The Hurlers: Difference between revisions
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The Caprine Vagabond}}<blockquote>''"Nothing is native to this desolate wasteland. Candles struggle to burn: flames have been known to freeze on their wicks. Walk a little, and you'll find a lone encampment where an old goat-demon tends a dying fire. Walk any further than that, and you may not come back."''<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/The_Hurlers_(Storylet)|The Hurlers (Storylet)|Fallen London|}}</ref></blockquote> | The Caprine Vagabond}}<blockquote>''"Nothing is native to this desolate wasteland. Candles struggle to burn: flames have been known to freeze on their wicks. Walk a little, and you'll find a lone encampment where an old goat-demon tends a dying fire. Walk any further than that, and you may not come back."''<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/The_Hurlers_(Storylet)|The Hurlers (Storylet)|Fallen London|}}</ref></blockquote> | ||
The <font color=" | The <font color="b3e4ff">'''Hurlers'''</font> are two circles of standing stones overlooking a frozen wasteland in the [[Hinterlands]]. Against all common sense, they are the eighth station of the [[Great Hellbound Railway]]. | ||
==Desolation== | ==Desolation== | ||
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<blockquote><em>"This is a game that never ends, just as it never began. It isn't played by two teams, and the manner in which their players are arranged, which depends on whichever team isn't winning, doesn't determine how the Hurlers are also arranged. Because these</em> are <em>the Hurlers. Because there is no difference between the standing stones atop the hill, and these goat-demons."</em><ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Don%27t_talk_about_the_game|Don't talk about the game|Fallen London|}}</ref></blockquote> | <blockquote><em>"This is a game that never ends, just as it never began. It isn't played by two teams, and the manner in which their players are arranged, which depends on whichever team isn't winning, doesn't determine how the Hurlers are also arranged. Because these</em> are <em>the Hurlers. Because there is no difference between the standing stones atop the hill, and these goat-demons."</em><ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Don%27t_talk_about_the_game|Don't talk about the game|Fallen London|}}</ref></blockquote> | ||
The Hurlers themselves, also called the '''Standing Stones''', are arranged in two circles atop a hill overlooking the frozen lake.<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Amongst_the_Standing_Stones|Amongst the Standing Stones|Fallen London|}} ''"Amongst the Standing Stones [...] Two stone circles crowd the hilltop."''</ref><ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Desolation|Desolation|Fallen London|}} ''"The Hurlers themselves loom above a frozen lake [...]"''</ref> They were not part of the Masters' deal to buy [[London]], but they may or may not be down here anyway.<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Discuss_the_Hurlers|Discuss the Hurlers|Fallen London|}} ''"When the Masters bought London, the Hurlers weren't part of the deal. That's why the Hurlers are here. If they are. What is and is not here isn't so easy to confirm."''</ref> Their number cannot be counted accurately, and their arrangement changes even if they do not actually move.<ref name=":3">{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Discuss_the_Hurlers_again_2|Discuss the Hurlers again 2|Fallen London|}} ''"[...] "it's impossible to count those standing stones. From one perspective, they're always moving. But they never move at all."''</ref><ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Count_the_stones_in_the_First_Circle|Count the stones in the First Circle|Fallen London|}} ''"Whenever you look at them, their arrangement feels slightly different."''</ref> The sigils etched upon their surface entice travelers to read them,<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Amongst_the_Standing_Stones|Amongst the Standing Stones|Fallen London|}} ''"Two stone circles crowd the hilltop. [...] It should be easier to [...] read the language carved into their faces, etched [...]"''</ref><ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Read_the_language_on_the_stones_(Neither_Circle)|Read the language on the stones (Neither Circle)|Fallen London|}} ''"Sigils pull your attention closer."''</ref> and the stones have the airs of whispering, mischievous specters.<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Read_the_language_on_the_stones_(Active_Discordant_Law)|Read the language on the stones (Active Discordant Law)|Fallen London|}} ''"Now that you have read the stones, you understand why they can never move. Their shadows seem to whisper in your ear [...] Fear no smile behind that whisper. These stones wouldn't lie to their sovereign."''</ref><ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Speak_with_the_Steward|Speak with the Steward|Fallen London|}} ''"[...] the stones will keep calling, even if they're not making a peep. They think it's funny."''