Editing Snuffers

{{Uncited}}
{{Spoiler}}
{{Character|image1 = Snuffer.png|caption1 = What even is that thing? Art from FL.|location = [[The Elder Continent]]
[[Fallen London]]<br>
[[New Newgate]]|allegiance = The Thief of Faces|relationships = [[The Thief-of-Faces]] (progenitor)|notable_members = The Thief of Faces<br>
The Big Rat<br>
The Bishop of St. Fiacre's<br>
The Scarred Naturalist|alias=Cousins}}<blockquote>''“A colloquial term for the tribe of face-thieves that prowls the back-rooms, parlours and sculleries in Fallen London. They are named for their appetite for candles, which they devour – though none knows whether they crave the wax, or the flame. They are searching for something, or perhaps somewhere. Facts are elusive, for they change faces as often as a gentleman changes his waistcoat.”''</blockquote>'''Snuffers''' are humanoid creatures that like to rip people's faces off and use them as their own. They get their name from their tendency to "snuff" out the candles they enjoy eating.__forcetoc__

==They Look Like Everyone Else!==
One of the less savory species from the [[Elder Continent]], snuffers are a type of disturbing infiltrator-creature that has settled in possibly every major community in the [[Neath]]. Snuffers not only can disguise themselves as any human, ripping off their faces to use for their own goals, but are a immense danger to anyone around them. Snuffers are surprisingly fast and strong for their size, and a single Snuffer can easily overtake their opponent in a one-on-one fight, even if caught off guard. However, unlike humans, they do not return from death.<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/To_Hunt_A_Snuffer|To Hunt A Snuffer|Fallen London|}} ''"It dies, quite permanently. A man would have easily returned from such a wound."''</ref>

[[Fallen London]]'s [[Department of Menace Eradication]] and the [[Presbyterate]] spend a great deal of time and effort into rooting out Snuffers, but despite this it is impossible to tell how many citizens of the empire are secretly monsters in disguise. Their diet consists primarily of candles, for not entirely clear reasons: the nutrition appears to be derived from the candlewax itself, either because they are sustained by the memory of wax or because they are themselves composed of wax. Despite the rampant prejudice against them, several elements in Fallen London, from criminal organizations to members of London's elite, also use Snuffers as their ideal spies and informants.

Snuffers are able to reproduce with humans,<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/The_Pursuit_of_Moths|The Pursuit of Moths|Fallen London|}} ''"If you're right, and the Topsy King is right, then the Vandal had an odd parentage. She was born from the forbidden love of a priest and a Snuffer. "''</ref><ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/The_Pursuit_of_Moths|The Pursuit of Moths|Fallen London|}} ''""This beard is hopeless. I should just put on a new face," mutters the Scoundrel, folding away his mirror.  ... "Snuffers don't belong up there, nor half-snuffers neither. We'll charter a boat and sail to Zee. Find somewhere we can flourish, father and daughter, like it always should've been." "''</ref> though such an act is blasphemous.<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/The_Pursuit_of_Moths|The Pursuit of Moths|Fallen London|}} ''""Because of my heritage, I am as much a blasphemy as these moths," she says. "Soon I'll catch a ferry to the surface, and together we'll be judged in the light of day. I don't expect to survive.""''</ref> The resultant offspring are able to change their faces at will, rather than having to take a face from a victim.<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/The_Pursuit_of_Moths|The Pursuit of Moths|Fallen London|}} ''"She turns her coat inside-out, pressing trembling moth-wings inward, and her face changes almost imperceptibly — the colour of her eyes, the contour of her chin. She slips into the dark."''</ref><ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/The_Pursuit_of_Moths|The Pursuit of Moths|Fallen London|}} ''"You and the Moth-cloaked Vandal approach the ferry. The conductor glowers suspiciously, but she has already changed her face. Wide eyes, chubby cheeks: the very picture of innocence."''</ref>

