The Moon: Difference between revisions
KestrelGirl (talk | contribs) Added science re: Cataclysm of Silver Tag: visualeditor |
KestrelGirl (talk | contribs) Moonlight visions of Hell have a writing inconsistency Tag: visualeditor |
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Moonlight also has a tendency to grant visions, affecting multiple senses,<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Darken_the_wood|Darken the wood|Fallen London|}} ''"For a moment you hear the thunder of cannon,"''</ref><ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Noises_from_Upstairs|Noises from Upstairs|Fallen London|}} ''"[...] wrap your fingers around it, and sense the chill. [...] it winks out of existence."''</ref> of an alternate timeline where certain events either did not occur or occurred differently.<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Explore_the_woods|Explore the woods|Fallen London|}}</ref><ref name = "marigold keeper">{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Present_the_Marigold_Menagerie-Keeper|Present the Marigold Menagerie-Keeper|Fallen London|}} ''"[...] you see the amphitheatre as it was, filled with devils watching two of their princes settle their differences [...]"''</ref> These hallucinations are based on location; for instance, moonlight released in [[Ladybones Road]] would depict Marylebone (specifically near the Marble Arch) in a version of [[London]] on the [[Surface]].<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Cut_with_Moonlight|Cut with Moonlight|Fallen London|}} ''"Moonlight burns on the marble of the arch. It limns the gallows in silver."''</ref> Moonlight visions are also possible outside of London, such as within the [[Marigold Station]] in the [[Hinterlands]].<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Present_the_Marigold_Menagerie-Keeper|Present the Marigold Menagerie-Keeper|Fallen London|}}</ref> | Moonlight also has a tendency to grant visions, affecting multiple senses,<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Darken_the_wood|Darken the wood|Fallen London|}} ''"For a moment you hear the thunder of cannon,"''</ref><ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Noises_from_Upstairs|Noises from Upstairs|Fallen London|}} ''"[...] wrap your fingers around it, and sense the chill. [...] it winks out of existence."''</ref> of an alternate timeline where certain events either did not occur or occurred differently.<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Explore_the_woods|Explore the woods|Fallen London|}}</ref><ref name = "marigold keeper">{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Present_the_Marigold_Menagerie-Keeper|Present the Marigold Menagerie-Keeper|Fallen London|}} ''"[...] you see the amphitheatre as it was, filled with devils watching two of their princes settle their differences [...]"''</ref> These hallucinations are based on location; for instance, moonlight released in [[Ladybones Road]] would depict Marylebone (specifically near the Marble Arch) in a version of [[London]] on the [[Surface]].<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Cut_with_Moonlight|Cut with Moonlight|Fallen London|}} ''"Moonlight burns on the marble of the arch. It limns the gallows in silver."''</ref> Moonlight visions are also possible outside of London, such as within the [[Marigold Station]] in the [[Hinterlands]].<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Present_the_Marigold_Menagerie-Keeper|Present the Marigold Menagerie-Keeper|Fallen London|}}</ref> | ||
The divergences of moonlight visions from reality appear to be centered around events of particular significance | The divergences of moonlight visions from reality appear to be centered around events of particular significance. The most prominent case is the [[Upstairs]] - the collective term for the imagined version of London that never Fell and remained on the Surface. This version of London also underwent a political upheaval by [[revolutionaries]], as well as other divergences from the known timeline.<ref name="long live the queen">{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Cut_with_Moonlight|Cut with Moonlight|Fallen London|}} ''"Septemberist traitors! Long live the Queen! Her Exiled Majesty!" [...] "He's gone all the way Upstairs, this one."''</ref> Depictions of Hell under moonlight are inconsistent, but in some examples, the use of moonlight at Marigold Station conjures a world where the [[Grand Devils]] were never defeated and deposed as rulers of [[Hell]].<ref name="marigold keeper" /> | ||
=== The Moonlight Trade === | === The Moonlight Trade === | ||
Revision as of 03:30, 14 October 2024
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Beyond this point lie major spoilers for Fallen London, Sunless Sea, Sunless Skies, or Mask of the Rose. This may include endgame or major Fate-locked spoilers. Proceed at your own risk. You can find out more about our spoiler policy here. |
"Dead leaves crunch underfoot. Something rustles ahead. You are soon far from the path and deep in the undergrowth. You turn a corner and find the trees ahead coated in silver. Hanging in the sky above is the moon, fierce and bright."[1]
The Moon is the sole natural satellite of the Earth. Its moonlight can show visions of an alternate version of London known as the Upstairs.
