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As a child, Prince Arthur was enthralled by war; he staged mock battles with tin soldiers and dreamed of one day leading the Empire's armies.<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/A_Crown_of_Thorns A Crown of Thorns, ''Fallen London''] ''"The Empire billows outwards like smoke from a roaring fire. War is what fuels it. One day you shall lead an army into battle yourself, and you must be ready. You line tin soldiers along the nursery carpet and order them to massacre a horde of marauding dolls. With a paper tricorne atop your head, you mount your hobby-horse and charge at the enemy troops."''</ref> In a key difference from real-world history, his mother paid little mind to his interests.<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/A_Crown_of_Thorns A Crown of Thorns, ''Fallen London''] ''"When the day is won, you march to your mother's room to inform her of your triumph, but she closes the door in your face."''</ref> After the [[The Fall of London|Fall]], he and his siblings were granted an immense supply of [[Gaoler's Honey|red honey]] — but as he consumed the memories of soldiers, he found the grim reality of war far different from the glory he had imagined. He abandoned the honey, which temporarily spared him from transforming into a monster like most of [[The Royal Family|his siblings]].<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/A_Crown_of_Thorns A Crown of Thorns, ''Fallen London''] ''"There is more honey than you could possibly eat, in any flavour you desire. You ask for soldiers' memories, but there must be something wrong with the honey because these recollections taste only of boredom and pain. You cast the spoon aside and watch as your siblings eat, and grow monstrous."''</ref> | As a child, Prince Arthur was enthralled by war; he staged mock battles with tin soldiers and dreamed of one day leading the Empire's armies.<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/A_Crown_of_Thorns A Crown of Thorns, ''Fallen London''] ''"The Empire billows outwards like smoke from a roaring fire. War is what fuels it. One day you shall lead an army into battle yourself, and you must be ready. You line tin soldiers along the nursery carpet and order them to massacre a horde of marauding dolls. With a paper tricorne atop your head, you mount your hobby-horse and charge at the enemy troops."''</ref> In a key difference from real-world history, his mother paid little mind to his interests.<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/A_Crown_of_Thorns A Crown of Thorns, ''Fallen London''] ''"When the day is won, you march to your mother's room to inform her of your triumph, but she closes the door in your face."''</ref> After the [[The Fall of London|Fall]], he and his siblings were granted an immense supply of [[Gaoler's Honey|red honey]] — but as he consumed the memories of soldiers, he found the grim reality of war far different from the glory he had imagined. He abandoned the honey, which temporarily spared him from transforming into a monster like most of [[The Royal Family|his siblings]].<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/A_Crown_of_Thorns A Crown of Thorns, ''Fallen London''] ''"There is more honey than you could possibly eat, in any flavour you desire. You ask for soldiers' memories, but there must be something wrong with the honey because these recollections taste only of boredom and pain. You cast the spoon aside and watch as your siblings eat, and grow monstrous."''</ref> | ||
When [[London]] launched the [[Campaign of '68]] against [[Hell]], however, Arthur seized his chance.<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/A_Crown_of_Thorns A Crown of Thorns, ''Fallen London''] ''"You are a young man now, and London is at war. Valiant soldiers are riding into Hell to rescue it from itself, just as the Empire's forces once spread across the Surface. This time, you shall be among them."''</ref> He fled the [[The Shuttered Palace|Palace]] and joined the Campaign in disguise, selling his family's possessions to fund his way in.<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/A_Crown_of_Thorns A Crown of Thorns, ''Fallen London''] ''"When you were last seen outside the palace, you were just a boy, so no one will recognise you now. Your family are too honey-drunk to notice as you gather their trinkets so that you can pay your way to the front. You shall spill devil blood on the fields of Hell!"''</ref> But just like his experience with honey, the horrors of trench warfare quickly brought him down to earth.