Demeaux Island

Demeaux Island

> *"I & M has a funger operation here, felling giant bolegus shrooms for building materials, harvesting kirralee for its 'medicinal' properties. It's a desperate little outpost of something like civilisation."*
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> *"Oh hello, Captain! Thank God for visitors. We'd go quite mad out here otherwise, ahahaha. Quite mad. How can we be of assistance?"*
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**Demeaux Island** is an island in the Unterzee covered by an overgrown jungle of mushrooms. The Iron & Misery Company have an operation here to harvest the massive fungi for various purposes: **giant bolegus** mushrooms are used as building materials, while **kirralee** fungi are a form of medicine. The island also has a population of blemmigans.

Demeaux Island employs contractors who work miserable and monotonous jobs. The workers subsist only on mushrooms, and eating too much can *turn* someone into one, heralded by "sproutlings" appearing in their eyes and hair. The fungi here can be dangerous in other ways too: they can be poisonous, hallucinogenic, or trigger intense anxiety when consumed. To cope with the environment, the fungers occasionally set up blemmigan fighting-pits for "entertainment."

The **Affable Factor** is the manager of Demeaux Island. He works for Mr Iron *and* the Admiralty, both of whom are suspicious of each other, and his dreary surroundings and lack of contact with his family cause him no shortage of stress. He is the brother of Lorenzo of the Seven Against Nidah, though he does not think highly of his revolutionary ideals. He also knew the Irrepressible Cannoneer in the "old days," but he would prefer to keep his past activities undisclosed.

## References

2. ↑ Port description, *Sunless Sea* *"A fervid forest of fungus."*
3. ↑ Location description, *Sunless Sea* *"I & M has a funger operation here, felling giant bolegus shrooms for building materials, harvesting kirralee for its 'medicinal' properties."*
4. ↑ Put a blemmigan ashore, *Sunless Sea* *"[...] a whistling rises in response. There are already blemmigans here."*
5. ↑ Search for the Last Constable, *Sunless Sea* *"You join the fungers at their tables, [...] The same faces turn up [...] to hear about your zee-adventures. One weepy funger [...] fights for his composure. "Thank you, [...] You're the only thing that eases the monotony," [...]"*
6. ↑ Accept a volunteer, *Sunless Sea* *"One of Company's bolegus-fellers has negotiated an early release from her contract."*
7. ↑ Provide a respite from mushrooms, *Sunless Sea* *"Here, it's mushrooms for every meal."*
8. ↑ Tea with the Factor, *Sunless Sea* *"He also has a load of bolegus-frond [...] “I have eaten so much of the stuff I fear that I might be transformed entirely into fungus.” [...] “It happens, you know. But one does have to eat rather a lot of it first.”"*
9. ↑ Accept a volunteer, *Sunless Sea* *"“It's the sproutlings,” she tells you, her face pleading. “I keep picking them out of me porridge. And me hair. And me eyes. Take me away."*
10. ↑ Gather supplies, *Sunless Sea* *"Some of the island's fungus is good to eat. Some is poisonous, hallucinogenic or mischievous. [...] One crewman begins to whimper. [...] “They've reached my heart. I think I'll be harvest yet. Harvest yet!” You have to drag him back to the ship before he's calm again."*
11. ↑ Search for the Last Constable, *Sunless Sea* *"You share your zee-stories with the fungers [...] a small group invites you to 'an entertainment.' [...] two kneel around a pit, prodding blemmigans with sticks. [...] "I think we're ready to open our fights to the rest," says one of the kneeling men."*
12. ↑ Location description, *Sunless Sea* *"Up puffs the Affable Factor. “Oh hello, Captain! [...] How can we be of assistance?”"*
13. ↑ Give the pass-sign to the Affable Factor, *Sunless Sea* *"The Admirality asked you to bring back Strategic Information. This is your contact. [...] “Here. Little to report, [...] the Company grows suspicious. Mr Iron knows the Admiralty is interested in his business. Pray, [...] you never have to serve two masters, as I do.”"*
14. ↑ Compile a Port Report, *Sunless Sea* *"The Admiralty likes to keep an eye on Iron & Misery's activities."*
15. ↑ Give the pass-sign to the Affable Factor, *Sunless Sea* *""Yes - yes, I have it here. [...] Tell the Admiralty - tell them I miss my children. Tell them I can't take it here much longer. The spores, the dark.""*
16. ↑ Deliver Lorenzo's remains to the Factor, *Sunless Sea* *"The Affable Factor receives his brother's coffin solemnly. [...] "Can't say it was how he'd have wanted to go, but I don't thinkhe ever intended to go at all." [...] "Knew he'd meet a bad end with that lot. Too much stirring up trouble, not enough enjoying what they'd got. Seven is an unlucky Number [...]"*
17. ↑ Bargain with the Factor for a secret, *Sunless Sea* *"[...] it seems the Cannoneer knew him 'in the old days', and he's even more reluctant to have the Cannoneer talk about the old days. [...] That's all I know. Now - shall we let the past lie where it fell?""*