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"His family did not die, though they did give themselves over to the indulgences widely held to have ruined them. Bored of their dissipated pleasures, they sought something more potent still. They found the Cardinal's Honey, a midnight strain of the Red Honey. One by one they imbibed the black honey, and one by one they vanished. As though they had never been."[2]
Cardinal's Honey, also called black honey, is a deadly variant of Gaoler's Honey.[1][3] This substance has a sweet taste and sticky texture like ordinary honey,[4][5] but its color is pitch-black and it has a rotten aroma.[6] Black honey is one of the deadliest poisons in the Neath, trumping even the venom of the Cantigaster.[7] Those who consume black honey vanish into thin air, leaving nothing behind.[8] Even a droplet of a droplet can kill a human,[9] and it also works on non-human creatures,[10] including powerful beings like Curators.[8]
Black honey is a byproduct of red honey production,[11] apparently created when victims of red honey farms die during the process.[12] Sufficiently large Cage-Gardens produce jarfuls of the stuff, which are promptly hidden away.[11] Some especially depraved hedonists consume black honey for amusement, with predictable results;[13] certain individuals may distribute diluted, non-lethal droplets of black honey to those consumed by vengeance or despair.[14][15] Black honey has an antidote, a clear liquid that must be consumed immediately before or after the honey.[16][17] Those exposed to the antidote are able to return from oblivion alive, though they may be traumatized or severely injured after their trip.[18][19]
Consumers of black honey are transported to the dreams of the dead,[20] where they will find themselves buried under miles of dirt speckled with burrowed tunnels and crawling with grave-worms.[21][22] Dreamers may hear echoes of the last memories of the deceased,[23] or stumble upon objects like clothing, money, or weapons.[24][25] They may also encounter the deceased face-to-face, who have a zombie-like appearance and do not take kindly to their dreams being invaded.[26] Some of these encounters may in fact be familiar faces, such as slain loved ones,[27] or vengeful spirits.[28]
↑Conduct your own researches, Fallen London"[...] you come across the name of a famed poisoner. [...] his records reference several poisons of unnatural potency. Cantigaster's venom has been proven to be ineffective against the Masters [...] There is another entry however: Cardinal's Honey."
↑Test an iota of the Cardinal's Honey on yourself, Fallen London"You decant a single drop of the tar-like honey into a cup, and dilute it [...] You take a spoonful of the watered-down concoction, tip it into another cup, dilute that, and pour the rest away. [...] you down the contents of the teacup. A wave of nausea [...] Your fingers grasp for the antidote, [...] before the dreams carry you away [...]"
↑ 11.011.1Wait in the shadows, Fallen London"A cart and driver enters the garden. [...] you smell the sickly sweet aroma of Red Honey. [...] a different set of jars on the cart. A midnight hue rests within them. [...] the driver leaves, carrying a crate of the jars. He [...] opens a [...] door [...] a set of stairs disappears into darkness. The driver begins to descend."
↑Gather your thoughts, Fallen London"This midnight honey sends its victims into the dreams of the dead. There, [...] those who died after being harvested for honey linger."
↑Make a discreet inquiry into the upper strata, Fallen London"His family did not die, though they did give themselves over to the indulgences widely held to have ruined them. Bored of their dissipated pleasures, they sought something more potent [...] They found the Cardinal's Honey, [...] they imbibed the black honey, and one by one they vanished."
↑Make discreet inquiries, Fallen London"[...] He chooses who needs it most. Those who've lost hope, who need reminding of their purpose. Or those for whom oblivion would be a blessing.""
↑Convince the Procurer of your character, Fallen London"[...] he knows where one can acquire the real Cardinal's Honey. He makes clear that despite the black film [...] what he has given them tonight is a pale facsimile of the real thing. These people's lives are worth more than their dreams of vengeance."
↑Ambition: Nemesis – Midnight's Honey, Fallen London"Along with the Honey, you also possess its antidote [...] Earlier you tested both on a family of mice [...] You watched as they winked out of existence, [...] Those who were given the antidote returned, trembling but alive [...] their whiskers soon brittled and fell off."
↑Accept Mr Cups' bargain; spare its life, Fallen London"The dreams lose their hold [...] its flesh remains ruined: gored with scars, lurid with bruises from the throttling fingers of the dead, its left half just a worm-riddled corpse of itself."
↑Dig up, Fallen London"You are not alone in the earth; worms squirm through the soil. You dig past them; [...] You are lost deep within the dreams of the dead."
↑Ambition Nemesis – Lost Warrens, Fallen London"You emerge, gasping, in a pocket in the earth. [...] There are clawed furrows in the soil; this space was made by others, crawling through the earth."
↑Dig up, Fallen London"There are voices too. "No," you hear, [...] "Stop." [...] "Please. Please." These are the last words of the dead, crawling through the buried warrens."
↑Dig to the left, Fallen London"You see a cage; [...] There are scraps of clothing on the floor – a maid's cap, an apron [...] you can make out a few words. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to look. I won't tell anyone—""
↑Dig to the right, Fallen London"There is a pair of discarded manacles, [...] There is a knife, [...] A bag full of echoes [...] "My payment – I want what was promised. I did what you said—" The rest is cut off by the sudden low drone of bees."
↑Ambition Nemesis – A Quiet Place, Fallen London"It is a person: shivering, wasted, [...] Brittle [...] Their eyes are dull behind straggles of hair. Their skin is cold. They have no breath. This is one of the dead. "Why have you come to our dreams?" [...] anger begins to gather in their eyes. "They are all that is left to us!""
↑Make discreet inquiries, Fallen London"An aristocratic balladeer sat alone [...] A dark liquid drips from his lips, and his fingers twitch. He murmurs something about a woman named 'Christobel', he's sorry he failed; he promises to do better next time."