<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/A_Crown_of_Thorns A Crown of Thorns, ''Fallen London''] ''"You dreamed of a cavalry charge, but instead your platoon scurries into a trench like rats. The other men huddle together and try to sleep, but you keep yourself apart from them. There is no majesty in their souls."''</ref> As the tide turned against London, the higher-ups issued orders to retreat, but Arthur, still seeking glory, burned the letter sent to his platoon.<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/A_Crown_of_Thorns A Crown of Thorns, ''Fallen London''] ''"The lieutenant is a coward, and will not advance. When a rider brings him an envelope, you intercept it. It contains orders to retreat. Your heartbeat quickens. This campaign is your last chance for glory, and if you return to London—You burn the letter."''</ref> The platoon was ambushed by Hellish forces;<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/A_Crown_of_Thorns A Crown of Thorns, ''Fallen London''] ''"Incandescent grubs bubble out of the earth, filling the trenches. They stink of your deepest shame. Most men fall to their knees into the glowing mire, but one hauls himself out of the trench and flees across the thorn-laced plains of Hell. In tears, you stumble after him until he is lost from view amid the roses."''</ref> the entire unit was captured except for Arthur and one other man, who both escaped as deserters.<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/A_Crown_of_Thorns A Crown of Thorns, ''Fallen London''] ''"Alone, you crawl up an outcrop and fumble for your field-glasses. You watch helplessly as devils storm the glowing trenches, and herd the rest of the platoon into cages. This is your doing."''</ref> Arthur's guilt in causing this series of events took a massive toll on his self-image,<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/A_Crown_of_Thorns A Crown of Thorns, ''Fallen London''] ''"Back at the palace, you stare at the military murals in disgust. Perhaps if you could understand how you became so despicable, you could reverse the process."''</ref> and he turned to red honey again | When [[London]] launched the [[Campaign of '68]] against [[Hell]], however, Arthur seized his chance.<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/A_Crown_of_Thorns A Crown of Thorns, ''Fallen London''] ''"You are a young man now, and London is at war. Valiant soldiers are riding into Hell to rescue it from itself, just as the Empire's forces once spread across the Surface. This time, you shall be among them."''</ref> He fled the [[The Shuttered Palace|Palace]] and joined the Campaign in disguise, selling his family's possessions to fund his way in.<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/A_Crown_of_Thorns A Crown of Thorns, ''Fallen London''] ''"When you were last seen outside the palace, you were just a boy, so no one will recognise you now. Your family are too honey-drunk to notice as you gather their trinkets so that you can pay your way to the front. You shall spill devil blood on the fields of Hell!"''</ref> But just like his experience with honey, the horrors of trench warfare quickly brought him down to earth.<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/A_Crown_of_Thorns A Crown of Thorns, ''Fallen London''] ''"You dreamed of a cavalry charge, but instead your platoon scurries into a trench like rats. The other men huddle together and try to sleep, but you keep yourself apart from them. There is no majesty in their souls."''</ref> As the tide turned against London, the higher-ups issued orders to retreat, but Arthur, still seeking glory, burned the letter sent to his platoon.<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/A_Crown_of_Thorns A Crown of Thorns, ''Fallen London''] ''"The lieutenant is a coward, and will not advance. When a rider brings him an envelope, you intercept it. It contains orders to retreat. Your heartbeat quickens. This campaign is your last chance for glory, and if you return to London—You burn the letter."''</ref> The platoon was ambushed by Hellish forces;<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/A_Crown_of_Thorns A Crown of Thorns, ''Fallen London''] ''"Incandescent grubs bubble out of the earth, filling the trenches. They stink of your deepest shame. Most men fall to their knees into the glowing mire, but one hauls himself out of the trench and flees across the thorn-laced plains of Hell. In tears, you stumble after him until he is lost from view amid the roses."''</ref> the entire unit was captured except for Arthur and one other man, who both escaped as deserters.<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/A_Crown_of_Thorns A Crown of Thorns, ''Fallen London''] ''"Alone, you crawl up an outcrop and fumble for your field-glasses. You watch helplessly as devils storm the glowing trenches, and herd the rest of the platoon into cages. This is your doing."''