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| {{Character|title1 = Starved Men|image1 = <gallery>
| | ''"The outside is full of the most deplorable shapes; limbs grown overlong or reduced to inoperable stumps; joints fused or bending as they aren't meant to bend."'' |
| starvedman1.png|Starved Man
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| Starvedmanhand.png|With Amber
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| </gallery>|caption1 = |location = [[The Roof of the Neath]]
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| |allegiance = Independent|notable_members =[[The Starved Lithologer]]|}}<blockquote>''"The Starved Man is alone. And he is putting himself through an exquisite torture. His frame shudders with beloved pain, his joints twitch every strange way they can; his tendons stretch to breaking, his body excretes in the convulsions. The melted amber does not eat his flesh, but quickens it; the Starved Man stretches his limbs like toffee, changing himself as he wills."''<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Peer_in_the_Amber_Chamber|Peer in the Amber Chamber|Fallen London}}</ref></blockquote>
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| '''Starved Men''' are practitioners of the [[Shapeling Arts]] who inhabit the [[Roof of the Neath]].__FORCETOC__ | | '''The Starved Men''' are people who practice the '''Shapeling Arts''', passed down from the [[Lorn-Flukes|Flukes]], to change themselves.__forcetoc__ |
| | ==They Warp and Twist== |
| | [[File:Roof.png|thumb|400px|The roof of the Neath. Art from FL|center]]''"SO ARE WEE SHAPEDE"'' |
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| ==SO ARE WEE SHAPEDE==
| | Through the application of the Shapeling Arts and melted amber, they reshape and elongate their flesh to their own will: fusing or bending joints, stretching fingers, flattening jaws. This process takes a considerable amount of time and is notably painful and yet pleasurable, pushing the Starved Men's bodies to their very limits. |
| <blockquote>''"Push the boundaries of flesh. Transform, rather than conform. Shatter the Chain."''<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Advise_Dr_Vaughan_to_become_one_of_the_Starved_Men|Advise Dr Vaughan to become one of the Starved Men|Fallen London}}</ref></blockquote>
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| [[File:Neathroof.png|alt=A many stalactites with several windows.|thumb|[[The Roof of the Neath]]]]
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| Starved Men are humanoids who dwell on the [[Roof of the Neath]],<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/State_of_Emergence|State of Emergence|Fallen London}} ''"Starved Men. You've seen them enough times, on your expeditions to the roof."''</ref> within massive citadels carved into its many stalactites.<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Written_in_the_Glim|Written in the Glim|Fallen London}} ''""Moon-misers are not the only creatures that dwell on the cavern roof," [...] the Starved Men? They live within citadels carved into the stalactites. [...]"''</ref> They make prolific use of the [[Shapeling Arts]] to warp and twist themselves into new and unfamiliar shapes; this practice involves applying heated [[amber]] to a joint or some other part of the body, allowing them to plasticize and reshape themselves at will.<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Ask_a_Rubbery_Man_about_amber_from_the_Roof|Ask a Rubbery Man about amber from the Roof|Fallen London}} ''"[...] the Rubbery Man [...] drops a nodule of amber [...] a passable charade of boiling. [...] So amber is most useful when heated up? [...] The Rubbery Man takes your hand [...] guiding you through the act of plunging your arm into the imaginary melting-pool."''</ref><ref name=":0">{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Peer_in_the_Amber_Chamber|Peer in the Amber Chamber|Fallen London}} ''"The Shapeling Art [...] The melted amber does not eat his flesh, but quickens it; the Starved Man stretches his limbs like toffee, changing himself as he wills."''</ref> The process has a drug-like effect: it is often slow and painful, but extremely pleasurable.<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Peer_in_the_Amber_Chamber|Peer in the Amber Chamber|Fallen London}} ''"The Starved Man is [...] putting himself through an exquisite torture. [...] His frame shudders with beloved pain [...] his body excretes in the convulsions. The melted amber does not eat his flesh, but quickens it [...] it is not a swift process. It is thorough, deliberate [...] It ends in an ecstasy [...]"''</ref> The Starved utilize their inhuman mobility to climb "spider-like" across their environs,<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Wander_as_lonely_as_a_cloud|Wander as lonely as a cloud|Fallen London}} ''"A lone wandering Starved Man crawls 'spider-like' along the roof with you for some way."''</ref> or rely on rope bridges and makeshift blimps.<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Wander_as_lonely_as_a_cloud|Wander as lonely as a cloud|Fallen London}} ''"You have seen such ropes elsewhere, used as bridges by the Starved Men."''</ref><ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Wander_as_lonely_as_a_cloud|Wander as lonely as a cloud|Fallen London}} ''"The Starved Men have their own method of flight. Two oblong sacks [...] inflated with God knows what. These are affixed with six slim rods [...] form a kind of cage the Starved Men fit into; they then propel themselves from stalactite to stalactite, floating across."''</ref>
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| Historically, [[London]] has had limited contact with the Starved. Some academics at the [[University]] were interested in learning of them and their arts,<ref name = "Vaughan husband">{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Show_her_the_daguerreotype|Show her the daguerreotype|Fallen London}} ''""I remember [...] We went up together to the Roof [...] But only I came down. He joined the Starved Men to learn their Arts. He insisted it was the logical conclusion of our research.""''</ref> while others simply did not believe they existed.<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/The_Chimney_Pot_Wars|The Chimney Pot Wars|Fallen London}} ''""It is a little-accepted fact," he begins, his old academic manner surfacing, "that a nation of men lives in the cavern's roof. [...]"''</ref> Naturally, the events of the [[London Horticultural Show]] changed this status quo significantly. The Starved living near [[New Newgate Prison]] are at war with the prison's guards, and are slowly conquering the stalactite floor by floor.<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/A_Stretch_in_the_Sky|A Stretch in the Sky|Fallen London}} ''""The prison is under attack by the men that live on the roof. The guards – and thus the prisoners – are losing, and ceding ground. [...]"''</ref><ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/A_Stretch_in_the_Sky|A Stretch in the Sky|Fallen London}} ''"The guards fight a battle for this stalactite, and they are losing." [...] "A slow defeat, retreating a floor at a time over months. And there are hundreds of floors here. It might take years.""''</ref>
| | They live up on the Neath's roof, inhabiting some of the large stalactites inside which they've carved tunnels and rooms. For transportation between them, they use smaller, gas-filled balloons, rather than the large dirigibles used by [[The Masters of the Bazaar|Mr Fires]] and his minions. They constantly fight among themselves for sustenance and use contemporary weapons such as cannons and rifles. |
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| ==Appearance and Biology==
| | One of the most important places to them is '''the Citadel of the Static Star'''; instead of a rock formation, however, it is a living creature they inhabit - the original moon-miser, the '''Moon-Mother'''. |
| <blockquote><em>"No two are the same. They have many-jointed limbs (except those with appendages that are short, stubby, or altogether absent). They have eyes wherever it is convenient (except those that eschew them altogether). They cannot, or choose not to, speak (except the ones who make those </em>noises<em>, but they still do not seem to hear you)."</em><ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Watch_and_learn_(So_Are_They_Shaped)|Watch and learn (So Are They Shaped)|Fallen London}}</ref></blockquote>
