Editing The Tomb-Colonies

{{Uncited}}
{{Neath_Location|image1 = tombcolonies.png|caption1 = A disgraced exile. Art from FL.|image2 = venderbight.png|caption2 = Venderbight, the largest tomb-colony. Art from Sunless Sea.|location = [[The Unterzee]]|allegiance = Independent|notable_inhabitants = The First Curator<br>
[[The Bandaged Poissonnier]]<br>
[[The God-Eaters]] |music = [https://failbettergames.bandcamp.com/track/where-we-went Where We Went]
[https://failbettergames.bandcamp.com/track/Elegiac Elegiac]}}''Few die in Fallen London. They come here instead.<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/Venderbight|Port description|Sunless sea}}</ref>''

''A cheerless nook in a far corner of the Neath. Known chiefly for its flowstone, its masks and its depraved bats.''

'''The Tomb-Colonies''': home to outcasts, the generally disgraced, and of course, bored mummies. (Fallen Londoners call them '''tomb-colonists''', but their concerns are far from colonisation.) These dreary encampments lie north of [[London]].__FORCETOC__

== A Maelstrom of Scandal!==
Londoners who are just too scandalous, decrepit, or unappealing for "polite" society are often forced to reside here until their names are cleared.<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/A_maelstrom_of_scandal!_(The_Fifth_City)|A maelstrom of scandal|Fallen London}}''The stories told of your exploits have become too shocking''</ref> Life in the tomb-colonies can be depressing, especially when a sudden movement results in a loss of a limb or two.<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/%27...I_have_attended_a_ball...%27|'...I have attended a ball...'|Fallen London}}''A pitiable shuffling, punctuated now and then by the partial disintegration of a dancer.''</ref> Because of this, it's no surprise that many tomb-colonists choose to visit or reside in London proper, often seeking excitement or a reminder of their old lives.

The tomb-colonies have existed since before the fall of London, and visitors may encounter tomb-colonists who lived during the time of the Fourth City, or even longer before that.<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Ask_her_what_a_Tomb_Colonist_would_say_about_this|Ask what a Tomb Colonist would say|Fallen London}}''She knows more about the Third City and its survivors than most Londoners''</ref> The colonies are dotted with relics and iconography from cities past. Certain factions own private tomb-colonies of their own, such as [[the God-Eaters]].

'''[[Venderbight]]''' is the largest tomb-colony, and the one that comes up first whenever the tomb-topic is brought up in London.   Thanks to relative popularity, there are some amenities for visitors, given that it's the main attraction in the area, but these are... rather meager (not that amenities are usually necessary).<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/Venderbight|An interlude|Sunless sea}}''You pause for refreshment at the Hungarian Café.''</ref><ref>{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/Venderbight|The Lamplighters' Arcade|Sunless sea}}''Here they sell copper jewellery: grimacing little faces and squat rectilinear figures.''</ref><ref>{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/The_Vengeance_of_Jonah|The Vengeance of Jonah|Sunless sea}}''The food here is exceptional. You need not fear poisoning or boredom.''</ref> Tomb-colonists pay handsomely for transportation to and from here; these colonists travel in coffins in the cargo holds of ships.<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/Fallen_London|Offer passage to a Tomb-Colonist|Sunless sea}}''Your crew cart these ones aboard in padded coffins. They'll sleep there until the journey is done.''</ref>

'''The Grand Sanatorium''', the largest building in Venderbight, is where some tomb-colonists go to waste.<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/The_construction_of_the_%27Grand_Sanatoria%27|Fallen London}}''like a palace of marble''</ref> Ever under construction, the Grand Sanatorium is gradually being expanded using marble from Italy; few know the source of the money to pay for such splendor.<ref>{{Citation|https://www.fallenlondon.com/|The marble-quarries of Italy|Fallen London}} ''"'... down the Cumaean Canal, of course. But this only raises the furtherquestion: who is paying for these materials? There is another power at work here in the tomb-colonies...'"''</ref>  The tomb colonists who reside within consider this a more dignified end than the alternatives, such as being eaten by moths or dying in combat, but of course everyone's choice of [[death]] is different. 

