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| {{Neath_Location|title1 = Varchas|image1 = Varchas_portgaz.png|caption1 = The city of Varchas, showcasing its Principal Mirrors.|location = [[The Elder Continent|The Southern Wall]]|alias = The Mirrored City|allegiance = Mihir<br>The Agnihotri |notable_inhabitants = The Sun-Priests<br> | | {{Neath_Location|title1 = Varchas|image1 = Varchas.png|caption1 = The city without nights. Art from Sunless Sea.|location = The Elder Continent|alias = The City of Mirrors|allegiance = Mihir|notable_inhabitants = The Priests of Mihir}}''"The Mirrored City, where Light was always the Law..."'' |
| The Jewel-Turbaned Youth|port=Port Erdonmez}}<blockquote>''"They worship the sun in Varchas, and have banished darkness from the city."''<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/Varchas:_The_Mirrored_City|Varchas: The Mirrored City|Sunless Sea|}}</ref></blockquote>'''Varchas''', also called the '''Mirrored City''', is a sprawling city of light and mirrors located near the coast of the [[Elder Continent]].__forcetoc__
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| ==The City of Light==
| | ''"They worship the sun in Varchas, and have banished darkness from the city."'' |
| <blockquote>''"The walled city of Varchas is a tangle of green vines and luminescent fungal flowers slow-blooming around mouldering stone. A quincunx of carved stepped-towers rise over the walls and pour burning white light into the bleak sky."''<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/The_Burning_White_Light_of_Varchas|The Burning White Light of Varchas|Sunless Sea|}}</ref></blockquote>Varchas is a verdant stone city<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/The_Children_of_the_Glow|The Children of the Glow|Fallen London|}}''"Varchas, according to your first impressions, is a city built of stone, covered in moss and vines. [...]"''</ref> that shines brighter than any lighthouse, standing tall against the forested darkness of the [[Elder Continent]].<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/The_Burning_White_Light_of_Varchas|The Burning White Light of Varchas|Sunless Sea|}} ''"The city is a beacon against the tree-hushed, sprawling darkness of the Elder Continent. In the far distance a vast mountain glimmers."''</ref> Every centimeter of the walled city is lit by some form of light, whether from a lamp, a mirror,<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/Varchas#Inside_the_City-Walls|Inside the City-Walls|Sunless Sea|}} ''"Cunningly arranged mirrors catch every droplet of light and diffuse it till each cobblestone and rampart of the city is drenched and blazing and utterly without shadow."''</ref> or bioluminescent fungi.<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/The_Burning_White_Light_of_Varchas|The Burning White Light of Varchas|Sunless Sea|}} ''"The walled city of Varchas is a tangle of green vines and luminescent fungal flowers slow-blooming around mouldering stone. A quincunx of carved stepped-towers rise over the walls and pour burning white light into the bleak sky."''</ref> Varchas' '''Mirrored Gates''' serve as its guarded primary entrance.<ref name="light">{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/The_Burning_White_Light_of_Varchas|The Burning White Light of Varchas|Sunless Sea|}}''"A rough, shadowed path leads from the docks to the Mirrored Gates of Varchas. Two towering carved-stone lamps throw their light on the angled mirrors, and a blue-cloaked Guard stands in the reflected pool of light."''</ref>[[File:Tattoo_sun.png|thumb|100px|alt = A stylized sun.|The symbol of Mihir.]]The Varchaasi worship a [[The Sun|solar]] deity named '''Mihir'''. Those who leave the light of Mihir in any way have their names stripped from them,<ref name="ask about her">{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/At_the_Mirrored_Gates|Ask about her|Sunless Sea|}}''"It is very dangerous. Even a small stumble and I could fall into the dark!" Her voice goes thready. "I would be banished from Mihir's grace. I would lose my name. That is why they only send the bravest outside the walls."''</ref> and are called '''Taamas'''.<ref name="ask light" /> Visitors from the rest of the [[Neath]] are also considered Taamas,<ref name="ask light" /> and may face suspicion and discrimination in the city.<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/Varchas#Evening_in_Varchas|The Courtyard (Failure)|Sunless Sea|}}''"You hear the word Taamas! being whispered, and the musicians grow so nervous that their fingers slip on the strings and their tongues forget their lyrics. You leave them to their music, before you ruin their evening entirely."''</ref> Visiting zailors often dislike Varchas on account of this distrust, and have spread stories about it that typically do not hold water.{{Fact}}
