"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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"Writers, actors, musicians, painters and other reprobates. There is a certain glamour in attic and gutter, but surely there are better ways to make a living."[1]
Bohemians are all manner of artists in London and the Neath, and in the Sunless Skies timeline, the High Wilderness.
Those known as Bohemians include writers,[3] painters,[4] musicians,[5] actors,[6] sculptors,[7] models,[8] and other artists and performers. They typically live modestly, as making a living as an artist is difficult even if the "starving artist" archetype carries its own romance.[9] Many are infamous for their eccentric behavior, though many others just want wine and payment for their trouble.[10] The Bohemians of London typically congregate at Veilgarden,[11] while the more famous perform at Mahogany Hall.[12] The most accomplished artists may be invited to present at the Shuttered Palace itself:[13] staging a play for the Empress is the apex of many artists' career,[14] though if she ends up displeased they will be due for the Tomb-Colonies.[15][16] The artists of the Neath are not restricted to London: they also form communities in places like Helicon House[17] and the town of Craithe near Balmoral.[18]
Bleed for your art.
The Neath opens up all sorts of avenues for artistic expression and innovation. These possibilities may be as simple as incorporating mushrooms into one's clothing[19] or painting Neathy landscapes and subjects,[20] but some artists prefer riskier endeavors, like incorporating the Correspondence in their music or using the fact that death is impermanent to stage performances with visceral realism.[21] Some artists go beyond eccentric and into the realm of genuinely threatening; one such group are the Set who pilot the deadly zubmarine called the Irrepressible near the Gant Pole.[22]
In the Sunless Skies timeline, artists continue to form communities in places like Titania[23] and Caduceus.[24]. Artistic tastes have shifted to account for the new environment of the High Wilderness,[25] and the Sovereign School was newly founded in the courts of Her Renewed Majesty. This school of art is patriotic and draws inspiration from the passage of time, such as clocks, hourglasses, or seasons. The Empress' own children support this school, and artists find it easy to obtain sponsorship and hope to impress the Empress herself.[26]
Bohemians and Parabola
"Prisoner's Honey might help with your ideas, but not reliably. And it doesn't encourage you to be productive."[27]
"Without fail, each of these bores credit a muse: a friend who pulled them out of dreams, and thrust them into the limelight. You, of course, have no need of such assistance. But what could such a friend do with your already prodigious talents?"[28]
Bohemians are infamous for their use of Prisoner's Honey, as honey-dreams are an excellent source of inspiration.[29][30] Some artists venture further and draw inspiration from Parabola itself. These include the Bohemian Sculptress, who uses the dream-energies of the Viric Jungle to find inspiration for her work,[31] and the performers of the Mirrored Salon at Helicon House.[32] Artists may also cross paths with the Fingerkings, and may end up possessed either inadvertently[33] or for seeking knowledge and status.[34] Notably, many artists credit the Ophidian Gentleman for their success.[35][36] Members of the Glass at Mahogany Hall work directly under the Fingerkings for their performances,[37] and are fiercely opposed by the Shroud in a perpetual conflict of magic and illusion.[38]
Schools of Art in the Neath
"Fallen London has its own artistic movements. Perhaps you ignore them, but they don't ignore you."[39]
The Nocturnals: Who prefer shades of midnight and the freedom of the dark
↑The Demi-Monde: Bohemians, Fallen London"Writers, actors, musicians, painters and other reprobates. There is a certain glamour in attic and gutter, but surely there are better ways to make a living."
↑Arrange a particularly Neathy tableau, Fallen London"The Indecisive Painter wishes to sketch London life at its eeriest. He has an infamous reputation for being difficult to work with however; you'll need to bribe the models."
↑Mahogany Hall (Gaining Access), Fallen London"The mesmeric marvels of Mahogany Hall are famed throughout Fallen London. [...] Boasting one of the most prestigious stages in all the city, Mahogany Hall is home to seances, illusions, acrobatics and even, on occasion, vaudeville."
↑A polite tap on the shoulder, Fallen London"Your early works impressed the Empress, and she doesn't even like mushrooms. So, get to it, would you? We can't wait to see what you come up with."
↑A heavyweight epic mocking the Empress, Fallen London"[...] A cannibalistic fiend, who sold her divine lands and now feasts on her children. [...] All eyes turn to the Empress. Offended? [...] She is in a beetroot-tinted, pop-eyed apoplexy. [...] the mob bays for your blood."
↑Upper River Artistry, Fallen London"The more Nocturnalist Bohemians have taken a liking to Ealing Gardens. [...] some indulge in lifelike portraiture of Rubbery subjects; some simply paint landscapes of the vista from Aescwine Hill."
↑Find volunteers willing to suffer for art, Fallen London"A Morbid Playwright has founded a movement to examine realism in theatre by staging actual deaths. The players recover after, of course; but most don't make it through rehearsals."
↑A Zubmarine surfaces!#Story description, Sunless Sea"The Irrepressible! The legendary vessel of the Pianolist! [...] a musical voice echoes in the dark [...] You have betrayers on board, of a Set untimely scattered. We would witness our betrayers taste betrayal. [...] Will you yield them to us?" The breezy musical voice shifts to the minor key. "Your immediate response is politely demanded.""
↑Valentine Square, Sunless Skies"An enclave of Bohemians have made it their home, seeking inspiration in the wildness of the Reach."
↑Write a Port Report, Sunless Skies"Poets and musicians write rhapsodies on roses that never appear. [...] Poets whisper to you of rites performed by the Thorn Maiden, of sunlight somehow brought into Eleutheria, of revels done when the roses fall."
↑The Celestials, Sunless Skies"In Old London, they wrote nostalgically of the Surface and the Sun. Now, they write of the Stars, and the Treasures of Heaven."
↑The Sovereign School, Sunless Skies"A new tradition, born in the Empress' Court. Their works are patriotic, [...] occupied with the iconography of time: clocks and seasons and sand and so forth. Members of the Sovereign School can find wealthy patrons. The dream is to catch the attention of the Empress herself. Some of her own children are luminaries of the school."
↑Your Salon: invite Silas the Showman as a guest of honour, Fallen London"Silas is a surprise. He arrives gravely sober, in immaculate evening-dress. He conducts an hour-long lecture on the wars of the Fourth City [...] The next day, he calls on you to apologise for missing the Salon. You are confused. He is confused."
↑The Serpent Muralist (10 FATE), Fallen London"This person must have sought Parabolan insight, hoping for some way to distinguish themselves in a scene already crowded by would-be Cartographers. They came back with a Fingerking behind their eyes."
↑Gifts from your Friends, Fallen London"Without fail, each of these bores credit a muse [...] You, of course, have no need of such assistance. But what could such a friend do with your already prodigious talents?"
↑Join the Cats in support of the Shroud, Fallen London"Mahogany Hall has long been the heart of a battle between the Glass and the Shroud. Accompany the cats in their business, and see how they battle back the influence of the Fingerkings."
