The Hinterlands: Difference between revisions
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{{Neath_Location|image1=railwayheader.png|caption1=The Hinterlands|location=Between [[London]] and [[Hell]]|allegiance=[[The Creditor]]|alias=The Upper River<ref name = "upper">{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Rumour_of_the_Upper_River|Rumour of the Upper River|Fallen London|}} ''"Rumour of the Upper River [...] There are all sorts of tales about life further up the Stolen River."''</ref>}}<blockquote>''"From the comfort of your window seat, you can see abandoned railworks, broken masonry and torn-up earth – failed projects by various London authorities to expand westward. The darkness draws in as the train turns even more westerly: the smog from the furnaces of Hell extends far."''<ref name = "saints">{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/For_All_the_Saints_Who_From_Their_Labours_Rest|For All the Saints Who From Their Labours Rest|Fallen London|}}</ref></blockquote> | {{Neath_Location|image1=railwayheader.png|caption1=The Hinterlands|location=Between [[London]] and [[Hell]]|allegiance=[[The Creditor]]|alias=The Upper River<ref name = "upper">{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Rumour_of_the_Upper_River|Rumour of the Upper River|Fallen London|}} ''"Rumour of the Upper River [...] There are all sorts of tales about life further up the Stolen River."''</ref>}}<blockquote>''"From the comfort of your window seat, you can see abandoned railworks, broken masonry and torn-up earth – failed projects by various London authorities to expand westward. The darkness draws in as the train turns even more westerly: the smog from the furnaces of Hell extends far."''<ref name = "saints">{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/For_All_the_Saints_Who_From_Their_Labours_Rest|For All the Saints Who From Their Labours Rest|Fallen London|}}</ref></blockquote> | ||
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<blockquote>''"Where it says average slope – this was explained to me but I forgot to note this down, I'm terribly sorry – that is the average slope over time. The side of the mountain shifts. It sometimes elects to become, ah, a vertical wall."''<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Plan_the_next_route_straight_up_the_side_of_a_mountain|Plan the next route straight up the side of a mountain|Fallen London|}}</ref></blockquote> | <blockquote>''"Where it says average slope – this was explained to me but I forgot to note this down, I'm terribly sorry – that is the average slope over time. The side of the mountain shifts. It sometimes elects to become, ah, a vertical wall."''<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Plan_the_next_route_straight_up_the_side_of_a_mountain|Plan the next route straight up the side of a mountain|Fallen London|}}</ref></blockquote> | ||
[[File:Hellgate.png|alt=A massive gate inscribed with wings.|thumb|[[Hell]]]] | [[File:Hellgate.png|alt=A massive gate inscribed with wings.|thumb|[[Hell]]]] | ||
The Hinterlands are mostly empty,<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Investigate_the_Clay_Highwayman:_Ask_criminal_contacts|Investigate the Clay Highwayman: Ask criminal contacts|Fallen London|}} ''"Somewhere far into the hinterland, in the supposedly empty land between London and Hell."''</ref> consisting of rough and undeveloped scrubland<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/For_All_the_Saints_Who_From_Their_Labours_Rest|For All the Saints Who From Their Labours Rest|Fallen London|}} ''"The landscape outside [...] wide fields of gorse and heather and thistle. Acres of unkempt land, untamed and wild [...]"''</ref> dotted with hills,<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Support_the_Liberationists_and_build_track_through_hilly_land_(Balmoral)|Support the Liberationists and build track through hilly land (Balmoral)|Fallen London|}} ''"Furnace duly reports back on progress – hills exploded [...]"''</ref> swamps, and ravines.<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Demand_a_frank_explanation_of_the_risks|Demand a frank explanation of the risks|Fallen London|}} ''"[...] this is bad territory. Ravines, bogs, hills made of bone. [...]"''</ref> The air is rife with smog from [[Hell]], blotting out the [[Moon-Misers|false-stars]] above,<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/For_All_the_Saints_Who_From_Their_Labours_Rest|For All the Saints Who From Their Labours Rest|Fallen London|}} ''"[...] the vast clouds of smog that emanate from the farthest west. The smog slowly blots out the false-stars."''