Cornelius

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### Affiliation

The Prehistoricists
The Tracklayer's Union (formerly)

### Related

Furnace Ancona (former colleague)

> *"Revolution is our place. Think about it. Scientists. Artists. Speech-makers. Novelists. We're the ones that look at the world and see how it should be and how it's falling short, and we go to work shouting on street corners, or writing angry novels, or packing gunpowder into casing. Different methods. But the soul is always seeking and striving."*
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**Cornelius** is a former leader of the Tracklayer's Union, and the leader of the Prehistoricist movement.

## The Scientist-Philosopher

> *"You've heard of this Tomb-Colonist. Once he was a partner of Furnace Ancona. There are rumours that he is still around, somewhere."*
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A former partner of Furnace Ancona, Cornelius is a scholar and philosopher with expertise in many fields. His repertoire includes esoteric languages, such as the Correspondence, as well as the art of constructing creatures. To accomplish the latter, he employs various techniques, including the Shapeling Arts, to assemble his creations from bones, viscera, souls, and amber. He can also use more mundane practices, such as selective breeding, to accomplish nonetheless extraordinary results. He is also skilled at appealing to others' hopes and ideals to win their favor.

Cornelius is the founder of the Prehistoricist ideology. Its basic principles are that humans are not suited for hard labor, and instead should find and employ creatures that *thrive* on such work. Cornelius believes that the Great Chain of Being is a rule that there is, or may be created, a creature suited for every role, and that humans are not workhorses, but agents of revolution who better the world in whatever ways they can.

## Appearance and Personality

> *"He unwinds the bandage around his head. His face is covered with tiny mouths, none of them bigger than an eye. When his first mouth is silent, the other mouths speak, or grimace. All these mouths give him a strange cadence; he speaks with one voice and another, like verses of poetry."*
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Cornelius is an apparently young man wearing tomb-colonist bandages who walks with an asymmetrical gait. Beneath his wrappings, his face is covered in numerous tiny mouths, each of which can speak and emote independently. Rather than argue amongst themselves, these mouths repeat, rephrase, or build upon one another's statements.

Cornelius is a talkative person even if one ignores his many extra mouths, though he is not candid and his answers may seem prepared or rehearsed. He is fond of animals and has a preference for nonhuman company; he has been rumored to cavort with devils. He gets along well with fellow scholars and anyone he feels kinship with, but also has a tendency to people-please. Cornelius is soulless: he willingly gave up his soul before his first death and does not want it back, as he feels it has not been with him during "anything that matters."

## Mouths Upon Mouths

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You can find out more about our spoiler policy **here**.

> *"This is what Cornelius' experiment did. He invoked a power against speaking 'more than one truth with the same mouth.' So when I needed to speak for one of my constituents that I don't personally agree with, this happened. Didn't silence me, though."*
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> *"It was my fault. I called on the Discordance, I read the law of ice, I tried to enter the Adulterine Castle."*
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Cornelius once led the Tracklayer's Union alongside Furnace Ancona. While building the Moloch Line between London and Hell, he specialized in bargaining with the devils who hired them. When the TLU reached the Hurlers - the great standing stones marked with the frozen Discordance - their Supervising Deviless wanted the stones excavated, but Furnace refused due to the dangers. In response, the Deviless deliberately stoked Cornelius' curiosity, motivating him to study the Hurlers anyway. She was also the one to take Cornelius' soul.

Cornelius saw Furnace's tendency to advocate for those she disagreed with as inauthentic and self-sacrificing, and implored her to stop many times. With a possible, but not confirmed, desire to "cure" her problem himself, Cornelius read a Discordant Law that forbade "speaking more than one truth with the same mouth." This law gave Furnace a new face whenever she spoke for someone she did not agree with personally, ending up with three faces total. It also gave Cornelius his extra mouths, and quickly killed him.

After his return from death, Cornelius spent half a year in the Tomb-Colonies. His status is a subject of rumor and debate among the Tracklayers, and he continues to advocate for Prehistoricism. He still cares deeply for Furnace, but is critical of her and her leadership; for her part, Furnace refuses to work with him in the future due to his actions. One day, Cornelius plans to return to the Tracklayers' Union, hoping to regain power and continue the pursuit of his ambitions.