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| <blockquote>''"No two Starved Men respond to the onslaught in the same way. Some attempt to reshape themselves, even as your barrage tears great ragged holes in their bodies – flesh knits back together, bones unbreak with sickening jolts, cartilaginous armour-plating bubbles to the surface of their skin."''<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Engage_the_starved_%27vessel%27|Engage the starved 'vessel'|Fallen London}}</ref></blockquote>
| | ==Godfall== |
| | {{Neath_Location|title1 = Godfall|image1 = Godfall.png|caption1 = The fallen fortress. Art from Sunless Sea.|location = The Sea of Voices|allegiance = The Monks of "St Stalactite"|notable_inhabitants = The Starved Men}}''"The brawling bearded men who live here call themselves monks. They pay lip service to 'St Stalactite', which fell from the roof. But their chief interests seem to be wine, blood and shouting."'' |
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| Most if not all Starved are human in origin.<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Ask_about_the_invasion_of_the_Starved_Men_(Ophidian_Gentleman)|Ask about the invasion of the Starved Men (Ophidian Gentleman)|Fallen London}} ''""But for some ill-advised baths in shaping vats, they are the same beings as you. And I, perhaps, once. [...]"''</ref><ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/How_do_the_Starved_Men_operate%3F|How do the Starved Men operate?|Fallen London}} ''"[...] it seems they were human, once." [...]"''</ref> They generally resemble humans, but with heavily modified features: these may include elongated or altered skulls and faces,<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Light_Fingers:_The_Citadel|Light Fingers: The Citadel|Fallen London}} ''"Two Starved Men stand guard [...] their heads have been elongated, yes, so the distance between mouth and nose, nose and eyes [...]"''</ref><ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Written_in_the_Glim|Written in the Glim|Fallen London}} ''"The tallest lopes forward [...] one eye squeezed almost completely out of its compacted skull, the other buried deep within a crumpled socket."''</ref> extra<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Written_in_the_Glim|Written in the Glim|Fallen London}} ''"It might have been human, once [...] It has what resembles a head, and is worryingly nimble for something consisting almost entirely of limbs. If this is one of the Starved Men [...]"''</ref><ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Build_on_the_Five-Pointed_Frame|Build on the Five-Pointed Frame|Fallen London}} ''"A ribcage that had [...] altered itself to permit five limbs and five skulls."''</ref> or missing limbs,<ref name=":1">{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Watch_and_learn_(So_Are_They_Shaped) |Watch and learn (So Are They Shaped) |Fallen London}} ''"They have many-jointed limbs (except those with appendages that are short, stubby, or altogether absent)."''</ref> extra joints,<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2">{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Tackle_the_(Starved_Men)_head_on|Tackle the (Starved Men) head on|Fallen London}} ''"The Starved Men ignore you [...] Your target knocks it aside, then lashes out with seven-jointed limb [...]"''</ref> and widened maws.<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Light_Fingers:_A_Second_Coming|Light Fingers: A Second Coming|Fallen London}} ''"It opens its mouth; its jaw drops a foot [...]"''</ref> As a consequence of their reshaping, they may also display protruding bones,<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Written_in_the_Glim|Written in the Glim|Fallen London}} ''"With every bend of their over-jointed limbs, serrated bones threaten to pierce their [...] skin."''</ref> stretched and translucent skin,<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Written_in_the_Glim|Written in the Glim|Fallen London}} ''"[...] you can see their organs pulsing through membranes of translucent skin, mammalian physiology straining to function within uncanny frames."''</ref> or repositioned internal organs.<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Educate_fighters_on_Starved_anatomy|Educate fighters on Starved anatomy|Fallen London}} ''"Fighting the Starved Men requires a certain amount of recalibration – their organs are often not where humans expect."''</ref> Most also lack hair and do not wear clothes.<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Give_the_order|Give the order|Fallen London}} ''"The one at the front looks strange, for one of the Starved. [...] They even have hair [...]"''</ref><ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Wander_as_lonely_as_a_cloud|Wander as lonely as a cloud|Fallen London}} ''"A procession passes. [...] Yes; though they wear no garb [...]"''</ref> Starved are typically larger than the average person,<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Study_the_Starved_prisoner|Study the Starved prisoner|Fallen London}} ''"This one is smaller than most you have encountered – its anatomy close to the average Londoner."''</ref> and a few are large enough to dwarf a cargo hoist.<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Put_to_Zee:_Hazardous_Materials|Put to Zee: Hazardous Materials|Fallen London}} ''"A Starved Man bigger than a cargo hoist wades through the waters [...]"''</ref><ref name=":4">{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Join_the_Commodore|Join the Commodore|Fallen London}} ''"Somewhere, a hawser snaps, and a dirigible threatens to drift away without its crew, until a titanic Starved Man catches the bow in one hand."''</ref>
| | '''Godfall''' is a stalactite from the roof of the Neath that crashed into the Zee because of a battle between warrior monks on the roof. The monks who lived in the stalactite (perhaps related to the warrior nuns of [[Abbey Rock/The Convent|Abbey Rock]]) took the name "the Starved Men." The survivors, not of the Starved Men, but of the group attacking them, repopulated, despite a vow of celibacy. These monks are basically a bunch of pirates, they spend more time acting like Vikings than actual monks, and they "worship" '''St Stalactite'''. The Starved Men lived in '''the Shattered Citadel''' - yes, that's in the past tense. It's still a bad idea to enter. |
| [[File:Amber.png|alt=A piece of amber containing an insect.|thumb|Amber]]
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| In addition to their bizarre (by London's standards) physicality, Starved Men are strong and durable to a superhuman degree, able to survive seemingly fatal attacks.<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Written_in_the_Glim|Written in the Glim|Fallen London}} ''"Though their bodies are held together by mere strings of bone, they are ferociously strong."''</ref><ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Call_in_gunnery_support|Call in gunnery support|Fallen London}} ''"The Starved Men do not enjoy cannon fire. It seems regrettably possible for them to recover from even direct hits, but it invokes significant distress [...]"''</ref> They ''are'' apparently vulnerable to head trauma, for instance a bullet to the brain,<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Educate_fighters_on_Starved_anatomy|Educate fighters on Starved anatomy|Fallen London}} ''"[...] destroying their brain is very likely to bring down a Starved Man, and they don't usually hide these very far from their heads."''</ref><ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Recall_your_experience_fighting_Starved_Men|Recall your experience fighting Starved Men|Fallen London}} ''"[...] the killing shot. A bullet, right into the cranium [...] They can be killed."''</ref> and when they [[Death|die]], they have been observed visiting the Silent River.<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Greet_the_Starved_Lithologer|Greet the Starved Lithologer|Fallen London}} ''""I cannot speak for London. I arrived here slightly before you." [...] The Boatman rattles a laugh."''</ref> The Starved can also use the [[Shapeling Arts]] to gain other superhuman abilities, and can adapt themselves on the fly given a supply of [[amber]].<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Engage_the_starved_%27vessel%27|Engage the starved 'vessel'|Fallen London}} ''"No two Starved Men respond to the onslaught in the same way. Some attempt to reshape themselves, even as your barrage tears [...] their bodies [...] transformations [...] halted by the zee, as it washes away their coatings of quickening amber."''