"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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"The Sun is dangerous to Neath-dwellers like your crew, but the Surface has its temptations."[1]
The Surface is the blanket term for the lands above the Neath, bathed in the life-giving and life-taking light of the Sun.
"The trees are the dusty green of old jade: the hills, tawny as a lion. You are pale as milk, all of you. The crew splash in the canal, whenever they can, to cool themselves after the heat of the sun. "It's not right up here," your bo'sun confides. "I keep thinking I'm going to fall off up, like. But it calms the heart to look at, don't it?""[2]
A Sunlight-Filled Mirrorcatch Box.
The two primary connections between the Surface and the Neath are the Travertine Spiral[3] and the Cumaean Canal.[4] Traveling to the Surface can be profitable, but it is also extremely dangerous, as exposure to sunlight can be a death sentence for denizens of the Neath.[5]
Zailors who travel to the Surface often engage in the highly illegal sunlight trade, where they fill mysterious Mirrorcatch Boxes with captured sunlight, and sell them to those who can afford such a luxury.[6] Quite a few citizens of the Neath miss sunlight, even if they won't openly admit it, and peddlers of sunlight can turn in huge profits, but they also have a bad habit of succumbing to their own product.[7]
Neathy folk struck by nostalgia for the Surface may also indulge in Surface-inspired dinners,[8] or may import food from the Surface for an extremely high price.[9] They may also import Surface-grown flowers, but these wither quickly, unless they're properly embalmed beforehand.[10]
The Last Labyrinth is a maze that connects the Neath to the Surface. Under most circumstances, the Cumaean Canal or the Travertine Spiral would be more attractive options. But if those were to become unusable, the truly desperate might find its key, brave its corridors, face its Inhabiters, and finally emerge in, of all places, Shepton Mallet.[11]
London's Colonies
The Decorated Ambassador
"You are invited to the grand opening of the Garden Embassy. The embassy will represent the interests of a number of Her Enduring Majesty's colonies. A ball is to be held to celebrate the occasion. The invitation is signed by the Decorated Ambassador herself."[12]
Despite London's current position, the capital of Britain still has some sway over its Empire. In order to easily facilitate relations, several colonies of the commonwealth founded the magnificent Garden Embassy in Veilgarden.[12] The Embassy is lavishly decorated with Surface flowers that attract plenty of local wildlife.[13]
However, London’s remoteness has severely strained its ability to govern its overseas possessions. In territories such as Australia and India, greater autonomy has become the norm. Colonial governments are now looking ahead: some are exploring plans to federate, while others are actively debating whether to remain within the Commonwealth or seek full independence.[14] Even before London fell, unrest had begun to stir. An uprising of miners in the colonies initially seemed inconsequential, but after the Fall, in the power vacuum that followed, the insurrectionists gained support and momentum. Now, they demand more information about London's fate before they move forward with any decisive actions.[15]
Meanwhile, southern Africa has been particularly unstable since the Fall, the region sliding into war. The collapse of British authority allowed German forces to make slow but steady territorial gains. The situation has reached a critical point in the Transvaal Republic (South African Republic), where descendants of Dutch, German, and Huguenot settlers have long held sway. They maintain a rigid racial hierarchy that places white Christians above the indigenous population.[16] Their so-called democracy grants voting rights only to Christians and enforces strict social roles according to their version of the Chain. The Republic's wealth, drawn from its diamond and gold mines, further reinforces its power and ambition.[17]
↑ 12.012.1The Garden Embassy, Fallen London"You are invited to the grand opening of the Garden Embassy. The embassy will represent the interests of a number of Her Enduring Majesty's colonies. A ball is to be held to celebrate the occasion. The invitation is signed by the Decorated Ambassador herself."
↑The Garden Embassy, Fallen London"The bird clucks happily as you scatter crumbs. [...] "From that new Embassy they're setting up in Veilgarden. They've got flowers and everything! It ain't natural." "
↑The Garden Embassy, Fallen London"The governments of the colonies I represent are looking to the future. There are plans to federate. My father is a new governor, hence my role here. [...] My father and his counterparts have an important decision to make. Should they remain a part of the commonwealth? Or should they strike out on their own?"
↑The Garden Embassy, Fallen London"Before London fell there was an uprising of miners in the colonies. It wouldn't have mattered – but then London disappeared. Since then, the insurrectionists have made a lot of friends. They're no fools – they want information before they act."
↑Dernier Cri, Fallen London"The southern part of Africa has been unstable since London fell. With the decapitation of British forces the Germans made slow but steady territorial gains. Matters have come to a head in the Transvaal Republic, where the descendants of Dutch, German and Huguenot settlers exert prior control. They believe in a hierarchy of being, in which white Christians like themselves are superior to the indigenous people of Africa. [...] Now the region is sliding into war, and many interests are represented."
↑Dernier Cri, Fallen London"We have created something very special in the Suid-Afrikaanse Republiek. A model of upright and moral government. No one may vote who is not devout. Each man and woman knows their place in the chain, and it preserves and sustains them. [...] The volk will not allow our values to be tainted, or our land be taken – by the Germans or anyone else. We have the diamond mines now, the gold mines. We have the power and the right. [...]"
