Editing Nook

{{spoiler}}
{{Neath_Location|image1 = <gallery>
Nookgaz.png | SSea Gaz
Nookconceptart.png | Concept
</gallery>|caption1 = |image2 = |caption2 = |location = [[The Unterzee|Rattsey]]|alias = The City of Freedom<br>The Great Maw|allegiance = Independent|notable_inhabitants = [[The Seven Against Nidah#Batuk.2C the Soldier|Batuk]]}}<blockquote>''"A gap in this colossal sea monster's throat has been forced open with thick heartmetal beams. They strain under the pressure, but hold. As you pass through, your zubmarine lights pass over a message carved in a floating piece of some unfortunate's hull. BEYOND IS NOOK. BEYOND IS FREEDOM. BEYOND IS- The rest is scratched out."''<ref name="port description">{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/Nook#Port_Description|Port Description|Sunless Sea}}</ref></blockquote>'''Nook''' is a settlement within the maw of an enormous leviathan, located below the [[Unterzee]].
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==A Taste of Freedom==
<blockquote>''"A great mouth in the zee-floor, home to a lawless, aquatic culture."''<ref name="item description">{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/A_Port_Report:_Nook#Items_description|Items description|Sunless Sea}}</ref></blockquote>Deep below the [[Unterzee]] lies a monstrous being embedded within the zeefloor, its jaws pried open with [[heartmetal]].<ref name=":0">{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/Nook|Nook|Sunless Sea|}} ''"A gap in this colossal sea monster's throat has been forced open with thick heartmetal beams. They strain under the pressure, but hold."''</ref> Its teeth are larger than buildings, have moored several shipwrecks between them,<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/Nook#The_Great_Maw|Nook#The Great Maw|Sunless Sea|}} ''"The Maw curves far enough to be swallowed by the darkness of the zee. Entire shipwrecks have been mulched between hooked teeth that dwarf London's mightiest monuments."''</ref> and extend far below into the creature's throat.<ref name="serrated abyss">{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/Nook#The_Serrated_Abyss|The Serrated Abyss|Sunless Sea}}''"Only a few teeth still protrude from the walls. Instead, razor-sharp hairs line them, rippling gently in the current."''</ref> It appears to be hibernating, but its nerves remain very sensitive, and one wrong move can trigger a frightening jolt.<ref name="tooth miners">{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/Nook#The_Great_Maw|Join some tooth miners|Sunless Sea}}''"[...] your hook slips, catching a nerve in the tooth. The maw spasms. The miners flee, dragging you with them."''</ref> Within this beast's maw lies Nook, the city of freedom.<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/A_Port_Report:_Nook|A Port Report: Nook|Sunless Sea|}} ''"A great mouth in the zee-floor, home to a lawless, aquatic culture."''</ref>

The water inside Nook, called '''Nookwater''',<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/Nook:_Tolerance_for_Nookwater|Nook: Tolerance for Nookwater|Sunless Sea}}''"The more of it you breathe, the less you remember air."''</ref> is foul but conveniently quite breathable. Newcomers to the settlement typically find their lungs unaccustomed to Nookwater, and they may feel as though they're drowning as the water enters their airways.<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/Nook#The_Edge_of_Nook|Descend naked into Nook|Sunless Sea}}''"Then, through the exhaustion and panic, you realise you're breathing. It's hard work. Your lungs fight against the weight. But it's enough. You can tolerate it, at least for now."''</ref> Luckily, getting drunk relieves this sensation somewhat, and can help develop tolerance.<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/Nook#The_Edge_of_Nook|Return to Nook|Sunless Sea}}''"And you have learned that the liberal ingestion of wine before a visit increases your tolerance for nook-water."''</ref> Over time, exposure to Nookwater becomes exhilarating,<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/Nook#The_Edge_of_Nook|Return to freedom|Sunless Sea}}''"Every heartbeat echoes in your head. Your blood strains against your skin. Through that door is freedom. The once foul water now tastes sweet."''</ref> but leaving Nook can cause withdrawal symptoms upon being forced to breathe air again.<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/Nook#Return_From_Nook|Return to the crew (3)|Sunless Sea}}''"The air tickles intolerably at your throat, and you rasp like a cat with a furball."''</ref>

