Curators

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## Curators

Locomotive-sized chiroptera. Art from Sunless Skies.

### Location

The High Wilderness
The Neath(The Masters of the Bazaar)

### Affiliation

Independent
Messengers

### Notable Members

The Masters of the Bazaar
Mr Barleycorn
Mr Pennies
Mr Menagerie
Mr Pipes

> "*Intelligent, locomotive-sized chiroptera, able to pry an engine apart with their claws, or pummel it with their hellish shrieks. Curators accumulate hoards, which they guard violently. Each hoard collects artefacts or creatures themed to the Curator’s particular obsession."*
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**Curators** are a race of space bats that hoard treasures in the High Wilderness.

## An Anatomy Lesson

> *"The Masters wouldn't care for you saying so. But the wings, the arms and legs, all fit."*
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While Curators have many things in common with their earthly counterparts, they also possess humanoid hands, which allow them to hold items - or food - while in flight. Most Curators are also hermaphroditic, which is referred to as their "dual nature." Some possess only one set of reproductive organs; these are are called **Runts,** and are often seen as outcasts. Curators may also possess other anatomical oddities, such as horns or even semi-sentient teeth which can move independently from their owner.

It is shown that, while their typical size is massive, Curators can shrink in size to interact more properly with humans. However they can also lose control of this ability while upset, returning to something closer to their original size.

Like other bats, Curators are sensitive to sound; they can even enter a state of intoxication when exposed to music.

## Merciless Pedlar-Magnates

> *"Once, we gathered here. We held our bargains and boasted of our chiefs. Our bands displayed the finest of goods. Our magnanimity was sharp as knives. All knew our worth. Then the light came. They made of our grounds sport. A dancing place. A laughing place. They made bargains of their own."*
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Each Curator possesses an inherent desire to acquire and hoard a unique type of thing. This obsession is present even before birth; in fact, an expecting parent Curator can experience its child's obsession as a unique form of pregnancy cravings.

Curators spend much of their time alone or in small groups called flocks, traveling and hunting in the High Wilderness, but occasionally they congregate in large numbers to trade and socialize. During these gatherings, they follow a strict calendar called **the Order of Days** that determines their activities:

* The **Day of the Hunt**, a time for killing lesser creatures and showing off trophies.
* The **Day of the Feast**, a time for eating and socializing.
* The **Day of Council**, a time for discussions and debates.
* The **Day of Bargain**, a time for trading.
* The **Day of Slaughter**, a time for murder between Curators.

Some Curators become very successful during their long lives, achieving the ranks of band leaders and magnates amongst their comrades.

## Crimes and Messengers

> *"Charity is a crime. The punishment severe."*
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Curator society is harsh, and there are many actions and situations which can result in ostracism of an individual. Some of these include:

* Hoarding
* Light-bringing
* Impersonation
* Delivery of false testimony
* Perpetration of the crimes of knife and of candle
* Idleness
* The dwelling-on of dreams
* Runtery
* Aberration
* Pursuit of a Treachery
* Failure and defeat; a fall from king to beggar
* Glass-whispering
* Charity
* Truth-strangling
* Violation of the Order of Days, “which determines the hour of the hunt, the feast, the council, the bargain, and the slaughter”

Outcast Curators sometimes enter into servitude to Messengers, for protection and a chance to escape their previous misfortune. One such group can be found serving the Echo Bazaar in the Neath. A different flock once served the House of Rods and Chains, although they have been disbanded since its death.

## References

2. ↑ Declare your (Skeleton Type) a completed Curator, *Fallen London*
3. ↑ Declare your (Skeleton Type) a completed Curator, *Fallen London*
4. ↑ Examine the creature's collection, *Sunless Skies*
5. ↑ No map knows the place you go, *Fallen London*
6. ↑ Discuss the matter of Mr Spices, *Fallen London*
7. ↑ Watch, *Sunless Sea*
8. ↑ Bite like Mr Veils, *Fallen London*
9. ↑ Enter the compartment - with the Hideous Promissory Note, *Fallen London*
10. ↑ https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Ambition:\_Light\_Fingers!
11. ↑ Give Mr Barleycorn the Seal of Mr Pipes, *Sunless Skies*
12. ↑ A loyalty worthy of praise, *The Silver Tree* *"[...] Behind a curtain, a servant was playing a pipe of some sort, as was customary at these dinners. The Emissary was swaying, very gently, in time to the music. [...] He lurched, suddenly, and stumbled off. I would have believed him intoxicated, but that night, as usual, he had not had even a sip of airag."*
13. ↑ Listen to a story of things past, *Sunless Skies*
14. ↑ Curator, *Sunless Skies*
15. ↑ Offer Mr Spices your medical opinion on its peculiar health, *Fallen London*
16. ↑ Show it the seal of Mr Barleycorn, *Sunless Skies*
17. ↑ Listen to a story of things past, *Sunless Skies*
18. ↑ Observe the Day of the Hunt, *Fallen London*
19. ↑ Observe the Day of the Feast, *Fallen London*
20. ↑ Observe the Day of Council, *Fallen London*
21. ↑ Observe the Day of Bargain, *Fallen London*
22. ↑ Observe the Day of Slaughter, *Fallen London*
23. ↑ Listen to a story of things past, *Sunless Skies*
24. ↑ A secret about the Masters, *Failbetter Games*
25. ↑ Listen to a story of things past, *Sunless Skies*
26. ↑ A secret about the Masters, *Failbetter Games*
27. ↑ A secret about the Masters, *Failbetter Games*
28. ↑ Show Mr Barleycorn's seal, *Sunless Skies*
29. ↑ Talk with Mr Barleycorn, *Sunless Skies*