"I & M has a funger operation here, felling giant bolegus shrooms for building materials, harvesting kirralee for its 'medicinal' properties. It's a desperate little outpost of something like civilisation."
"Oh hello, Captain! Thank God for visitors. We'd go quite mad out here otherwise, ahahaha. Quite mad. How can we be of assistance?"[1]
Demeaux Island is an island in the Unterzee covered by an overgrown jungle of mushrooms.[2] The Iron & Misery Company have an operation here to harvest the massive fungi for various purposes: giant bolegus mushrooms are used as building materials, while kirralee fungi are a form of medicine.[3] The island also has a population of blemmigans.[4]
Demeaux Island employs contractors who work miserable and monotonous jobs.[5][6] The workers subsist only on mushrooms,[7] and eating too much can turn someone into one,[8] heralded by "sproutlings" appearing in their eyes and hair.[9] The fungi here can be dangerous in other ways too: they can be poisonous, hallucinogenic, or trigger intense anxiety when consumed.[10] To cope with the environment, the fungers occasionally set up blemmigan fighting-pits for "entertainment."[11]
The Affable Factor is the manager of Demeaux Island.[12] He works for Mr Iron and the Admiralty, both of whom are suspicious of each other,[13][14] and his dreary surroundings and lack of contact with his family cause him no shortage of stress.[15] He is the brother of Lorenzo of the Seven Against Nidah, though he does not think highly of his revolutionary ideals.[16] He also knew the Irrepressible Cannoneer in the "old days," but he would prefer to keep his past activities undisclosed.[17]
Development
The name "Demeaux Island" is a pun on "Demo Island," as this island was the first ever added to Sunless Sea.[18]
References
- ↑ Location description, Sunless Sea
- ↑ Port description, Sunless Sea "A fervid forest of fungus."
- ↑ Location description, Sunless Sea "I & M has a funger operation here, felling giant bolegus shrooms for building materials, harvesting kirralee for its 'medicinal' properties."
- ↑ Put a blemmigan ashore, Sunless Sea "[...] a whistling rises in response. There are already blemmigans here."
- ↑ Search for the Last Constable, Sunless Sea "You join the fungers at their tables, [...] The same faces turn up [...] to hear about your zee-adventures. One weepy funger [...] fights for his composure. "Thank you, [...] You're the only thing that eases the monotony," [...]"
- ↑ Accept a volunteer, Sunless Sea "One of Company's bolegus-fellers has negotiated an early release from her contract."
- ↑ Provide a respite from mushrooms, Sunless Sea "Here, it's mushrooms for every meal."
- ↑ Tea with the Factor, Sunless Sea "He also has a load of bolegus-frond [...] “I have eaten so much of the stuff I fear that I might be transformed entirely into fungus.” [...] “It happens, you know. But one does have to eat rather a lot of it first.”"
- ↑ Accept a volunteer, Sunless Sea "“It's the sproutlings,” she tells you, her face pleading. “I keep picking them out of me porridge. And me hair. And me eyes. Take me away."
- ↑ Gather supplies, Sunless Sea "Some of the island's fungus is good to eat. Some is poisonous, hallucinogenic or mischievous. [...] One crewman begins to whimper. [...] “They've reached my heart. I think I'll be harvest yet. Harvest yet!” You have to drag him back to the ship before he's calm again."
- ↑ Search for the Last Constable, Sunless Sea "You share your zee-stories with the fungers [...] a small group invites you to 'an entertainment.' [...] two kneel around a pit, prodding blemmigans with sticks. [...] "I think we're ready to open our fights to the rest," says one of the kneeling men."
- ↑ Location description, Sunless Sea "Up puffs the Affable Factor. “Oh hello, Captain! [...] How can we be of assistance?”"
- ↑ Give the pass-sign to the Affable Factor, Sunless Sea "The Admirality asked you to bring back Strategic Information. This is your contact. [...] “Here. Little to report, [...] the Company grows suspicious. Mr Iron knows the Admiralty is interested in his business. Pray, [...] you never have to serve two masters, as I do.”"
- ↑ Compile a Port Report, Sunless Sea "The Admiralty likes to keep an eye on Iron & Misery's activities."
- ↑ Give the pass-sign to the Affable Factor, Sunless Sea ""Yes - yes, I have it here. [...] Tell the Admiralty - tell them I miss my children. Tell them I can't take it here much longer. The spores, the dark.""
- ↑ Deliver Lorenzo's remains to the Factor, Sunless Sea "The Affable Factor receives his brother's coffin solemnly. [...] "Can't say it was how he'd have wanted to go, but I don't thinkhe ever intended to go at all." [...] "Knew he'd meet a bad end with that lot. Too much stirring up trouble, not enough enjoying what they'd got. Seven is an unlucky Number [...]"
- ↑ Bargain with the Factor for a secret, Sunless Sea "[...] it seems the Cannoneer knew him 'in the old days', and he's even more reluctant to have the Cannoneer talk about the old days. [...] That's all I know. Now - shall we let the past lie where it fell?""
- ↑ @alexiskennedy, Twitter "just confessed to @tronbevan: Demeaux Island in Sunless Sea is named because it was the first we put in 'Demo Island' she's not impressed"
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