</ref> | The Hurlers themselves, also called the <font color="b3e4ff">'''Standing Stones'''</font>, are arranged in two circles atop a hill overlooking the frozen lake.<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Amongst_the_Standing_Stones|Amongst the Standing Stones|Fallen London|}} ''"Amongst the Standing Stones [...] Two stone circles crowd the hilltop."''</ref><ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Desolation|Desolation|Fallen London|}} ''"The Hurlers themselves loom above a frozen lake [...]"''</ref> They were not part of the Masters' deal to buy [[London]], but they may or may not be down here anyway.<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Discuss_the_Hurlers|Discuss the Hurlers|Fallen London|}} ''"When the Masters bought London, the Hurlers weren't part of the deal. That's why the Hurlers are here. If they are. What is and is not here isn't so easy to confirm."''</ref> Their number cannot be counted accurately, and their arrangement changes even if they do not actually move.<ref name=":3">{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Discuss_the_Hurlers_again_2|Discuss the Hurlers again 2|Fallen London|}} ''"[...] "it's impossible to count those standing stones. From one perspective, they're always moving. But they never move at all."''</ref><ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Count_the_stones_in_the_First_Circle|Count the stones in the First Circle|Fallen London|}} ''"Whenever you look at them, their arrangement feels slightly different."''</ref> The sigils etched upon their surface entice travelers to read them,<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Amongst_the_Standing_Stones|Amongst the Standing Stones|Fallen London|}} ''"Two stone circles crowd the hilltop. [...] It should be easier to [...] read the language carved into their faces, etched [...]"''</ref><ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Read_the_language_on_the_stones_(Neither_Circle)|Read the language on the stones (Neither Circle)|Fallen London|}} ''"Sigils pull your attention closer."''</ref> and the stones have the airs of whispering, mischievous specters.<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Read_the_language_on_the_stones_(Active_Discordant_Law)|Read the language on the stones (Active Discordant Law)|Fallen London|}} ''"Now that you have read the stones, you understand why they can never move. Their shadows seem to whisper in your ear [...] Fear no smile behind that whisper. These stones wouldn't lie to their sovereign."''</ref><ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Speak_with_the_Steward|Speak with the Steward|Fallen London|}} ''"[...] the stones will keep calling, even if they're not making a peep. They think it's funny."''</ref> | ||
[[File:Standingstone.png|alt=A shadow of a goat.|thumb|A Hurler.]] | [[File:Standingstone.png|alt=A shadow of a goat.|thumb|A Hurler.]] | ||
The sigils written on the Standing Stones are letters of the [[Discordance]], which are the source of the frost that has glaciated the nearby landscape.<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Discuss_the_Hurlers|Discuss the Hurlers|Fallen London|}} ''"They want to learn about the ice. What makes it freeze. Some people call it the Discordance."''</ref><ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Locate_a_spot_to_dig_around_the_hill|Locate a spot to dig around the hill|Fallen London|}} ''"Frost emanates from the stones. It spreads [...] down the hill and through the wastes. [...] More ice will always encroach."''</ref> The stones are currently scrambled, and their writings are unreadable.<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Read_the_language_on_the_stones_(Neither_Circle)|Read the language on the stones (Neither Circle)|Fallen London|}} ''"Sigils pull your attention closer. [...] How can you read a sentence when the words have been scrambled? [...] Arrange us, the stones [...] plead [...] Rearrange us."''</ref> Someone not in the [[Adulterine Castle]] may see the Hurlers from below the frozen lake's surface; from this view, the stones appear to be [[Goat-Demons|goat-demons]] - because the "Hurlers" are two circles of stones, and two teams of goat-demons, ''simultaneously''.<ref name=":4">{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Beneath_the_Standing_Stones|Beneath the Standing Stones|Fallen London|}} ''"Beneath the Standing Stones [...] When you aren't in the castle, you can gaze upward and study the lake's underside. You can see the Hurlers, [...] they aren't stone circles. Each stone is a goat-demon. [...] their game has been frozen, their two teams locked mid-play beneath the ice."''</ref><ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Don%27t_talk_about_the_game|Don't talk about the game|Fallen London|}} ''"[...] these are the Hurlers. Because there is no difference between the standing stones atop the hill, and these goat-demons."''</ref> These goat-demons are not playing Hurly-Burly,<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Hurlyburly|Hurlyburly|Fallen London|}} ''"Hurlyburly [...] Fair is foul, and foul is fair."''