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| Varchas is primarily lit by its '''Five Towers''', each of which contains a powerful light source made of glowing fungi.<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/Varchas#The_Fallen_City_of_Varchas|The Fallen City of Varchas|Sunless Sea|}}''"The walled city of Varchas is dark. The glowing fungus has been stripped from the Five Towers, and the Principal Mirrors are all smashed to pieces."''</ref> Atop each Tower lies an enormous, multi-faceted Principal Mirror, carefully angled and mechanically positioned to ensure that not a single stone in the city is touched by darkness.<ref name="centre">{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/Varchas#The_Centre_of_Varchas|The Centre of Varchas|Sunless Sea|}}''"Lamp-Lighters constantly check the fuel-levels of the sconces, and replace wicks; Fire-Keepers check the coiled-spring mechanisms that control the angle of the mirrors."''</ref><ref name="inside" /> Four of the Towers correspond to the four cardinal directions;<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/A_Plague_of_Broken_Mirrors#A_Plague_of_Broken_Mirrors|Join the Neather Revolution|Sunless Sea|}}''"You help them break the Western Principal Mirror, and other groups of Neathers across the city break the Eastern, Southern, Northern Mirrors. You raise your voice in a cheer as the Eternal Flame in the Temple of Mihir is put out. Your throat is raw."''</ref> the fifth Tower, the '''Temple Tower''', lights the Temple of Mihir in the center of the city, and is surrounded by hundreds of other light sources rather than any mirrors.<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/The_Temple_of_Mihir|The Temple of Mihir|Sunless Sea|}}''"There are no mirrors in the Temple of Mihir. The rest of the city has to make do with mirrored light and reflection but Mihir's most sacred space is filled with hundreds of lamps and lit candles of hard-packed phosphorescent fungus."''</ref> In addition to the Towers, lamps and candles line every wall in Varchas, and glowing fungi is abundant.<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/Varchas#Inside_the_City-Walls|Inside the City-Walls|Sunless Sea|}}''"It is a few minutes before your eyes adjust, and you can look around: brass lamps and gilded sconces hang from every wall, and phosphorescent fungus grows moss-like upon doorways and ceilings."''</ref> The Song of Mihir is a Varchaasi traditional musical performance, in which prisms split white light into different colors to match each note.<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/Varchas#Evening_in_Varchas|The Courtyard|Sunless Sea|}}''"The evening finishes with the Song of Mihir, which is sung to the accompaniment of stringed instruments and drums and polished glass prisms which split the white light into rainbows in counterpoint to the notes."''</ref>
| | ''"The city is a beacon against the tree-hushed, sprawling darkness of the Elder Continent. In the far distance a vast mountain glimmers."'' |
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| Each Tower in Varchas also houses a large bell.<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/Varchas:_The_Knells_of_the_Towers|Varchas: The Knells of the Towers|Sunless Sea|}}''"Varchas has five mirrored towers. When each has sounded its bell, it is evening."''</ref> When all five bells have tolled each day, the Principal Mirrors are adjusted, the burning lights are dimmed to a softer yellow, and evening in Varchas begins.<ref name="evening">{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/Varchas#Evening_in_Varchas|Evening in Varchas|Sunless Sea|}}''"Evening falls - or does it? The town's Five Principal Mirrors are mounted on coiled-spring mechanisms, and alter their angles subtly to create the impression of evening. Across the city, the Fire-Keepers throw pinches of coloured powder into the lamps and the quality of light yellows to a softer brightness."''</ref> The city's '''Fire-Keepers,''' individuals who maintain the Principal Mirrors and their mechanisms,<ref name="fire keeper">{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/Varchas#Inside_the_City-Walls|The Fire-Keeper|Sunless Sea|}}''"I'm too important to play guide to you, Taamas [...] I'm the Keeper of the Western Principal Mirror,"''</ref><ref name="centre" /> are tasked with dimming the lights every evening.<ref name="evening" />
| | '''Varchas''' is a city of light and mirrors on [[the Elder Continent]].__forcetoc__ |
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| == The People of Varchas == | | ==City of Glass== |
| <blockquote>''"Our ways are not yours, Taamas. Remember that, and walk in the light of Mihir."''<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/The_Burning_White_Light_of_Varchas|Tell the Guard you wish to enter|Sunless Sea|}}</ref></blockquote>[[File:Candle.png|thumb|Candles are abundant in Varchas.]]In keeping with the worship of Mihir and the preservation of light in the city, Varchas' social hierarchy is structured around light. Varchas' Fire-Keepers, the people who maintain its mirrors, are recruited from the upper echelons of society<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/A_Plague_of_Broken_Mirrors#A_Plague_of_Broken_Mirrors|Hear out the Neathers|Sunless Sea|}}''"We deny the tyranny of Mihir and his Priests and his high-born Fire-Keepers! We refuse to isolate ourselves from the rest of the Neath any longer! We refuse to fear the dark, and cower in the light!"''