</ref> They may grow elongated limbs to strike targets,<ref name=":2" /> bone and cartilage plating to serve as armor,<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Peer_into_the_pool|Peer into the pool|Fallen London}} ''"You might have been a miser-myrmidon, thick bone plates shielding your forearms [...]"''</ref><ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Engage_the_starved_%27vessel%27|Engage the starved 'vessel'|Fallen London}} ''"No two Starved Men respond to the onslaught in the same way [...] cartilaginous armour-plating bubbles to the surface of their skin."''</ref> fins and webbed limbs for swimming (though water washes away amber, halting any reshaping),<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Engage_the_starved_%27vessel%27|Engage the starved 'vessel'|Fallen London}} ''"[...] their transformations into finned and web-toed shapes halted by the zee, as it washes away their coatings of quickening amber."''</ref><ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Claim_an_assortment_of_Starved_remains|Claim an assortment of Starved remains|Fallen London}} ''"Not all of the falling stalactites land on London, and the Starved Men are not good swimmers."''</ref> or various modes of conditional flight, such as wings,<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Attempt_an_emergency_retreat!|Attempt an emergency retreat!|Fallen London}} ''"A vast Starved, replete with sclerotic wings, dives onto the deck."''</ref><ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Nose_on_through|Nose on through|Fallen London}} ''"[...] the Starved Man impacts the hull. He glides down at speed on patagial flaps [...]"''</ref> feathers,<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Bring_your_guns_to_bear|Bring your guns to bear|Fallen London}} ''"You pick off several approaching balloons, plus a winged, feathered attacker rushing down in a swooping dive."''</ref> or air sacs.<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Spilling_Out|Spilling Out|Fallen London}} ''"More descend in small balloons, or under their own power through patagia and air sacs."''</ref> They are also capable of repairing their own wounds and broken bones,<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Engage_the_starved_%27vessel%27|Engage the starved 'vessel'|Fallen London}} ''"No two Starved Men respond to the onslaught in the same way. [...] flesh knits back together, bones unbreak with sickening jolts [...]"''</ref> and can even use the Shapeling Arts to reposition stalactites on the Roof.<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Perform_above_and_beyond_in_the_field_of_duty|Perform above and beyond in the field of duty|Fallen London}} ''"The Starved have, by some uncanny shapeling process, moved one of their citadels to trap the craft between two of their dwellings."''</ref>
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| '''Starve-Hounds''' are known to exist, but it is unknown if any other Starved creatures are common.<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/The_War_in_London_2|The War in London 2|Fallen London}} ''"People, crushed by masonry or caught by the jaws of Starve-Hounds."''</ref>
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| ==Culture and Society==
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| <blockquote>''"You have gone farther than all but a few into the hushed dominion of the Starved Men. To show for it, you have a handful of charts and maps: approximations and guesswork, but more accurate than most. Demarcations of territory, suggestions of division, hints of religion, schism and Red Science amidst the pale and lonely citadels."''<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Return_to_base|Return to base|Fallen London}}</ref></blockquote>
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| <blockquote>''"The Starved Men cut a tremendous gallery around the whole root of the stalactite, leaving a vast central pillar to support its weight. In its day, the view must have been unrivalled. Remnants of salvaged glass and wooden eating-houses, viewing-booths, sight-temples still cling to the edges - but the root has been shattered, and the stalactite fell."''<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/Shattered_Citadel_Encounters#Interactions|The Root-Gallery|Sunless Sea}}</ref></blockquote>
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| The Starved Men have various communities and societies,<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Share_the_insights_of_the_Light-in-Exile|Share the insights of the Light-in-Exile|Fallen London}} ''"It indicated that the Starved Men have their own communities and societies [...]"''</ref> each with its own territories, conflicts, religions, and perhaps even [[Red Science]] practices.<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Return_to_base|Return to base|Fallen London}} ''"[...] you have a handful of charts and maps: approximations and guesswork, but more accurate than most. Demarcations of territory, suggestions of division, hints of religion, schism and Red Science [...]"''</ref> The Starved can be bellicose, and violent clashes between groups of Starved seem to be quite common.<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Light_Fingers:_The_Thick_of_It|Light Fingers: The Thick of It|Fallen London}} ''"You've come into a war zone. [...] Starved Men climb with strong horrid hands along the ceiling, rushing at each other in an incomprehensible melee. [...] you can see their wrestling and tearing each other's flesh with teeth."''</ref><ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Wander_as_lonely_as_a_cloud|Wander as lonely as a cloud|Fallen London}} ''"Some of them have even affixed long, sharp rods around their heads; presumably to take others out of the sky."''</ref> During one war, an inhabited citadel was bombed and fell to the [[Unterzee]], creating [[Godfall]].<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/Shattered_Citadel_Encounters#Interactions|The Root-Gallery|Sunless Sea}} ''"A dozen corpses, [...] lie at the stalagmite's root. You think there was a barricade here, but the fall has smashed it [...] Were they defending the root? [...] "Gunpowder," [...] "Blew it up themselves. Killed the whole city. Starved Men, eh? Allus heard they fight each other. [...]"''</ref> The Starved also do not tolerate intrusions from the lands below, and attack and harass trespassers.<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Upwards_(Story)|Upwards (Story)|Fallen London}} ''"[...] protect workers from roof-drips. Your hard-work is undermined, [...] when three Starved Men drop from the roof and haul away one poor miner. Your crew listen in silence [...] as they drag him into the dark. Third one this week."''</ref> While some may volunteer to join their ranks,<ref name = "Vaughan husband"/> captured prisoners from the downlands have been forced to "submit to the Shapeling Arts" and become Starved Men, their willingness notwithstanding.<ref name = "capture">{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Upwards_(Story)|Upwards (Story)|Fallen London}} ''""I was hoping we could discuss a change of leadersh—" [...] She is gone. The Starved Men are less aggressive for a time; [...] their scouts seem more organised. Once, you spot one of them wearing spectacles [...]"''</ref><ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Written_in_the_Glim|Written in the Glim|Fallen London}} ''""There ish but one alternative. Shubmit to the Shapeling Arts. Become—" [...] "—one of ush.""''</ref> These converts may retain memories from their past lives,<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Light_Fingers:_A_Second_Coming|Light Fingers: A Second Coming|Fallen London}} ''"The nightmare thing [...] runs its fingers [...] over Dr Vaughan's cheek. Its eyes, as human as your own, bulge. Something flickers behind them; regret, fury, agony? It opens its mouth; [...] it wheezes"''</ref> as well as possessions such as pocket watches or glasses.<ref name = "capture"/><ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Shoot_it_dead|Shoot it dead|Fallen London}} ''"[...] Dr Vaughan requests a private word with you. [...] she produces a dented golden pocket watch; the very same you saw in the Starved Man's hand. [...] the name inscribed within: Vaughan."''</ref>
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| [[File:Chart.png|alt=A map.|thumb|A False-Star Chart.]]
