"The interpreter of dreams, London's premier and only consultant on matters oineronautical. His time is at a premium, but his insights are invaluable."[3]
Dr. Schlomo is one of London's most enigmatic figures. As an exile from Vienna[4]—likely due to the city's brewing revolution and possible involvement in The Great Game[5]—he now dedicates his days to unraveling the complexities of the subconscious. He listens to the psychological foibles of others, offering insights into the dreams and inner workings of the city's denizens.[6] His words provide comfort to his patients, even if they rarely understand what he’s actually saying.[7]
Despite his expertise, Dr. Schlomo is sometimes prone to jumping to wild conclusions.[8][9][10] He studies and publishes the dreams of his patients under a pseudonym, provided they give consent.[11] However, if a dream is entirely fabricated, he’ll still publish it—he can’t really tell the difference.[12] His work has even drawn the interest of advertisers, who study his theories on psychoanalysis to refine their craft.[13]
Dr. Schlomo possesses knowledge of The Correspondence[14] and has a deep—though not unparalleled—understanding of Parabola. He walks wakeful in dreams, but he does not quite reach the level of a Silverer.[15][16] His expertise in dreams has also made him aware of a certain consumed individual[17] and the fate that befell him.[18][9] Should the topic arise, however, his reaction will be nothing short of violent.
Intriguingly, the Doctor is acquainted with at least two of The Masters of the Bazaar—most likely Mr Spices and Mr Wines, given their conflict over the domain of dreams.[22][23][24] However, he clearly favors only one of them[25]—probably Spices, as Dr. Schlomo does have a fondness for stimulants.[26]
Historical Inspirations
Dr. Schlomo is a homage to Sigmund Freud, the real-life founder of psychoanalysis, whose full birth name was Sigismund Schlomo Freud.
Freud fled to London in 1938 due to the Nazi annexation of Austria. And while his fictional counterpart’s departure from Vienna occurred much sooner and for different reasons, it mirrors the revolutionary climate Freud lived through and the real-world power struggles that shaped his life.
Dr. Schlomo's title as "the Interpreter of Dreams" directly references Freud’s most famous work, The Interpretation of Dreams (1899), which laid the foundation for modern psychoanalysis. In this book, Freud argued that dreams reveal unconscious desires and internal conflicts. He was known for his deep confidence in his theories, but he also made speculative and sometimes controversial conclusions—such as the Oedipus complex and the concept of repressed memories.
Additionally, Freud was an early proponent and user of cocaine, believing it had beneficial psychoactive properties. He used it both personally and professionally before its addictive nature became widely recognized.
↑The Interpreter of Dreams, Fallen London"Dr Schlomo, the Viennese Exile, ravels up nightmare-skeins and ensures restful sleep. He also says things about things. Some of them are interesting, some are fashionable, some might even be true."
↑The Interpreter of Dreams, Fallen London"Dr Schlomo, the Viennese Exile, ravels up nightmare-skeins and ensures restful sleep. He also says things about things. Some of them are interesting, some are fashionable, some might even be true."
↑Ask for help with the nightmares, Fallen London"From somewhere behind your head, Dr Schlomo listens to your tales. "The symbolic, not the actual. A dream conflict is just that. A game writ large. A grand game." He sounds wistful."
↑A Certain Doctor, Fallen London"Dr Schlomo is one of London's most enigmatic figures. He spends his days listening to the psychological foibles of others. But does he have anyone to listen to his own?"
↑Tell him about your dreams of war-games, Fallen London "[…] "I see," he says. "A bad experience with a chessboard in your past, perhaps? Were you hit on the head with one? Or did one feature in your... development?" You can't see the good doctor's face, but he sounds as if he is leering."