</ref> and are also part of its ruling councils.<ref name=":0">{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/The_Temple_of_Mihir|The Agnihotri|Sunless Sea|}}''"You go to pay your respects, and he is at pains to impress upon you that he is no despot or Tyrant-Prince, but rather rules Varchaas with his council of Sun-Seers and Fire-Keepers."''</ref> '''Lamp-Lighters''' are responsible for maintaining the lamps and candles that line the walls of the city;<ref name="centre" /> they also light the way forward when large groups of citizens leave the city (on pilgrimage, for instance), ensuring that no one in the procession falls to the shadows.<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/The_Pilgrimage_to_Amaradri#Interactions|"Wish us luck, Taamas!"|Sunless Sea|}}''"The Agnihotri laughs wildly, and then shouts a command, and the machine rumbles out of the city gates. It lays down two thick rows of fungus to either side of it. The Lamp-Lighters dart to the very edge of the darkness, and light the fungus with their torches."''</ref>
| | The inhabitants of Varchas believe that darkness does something similar to stealing one's soul, in that it "joins" those exposed to it to the name-stealing god '''Taamas'''. As a result, the Varchasi worship '''Mihir''', the god of light, and they only let people from darker parts of the Neath stay in Varchas for one day at a time. |
| | The priests and priestesses of Mihir radiate a large amount of heat, and they believe the reason they fell into the Neath is because Mihir lost them. They hope that the massive amount of light that they produce will help Mihir find them again. |
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| Varchas also has a large population of workers who harvest and transport the fungi blooming throughout the city.<ref name="carter">{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/Varchas#Inside_the_City-Walls|The Fungus-Carter|Sunless Sea|}}''"She stops every few minutes to cough surreptitiously into her dyed-cotton scarf, and eyes you warily when you approach. "I have to take this load all the way to the Sacred District, and the priests don't like if if I'm late.""''</ref> Their jobs pose significant occupational hazards, and some suffer from a contagious fungal disease<ref name=":1">{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/The_Charitable_Hospital|The Fungal Infections Ward|Sunless Sea|}}''"They keep it cool and closed-off. The doctors and nurses all wear masks when they enter. How bad could a fungal infection be?"''</ref> called Lung-Bloom,<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/The_Charitable_Hospital|The Fungal Infections Ward|Sunless Sea|}} ''""Lung-Bloom is a chronic condition [...]"''</ref> which is exacerbated by light and heat<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/The_Charitable_Hospital|The Fungal Infections Ward|Sunless Sea|}}''""It's the Fungus-Harvester's disease," the Dour-Faced Nurse tells you sadly, pulling you away. "It only gets worse in the heat and light, but what can we do?""''</ref> and eventually causes them to grow fungi from their limbs and orifices.<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/The_Charitable_Hospital|The Fungal Infections Ward|Sunless Sea|}}''"Coughing is the only symptom in the milder cases, but as you walk further in you begin to see hands and feet covered in mold, and then chests budding with little mushroom-cups and lichen and even a young girl with a fringed, red-orange fungal flower blooming in place of an eye."''</ref> These unfortunate individuals, and others with Lung-Bloom, constitute a quarantined ward in Varchas' '''Charitable Hospital'''.<ref name=":1" />
| | [[File:Mihir.png|thumb|left|175px|A stylized sun, the symbol of Mihir.]]Varchas is constantly illuminated by candles and mirrors. The Varchasi are well aware of the presence of [[the Fingerkings]], who seek to escape from the city's many mirrors. As such, it is advised that one tries not to dream, touch the mirrors, eat meat, or tell fictional or exaggerated stories. For sleeping, they peddle sigil-marked snakeskin charms that either keep the Fingerkings away or prevent the dreamer from remembering them after an encounter. |
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| The mirrored city has two companies of scimitar-wielding '''Guards''',<ref name="train">{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/The_Guard_House|Train with the guards|Sunless Sea|}}''"[...] You practice hand-to-hand combat for a few hours, and end up on your back more often than not; they fight in an unfamiliar, light-footed style. A few of the more advanced recruits duel with curving, twin-bladed scimitars."''</ref> who are responsible for maintaining order in the city and monitoring outsiders; most notably, they eject any outsider that overstays their welcome of a single day in Varchas.