The Neathbow

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"A book for children. One page is devoted to each of the colours of the Neath, which are not found on the Surface."[1]

A Ray-Drenched Cinder, tinted with Neathy colors

The Neathbow is the conjectural term for seven colors which cannot be seen on the Surface. They're most commonly observed in the Neath (hence the name), but they may also turn up in places like Parabola[2] and the High Wilderness.[3]

Irrigo

"I is for IRRIGO. No one remembers why. Irrigo colours the forgotten corners of home."[4]

The most prominent color of the Neathbow, irrigo is the unremembered color, the light of absence.[5] Exposure to it causes severe memory-loss, overexposure to it can result in total ego death, and it can cause thick, bony plates to grow over one's eyes, creating disgusting eyeless skulls.[6] The Cave of the Nadir is filled with dangerous irrigo radiation,[7] so explorers use tea brewed from Ray-Drenched Cinders to protect themselves.[8]

Irrigo can be infused into objects,[9] and Midnighters use shrines and robes that are draped in this color to perform their rites.[10] Strangely, irrigo seems to internally retain the memories it steals, so Fluke-Cores often have years worth of histories and experiences stored within them.[11]

Irrigo's name comes from the Latin irrigo, meaning to flood or overwhelm.

Violant

"V marks VIOLANT when blood is shed in a spired place. Violant ink is employed for the most desperate treaties..."[12]

Violant is irrigo's counterpart; it indelibly lingers in one's memory. It's very hard to forget anything written in violant ink.[13] Correspondants use this ink extensively in their esoteric publications, which often shake up the status quo quite well.[14]

The name "violant" could stem from "violent," or "violet," or both.

Cosmogone

"C lights COSMOGONE, the colour of remembered suns. The fecund, the foetid, the fungal: these flourish in the glow of cosmogone."[15]

File:Cosmogoneletter.png

A shade heavily associated with Parabola, cosmogone is the color of remembered sunlight. Under its light, fungus and other flora flourishes. It's the most prominent color in a Ray-Drenched Cinder,[16] and it's the tint of a Glassman's spectacles. Cosmogone is irresistible to the denizens of the mirrors.[17]

The name "cosmogone" probably comes from the word "cosmogony", the study of the origin of the solar system, or of the universe.

Peligin

"P drowns in PELIGIN, the colour of the deepest zee."[18]

Peligin is the hue of the waters of the Unterzee and those of the land of the dead[citation needed]. It's the color of the eyes of Monster-Hunters,[19] as they have consumed the peligin flesh of zee-monsters.[20] Peligin is a dark, dark, black, beyond the reach of any light.[21]

The term "peligin" likely comes from the Latin pelagus, meaning the sea.

Apocyan

"A wakes APOCYAN, the blue of memory and brightest coral."[22]

Apocyan is the color of coral, of memory,[23] and of the Zee's waves.[24] Chess pieces of this color are highly prized.[25] Crooked-Crosses often lacquer their crosses in this color.[26] And an apocyanic piece of amber may be what brings down the Bazaar...[27]

The name "apocyan" almost certainly derives from the color cyan, which has a similar hue, and "apocalypse".

Viric

"Behind your mirror, V names VIRIC, the colour of shallow sleep."[28]

Viric is the green of shallow sleep. It's heavily associated with the Fingerkings[29] — Fingerking-possessed Clay Men's[30] (and the Somnolent Hyena's)[31] eyes burn with viric fire, and a box of dream-snakes will also glow viric.[32] The priests of Varchas use viric Mirror-Charms to ward off Fingerkings from their dreams.[33]

When viric light comes into contact with vegetation, it causes it to flourish and grow at an exponential rate.[1]

The word "viric" probably comes from the Latin vivo, "alive".

Gant

"G is lost in GANT, which remains when all other colours are eaten. Gant can be found where shadows are myriad."[34]

The color one sees in the dark, gant is more beige than one might expect.[35] It is the color of the Eater of Names' boat,[36] and zee-beasts go to a place called the Gant Pole to die.[37] Perhaps most notoriously, it is also the color of the Avid Horizon's gate.[38] Gant ink is used to remove false tattoos;[39] it also can be used as an invisible ink, meant for writing Licentiates' aliases.[40]

Fireworks

"Are you quite sure you want to know this?"

Beyond this point lie major spoilers for Fallen London, Sunless Sea, Sunless Skies, or Mask of the Rose. This may include endgame or major Fate-locked spoilers. Proceed at your own risk.

You can find out more about our spoiler policy here.


Fireworks featuring the Neathbow are occasionally lit during the Feast of the Exceptional Rose to celebrate the occasion.[41]

  • Irrigo fireworks can help dull memories of hard times.
  • Violant fireworks are hard to forget.
  • Viric fireworks induce lassitude - sweet dreams!
  • Gant fireworks show depth of feeling - grandiose but a bit arrogant.

References

  1. THE NEATHBOW, Sunless Sea
  2. Parabola tattoo, Fallen London
  3. The Stair to the Sea, Sunless Skies
  4. A Page from 'The Neathbow': Irrigo, Sunless Sea
  5. Irrigo, Fallen London
  6. Struggle for the exit, Fallen London
  7. The Catafalquerie, Fallen London
  8. Enter the Cave of the Nadir, Fallen London
  9. Pair of Irrigo Goggles, Fallen London
  10. Shrine to Saint Joshua, Fallen London
  11. Fluke-Core, Fallen London
  12. A Page from 'The Neathbow': Violant, Sunless Sea
  13. A Pot of Violant Ink, Sunless Sea
  14. Become a Correspondent, Fallen London
  15. A Page from 'The Neathbow': Cosmogone, Sunless Sea
  16. Ray-Drenched Cinder, Sunless Sea
  17. Set of Cosmogone Spectacles, Fallen London
  18. A Page from 'The Neathbow': Peligin, Sunless Sea
  19. Give it your Hunter's Eye, Sunless Sea
  20. Hunter's Eye, Sunless Sea
  21. Commission a set of fine clothes, Sunless Sea
  22. A Page from 'The Neathbow': Apocyan, Sunless Sea
  23. A Page from 'The Neathbow': Apocyan, Sunless Sea
  24. Sunless tattoo, Fallen London
  25. Apocyan Chess-Piece, Sunless Sea
  26. A Crooked Cross, Fallen London
  27. "I bring the Bazaar.", Fallen London "You paid dearly to get this apocyanic lump into the spire, and more dearly still to get it out, once it had absorbed the imprint you needed. "
  28. A Page from 'The Neathbow': Viric, Sunless Sea
  29. Give it your enigmatic painting, Sunless Sea
  30. Allow the Mechanic to enjoy his sleep, Sunless Sea
  31. Gawp, Fallen London
  32. A Mirrorcatch Box Full of Very Angry Dream-Snakes, Sunless Sea
  33. Dreams of Smoke, Sunless Sea
  34. A Page from 'The Neathbow': Gant, Sunless Sea
  35. A List of Aliases, Writ in Gant, Fallen London
  36. Show it a sketch of the Figurehead of the Eater of Names, Sunless Sea
  37. Gant Pole, Sunless Sea
  38. Avid Horizon, Sunless Sea
  39. Offer to sponsor the ganting of the tattoo (5 FATE), Fallen London
  40. A List of Aliases, Writ in Gant, Fallen London
  41. Arrange a Explosion of Neath-Colours on the Stroke of Midnight (40 FATE), Fallen London