A tomb-colony by the name of '''Xibalba''' is known to exist, which is where the God-Eaters conduct their business. There are also many other minor tomb-colonies, such as '''[[Tanah Chook|Tanah-Chook]]'''.

The Tomb-Colonies are a place of origin for many bizarre substances and traditions of the Neath. They're the source of [https://thefifthcity.fandom.com/wiki/Food_in_the_Neath#.C2.A0Hard_Drinks Dustwine], a mysterious "drink" with unusual properties. Another souvenir of tomb-colonies are '''Mourning Candles'''. They give out a smudgy, dolorous light, have a lilac scent, and are very expensive to be a light source.<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Mourning_Candle|Mourning Candle|Fallen London}}''Get rid of them before you accidentally light one and burn up a fortune.''</ref> The reason for a high price is a technique used to make them: apparently some tomb-colonists turn their own fat into candles.<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Unorthodox_technologies|Unorthodox technologies|Fallen London}}''We scent them with lilac''</ref> And while colonists themselves are quite open about it, Londoners prefer to keep it as a secret.
Some tomb colonists seek peace in art, like '''tomb poetry''', written on a tomb-colonist's own bandages, often with blood instead of ink.<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/A_treatise_on_Tomb_Colonist_poetry|Tomb poetry|Fallen London}}''You unroll the long bandages that hold the tomb poetry''</ref> Many tomb colonists are centuries old, and their poetry can be extremely insightful... if one ignores the sanitary hazards.
{| class="article-table mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" data-expandtext="show" data-collapsetext="hide" width=100%
! colspan="3" |[[File:envelopetc.png|40px]] A more well-known piece
|-
|
''Little bandage, my only clothing now ''

''Your humble fashion befits these dreary times''

''Blots of my body's decay your only decoration.''

''Carry my words back to the bustling city –''

''Alas, without me – ''

''Convey the woeful greetings of my leaky heart''

''To the footpads' alleys of mouldy Spite''

''Remember my ruined visage to the Garden's painted ladies ''

''That one, at least, might sigh upon my fate!''

''Trial by Society, so undeserv'd''

''Calumny spread by poison'd words''

''Daggers to my unprotected heart! ''

''The storm-toss'd zee-voyage I endured –''

''Gobbets of flesh dropping from my bones –''

''Delivering to this long-forsaken pile''

''My corpse – for that is all I am''

''Without the touch of that fair hand ''

''For which, as Tantalus thirsts, I yearn...''
|}

==The Tomb-Colonists==
{{Character|title1 = Tomb-Colonists|image1 = tombcolonist.png|caption1 = A tomb-colonist. Very deadly. Art from FL.|location = [[Fallen London]]
The Tomb-Colonies|allegiance = Independent|notable_members = The Once-Dashing Smuggler<br>
[[Feducci]] (officially)<br>
The First Curator<br>
[[The Bandaged Poissonnier]] }}''Tomb-colonists: technically, passengers rather than goods. But you'd never know it to talk to them.''

'''The tomb-colonists''' are quite notorious for their unparalleled experience in many activities, such as dueling or chess. This makes them formidable opponents when challenged. The tomb-colonist dueling style favors well-practiced and precise forms.

Generally speaking, a person becomes a tomb-colonist by being thoroughly, thoroughly wounded; it's no wonder that many tomb-colonists are duelists or other daring individuals. Other tomb-colonists are simply people who became very, very, old. Being exiled due to age or injury is basically permanent, and people may become tomb-colonists (voluntarily or not) to escape their past lives for good. Due to their appearences, tomb-colonists may face social stigma in "polite" society.

===Emergence===
''"...tomb-colonists do not exactly die. Many end in the Grand Sanatorium, withering slowly to insensate horror. (This is not publicised.) A few end in Emergence: transformation to a flimsy thing of wings and knowledge, an end in ecstacy, the delight of becoming an egg, of sorts. This is accounted a grand and vile and tempting sin..."''
[[File:Keepermoth.png|thumb|left|A frost-moth.]]
Tomb-colonists who severely overstay their welcome may spawn '''frost-moths'''. Apparently, these creatures use tomb-colonists as a sort of cocoon, and burst out of them when the time is right. Tomb-colonists have mixed feelings about these things; some see their birth as a ritual of sorts, called '''Emergence''', while others consider them filthy.
<br />

==Notable Tomb-Colonists==

=== [[Feducci]] ===
The self-styled Prince of the Tomb-Colonies. He's usually seen covered in bandages and runs an underground dueling society. However, there may be more to him than meets the eye...

