"Whatever you think you remember, the first step is to remember that you don't."
WARNING: Beyond this point lie spoilers for the Discordant Studies storyline from Fallen London. Do not proceed forward.
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"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."[1]
"Nothing is out here but you, the darkness, and the cold. Close your eyes, and you can imagine you're nowhere at all. Open them, and you can see the crystals within crystals, the fractals within fractals, that radiate across the lake. Their exact delineations, their perfectly formed patterns, express a mathematical precision as frigid as it is flawless."[4]
The plain of the Hurlers is one of the coldest places in the Neath;[2] its frigid conditions can smother flames[5] and will very quickly kill anyone without a dependable source of heat.[6] As such, the region is incredibly hazardous to develop[7] and has minimal infrastructure.[8] However, Mr Stones has an interest in this place,[9] as it seeks "a stone that unmakes boundaries."[10] As a whole, there is very little life present; goat-demons graze on the myriad bones strewn across the land, as well as what little vegetation can survive in these conditions.[11]
Hell attempted to excavate the Hurlers several times; every attempt failed, and the survivors were left unable to recall the details of each expedition.[12] The only notes that remain describe what the archaeologists "did not find."[13] During their last attempt, Hell also tried to make a deal of unknown terms with Mr Stones.[14]
Landmarks
The nearest inhabited structure in the vicinity is a ruined encampment from Hell's most recent expedition.[15][16] It is inhabited by the Caprine Vagabond, an exceptionally large goat-demon.[17][18] The Vagabond claims to have "no reason" to reside here,[19] and insists it is not a spy.[20] It directs anyone seeking knowledge of the Discordance toward a nearby ruin.[21][22]
The Adulterine Ruins are located near a frozen lake.[22] The only living being here is a single Steward of the Discordance;[23] she tries to direct wanderers away from the dangers of the Hurlers,[24] but she is also chatty and fond of card games and gossip.[24] One foolhardy enough to stay a while may be ordained as a new Steward in her presence, though the price to pay is high.[25][26]
The Hurlers themselves are a set of giant standing stones atop a hill, arranged in two circles.[30] They were not part of the Masters' deal to buy London, but for some reason, they are in the Neath anyway... sort of.[31] The number of stones cannot be counted accurately,[32] and their arrangement changes even if they do not actually move.[32][33] The sigils etched upon the stones entice travelers to read them,[34] like whispering, mischievous specters.[35][36] These sigils are letters of the Discordance,[37] which are also the source of the powerful frost that has frozen the landscape around the Hurlers;[38] however, the stones were recently scrambled, so whatever is written upon them is currently unreadable.[39]
Someone who is not in the Adulterine Castle may view the Hurlers from below the lake's surface.[40] From this vantage point, the stones appear to be goat-demons - they are both circles of stones and teams of goat-demons.[40][41] The goat-demons are not playing the game of Hurly-Burly,[42][43] and their games are not spectated by Stewards of the Discordance who place bets on the game's outcome.[44] The winning team does not determine the arrangement of the Hurlers,[45][46] which can spell out three distinct Discordant Laws.[47]
The standing stones of the Hurlers were created when the Black[48] and its court[49] were erased from reality and history.[50] The Black's courtiers, who are now known as goat-demons, played Hurly-Burly to entertain the court.[51] It is implied that many of these courtiers were transformed into standing stones when the court was erased from existence, but their "shadows" still play the game.[49][52]
Someone Following You
Frozen Thoughts
No Mouth Shall-
Real-Life Inspirations
The Hurlers are a group of stone circles located in Cornwall, England.[53] Legend has it that the stones were once men who played the Cornish game of hurling on a Sunday, and were transformed as punishment. Some also say it is impossible to accurately count the number of stones.
Given the location of the real-life Hurlers and lack of connection to the Traitor Empress, it is unclear how or why they (or something like them) would be transported to the Neath.