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| Despite their grotesque appearances, the Starved have lost none of their human intellect. They do not typically speak languages such as English, and instead communicate through vocalizations, utterances,<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Bid_for_entry |Bid for entry |Fallen London}} ''"One of the Starved Men hops toward you [...] The other whistles through its broken teeth; its companion stops and turns."''</ref><ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Watch_and_learn_(So_Are_They_Shaped) |Watch and learn (So Are They Shaped) |Fallen London}} ''"They cannot, or choose not to, speak (except the ones who make those noises [...]"''</ref> gestures,<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Written_in_the_Glim|Written in the Glim|Fallen London}} ''"The Starved Men bow [...] whether the gesture is prompted by awe of the moon-misers or respect for their meal, it is impossible to tell."''</ref> and body language.<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Light_Fingers:_The_Starved_Men%27s_Requirements|Light Fingers: The Starved Men's Requirements|Fallen London}} ''""I've tried my best to communicate with the Starved Men [...] "They don't have much of a vocabulary, but they've got a surprising grasp of body language and they understand my pictures [...]"''</ref> It is implied that many Starved have reshaped their vocal cords; if necessary, they may adjust their voices to speak English or other languages with perfect clarity.<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Pick_up_the_thread_of_the_argument|Pick up the thread of the argument|Fallen London}} ''"After a lengthy span [...] plus some smuggled amber, this particular Starved individual has reshaped their vocal organs enough to speak."''</ref><ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Hear_them_out,_warily|Hear them out, warily|Fallen London}} ''""I dig nock... intengd thish. [...] They clear their throat. [...] The longer they talk, the clearer their voice becomes – a gargling glissando. "From the beginning.""''</ref> The Starved also have unique forms of writing,<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Written_in_the_Glim|Written in the Glim|Fallen London}} ''"The surface of the amber is covered in carvings in the Starved Men's incomprehensible script."''</ref> with inscriptions found on [[amber]], rock, and bone,<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Help_to_decode_the_scratchy_script_of_the_Roof|Help to decode the scratchy script of the Roof|Fallen London}} ''"[...] some bring artefacts from the ruins – shards of engraved rock, tablets of amber, melted lengths of inlaid bone. Many of the Starved Men's writings [...]"''</ref> and they can draw diagrams with immense detail, like records of the movements of the [[False-Stars]].<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/False-Star_Chart|False-Star Chart|Fallen London}} ''"The Starved Men's script is inscrutable, but the paths of the false-stars are clearly marked on the parchment."''</ref><ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Consider_what_you_learned_from_the_Starved_Men|Consider what you learned from the Starved Men|Fallen London}} ''"You have a false-star chart of exceeding detail and precision to aid you."''</ref>
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| [[File:Godfall port.png|alt=A cylindrical fortress near a sea.|thumb|[[Godfall]]]]
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| Starved Men possess social hierarchies that include rulership,<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Wander_as_lonely_as_a_cloud|Wander as lonely as a cloud|Fallen London}} ''"A procession passes. A king crawls proudly before the rest; [...] there is an understood order."''</ref> an understanding of deals and deception,<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Written_in_the_Glim|Written in the Glim|Fallen London}} ''"The Starved Man encloses the amber [...] It signals to two of its compatriots, who [...] return with a large crate of false-star charts. They load it onto the balloon. Everything is going according to plan until [...] something collides with the back of your head, and everything goes dark."''</ref> and the capacity to build complex citadels with sprawling tunnels.<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Written_in_the_Glim|Written in the Glim|Fallen London}} ''"[...] the endlessly branching warren of the citadel as you dart down corridor after corridor [...]"''</ref><ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Written_in_the_Glim|Written in the Glim|Fallen London}} ''"The Starved Men haul you [...] through [...] tunnels that squirm through the citadel like entrails."''</ref> Godfall was an achievement of Starved architecture before its destruction: it had a central support pillar,<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/Shattered_Citadel_Encounters#Interactions|The Root-Gallery|Sunless Sea}} ''"The Starved Men cut a tremendous gallery around the whole root of the stalactite, leaving a vast central pillar to support its weight."''</ref> a chapel,<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/Shattered_Citadel_Encounters#Interactions|Search the Church of the Starved Men|Sunless Sea}} ''"A cruciform chamber with a great altar, rows of [...] pews."''</ref> clusters of dwellings,<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/Shattered_Citadel_Encounters#Interactions|A labyrinth of dwelling-galleries|Sunless Sea}} ''"The passage branches and opens into a tangle of galleries [...] There are doorways to dwelling-places [...] like cells of a honeycomb."''</ref> dining halls,<ref name=":3">{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/Shattered_Citadel_Encounters#Interactions|The Root-Gallery|Sunless Sea}} ''"In its day, the view must have been unrivalled. Remnants of salvaged glass and wooden eating-houses, viewing-booths, sight-temples still cling to the edges - but the root has been shattered, and the stalactite fell."''</ref> furniture,<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/Shattered_Citadel_Encounters#Interactions|A labyrinth of dwelling-galleries|Sunless Sea}} ''"Broken furniture carved in eye-twisting knots."''</ref> mechanical gates,<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/Shattered_Citadel_Encounters#Interactions|The Gate of Forms|Sunless Sea}} ''"Perhaps, once, hidden machineries would have roared at the touch of the Eolith, and the gate would have swung open [...] Now, the Eolith only triggers the unlocking mechanism."''</ref> a viewing gallery of the citadel's surroundings,<ref name=":3" /> and murals of the zee below.<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/Shattered_Citadel_Encounters#Interactions|A labyrinth of dwelling-galleries|Sunless Sea}} ''"[...] faded frescos of the sea seen from above [...]"''</ref> Some Starved hold specific societal or military roles which may be reflected by their anatomy. '''Miser-myrmidons''' have armored forearms and a lower body specifically suited for mounting and riding [[Moon-Misers]].<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Peer_into_the_pool|Peer into the pool|Fallen London}} ''"You might have been a miser-myrmidon [...] bone plates shielding your forearms [...] joints of your hindquarters fitting around the carapace of your mount like you were born to it."''</ref> '''Spire-sappers''' can "splice" stalactites and drop them on the grounds below.<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Peer_into_the_pool|Peer into the pool|Fallen London}} ''"You might have been a spire-sapper, splicing stalactites to drop upon the downlands [...]"''</ref> '''Stone-seers''' study the rock of the [[Roof of the Neath]] to divine the future,<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Peer_into_the_pool|Peer into the pool|Fallen London}} ''"You might have been a stone-seer, portending dooms in the slow migrations of rock and fire below."''</ref> a practice colloquially called "'''lithology'''."<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/The_Starved_Summit|The Starved Summit|Fallen London}} ''""Wouldn't these be lithologers, though?" chuckles his Lordship."''</ref>
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| === Starved Philosophies ===