</ref><ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Bet_on_the_First_Circle_to_lose|Bet on the First Circle to lose|Fallen London|}} ''"A horn doesn't blow to announce the next match, [...] A little ball called a sliotar doesn't rise [...] where goat-demons don't bristle with hurling sticks at the ready. [...] When the game doesn't begin, [...]"''</ref> and they are not spectated by [[Stewards of the Discordance]] who place bets on the game's outcome.<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Beneath_the_Standing_Stones|Beneath the Standing Stones|Fallen London|}} ''"Stewards aren't watching the match from below, placing bets on which team hasn't currently taken the lead."''</ref> The winning team does not determine the final positions of the Hurlers,<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Discuss_the_Hurlers_again_2|Discuss the Hurlers again 2|Fallen London|}} ''"It's a game that they're playing with us. Whoever is winning the game, that changes where they're standing, and that changes how an observer might interpret their meaning."''</ref><ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Don%27t_talk_about_the_game|Don't talk about the game|Fallen London|}} ''"[...] the manner in which their players are arranged, which depends on whichever team isn't winning, doesn't determine how the Hurlers are also arranged. Because these are the Hurlers."''</ref> spelling out three possible Discordant Laws.<ref name=":6">{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Discordant_Law|Discordant Law|Fallen London|}}</ref> | The sigils written on the Standing Stones are letters of the [[Discordance]], which are the source of the frost that has glaciated the nearby landscape.<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Discuss_the_Hurlers|Discuss the Hurlers|Fallen London|}} ''"They want to learn about the ice. What makes it freeze. Some people call it the Discordance."''</ref><ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Locate_a_spot_to_dig_around_the_hill|Locate a spot to dig around the hill|Fallen London|}} ''"Frost emanates from the stones. It spreads [...] down the hill and through the wastes. [...] More ice will always encroach."''</ref> The stones are currently scrambled, and their writings are unreadable.<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Read_the_language_on_the_stones_(Neither_Circle)|Read the language on the stones (Neither Circle)|Fallen London|}} ''"Sigils pull your attention closer. [...] How can you read a sentence when the words have been scrambled? [...] Arrange us, the stones [...] plead [...] Rearrange us."''</ref> Someone not in the [[Adulterine Castle]] may see the Hurlers from below the frozen lake's surface; from this view, the stones appear to be [[Goat-Demons|goat-demons]] - because the "Hurlers" are two circles of stones, and two teams of goat-demons, ''simultaneously''.<ref name=":4">{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Beneath_the_Standing_Stones|Beneath the Standing Stones|Fallen London|}} ''"Beneath the Standing Stones [...] When you aren't in the castle, you can gaze upward and study the lake's underside. You can see the Hurlers, [...] they aren't stone circles. Each stone is a goat-demon. [...] their game has been frozen, their two teams locked mid-play beneath the ice."''</ref><ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Don%27t_talk_about_the_game|Don't talk about the game|Fallen London|}} ''"[...] these are the Hurlers. Because there is no difference between the standing stones atop the hill, and these goat-demons."''</ref> These goat-demons are not playing Hurly-Burly,<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Hurlyburly|Hurlyburly|Fallen London|}} ''"Hurlyburly [...] Fair is foul, and foul is fair."''</ref><ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Bet_on_the_First_Circle_to_lose|Bet on the First Circle to lose|Fallen London|}} ''"A horn doesn't blow to announce the next match, [...] A little ball called a sliotar doesn't rise [...] where goat-demons don't bristle with hurling sticks at the ready. [...] When the game doesn't begin, [...]"''</ref> and they are not spectated by [[Stewards of the Discordance]] who place bets on the game's outcome.<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Beneath_the_Standing_Stones|Beneath the Standing Stones|Fallen London|}} ''"Stewards aren't watching the match from below, placing bets on which team hasn't currently taken the lead."''</ref> The winning team does not determine the final positions of the Hurlers,<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Discuss_the_Hurlers_again_2|Discuss the Hurlers again 2|Fallen London|}} ''"It's a game that they're playing with us. Whoever is winning the game, that changes where they're standing, and that changes how an observer might interpret their meaning."''</ref><ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Don%27t_talk_about_the_game|Don't talk about the game|Fallen London|}} ''"[...] the manner in which their players are arranged, which depends on whichever team isn't winning, doesn't determine how the Hurlers are also arranged. Because these are the Hurlers."''</ref> spelling out three possible Discordant Laws.<ref name=":6">{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Discordant_Law|Discordant Law|Fallen London|}}</ref> | ||
