"There are some things we were not meant to know, they say. But you wouldn't be down here if you took that seriously."
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"The Great Hellbound Railway has crossed the threshold into Hell’s hinterlands. To get here, the tracks cut through a muddy and desolate heath, the landscape pitted with craters."[1]
"On the window, a sign proclaims the sale of Souvenirs & Mementos of the Campaign of '68."[1]
The Exiled Antiquarian
Moulin is a settlement surrounded by sprawling badlands,[2] under disputed jurisdiction.[3][4] The town's attractions are a pub called the Forked Tongue,[5] and an antique shop stocked with relics from the Campaign of '68.[6] This shop is managed by the Exiled Antiquarian, a deviless,[7] and her partner, the Wayward Historian.[8][9]
When the Great Hellbound Railway arrived,[10] Moulin was barricaded by the Ministry of Public Decency to prevent exploration of the nearby wastes.[11] The antique shop's owners rely on the waste's artifacts to make a living and protect themselves, so they want the barrier removed as soon as possible.[12][13]
The Moulin Waste
"The terrain in Moulin is muddy and treacherous; every square yard of ground has been ploughed under a dozen times by explosives and trampling boots."[14]
"Water flows oddly in the Moulin Waste, sometimes bubbling up through the surface of the muddy soil and streaking across the landscape in streams. The water's surface glows Viric; it sounds like murmured voices and out-of-tune violins."[15]
The Moulin Waste is said to be a battlefield of the Campaign of '68.[16] Accordingly, it is marred with craters[17] and equipment from the war.[18] Harsh terrain,[19]sorrow-spiders,[20] and the aftermath of Hell's weapons all endanger prospective spelunkers.[21]
Strangely, objects with no ties to '68 appear here, such as curios from the Fallen Cities,[22]Parabola,[23] or from across the Unterzee.[24] Even stranger, the Waste has a dream-like quality,[25] and streams of viric-tinged water flow throughout.[26]
The Wellspring of Moulin
"Are you quite sure you want to know this?"
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.
"The waters of the Moulin Waste, a diverted rivulet of the river through the Waswood, flow out of a mirror, into the cave, and up: Suffusing the soil with things that were nearly forgotten."[27]
"So yes, London fought Hell here. But 'here' has had additions."[28]
The Wayward Historian
The Moulin Waste's anomalies are caused by the Wellspring of Moulin,[29] an enormous mirror linked to the river of the Waswood. The Waswood is a Parabolan location of past and forgotten things, and its contents flow all over Moulin.[30][31] Because of this, Moulin is not solely a battlefield from '68; rather, it is saturated with many other traces of history and relocated relics. It is unclear if it ever "truly was" a battlefield.[32][33]
The Wellspring was set up by the antique shop's owners: the Historian sought material to work with, and the Antiquarian sought protection for the two of them. They struck a deal with the Fingerkings, and the end result was the Wellspring.[34] The Fingerkings pursued this because from their perspective, the Was is a form of Is-Not, and the Was flooding the Is implies the Is-Not rules the Is.[35] Confusing? Parabola is generally that way.
↑A Hamlet, Fallen London"[...] the tracks cut through a [...] desolate heath, [...] pitted with craters. [...] first stop [...] a [...] hamlet of [...] ramshackle houses."
↑Who built it?, Fallen London"[...] By Order of the Ministry of Public Decency, no Travel [...] Outside This Cordon. [...] Beyond it lies the Moulin Waste [...]"
↑The Exiled Antiquarian, Fallen London"This 'cordon' threatens our livelihood. [...] digging up the remains of the Campaign of '68 and delivering mementos [...] trade has afforded us [...] protection and [...] means to keep ourselves. [...]"
↑A Snap-Gap, Fallen London"The detonation of Hellish ordnance [...] left a crater [...] Inside [...] space is having a difficult time holding itself together."
↑A Viric River, Fallen London"Water [...] sometimes bubbling up through the surface [...] across the landscape in streams [...] The water's surface glows Viric; [...]"
↑What is the source of the water?, Fallen London"[...] source of the water flow is a mirror large enough for an elephant [...] waters [...] were diverted through this mirror. Across: the Waswood, the place in Parabola where present becomes past and past is forgotten."
↑The Waters of the Wellspring, Fallen London"The waters of the Moulin Waste, a [...] rivulet of the river through the Waswood, flow out of a mirror, [...] Suffusing the soil with things that were nearly forgotten."
↑Catch up with the Wayward Historian, Fallen London"The artefacts are [...] legitimate, [...] [...] Did London [...] fight Hell in this place? [...] "Of course. [...] much of 'this place' was carried in from the Waswood. [...] London fought Hell here. But 'here' has had additions."
↑Look for the fingerking, Fallen London"[...] a Historian [...] A Deviless cast out [...] one needing raw material for his work, the other seeking protection for them both. A bargain struck with the kings of Dream, and a large mirror brought to [...] the hinterlands."
↑Speak to a Fingerking, Fallen London"[...] the Moulin Waste is [...] a point where the Was drains out into the Is. An intentional creation. [...] A bargain struck [...] the snake concludes: "What is history if not a [...] dream? If the past rules the present, the Is-Not rules the Is.""
