Editing Mr Spices

|relationships =[[The Solicitor-Baroness]] (ex-partner) <br>

'''Mr Spices''' is an irritable and peevish [[The Masters of the Bazaar|Master of the Bazaar]].

Mr Spices is in charge of trade in spices, sweet smokes, and [[Prisoner's Honey|prisoner's honey]].<ref>https://twitter.com/Mr_Spices</ref> It is a fairly reclusive Master, and much of its scheming occurs behind the scenes.

[[Mr Wines]] and Mr Spices were once close allies, but they now fight fiercely over the domain of [[Parabola|dreams]] following the death of one of their colleagues during the fall of the [[Third City]].<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Uncle_Archibald%27s_Legacy|Uncle Archibald's Legacy|Fallen London|}}''"Back before that vile business with the Third City Priest-Kings, the pair were the closest of colleagues. But now they claw and hiss like cats in a sack."''</ref> Wines covets the honeyed roads into Parabola that Spices currently presides over,<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Mr_Wines|Mr Wines|Fallen London|}}</ref> and their warring often manifests as a destructive dance of fire and ice known as the '''Fire Sermon.'''<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Tell_him_about_your_dreams_of_ice_and_fire|Tell him about your dreams of ice and fire|Fallen London|}}</ref>

Mr Spices was known as the '''Honey-Lord''' during the time of the Third City,<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Speak_to_the_woman_on_the_right|Speak to the woman on the right|Fallen London|}}</ref> and is called the '''Saint of the Silk Road''' by the Cult of the Sanctified at [[Avid Horizon]] in the ''Sunless Skies'' timeline.<ref name="crowning saints">{{Citation|https://sunlessskies.gamepedia.com/The_Jolly_Anchorite|The crowning of the saints|Sunless Skies|}}</ref>

[[File:Jack.png|thumb|100px|[[Jack-of-Smiles]]]]Like many of its colleagues, Mr Spices wishes to return to the [[High Wilderness]] by fulfilling its contract; furthermore, it and Mr Wines are the primary Masters responsible for the collection of love stories for the [[Bazaar]].<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Light_Fingers%3A_Mr_Fires'_Ultimatum_2|Light Fingers%3A Mr Fires' Ultimatum 2|Fallen London|}} ''"You know, of course, that Wines and Spices are engaged in the collection of love stories."''</ref>

To achieve its goals quickly, Mr Spices gave a honey-sipping man who lived in [[Polythreme]] a rather distressing dream, telling him that his wife was unfaithful. The man burnt down the town he lived in out of rage, but he was severely honey-mazed, and he destroyed said town in reality as well. This killed the town's vitality, leaving only a single building standing: the '''Ironmonger's Workshop'''.<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Find_out_its_history|Find out its history|Fallen London|}}</ref>

Within this workshop, Spices enlisted the help of several iron workers to produce many, many Polythremic knives.<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Found_it|Found it|Fallen London|}} ''"He's only been here a month. He doesn't know any of the previous occupants of the workshop."''</ref> Unbeknownst to them, each knife carried with it a sinister vitality, crueler than any other found in the Neath. These knives soon possessed their wielders in [[London]], and these unfortunate souls became known as the various iterations of [[Jack-of-Smiles]].<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Jack%27s_Origin|Jack's Origin|Fallen London|}}</ref> Much to Spices' chagrin, the love stories produced by the tension and drama of Jack's sprees were rejected by the Bazaar for being overly synthetic, so Spices shrugged its winged shoulders and left the mess for someone else to clean up; other matters required its attention.<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Defeat_Jack_completely_(10_FATE)|Defeat Jack completely (10 FATE)|Fallen London|}} ''""So, yes, we constructed [...] Jack-of-Smiles. Dreams and our agent and honey and so forth. [...] Most regrettable. [...] the Bazaar is pleased with stories of love. [...] And it is one of our many duties [...] to fulfil those needs. For what inspires love more than the threat of death? [...] The Bazaar does not accept stories of such synthetically created romance. It was all for naught.""''</ref>

[[File:honeyjar.png|thumb|A mysterious substance]]Mr Spices is in possession of a mysterious substance, a '''Private Stash''' that it does not sell.<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Take_the_appointment|Take the appointment|Fallen London|}} ''"I'm told that is a substance that was stolen from Mr Spices, a new drug that he has developed but does not sell."''</ref> The drug has a soporific or calming effect on its consumers, and is known to be more effective on winged animals, including chiropterans, or bat-like creatures.<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Complete_your_chemical_analysis_of_Mr_Spices%27_new_intoxicant|Complete your chemical analysis of Mr Spices' new intoxicant|Fallen London|}}</ref><ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Work_with_your_Visionary_Student|Work with your Visionary Student|Fallen London|}} ''"They are able to show [...] that the drug has a stronger effect on bats [...] than on any of the other beasts in the laboratory. Moreover, it appears to differentially affect pregnant bats [...]"''</ref> However, the precise effect may vary based on the subject species; the [[Storm-Bird]] in particular seems to experience a stimulating effect instead of sedation, possibly due to its [[Parabolan]] origin.<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Interference|}} ''"It is hard to tell whether the Storm-bird is hungry or angry or sad. It comes away with some of the drug on the tip of its beak, but it doesn't seem as though its senses are dulled. If anything, it's invigorated."''</ref> The drug contains several exotic ingredients, at least one of which is only known to be available across the Unterzee; furthermore, its composition bears distinctive hallmarks of [[F. F. Gebrandt]]. Perhaps she or one of her disciples contributed research to its creation? Is she permitted to speak on the matter? How very mysterious.

Perhaps the most intriguing note on this substance is its effect on pregnant creatures; pregnant animals who consume this drug find their offspring stronger and healthier, and the runts of their litter are more likely to survive. Furthermore, their offspring also become quieter, calmer, and closer to their parent, leading to longer and more robust dreams.

All of this raises the question of why Mr Spices itself is a habitual consumer...<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Finish_your_experiment_with_Mr_Spices%27_Drug_and_reveal_the_truth_to_the_Dean|Finish your experiment with Mr Spices' Drug and reveal the truth to the Dean|Fallen London|}} ''"Pregnant animals find the drug soothing. It makes their offspring quieter, soothes the differences between parent and child. Runts of the litter survive longer after the birth. Both the born and the unborn dream longer and more deeply."''</ref>