High in the Night Sky
"Even by night, the Port of Naples is alive with shouts and laughter and work-songs, the roar of engines. Brick warehouses loom over the moon-dazzled bay."[2]
The Moon is an enormous celestial body that orbits the Earth. It's well known for illuminating the night sky of the Surface,[2] and it periodically cycles through various phases, which in some cultures are used to determine the passing of months. These phases are reflected in mysterious trinkets called moon-pearls;[3] how exactly moon-pearls work is unknown, but they're precise enough to function as timekeeping devices in Fallen London and the Unterzee.[4] Moonlight is reflected sunlight,[5] and it can reveal strange visions of alternate timelines, most notably an alternate version of London that never fell to the Neath, known as the Upstairs.[6][7]
The Moon is the "sister-self" of the Creditor,[8][9] a being of earth that forms the ground of the Hinterlands.[10] In the past, the Creditor and the Moon were once a singular being that served a Judgement, likely the Sun. However, they were separated violently in a "cleaving birth"[11] - an event now referred to as the Cataclysm of Silver.[12] The Creditor's inner "flesh" strongly resembles the Moon,[8] and it too has a strange effect on sunlight as well as on moon-pearls.[5]
Moonlight
"The floor is silvered with spilling moonlight. It makes a ghost of your flesh and your eyes a lens to elsewhere."[13]
Moonlight in the Neath is not seen from the sky; rather, it is an illegal commodity smuggled in from the Surface.[14][15] Moonlight has a unique, silvery appearance,[13] and it is transported in devices called Mirrorcatch Boxes that use an array of mirrors to capture moonlight within.[16] The woods of Balmoral are bathed in perpetual moonlight,[17] as per the Empress' demand.[18] Exposure to moonlight in the Neath is considered risky, however, as moonlight can have bizarre, sometimes maddening, effects on those exposed to it.[19]
Moonlight also has a tendency to grant visions, affecting multiple senses,[20][21] of an alternate timeline where certain events either did not occur or occurred differently.[22][23] These hallucinations are based on location; for instance, moonlight released in Ladybones Road would depict Marylebone (specifically near the Marble Arch) in a version of London on the Surface.[24] Moonlight visions are also possible outside of London, such as within the Marigold Station in the Hinterlands.[25]
The divergences of moonlight visions from reality appear to be centered around events of particular significance. The most prominent case is the Upstairs - the collective term for the imagined version of London that never Fell and remained on the Surface. This version of London also underwent a political upheaval by revolutionaries, as well as other divergences from the known timeline.[26] Depictions of Hell under moonlight are inconsistent, but in some examples, the use of moonlight at Marigold Station conjures a world where the Grand Devils were never defeated and deposed as rulers of Hell.[23]
The Moonlight Trade
"London is home to an illicit, lucrative trade in Surface sunlight. Its quality varies, as can its effects. Be careful of sunshine laced with moonlight."[27]
London is home to a expansive sunlight trade that is as lucrative as it is illegal.[27] However, sunlight often must be harvested directly from the Surface,[28] which can be both dangerous and expensive.[29] Thus, using a method pioneered by the Cheery Man, sunlight traders may "cut" their sunlight with moonlight, which can have varying effects on the product.[30] Sunlight cut with moonlight is cheaper to import,[31] can last longer in the box, and is safer to transport as well.[32][33] Relying on this method can be risky, however, as customers who purchase such sunlight may still feel the effects of moonlight, visions and all.[34]
Certain charlatans and false-spiritualists utilize raw moonlight in their trickery to deceive their marks, as the settings and people seen in moonlight visions can easily be mistaken for those of the realm of the deceased.[35]
Lunacy
"Your friend has a bad case of the Upstairs, lads. Harmless enough now, at least for you. But what happens when he starts thinking you're all Constables? Or murderers?"[36]
"He's gone all the way Upstairs, this one."[36]
Besides causing visions, exposure to moonlight can cause other, sometimes dangerous, side effects. Objects in moonlight visions are palpable, but are not truly real or tangible;[37] thus, one cannot drown in water seen only in moonlight visions,[38] and objects perceived by a hallucinating individual will not be seen by outsiders,[39] and vice versa.[40] Moonlight visions can also be difficult to "see through", and can cause extreme disorientation if the individual attempts to view or interact with the real world with any sort of clarity.[41]
Furthermore, moonlight exposure can induce false memories,[42] and sometimes, the individual may be unable to distinguish the two worlds at all.[43] This can result in a similar effect to being honey-mazed,[26] and chronic exposure may make this ailment seem permanent.[44] Finally, like sunlight, moonlight can be lethal in extremely large quantities. Those who overdose on moonlight may die with their eyes wide open, their gaze appearing burnt, but perhaps also revelatory.[45]
Scientific Inspirations
While there may be other potential explanations, the Cataclysm of Silver fits into the giant-impact hypothesis. This hypothesis, which is currently the most thoroughly evidenced theory for the formation of the Moon, poses that an ancient planet called Theia collided with Earth, and the debris accumulated to form the Moon. A more recent investigation indicates that the remains of Theia are present on both Earth and the Moon.[46]
References
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