"The Ministry of Public Decency confiscates all manner of wicked, unsuitable and valuable books."[1]
The Ministry of Public Decency is London’s primary censorship authority, operating under the command of Mr Pages. Established sometime before the first Hallowmas in 1862, the Ministry was originally founded to review and censor mail arriving from the Surface. In its earliest days, it had only two members: Mr Pages, acting as its Minister, and the Efficient Commissioner,[2]who shouldered the majority of the Ministry’s operations.[3] Since then, it has grown into one of the most powerful and feared institutions in the city, maintaining strict control over written, spoken, and physical content.
The Ministry is notorious for confiscating all manner of wicked, unsuitable, and valuable books. It enforces draconian regulations over the manufacture and ownership of printing presses,[4] requiring all publications to be submitted for evaluation.[5] Forbidden texts are often incinerated in the Ministry’s vault-furnaces,[6] which are heavily secured facilities to which only a handful of Auditors possess the keys.[7] Public performances must be licensed, either through official channels or through bribes,[8] and any open discussion of the Correspondence is strictly prohibited.[9] Even private letters are not beyond the Ministry’s reach, as mail is routinely examined for subversive content.[10] The Ministry's influence extends into academic spaces as well, with regular patrols conducted on University grounds[11] to monitor students and scholars.[12] Auditors also prowl the streets near the Bazaar to intercept anyone lacking a Shaper’s Pass.[13] The institution even oversees divorce proceedings,[14] forcing couples through a lengthy and grueling legal process before separation is allowed.[15][16][17]
A variety of agents enforce the Ministry’s mandates. Decency Evaluators are infamous for their diligence in rooting out radical ideas, often resorting to burning any subversive material they uncover.[18] While capable, these Evaluators are not infallible. They can be misled by sufficiently obscure innuendos or metaphors, and their modest pay makes them susceptible to bribery.[19] Supporting them are the Censors, equipped with cudgels, official stamps, and silver Ministry badges,[20] who conduct raids and destroy illicit materials.[21] They are empowered to criminally charge authors of illegal material and imprison them in New Newgate.[22] The Constables are also partially under the Ministry’s control and act as an extended arm of censorship enforcement.[23] The Ministry employs Special Constables,[24] assigned to deal with and neutralize extremely dangerous threats to public society such as red honey and unwarranted Correspondence.[23] Additionally, the Ministry contracts private detectives to recover stolen forbidden texts,[25] and couriers to transport sensitive materials securely.[26]
Confiscated items are stored in various locations throughout the city. The most dangerous artifacts are held at Hookman House, a fortified site guarded by rifle-bearing, illiterate sentries and vicious dogs.[27] Less critical materials are stored in smaller depositories throughout London.[28] Though the Ministry holds the legal authority to confiscate souls, it appears to do so with less enthusiasm than it applies to regulating literature.[29]
The Ministry’s reach also extends to other governmental and civic arenas. It receives monthly reports from the Foreign Office.[30] and has participated in the organization of major public events and institutions, including the Museum of Mistakes,[31] the Mayoral Elections,[32] and the Grand Clearing-Out.[33] With its vast network of officials, operatives, and enforcers, the Ministry of Public Decency remains one of the most pervasive and oppressive forces in all of London. As such, the city's revolutionary elements are always looking to undermine the Ministry's efforts at any opportunity.[34]
↑Griz: Her Hallowmas Confession, Mask of the Rose"Did you know that he tried to have our department censor and review every single piece of mail that came to us from the Surface? Every piece. Our department. Which means Mr Pages... and Me. I told him that was madness, that there was too much to do. So he did begin a new ministry entirely, the Ministry of Public Decency."
↑Griz: Her Hallowmas Confession, Mask of the Rose"He is also the Minister of Public Decency. It does not yet have a staff. He has instructed me to take on the duties of the Ministry of Public Decency as well."
↑The book trade, Fallen London"The Ministry heavily regulates the manufacture and ownership of printing presses in London. [...]"
↑Play on the last scraps of the Auditor's conscience, Fallen London"He is convinced. […] His passwords open a wooden door, then an iron one, and finally a door of flint. […] Within, a clumsy hill of books is stacked like tinder: […] "Take what you must!" your mark hisses, urgently. You oblige."