<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/Varchas#Evening_in_Varchas|Dawn in Varchas|Sunless Sea|}}''"Outsider time in Varchas is strictly rationed. Each morning at dawn, the Guard visits the inn to eject any Taamas they find. They are polite, but very definite."''</ref> They also embark on trade missions and hunting expeditions regularly.<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/The_Charitable_Hospital|The Open Ward|Sunless Sea|}}''"Most of these wounds happened outside the city - on hunting expeditions or trade missions," the Dour-Faced Nurse explains severely, raising her voice. "Which is why most of these malingerers are Guards."''</ref> The white-cloaked enforcers<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/Varchas#Inside_the_City-Walls|The White-Cloaked Guard|Sunless Sea|}}''"The suns embroidered on his cloak are picked out with gold-thread, and the edge is jewelled with carnelian."''</ref> hold training duels and receive petitions from the citizenry at their Guard House,<ref name="train" /><ref name="guard house">{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/The_Guard_House|The Guard House|Sunless Sea|}}''"It is a scene of controlled chaos. You can see the white-cloaked Guards bustling to and fro within, shouting companionably to each other while a stream of Fungus-Carters, merchants and ordinary citizens petition them."''</ref> while the blue-cloaked gatekeepers<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/The_Burning_White_Light_of_Varchas|Ask the Guard a few questions|Sunless Sea|}}''"The blue-cloaked Guard only acknowledges your existence when you step out of the darkness of the path and into the light from the lamps."''</ref> record and announce visitors,<ref name="tell the guard">{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/The_Burning_White_Light_of_Varchas|Tell the Guard you wish to enter|Sunless Sea|}}''"She makes a mark in her ledger before ringing a brass bell. The mirrors of the gates rearrange to give you space to pass, but never once allow shadow to touch the Guard."''</ref> often accepting only a few each day.<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/Returning_to_Varchas|"Not yet, Taamas."|Sunless Sea|}}''"We dare not admit too many outsiders at once. Wait your turn. Return soon..."''</ref> The gatekeepers are designated for their bravery in the face of the [[Neath]]'s darkness, and risk being declared Taamas if they step too far into the shadows outside the city.<ref name="ask about her" />
| | When the Fingerkings do possess an individual, the poor soul is simply locked away from mirrors. They are given food and water to survive, and even kept in the light, despite the costs. |
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| Ordinary Varchaasi dress plainly, in simple shifts or togas.<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/The_Children_of_the_Glow|The Children of the Glow|Fallen London|}}''"[...] Most Varchaasi are dressed in simple shifts or togas and wearing slippers. [...]"''</ref>
| | Strangely enough, mushrooms are surprisingly populous here, growing where the mirrors can't reach. Zailors don't like it here, they share horror stories about this place that are almost always without bearing. |
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| ==The Worship of Mihir== | | == Origins and Real-World Parallels == |
| {{spoiler}}<blockquote>''"In Varchas the sun still shines!"''<ref name="mantras">{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/The_Temple_of_Mihir|Listen to the Mantras|Sunless Sea|}}</ref></blockquote><blockquote>''"We must always walk in Mihir's light so we burn our lamps night and day to banish darkness from the Mirrored City. If we let darkness corrupt us we would not be Varchaasi any longer, but Taamas. Like you."''<ref name="ask light">''{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/At_the_Mirrored_Gates|Ask about the light|Sunless Sea|}}"We must always walk in Mihir's light so we burn our lamps night and day to banish darkness from the Mirrored City," she tells you proudly. "If we let darkness corrupt us we would not be Varchaasi any longer, but Taamas. Like you. [...] The rest of Neath has fallen from Mihir's grace, and I have no wish to join them!"''</ref></blockquote>The [[sun]] god Mihir is said to be the watcher of Varchas through its light. Anyone who is born under his gaze is considered Varchaasi, a true citizen of the Mirrored City. The Varchaasi keep every centimeter of the city lit because citizens who walk into the darkness lose their names<ref name="ask about her" /> and become Taamas;<ref name="ask light" /> people from the rest of the [[Neath]] are also considered Taamas, as stated earlier. In addition to these practices, those who walk in the light of Mihir must practice strict vegetarianism and never kill or maim.<ref name="shrine">{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/The_Temple_of_Mihir|The Shrine of Mihir|Sunless Sea|}}''"We do not eat the flesh of living beings [...] We do not murder, or maim. We follow Mihir's tenets of purity and light."''