== Culture ==
<blockquote>''"Yet the inhabitants seem content. Many have come here from London, the Khanate, the Presbyterate; abandoning cultured life for this tenuous existence. They grin, their mouths full of stolen flesh, or float naked and carefree. Many have nothing, and nothing to lose."''<ref name="port report">{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/Nook#The_Ruptured_Throat|Compile a Port Report|Sunless Sea}}</ref></blockquote>[[File:Bubbles.png|alt=Bubbles.|thumb|Take a deep breath.]]
Despite the obvious hazard of living inside a giant, lamprey-like beast whose mouth is only barely propped open by metallic rods,<ref name=":0" /> Nook is populated with people from all across the [[Unterzee]], hailing from places as far-flung as [[London]], the [[Khanate]], and the [[Presbyterate]].<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/Nook#The_Ruptured_Throat|Compile a Port Report|Sunless Sea|}} ''"Many have come here from London, the Khanate, the Presbyterate; abandoning cultured life for this tenuous existence."''</ref> Most of its denizens are naked,<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/Nook#The_Edge_of_Nook|Enter Nook|Sunless Sea|}} ''"The people of Nook swim and breathe in the cloudy Maw-water with no apparent discomfort. Most are naked, with just a few clad in rotten rags that stream from their skin with no concern for modesty. "''</ref> as it is an apparent custom to have nothing to hide;<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/Nook#The_Ruptured_Throat|Compile a Port Report|Sunless Sea|}} ''"No one here has anything to hide. Actually, no one here is hiding anything at all."''</ref> visiting Nook in a full diving suit is the fastest way to earn ridicule.<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/Nook#The_Edge_of_Nook|Enter Nook|Sunless Sea}}''"None will communicate with you, if they even can. Those who acknowledge your presence just laugh silently at your bulky suit and unnecessary air-hose. You'll need a different approach."''</ref> For shelter, the inhabitants of Nook carve massive teeth into caves and houses.<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/Nook#The_Ruptured_Throat|The Ruptured Throat|Sunless Sea}}''"Razor-sharp teeth the size of buildings jut from fatty, garnet-red flesh. Many teeth have been quarried out into homes, barricaded by scraps of wood from shipwrecks."''</ref> Nook is a society largely known for its near-complete lawlessness, and the laws that remain are written in blood.<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/Nook#The_Ruptured_Throat|Compile a Port Report|Sunless Sea|}} ''"A vile place. Festering. Acidic. No laws but those of tooth and claw, written in scars. Civilisation? Impossible - making tea would be a logistical impossibility."''</ref> As such, the '''Nookfolk''' tend to be suspicious of outsiders and carry weapons for self-defense.<ref name="attempt mingle">{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/Nook#The_Ruptured_Throat|Attempt to mingle with the Nookfolk|Sunless Sea}}''"They acknowledge your presence, but little more. Most shrink back, assuming you mean harm. Other's deliberately swim just above you in a crude attempt at intimidation. They carry bone knives, or tooth-tipped spears."''</ref> However, they can be quite cordial or even friendly to those properly accustomed to their new environment.<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/Nook#The_Ruptured_Throat|Compile a Port Report|Sunless Sea|}} ''"A group of swimmers dart past, hunting gleefully. One squeezes your shoulder, companionably. You've never met her before."''</ref>
[[File:Tooth.png|alt=A sharp tooth.|thumb|Stay sharp.]]
Verbal communication is nearly impossible in Nook due to the lack of air, so the Nookfolk primarily use sign language for communication, using unique signs as well as gestures familiar to outsiders.<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/Nook#The_Ruptured_Throat|Attempt to mingle with the Nookfolk|Sunless Sea|}} ''"A few gesture to you - in welcome? Invitation? It is unclear. The slightly glutinous water makes speech impossible, so the natives have developed a language of signs. You can interpret the most basic: a finger pulled across a throat, for example, is one of the more polite invitations to depart."''</ref> The only reliable sources of light within Nook are strange green polyps called '''phosphorescent nodules''', often mined from Nook's teeth.<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/Nook#The_Great_Maw|Join some tooth miners|Sunless Sea|}} ''"Your pick-hook finds a wide cavity. Light shines forth - it is stuffed with a cluster of the phosphorescent nodules that the deeper Nookfolk treasure."''</ref> Due to the value of light in Nook, many tooth-miners show utter disinterest in any other objects they may find, such as gemstones or other treasures.<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/Nook#The_Great_Maw|Join some tooth miners|Sunless Sea|}} ''"Shards of pottery, and - what's this? A handful of jewels, sparkling in the tartar you chipped from the tooth. The Nookfolk show no interest in them."''</ref>

