The Delight

From The Fifth City Wiki

Spoilers ahead: May include midgame or minor Fate-locked content.

You can find out more about our spoiler policy here.

"When the Prester sat down to His table – so the story goes – He bade His cup-bearer to wait always at His right hand. But the table was too long. He needed a second cup-bearer to bring wine from the other end. Larger, stronger than the first, in order to carry the wine."[1]

The Delight is a Presbyterate flagship.

What You See...[edit | edit source]

"Everything fits here exactly where it's meant to fit. ... You click into place, one more cog in the well-oiled crew. You're exactly where you should be, too."[2]

The Delight is a black brig with black sails.[3] Her sails catch the slightest breeze effortlessly as she journeys across the Unterzee.[4]

The Presbyterate commissioned the Delight and ordained its Commander to be direct enforcers of the Prester's will.[5] She is armed with the most dangerous weapons of the immortal empire: she can summon the Wax-Wind against the Prester's enemies,[6][7] and in the unlikely event that this fails, she can also summon swirling, singing flocks of bats and birds to capture a target alive[8] - should the Prester want them alive, anyway. She carries a store of Traitor Tongues as well:[9] the voices, in a manner of speaking, of the people of Cline. They are truth itself, you see.[10]

The ship is suffused with incense made from a substance called Saviour's Sap, which apparently comes from a species of poppy;[11] this thickly smoky incense,[12] which smells of roses,[13] is known to induce visions and inspire devotion.[11] The incense is also used as a weapon against the Delight's enemies in battle.[14]

The Commander of the Delight is the Second Sacristan.[15] This agent of Nidah,[16] also called the Prester's Hand,[17] is unusually tall and gangly, with clawed[18] and many-jointed limbs.[19] Curiously, all the zailors aboard the Delight are masked, with lacquer, stone, or... wax, perhaps?[20] When they gather in the Sacristan's cabin, they kneel before their captain's radiance, under the light of hundreds of candles.[21] The Sacristan is haloed, wreathed in sunbeams - something divine.[22]

The zailors worship and labor together as they travel on, making candles for the captain and the Prester.[23] Below decks, they rest, eat, drink, and be merry. The air is filled with music.[24] The food is delicious, the alcohol plentiful, the cutlery immaculate.[25] Even the Prester's prisoners - there is a special place for them, here[26] - sit in prayer and reverence.[27]

The hold of the Delight contains a magnificent menagerie of animals - birds, bats, insects - captured from all across the zee and held in cages of silver and gold.[28][29] Soon the birds will sing for the Prester in Nidah.[30] But for now, they all sing for you. Even the zee itself sings for you. Every sound around you is music.[31]

There are prisoners in the hold, too; of course they must be caged, as the penitent pilgrims they are,[32] but the Prester will accept their atonement and grant them salvation.[33]

Everything is exactly as it's supposed to be. You are exactly where you should be.[34] You are among friends.[35] From here, you can see the Mountain of Light,[36] and all the beauties of the Elder Continent.[37]

Something is wrong here. Reload the page to take off your Shattered Mask.

Scientific and Cultural Inspirations[edit | edit source]

The species of poppy quoted as being the source of Saviour's Sap, Papaver longinus, is fictional. One species of poppy produces opium - an infamously addictive sedative and pain reliever that also induces vivid dreams and euphoria, thanks to a cocktail of alkaloids found within. Some other species of poppy also contain alkaloids used for medicinal purposes, but in lower quantities.

In Christian apocrypha, Longinus was the name of the Roman centurion who wounded Jesus on the cross with his lance. While earlier legends held that he was condemned for eternity for this deed, some later traditions decided that he was also the centurion who stated that Jesus was the son of God; in this story, he was thus one of the first converts to Christianity. He is venerated as a martyr and saint by Roman Catholics, Anglicans (by extension since their church splintered from Catholicism, and Eastern and Oriental Orthodox Christians.

The vision of the Mountain aboard the Delight shows it dripping with jewels of all colors, and these jewels spanning the entirety of the Elder Continent.[38] This passage from the so-called "Letter of Prester John" may be of interest as a comparison; the legend of Prester John, which was sparked by the circulation of this letter, was a key influence on the Presbyterate as a whole.

Amid the pagans and through one of our provinces flows a river which is called Ydonus. This river, flowing out of Paradise, extends its windings by various courses throughout the entire province, and in it are found natural gems, emeralds, sapphires, carbuncles, topazes, chrysolites, onyx, beryls, amethysts, sardonyxes, and many other previous gems.