</ref> and the ground below is packed with fossils and bones from creatures both great<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Lay_track_through_marsh_and_keep_watch_for_any_buried_bones_as_you_go_(After_Discovery)|Lay track through marsh and keep watch for any buried bones as you go (After Discovery)|Fallen London|}} ''"[...] they do find you something significant. [...] the Leviathan frame [...] the Tracklayers have it strapped to a cart [...] it cannot be – a secret operation."''</ref> and small.<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Discuss_the_work_stoppage_with_Furnace|Discuss the work stoppage with Furnace|Fallen London|}} ''""I showed you the False-Snake," Furnace says. "There's a patch of land full of those [...]"''</ref> The Hinterlands also house many anomalies, including mountains with ever-changing slope angles | The Hinterlands are mostly empty,<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Investigate_the_Clay_Highwayman:_Ask_criminal_contacts|Investigate the Clay Highwayman: Ask criminal contacts|Fallen London|}} ''"Somewhere far into the hinterland, in the supposedly empty land between London and Hell."''</ref> consisting of rough and undeveloped scrubland<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/For_All_the_Saints_Who_From_Their_Labours_Rest|For All the Saints Who From Their Labours Rest|Fallen London|}} ''"The landscape outside [...] wide fields of gorse and heather and thistle. Acres of unkempt land, untamed and wild [...]"''</ref> dotted with hills,<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Support_the_Liberationists_and_build_track_through_hilly_land_(Balmoral)|Support the Liberationists and build track through hilly land (Balmoral)|Fallen London|}} ''"Furnace duly reports back on progress – hills exploded [...]"''</ref> swamps, and ravines.<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Demand_a_frank_explanation_of_the_risks|Demand a frank explanation of the risks|Fallen London|}} ''"[...] this is bad territory. Ravines, bogs, hills made of bone. [...]"''</ref> The air is rife with smog from [[Hell]], blotting out the [[Moon-Misers|false-stars]] above,<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/For_All_the_Saints_Who_From_Their_Labours_Rest|For All the Saints Who From Their Labours Rest|Fallen London|}} ''"[...] the vast clouds of smog that emanate from the farthest west. The smog slowly blots out the false-stars."''</ref> and the ground below is packed with fossils and bones from creatures both great<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Lay_track_through_marsh_and_keep_watch_for_any_buried_bones_as_you_go_(After_Discovery)|Lay track through marsh and keep watch for any buried bones as you go (After Discovery)|Fallen London|}} ''"[...] they do find you something significant. [...] the Leviathan frame [...] the Tracklayers have it strapped to a cart [...] it cannot be – a secret operation."''</ref> and small.<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Discuss_the_work_stoppage_with_Furnace|Discuss the work stoppage with Furnace|Fallen London|}} ''""I showed you the False-Snake," Furnace says. "There's a patch of land full of those [...]"''</ref> The Hinterlands also house many anomalies, including mountains with ever-changing slope angles<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Plan_the_next_route_straight_up_the_side_of_a_mountain|Plan the next route straight up the side of a mountain|Fallen London|}} ''"The side of the mountain shifts. It sometimes elects to become [...] a vertical wall."''</ref> and icy patches frozen by errant [[Discordance]] stones.<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Discordant|Discordant|Fallen London|}} ''""That stone froze a lake full of creatures [...] If you're going to [...] practice your language skills on it, at least let everyone else get [...] away first. [...]"''</ref> To top it all off, the region is patrolled by bandits and highwaymen,<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Discuss_the_work_stoppage_with_Furnace|Discuss the work stoppage with Furnace|Fallen London|}} ''"Furnace says. "Bandits raiding our camps at night. [...]"''</ref><ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Who_is_the_Clay_Highwayman%3F|Who is the Clay Highwayman?|Fallen London|}} ''"The Clay Highwayman is a menace to railway traffic [...] around the upper river."''</ref> as well as hostile wildlife like stray [[Whitsun|Terror-Birds]]<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Return_to_London_(later_stations)|Return to London (later stations)|Fallen London|}} ''"Terror-Birds on the line! [...] there was rise in abandoned pets [...]"''</ref> or worse monstrosities.<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Return_to_London_(later_stations)|Return to London (later stations)|Fallen London|}} ''"As the train slows [...] a figure looms [...] twice the height of the train, and possesses far too many arms. There is a sound of swarming bees, [...] The figure reaches vast pincers [...] slices a chunk from the train. [...]"''</ref><ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Return_to_London_(later_stations)|Return to London (later stations)|Fallen London|}} ''"[...] an ancient, hairy thing rising from the dark canal water. [...] the hairy thing begins to eat the smaller sect of devils [...]"''</ref> | ||
