the cavern.[39] They are still very wise, however, and if approached by a person of sufficient sharpness, they can instruct them in turning the most difficult parts of the body to crystal:[40]

  • Sharpness of the eyes;[41][42] the effects of this are unknown beyond the implication of keen sight.
  • Sharpness of the brain; this greatly improves one's wit, intellect, and comprehension of both truths and untruths,[43] and grants an iron (crystal?) will - for better or for worse.[44]
  • Sharpness of the heart; this bolsters one's emotional intelligence and resilience from heartbreak, and enables a perfect balance between care and wisdom.[45]
  • Sharpness of the muscles; this grants a substantial improvement to one's strength.[46]

References

  1. ↑ Anthe, Sunless Sea
  2. ↑ Study the chambers of Anthe, Sunless Sea
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Cultivate the capacity for sharpness, Sunless Sea "It isn't easy to go sharp as the Antheans do. But most who come here find themselves desiring the condition, sooner or later. ... The environment is a help, but you must also prepare your mind and your will. Going sharp means giving up many sensations. "
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Study the chambers of Anthe, Sunless Sea "The inhabitants of Anthe go sharp. Not all at once, but piece by piece, they turn to crystal. They sort themselves by sharpness, too..."
  5. ↑ Go sharp in the spleen, Sunless Sea "Surrender your capacity for anger. Join the society of diplomats, saints, and cold-blooded tyrants."
  6. ↑ Go sharp in the liver, Sunless Sea "Take on a proud indifference to toxins. Fraternise with spies, assassins, professional poisoners, and those who need to survive on strange diets."
  7. ↑ Listen in on the nearest group of people, Sunless Sea ""I'm going sharp in the lungs next," says a woman in a deep red gown. "They say you can smoke all day long and never develop a cough." "
  8. ↑ Let your lungs become a chamber of crystal, Sunless Sea "Breathe less often and more purely. Take on the companionship of divers, opera singers, coal miners and producers of poisonous gas."
  9. ↑ Flourish in the groin, Sunless Sea "Diminish passion, promote hygiene, perfect performance, and dazzle any onlookers. Pursue the company of Anthe's nuns, celibates, dancers, and brothel habitués."
  10. ↑ Undergo acumination of the tongue, Sunless Sea "Give up soft speech and slow words. Come to know poets, court jesters, liars, and artists in cipher."
  11. ↑ Mineralise your skeleton, Sunless Sea ""True, you won't break your bones. Now they'll break you. Tear right through your muscle and skin, and stick out! Ha! Unless you go the rest of the way and grow a sharp skin, but..." He shrugs. "Bit tasteless, that, isn't it?" "
  12. ↑ Mineralise your skeleton, Sunless Sea "Strength that cannot be seen is often the most praiseworthy. Walk among the labourers, the circus strongwomen, the persons of iron will and unshakeable integrity."
  13. ↑ Let your skin be clear as water and hard as armour, Sunless Sea "This is where the fighters are, and those who got tired of their scars, and the people too proud to hide anything about themselves."
  14. ↑ Let your skin be clear as water and hard as armour, Sunless Sea "These people have the most to do if they wish to conceal their condition from those above the Unterzee. They almost never leave Anthe, but if they do, they wraps themselves in bandages and pass as Tomb Colonists, or mask themselves like a native of Visage. "
  15. ↑ Offer passage to the Tomb Colonies, Sunless Sea "She went clear in the skin to prevent bruising in the embrace of a mineralised wife. ... She wishes to reach Venderbight without undue attention from strangers. She has a pile of bandages and a coffin she has built herself from scavenged wood. But she will need your help to do the rest. "
  16. ↑ Visit the Dauntless Palate, Sunless Sea "He smiles. His teeth are also clear. "
  17. ↑ Gather a port report on Anthe, Sunless Sea "Access to Anthe is restricted by type of sharpness: those who are sharp in the ears do not necessarily mingle with the sharp-tongued."
  18. ↑ Study the chambers of Anthe, Sunless Sea "To progress through Anthe is to take on more and more of these attributes, to enter the deeper chambers restricted by sharp-style."
  19. ↑ Go sharp in the spleen, Sunless Sea "It is a party game here to take turns reading aloud offensive letters to the London newspapers, and insulting missives from home, and to compete at not caring in the least."
  20. ↑ Go sharp in the liver, Sunless Sea "The Salon of Silver Salts is hung with small lights, and the inhabitants look ordinary. They are sipping arsenical teas and dining on poisonous toadstools."
  21. ↑ Let your lungs become a chamber of crystal, Sunless Sea "The chamber is lined with black crystal. Braziers are lit and a low haze hangs in the air, troubling none of the inhabitants."
  22. ↑ Flourish in the groin, Sunless Sea "The walls of the chamber are hard, but the facets and the deep red colour give them the shimmer of whorehouse velvet. One reclining gentleman demonstrates what, in another context, you might take for a gigantic pair of matched blue topazes. But for the most part, the inhabitants [...] make no display of their altered state."
  23. ↑ Undergo acumination of the tongue, Sunless Sea "The sharp-tongues gather on a point of rock. There is little room for newcomers. The wit is crisp and dry. The diction is precise. Nothing is slurred, and nothing said in error."
  24. ↑ Mineralise your skeleton, Sunless Sea "The room is oval in cross-section and about fifty feet long. The walls are packed earth rather than stone. The inhabitants take turns to hold up the part of the ceiling that is in danger of caving in."
  25. ↑ Let your skin be clear as water and hard as armour, Sunless Sea "The sharp-skinned of Anthe have no reason to fear heat, or edged implements, or bruising rocks. Snakes and stinging insects are a game to them. The suicide of wasps on crystal Anthean skin is one of their primary sources of comedy."