References[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ Look closer at the Delight, Fallen London
  2. ↑ Aboard the Delight, Fallen London
  3. ↑ Study the smouldering fleet, Fallen London "But one vessel floats beyond the flames. It is a black brig with black sails."
  4. ↑ Look aloft, Fallen London "Enormous sails catch the zee-breeze. Even the slightest puff, embraced, compels their sheets to surge outward like someone's chest swelling with pride. You watch them rise and fall and rise again."
  5. ↑ Look closer at the Delight, Fallen London "When the Prester sat down to His table – so the story goes – He bade His cup-bearer to wait always at His right hand. But the table was too long. He needed a second cup-bearer to bring wine from the other end. Larger, stronger than the first, in order to carry the wine. [...] And this second cup-bearer He bade to wait at His left hand, until such times as He saw fit to send someone on errands. To the market and so forth. [...] Cup-bearer is a rough translation. Verger. Valet. Butler. Sacristan. Call it whatever you like, but you don't want to be brought back from the market."
  6. ↑ Given to the Wax-Wind, Fallen London "The Wax-Wind blows from the Elder Continent, and today it blows towards you. [...] the Delight vanishes from view as your ship is engulfed."
  7. ↑ Speak with the Youthful Naturalist (Battling the Wax-Wind), Fallen London ""It has my scent [...] I've seen it hunt before. Across the Listening Desert outside Nidah. It won't stop until it strips my bones. Until it renders me into tallow! Where do you think all that wax comes from?""
  8. ↑ Point a spy-glass at the cloud (With Delighted), Fallen London "Not clouds. Bats. And zee-birds too. There must be thousands. Millions? Through the spy-glass, you can watch them wheeling in the most hypnotic flight patterns. Each airborne creature fits perfectly into the flock, wings and bodies aligned, despite their diverse species, like pieces in the same jigsaw puzzle. If sounds were sunbeams, then their chorus would rise like the dawn. Golden voices. Harmony. Even the zee, as your ship draws closer, smells like a garden fresh with dew."
  9. ↑ Put a stop to these proceedings, Fallen London "Along the walls, urns brim with tongues that glisten like garnets. They carry one into the captain's cabin on a silver dish, leaving the Shrouded Captive to atone later."
  10. ↑ The Traitor Tongue Speaks, Fallen London "Into the Youthful Naturalist's mouth, the Second Sacristan has poured truth itself. Truth is something that shines like a blood-red ruby. Its light sparkles behind his teeth. It shimmers on his lips. The Second Sacristan leans forward to listen, and what the Youthful Naturalist says – each word he speaks – resonates with the music of the spheres."
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Speak with the Unlikely Florist (On the Cathedral Steps), Fallen London "Then she goes on to explain that Saviour's Sap is a nickname for various crimson resins from the Elder Continent. Entirely unscientific. One can never be certain which plant is being referenced. His Lordship, however, is probably writing about Papaver longinus. "The fumes are incredibly strong. Known to induce visions and inspire devotion. [...] Impossible to cultivate, but very good for incense. It's favoured by certain religious orders for all of the obvious reasons." She wanted to personally warn you not to inhale any. Well, any more. Nobody knows how long the effects can last."
  12. ↑ Breathe deeply, Fallen London "Even out here at zee, the aroma doesn't disperse. Thick clouds enshroud the vessel like a fog. Sometimes you struggle to see through the smoke. You would gasp for fresh air, but there is no fresh air."
  13. ↑ Breathe deeply, Fallen London "Roses, roses, roses. All the roses in the world, blossoming at daybreak in a dew-drenched grove."
  14. ↑ More Blood in the Water, Fallen London "A familiar aroma reaches your nose on the wind. [..] The aroma grows stronger as the waves grow bloodier. Your vessel glides through a burning-hot fog. Like smoke from a forest on fire. Like a whole town smouldering. Suddenly at your side, you perceive the Delight as you blink stinging tears from your eyes."
  15. ↑ Observe the enemy ship, Fallen London "[...]awaiting orders from her gaunt and towering commander: the Second Sacristan."
  16. ↑ Ask about the Second Sacristan, Fallen London "She goes on to explain how the Mithridate Office enlisted mercenaries for the College of Mortality. "The money? Too good to refuse." But despite Nidah's deep coffers, their soldiers, their ships, they only sent one agent of their own. "Wanted to avoid official deployment, which is why the Commander hired so many low-life criminals – such as yours truly.""
  17. ↑ Ask about the Second Sacristan, Fallen London "Get her to tell you everything she knows about the Prester's Hand."
  18. ↑ Look closer at the Delight, Fallen London "And towering over them by at least three feet, wrapped in a great pea-coat buttoned snug as a straitjacket, their commander also lifts a spy-glass with a gangly, clawed limb – to look at you."
  19. ↑ Observe the enemy ship, Fallen London "At this range, you can see how the Sacristan's pea-coat, buttoned so tightly, is nevertheless bulging like an overstuffed sausage. The Sacristan raises a limb – triple, quadruple, no, at least quintuple-jointed [...]"
  20. ↑ Look closer at the Delight, Fallen London "Other zailors aboard the Delight are wearing masks. Lacquer. Stone. Something smooth like tallow or beeswax."