↑The Hurlers (Storylet), Fallen London"Beyond the station's huddled warmth, there is only darkness and ice. Beyond the darkness and ice, there are the standing stones [...]"
↑Establish a trading post, Fallen London"There are practically no marketable goods [...] but rocks, crystals, and rocks with crystals [...] the most obscenely wealthy Master of the Bazaar is interested in precisely such commodities."
↑Enter the private compartment, Fallen London""Interesting, these," says Mr Stones, toying with a Crystallised Curio. [...] "What wouldst thou pay, [...] for a stone that unmakes boundaries?" [...] "More," says Mr Stones. "Find more.""
↑Grazing Goat-Demons, Fallen London"Beside the tracks, goat-demons are munching on straggling briar patches. And on numerous bones protruding from the ground, which are vastly more pervasive [...] than any plant. "
↑Speak with the Disembarking Deviless, Fallen London"[...] At one point, Hell had an interest in excavating this region. But all their expeditions were called back. Those that survived couldn't even remember what they had discovered. [...] "
↑Speak with the Disembarked Deviless (Breaking 2), Fallen London""I've managed to acquire a few notes from previous excavations [...] the Deviless tells [...] "They aren't terribly informative. Rather than writing about what they found, the archaeologists seemed to write more about what they did not find. [...]"
↑Find the Caprine Vagabond in the herd 4, Fallen London"It's probably to do with Hell's last excavation. They did more damage than anyone else [...] Whatever deal they tried to cut with Mr Stones, I'm not sure it's worked out to their advantage. [...]"
↑Around the Embers, Fallen London"Shattered bricks enclose a shallow fire-pit, [...] an enormous goat-demon rakes the ashes with a cloven hoof."
↑The Caprine Vagabond, Fallen London"Even the goatiest goat-demons aren't this gargantuan. It's as if the Caprine Vagabond has grown as mountains grow [...]"
↑Discuss the encampment, Fallen London"There must be a reason that the Vagabond is camped alone out here. [...] "No reason," it finally says. "Nothing has a reason in this place. [...]"
↑The Adulterine Ruins, Fallen London"The Adulterine Ruins [...] someone lives here amongst the rubble. In a room less collapsed than the rest, [...] you find a single woman in monastic robes."
↑ 24.024.1Approach the Steward, Fallen London"A Steward of the Discordance [...] This area is dangerous. It's my job to keep people away. [...] tell me everything. It's been so long since I've heard any news! Then I'll have to drive you out, [...] Unless you'd care to play cards?"
↑Open your eyes, Fallen London"Stare into the lake's frozen surface. [...] You don't pass through the ice, and the ice doesn't lock overhead. [...] You haven't opened a doorway that cannot be closed. You haven't entered a castle that hasn't been built."
↑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."
↑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 [...]"
↑ 40.040.1Beneath 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."
↑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."
↑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, [...]"
↑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."
↑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."
↑Build the station at The Hurlers, Fallen London"January asks you a number of questions about the Hurlers. [...] she's looking to find out how much you know, rather than filling in her own information. "A light was quenched," [...] "Or the Hurlers wouldn't be out there now. [...]"
↑ 49.049.1Discordant Studies (Storylet), Fallen London""This court is all departed," says the Anchoress. "It never was a court." [...] Two holes, pricked close together, are a double star. No light twinkles through them. [...] "I saw the absence. Now you see it too.""
↑Discordant Studies (Storylet), Fallen London"Shadows trail you down the corridors, [...] they might have horns. They might have hooves. [...] "Not every courtier suffered the same fate," the Anchoress explains. "Some are different now, yet still the same. They entertained the court. They played a game." [...] Their shadows still play on the walls, passing a round silhouette back and forth. They move ahead, leave you behind, chasing the silhouette."
↑Discordant Studies (Storylet), Fallen London"[...] the Anchoress does come closer, walking toward the standing stones [...] They tower in the courtyard, on the playing field, atop the hill."
