Given we’ve had a bunch of new names released for the gang of children of the Traitor Empress, could a better scholar than I connect the titles we’ve received with the historical children of Queen Victoria? I find myself very curious!
The Brooding Captain sounds like Alfred, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, as he was in the Navy.
The Delicate Duke is Prince Leopold, as he had haemophilia and died young.
The bellicose prince is Prince Arthur, as he was in the Royal Army.
The Redundant Heir might be Edward VII, as he was the oldest?
The Dutiful Daughter is probably Victoria, Princess Royal, as she was the eldest daughter.
The Recalcitrant Sculptress is Princess Louise, who was also a sculptress.
The Captivating Princess must be Beatrice, as he was the youngest child, but I’m not entirely sure who the Bibliophile, the Shadow, or the Prodigy are.
Beatrice is the Prodigy.
The Gift shows that the Captivating Princess isn’t Beatrice, since she is mentioned to not be present at the Dinner by the Captivating Princess herself.
I don’t think the Captivating Princess is a real historical figure.
Yes, the Captivating Princess herself calls the Playful Prodigy Beatrice.
One of the sections in The Gift notes that one child of the Empress didn’t fall, the eldest child – the Empress’ Shadow. That must be HRH The Princess Royal. Interesting that she’s still on the Surface.
It would seem that the Captivating Princess was born after the Fall? She’s the tenth child, and Victoria had, I think, only 9 children.
Right, I was speculating while I was… recovering in the hotel. Thanks for clearing up a bit.
Ah! I’m glad people are posting about this. I wasn’t sure how much we could discuss on the forums.
It makes sense that Albert Edward (Edward VII) is the Redundant Heir, since death is no longer an inevitability, and H.E.M. doesn’t really have any need of an heir.
The Heartbroken Bibliophile is listed as one of the two middle daughters (the Sculptress, Louise, being the other), so it makes sense that it’s Princess Helena (the third of the Queen’s five daughters in real life). Helena also was a writer/translator (so says Wikipedia) – so that fits.
If Victoria, Princess Royal, is on the Surface, the Dutiful Daughter would be Princess Alice. This also fits since she was the Queen’s unofficial secretary and stood in as her representative after the Prince Consort’s death.
So the lot would be:
Empress’s Shadow = Victoria, Princess Royal
Redundant Heir = Prince Albert Edward (Edward VII)
Dutiful Daughter = Princess Alice
Brooding Captain = Prince Alfred Ernest (Captain of the Galatea)
Heartbroken Bibliophile = Princess Helena
Recalcitrant Sculptress = Princess Louise
Bellicose Prince = Prince Arthur
Delicate Duke = Prince Leopold
Playful Prodigy = Princess Beatrice
Captivating Princess = the tenth royal issue
edited by Ginneon Thursday on 12/25/2014
That’s a royal family for true patriots!
Dutiful Daughter = Princess Alice = the "Serpentine Coils"
Brooding Captain = Prince Alfred = the "Shadow with Teeth"
Heartbroken Bibliophile = Princess Helena = "an abhorrence of rusting quills"
Recalcitrant Sculptress = Princess Louise = the "gaunt thing with a coat of glass feathers"
Bellicose Prince = Prince Arthur = the "weeping horse-sized grub"
Playful Prodigy = Princess Beatrice = the spider-thing with face-hands and needle-fingers
Any theories on why the Redundant Heir was missing at Dinner?
He wasn’t expected or CP would have mentioned his absence. Too monstrous? Or perhaps he’s elsewhere in the Neath?
I want to know what happened to DD though, according to Wikipedia he died in 1884, long after the Fall. Did he die as a child, or was his haemophilia too severe even for deathlessness in the neath to save him?
edited by Frensus on 12/25/2014
Considering the descriptions of the other children, I don’t think anything would be regarded "too monstrous" in this family… ;-)
He might not be completely dead… could be in the Tomb-colonies after repeatedly bleeding to death.
Perhaps he is unable to attend due to the physique? During nightly visits in the cellars, if we open the room where we would deliver a mirror we can see a "sort of sack is flopping emptily on the floor by the door. It’s shiny and puce. Maroon veins snake across the surface, and a caul of slimy white fat sits round it like a net. Protuberances reach towards the door like arms". We don’t see it move, but what if the "sack" is one of the children? In the room we may find the mirror during "The gift" we also find a journal with the initials A.E.
I do like the idea of the Delicate Duke living in the Tomb Colonies. Perhaps he has adopted another moniker there? I don’t know why the Redundant Heir was not at dinner. But then we don’t know why their parents would not join them all regularly either.
Two other extrapolations we can make:
One ending implies that A.E. looked as he did on the Surface for a while after the Fall…so something must have happened to the children later (years, probably) to effect their current appearance.
Another ending implies that a monstrous act could make the Prodigy more presentable in society…from which we can be even more certain that the Captivating Princess is the most monstrous of them all.
Possibly because Her Majesty can’t stand to see what has happened to her children?
I have a feeling this may be (going with the Duchess’ words) the cost that wasn’t known. One which is now known to the Empress.
I thought the captivating princess was born down here? In the portrait on the way down the playful prodigy is mentioned as holding the infant CP, so I’m pretty sure the CP has no historical analogue.
Has anyone echoed the text if you turn around? I would be very curious to read it.
Edit to add: also, anyone echo the text for if you let her eat you?
edited by KatarinaNavane on 12/26/2014
edited by KatarinaNavane on 12/26/2014
Isn’t their monstrous appearance a consequence of their over-indulgence in Red Honey? That’s how I interpreted it, anyway.
I’m only familiar with Red Honey from Sunless Sea - is there any other place that suggests RH can warp one’s appearance?
One of the options when finding your way through the cellars beneath the Palace provided this snippet.
That’s probably it! With so much new content I’d forgotten about that part. If he left the chamber through the mirror, he might be living in Parabola now.
Amélie Vaincoeur did just that. The brave soul.
edited by Rupho Schartenhauer on 12/30/2014
I must say I was gleeing in delight throughout the whole storylet for the wealth of Lore poured on us, truly a Christmas treat, this story!
I actually thought the warped appearance of the royal breed was due somehow to some collateral effects of the bargain the Empress made with the Bazaar…
The bit about the eldest child that did not Fall was especially interesting. How can one “not Fall”? was it part of the deal from Victoria’s part to keep at least one of her children on the Throne at the Surface to control the Empire from there?
[quote=Master Polarimini]
The bit about the eldest child that did not Fall was especially interesting. How can one "not Fall"? was it part of the deal from Victoria’s part to keep at least one of her children on the Throne at the Surface to control the Empire from there?[/quote]
No, Victoria jr. (the eldest daughter) was already married to the Prussian Prince Frederick at the time of the Fall - simply a historical fact which the devs decided not to change.
edited by Rupho Schartenhauer on 12/26/2014