A certain etched tooth-house in the upper areas of Nook is filled with air pockets. This unique environment allows for activities, such as talking, that would not be possible in Nook's aquatic surroundings.<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/The_Flinty_Latitudinarian|The Flinty Latitudinarian|Sunless Sea}}''"In the cavities of his etched tooth-home, trapped air-pockets allow an activity largely forsaken in Nook: conversation. A handful of Nookfolk gather there to reminisce."''</ref> The house is maintained by [[Batuk]] of the [[Seven Against Nidah]], who "cares not a damn" about whatever might be happening outside of Nook.<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/The_Flinty_Latitudinarian|The Flinty Latitudinarian|Sunless Sea|}} ''""The Latitudinarian watches, and listens. He keeps a merciless peace within his house, and cares not a damn for what happens outside it.""''</ref>

== The Depths of Nook ==
<blockquote>''"Down here the water is cloudy, its greens streaked by dissipating patches of coppery red. Only a few teeth still protrude from the walls. Instead, razor-sharp hairs line them, rippling gently in the current."''<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/Nook#The_Serrated_Abyss|The Serrated Abyss|Sunless Sea|}}</ref></blockquote>The water within the deeper areas of Nook is unusually cloudy.<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/Nook#The_Serrated_Abyss|The Serrated Abyss|Sunless Sea|}} ''"Down here the water is cloudy, its greens streaked by dissipating patches of coppery red."''</ref> In these depths, the Nookfolk harvest a substance called '''Nookweed''' from the surrounding teeth, which can induce horrifying visions when consumed.<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/Nook#The_Serrated_Abyss|Sample some Nookweed|Sunless Sea|}} ''"You chew the Nookweed and its effects go to work. When you wake, only pieces of memory remain. A descent. A tryst turned bloody. [...] A dim memory of... flesh? "''</ref> Rather than residing in tooth-homes, the Nookfolk down here carve out temporary dwellings for themselves in the behemoth's softer flesh.<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/Nook#The_Serrated_Abyss|Take a moment's rest|Sunless Sea}}''"These deeper Nookfolk either lack the confidence or strength to take a tooth for a home. Instead, they make use of the beast's walls."''</ref> 

Deeper still, the Nookwater is extremely foggy, acidic, and bubbling with gas, to say nothing of the leeches that live in this environment;<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/Nook#The_Bilious_Cleft|Search for Phosphorescent Nodules|Sunless Sea|}} ''"Not a nodule! Not a nodule! Instead, it was the lambent eye of a giant leech-creature which almost bit your fingers off. You manage to wrestle it into submission. It seems the Nookfolk are not the only ones to call Nook home."''</ref> needless to say, very few Nookfolk venture down this far.<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/Nook#The_Bilious_Cleft|The Bilious Cleft|Sunless Sea}}''"Few Nookfolk swim this deep, where the water is foggier than a London pea-souper. Foul gas bubbles up from the Beast's gut, acidic enough to sting your eyes."''</ref> But when the Nookfolk drop their light sources, they fall down here, and some divers may find it worthwhile to recover the residents' treasures.<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/Nook#The_Bilious_Cleft|Search for Phosphorescent Nodules|Sunless Sea}}''"The Nookfolk use them for light, and guard them closely. When they do drop them, though, the nodules sink down here, glowing between the teeth."''</ref>