</ref> Citizens of Varchas are not permitted to travel,<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/The_Children_of_the_Glow|The Children of the Glow|Fallen London|}}''"Citizens of Varchas are not permitted to travel,"''</ref> and young Varchaasi are compelled by law to learn the same trade as their parents.<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/The_Children_of_the_Glow|The Children of the Glow|Fallen London|}}''"Are young Londoners compelled by law to learn the same trade as their parents?"''</ref><ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/The_Children_of_the_Glow|The Children of the Glow|Fallen London|}}''"I would like to become a stone carver but I am destined to become a priest!"''</ref> | | {{Major spoiler small}}Varchas is an anomaly, even for the Neath. The culture of Varchas is oddly out of place; its name translates to radiance in Hindi. Their god's name Mihir is a slight variation of Mihira, an Indo-Iranian version of the Hindu sun god Mithra. Even the title of Taamas is based on Tamas, a Hindu term for ignorance and darkness. Why is there so much Hindu culture in this city? |
| | [[File:Awatcornertower01.JPG|thumb|266x266px|An example of Khmer architecture. ]] |
| | Well, five towers make up the heart of the city; also note the design of the city towers in the images above. This is possibly Khmer style, an architectural style very common in Cambodia around the 8th-15th centuries. Why is this important? Well, there's only one place where Hindu religion, Sanskrit terminology, layout, and architecture come into one place: Angkor Wat, the ancient temple city in modern-day Cambodia. |
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| The '''Temple of Mihir''' is located in Varchas' '''Sacred District''', in the city's center.<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/The_Temple_of_Mihir|The Temple of Mihir|Sunless Sea|}}''"There are no mirrors in the Temple of Mihir. The rest of the city has to make do with mirrored light and reflection but Mihir's most sacred space is filled with hundreds of lamps and lit candles of hard-packed phosphorescent fungus."''</ref> The Temple is presided over by the '''Sun-Priests''', the most important of whom are called '''Sun-Seers'''.<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/The_Temple_of_Mihir|The Sun-Seers|Sunless Sea|}}</ref> These individuals host sermons and gatherings for devotees, and maintain the Shrine of Mihir, a stone likeness of the god to which offerings are given.<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/The_Temple_of_Mihir|The Shrine of Mihir|Sunless Sea|}}''"His stone-carved form is rubbed daily with glowing moss. Perhaps it is guilt which makes you think of placing a Lamentable Relic amongst the flowers and other offerings?"''</ref> The Sun-Seers are also participants in Varchas' government.<ref name=":0" /> [[File:Mountainglow.png|alt=A glowing mountain.|thumb|[[The Mountain of Light]]]]
| | [[File:Angot war.jpg|thumb|304x304px|Varchas on the surface? (ancient temple of Angkor Wat)]] |
| The leader of Varchas, the '''Agnihotri''', rules the city alongside his council of prestigious citizens and presides over the rituals of the Temple.<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/The_Temple_of_Mihir|The Agnihotri|Sunless Sea|}}''"The Varchaasi equivalent of a King, or Governor; he is overseeing the rituals, and gives you a slanted glance."''</ref> Occasionally, the Agnihotri and a large procession of citizens depart from Varchas as part of a pilgrimage to Amaradri (their name for [[Stone]]).<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/The_Pilgrimage_to_Amaradri|The Pilgrimage to Amaradri|Sunless Sea|}}''"It seems as though half the city has joined the Pilgrimage to the Mountain of Light; the other half lines the streets and hangs out from upper-story windows to watch their friends and loved ones depart. [...]"''</ref> Merchants and other citizens frantically petition the Guard House for a spot on the expedition, whether out of piety or in search of trade opportunities.<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/The_Guard_House|What's going on?|Sunless Sea|}}''"It always turns into a bit of a festival. Everyone wants permission to go, and so they come to harangue us when the Sun-Priests turn them away. [...] Every merchant in the city suddenly becomes very devoted to Mihir when pilgrimage season comes, anyway!"''</ref> To safely depart the Mirrored City without becoming Taamas, the Agnihotri and his companions use a massive machine to deposit flammable fungus on the path forward, lighting their way into the shaded darkness of the [[Elder Continent]].<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/The_Pilgrimage_to_Amaradri#Interactions|"Wish us luck, Taamas!"|Sunless Sea|}}''"The Agnihotri laughs wildly, and then shouts a command, and the machine rumbles out of the city gates. It lays down two thick rows of fungus to either side of it. The Lamp-Lighters dart to the very edge of the darkness, and light the fungus with their torches."''</ref>