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| <blockquote>''"What my kin believe? You might as well ask me to mark the final resting-place of the tide. We believe in changing. Nothing is still or static; our beliefs change with our shapes."''</blockquote>
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| <blockquote>''"My separation from those above occurred long ago. But everything we do is in pursuit of transformation. Alteration is who we are. And change has texture. It has meaning. Sudden change you might call violence. Gradual change you might call growth. But after both, things are different. After both, something is communicated."''<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Ask_Saint_Stalactite_what_the_Starved_Men_believe|Ask Saint Stalactite what the Starved Men believe|Fallen London}}</ref></blockquote>
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| [[File:Hanging Mountains.png|alt=Upside-down mountains.|thumb|[[The Hanging Mountains]]]]
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| The Starved, or at least those willing to communicate with Londoners, offer a unique point of view regarding life and the world around them. They express a strong belief in change and its pursuit: change is a self-justifying act, whether suddenly through violence, or slowly through growth.<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Ask_Saint_Stalactite_what_the_Starved_Men_believe|Ask Saint Stalactite what the Starved Men believe|Fallen London}} ''""What my kin believe? [...] "We believe in changing. Nothing is still or static; our beliefs change with our shapes." [...] everything we do is in pursuit of transformation. [...] And change has [...] meaning. Sudden change you might call violence. Gradual change you might call growth. [...] after both, things are different."''</ref> Along these lines, some Starved revere the wind for being formless and always changing, while others despise it for this reason.<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Give_the_gift_of_a_conversation|Give the gift of a conversation|Fallen London}} ''""A lot of us revere the wind, formless and ever-changing," [...] "Of course, many of us revile it for the same reason.""''</ref> They also view the world through a biological lens,<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Inquire_about_the_state_of_the_Roof|Inquire about the state of the Roof|Fallen London}} ''""It is like a body." Many of their analogies are biological."''</ref> seeing London as a large organism whose citizens are cells,<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Press_for_more_details_of_the_plan|Press for more details of the plan|Fallen London}} ''""They do not deal with you. They deal with the city and its change, as we did. It does not occur to them to negotiate with the blood in its veins, the cells that make it up. [...]"''</ref> and the Neath itself as a living being.<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Inquire_about_the_state_of_the_Roof|Inquire about the state of the Roof|Fallen London}} ''""The Neath lives. This is one of the things we know that you, perhaps, do not.""''</ref> Some Starved opine that their organs have uses beyond the "usual" purpose, such as using their stomach to store objects than solely for digestion.<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Give_the_gift_of_a_conversation|Give the gift of a conversation|Fallen London}} ''"The Starved Man steps forward and vomits a series of jewels from his mouth. [...] "Some of us believe that the stomach is more than simply a receptacle for sustenance. [...]"''</ref> When Starved dream, they go to the foothills of the [[Hanging Mountains]], where they dream of amber and honey and the "looseness of forms." Conversely, their nightmares involve the unchanging.<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Ask_about_the_invasion_of_the_Starved_Men_(Viscountess)|Ask about the invasion of the Starved Men (Viscountess)|Fallen London}} ''"[...] the distant dreamings of the Starved Men, high up in the foothills of the Hanging Mountains [...] Dripping warrens of amber and honey, and the looseness of forms. Nightmares of immobility, of static flesh and unyielding bone."''</ref>
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| The religions and beliefs of the Starved are closely tied to the inhabitants of [[Axile]] and the [[Shapeling Arts]].<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/Shattered_Citadel_Encounters#Interactions|Let the Nacreous Outcast approach the altar|Sunless Sea}} ''""Imitatorsh," the Outcast burbles. "They shtole our Axile artsh. [...] It [...] collapses before the altar. [...] It remains motionless in prayer [...] An inscription on the altar reads SO ARE WEE SHAPEDE."''</ref> Shaping is viewed with veneration and devotion,<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Written_in_the_Glim|Written in the Glim|Fallen London}} ''""The Shapeling Artsh are—" [...] "—exshquishite. [...]"''</ref> and disrupting the process is a great insult.<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Written_in_the_Glim|Written in the Glim|Fallen London}} ''"The Starved Men's [...] rage is now unmistakable as they yank you towards the vat of amber. Disrupting the Shapeling Arts was sacrilege."''</ref> The Starved also hold great respect for the [[Moon-Misers]], with whom they coexist.<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Written_in_the_Glim|Written in the Glim|Fallen London}} ''"But perhaps shubmitting to the moon-misersh ish an even greater privilege.""''</ref> They venerate and tend to [[Moon-Misers#The Moon-Mother|Moon-Mothers]],<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Bring_the_Starved_Men_what_they_need|Bring the Starved Men what they need|Fallen London}} ''"The Starved Men receive your bounty [...] Clambering over the surface of the moon-mother [...] they baptise it with the brandy and rub the wax into its glim-shell until it is polished to a gleam."''</ref> the broodmothers of the species,<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/The_list|The list|Fallen London}} ''""You need to go up to the roof. [...] find a moon-miser brood mother. They're easy enough to spot, twice the size of the others and more legs."''</ref> and ensure the Misers are well fed by sacrificing human prisoners to satisfy their hungers.<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Written_in_the_Glim|Written in the Glim|Fallen London}} ''""The Moon-misersh draw closhe," [...] "They musht be fed. You have the honour of shlaking their lust for flesh.""''</ref> The [[Rubbery Men]], for their part, view the Starved as imitators and amateurs of the Shapeling Arts.<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/Shattered_Citadel_Encounters#Interactions|Let the Nacreous Outcast approach the altar|Sunless Sea}} ''""Imitatorsh," the Outcast burbles. "They shtole our Axile artsh. [...] They would be ush." [...] "Shtill, the change remainsh. The change remainsh!""''</ref><ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Flute_Street|Flute Street|Fallen London}} ''"The Rubbery Man becomes animated, gesticulating erratically [...] "He feels.... sorry for them, I think?" An affirmative burble. [...] "It's like they're painting, but can't see colour. Messy.""''</ref>
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| == The London Horticultural Show ==
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| <blockquote>''"The inside of the stalactite drips with amber. A hand emerges first, broad and meaty as a bear's paw. It grasps the rock, which yields with the tenderness of flesh. Another hand follows, this one smaller, ten-fingered – each ending in a cluster of wicked hooks."''<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/State_of_Emergence|State of Emergence|Fallen London}}</ref></blockquote>
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| <blockquote>''"Through the clouds of dust and debris, you see what has befallen the rest of London. A half-dozen smaller stalactites have fallen, each spilling Starved Men into the streets. More descend in small balloons, or under their own power through patagia and air sacs. They are all over the city."''<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Spilling_Out|Spilling Out|Fallen London}}</ref></blockquote>
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| [[File:Stalactitehouse.png|alt=A stalactite destroying a house.|thumb|Stalactite]]