  26. ↑ Sell your song of Broken Hulls to the Singers in the Shell, Sunless Sea "Lung and Tongue are both crystal, the better to sing. ... The concert hall was once the shell of an impossible oyster. Now its surfaces are clean and iridescent, and the singers of Anthe perform. They can hold a note - a perfect, shapely note - for longer than ought to be possible."
  27. ↑ Take the stage, spitting, Sunless Sea "Antheans clear in the spleen, skin, and tongue insult one another for sport. There is a solacefruit for second place. First place is not rewarded. "
  28. ↑ Seek your spy, Sunless Sea "Seek your spy... in the Granite Corridor, where the most linguistically skilled assassins may be found."
  29. ↑ Stop by the Smokehouse, Sunless Sea "A hedonistic sanctuary for those who have gone sharp in both liver and lung. ... Trays circulate with every possible indulgence. Brandy from the surface. Cigars from Rosegate. Coffee. A drink made with squeezed oranges, rum, and smoldering cinnamon."
  30. ↑ Chase down a Polythreme Exile, Sunless Sea "The Femur and Lung is a drinking house two passageways along from the Bone-Barrow. The tables are crowded with miners and fungers."
  31. ↑ Visit the Dauntless Palate, Sunless Sea "... those sharp in the liver, skin, and tongue ... Contact toxins do not trouble their skin. Serpents cannot pierce them. Venoms milked from the fang cannot make them ill. A mycological poison is merely a challenge to their knowledge of toadstool terroir. The club is run by a large jolly Anthean who poses daily challenges."
  32. ↑ Trade Heartmetal in the Gallery of Axes, Sunless Sea "Strength and a resistance to pity: these are essential for an executioner. And they need, of course, the best weaponry. ... The Hooded Anthean is impressed with your offering. It will make a keen and pitiless blade. She tells you stories in exchange: about her travels, her duties, the people and animals she has hunted."
  33. ↑ Set down Clay Men in the Travertine Vault, Sunless Sea "A Clay Man who's gone sharp is a Clay Man you can trust. Respectable, solid boned, patient. Incapable of rage or bad manners. That is why they come here: to be certified trustworthy, to show that they're suitable for better jobs and better treatment. The Travertine Vault is full of such men..."
  34. ↑ Offer your Drownie Love-song to the Drownies in the Cave-Pool, Sunless Sea "They keep apart from other Antheans, but they have gone sharp in their own way."
  35. ↑ Visit Rosina in her Chambers, Sunless Sea "She is both healer and patient, convalescing in an ice bath among the sharp-spleened. The Antheans speak of her often."
  36. ↑ 36.0 36.1 Greet your old teacher, Sunless Sea ""Do not ask for more instruction," says your teacher. "If you go sharper than you are now, you will never leave Anthe again.""
  37. ↑ Cultivate the capacity for sharpness, Sunless Sea "It isn't easy to go sharp as the Antheans do. But most who come here find themselves desiring the condition, sooner or later."
  38. ↑ Listen in on the nearest group of people, Sunless Sea ""Once you've gone sharp, you might not have a use for corsairs any more. I was going to be a horologist, but..." She waves a translucent hand. "I'd rather stay here and continue my... development.""
  39. ↑ The Garden of the Sharpest, Sunless Sea "It is a cavern of giants. They were all at one time men or women or other creatures ... But they are larger now, grown like oaks into the cavern floor. Their bodies are clear as lens-glass. Their faces are past the necessity of expression."
  40. ↑ The Garden of the Sharpest, Sunless Sea "They are your superiors, but you have come far enough that they are willing to help you if you wish."
  41. ↑ The Pursuit of Sharpness, Sunless Sea "A woman gives advice to new Antheans: her eyes are cubes of salt."
  42. ↑ Train your eyes to sharpness, with their help, Sunless Sea ""The sharpness of the eyes is more difficult than any sharpness you have yet studied. ... You must begin not with the lens nor with the vitreous humour, but with the tear ducts. If your eyes are not dry, they will never go sharp." "
  43. ↑ Hone your wits to a point, Sunless Sea ""To come to this place, you had to silence the sensations. Now you can gain a philosopher's mind; then you will easily master your body a second time." For ten days you sit on the prism of his forefinger, next to his ear, and debate with him. He tells you distasteful facts that you do not like to accept. He tells you fearful facts that are difficult to imagine. He tells you convoluted facts that you can barely comprehend. But in the end, your brain is a cultivated latticework, two enantiomorphic lobes through which you can diffract both truth and its opposite. "
  44. ↑ Offer your Drownie Love-song to the Drownies in the Cave-Pool, Sunless Sea "But a traveller came to us who had gone sharp in the brain. She could not be seduced. The prison would not hold her."
  45. ↑ Harden your heart to a chunk of salt, Sunless Sea "Your instructor sets you on her knee. "Here is the business of a well-trained heart," she says. "To pity, but not to make undeserved allowances. To protect, but not to treat the beloved as a child. To admire, but not to lose the capacity of discrimination. To serve without abasement. To govern without dominance. To care for each, without forgetting the demands of all." Then she teaches you to dissolve and to regrow your heart from a grain of sorrow. "
  46. ↑ Turn your muscles to stone, Sunless Sea "Your instructor squeezes you painfully between her finger and her thumb. "This will hurt," she says without sympathy. "And it will take a long time. You must go sharp without becoming too inflexible. Keep all the proper links between bone and bone. Respect the ligaments." All day you lie still developing the sharpness of your muscles, and then at night your instructor hits you with a stick to break the bad connections. Each morning, you begin again. "
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