=== [[The Bandaged Poissonnier]] ===
The best cook in Venderbight, even by London's standards. He has a particular affinity for [[Food in the Neath#Zeefood|zeefood]].

===The Once-Dashing Smuggler===
''An acquaintance has told you of a Once-Dashing Smuggler who's in need of help. Your friend is willing to make an introduction.''
[[File:Tombsmuggler.png|thumb|The Once-Dashing Smuggler]]
'''The Once-Dashing Smuggler''' is a mysterious and gallant tomb-colonist from [[The Fallen Cities|the Fourth City]], often seen in a trademark purple suit. He may have had a relationship with [[the Gracious Widow]].

===The First Curator===
''A bandaged shape no larger than a child lies crumpled on a couch. It lifts its head with obvious effort. It takes several seconds for you to distinguish its voice from the soft buzz of the bees.''

'''The First Curator''' is responsible for the preservation of all the tomb-colonies. This individual of mysterious and indistinct gender resides in Venderbight and dates back to the [[The Fallen Cities|Third City]]. It is by far the oldest of the tomb-colonists (besides the [[God-Eaters]]) and its age is catching up to it; it can only move or speak through great effort. The Curator lies in total darkness; it seems fearful of light and moths, and it would like to see [[The Neathbow|just one more thing]] before it finally expires.

==A Mysterious Letter==
''The following writing is not canon. Reload to possibly read another letter!''

<choose uncached>
<option>{| class="article-table mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" data-expandtext="show" data-collapsetext="hide" width=100%
!colspan=3|[[File:Quirkhedonist.png|40px]] A letter soaked in tears
|-
|''...This place is horrible, like a crypt that's been locked for centuries. Air's muggy, food's tasteless. The people, or at least what's left of them, are dull as all the colors. No theaters, no shops, no soap. And everyone seems alright with that! Yes, the worst thing about my exile is not the ash and dust, not the lack of most basic conveniences, but the d___ed people. Filthy, wrapped in old bandages, sometimes missing a limb or two - it's like all joy, imagination, vitality and spirit was soaked from them after death, and all that's left is an empty husk. You won't believe me, but the most pleasant people here are the zailors, however they got to this wretched backwater. They are coarse, stinking, and often uneducated (not to say that tomb colonists are extraordinary minds themselves), but at least I get some snippets of what is going on in London - and I can drink something that doesn't taste like sea water from Pompeii. But as I was saying: Even animals can't shake the inertia; they're all listless. I don't know what it is about the Colonies, but I don't ever want to be here again, and I certainly don't want to be like those b____y walking corpses. But sometimes I fall asleep, and dream I am among their ranks...''
|}
</option>
<option>{| class="article-table mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" data-expandtext="show" data-collapsetext="hide" width=100%
!colspan=3|[[File:Quirkaustere.png|40px]] A letter blurred with dust
|-
|''...This place is awe-inspiring, as if time has stopped here. Dust blows through the half-empty streets and collapsed buildings. There are no salons, operas, or other places of entertainment, so I often find myself sitting by the shoreline, watching the black water and the occasional steamer passing by. I finished my last bottle of Greyfields quite some time ago, and now it is a living place for spiders, small ones. I suppose I should stop drinking; not only is it impossible to get good wine around here because the local stuff tastes quite coarse, but it would also be a good decision as far as my near-empty pocketbook is concerned. Such things happen when you stay in such an inhospitable place. The people are just beyond my comprehension: not dead, nor fully alive, they hardly require the smallest comforts to go on. Those who can still walk often challenge each other and visitors like me to different contests of skill, and I should not be surprised that their age allows them to pose a significant challenge. Even these decrepit things have some sort of social life, hosting balls inside crypts and all kinds of activities from the cultures they come from, but it all feels so alien to me. Thus I mostly sit in the corner, dealing with incoming mail. Maybe one day, I will be just like them, but... we shall see.''
|}
</option>
</choose>

==References==
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