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| During the [[London Horticultural Show]] of the third year of 1899 ''(2023)'', a massive stalactite fell upon the event hall,<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Stalactite|Stalactite|Fallen London}} ''"Stalactite [...] A plunging eclipse. [...] Piercing pillar of rock. [...] A vast knife to pierce London's skin."''</ref><ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Rise|Rise|Fallen London}} ''"The stalactite has torn through the great glasshouse and now stands [...] stabbed deep into the earth. [...] cathedrals wish they could command such stature."''</ref> revealing a horde of Starved Men who emerged from within.<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/State_of_Emergence|State of Emergence|Fallen London}} ''"The inside of the stalactite drips with amber. A hand emerges [...] Another hand [...] A gangly figure [...] Another follows, then another [...] more figures extrude themselves from fissures in the rock. [...] Starved Men. You've seen them [...] on your expeditions to the roof."''</ref> Six smaller stalactites soon followed, as well as Starved descending in blimps or through their own anatomical abilities.<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Spilling_Out|Spilling Out|Fallen London}} ''"[...] you see what has befallen the rest of London. A half-dozen smaller stalactites have fallen, each spilling Starved Men [...] More descend in small balloons, or [...] through patagia and air sacs. They are all over the city."''</ref> The invading Starved immediately began reshaping [[London]] by molding buildings,<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/State_of_Emergence|State of Emergence|Fallen London}} ''"The first to hit the ground make for the main house, laying their hands [...] upon its walls. Stone warps and shifts, and the building bows in on itself [...]"''</ref> roads,<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Sinuous_Streets|Sinuous Streets|Fallen London}} ''"A scissure severs the street ahead – a wound in the fabric of the city. Viscous strands of sinew span the two halves, [...] something liquid flows, a [...] river of stone rendered to fat."''</ref> and the waters of [[Wolfstack Docks]] with their palms,<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Put_to_Zee:_Hazardous_Materials|Put to Zee: Hazardous Materials|Fallen London}} ''"A Starved Man bigger than a cargo hoist wades through the waters of the harbour. [...] The harbour is littered with his experiments. Water turned to ice. Water turned to stone. Water turned to acrid, bilious slime. Water turned to basalt, [...] Water turned to caesium – although not for very long. [...]"''</ref> transmuting London's infrastructure into predominantly organic substances.<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Marbled_Flank|Marbled Flank|Fallen London}} ''"The streetside wall [...] an umbra of flesh spreading from its centre. [...] You've seen sand, mud, and salt, but flesh seems to be their favoured transubstantiation."''</ref> Widespread chaos erupted throughout the city,<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Go_alone_and_by_night|Go alone and by night|Fallen London}} ''"The Starved Men have not taken particular interest in Moloch Street station. [...] traversing the streets around the station requires running a gauntlet of falling masonry, scared citizens, and opportunistic robbers."''</ref> and London's populace warred with the Starved.<ref name = "unfold">{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Unfolding_Violence|Unfolding Violence|Fallen London}} ''"Two Londoners [...] the Starved Man pays them no attention as they shout obscenities at it. Until one of them takes a cricket bat and brings it down over its head [...] The Starved Man blinks as blood runs into its eyes. [...] The woman hefts the bat again. The Starved Man catches her arms and flings her bodily into the wall."''</ref> The Starved did not go out of their way to target civilians unless they were attacked or their work was disrupted,<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Trail_of_Destruction|Trail of Destruction|Fallen London}} ''"They do not like to be slowed, and they do not take kindly to attempts to slow them down. But nor is the aggression directed towards the citizenry. The wounded are mostly those swept up in the Starved Men's path – or those who tried to impede them."''</ref><ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/The_Tenderising_Ministrations_of_the_Starved|The Tenderising Ministrations of the Starved|Fallen London}} ''"The Starved Men pay no attention as the wounded are carted away. But when Jenny's crew lays hands to the buildings, their heads snap up. [...] they turn and converge on the gathered helpers."''</ref> but they fought back fiercely when confronted.<ref name = "unfold"/> Some unlucky citizens found themselves in the path of the Starved and were inadvertently reshaped;<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Watch_and_learn_(So_Are_They_Shaped)|Watch and learn (So Are They Shaped)|Fallen London}} ''"Their motives are unclear, but they are not mindless, and this is not random. They are intent on reaching certain places [...] They are slow to harm Londoners – though the people left with wooden skin and liquid bones would disagree."''</ref> the [[Admiralty]] attempted to send agents to parley, but they too met the same fate.<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/What_do_the_Starved_Men_want%3F|What do the Starved Men want?|Fallen London}} ''"[...] any attempts to parley result in my men coming back without tongues, or with fingers where their eyes should be.""''</ref>
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| [[File:Starvedman2.png|alt=An individual with distorted facial features, an eye with several lenses, and a beard.|thumb|[[The Starved Lithologer]]]]
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| Initially, the Starved held the advantage thanks to their element of surprise<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Plead_with_the_Admiralty_for_aid|Plead with the Admiralty for aid|Fallen London}} ''""Themselves are inside, figuring what to do. We weren't exactly prepared for a threat of this nature." [...] "It's going to take some time for orders to come down the line, and until they do, no one is getting inside. No one.""''</ref> and superhuman abilities.<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Relay_the_results_of_your_experiments_into_flesh_and_bone|Relay the results of your experiments into flesh and bone|Fallen London}} ''""So their bodies are not infinitely reconfigurable. This is reassuring, [...] "Although the shapes they can take are threatening enough.""''</ref><ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Educate_fighters_on_Starved_anatomy|Educate fighters on Starved anatomy|Fallen London}} ''"Fighting the Starved Men requires a certain amount of recalibration – their organs are often not where humans expect. [...] Certainties are difficult with flesh this malleable."''</ref> However, London soon managed a counterattack,<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/The_Amber_Tide,_Turned|The Amber Tide, Turned|Fallen London}} ''"Victory is a matter of degrees. London has proven itself adaptable [...] amber supply is tightly controlled. Guns are trained roofwards to intercept any descending stalactites or balloons. [...] the Starved Men have been made [...] to bleed in ways they cannot endure. [...] London has tended her wounds – has protected her people as best it can."''</ref> and many Starved were forced to retreat. One group remained, still working furiously on their plans to reshape London,<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Contemplate_the_disposition_of_the_Starved_forces|Contemplate the disposition of the Starved forces|Fallen London}} ''"The Starved Men are scattered. Half of them have abandoned the attack, either vanishing off into the fringes of the Neath, or ascending once more [...] Those that remain are clustered [...] still desperately engaged in their work. Fervid, like they know that their time is running out."''