Nicator

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

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"Most historical research is limited by the availability of sources. When it comes to Nicator's biography, however, one is confronted with limited time with which to examine the vast surfeit of sources available to a Historian."[4]

Nicator is a mythical figure with close ties to the Elder Continent.

A Storied History[edit | edit source]

"The question is not whether Nicator was a real man, but whether his story is a real myth."[5]

Nicator is a person whose life is recounted largely through myth and storytelling. One such story is told in Apis Meet,[6] and chronicles Nicator's time as a King of Caution. During his coronation, he was beset by the laments of Huz and Skite. His hands tensed until they bled, and he was soon found dead. Some theorized his crown's weight killed him, or the dagger in his hand. In truth, the cause of his demise was the "face he did not see" in the mirror he held.[7]

A red river in an arid plain.
Moulin

Quite a tale, but it is only one of an ocean of legends told through the Nicatorean Relics[8] found throughout Moulin.[9] These trinkets may be fabrications of the Mithridate Office,[10] the rumormongers of the Presbyterate.[11] Many insert Nicator in key moments of history, such as the end of the Fourth City[12] or the Campaign of '68.[13] Others spin outlandish stories, claiming he created the Exile's Rose,[14] was a Consort to the Queen of Arbor,[15] or that he is involved in the Great Game.[16] True or not, Nicator's legacy endures into modern day, and he is spoken of in opera,[17] rumor,[18] and even stranger places.[19]

The Advocate of Illumination[edit | edit source]

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"His skin is black and flaking, as if charred by fire. His clothes are black too – something like snake-skin. His eyes are wide, his smile warm. Bees clamber over, within, around, humming with melancholy. It is difficult to tell if the smell is coming from the cave, or from him."

"Polite scholars call it the Hollow. I prefer 'the Cavity'. My name is Nicator. Welcome. Would you care for some soup?"[20]

A person with their face swarmed by bees.
Honey and rot.

Somewhere between Is and Is-Not,[21] there is a Hollow carved within the Mountain of Light.[22][23] Within this Cavity[24] is a withered Remnant of a man,[25] mired in swarms of bees and the stench of honey and rot.[26][27] Also called the Advocate of Illumination,[28] this mysterious individual admires the White, and believes it will one day bring light to the Neath.[29] He also possesses knowledge of the unique knocking method used to open the Avid Horizon.[30] To those foolhardy enough to visit, he introduces himself as Nicator.[31]

Should his word be trusted? Is it truly him?[32] Will anyone ever know for sure? Should anyone ever know for sure?

References[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ Examine a Relic of the Fourth City, Fallen London "Nicator [...] he was made Custodian of the Royal Stables."
  2. ↑ Describe a Nicatorean Relic, Fallen London "[...] sigil belonging to the House of Nicator."
  3. ↑ Describe a Nicatorean Relic, Fallen London "[...] 'Knight of the Forgotten Quarter' matches effigies found on Elder Continent coins [...]"
  4. ↑ Describe a Nicatorean Relic, Fallen London
  5. ↑ Describe a Nicatorean Relic, Fallen London
  6. ↑ Apis Meet (Guide), Fallen London
  7. ↑ Flint, Fallen London "The Coronation [...] there were Kings in Caution, a new King would sit [...] Nicator waited [...] in his left hand, the dagger, in his right, the mirror. [...] echoed the laments of Huz and the pleas of Skite. Nicator's hands tightened, until the blood ran [...] in the morning, he was [...] dead. [...] the dagger that slew him,' [...] 'it was the weight of the Crown.' [...] She knew it was the face that Nicator did not see in the mirror."
  8. ↑ Write a historiographical analysis of the Nicatorean Myth Cycle, Fallen London
  9. ↑ Dig it up!, Fallen London
  10. ↑ Nicatorean Relic, Fallen London
  11. ↑ Flint, Fallen London "The Mithridate Office fabricates misleading stories about the Continent, [...] to confuse foreigners."
  12. ↑ Describe a Nicatorean Relic, Fallen London "[...] after the Great Khan departed the Fourth City, Nicator was invited [...] become their new Khan. [...] his [...] order [...] was to smash every mirror [...] courtiers disobeyed him, Nicator departed [...]".
  13. ↑ Describe a Nicatorean Relic, Fallen London "[...] veterans of the Campaign of '68 [...] seen an [...] officer, [...] unknown 'Knight of the Forgotten Quarter' matches effigies found on Elder Continent [...]"
  14. ↑ Describe a Nicatorean Relic, Fallen London "It is a [...] fact that every Exile's Rose is [...] stamped [...] with [...] the House of Nicator."
  15. ↑ Describe a Nicatorean Relic, Fallen London "[...] Nicator was [...] the Consort of her Queen [...]"
  16. ↑ Describe a Nicatorean Relic, Fallen London "Is Nicator [...] alive? [...] he must be [...] critical [...] in the Great Game."
  17. ↑ An Epic of Far-Off Lands, Fallen London "[...] as the curtain falls on the desolation of Nicator [...]"
  18. ↑ Obfuscate your network, Fallen London "[...] outlandish theories [...] you are in service to Nicator."
  19. ↑ Make discreet inquiries into the Tragedy Procedures, Fallen London ""[...] 'NICATOR, RETURN OF.' Procedures [...] Are you sure this is authentic?""
  20. ↑ The Advocate of Illumination, Fallen London
  21. ↑ "No. But then we aren't even here anyway, are we?", Fallen London "In a sense we're somewhere else, [...] And this is a real journey, make no mistake. There are great powers who would very much like to know how this will all come out."
  22. ↑ The Mountain (Southwards storylet), Fallen London "[...] that [...] spot, [...] in the Mountain’s side."
  23. ↑ The Advocate of Illumination, Fallen London "Polite scholars call it the Hollow."
  24. ↑ The Advocate of Illumination, Fallen London "[...] call it the Hollow. [...] I prefer 'the Cavity' [...]"
  25. ↑ Circle the well, Fallen London "[...] the Hollow [...] and the Remnant."
  26. ↑ "What is due?", Fallen London "Nicator grins. Bees crawl on his teeth."
  27. ↑ The Mountain (Southwards storylet), Fallen London "A space [...] that smells like rot and honey."
  28. ↑ The Advocate of Illumination, Fallen London
  29. ↑ "What is due?", Fallen London "[...] you will bring light to the Neath. I am convinced, [...] the White planned this [...] He sighs in admiration."
  30. ↑ Refuse soup, Fallen London "I'll teach you the Knock. It's not complicated, but opening the Gate will be the hardest thing you ever do."
  31. ↑ The Advocate of Illumination, Fallen London "My name is Nicator. Welcome."
  32. ↑ "Who is Salt?", Fallen London "The man who calls himself Nicator blinks."
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