The Haunting at the Marsh House is, as other delicious friends may know, the first Exceptional Story. But it is more than that.
As soon as I saw the story, almost two years ago now, I jumped with ecstatic glee.
@failbettergames is full of opera nerds like me.
This piece always reminded me of the Brass Embassy.
And is a mere 19 years anachronistic from the current Neathy date!
Climate/Terrain: Wildspace/Temperate and Subarctic
Frequency: Uncommon
Organization: Pack
Activity Cycle: Any
Diet: Light and heat
Intelligence: Low (5-7)
Treasure: None
Alignment: Neutral
No. Appearing: 1-6
Armor Class: -1 (3)
Movement: Fl 16 ©; See below
Hit Dice: 6-8
THAC0: 6 HD: 15
7-8 HD: 13
No. of Attacks: 1
Damage/Attack: See below
Special Attacks: See below
Special Defenses: Immune to heat, flame
Magic Resistance: Nil
Size: H (12’-15’ long)
Morale: Average (8-10)
XP Value: 1,400
The q’nidar are bat-like creatures that frequent the warmer areas of wildspace in search of food. They appear as gigantic bats with a semi-crystalline hide (not unlike that of the radiant dragon in appearance). The q’nidar feed on heat and light, which can be seen constantly arcing around and through them; from afar, these heat and light patters streak behind them, resembling a vaporous trail. The dracon were the first to encounter these creatures and named them q’nidar, or heat-eaters. The rest of the races in space usually refer to the creatures as vapor bats.
The q’nidar have a unique form of communication: They speak via a thermal breath that is easily detected and understood by other q’nidar. Even though they feed on heat and light, they are not always found near heat-based celestial bodies; too much background heat confuses their senses and their speech.
From the Monstrous Compendium Spelljammer Appendix (1990), for the Spelljammer setting of AD&D.
Oh, Failbetter. You nerdy scamps.
He hammers on your door. “Hurry up in there! It’s all pagans and turnips out here! And it’s cold.”
The Bishop of Southwark, Hallowmas
Pagans and turnips? Like the primitive Jack-o’-Lanterns made before people could get proper New World pumpkins, back in the Old World?
How delightful.
This is unquestionably Not Decent For The Public, Failbetter.
Continuing with the doodles of inhabitants of Unterzee ports, here’s a Nookfolk.
This one here is vexed about idiot outsiders coming into the Maw and gawking. They’re also highly annoyed that the artist made them pose in a short kilt/loincloth for modesty’s sake. Honestly, outsiders are such prudes.
(This individual is also adorned with their more usual minimalist accessories, which are a torso chatelaine of tools, and a necklace of Phosphorescent Nodules.)
For kicks, I decided to draw some inhabitants of various underwater ports as Zubmariner’s release approaches.
Here’s a crystaline transhumanist inhabitant of Anthe, City of Flowers.
( This individual’s colorful epidermis was inspired partially by the scintillant, iridescent quality of some crystals, and partially by spiders of the Thwaitesia genus. Clothing color scheme and crystalline “hair” is inspired by watermelon tourmeline. )
(After all, you can color a crystal by adding various chemicals to the seed crystals. Some Antheans might very well add compounds to the crystals growing within themselves to add a minor personal touch to their crystalline perfection.))
I hear their messages. Aldebaran sings a song of passion. A passion long hidden and buried in language. Altair sings of possession. An old spirit, trapped and trapper in turn. But Arcturus sings to me only of pure love. Their cold starlight fills my clouded eyes.
The Royal Bethlehem Hotel
Oh, Arcturus.
A kindred spirit to the Bazaar, it seems.
But beneath the tree sits a huddle of crates, stamped with the seal of the Great Downwards Engineering Company. Tools, food, an inexplicable phonautograph. All thick-layered with dust. Someone must have left these here for later recovery. Their loss is your gain.
On the barkless bole of the tree, a strong hand has slashed these words: “DONE FOR THE MIDNIGHT MOUNTAIN. GIVE US BACK OUR FACES.”
For polling purposes:
Who are 5 or 6 recurring characters that you consider to be some of the most kind or benevolent people in Fallen London?