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== The Three Discordant Laws== | == The Three Discordant Laws== | ||
=== Someone Following You === | === Someone Following You === | ||
<blockquote>''"No monarch shall lack a court; no traveller shall lack a companion; no lover shall lack a lover; no solitude shall be sanctioned."''<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Encourage_her_to_read_the_stones|Encourage her to read the stones|Fallen London|}}</ref></blockquote> | <font color="b3e4ff"><blockquote>''"No monarch shall lack a court; no traveller shall lack a companion; no lover shall lack a lover; no solitude shall be sanctioned."''<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Encourage_her_to_read_the_stones|Encourage her to read the stones|Fallen London|}}</ref></blockquote></font> | ||
<blockquote>'' | <font color="b3e4ff"><blockquote>''no single thing shall be a single thing''<ref name=":6" /></blockquote></font> | ||
[[File:Discordant law 1.png|alt=A shadowy person with a knife.|thumb|Couples only.]] | [[File:Discordant law 1.png|alt=A shadowy person with a knife.|thumb|Couples only.]] | ||
This law is readable when the second circle of the Hurlers does not win.<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Read_the_language_on_the_stones_(Victorious_First_Circle)|Read the language on the stones (Victorious First Circle)|Fallen London|}} ''"You've gained 1 x Someone Following You"''</ref> When read, the reader is typically duplicated;<ref name=":7">{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Read_the_language_on_the_stones_(Victorious_First_Circle)|Read the language on the stones (Victorious First Circle)|Fallen London|}} ''"You're not here anymore when you cobble yourself back together. You have your own life to live [...] you won't just sit around waiting to live it. But maybe one day you'll catch up with yourself [...]"''</ref><ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Encourage_her_to_read_the_stones|Encourage her to read the stones|Fallen London|}} ''""But I don't understand," [...] "I've already read this. [...] Even after she leaves, the Deviless isn't gone. [...] You've gained 1 x Doubled Deviless"''</ref> their double has full autonomy and is indistinguishable from the original.<ref name=":7" /><ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Discordant_Ripples_(Following)_4|Discordant Ripples (Following) 4|Fallen London|}} ''"Every Law has its consequences. [...] reward you for the contract you recently killed. Nonsense! Of course you killed it! Everyone saw what you did [...]"''</ref> | This law is readable when the second circle of the Hurlers does not win.<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Read_the_language_on_the_stones_(Victorious_First_Circle)|Read the language on the stones (Victorious First Circle)|Fallen London|}} ''"You've gained 1 x Someone Following You"''</ref> When read, the reader is typically duplicated;<ref name=":7">{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Read_the_language_on_the_stones_(Victorious_First_Circle)|Read the language on the stones (Victorious First Circle)|Fallen London|}} ''"You're not here anymore when you cobble yourself back together. You have your own life to live [...] you won't just sit around waiting to live it. But maybe one day you'll catch up with yourself [...]"''</ref><ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Encourage_her_to_read_the_stones|Encourage her to read the stones|Fallen London|}} ''""But I don't understand," [...] "I've already read this. [...] Even after she leaves, the Deviless isn't gone. [...] You've gained 1 x Doubled Deviless"''</ref> their double has full autonomy and is indistinguishable from the original.<ref name=":7" /><ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Discordant_Ripples_(Following)_4|Discordant Ripples (Following) 4|Fallen London|}} ''"Every Law has its consequences. [...] reward you for the contract you recently killed. Nonsense! Of course you killed it! Everyone saw what you did [...]"''</ref> | ||
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=== Another Mouth === | === Another Mouth === | ||
<blockquote>''"No poet shall compose different – No bird shall – No bird – No truth shall be spoken – "'' <ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Encourage_her_to_read_the_stones_3|Encourage her to read the stones 3|Fallen London|}}</ref></blockquote> | <font color="b3e4ff"><blockquote>''"No poet shall compose different – No bird shall – No bird – No truth shall be spoken – "'' <ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Encourage_her_to_read_the_stones_3|Encourage her to read the stones 3|Fallen London|}}</ref></blockquote></font> | ||