| | This holds a vast array of questions and problems in the Neathy Universe. In the lore of the series it is known that the Bazaar has brought down only [http://thefifthcity.wikia.com/wiki/The_Fallen_Cities five cities] out of the supposed 7 it said it will bring. What could this mean for the history of the Neath? In exploring Varchas it should be noted that the people make no reference to the Bazaar or the Masters in any way. According to their legends, it was Mihir that brought the city down - the Sun. This would explain its proximity to the Mountain of Light, who just happens to be the daughter of [[The Echo Bazaar|the Bazaar]] and... the Sun. So this is not one of the seven fallen cities. The Sun is trying to keep his lover and daughter company. How adorable. |
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| The Varchaasi have two categories of recorded texts: '''heard texts''', which are said to come from the words spoken by Mihir himself, and '''remembered texts''', which are considered secondhand knowledge. The validity of remembered texts is still a hotly debated issue.<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/Entertainments_in_Varchas|The Arguing Priests|Sunless Sea|}}''"Apparently the difference is this: 'heard' texts were cosmic truths whispered by Mihir himself to the ancient sages. 'Remembered' texts do not claim such illustrious origins, and are merely passed-down wisdom. The difference might seem trivial to you, but apparently this is a subject of heated theological debate. [...]"''</ref>
| | As to why it might have something to do with the history of the Khmer Empire: while the temple itself was originally dedicated to the Hindu gods, it was converted into a Buddhist temple in the 12th century. Perhaps this spited the Sun, and as punishment he brought the city down to the Neath. This could simultaneously explain how such a city got here while keeping the truth that London and the other 4 cities were brought down by the Bazaar. This also possibly wouldn't be the first time a city was lost without the Master's intervention, as Irem might have been lost in a similar way (possibly through Parabola). |
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| === The Story of Varchas ===
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| <blockquote>''"Mihir looked away away from us, and Varchas fell. Now we light our city like a beacon, so Mihir may find us once more."''<ref name="mantras">{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/The_Temple_of_Mihir|Listen to the Mantras|Sunless Sea|}}</ref></blockquote>[[File:Sunset.png|alt=A sunset.|thumb|[[The Sun]]]]
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| The bas-reliefs of the Temple of Mihir detail the tragic tale of Varchas, so that future generations may learn of it. However, the exact veracity of the tale is currently unknown. It begins with a five-towered city, prosperous and peaceful, languishing under the loving light of Mihir. Then, they say, Mihir blinked — this presumably represents a solar eclipse — and the city crumbled into ruin, falling into the Neath. Now, they say, Mihir roams the [[Neath]] looking for his city, while Varchas is irrevocably changed. Ultimately, the priests and priestesses of Mihir hope that the massive amount of light that they produce will help Mihir find them again, in one way or another.<ref name="bas reliefs">{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/The_Temple_of_Mihir|The Bas-Reliefs|Sunless Sea|}}''"In the first panel, Mihir is depicted as the sun, beaming rays of thinly hammered gold onto a Surface city both peaceful and prosperous. The Five Towers are carved with loving detail, barely recognisable without the wreaths of fungal-flowers and curling vines. In the next panel Mihir blinks, and the city turns to shards of onyx and jet, slowly crumbling away. Mihir then becomes a broad-shouldered, sorrow-faced man stalking the false-starred blackness of the Neath in search of his lost city. His eyes are picked out in orange-red carnelian, and seem lit with inner fire."''</ref><ref name="mantras 2">{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/The_Temple_of_Mihir|Listen to the Mantras|Sunless Sea|}}''"Mihir looked away away from us, and Varchas fell. Now we light our city like a beacon, so Mihir may find us once more."''</ref>
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| ==Dreams of Smoke==
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| {{major spoiler small}}<blockquote>''"Don't touch the mirrors. Don't even look into the mirrors. And try very hard not to dream."''<ref name="customs">{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/At_the_Mirrored_Gates|Ask about the city's customs|Sunless Sea|}}''"Don't touch the mirrors. Don't even look into the mirrors," she says, her voice hard. "And try very hard not to dream."''</ref></blockquote><blockquote>''"The Mirror-Mad are worse than Taamas. They no longer serve Mihir but... other powers. Those that speak in dreams and visions."''<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/The_Charitable_Hospital|The Mirrorless Room|Sunless Sea|}}</ref></blockquote>[[File:Mirrormonster2.png|alt=A mysterious figure behind a mirror.|thumb|Something lurks beyond.]]
