Peligin

From The Fifth City Wiki

"P drowns in PELIGIN, the colour of the deepest zee."[1]

Peligin is a color of the Neathbow; it is the color of the River.[2] The term "peligin" is seemingly a portmanteau of the Ancient Greek "pelagos" (πέλαγος), meaning "sea," and the color fuligin. Fuligin, in turn, is darker than black, and is derived from the English word "fuliginous" meaning soot-like; this color was used by Gene Wolfe in his science fiction novel The Shadow of the Torturer.

Properties

Peligin is a dark, dark black, beyond the reach of any light.[3] It is the hue of the waters of the Unterzee and those of the land of the dead, and also the color of the flesh of zee-monsters.[4]

Of course, Neathbow colors are not a single thing but include shades, as real colors do[5]. Peligin has been portrayed as ranging from black to cyan to purples[6] but always feels monstrous.[7]

Uses

The eyes of Monster-Hunters turn permanently peligin after they consume the flesh of a zee-monster.[8] The Fathomking is known to be able to turn his prisoners' skin peligin.[9]

Gallery

References

  1. A Page from 'The Neathbow': Peligin, Sunless Sea
  2. A Chess-Piece tattoo, Fallen London
  3. Commission a set of fine clothes, Sunless Sea
  4. Hunter's Eye, Sunless Sea
  5. Bruno, Discord The neathbow colors contain different shades, just like real colors
  6. Bruno, Discord But all the neathbow colors are sort of a range... viric runs from forest green through emeralds through chartreuse; peligin runs from black to cyan to purples
  7. Bruno, Discord
  8. Hunter's Eye, Sunless Sea ""Eat the flesh of the deep-lurkers, and your eyes will change.""
  9. Mariam, Sunless Sea