## References

2. ↑ Ask about his goals, *Fallen London*
3. ↑ Track down Cornelius 1, *Fallen London*
4. ↑ Track down Cornelius 1, *Fallen London* *"Once he was a partner of Furnace Ancona."*
5. ↑ Ask her about the Prehistoricists (Furnace), *Fallen London* *"Cornelius. He was quite the philosopher."*
6. ↑ Build the station at Moulin, *Fallen London* *"[...] you'd think Cornelius was embarrassed. "I'm not bad at languages. I did try the Correspondence sign [...]"*
7. ↑ Ask how she first learned about stones like the one you just left, *Fallen London* *""[...] I had a partner then, and he knew some strange alphabets." "*
8. ↑ Watch the unveiling of Cornelius' Track-Laying Beast, *Fallen London* *"Dear Lord. He actually did it."*
9. ↑ Track down Cornelius 3, *Fallen London* *"[...] he has assembled the elements for a dozen animals [...] their bones, [...] their sinews, the bottled lightning and the pulsing amber to try for shape, and hundreds of souls [...]"*
10. ↑ Probe his motives in offering himself as substitute, *Fallen London* *""I made her something," says Cornelius, [...] the helmet is natural, not constructed." [...] the helmet appears to have grown from the rat's flesh. [...] "The visor hinge was the devil to breed into it,""*
11. ↑ Play Cornelius against the rest, *Fallen London* *"He has a flamboyant style of persuasion, one that appeals to a person's most lavish and unreasonable hopes."*
12. ↑ Ask her about the Prehistoricists (Furnace), *Fallen London* *""The first prehistoricist was my former partner," says Furnace. "Cornelius. [...]"*
13. ↑ Ask her about the Prehistoricists (Furnace), *Fallen London* *""If there's a job to be done [...] the Chain should guarantee there's some creature that wants that job and thrives in it. [...] most of us do not take to working in a factory [...] "The first prehistoricist was [...] "Cornelius. [...] The new ones [...] swapping fantasies of the track-laying mastodons [...]"*
14. ↑ Ask about his goals, *Fallen London* *"[...] We're told [...] there's a role for everyone, and a creature for every role. Where are the creatures for this work? [...] Haven't they got an existential right to exist?" [...] refine what the role of humankind ought to be. [...] "Revolution is our place. [...] We're the ones that look at the world and see how it should be and how it's falling short, and we go to work shouting [...] writing [...] packing gunpowder into casing. Different methods. [...]"*
15. ↑ Speaking with Cornelius, *Fallen London*
16. ↑ Speaking with Cornelius, *Fallen London* *"[...] He walks like a young and wounded man, [...] asymmetrical, [...] his bandages are dusty only from custom and long use in the Tomb Colonies."*
17. ↑ Speaking with Cornelius, *Fallen London* *"[...] He unwinds the bandage around his head. His face is covered with tiny mouths, none [...] bigger than an eye. When his first mouth is silent, the other mouths speak, or grimace. [...] he speaks with one voice and another, like verses of poetry."*
18. ↑ Offer him his soul back, *Fallen London* *"He smiles (and smiles, and smiles, and smiles...) [...]"*
19. ↑ Ask what he thinks of the Creditor's offer for Furnace, *Fallen London* *"[...] Make me into a city. Trade me for Furnace." Other voices join in. "Trade me." "I beg you." "If you don't, I'll make your life a hell." "The Masters won't mind." "The Board won't notice." "The Creditor can't tell us apart.""*
20. ↑ Speaking with Cornelius, *Fallen London* *"All these mouths give him a strange cadence; he speaks with one voice and another, like verses of poetry."*
21. ↑ Hear him out 2, *Fallen London* *"His need to speak is electric in the air."*
22. ↑ Conversation with Cornelius, *Fallen London* *"He is not as frank as Furnace [...] sometimes his answers seem rehearsed."*
23. ↑ Support Cornelius' motion regarding a route to Moulin, *Fallen London* *"[...] a suitable range of animal companions [...] "We should be able to get most of what we need from a good array of scout bats." [...]"*
24. ↑ Hillchanger. Again., *Fallen London* *"[...] "I was thinking," says Cornelius, "that we may need an assault animal of some kind.""*
25. ↑ Ask whether she'd let Cornelius stand in her place, *Fallen London* *""Cornelius [...] "And he always did have a taste for non-human companionship.""*
26. ↑ Persuade the Dauntless Temperance Campaigner/Tables, *Fallen London* *"[...] There was, [...] a rumour regarding Cornelius and a loose-living deviless."*
27. ↑ Persuade Cornelius, the Bandaged Prehistoricist, *Fallen London* *""And part with a fellow Tomb Colonist?" demands Cornelius. "Surely not. [...]"*
28. ↑ Persuade Cornelius, the Bandaged Prehistoricist/Tables, *Fallen London* *"[...] Get rid of the Dean?" asks Cornelius, [...] she's almost the only person here with a [...] broad understanding of different species, of the [...] Chain. She is less interested in the anatomy than in the culture, [...] I see our work as entirely complementary. And necessary, [...]"*
29. ↑ Ask about those stones out in the frozen patch of Neath, *Fallen London* *"But Cornelius always did need to keep people happy [...]"*
30. ↑ Support Cornelius' motion regarding a route to Moulin, *Fallen London* *"[...] a gusty sigh from the rest [...] realising he has not lived up to expectation, Cornelius adds, "And some weasels?""*
31. ↑ Offer him his soul back, *Fallen London* *"[...] shakes his head. [...] "I parted with that soul before my first death. It hasn't been with me through anything that matters.""*