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| The Varchaasi are well aware of the powers behind the mirrors, the [[Fingerkings]],<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/Varchas#The_Fallen_City_of_Varchas|What's that?|Sunless Sea|}}''"You try to close your ears as you stumble back to your ship. You shiver, and it feels like a thousand snakes wriggling their mirror-bodies just under your skin. What have the Neathers done? What have you done?"''</ref> who seek to influence and manipulate the city's citizens for their own mysterious goals. In fact, the Fingerkings feed off the people's fear, since it is as nutritious as love or reverence.<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Varchas_from_Behind_the_Glass|Varchas from Behind the Glass|Fallen London|}}''"Varchas has feared Fingerkings for many generations – and consequently the Fingerkings swarm and nest behind its mirrors […] Fear is as nutritious as love or worship. […]"''</ref> As such, citizens are advised not to dream, touch the mirrors,<ref name = "customs"/> or tell fictional or exaggerated stories;<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/At_the_Mansion_of_the_Jewel-Turbaned_Youth|At the Mansion of the Jewel-Turbaned Youth|Sunless Sea|}}''"We only have true stories here in Varchas, and no inventions. No made-up tales."''</ref> they believe lying weakens the borders of reality and might remove them from Mihir's light.<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/The_Children_of_the_Glow|The Children of the Glow|Fallen London|}}''"It means they can't tell stories – fictional stories. The Agnihotri believe that any form of lie can weaken the borders of reality and remove us from Mihir's light."''</ref>
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| Those who sleep unprotected may experience serpentine, Fingerking-influenced dreams.<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/Varchas#Evening_in_Varchas|Sleep|Sunless Sea|}}''"You fall into sleep easily despite the bright light, but your dreams are full of whispering, glittering smokes - mirror-vapours that coil into reflection-warping shapes. You see your limbs bend, your skin slough, your eyes twist.. You wake with your heart pounding. Your nostrils are full of the fungal-rot smell of Varchas."''</ref> To ward off the dream-snakes, Sun-Seers sell [[viric]] snakeskin charms and scraps of paper that are meant to be hung on any nearby mirrors before sleeping;<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/The_Temple_of_Mihir|Dreams of Smoke|Sunless Sea|}}''"He gives you a charm of bloodied snakeskin and scraps of paper written in an angular, unfamiliar script, and tells you to hang it upon the nearest mirror before you sleep."''</ref><ref>{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/A_Mirror-Charm#Item_description|Item description|Sunless Sea|}}''"Dream-green snake-skin and scraps of close-written paper"''</ref> these are effective, but their secrets mysteriously fade after use.<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/Varchas#Evening_in_Varchas|Use the Mirror-Charm|Sunless Sea|}}''"It seems to work; at least, you do not remember any particularly vivid dreams when you wake. You retrieve the Mirror-Charm before you wake. Is it your imagination, or does some of the script scribbled on the paper-scraps seem slightly blurred?"''</ref> Additionally, [[cats]] frequently patrol the [[Parabolan]] regions near Varchas, seeing opportunity to confront and even slaughter their rivals.<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Patrol_and_observe,_as_a_cat_would|Patrol and observe, as a cat would|Fallen London|}}''"Many cats have patrolled this border in the past. It is a rich hunting ground. There are plentiful souvenirs of those battles […]"''</ref>
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| Varchaasi possessed by Fingerkings are called the '''Mirror-Mad'''; it is said that upon hearing the whispers from behind the mirrors, they whispered back and became subservient to the powers of Parabola. The Mirror-Mad comprise another wing of the Charitable Hospital, where they are kept away from mirrors, given food and water to survive (as they are not despised but pitied by their fellow citizens), and are provided with costly unreflected light.<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/The_Charitable_Hospital|The Mirrorless Room|Sunless Sea|}}''"That is where we keep the Mirror-Mad [...] The mirrors...whispered to them. And instead of going to the Sun-Priests, they whispered back. [...] We don't despise them. They are given food and water. Tending the Mirror-Mad uses up almost as much fuel as Mihir's temple, because they can only be lit with direct lamp-light. We don't dare let them near any mirrors. [...] The Mirror-Mad are worse than Taamas. They no longer serve Mihir but...other powers. Those that speak in dreams and visions."''</ref>
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| ==Seeds of Revolution==