In spite of the treacherous landscape, the Hinterlands are home to a variety of landmarks and locales. These include human settlements like [[Moulin]]<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Build_the_station_at_Moulin|Build the station at Moulin|Fallen London|}} ''"Far west, there is a muddy battlefield where London fought Hell, [...] Within that battlefield lies a hamlet."''</ref> and [[Jericho Locks]],<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Build_the_station_at_Jericho_Locks|Build the station at Jericho Locks|Fallen London|}} ''"Jericho Locks belongs to those who steer the canal boats and own the trade on the river."''</ref> outposts of London and the [[Masters]] like [[Balmoral]]<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Balmoral_Castle|Balmoral Castle|Fallen London|}} ''"The castle was built for the Empress [...] London fell. [...] due to legal entanglements, Balmoral fell with it."''</ref> and [[Station VIII]],<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Something_is_Landing|Something is Landing|Fallen London|}} ''"[...] Someone has just arrived. [...] The [...] Master will remain in Station VIII for about a day; [...]"''</ref> remnants of the [[Fall of London]] like [[Burrow-Infra-Mump]],<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Posit_impossible_conclusions|Posit impossible conclusions|Fallen London|}} ''"Old histories speak of places prior to Balmoral and Burrow, Jericho and Ealing."''</ref> battlefields of the [[The Campaign of '68|Campaign of '68]],<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/For_All_the_Saints_Who_From_Their_Labours_Rest|For All the Saints Who From Their Labours Rest|Fallen London|}} ''"Battered armaments litter the tops of the trenches [...] When London's forces ran out of ammunition, they turned to antique weaponry: [...] Elsewhere, you can find the detritus of Hell's weaponry [...]"''</ref> and structures of Hellish origin, like [[Marigold Station]],<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Put_forward_the_last_plans_for_the_last_station|Put forward the last plans for the last station|Fallen London|}} ''"[...] at Marigold, but the existing station must be given a new platform."''</ref> the [[Edict of Towers]],<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Walk_the_Edict_of_Towers|Walk the Edict of Towers|Fallen London|}} ''"An ancient Hell defence [...]"''</ref> and the tombs of deposed [[Grand Devils]].<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/The_Twelve-Fifteen_from_Moloch_Street|The Twelve-Fifteen from Moloch Street|Fallen London|}} ''"[...] this is the prison of an old power of Hell. [...] 'the Piper' [...]"''</ref><ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Heed_the_call|Heed the call|Fallen London|}} ''"Deep below the Church, the Drummer resides. The hill rests over his tomb."''</ref> | In spite of the treacherous landscape, the Hinterlands are home to a variety of landmarks and locales. These include human settlements like [[Moulin]]<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Build_the_station_at_Moulin|Build the station at Moulin|Fallen London|}} ''"Far west, there is a muddy battlefield where London fought Hell, [...] Within that battlefield lies a hamlet."''</ref> and [[Jericho Locks]],<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Build_the_station_at_Jericho_Locks|Build the station at Jericho Locks|Fallen London|}} ''"Jericho Locks belongs to those who steer the canal boats and own the trade on the river."''</ref> outposts of London and the [[Masters]] like [[Balmoral]]<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Balmoral_Castle|Balmoral Castle|Fallen London|}} ''"The castle was built for the Empress [...] London fell. [...] due to legal entanglements, Balmoral fell with it."''</ref> and [[Station VIII]],<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Something_is_Landing|Something is Landing|Fallen London|}} ''"[...] Someone has just arrived. [...] The [...] Master will remain in Station VIII for about a day; [...]"''</ref> remnants of the [[Fall of London]] like [[Burrow-Infra-Mump]],<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Posit_impossible_conclusions|Posit impossible conclusions|Fallen London|}} ''"Old histories speak of places prior to Balmoral and Burrow, Jericho and Ealing."''