Editing The Fathomking

The Drowned Man (by [[Mutton Island|Mutton Islanders]], mistakenly)<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Confront_him_(King-in-Coral)|Confront him (King-in-Coral)|Fallen London|}} ''"He is a pretender at the mantle of the island's Drowned Man. He is not the source of this hunger, this anger, this all consuming grief [...] "No, I suppose I am not. Not in the way you mean. But I am a drowned man [...] Your Drowned Man cannot return the island's bounties. He can only ever take. [...] He will get his due, as I will get mine. [...] And after the hunger, the feast.""''</ref>}}<blockquote>''"The Fathomking himself has risen from the seclusion of his abyssal retreat to preside over the feast. His jacket is tightly buttoned, to keep everything in place. His face is stiff with wax. An attendant swims a silk fan slowly above him to discourage nibbling fish. The King gestures floridly to the table, and diligent Drownie servants paddle over to set your place."''<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Accept_an_invitation_from_the_Drownies|Accept an invitation from the Drownies|Fallen London|}}</ref></blockquote>'''The Fathomking '''is the mysterious and notoriously unpredictable ruler of the [[Drownies]].__FORCETOC__

The Fathomking himself is quite the character; his favored term of address is "'''Your Complexity'''". Above all, he values a good story, and of course zailors have plenty of stories to tell. As such, the Fathomking has designated time for receiving visitors, during which His Complexity pays handsomely for information and stories.<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/The_Fathomking|Listen to a Khaganian Emissary|Sunless Sea}} ''"At last the King nods, and awards the Emissary a pouch of drowning-pearls. The hour of audience is past."''</ref> He allows all comers from across the Unterzee - from [[Visage]]'s crocodile-masked envoys<ref>{{Citation|1=https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/The_Fathomking#The_Throne-Cyst|2=Watch a Crocodile-Masked Visitor make an offering|3=Sunless Sea|4=}}</ref> to [[Khaganian]] emissaries.<ref>{{Citation|1=https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/The_Fathomking#The_Throne-Cyst|2=Listen to a Khaganian Emissary|3=Sunless Sea|4=}}</ref> Executions - which are held in front of all guests - appear to be commonplace in response to certain transgressions, such as buying silk from [[Sorrow-spiders|spiders]],<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/The_Fathomking#The_Throne-Cyst|Witness an execution|Sunless Sea|}} ''"Two silent guards in thorned exoskeletons drag a babbling Drownie forwards. "No!" she shrieks. "I am no friend of spiders! I have never purchased silk! [...] The guards fling the Drownie into the pool. [...] "Next," the King says peaceably."''</ref> and His Complexity particularly dislikes when [[The Chelonate|Chelonite]] visitors get too entitled.<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/The_Fathomking#The_Throne-Cyst|Listen to a Chelonate Envoy|Sunless Sea|}} ''"The King watches in satisfaction as they swarm the hunter, snipping the flesh from his bones."''</ref> Conversely, he particularly appreciates "gifts from the Myceligaean Mother," like [[blemmigans]]<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/The_Fathomking's_Hold|Put a blemmigan ashore|Sunless Sea}} ''""A gift from the Myceligaean Mother [...] The Fathomking will be pleased. Here. For your trouble.""''</ref> and other mementos from the [[Uttershroom]].<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/The_Fathomking%27s_Answer|Give the Fathomking an Uttershroom Sporule|Sunless Sea}} ''"The Fathomking's chamberlain takes the Sporule from you [...] accepts the gift, and abruptly drops it into the throne-pool. It disappears into the churn of the King's under-regions. The King sits upright, blinking. "My," he says. "The saucy old creature. Perhaps I should not share this story with my Bride. A very satisfactory service, Captain! I will have you sent certain leaves from my library. And you have fulfilled my request..." "''</ref>  

