Wisdom
"Ships from the Khanate are most common, but you see Chelonite vessels, Polythreme triremes with chained and sulky Unfinished Men, corsairs disposing of their miscreants, even one furtive Iremi skiff. The wardens pay them well for their prisoners."[1]
"Nuppmiddt built this place as a prison for the Khanate. Now it answers only to its Governor, and its Governor answers to no one."[2]
Wisdom is a prison complex in the Unterzee. It was originally built by an individual named Nuppmiddt for the Khanate, but it is now considered independent and managed by its Governor.[3] Ships from all across the Unterzee drop off their miscreants here, and the wardens purchase prisoners as if they were slaves.[4] They also ransom prisoners to other parties for high prices.[5]
Wisdom is guarded by voracious Knot-Oracles, who snap up failed escapees and prisoners offered as meals.[6][7] The knot-oracles can speak human languages after consuming a person, so they relay their secrets to the Governor, who sells them for huge profits.[7] It is not clear whether the knot-oracles glean secrets from the minds of their victims, or if the secrets they relay were collected in other ways.[8][9]
The Governor of Wisdom is a Khaganian man who wears a smooth mask covering a scarred face.[10][11] He was once a subordinate of Arik of the Seven Against Nidah, and helped capture a fleet of living ships from Polythreme.[12] Arik used these ships to zail up the river of Adam's Way in a war against the Presbyterate, but the invasion failed,[13] and the Governor was forced into hiding with an enormous Polythremi bounty on his head.[12]
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