</ref> battlefields of the [[The Campaign of '68|Campaign of '68]],<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/For_All_the_Saints_Who_From_Their_Labours_Rest|For All the Saints Who From Their Labours Rest|Fallen London|}} ''"Battered armaments litter the tops of the trenches [...] When London's forces ran out of ammunition, they turned to antique weaponry: [...] Elsewhere, you can find the detritus of Hell's weaponry [...]"''</ref> and structures of Hellish origin, like [[Marigold Station]],<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Put_forward_the_last_plans_for_the_last_station|Put forward the last plans for the last station|Fallen London|}} ''"[...] at Marigold, but the existing station must be given a new platform."''</ref> the [[Edict of Towers]],<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Walk_the_Edict_of_Towers|Walk the Edict of Towers|Fallen London|}} ''"An ancient Hell defence [...]"''</ref> and the tombs of deposed [[Grand Devils]].<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/The_Twelve-Fifteen_from_Moloch_Street|The Twelve-Fifteen from Moloch Street|Fallen London|}} ''"[...] this is the prison of an old power of Hell. [...] 'the Piper' [...]"''</ref><ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Heed_the_call|Heed the call|Fallen London|}} ''"Deep below the Church, the Drummer resides. The hill rests over his tomb."''</ref> | ||
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Past [[The Fallen Cities|Fallen Cities]]' exploration of the Hinterlands was mostly limited by the [[Echo Bazaar]],<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Persuade_the_Efficient_Commissioner/Tables|Persuade the Efficient Commissioner/Tables|Fallen London|}} ''""I can't stop you. [...] you'll route around there... it was always going to happen. We prevented it in the Second City, and in the Third, but now... The Creditor hungers, it thirsts, and the city is also mad...""''</ref> but some ruins still remain, such as the [[Sere Palace]] of [[Second City]] origin,<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Request_passage_to_the_Sere_Palace_2|Request passage to the Sere Palace 2|Fallen London|}} ''""He leaps from the craft [...] and races into the [...] Second City ruin.""''</ref> and remnants of the [[First City]] below the [[Magistracy of the Evenlode]].<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Search_the_upper_floors|Search the upper floors|Fallen London|}} ''"You only properly identify what you have [...] unmistakeably First City. There must be more, down below."''</ref> The [[Sleeping Merchant]] was a First City citizen who attempted to venture west, but his expedition ended in disaster.<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/The_Nature_of_the_Debt|The Nature of the Debt|Fallen London|}} ''"[...] IT WANTED THE MONEY, [...] IT TRICKED A FIRST CITY MERCHANT [...]"''</ref><ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Breathe_an_ancient_air|Breathe an ancient air|Fallen London|}} ''"One defendant at a time [...] before this Judge – summoned here if they tried to pass through these lands without leave. [...] The Merchant [...] He could barely look [...] at the being that sat in Judgement."''</ref> | Past [[The Fallen Cities|Fallen Cities]]' exploration of the Hinterlands was mostly limited by the [[Echo Bazaar]],<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Persuade_the_Efficient_Commissioner/Tables|Persuade the Efficient Commissioner/Tables|Fallen London|}} ''""I can't stop you. [...] you'll route around there... it was always going to happen. We prevented it in the Second City, and in the Third, but now... The Creditor hungers, it thirsts, and the city is also mad...""''</ref> but some ruins still remain, such as the [[Sere Palace]] of [[Second City]] origin,<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Request_passage_to_the_Sere_Palace_2|Request passage to the Sere Palace 2|Fallen London|}} ''""He leaps from the craft [...] and races into the [...] Second City ruin.""''</ref> and remnants of the [[First City]] below the [[Magistracy of the Evenlode]].<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Search_the_upper_floors|Search the upper floors|Fallen London|}} ''"You only properly identify what you have [...] unmistakeably First City. There must be more, down below."''</ref> The [[Sleeping Merchant]] was a First City citizen who attempted to venture west, but his expedition ended in disaster.<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/The_Nature_of_the_Debt|The Nature of the Debt|Fallen London|}} ''"[...] IT WANTED THE MONEY, [...] IT TRICKED A FIRST CITY MERCHANT [...]"''</ref><ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Breathe_an_ancient_air|Breathe an ancient air|Fallen London|}} ''"One defendant at a time [...] before this Judge – summoned here if they tried to pass through these lands without leave. [...] The Merchant [...] He could barely look [...] at the being that sat in Judgement."''</ref> | ||