=== Go No Further ===
<blockquote>''"Unbreathable! A persistent viscosity pushes you down, towards the digestive juices of the hideous stomach below. Only frantic kicking allows you to struggle free and rise again. Gripping tight to a stomach hair to get your strength back, one thing is clear - this is as low as you can go."''<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/The_Writhing_Gullet#Story_description|Try, fruitlessly, to dive deeper|Sunless Sea|}}</ref></blockquote>[[File:Drowned.png|alt=A drowning hand.|thumb|Quite far enough.]]
The very deepest regions of Nook are situated within the gullet of the massive leviathan. Here, the water is so revolting it can barely be traversed,<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/The_Writhing_Gullet#Story_description|Keep swimming down into the Gullet|Sunless Sea|}} ''"Festering bubbles burst against your skin. Every kick and stroke is a struggle. "''</ref> but treasure hunters known as '''Nookdivers''' roam these depths, guarding their riches fiercely from attackers.<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/The_Writhing_Gullet#Story_description|Ambush a pair of Nookdivers|Sunless Sea}}''"Their attention is focused on the treasures they've recovered from below."''</ref> Like the gigantic leeches found further up, there are other parasites present here, like maggots and tapeworms.<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/The_Writhing_Gullet#Story_description|Something glimmers in the darkness|Sunless Sea}}''"You push through the tear into the fleshy cavity behind. A hundred child-sized maggots infest it; eyeless, bleached white, burrowed in with their teeth. In the middle of their number is a skeleton, picked clean, lit by a cluster of discarded nodules."''</ref><ref>{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/The_Writhing_Gullet#Story_description|Climb down an undulating tapeworm|Sunless Sea|}} ''"Hand over hand, you drag yourself down. It's just like climbing a London drainpipe, you tell yourself. Except you're pulling yourself down, not up, and the drainpipe is fleshy and white, and instead of a London fog, you're surrounded by drifting sediment. But apart from that... "''</ref>

Nook's citizens dispose of their dead by wrapping them in zeeweed before weighting their bodies, causing them to sink into the gullet far below.<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/The_Writhing_Gullet#Story_description|Investigate a throng of Nook's dead|Sunless Sea|}} ''"Here, in a bend in the gullet, a number of zeeweed-wrapped mummies sway in the current. "''</ref><ref>{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/The_Writhing_Gullet#Story_description|Investigate an ossuary of bone|Sunless Sea}}''"The placing is deliberate. The bodies are firmly attached. An old ritual, from an earlier age of Nook?"''</ref> Beyond this depth, the Nookwater is completely unbreathable, and its heavy viscosity may force divers directly into the behemoth's stomach below.<ref name="dive no deeper">{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/The_Writhing_Gullet#Story_description|Try, fruitlessly, to dive deeper|Sunless Sea}}''"Unbreathable! A persistent viscosity pushes you down, towards the digestive juices of the hideous stomach below. [...]"''</ref>

==The Leviathan==
{{Major spoiler small}}
<blockquote>''"You are vast - larger than any beast or building. You are hungry - you could devour whole fleets and not be sated. You are lonely. You are far from home. You are imprisoned in the belly of a tiny world, sealed away from the blazing stars, and the singing nowhere-winds, and the edgeless, echoing freedom of -"''<ref name="biological">{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/The_Writhing_Gullet#Story_description|Investigate a biological peculiarity|Sunless Sea}}</ref></blockquote>[[File:Burrowerbelow.png|150px|alt=A dragon's eye with multiple pupils.|thumb|An Aeginae's eye.]]
Nook is one of the [[Aeginae]],<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/Steam_achievements|Steam achievements|Sunless Sea}}''(Achievement title: The dragon in the zee)''</ref> a behemoth from the [[High Wilderness]] that once roamed the skies. During its travels, it encountered the [[Judgements|stars]], their shining thrones, and the winds of space. It eventually ended up in the [[Neath]] for unknown reasons, and while the Neath is a rather free place, Nook seems to consider the sky even more so.<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/Nook#The_Serrated_Abyss|Sample some Nookweed|Sunless Sea|}} ''"Nook is not freedom. There is no freedom down here, in the black belly of the earth. Freedom is above; beyond the thin blue shell of the sky, out in the stirring, shining reaches of the High Wilderness!  Once, you surged between the suns. You recall swelling suns, and golden thrones [...]"''</ref><ref>{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/The_Writhing_Gullet#Story_description|Investigate a biological peculiarity|Sunless Sea|}} ''"You are vast - larger than any beast or building. You are hungry - you could devour whole fleets and not be sated. You are lonely. You are far from home. You are imprisoned in the belly of a tiny world, sealed away from the blazing stars, and the singing nowhere-winds, and the edgeless, echoing freedom of - "''</ref>

The beast now resides below the [[Unterzee]], where it sleeps, dreams, and mourns, steadily growing hungrier and hungrier as the days pass by.<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/Nook#The_Serrated_Abyss|Sample some Nookweed|Sunless Sea|}} ''"Now you coil in this pit on the bed of this little sea and sleep and dream of the winds of nowhere and stir and sleep again. You are growing hungry."''</ref>

==References==
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[[Category:Places]]
[[Category:The Unterzee]]


[[Category:The Neath]]