</ref> Arthur's guilt in causing this series of events took a massive toll on his self-image,<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/A_Crown_of_Thorns A Crown of Thorns, ''Fallen London''] ''"Back at the palace, you stare at the military murals in disgust. Perhaps if you could understand how you became so despicable, you could reverse the process."''</ref> and he turned to red honey again. With his habit renewed, he was transformed into the miserable maggot of a man he had always believed himself to be.<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/A_Crown_of_Thorns A Crown of Thorns, ''Fallen London''] ''"For weeks, you let the bees tear away pieces of your mind. You relive the torture every time you swallow your own honey, but the agony is nothing to that of confronting yourself. Sometimes, the pain recedes enough for you to see what is happening to your body, but it comes as no surprise. This new form matches who you have always been."''</ref> | ||
He is now a "weeping, horse-sized grub."<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/The_Gift_(Story) The Gift, ''Fallen London''] ''"The carcass of a goat stretches across the table. Around it, horrors congregate. [...] A weeping, horse-sized grub half-mounts the table [...]"''</ref><ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/A_Crown_of_Thorns A Crown of Thorns, ''Fallen London''] ''"There is an undulating creature on the Bellicose Prince's bed, almost the size of a horse. In the low light, you cannot make out its form."''</ref><ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/A_Crown_of_Thorns A Crown of Thorns, ''Fallen London''] ''"The creature's translucent flesh spasms, sending rivulets of slime into the filthy counterpane. Its midsection is barely contained by a sheath of red fabric, and its tapered tail spills onto the floor. Its frilled mouth is smeared with honey, which froths as it tries to scream."''</ref> In his current form, Arthur cannot speak but may communicate through other means.<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/A_Crown_of_Thorns A Crown of Thorns, ''Fallen London''] ''"[...] He cannot talk, but he can communicate just well enough to bid me do that—" he hangs his head, "—and something else."''</ref> In the mirror, Arthur is a middle-aged, mustached man with pale blue eyes; he wears a military uniform adorned with medals.<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/A_Crown_of_Thorns A Crown of Thorns, ''Fallen London''] ''"A middle-aged man in regimental dress writhes upon the bed, damp with sweat, his head clutched in his hands. His medals clink as he spasms, and he cries out in pain. After some moments the worst of the torture appears to pass, and he drops his hands, revealing a moustache stained red with honey. He turns his pale blue eyes to you, but sees nothing."''</ref> | He is now a "weeping, horse-sized grub."<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/The_Gift_(Story) The Gift, ''Fallen London''] ''"The carcass of a goat stretches across the table. Around it, horrors congregate. [...] A weeping, horse-sized grub half-mounts the table [...]"''</ref><ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/A_Crown_of_Thorns A Crown of Thorns, ''Fallen London''] ''"There is an undulating creature on the Bellicose Prince's bed, almost the size of a horse. In the low light, you cannot make out its form."''</ref><ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/A_Crown_of_Thorns A Crown of Thorns, ''Fallen London''] ''"The creature's translucent flesh spasms, sending rivulets of slime into the filthy counterpane. Its midsection is barely contained by a sheath of red fabric, and its tapered tail spills onto the floor. Its frilled mouth is smeared with honey, which froths as it tries to scream."''</ref> In his current form, Arthur cannot speak but may communicate through other means.<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/A_Crown_of_Thorns A Crown of Thorns, ''Fallen London''] ''"[...] He cannot talk, but he can communicate just well enough to bid me do that—" he hangs his head, "—and something else."''</ref> In the mirror, Arthur is a middle-aged, mustached man with pale blue eyes; he wears a military uniform adorned with medals.<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/A_Crown_of_Thorns A Crown of Thorns, ''Fallen London''] ''"A middle-aged man in regimental dress writhes upon the bed, damp with sweat, his head clutched in his hands. His medals clink as he spasms, and he cries out in pain. After some moments the worst of the torture appears to pass, and he drops his hands, revealing a moustache stained red with honey. He turns his pale blue eyes to you, but sees nothing."''</ref> | ||