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| <blockquote>''"Darkness-touched troublemakers! So far all they do is talk and smoke water-pipe and grumble, but I fear that they have strayed from the light of Mihir. Still, my superiors think that they are harmless."''<ref name="activities">{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/The_Guard_House|Hint at the Jewel-Turbaned Youth's activities|Sunless Sea|}}''"Darkness-touched troublemakers! [...] So far all they do is talk and smoke water-pipe and grumble, but I fear that they have strayed from the light of Mihir. [...] Still, my superiors think that they are harmless. Perhaps this will change their minds. Mihir look down upon you for telling us, Taamas."''</ref></blockquote><blockquote>''"You are lucky, to be free to wander the Neath at your will. One day, perhaps we Varchaasi will also do the same."''<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/At_the_Mansion_of_the_Jewel-Turbaned_Youth|Decline firmly|Sunless Sea|}}</ref></blockquote>Not all are satisfied with the status quo of Varchas. Some individuals, led by the '''Jewel-Turbaned Youth''', have grown resentful of the oppressive rule of the Sun-Priests and the Agnihotri.<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/At_the_Mansion_of_the_Jewel-Turbaned_Youth|At the Mansion of the Jewel-Turbaned Youth|Sunless Sea|}}''"But as the wine is drunk and the cards are played, the gathering takes on a certain political tone. A raggedly dressed Artisan begins complaining of the Agnihotri's trade restrictions; a Novice Priest points out contradictions in Mihir's mantras; a Stone-Carver questions whether his daughter should also have to follow in the same profession."''</ref> They especially detest the restrictions on dreaming and storytelling, and they seek ways to gain as much exposure to the outside world as possible through stories, even through fabricated ones.<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/At_the_Mansion_of_the_Jewel-Turbaned_Youth|Tell them of yourself|Sunless Sea|}}''"We were hoping," the Jewel-Turbaned Youth clears his throat, "that you would tell us, um," he pitches his voice lower, "lies."''</ref> However, they are generally looked down upon and considered harmless.<ref name = "activities"/> Another revolutionary group in Varchas is the '''Grand Myriad Company''', led by their captain, who bears the title "Mihir's Enemy."{{Fact}} These warriors have strong appetites for the "jewels" of Parabola, including (and especially) war.<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/The_Grand_Myriad_Company|The Grand Myriad Company|Fallen London|}} ''"[...] have appetites for all Parabola's jewels. [...] especially, war."''</ref>
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| == Historical and Cultural Inspirations ==
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| [[File:Angot war.jpg|alt=The ancient temple of Angkor Wat.|thumb|300x300px|The ancient temple of Angkor Wat.]]
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| The culture of Varchas frequently references Hindu mythology and culture. The name of the city is a variation of ''varcas'', meaning brilliance of the Sun or fire in Sanskrit; Mihir is a variation of ''mihira,'' meaning Sun; and Taamas is a variation of ''tamas'', referring to the darkness of the Sun or Moon during eclipses. The Agnihotri parallels ''agnihotrin,'' a person responsible for maintaining sacrificial fires. Amaradri could be derived from ''amara,'' meaning immortal or undying.<ref>{{Citation|https://spokensanskrit.org/|Spoken Sanskrit|SpokenSanskrit.org|}}</ref>
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| [[File:Awatcornertower01.JPG|thumb|alt = A corner tower in Angkor Wat.|A corner tower in Angkor Wat.]]
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| Varchas as a whole strongly resembles [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angkor_Wat Angkor Wat], an ancient temple city in modern-day Cambodia, which was known for its magnificent bas-reliefs. Like Varchas, it had four tall towers at its corners, and a larger central tower. Additionally, note the design of Varchas' towers compared to the images of Angkor Wat in this section; the towers of Varchas strongly resemble Khmer (Cambodian) architecture of the 8th-15th centuries.<ref>{{Citation|https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khmer_architecture|Khmer architecture|Wikipedia.org|}}</ref>
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| The central tower of Angkor Wat symbolizes Mount Meru, which in Hindu cosmology is the axis upon which the Sun and the rest of the solar system rotate.<ref>{{Citation|https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Meru#In_Hinduism|Mount Meru|Wikipedia.org|}}</ref><ref name="Angkor War">{{Citation|https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angkor_Wat|Angkor Wat|Wikipedia.org|}} ''Images in this section sourced from article.''</ref> While Angkor Wat itself was originally dedicated to the Hindu preserver god Vishnu, it was converted into a Buddhist temple in the 12th century.<ref name="Angkor War" />
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| ==References==
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| {{Scroll box|text=<references/>}}
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| [[Category:Places]] | | [[Category:Places]] |
| [[Category:The Elder Continent]] | | [[Category:The Elder Continent]] |
| | | [[Category:Formatted]] |
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| [[Category:The Neath]] | |