<blockquote>''"no mouth shall – no mouth – "''<ref name=":6" /></blockquote> | <font color="b3e4ff"><blockquote>''"no mouth shall – no mouth – "''<ref name=":6" /></blockquote></font> | ||
[[File:Discordant law 3.png|alt=Teeth in a black background.|thumb|Smile (and smile, and smile, and smile...)]] | [[File:Discordant law 3.png|alt=Teeth in a black background.|thumb|Smile (and smile, and smile, and smile...)]] | ||
This law becomes legible when neither circle wins.<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Read_the_language_on_the_stones_(Tied)|Read the language on the stones (Tied)|Fallen London|}} ''"You've gained 1 x Another Mouth"''</ref> When read, the reader sprouts several new mouths, which initially fade away but may reappear at any moment.<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Read_the_language_on_the_stones_(Tied)|Read the language on the stones (Tied)|Fallen London|}} ''"You stagger away from the stones, covering your eyes (which are mouths) with your palms (which are teeming with mouths). [...] Soon they are all sealed again [...] For now."''</ref><ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Discordant_Ripples_(Mouth)_4|Discordant Ripples (Mouth) 4|Fallen London|}} ''"Every Law has its consequences. [...] when you're browsing antiques, another mouth on your body yawns. Then a few hundred more [...] You don't hear the shopkeeper scream, [...] throw an antique [...] when your mouths are shut again, you still have the antique, and this bump on your head [...]"''</ref> Alternatively, it may turn the reader into a compulsive liar.<ref name=":11">{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Encourage_her_to_read_the_stones_3|Encourage her to read the stones 3|Fallen London|}} ''"[...] a half-law has been enacted: [...] No truth shall be spoken— [...] the Deviless collapses [...] "I'd never trade you for a penny and call it a deal." [...] You now have 1 x Dishonest Deviless"''</ref> This law is actually an incomplete "half-law,"<ref name=":11" /> as it was damaged with a pickaxe by an unknown party<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Read_the_language_on_the_stones_(Tied)|Read the language on the stones (Tied)|Fallen London|}} ''"Something is wrong. You can't read these stones. Someone has defaced the sigils with a pickaxe."''</ref> during Hell's latest excavation of the Hurlers.<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Find_the_Caprine_Vagabond_in_the_herd_4|Find the Caprine Vagabond in the herd 4|Fallen London|}} ''"[...] I've never seen a Discordant Law do that before. [...] It's probably to do with Hell's last excavation. They did more damage than anyone else [...]"''</ref> Before it was damaged, the law forbade "speaking more than one truth with the same mouth"<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Claim_curiosity|Claim curiosity|Fallen London|}} ''"[...] Cornelius' experiment [...] invoked a power against speaking 'more than one truth with the same mouth.'"''</ref> - either by removing the mouth or growing a new one.<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Meditate_upon_the_Discordant_Law_(Discordant_Law_5-6)|Meditate upon the Discordant Law (Discordant Law 5-6)|Fallen London|}} ''"[...] one Discordant Law had its grammar damaged. It used to prevent a single mouth from voicing opposing ideas. Typically by removing a speaker's mouth entirely, or by spawning additional mouths."''</ref> | This law becomes legible when neither circle wins.<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Read_the_language_on_the_stones_(Tied)|Read the language on the stones (Tied)|Fallen London|}} ''"You've gained 1 x Another Mouth"''</ref> When read, the reader sprouts several new mouths, which initially fade away but may reappear at any moment.<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Read_the_language_on_the_stones_(Tied)|Read the language on the stones (Tied)|Fallen London|}} ''"You stagger away from the stones, covering your eyes (which are mouths) with your palms (which are teeming with mouths). [...] Soon they are all sealed again [...] For now."''</ref><ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Discordant_Ripples_(Mouth)_4|Discordant Ripples (Mouth) 4|Fallen London|}} ''"Every Law has its consequences. [...] when you're browsing antiques, another mouth on your body yawns. Then a few hundred more [...] You don't hear the shopkeeper scream, [...] throw an antique [...] when your mouths are shut again, you still have the antique, and this bump on your head [...]"''</ref> Alternatively, it may turn the reader into a compulsive liar.<ref name=":11">{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Encourage_her_to_read_the_stones_3|Encourage her to read the stones 3|Fallen London|}} ''"[...] a half-law has been enacted: [...] No truth shall be spoken— [...] the Deviless collapses [...] "I'd never trade you for a penny and call it a deal." [...] You now have 1 x Dishonest Deviless"''</ref> This law is actually an incomplete "half-law,"<ref name=":11" /> as it was damaged with a pickaxe by an unknown party<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Read_the_language_on_the_stones_(Tied)|Read the language on the stones (Tied)|Fallen London|}} ''"Something is wrong. You can't read these stones. Someone has defaced the sigils with a pickaxe."''