I wondered. Each city, was larger than the earlier one. We don’t know the first, but it probably was housing 2 thousand people at best. The second 2 thousand maybe. The third 10, possibly, the fourth 20… and London, even back than was home to a million people. Now, EVERYBODY assumes, the next city will be even larger, but what happens, if for some odd reason, it will be something like… Brugges. Or Amsterdam. Something SMALLER than London. Most of the population would probably survive the fall. And… can it be called the sixth, if the fifth is the majority of what the town consists of?[li]
When it was bought, London was the largest city in the world; most estimates put it at 2 million by 1850, and it had another decade to grow after that. Even Paris would only cover part of London. That said, it has been made clear in numerous places that Fallen London is shrinking, and its outer districts have been abandoned. Thus, the population is concentrating ever closer to the Bazaar, which is almost certainly located near the center of every city since the First. Thus, while the outer districts of London would quite probably survive to be the next Forgotten Quarter, I wouldn’t bet money on the House of Chimes.
You should note that the amount of people will only increase from here, it is likely that they will be as insane as they were in real life, also note that we don’t know when the next city will be taken(as far as I know) so it’s possible it will be in a few hundred years(and imagine the population then).
Possible-future commentary, so in spoiler tags it goes:
There are several hints that Paris might be the sixth city, and one story involves bidding for Berlin. Both of these possibilities would occur before the First World War, when neither city had caught up to London’s size. There was also a story somewhere or other (can’t remember where, sorry; I only read it in Echo) that hints Moscow would be the seventh. Depending on when that occurred it might be larger than Fallen London, but the storylets hinted that the pace of city-buying was picking up substantially.
It should also be noted that the Masters have a pronounced taste for the world’s most impressive cities. They’ve never bought anything less than the capital of a major world power.
edited by Siankan on 3/29/2017
Possible-future commentary, so in spoiler tags it goes:
There are several hints that Paris might be the sixth city, and one story involves bidding for Berlin. Both of these possibilities would occur before the First World War, when neither city had caught up to London’s size. There was also a story somewhere or other (can’t remember where, sorry; I only read it in Echo) that hints Moscow would be the seventh. Depending on when that occurred it might be larger than Fallen London, but the storylets hinted that the pace of city-buying was picking up substantially.
It should also be noted that the Masters have a pronounced taste for the world’s most impressive cities. They’ve never bought anything less than the capital of a major world power.
edited by Siankan on 3/29/2017[/quote]
Though it was implied in a certain story that Paris could be the 6th city it is completely possible to stop the Masters from buying it(and it is just a vision anyways, I think there were some other hints that it won’t be the 6th city but I don’t remember them so please add this information if you know), Moscow was mentioned in Jenny’s school I think but I don’t remember if it was implied that it was going to be a city(though I do remember a certain quote about Berlin living on…)
Though it is possible a city will fall in the 20th century(after all, it is possible the vision is just saying that the Masters already want to get rid of London), but there are alot of candidates if Paris can’t be taken(Russia, Germany, Austria Hungary, though it is all based on how history will play out with no Britain in the fight).
edited by The Master on 3/30/2017
In Heart’s Desire you can start negotiations for Paris. There’s also at least one mention in an exceptional story. I thought there was a destiny involving Paris, too, but I apparently dreamed that one up. As regards the original discussion, however, Paris would have to get at least until the mid-century to rival Fallen London in size.
On the time scale, I know that one of those Paris bits suggested an early 20th century time frame. There’s also been several hints that the Masters are looking to move on from London as quickly as is practicable (excepting Mr. Fires, of course). I very much doubt they’re willing to wait 500 years for the next purchase, if it can at all be managed.
edited by Siankan on 3/30/2017
You can start plotting to buy Paris in heart’s desire, but I’m not sure how far you actually get with the plan before pages interrupts you.
When considering the “shrinking” of Fallen London, keep in mind that it’s mainly due to fragmentation. Mutton Island, for instance, was a suburb of London that got cut off by the Unterzee flooding in.
While that holds for the southern suburbs, there are plentiful references to London’s population shrinking, and quite a few to districts having been abandoned for reasons besides the Unterzee. I recall something - I can’t remember what at the moment - that specifically mentioned the northern suburbs no longer being inhabited, and those are certainly in no danger from the Zee.
Possible-future commentary, so in spoiler tags it goes:
There are several hints that Paris might be the sixth city, and one story involves bidding for Berlin. Both of these possibilities would occur before the First World War, when neither city had caught up to London’s size. There was also a story somewhere or other (can’t remember where, sorry; I only read it in Echo) that hints Moscow would be the seventh. Depending on when that occurred it might be larger than Fallen London, but the storylets hinted that the pace of city-buying was picking up substantially.
It should also be noted that the Masters have a pronounced taste for the world’s most impressive cities. They’ve never bought anything less than the capital of a major world power.
edited by Siankan on 3/29/2017[/quote]
Moscow? That’s from a game called Metro 2033- just a theory, and by a company that has no connection with Failbetter. At least, not that I know of.
Possible-future commentary, so in spoiler tags it goes:
There are several hints that Paris might be the sixth city, and one story involves bidding for Berlin. Both of these possibilities would occur before the First World War, when neither city had caught up to London’s size. There was also a story somewhere or other (can’t remember where, sorry; I only read it in Echo) that hints Moscow would be the seventh. Depending on when that occurred it might be larger than Fallen London, but the storylets hinted that the pace of city-buying was picking up substantially.
It should also be noted that the Masters have a pronounced taste for the world’s most impressive cities. They’ve never bought anything less than the capital of a major world power.
edited by Siankan on 3/29/2017[/quote]
Moscow? That’s from a game called Metro 2033- just a theory, and by a company that has no connection with Failbetter. At least, not that I know of.[/quote]
Moscow was mentioned in one fate story. Anyways, in the Hearts desire ambition you don’t actually plan to buy the 6th city(that would end horribly for you), and even if you did try to buy it you get interrupted(as was already mentioned).
edited by The Master on 3/30/2017
No, you don’t buy the city. (You couldn’t anyway, as that’s the Masters’ business.) However, the question was for snippets related to Paris being the possible Sixth City, and this of course fits in that category.
I don’t thonk the Masters would buy another city as long as London is reasonaby populated: we don’t find crunched corpses in the previous city afterall. If the scenario you mentioned was to happen, though, I culd see the newcomers and the Londoners being in conflict on who’s got dibbs on the Neath, and wether the resulting city is still London or the other, or an entirely new one.