The Fifth City: the Neath's Lore Wiki
Welcome to the Fifth City Wiki! This is an unofficial, user-written guide to the lore of the intertwined worlds of Fallen London, Sunless Sea, Sunless Skies, Mask of the Rose, and other related content published by Failbetter Games. All artwork used in articles is sourced from Failbetter unless otherwise indicated. Some art may be edited with appropriate crediting.
Caution: spoilers abound! This wiki is not intended as a substitute for Fallen London or any Failbetter game. Please support Failbetter and enjoy their content officially. We discuss the games' background information in detail here, so tread carefully if you are a new player or don't want to be spoiled.
This wiki is an ever-evolving project, and some information may be of dubious validity or uncited. If you're interested in helping, you can join our Discord server to chat with our community!
What is Fallen London?
"Fallen London: once capital of the British Empire, now home of the Bazaar. Deep. Dark. Expensive. Marvellous. Here you can find everything from immortality to unnervingly good mushroom wine."
Fallen London, Sunless Sea, Sunless Skies, The Silver Tree, and Mask of the Rose all take place in an alternate history where five major cities in succession have fallen underground into a vast cave known as the Neath.
Fallen London is set in the 1890s and Sunless Sea begins in 1887; both games are set approximately 30-40 years after London became the fifth city to fall to the Neath. Fallen London explores this transfigured London and its intrigues, while Sunless Sea ventures beyond the city's docks to the Unterzee, an underground saltwater body about the size of Europe, awash with mystery. Mask of the Rose is a prelude to both these games, as it takes place shortly after the Fall of London in 1862, and offers a slice of life in the ensuing chaos and adjustment.
Sunless Skies takes place in 1905, in "a possible future" where London discovered space travel some time after the events of Fallen London and Sunless Sea. They have established a foothold in the High Wilderness, where the stars hold sway.
The Silver Tree, set in the 13th century, depicts the Fourth City that fell before London, and features a few characters who are still alive and well in Fallen London.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the Neath? - An enormous cavern within the Earth populated by various settlements, some less familiar than others.
- What is the Unterzee? - A massive saltwater body that spans the entire Neath. It has a western and southern coast, and dozens of islands peppered throughout.
- What exactly happened to London? - Forty years ago, in 1862, London was stolen by bats. Although no one really says "stolen" anymore; it was a transaction, not a theft.
- What is the Echo Bazaar? - The Bazaar is the center of commerce in Fallen London. Almost all legal business is conducted here.
- Who are the Masters of the Bazaar? - Mysterious cloaked figures who each specialize in one field of trade.
- What is Hell? - Now located due west of London; accessible via rail from the Moloch Street station. Home to devils, goat-demons, imps, and the like. Not popular among tourists.
- What is the Correspondence? - A language of mysterious sigils. Has a tendency to set unfortunate readers on fire - physically, mentally, or some measure of both.
- What are Judgements? - The light above, the enforcement of law. It would be foolish to challenge such a power. Or would it?
- What is the Dawn Machine? - - SUN. THE SUN. THE SUN. THE SUN. THE SUN. THE -
- What is the Discordance? - I see you have nothing to ask, and so I have nothing to answer. Stoke the furnace, please; I can't stand the cold.
- Who is Mr Eaten? - Keep asking such questions, friend, and you'll lose the very head on your shoulders...
Wiki Information
Rules
Content Guidelines and Spoiler Policy
Official Resources
Play Fallen London!
Fallen London Wiki (gameplay-related)
Sunless Sea Wiki
Sunless Skies Wiki
Mask of the Rose Wiki
Failbetter Games
Contact Admins
Join the Wiki Maintenance Discord!
Join the Failbetter Discord!
Map of London
Ladybones Road is a major district of London, rife with mysteries and intrigue.
Veilgarden is a major district of London. Best known for its bohemian leanings, this neighborhood is filled with entertainment, honey-dens, and scandalous delights.
Mrs Plenty's Most Distracting Carnival is a year-round fair held on the eastern outskirts of London.
Watchmaker's Hill is a major district of London. One of the more dangerous parts of the city, this neighborhood is home to the Department of Menace Eradication, which pays upstanding citizens to hunt various pests in the nearby marshes.
The Forgotten Quarter is the last surviving remnant of the Fourth City.
The Shuttered Palace is the home of the Empress, her Consort, and her children. Why is it shuttered? "Apparently the Empress doesn't like light. Or sudden movements, loud noises, foreigners, treason, peaches. When you're Empress, you can do this kind of thing."
Wolfstack Docks is London's single major port, located on the banks of the Stolen River near the western shore of the Unterzee.
"What can you find in the Bazaar Sidestreets? Respectable firms crammed into ramshackle workshops and pokey offices. The rent here is astronomical. But the quick and the hungry turn profits in the shadows of the spires. Just keep your eyes off the carvings up high. And whatever you do, don't fall in love."
Part zoo and part Bedlam (though the real Bedlam is a good distance south), the Labyrinth of Tigers is a curious attraction where the tigers are the only exhibits who may roam freely.
The headquarters of London's Constables.
Moloch Street is a major artery through Ladybones Road. Its landmarks include the Brass Embassy - Hell's stronghold in London - as well as the Moloch Street Underground Station, which serves as the eastern terminus of the Moloch Street Express and the Great Hellbound Railway.
A vast and ancient network of tunnels beneath London, inhabited by many Clay Men.
The Brass Embassy is Hell's bastion in London, and thus a base of operation for devils.
A noteworthy tavern in Veilgarden.
The University is London's primary institution of period-appropiate pseudoscience ahem, knowledge and innovation.
The Orphanage, operating under Mr Fires' protection, is a mysterious facility that sits in the heart of Spite's labyrinth.
The hub of London's newspapers, magazines, and other printed publications.
Mahogany Hall is London's most popular and prestigious theatre. It really does put on a different kind of show each day, just as advertised.
Boarding House
A place for those who have nowhere else to go. Alias Horatia's. Location approximate.
The only known synagogue in London. Location approximate.
Protomartyr
Location approximate.
The Department of Menace Eradication pays brave Londoners to eliminate threats to the city, particularly those in the nearby marshes.
A tavern owned by the Cheery Man.
A marsh on the outskirts of London, crawling with all sorts of strange and dangerous beasts.
An area on the outskirts of London that is littered with deadly-sharp stalagmites.
"In an unprecedented move, the clandestine and obscure Temple Club has opened its doors to the public. It is a place for free thinkers, radical antiquarians and luminaries of the modern age to gather amidst the ruins of the Fourth City."
A zailors' pub in Wolfstack Docks.
Tucked into a quiet corner of Tyrant's Gardens, Wilmot's End is the base of the Great Game in London, and the location of the Foreign Office.
The Foreign Office is an almost completely autonomous wing of London's government that is responsible for appointing colonial governors of Port Carnelian.
After the Fall of London, the Empress and the Masters of the Bazaar found no further use for Parliament. So it ended up here.
"I've heard tell that there's a fancy club for exceptional sorts. It's on the river, in the shell of some old clock tower. The things that go on there! They'd curl your hair and clench your toes."
The Echo Bazaar is the center of commerce in London.
Flute Street is an ancient Rubbery city that lies beneath London.
The Royal Bethlehem Hotel, formerly the hospital of the same name, is an elite hotel run by a very mysterious manager.