</ref> during Hell's latest excavation of the Hurlers.<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Find_the_Caprine_Vagabond_in_the_herd_4|Find the Caprine Vagabond in the herd 4|Fallen London|}} ''"[...] I've never seen a Discordant Law do that before. [...] It's probably to do with Hell's last excavation. They did more damage than anyone else [...]"''</ref> Before it was damaged, the law forbade "speaking more than one truth with the same mouth"<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Claim_curiosity|Claim curiosity|Fallen London|}} ''"[...] Cornelius' experiment [...] invoked a power against speaking 'more than one truth with the same mouth.'"''</ref> - either by removing the mouth or growing a new one.<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Meditate_upon_the_Discordant_Law_(Discordant_Law_5-6)|Meditate upon the Discordant Law (Discordant Law 5-6)|Fallen London|}} ''"[...] one Discordant Law had its grammar damaged. It used to prevent a single mouth from voicing opposing ideas. Typically by removing a speaker's mouth entirely, or by spawning additional mouths."''</ref> | ||
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=== Frozen Thoughts === | === Frozen Thoughts === | ||
<blockquote>''"No couple shall ever quarrel. No country shall secede from the kingdom. No comrades shall find themselves separated. No music shall lack harmony."''<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Encourage_her_to_read_the_stones_2|Encourage her to read the stones 2|Fallen London|}}</ref></blockquote> | <font color="b3e4ff"><blockquote>''"No couple shall ever quarrel. No country shall secede from the kingdom. No comrades shall find themselves separated. No music shall lack harmony."''<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Encourage_her_to_read_the_stones_2|Encourage her to read the stones 2|Fallen London|}}</ref></blockquote></font> | ||
<blockquote>''"no bodies in disagreement shall be in disagreement"''<ref name=":6" /></blockquote> | <font color="b3e4ff"><blockquote>''"no bodies in disagreement shall be in disagreement"''<ref name=":6" /></blockquote></font> | ||
[[File:Discordant law 2.png|alt=Two people gossiping.|thumb|Perfect serendipity.]] | [[File:Discordant law 2.png|alt=Two people gossiping.|thumb|Perfect serendipity.]] | ||
This law becomes legible when the first circle does not win.<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Read_the_language_on_the_stones_(Victorious_Second_Circle)|Read the language on the stones (Victorious Second Circle)|Fallen London|}} ''"You've gained 1 x Frozen Thoughts"''</ref> When read, the reader's skull feels frozen, and they will find any action or experience "agreeable."<ref name=":9">{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Read_the_language_on_the_stones_(Victorious_Second_Circle)|Read the language on the stones (Victorious Second Circle)|Fallen London|}} ''"Your skull is chilled [...] It is the most agreeable sensation in the world. Other things are agreeable too. [...] Things that repulsed you, [...] You're much more agreeable yourself. [...] people might give you anything, simply because. And you might give them anything too, [...]"''</ref> They may provide services or favors to others for seemingly no reason,<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Discordant_Ripples_(Frozen)_3|Discordant Ripples (Frozen) 3|Fallen London|}} ''"Every Law has its consequences. [...] the fine you're required to pay after confessing [...] to a crime that you didn't commit. [...] you can't help agreeing to every point the Prosecution raises. You confess to committing a few other crimes too [...]"''</ref> and others may do the same for them.<ref name=":9" /><ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Discordant_Ripples_(Frozen)_2|Discordant Ripples (Frozen) 2|Fallen London|}} ''"Every Law has its consequences. Just because you don't have reservations [...] doesn't mean you won't be seated [...] just because the prices on the menu are so high [...] doesn't mean you'll be forced to pay them. The manager [...] presents you with two complimentary bottles, and only wonders why after you're gone."''</ref> | This law becomes legible when the first circle does not win.<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Read_the_language_on_the_stones_(Victorious_Second_Circle)|Read the language on the stones (Victorious Second Circle)|Fallen London|}} ''"You've gained 1 x Frozen Thoughts"''</ref> When read, the reader's skull feels frozen, and they will find any action or experience "agreeable."<ref name=":9">{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Read_the_language_on_the_stones_(Victorious_Second_Circle)|Read the language on the stones (Victorious Second Circle)|Fallen London|}} ''"Your skull is chilled [...] It is the most agreeable sensation in the world. Other things are agreeable too. [...] Things that repulsed you, [...] You're much more agreeable yourself. [...] people might give you anything, simply because. And you might give them anything too, [...]"''