The Fathomking is capable of reviving the deceased, albeit for a very steep price.<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/The_Fathomking#The_Throne-Cyst|"I have come to plead for a zailor's life."|Sunless Sea|}} ''"Perhaps it's someone you knew. Perhaps you're feeling philanthropic. Perhaps you're simply desperate for crew." (Costs valuable Scintillack. There are other, very expensive branches to resurrect specific crew members.)''</ref> He is also willing to send Londoners of enough importance, or people who would provoke too much controversy in his court, back to the [[Death|Slow Boat]].<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/In_the_Court_of_the_Fathomking|In the Court of the Fathomking|Fallen London|}} ''""This is an inconvenience," says the Fathomking. "You are a Londoner of some importance. Your absence would be felt." He has his chin propped up on a fist. His milky eyes stare into yours. "Moreover, you are a figure of some controversy. More trouble than you'd be worth to me.""''</ref>

 

The King is an occasional visitor to [[Mutton Island]],<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Greet_the_Fathomking|Greet the Fathomking|Fallen London|}} ''"The Fathomking inclines his head, lowering the flimsy mask. "It was too much to suppose my attendance would go unnoticed. But be discreet, if you please. I would rather walk as an anonymous celebrant. [...] We are here now as honoured guests, and we have left our duties with the Throne-Cyst." The fickle king of the Drownies seems usually festive. [...] "So let us celebrate!""''</ref> which has mistakenly come to worship him as the [[Mr Eaten|Drowned Man]].<ref name=":1">{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Confront_him_(King-in-Coral)|Confront him (King-in-Coral)|Fallen London|}} ''"He is a pretender at the mantle of the island's Drowned Man. He is not the source of this hunger, this anger, this all consuming grief [...] "No, I suppose I am not. Not in the way you mean. But I am a drowned man [...] He will get his due, as I will get mine. [...] And after the hunger, the feast.""''</ref> He would, however, like to be a kindly patron of the island,<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Confront_him_(King-in-Coral)|Confront him (King-in-Coral)|Fallen London|}} ''"'But I am a drowned man, and I can, perhaps, give this island what it needs. A kindly aspect. [...] Your Drowned Man cannot return the island's bounties. He can only ever take.'"''</ref> and displays some sympathy for his counterpart.<ref name=":1" />

<blockquote>''"Like an iceberg, like a Bazaar-Master's scheme, like the Neath itself, most of the Hold is invisible."''<ref>{{Citation|1=https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/The_Fathomking's_Hold|2=The Fathomking's Hold|3=Sunless Sea|4=}}</ref></blockquote>

The '''Fathomking's Hold''' is an enormous coral structure that lies within the Promised Sea. Like the base of an iceberg, most of the Hold is hidden,<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/The_Fathomking's_Hold|The Fathomking's Hold|Sunless Sea}} ''"Like an iceberg, like a Bazaar-Master's scheme, like the Neath itself, most of the Hold is invisible. You see only a tiny portion of sculpted coral - the rest waits below the surface. The Fathomking's bone-rooms and aquaria. His pearl-snares and his dining-chambers..."''</ref> and its depths are lit a bioluminescent green.<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/The_Fathomking's_Hold|The Fathomking's Hold|Sunless Sea}} ''"Phosphor-cells burn green."''</ref> It is implied that while the King can travel as he pleases - albeit with some help to move about on land<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/An_Audience_with_the_King-in-Coral|An Audience with the King-in-Coral|Fallen London}} ''"[...] the kelp-draped litter of the King-in-Coral [...] From within the litter's scalloped shell rises a vast and lumpen bulk [...] His skin is green as kelp, and a damp mask has plastered itself to his face, but there is no denying it."''</ref><ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Greet_the_Fathomking_2|Greet the Fathomking 2|Fallen London}} ''"The Fathomking's litter is cumbersome and huge, and requires four Drownies to manoeuvre it around the revels. The Fathomking himself is buttoned into a straining dinner jacket that hides the majority of his more unusual appendages."''</ref> - a portion of his consciousness and/or power may lie within his '''Throne-Cyst''' or some other part of the Hold itself.<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/The_Fathomking's_Hold|Leave|Sunless Sea}} ''"The light is the familiar glow of false-stars, not the piercing green of the Hold's eyes."''</ref><ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Greet_the_Fathomking_2|Greet the Fathomking 2|Fallen London}} ''""We are here now as honoured guests, and we have left our duties with the Throne-Cyst.""''</ref>