Godfall

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> *"The brawling bearded men who live here call themselves monks. They pay lip service to 'St Stalactite', which fell from the roof. But their chief interests seem to be wine, blood and shouting."*
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**Godfall** is a stalactite from the roof of the Neath that crashed into the Unterzee.

## A Fallen Fortress

> *"Sometimes - just occasionally - bits of the roof fall off. Be glad you weren't here when this one did."*
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Godfall was once a massive stalactite that hung from the roof of the Neath, but now it lies sideways in the dark waters of the Unterzee. Currently, the stalactite is populated by a group of **Shouting Monks** who claim to pay tribute to '**St Stalactite**', though they seem much more interested in drinking and fighting than any form of prayer. The monks are led by their fierce **Abbot-Commander**, and boast of their glories in battle during their frequent drunken revels, funded by donations from pilgrims from all across the Unterzee. However, they refuse to fight women; whether this is due to a misguided sense of chauvinism or cowardice is unclear.

Most of the stalactite's previous inhabitants were killed when the it fell from the roof, but the monks claim some survived and that they descended from them. The ruins of the prior inhabitants' structures remain in the tunnels of Godfall, but the monks blocked off most of the entrances, and they regularly place bets amongst themselves to wager the fate of any visitor daring enough to venture within.

Certain sects of Godfall brew and export a beverage called **Lachrymose Chartreuse**, sometimes advertised as **Tears of the Roof**, using a recipe stolen from the Surface. This drink has an emerald color and a unique, earthy tartness. It is an excellent lubricant for the vocal cords, and may also induce strange revelations.

## The Shattered Citadel

Beyond this point lie **spoilers** for *Fallen London*, *Sunless Sea*, or *Sunless Skies*. This may include **midgame** content. **Proceed with caution**.
You can find out more about our spoiler policy **here**.

> *"All the Neath is dark. The Citadel is dark as only a once-bright place can be. It hung up there among the false-stars, drowned in azure light, for... how long? Now it's here. So are you."*
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The depths of Godfall, known as the **Shattered Citadel**, are the ruins of the stalactite's previous settlement, and are extremely dangerous to navigate unprepared. The tunnels are pitch-black, and so maze-like as to be impossible to chart. The terrain is extremely precarious, containing unusually deep crevices, as well as massive, hollow geodes full of sharp crystals that can cut a person to ribbon after one wrong move. The air of the Shattered Citadel may also contain gases that addle the mind, leading to paranoia, breakdowns, or even hallucinations.

As if the environmental hazards weren't bad enough, the Shattered Citadel is also crawling with many forms of hostile wildlife, including beasts with mandibles that can snap a person in two, and swarming winged creatures that can easily smother victims with sheer numbers. The Citadel is also infested with mysterious, mummified revenants, which still breathe and eat, but lack any apparent intelligence, possessing only an endless drive to slaughter anyone who trespasses in their territory.

## Shapeling Days

Beyond this point lie **major spoilers** for *Fallen London*, *Sunless Sea*, or *Sunless Skies*. This may include **endgame** or **Fate-locked** content. **Proceed at your own risk**.
You can find out more about our spoiler policy **here**.

> *"Imitatorsh. They shtole our Axile artsh. They fought. They would be ush. Shtill, the change remainsh. The change remainsh!"*
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Long ago, Godfall served as a fortress for a tribe of Starved Men, a group of humans who reside on the roof of the Neath and use the Shapeling Arts to warp and transform themselves. The remains of their old structures can still be spotted throughout the Shattered Citadel, such as spherical rooms filled to the brim with amber. The Starved Men who resided here lived in labyrinthine, honeycomb-like dwellings, containing furniture and scenic art galleries depicting the dark zee below. They also constructed unique churches, with altars made of carefully carved dripstone in the shape of organic forms.

Deep within the Shattered Citadel lies the **Gate of Forms**, a quartz, armored door covered in images of bodies twisted into strange shapes, their faces displaying rictuses of glee. This gateway leads to the **Root-Gallery**, a massive room carved at the base of the stalactite surrounding a central support pillar, containing dining houses, structures to enjoy the view below, and, most notably, barricades. The odd beauty of the place was not meant to last; as a result of a battle between the Starved Men, there was a great explosion that caused the stalactite to fall from the roof, killing most if not all of its inhabitants. The bodies of the Starved Men still mark the floors of the Shattered Citadel, dotting the ruins with warped bones, elongated skulls, and corpses that resemble spent candle wax.

## Historical and Cultural Inspirations

The monks of Godfall as depicted in *Fallen London* may have been inspired by Carthusian Monks, who had monasteries in England dating back to the Middle Ages. The monks of Godfall used to produce Chartreuse, which Carthusian Monks used to make as well. Carthusians are also known for their eremitical and cenobitic monasticism, which put simply means they lived as hermits, usually in a community, similar to the Godfall order.

## References

2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Port description, *Sunless Sea*
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Help the Adventuress seek a glorious death in a duel, *Sunless Sea*
4. ↑ Of blood, *Sunless Sea*
5. ↑ Of wine, *Sunless Sea*
6. ↑ Of shouting, *Sunless Sea*
7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Explore the Shattered Citadel, *Sunless Sea*
8. ↑ Leave, *Sunless Sea*
9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 A Decanter of Lachrymose Chartreuse, *Fallen London*
10. ↑ Surrender a Decanter of Lachrymose Chartreuse, *Fallen London*
11. ↑ Send a Decanter of Lachrymose Chartreuse, *Fallen London*
12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Story description, *Sunless Sea*
13. ↑ Go deeper, *Sunless Sea*
14. ↑ Retrace your steps, *Sunless Sea*
15. ↑ Creep across a chasm, *Sunless Sea*
16. ↑ The Glittering Crisis, *Sunless Sea*
17. ↑ A nasty moment, *Sunless Sea*
18. ↑ A Black-Jawed Beast, *Sunless Sea*
19. ↑ Fight off Winged Things!, *Sunless Sea*
20. ↑ Fight off a Frenzied Assault, *Sunless Sea*
21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 Let the Nacreous Outcast approach the altar, *Sunless Sea*
22. ↑ Of shouting, *Sunless Sea*
23. ↑ Lost in amber, *Sunless Sea*
24. ↑ 24.0 24.1 A labyrinth of dwelling-galleries, *Sunless Sea*
25. ↑ 25.0 25.1 Search the Church of the Starved Men, *Sunless Sea*
26. ↑ The Gate of Forms, *Sunless Sea*
27. ↑ 27.0 27.1 The Root-Gallery (1), *Sunless Sea*