</ref> They may provide services or favors to others for seemingly no reason,<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Discordant_Ripples_(Frozen)_3|Discordant Ripples (Frozen) 3|Fallen London|}} ''"Every Law has its consequences. [...] the fine you're required to pay after confessing [...] to a crime that you didn't commit. [...] you can't help agreeing to every point the Prosecution raises. You confess to committing a few other crimes too [...]"''</ref> and others may do the same for them.<ref name=":9" /><ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Discordant_Ripples_(Frozen)_2|Discordant Ripples (Frozen) 2|Fallen London|}} ''"Every Law has its consequences. Just because you don't have reservations [...] doesn't mean you won't be seated [...] just because the prices on the menu are so high [...] doesn't mean you'll be forced to pay them. The manager [...] presents you with two complimentary bottles, and only wonders why after you're gone."''</ref> | ||
Revision as of 16:25, 29 July 2023
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WARNING: Beyond this point lie spoilers for the Discordant Studies storyline from Fallen London. Do not proceed forward. You can find out more about our spoiler policy here. |
"Nothing is native to this desolate wasteland. Candles struggle to burn: flames have been known to freeze on their wicks. Walk a little, and you'll find a lone encampment where an old goat-demon tends a dying fire. Walk any further than that, and you may not come back."[1]
The Hurlers are two circles of standing stones overlooking a frozen wasteland in the Hinterlands. Against all common sense, they are the eighth station of the Great Hellbound Railway.
Desolation
"When the Masters bought London, the Hurlers weren't part of the deal. That's why the Hurlers are here. If they are. What is and is not here isn't so easy to confirm."[2]
The plain surrounding the Hurlers is one of the coldest places in the Neath,[3] which makes for a perilous environment[4][5] with minimal infrastructure.[6] The creeping frost produced by such low temperatures can smother flames,[7] poses a constant threat to structures,[8] and will quickly kill anyone unprepared.[5] In spite of the dangers involved in turning a profit, Mr Stones has an interest in this place,[9] as it seeks stones which "unmake boundaries."[10] As a whole, there is very little life present, barring the goat-demons grazing nearby: both on the few plants that grow here, and on the numerous bones strewn about.[11]
Hell has an interest in studying the Hurlers and excavating the region,[12] but their attempts to do so have all failed, and the surviving archeologists were left unable to recall any details.[13] Bizarrely, the few notes that remain only describe what the explorers "did not find."[14] During their latest expedition, Hell cut a deal of unknown terms with Mr Stones, but this may not have worked out well for them.[15]
Landmarks
"An 'adulterine' castle is a castle constructed without royal consent."
"No consent whatsoever. Illegal by all definitions, and in every sense. Luckily, no such castle has ever been constructed in this demesne. But there are ruins. There, past the Hurlers. Through the ice. Around the lake."[16]
Within walking distance from the station is a dilapidated encampment from Hell's most recent expedition,[17][18] inhabited by an exceptionally large goat-demon called the Caprine Vagabond.[19][20] The Vagabond claims to have "no reason" for residing here,[21] and insists it is not a spy;[22] regardless of its reasons, it directs those seeking knowledge of the Discordance to their destination: the Adulterine Ruins.[23]
The Adulterine Ruins are located near a frozen lake,[24] and are inhabited by a single Steward of the Discordance.[25] She claims her job is to keep wanderers away from the the Hurlers and its dangers, but she is oddly chatty and fond of card games and gossip.[26] She may ordain new Stewards herself, but the price for doing so is high.[27][28]
Beneath the frozen lake,[29] the Adulterine Castle does not exist,[30] and the lake's surface is not its gateway.[31]
The Standing Stones
"Two stone circles crowd the hilltop. You cannot say, without a doubt, how many stones are standing in each circle. It should be easier to count them. Easier to read the language carved into their faces, etched as deeply as life can carve lines in a person's face. But they are patient. They do not mind waiting. They have all the time in the world."[32]
"This is a game that never ends, just as it never began. It isn't played by two teams, and the manner in which their players are arranged, which depends on whichever team isn't winning, doesn't determine how the Hurlers are also arranged. Because these are the Hurlers. Because there is no difference between the standing stones atop the hill, and these goat-demons."[33]