</ref> but soon surrendered<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Give_the_order|Give the order|Fallen London}} ''"There. Walking out of the shadows. Six of them, [...] "Hold," says your gruff second. "I think... I think they're surrendering." [...] They cooperate as the monks of Godfall bind their many hands at the wrists. [...] they do their best to show willing, the hairy one generally guiding the others."''</ref> and were taken prisoner by the [[Admiralty]].<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Carnate,_Incarcerate|Carnate, Incarcerate|Fallen London}} ''"The Starved Men prisoners are enjoying a stint in the belly of the HMS Vaunted, chained and weighted, and with the whole ship lined with charges. They have offered no further resistance."''</ref> One member of this group was the [[Starved Lithologer]], who reshaped their vocal cords to reveal the truth:<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Pick_up_the_thread_of_the_argument|Pick up the thread of the argument|Fallen London}} ''"After a lengthy span with an overcurious academic, plus some smuggled amber, this particular Starved individual has reshaped their vocal organs enough to speak."''</ref> it was foretold by the signs of the [[The Roof of the Neath|Roof]] that the [[Sixth City]] was due to fall, and the Starved sought to reshape London to withstand this catastrophe.<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Hear_them_out,_warily|Hear them out, warily|Fallen London}} ''""I dig nock... intengd thish. We saw the signs, and thott to acht. [...] They clear their throat. [...] The longer they talk, the clearer their voice becomes [...] "We watch. I watch. The rock. The lights. Patterns and signs and warnings. [...] Patterns reveal. What shape things will be. What shape things might be." [...] You are hearing the tale of the Starved Lithologer."''</ref><ref name=":5">{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Ask_why_the_Starved_Men_attacked|Ask why the Starved Men attacked|Fallen London}} ''" "What is seen can be changed. All things can be changed. [...] this body, it has fared ill with past changes." [...] "This is not a body, it's a city," blusters the Commodore. [...] "Yes. We sought to reshape the city, to help it avert a greater change which it could not endure. [...] We were helping—" [...] "You were tearing down our homes and tearing up our people." [...] a flash of a very human expression. Shame. "We wished to prevent [...] The city's next great change, [...] How many has it been now? Four?" [...] there was no time – we had to act, before..." [...]"''</ref> The Lithologer expressed shame for the destruction and deaths their group had caused.<ref name=":5" />
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| === Through the Roof ===
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| <blockquote>''"We wished to prevent a painful rebirth. The city's next great change, in a long line of them. How many has it been now? Four? Some of you fought us. But there was no time – we had to act, before..."''<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Ask_why_the_Starved_Men_attacked|Ask why the Starved Men attacked|Fallen London}}</ref></blockquote>
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| <blockquote>''"Do the attendants whisper of sacrifice? Of the painful necessity of this? This is not an act of hate. To endure thus, to burn thus, in order to aid the transformation of another, can only be an act of terrible, misguided love. In any case, the weapons of the Starved are, as ever, themselves. They can die. They can be killed."''<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Assess_the_eye_for_weaknesses|Assess the eye for weaknesses|Fallen London}}</ref></blockquote>
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| [[File:Airfleet.png|alt=A blimp exploring the ceiling of a cave.|thumb|An airship.]]
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| After explaining their group's intentions, the Starved Lithologer revealed that another group of Starved Men, who still resided on the Roof, had their own plans.<ref name = "look up">{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Look_up_(What_Lies_Above)|Look up (What Lies Above)|Fallen London}} ''""They are preparing," says the Starved Lithologer. "We were not fast enough. We did not do enough." [...] "They have been digging upwards. They mean to... assist the city in a thorough metamorphosis." [...] "The sun," says the Commodore. "The b____y sun.""''</ref> This faction was an advocate for "catastrophic change," and wished to ''accelerate'' London's destruction.<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/What_Lies_Above|What Lies Above|Fallen London}} ''""Our way was the kinder way," says the Starved Lithologer. "We saw the signs, and sought to change them. [...] Others among us believe in catastrophic change. They saw the signs, and seek to hasten it.""''</ref> They viewed London itself as a body to be reshaped, whereas its citizens' survival was a secondary concern.<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Press_for_more_details_of_the_plan|Press for more details of the plan|Fallen London}} ''""We expect the Starved to mount heavy resistance. They've seen how London can fight." [...] "They truly do not understand why you resist," rasps the Lithologer, "as we did not. Resisting a change that is already happening leads to..." [...] "Misshaping. They are used to overcoming that resistance. They will do so [...] "God forbid that they take our lives into account." [...] "They do not deal with you. They deal with the city and its change [...] It does not occur to them to negotiate with the blood in its veins, the cells [...]"''</ref> To this end, they began building a weapon which would bore a hole in the Roof and focus the resulting [[The Sun|sunlight]] directly onto London.<ref name = "look up"/><ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Plan_of_Attack|Plan of Attack|Fallen London}} ''"The Overworked Commodore stands. [...] A faction of the Starved Men have a weapon through which they mean to direct the sun on London. [...]"''</ref> Faced with this new threat, the Admiralty commissioned an airfleet to thwart the Starved weapon,<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Consider_who_might_help_in_London%27s_hour_of_need|Consider who might help in London's hour of need|Fallen London}} ''""So unless London is to become the target of an unknown weapon of the Roof, we need airships. And allies.""''</ref> and the Lithologer and their group pledged their assistance.<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Rapprochement|Rapprochement|Fallen London}} ''"The Starved Lithologer raises their arms [...] "We will help. Those of my faction who remain. We can sculpt away the error.""''</ref> The Lithologer's group helped with the airfleet's construction,<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Station_IX_(Provisional)|Station IX (Provisional)|Fallen London}} ''"The Starved Lithologer directs long-limbed compatriots around to help with construction."''</ref> and a massive Starved Man even caught an aircraft that was about to float away without its crew.<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Join_the_Commodore|Join the Commodore|Fallen London}} ''"[...] a hawser snaps, and a dirigible threatens to drift away without its crew, until a titanic Starved Man catches the bow in one hand. A team of dockers scramble to secure it."''</ref>
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| [[File:Sunset.png|thumb|[[The Sun]]]]