The custodian of the Hinterlands is the [[Creditor]],<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Point_out_a_prop_the_Solicitor-Baroness_did_not_mention|Point out a prop the Solicitor-Baroness did not mention|Fallen London|}} ''"All [...] land past [...] Evenlode is touched by the Creditor. And the closer territory, too [...]"''</ref><ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/The_Way_West|The Way West|Fallen London|}} ''"The Creditor [...] lives. Between London and Hell"''</ref> an | The custodian of the Hinterlands is the [[Creditor]],<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Point_out_a_prop_the_Solicitor-Baroness_did_not_mention|Point out a prop the Solicitor-Baroness did not mention|Fallen London|}} ''"All [...] land past [...] Evenlode is touched by the Creditor. And the closer territory, too [...]"''</ref><ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/The_Way_West|The Way West|Fallen London|}} ''"The Creditor [...] lives. Between London and Hell"''</ref> an earthly being who monitors all traffic through its realm,<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Ask_it_about_the_Hillchanger_Tower_(Furnace_Abandoned)|Ask it about the Hillchanger Tower (Furnace Abandoned)|Fallen London|}} ''""Not every patch of ground is asleep," [...] That Creditor is elusive, but it is an earth power [...]"''</ref><ref name = "credit in">{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/In_Credit|In Credit|Fallen London|}} ''"[...] this Power will not [...] you to go further into the Neath, nor to change it more [...] unless some limit is attached [...] and some price paid for the imposition."''</ref> and whose "face" is literally the Hinterlands' topsoil.<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Take_your_time_and_go_observantly|Take your time and go observantly|Fallen London|}} ''"Trespasser, you have laid your road across my face [...]"''</ref> It enforces that travelers must not damage or change the Hinterlands too severely,<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Meaning_what,_precisely%3F|Meaning what, precisely?|Fallen London|}} ''""A gage is a pledge of good faith," [...] it was meant to represent the promise [...] prevent [...] from causing too much damage."''</ref><ref name = "credit in"/> lest they face its immense power firsthand.<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Open_fire|Open fire|Fallen London|}} ''"[...] Trouble [...] the Hillchanger Tower rears up from the ground [...] drawing length [...] into the air; [...] the earth warps [...] around the Tower's base; [...] the tracks buckle. It is [...] lucky [...] neither you nor your crew are seriously injured."''</ref><ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Read_it_in_an_ancient_language|Read it in an ancient language|Fallen London|}} ''"Come among the other powers as a guest-friend [...] Or we shall walk across your kind in turn [...]"''</ref> | ||
==List of Locations== | ==List of Locations== | ||
| Line 31: | Line 31: | ||
** [[Aescwine Hill]] | ** [[Aescwine Hill]] | ||
** [[Helicon House]] | ** [[Helicon House]] | ||
[[File:Rowboat hinterlands.png|alt=A person rowing a boat.|thumb|[[Jericho Locks]]]] | |||
* [[Jericho Locks]] | * [[Jericho Locks]] | ||
** [[The Fiddler's Scarlet]] | ** [[The Fiddler's Scarlet]] | ||
| Line 43: | Line 44: | ||
* [[Station VIII]] | * [[Station VIII]] | ||
* [[Burrow-Infra-Mump]] | * [[Burrow-Infra-Mump]] | ||
[[File:Moulin.png|alt=A green river flowing through a red desert.|thumb|[[Moulin]]]] | |||
* [[Moulin]] | * [[Moulin]] | ||
* [[The Hurlers]] | * [[The Hurlers]] | ||
| Line 52: | Line 54: | ||
** [[The Progress of the Bells]] | ** [[The Progress of the Bells]] | ||
** [[The Fields of Roses]] | ** [[The Fields of Roses]] | ||
*[[The City of the Tracklayers]] | |||
==References== | ==References== | ||
Latest revision as of 17:55, 2 December 2024
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Beyond this point lie spoilers for Fallen London, Sunless Sea, Sunless Skies, or Mask of the Rose. This may include midgame or minor Fate-locked content. Proceed with caution. You can find out more about our spoiler policy here. |
"From the comfort of your window seat, you can see abandoned railworks, broken masonry and torn-up earth – failed projects by various London authorities to expand westward. The darkness draws in as the train turns even more westerly: the smog from the furnaces of Hell extends far."[2]
The Hinterlands are the lands between London and Hell.