32. ↑ Claim curiosity, *Fallen London*
33. ↑ Hear him out 2, *Fallen London*
34. ↑ Ask about those stones out in the frozen patch of Neath, *Fallen London* *""Back then, there were two leaders to the Union," [...] "Furnace, of course, and then Cornelius, [...]""*
35. ↑ 35.0 35.1 Ask how she first learned about stones like the one you found, *Fallen London* *""It was when we worked on the devils' line," Furnace says. "Have you heard of The Hurlers? [...] I had a partner then [...]"*
36. ↑ Ask about those stones out in the frozen patch of Neath, *Fallen London* *"[...] Cornelius, who did most of the bargaining with the Devils that hired us.""*
37. ↑ Ask about those stones out in the frozen patch of Neath, *Fallen London* *""The crew gets as far as the Hurlers [...] the Deviless in charge wanted all the stones dug up, catalogued and shipped to Hell. Furnace said no, it was dangerous and it wasn't in our contract."*
38. ↑ Ask questions about the history between Furnace and the Devils, *Fallen London* *"[...] Furnace [...] blames us for [...] accident? It was a deliberate action against her former partner. [...] "*
39. ↑ Ask how she first learned about stones like the one you found, *Fallen London* *"[...] we worked on the devils' line," Furnace says. "Have you heard of The Hurlers? [...] I had a partner then, and he knew some strange alphabets." [...] Our Supervising Deviless would tease him that he couldn't read the stones. [...] she made a show of smuggling him a [...] dictionary [...]"*
40. ↑ Ask about those stones out in the frozen patch of Neath, *Fallen London* *"[...] the Deviless in charge wanted all the stones dug up, [...] Furnace said no, [...] But Cornelius always did need to keep people happy, so off he goes [...] amateur archaeology."*
41. ↑ Ask how she first learned about stones like the one you found, *Fallen London* *"[...] "Afterward – he didn't live long. The Deviless has his soul on her mantelpiece. She said it was much enhanced by 'the enlivening tribulations of his final days'.""*
42. ↑ Try for a further understanding of his intentions, *Fallen London* *""I wanted her to be herself," says Cornelius. "I begged her. Please. Stop carrying the burdens of every person in the union, and just be you. Speak your views, your own views, [...] But she saw that as a diminishment. [...] Maybe I want to lift the weight of it off her. I can't tell. What I know is, I managed it wrong, before.""*
43. ↑ Hear him out 2, *Fallen London* *"I called on the Discordance, I read the law of ice [...]"*
44. ↑ Claim curiosity, *Fallen London* *"Furnace's other two faces [...] "This is what Cornelius' experiment did," [...] "He invoked a power against speaking 'more than one truth with the same mouth.' So when I needed to speak for one of my constituents that I don't personally agree with, this happened. Didn't silence me, though.""*
45. ↑ Hear him out 2 , *Fallen London* *"The mouths speak: "This is what the Masters made of us." "Of Furnace and me." "Not because they have such power. [...] because in opposing them, we unmade ourselves." [...] "It was my fault. I called on the Discordance, [...]"*
46. ↑ Ask how she first learned about stones like the one you found, *Fallen London* *""It was when we worked on the devils' line," Furnace says. "Have you heard of The Hurlers? [...] "Afterward – he didn't live long."*
47. ↑ Persuade Cornelius, the Bandaged Prehistoricist, *Fallen London* *"I find him dry, and I've just spent six months in the Tomb Colonies."*
48. ↑ Follow up what you've learned of Cornelius, *Fallen London* *"As for Cornelius, half the Tracklayers thought he was permanently dead, and another half thought he'd run away to Hell with an alluring Deviless."*
49. ↑ Ask whether she's heard anything about Cornelius coming back, *Fallen London* *"[...] "If he is alive," [...] "and if he's in the Neath, he would owe me a visit. Or [...] a message. [...] I assume that he hasn't really come back.""*
50. ↑ 50.0 50.1 Ask the local opinion of Furnace Ancona, *Fallen London* *"[...] a tomb-colonist calling himself Cornelius has been making frequent visits to the Tracklayers' Union headquarters. He's talking a great deal about Prehistoricism and the glorious day when Tracklaying Beasts will be put at the service of the Union [...]"*
51. ↑ Ask him where Furnace is, *Fallen London* *"[...] he does not know where Furnace is, but he would remove your liver with his hands if he thought that would produce her location."*
52. ↑ Persuade Cornelius, the Bandaged Prehistoricist/Tables, *Fallen London* *""You all know, of course, that her name is Beatrice? She doesn't like it if you call her that. [...] Yea," says Cornelius. [...] three Echoes in it for you if you let me [...] draft the notice to her that she's dismissed [...] and hasn't any power left in these parts.""*
53. ↑ Bring Cornelius to see her, *Fallen London* *""I have big ideas, [...] for once the Union might not be your personal plaything.""*
54. ↑ Bring Cornelius to see her, *Fallen London* *""I respect plenty, thanks to what you did to me back at the Hurlers. [...] And I'm never partnering with you again, Cornelius," she says."*
55. ↑ Plans for the Neath, *Fallen London* *"The document, kept in a somewhat dusty hand, records the names of Tracklayers, and next to each, a symbol indicating their ideological commitments and the strength of their loyalty. [...] an accrual of funds siphoned from the Tracklayers' dues, and 'sound members' who can be relied upon not to follow Furnace blindly [...]"*