== Amongst Themselves ==
{{Major spoiler small}}
Snuffers are the progeny of the mysterious and legendary '''[[Thief-of-Faces]]'''. They call themselves '''Cousins''',<ref name=":0">{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Flint|Flint|Fallen London|}} ''"In her deep wombs, she fosters life that would not be permitted above. The Garden was one of those wombs. And we long to return to it, we Cousins. How we long for it."''</ref> though there are many beings to which this name could pertain. At least some Snuffers wish to return to the [[Garden]],<ref name=":0" /> from which they were cast out after the Thief-of-Faces assaulted [[Stone]].<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Flint|Flint|Fallen London|}} ''"The Mountain cast us all out of the Garden, when it found that our progenitor had taken jewels from its wombs [...]"''</ref> The Snuffer employees of the [[Foreign Office]] have a chapel that features of icons of birds, bees, butterflies, and angels:<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Taking_a_look Taking a look, ''Fallen London''] ''"The chapel is far from orthodox. There are no crosses or crescents or stars. But there are statues of angels. Stained-glass birds. Tiny golden bees. A butterfly in marble."''</ref> creatures that can fly, and thus "carry with them the airs of the Garden."''<ref name=":02">{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Order_Vespertine,_Perilous|Order Vespertine, Perilous|Fallen London}}''"You shall harm no thing that flies, for they carry with them the airs of the Garden. No bee, no bird, no bat."''</ref>''

According to the Bishop of St. Fiacre's, Snuffers were made as mockeries of humans, and envy them.<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Flint|Flint|Fallen London|}} ''"We envy humans, my Cousins and I. How could we not? We were made in your shape, but we lack your souls and your lives. We are mockeries [...] We are both barred from the Garden, but we remember it and you do not. We steal your skins for safety, but also because we long to be you."''</ref> They remember being cast out of the Garden; humans are also barred, but do not remember what happened.<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Flint|Flint|Fallen London|}} ''"We are both barred from the Garden, but we remember it and you do not."''</ref>

==Notable Snuffers==
If you can't already tell, Snuffers are quite good at hiding their identities. Despite their horrifying nature, however, many of them have complex and intriguing personalities.

*[[The Church#The Bishop of St. Fiacre.27s|The Bishop of St. Fiacre's]] is a Snuffer<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Attend_the_Bishop%27s_bridge_meeting ''Attend the Bishop's bridge meeting''], Fallen London Wiki</ref>, although he is not particularly pleased with this fact about himself. He has cut ties with most of his family and wants to use essences to become something, anything other than a Snuffer. Until then, he takes faces from corpses and the willing. His sister is '''the Woman in Yellow'''.
*The <b>Big Rat</b> is a notorious criminal who commands an army of [[Rattus Faber|rattus faber]] and uses them for his bidding. He rarely makes appearances in person, but when he does, he wears a mask made out of rat faces. Despite being at odds with the Bishop of St. Fiacre's, he appears to hold respect for him and makes sure not to target the Cathedral of St. Fiacre's in his heists. He seems to be fond of wine.
*The <b>Scarred Naturalist</b> lives deep in [[Bugsby's Marshes]]. He is said to be the last man alive to have seen the [[Vake]] and live to tell the tale. He appears to know a lot about the mysterious beast; there may be good reason for this.
*The Teeth of the Foreign Office is composed entirely of Snuffers.

<gallery widths="100">
Stfiacres.png|The Bishop of St. Fiacre's
Womaninyellow.png|The Woman in Yellow
Naturalist.png|The Scarred Naturalist
Facelover.png|A Snuffer from the Teeth wearing a comfortable face.
Veilgarden2.png|The Big Rat's plaster facade.
</gallery>

==The Face-Tailor==
<blockquote>''"The wind takes your skin-mask from your hands. Your twin screams and screams. The trees bend to whisper. 'Every week,' they say. 'Every week.'"''</blockquote><blockquote>''"I am not ashamed of my work on the 'Liber Visionis', Mr Huffam. I expect it to be of considerable interest to the citizens of Fallen London."''</blockquote>[[File:Villein.png|frame|The Face-Tailor]]
'''The Face-Tailor''', whose real name is '''Benjamin Villein''', figured out how Snuffers copy faces and turn them into masks. Understandably, the snuffers are a bit upset with him, and have persuaded the [[Constables]] to hunt him down. It is unknown whether or not he actually did something to deserve this; before all this happened, he was employed at the [[Ministry of Public Decency]].

He recorded many hints and tips as to what he does in his '''Liber Visionis - Book of Faces'''.<ref>There is a joke to be made about changing one's profile picture.</ref>

==References==
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[[Category:Creatures]]