↑ 9.09.19.2Describe your dreams of water, Fallen London"[…] North […] The aeons-old burial. The frozen granite. The Eaten one. The poison, welling each day from the same source… I knew a woman who told me curious things about wells. I do not entirely trust her. But I'll speak to her of what you dreamed."Connected: The Duchess is increasing…
↑ 10.010.1Tell him about your dreams of weather, Fallen London"[…] The victim, buried beneath mountains of granite and centuries of ice, weathered into near-oblivion. There is not even silence in the mountains. Was it even a kind of judgement? I don't know. But I think I am acquainted with someone who will."You've gained 1 x Favours: The Church
↑Look around the office, Fallen London"The Naga Agency is crisply decorated; expensive without being ornate. The only embellishments are framed posters from past campaigns, and a bookshelf stuffed with works on art, history, and the burgeoning field of psychoanalysis. Dr Schlomo's complete works are present, bristling with bookmarks."
↑Read the Doctor's writings, Fallen London"Doctor Schlomo has written prodigious amounts on the subject of the human mind. (On the mind of a Master, on the other hand, he remains silent.) You read as much of it as you can take, and gain some insights - of the Correspondence, for example, he says, 'Such an alphabet shapes the world around it, rather than reflecting it; it is no mere method of ordering thoughts, it composes and creates them of its own accord.' Or there is this, on the subject of dreams. 'It was once thought that dreams were the product of nature, of the mind itself. But the sensations that accompany certain kinds of dreams are so common to all men that I cannot but conclude that they are sharing in a commonality of experience in a common space. I shall describe this conclusion further in the chapter on Parabola.' But there is no such chapter in the book, or in any other that you can find."
↑Ask for help with courage, Fallen London"From somewhere behind your head, Dr Schlomo listens to your tales. "Forget the deep sea swell. Dream-water cannot drown. That which is eaten cannot rise to the surface. Fear not." Whatever that means, it's comforting."
↑Interrogate a patient, Fallen London"Dr Schlomo's client list includes many of Fallen London's great and good, but it's proving difficult to find anyone willing to talk about his methods. People seem almost superstitiously afraid to discuss it."
↑Describe your dreams of dead men, Fallen London"[…] The living trapped in a grave, rotting from the inside, yes. Eaten by moths like silken bandages. A wicked pack of cards. What you have to say supports a theory held by a very dear, very old friend of mine. Very dear. Very old."You've gained 1 x Favours: Tomb-Colonies
↑Describe your dreams of mirrors, Fallen London""The Glass. Yes." […] "The…ahem…love…of Self. The wish for understanding. The vampire. The other Self. The leaves of Parabola. Vials of ivory and coloured glass. Perhaps you should avoid Mahogany Hall for now. But I do have acquaintances who'll find this interesting…"You've gained 1 x Favours: Bohemians
↑Decipher the cipher, Fallen London"The book includes an account of the early days of the Bazaar, including fascinating hints that there's a feud between Mr Spices and Mr Wines. Someone will pay well for this."
↑Ask for help with courage 2, Fallen London"From somewhere behind your head, Dr Schlomo listens to your tales. 'The elemental struggle. The titanic contest for power. The courage of battle. Do we find more fire in wine or honey? Who contends? Will you?'"
↑Keep watching 1, Fallen London "[…] the balance shifts. A layer of ice is spreading across the sea […] The lava streams become glaciers, flowing upwards. […] Worse, though, is the sense that there is a battle here: there is a terrible awareness in the fire, and its match and peer in the ice…"
↑Tell him about your dreams of ice and fire, Fallen London"From somewhere behind your head, Dr Schlomo listens to your tales. "A paradox. The irresistible force and the immovable object. The vine and the honey-bee: so many centuries of conflict! At the violet hour, two of Dionysus' many faces. Entwined, symbiotic, in an orbit of hatred whose parabola describes fixated love... I can think of two who might be interested in the details of this. But perhaps I should tell only one, heh heh.""Connected: The Masters of the Bazaar is increasing…
↑Dr Schlomo, Fallen London"The essence of good analysis is clarity. So I must tell you that I require three things in your company. That you do nothing to embarrass me. That your behaviour continues to be interesting enough to validate my time in studying you. And that you provide me with more of that superlative tobacco."