The Hurlers themselves, also called the Standing Stones, are arranged in two circles atop a hill overlooking the frozen lake.[34][35] They were not part of the Masters' deal to buy London, but they may or may not be down here anyway.[36] Their number cannot be counted accurately, and their arrangement changes even if they do not actually move.[37][38] The sigils etched upon their surface entice travelers to read them,[39][40] and the stones have the airs of whispering, mischievous specters.[41][42]
The sigils written on the Standing Stones are letters of the Discordance, which are the source of the frost that has glaciated the nearby landscape.[43][44] The stones are currently scrambled, and their writings are unreadable.[45] Someone not in the Adulterine Castle may see the Hurlers from below the frozen lake's surface; from this view, the stones appear to be goat-demons - because the "Hurlers" are two circles of stones, and two teams of goat-demons, simultaneously.[46][47] These goat-demons are not playing Hurly-Burly,[48][49] and they are not spectated by Stewards of the Discordance who place bets on the game's outcome.[50] The winning team does not determine the final positions of the Hurlers,[51][52] spelling out three possible Discordant Laws.[53]
The Hurlers were created when a binary Judgement, now called the Black,[54] was erased from history and reality along with its court.[55][56] The Black's courtiers, now known as goat-demons, were entertainers who played Hurly-Burly. It is implied that many of these courtiers were transformed into stones when their court was erased from existence, but their "shadows" continue to play regardless.[57][58]
The Three Discordant Laws
Someone Following You
"No monarch shall lack a court; no traveller shall lack a companion; no lover shall lack a lover; no solitude shall be sanctioned."[59]
no single thing shall be a single thing[53]
This law is readable when the second circle of the Hurlers does not win.[60] When read, the reader is typically duplicated;[61][62] their double has full autonomy and is indistinguishable from the original.[61][63]
This law does not allow anything singular to exist, so it can duplicate memories, ideas, or any object or being, including goat-demons and Stewards of the Discordance. In fact, when this law was first read, it mandated that another Discordant Law exist, which is why the Hurlers have two stone circles.[64][65]
Another Mouth
"No poet shall compose different – No bird shall – No bird – No truth shall be spoken – " [66]
"no mouth shall – no mouth – "[53]
This law becomes legible when neither circle wins.[67] When read, the reader sprouts several new mouths, which initially fade away but may reappear at any moment.[68][69] Alternatively, it may turn the reader into a compulsive liar.[70] This law is actually an incomplete "half-law,"[70] as it was damaged with a pickaxe by an unknown party[71] during Hell's latest excavation of the Hurlers.[72] Before it was damaged, the law forbade "speaking more than one truth with the same mouth"[73] - either by removing the mouth or growing a new one.[74]
During the construction of the Moloch Line, the Tracklayer's Union reached the Hurlers.[75] Their Supervising Deviless demanded that the tracklayers catalogue and excavate the stones, but Furnace Ancona refused due to the risks.[76] However, the Deviless goaded Cornelius into reading the stones anyway, causing an accident that impacted everyone nearby.[77] Cornelius temporarily died of frostbite,[78] and gained numerous extra mouths on his face that build upon one another's statements.[79][80] Furnace was also affected,[81] and when she tried to advocate for ideologies she did not agree with,[82] she grew extra faces to speak for those ideologies instead.[83][84]
Frozen Thoughts
"No couple shall ever quarrel. No country shall secede from the kingdom. No comrades shall find themselves separated. No music shall lack harmony."[85]
"no bodies in disagreement shall be in disagreement"[53]
This law becomes legible when the first circle does not win.[86] When read, the reader's skull feels frozen, and they will find any action or experience "agreeable."[87] They may provide services or favors to others for seemingly no reason,[88] and others may do the same for them.[87][89]
This law may also cause two separate beings to fuse together,[90] compel nations to end conflicts, or form alliances preventing conflicts. Two things that are now one technically have no disparate views, so at its extreme, this law may merge everything into one. Despite its unnerving effects, the law is illegal for a rather simple reason: without any conflict, a kingdom means nothing.[91]
Real-Life Inspirations
The Hurlers are a group of stone circles located in Cornwall, England. While they're depicted in Fallen London with two circles, the real Hurlers have three. Folklore has it that the stones were once men who played the Cornish game of hurling on a Sunday, and were transformed as punishment. Legends also say it is impossible to accurately count the number of stones.[92]
References
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