"There are some things we were not meant to know, they say. But you wouldn't be down here if you took that seriously."
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"The Mother Superior has fought many battles. Sometimes with the Vake. Sometimes with people who wish to protect him, or people who wish to kill him first. The fight has been so long that she might not be able to imagine what will come afterward. And it is hard to fight when you are so tired."[1]
The Mother Superior is the abbess of the Sisterhood at Abbey Rock, a militant order of nuns dedicated to ending the threat of the Vake. She was once an Egyptian princess, one of the six daughters of the Pharaoh.[2] She and her sisters successfully trapped the Masters of the Bazaar, granting the Second City a longer lifespan than most Fallen Cities; after two thousand years, the Masters escaped, forcing the sisters to flee.[2]
Since then, the Mother Superior has led a group of women who keep an eye on the Masters’ activities, particularly the Vake, through various guises that have allowed them to blend into the society of each Fallen City.[3] She has become the foremost trainer and source of advice for prospective Vake-hunters.[4][5] In London, her liaison is Sinning Jenny, a trusted member of the Sisterhood[6] who keeps the Mother Superior informed and is a bridge between her and Mr Wines.[7]
The Mother Superior's face is marred with claw-scars from an attack long ago, which also cost her an eye.[8] When not wearing her habit, she wears her "civilian clothes:" a burgundy jacket and pins her braided hair up with a tortoiseshell comb.[9] She has excellent handwriting,[10] and spends her free moments practicing fighting postures in the mirror.[11] Her office at Abbey Rock is bedecked in strategic maps and hunting trophies, more of a war room than a place of spiritual reflection.[12] Though sharp and formidable, the Mother Superior is weary; after all, she has been alive for over three millennia, and has dedicated nearly half that time to fighting the Vake. She has found herself both anxious to finish the job before her strength or will fails,[13][14] and reluctant to see it end.[15]
↑ 2.02.1Buying secrets, Fallen London"[...] My sisters and I have been watching the Vake for many years. Since the Second City, in fact. We were a royal house then. We played those black-cloaked vultures for fools, so we did. Beat them at their own game and pulled the nose of the Bazaar. And they never forgave us. Kept the youngest sister hostage while the rest of us ran for it. [...]"
↑Buying secrets, Fallen London"[...] The Sisterhood have been many things since those days. Scholars. Carnival performers. Explorers. And now nuns. But we've always kept watch. And if we can endure the wrath of the Masters for centuries without number, we can d__n well do anything."
↑Vigilance, Fallen London"Vigilance [...] is the hunter's virtue. Go and stand in the corner. Turn around the moment before I tap your shoulder."
↑Buying secrets, Fallen London"So, you're ready for the real work. I think we can kill the Vake. Or at least you can, with our help. But you're going to need some training. And to find out some secrets. Let's get to it. Once you've trained for a while, I'll tell you what we think the Vake actually is."
↑Through the Labyrinth, Fallen London"You want to know how I came to be here, don't you? I haven't left the Sisterhood, if that's what you're thinking. I keep the Mother Superior informed of what's going on in Fallen London. And I... liaise with Mr Wines. Its interest in the matters of the Vake is both well-known and officially non-existent."
↑Complete your task, Fallen London"She wears a broadly sleeved jacket of stern burgundy. Her hair is plaited and pinned with a tortoiseshell comb. It takes you a moment to recognise the Mother Superior. "Civilian clothes," she explains, with what might be a blush."
↑Rely on Mother Superior, Fallen London"When not otherwise required, she practices her fighting postures before the mirrors. But she is ready to assist if she can."
↑Nothing to do but wait, Fallen London"You enter and find yourself in the Mother Superior's office. It has more of the war room than the cloister. Maps are pinned to tables, with little paper flags marking objectives. The walls are hung with rifles and the stuffed heads of beasts [...]"
↑Find out why Mother Superior objects, Fallen London"I want to... to get on to whatever I am doing next in life [...] This has been my only existence for a very long time. The Abbey is my home and my family. [...] We must finish this before I forget my vows."
↑Ask what she knows about the Mother Superior's fate, Fallen London"The Mother Superior has fought many battles. Sometimes with the Vake. Sometimes with people who wish to protect him, or people who wish to kill him first. The fight has been so long that she might not be able to imagine what will come afterward. And it is hard to fight when you are so tired."
