"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.
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"V marks VIOLANT when blood is shed in a spired place. Violant ink is employed for the most desperate treaties..."[1]
Violant is a color of the Neathbow; the principal counterpart of irrigo,[2] it is the color of "troublesome but necessary connections"[3] and of "blood shed in a spired place."[4] The name "violant" could stem from "violent," from "violet," or both.
Violant indelibly lingers in one's memory;[5] it is very difficult to forget anything written in violant ink.[6]
Violant is usually depicted as burgundy,[7] but sometimes it is described as a shade of purple[8] or blue.[9] It can range from electric blue to the red of slightly dried blood.[10]
Uses
Correspondents use violant ink extensively in their esoteric, paradigm-altering publications.[11] Violant light is captured within a Khanate communication device called a Corresponding Sounder.[5] It can also be seen within a Ray-drenched Cinder alongside other colors of the Neathbow.[12]
↑Enter the Cave of the Nadir, Fallen London"Yes. The light is irrigo: the colour of forgetfulness. [...] The Cinder carries elements of irrigo, but also violant, and other opposing colours."
↑Olivia Wood, formerly of Failbetter: "The closest approximation of violant is a sort of stark burgundy. For the most in-universe explanation - it is difficult to represent colours that do not exist on the Surface, on the Surface. So, follow the descriptions rather than the colours you see. "Violant: the colour of necessary, but troublesome connections. According to other traditions, the colour of blood shed in a spired place." And... if the descriptions don't seem to match – well, there's always the fall back that in real life, people can see colours differently too. It's definitely the same in the Neath. :) "
↑Bruno (FBG), Failbetter Games Discord Server"In some contexts it's an electric blue, in some contexts it's the red of slightly dried blood, in some contexts it's either or both or neither."
↑Ray-Drenched Cinder, Fallen London"Sizzling with violant and irrigo light. It has absorbed radiations not of this earth. Some of its colours can only be seen in sleep."
A Pot of Violant Ink.
The Violant Gate in the Elder Continent.
The Violant Demon mask, worn for Hallowmas.
A Watchful Skull on the zee-floor, with violant eyes.
Violant anemones on the zee-floor.
A Ray-drenched Cinder.
A Violently Mercantile Cuttlefish, rippling with violant and irrigo.