↑'Obtain' licences from the Ministry of Public Decency, Fallen London"You fall back on the traditional lubricant for the wheels of bureaucracy. Precious objects, in substantial quantities. Irksome, but […] at least they're efficient. And you pick up some fascinating secrets in the careful pre-bribe negotiations."
↑A few quiet seminars, Fallen London"The Ministry of Public Decency has forbidden speaking about the Correspondence, but a few discreet meetings with masked scholars might be profitable."
↑Deal with the evaluators, Fallen London"If your new department is to become a reality, you must convince the men from the Ministry that you don't represent a threat to order and decency. You must arrange and edit your works to prove yourself entirely harmless."
↑Seek a divorce, Fallen London"Unhappy souls wishing to sever the marital bond may seek a divorce from Her Majesty's Courts. If the Crown - and the Auditors from the Ministry of Public Decency - are satisfied by your petition, they will dissolve your marriage."
↑Testify that love has faded, Fallen London"You present a written account to the Glowering Judge. […] At his request, you read it aloud. You speak of happier times. The Judge listens for any note of uncertainty in your voice. The Auditors examine your deposition for tear-marks."
↑Bury it deep, Fallen London"The Men from the Ministry are disciplined and intellectually competent. […] You have judged it perfectly. The objectionable sections of your material exceed their grasp by inches. Your work shall not suffer their rough hands or their consuming flames."
↑Come to an equitable arrangement, Fallen London"Decency Evaluators are paid a pittance, but this one is too honest to bribe. Fortunately, you discover with a little digging that he has a desperate need for fine candles."
↑The Persona Engine, Fallen London"[...] His cudgel and his official censor's stamp hang at his side. As you near, his silver Ministry badge catches the gas-light. It glints. [...]"
↑The Persona Engine, Fallen London"[...] We questioned the publisher and raided homes. Sometimes the owners weren't in – we'd enter regardless. [...]"
↑ 23.023.1Talk about the other Special Constables, Fallen London""They work with the Ministry […] does good work too. Keeps the nightmares out of the streets, stops the things from crawling out of the wells […] it's Mr Pages' personal fiefdom. And they're his puppets […] she looks very like the Cheery Man."
↑An unmarked black coach, Fallen London"A Special Constable at your door! The Specials serve the Ministry of Public Decency. One might say they are guardians against the final fall of night, or catspaws of Mr Pages. In either case, they are rarely good news."
↑Rob an outlying depository, Fallen London"This place has been forgotten. Most of the material here isn't worth that much, but there is an awful lot of it. On your third trip you bring a cart. It takes a few days to sift the good stuff out, but it is worth the effort. You finish with a creditable pile of forbidden books, scandalous journals and saleable secrets."
↑Steal Brilliant Souls en route to Hookman House, Fallen London"The security precautions for the souls are laughable. Is the Ministry deliberately encouraging you to steal them? Did you get here just before some devils? Perhaps it doesn't matter. The bottles safely stowed in one of your lockups, rattling […]"
↑Escort duty, Fallen London"A senior diplomat and a veteran spy collar you beside the bust of Lord Palmerston. "Would you mind accompanying this month's reports to the archives at Decency?""
↑Prepare your Theft from the Museum of Mistakes!, Fallen London"Very few are permitted to visit the Museum. It's the direct responsibility of the Ministry of Public Decency, which manages secrets too lethal or embarrassing or disgusting for public exposure. […] be very, very careful. […]"
↑Perform a Flash Lay - learn campaign secrets, Fallen London"The Ministry of Public Decency has assumed oversight of the Election. If you can pass as one of their senior officials, you will have both authority and excuse to go snooping about the three campaigns' headquarters.'"
↑The Grand Clearing-Out: An Announcement is Made, Fallen London"[..'.']And then, at the very bottom, in minuscule print: The Ministry of Public Decency reserves the right to inspect, confiscate, destroy, censor, censure, or condemn any items retrieved from Beneath London's Streets."
↑Help plant an agent in the Ministry for Public Decency, Fallen London"You meet the revolutionaries' agent […] outside the Ministry […]. You introduce her as […] a […] clerk […] The Jovial Contrarian meets you afterwards. […] "[T]he Masters censor material […] [W]e will find out what that is...""