  21. ↑ Enter the Second Sacristan's cabin, Fallen London "Candles glow, hundreds, around the cabin. Their wicks are fiery beams, as if the world were a stained-glass window and the candles were cracks through which sunlight could directly pour. [...] All the corsairs, kneeling, bright with glory that shines from without and also from within. They are panes in the stained-glass. Their bodies are living light. They line the walls, bowed before their radiant captain..."
  22. ↑ Enter the Second Sacristan's cabin, Fallen London "...for nothing shines more than the Second Sacristan. Sleeves streaming with sunbeams. Haloed. Bearing a golden cup upon a silver plate. The cup brims with pure honesty."
  23. ↑ Worship with the Devoted Deckhands, Fallen London "Labour itself is worship. [...] Your pulse is a steady beat, more music as you work. Kneeling with the others. Threading wicks. Rendering fat. Crafting candles, large and small, to adorn the deck. [...] You will need a great many candles. The Prester's table is large; everyone in the world has a seat. But the Wax-Wind has given the crew a bounty. "
  24. ↑ Descend to a lower deck, Fallen London "Here are the crew's quarters. Here is where they rest their heads, where they drink, where they dream, where they guard the Second Sacristan's cabin. More music filters through the door [...]"
  25. ↑ Take food and drink, Fallen London "Sparkling cutlery. Brimming tankards. Merriment as the tankards spill foam in a toast! Every dish served, each silver lid lifted, reveals another sumptuous morsel. [...] And the flavours you taste! Nectar. Ambrosia. Marvels on the tongue. If the Prester's Hand serves such delicacies here, then what miracles must appear at the Prester's own table?"
  26. ↑ Ask about the Youthful Naturalist (Imprisoned in Dripping Amber), Fallen London "They'll keep him locked up good and tight until then. Got a special place on the Delight for prisoners. He's probably snug in the hold as we speak."
  27. ↑ Attend to a Shrouded Captive (With Evidence 1), Fallen London "His hands are clasped, his fingers interlaced – precisely as fingers are meant to be interlaced, each fitting perfectly between the other digits – to beg the Prester's forgiveness for his sin."
  28. ↑ Descend to a lower deck, Fallen London "What birds aren't gathered here to sing sweetly? You step, as you step into the ship's hold, into a garden at dawn and a forest at midnight [...] Winged creatures, bats, even insects [...] are assembled, collected in silver cages, from the remotest islands and most distant lands."
  29. ↑ Examine the birds, Fallen London "Gilded cages fill the hold where cargo would more typically be stowed."
  30. ↑ Examine the birds, Fallen London "Peacocks strut behind the bars [...] Nightingales pour golden notes from diamond beaks. Robins with ruby feathers, and bluejays with aquamarine, and topaz canaries hop from perch to dazzling perch, each more mellifluous than the bird before. They sing together [...] as they will sing for the Prester himself in Nidah at their journey's end."
  31. ↑ Prepare to board the Delight, Fallen London "You can hear the zee perfectly now. Every ripple [...] resonates inside your lacquer mask. Your own footsteps [...] – are instruments in the symphony too. You cross the churning orchestra. You step onto the Delight's deck. Your offering is accepted. You, as the symphony swells [...] are accepted as well."
  32. ↑ Examine the other cages, Fallen London "Nidah is so very far away. Most souls would struggle to make the pilgrimage. But the Second Sacristan has blessed these lucky few with a charter. Of course, they must be caged; they are criminals, blasphemers, who would find themselves imprisoned in any lawful land."
  33. ↑ Examine the other cages, Fallen London "And yet the Prester will still accept their atonement, for who needs salvation more than the sinner?"
  34. ↑ Aboard the Delight, Fallen London "Everything fits here exactly where it's meant to fit. Interlocked. Meticulous. Shipshape, in the zailor's parlance. [...] You click into place, one more cog in the well-oiled crew. You're exactly where you should be, too."
  35. ↑ Chat with the other Masked Corsairs, Fallen London "Cousins. Siblings. Family. Friends. These are your brethren. Your kin. You already belong. [...] How easy it is to speak with them! How freely the words flow! They understand all your moods and manners."
  36. ↑ Put the Shattered Mask back on, Fallen London "You look through the mask. You see the Mountain. Its pinnacle is a diamond in the distance [...] Every facet in the diamond gleams with a different colour, and those colours spill down the Mountain's face [...]"
  37. ↑ Put the Shattered Mask back on, Fallen London "Every grain of sand another jewel. And lush lawns, plashing waterfalls, [...] palaces, temples, all rise shimmering from the painted oases. Nidah. And then more and more sand [...] and jungles, and forests, and rivers, and swamps that stretch across a continent [...] And then the zee, wave after wave, crests glittering in the Mountain's light, which has still travelled all this distance – just to pour itself into your eyes. Just for you on the good ship Delight."
  38. ↑ Put the Shattered Mask back on, Fallen London "You look through the mask. You see the Mountain. Its pinnacle is a diamond in the distance, shining from a brilliant light within. Every facet in the diamond gleams with a different colour, and those colours spill down the Mountain's face: rubies and amethysts chasing each other, turquoise floods, emerald avalanches. They run across the desert that extends below the slopes. They cascade for miles, illuminating the dunes with streaming gold, painting oases. Miles and miles. Every grain of sand another jewel. "
Retrieved from "https://thefifthcity.wiki/w/index.php?title=The_Delight&oldid=22657"