The West[edit]
"You are leaving London. Beyond are the outskirts of the Empire, and further still, the hinterlands of Hell."[3]
The Hinterlands are the huge swaths of land between London and Hell.[4] They are also called the Upper River, as the Stolen River flows through from Hell to the Unterzee.[1][5] It has two railways: the Moloch Street Express,[6] and the newer Great Hellbound Railway.[7] This far west, the Echo Bazaar has limited influence, but commerce is still possible via the Upper River Exchange.[8]
The Hinterlands are largely unexplored by London and rife with rumor and myth,[9] as any attempts to expand westward ended before they began.[10][11] This was rectified thanks to a deal brokered by Virginia during her tenure as Lord Mayor of London; she also founded the Ministry of Upper River Development, which issued Hinterland Scrip as currency for investors.[12][13]
Terrain and Features[edit]
"The fields are yellowing, scarred and scorched. Blackened windmills dot the landscape, as well as other less immediately identifiable machinery. It's no wonder all attempts to go west fail: the land repels settlement."[2]
"Where it says average slope – this was explained to me but I forgot to note this down, I'm terribly sorry – that is the average slope over time. The side of the mountain shifts. It sometimes elects to become, ah, a vertical wall."[14]
The Hinterlands are mostly empty,[15] consisting of rough and undeveloped scrubland[16] dotted with hills,[17] swamps, and ravines.[18] The air is rife with smog from Hell, blotting out the false-stars above,[19] and the ground below is packed with fossils and bones from creatures both great[20] and small.[21] The Hinterlands also house many anomalies, including mountains with ever-changing slope angles[22] and icy patches frozen by errant Discordance stones.[23] To top it all off, the region is patrolled by bandits and highwaymen,[24][25] as well as hostile wildlife like stray Terror-Birds[26] or worse monstrosities.[27][28]
In spite of the treacherous landscape, the Hinterlands are home to a variety of landmarks and locales. These include human settlements like Moulin[29] and Jericho Locks,[30] outposts of London and the Masters like Balmoral[31] and Station VIII,[32] remnants of the Fall of London like Burrow-Infra-Mump,[33] battlefields of the Campaign of '68,[34] and structures of Hellish origin, like Marigold Station,[35] the Edict of Towers,[36] and the tombs of deposed Grand Devils.[37][38]
History and Ruler[edit]
"It's too late. I can't stop you. Even if I head you off here, you'll route around there... it was always going to happen. We prevented it in the Second City, and in the Third, but now... The Creditor hungers, it thirsts, and the city is also mad..."[39]
Past Fallen Cities' exploration of the Hinterlands was mostly limited by the Echo Bazaar,[40] but some ruins still remain, such as the Sere Palace of Second City origin,[41] and remnants of the First City below the Magistracy of the Evenlode.[42] The Sleeping Merchant was a First City citizen who attempted to venture west, but his expedition ended in disaster.[43][44]
The custodian of the Hinterlands is the Creditor,[45][46] an earthly being who monitors all traffic through its realm,[47][48] and whose "face" is literally the Hinterlands' topsoil.[49] It enforces that travelers must not damage or change the Hinterlands too severely,[50][48] lest they face its immense power firsthand.[51][52]
List of Locations[edit]
References[edit]
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