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| Eventually, the weapon was located and the airfleet made for the Roof to destroy it.<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/The_Board_is_Set|The Board is Set|Fallen London}} ''"Word is spreading: the Starved weapon has been located."''</ref><ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Give_the_order_(Into_the_Cold,_Black_Yonder)|Give the order (Into the Cold, Black Yonder)|Fallen London}} ''"Lines are cast off, ballast loosed. The [airship] drifts Roofwards. [...] You join the steady throng of air ships threading their way upwards."''</ref> However, Starved Men on the Roof immediately attacked the fleet, raining down debris<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Roof,_Rocks,_Ruin|Roof, Rocks, Ruin|Fallen London}} ''"[...] the first stalactite falls. [...] even those vessels quick enough to break up the larger rocks with cannon fire must contend with the resulting stony rain."''</ref> and boarding airships to attack crews and hulls with [[amber]].<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Opening_Salvoes|Opening Salvoes|Fallen London}} ''"A shout goes up [...] Starved Men are descending, in balloons and under their own power. They strike at the hulls and the crew, or hurl handfuls of amber that dissolve or remake."''</ref> They even deployed an airship of their own, its hull made from Starved Men and its air envelope made from massive lungs,<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Reach_and_Grasp|Reach and Grasp|Fallen London}} ''"A large mass [...] you could mistake it for an errant member of the fleet – it has the size and approximate shape of an airship. [...] you see the knots of flesh that make up its hull. The great lungs that form its air envelope. The [...] Starved that have formed themselves into this thing."''</ref> though it was quickly destroyed by a living airship from [[Polythreme]].<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Proceed,_unmolested|Proceed, unmolested|Fallen London}} ''"The Lifeship has been lying in wait. [...] it drags it down. The Starved craft, at least, talks back. The Lifeship rumbles happily as it ploughs towards the earth."''</ref> At last the airfleet reached the Starved weapon: a cone of shaped flesh made of fused Starved Men with an oculus to focus sunlight.<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Also_Into_You|Also Into You|Fallen London}} ''"The stalactite citadel sheds rock like a snake sheds its skin. And within [...] A great ocular mass. A distended cornea [...] Helping these things hold their strained shape as they prepare to channel inimical sunlight."''</ref><ref name = "roof breach">{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Last_Orders|Last Orders|Fallen London}} ''"The skin on the ceiling parts, [...] a core of stone – falls from the roof. And what follows [...] Sunlight. A tiny beam [...] The light touches the rock [...] From being magnified and projected down, even as it burns out its channel."''</ref> The actions of this radical group of Starved had airs of both immense sacrifice and immense mercy,<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Assess_the_eye_for_weaknesses|Assess the eye for weaknesses|Fallen London}} ''"Do the attendants whisper of sacrifice? Of the painful necessity of this? This is not an act of hate. To endure [...] to burn [...] to aid the transformation of another, can only be an act of [...] misguided love."''</ref> and the weapon would itself be destroyed upon serving its purpose.<ref name = "roof breach"/><ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Contemplate_the_viability_of_the_eye|Contemplate the viability of the eye|Fallen London}} ''"Something formed from the Shapeling Arts cannot stand before the light of the sun [...] These Starved weapons only need last moments to accomplish that which they intend. Then they will be gone."''</ref> Though the Roof was breached<ref name = "roof breach"/><ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/In_Sight|In Sight|Fallen London}} ''"Something moves upon the Roof above the oculus. [...] The sound of stone on stone. Above the eye, the Roof is coming apart."''</ref> and the weapon was ready to fire,<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/In_Sight|In Sight|Fallen London}} ''"Ahead, the eye turns, slowly, haltingly, out to gaze upon London."''</ref> a lone airship sacrificed itself to blow the weapon up,<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Fly_the_(Airship)_straight_into_the_Starved_weapon|Fly the (Airship) straight into the Starved weapon|Fallen London}} ''"You hold the course. You make yourself a dart. A missile of wood and flesh and fabric. A spear, thrown from London, to put one in the eye of those who would unmake it."''</ref> ending the threat for good.<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/An_End,_at_Last|An End, at Last|Fallen London}} ''""I know what it looks like when a city ends. It looks worse than this from here." A rictus is neither a smile nor a leer. "And better.""''</ref>
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| [[File:Starvedrose.png|alt=A grey image of a rose with red features.|thumb|The Starved Rose]]
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| With London now safe and sound, the Starved Lithologer attended the reprisal of the London Horticultural Show.<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Approach_the_Starved_Lithologer|Approach the Starved Lithologer|Fallen London}} ''"They're the only one of their number that dared to come here. [...]"''</ref> Initially, they were alone, but they were soon joined by another Starved Man who sought to contribute a '''Starved Rose''' made of shaped flesh to the community garden.<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/The_Peace_Garden|The Peace Garden|Fallen London}} ''"A commotion goes up from the entrance – a Starved Man [...] is walking in. [...] He sweeps clear a knot of soil, places something inside, and steps back. [...] The 'rose' is grey [...] The folds of its petals put you more in mind of skin than leaves. [...] the Starved Man bows to the assembled Londoners. Some return the gesture. Others mutter ungraciously [...] Still others tighten their grip on their makeshift weapons."''</ref><ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/A_Scion_of_a_Starved_Rose|A Scion of a Starved Rose|Fallen London}} ''"A Scion of a Starved Rose"''</ref> The Lithologer also organized the '''Starved Embassy''' to prevent future conflict between London and Starved,<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Inveigle_your_way_onto_the_delegation|Inveigle your way onto the delegation|Fallen London}} ''"You are called [...] to attend the meeting at the 'Starved Embassy' – the stubby remains of a fallen stalactite in Lady ______'s Watchmaker's Hill estate."''</ref> and to facilitate cultural exchanges between the two groups.<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/A_Cultural_Exchange|A Cultural Exchange|Fallen London}} ''"[...] the events of that summer arose from a poor understanding of each others' existential idiom. In a bid to ensure that it cannot happen again, the Starved Lithologer has facilitated a cultural program where the two sides exchange gifts."''</ref> The Starved in attendance educated Londoners of their perspectives and practices, and made efforts to actively engage with them.<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Give_the_gift_of_a_conversation|Give the gift of a conversation|Fallen London}} ''"A Starved Woman flops forward. "She has made a gift of her skeleton," [...] "Both to enable anatomical study and to show our own rather flexible attitude towards its containment." [...]"''</ref><ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Give_the_gift_of_a_conversation|Give the gift of a conversation|Fallen London}} ''"A Starved Man steps forward and [...] offers you his hand. "He has spent some considerable time learning your language [...] The surface of his hand, though, buzzes with quietly chattering mouths. [...] "He wishes to explain some of our recent cultural fixations over the course of a long handshake." [...] The Starved Man is sensitive and respectful, and maintains eye contact throughout."''</ref> In particular, they seemed very impressed by London's outfits, and the potential avenues of expressions through clothing.<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Give_the_gift_of_fine_fabrics|Give the gift of fine fabrics|Fallen London}} ''"The Starved Lithologer is an early convert to the domain of clothing, and shows one of the delegates how to wear the cloth around their waist. They begin to sing the praises of London's diversity of outfits and their many possibilities [...]"''</ref>
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| ==References==
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| | Deep in the chapel there is evidence of shape-changing - elongated human skulls, the tools used to elongate them, and large quantities of amber. Farther in, the gates seem to be made of men, and it's impossible to tell if they were sculpted or molded... |
| [[Category:Creatures]] | | [[Category:Creatures]] |
| [[Category:Human]] | | [[Category:Humans]] |
| [[Category:The Roof of the Neath]] | | [[Category:Formatted]] |
