Arbor
"That night you go to bed in your usual fashion. Sleep comes easy – the moment you pass into dream is the hesitation between one heartbeat and the next.
There is a long road before you, paved with white stones. They bake beneath a dual sunlight: a queasy orange glow in the sky, and a brighter more insistent light from the south. The fields wilt all around."[1]
Arbor is a hidden city that lies within both Parabola and the Elder Continent.
Et in Arbor Ego
""This is Attar," she says. "It grows from dream. When you see wonders in our cities, you will accrue it. The more you have, the more you'll see. When you have enough— Ah, but I don't want to spoil the surprise. Suffice to say that Attar is prized above all else in Arbor.""[2]
Arbor is accessible via dreams, like most of Parabola.[3] Those who enter Arbor for the first time are greeted by the Herald of the Three Promises, a senior member of Arbor's court.[4] Arbor's primary commodity is Attar, a red, perfumed powder that accumulates within a dreamer's eyelids. A dreamer can gain Attar by seeing the wonders of Arbor, or by earning it, and they can either barter it for rewards,[2] or use it to fuel their dreams.[5] Attar is also occasionally consumed as a fine wine among the higher class.[6]
In recent years, Arbor had a set of new laws put in place, as per the Sequestration. These laws forbid the breaching of the Arbori boundaries, forbid the invasion of the dreams of serpents and require that they remain asleep, and forbids communication between different foreign parties.[2] Violating the Sequestration is one of Arbor's highest crimes, and is punished by the confiscation of Attar and exile.[7] Serpents are a rather common sight in Arbor; the population does not think well of them.[8]
Arbor consists of three territories. Two of them act as class divisions, but the third is... different, to say the least.[4]
Near Arbor
""Near Arbor. You'll enter there. It's quaint in its way. Labourers and merchants, mostly reside there. Those insufficiently attuned to wonder." She inclines her head, "And those who upset Her Roseate Majesty, I suppose. You'll see it first but, please, do not believe that it's all that we are.""[9]
Near Arbor is Arbor's poorer territory, home to merchants, laborers, and exiles. Those of a higher social class often look down on this area,[9] and many of the Near-Arbori strive to accumulate enough Attar to move up to Far Arbor, if they can.[10] Near Arbor can be accessed via the Gatehouse, and a marketplace of amusements, such as dice and cards, has been set up nearby. Visitors are monitored by the Huzzite Guard, who deport those who overstay their welcome.[11] Near-Arbori can be identified by their drab attire, in comparison to the gaudy fashions of the Far-Arbori.[12] The Far-Arbori who were exiled here have set up a marketplace in the southern district, called the Beggar's Bazaar, where they barter their riches in exchange for Attar.[13]
The northern district of Near Arbor is home to the Temple to the Unending Queen, Her Roseate Majesty, which commemorates the city's ruler and its victories.[14] Laborers here are locked in cages, and they dream of improvements to the temple. They cannot see their work; only those in Far Arbor can. Less fortunate laborers are forced to perform menial work, such as covering the Queen's statues with incense.[15] London also has an embassy here, which is packed with diplomats and spies. Information is traded here, and the embassy's windows are shuttered from the outside world.[16]
Far Arbor
""I shouldn't say much. You must glut yourself on our wonders to enter Far Arbor.""[17]
""I envy that you'll get to see it for the first time. I would give anything to do that again.""[17]
Far Arbor is Arbor's richer territory, and is much more opulent and luxurious compared to its counterpart. Far Arbor can be accessed by accumulating large quantities of Attar, upon which Near Arbor will fade from view and Far Arbor will become visible. Those who remain in Near Arbor are simply blind to Far Arbor's wonders;[18] according to the Herald, this is because they are "insufficiently attuned to wonder".[4] The Far-Arbori largely spend their time indulging in luxuries granted by their high amounts of Attar, as they are forbidden from working.[19] Within Far Arbor lies the Copper Fortress, where guests to the city can get to know the Huzzite Guard. The leader of the Guard is the Commander, "a man of majestic bearing and temperament".[20] Far Arbor is also home to the Edifice of the Unveiled Lie, which contains records of Arbori histories and artistry.[21] Nearby the Edifice lies the Forbidden Embassy, which was closed as ruled by the Sequestration. The Embassy is completely locked from the outside, and its floor is caked with snakeskins.[22]
The southernmost point of Far Arbor is where the palace of the Roseate Queen lies. The Queen's Peace acts as a minister of sorts, and he supervises the city's courts. People often come here to donate Attar to the Queen, and do not go unrewarded.[23]
The Third Arbor
""That was an error. We do not speak of the third Arbor. It is lost. It never was.""[24]
The currently unnamed third Arbor is mysterious and inaccessible. The Herald refuses to speak of it, only calling it an "error",[24] and a passage in the Edifice of the Unveiled Lie indicates that the third Arbor is held "captive".[21]
History
"In the small, mean days before Hallowmas, London finds itself plagued with dreams of falling roses. Citizens wake in their beds gasping, remembering a petal-fall of floral suffocation.
In the waking world, 'The Envoy' is sending out invitations to visit. She has recently arrived in London from the Elder Continent, and has a question that must be answered. When asked, where exactly, she's from, she answers that her city is 'Hidden.'"[25]
In 1896 during the festival of Hallowmas, Londoners were plagued by mysterious dreams of roses and petals.[25] Meanwhile, a woman only known as the Envoy has traveled from the Elder Continent, and has put out invitations to answer a certain question, Where did the Rosers go?[26]
The Rosers were a sect of artists and revolutionaries from the Fourth City. The Rosers taught the rose-rites to the people of the Fourth, and were responsible for expediting its end. They sought asylum in the hidden city of Arbor,[27] which historically took in many refugees of the Fallen Cities.[28]
As it turns out, the Envoy was sent by the Roseate Queen to ask a question that the Queen knew the answer to. The Queen did this to see if the people of London would be able to solve her puzzle, as preparation for Arbor's eventual opening.[29] She appointed two individuals to assist with this expenditure, and her ambassador and her witness are permitted to travel freely between London and Arbor.[30] The pair are charged with facilitating the relationship between the two cities, though their positions are largely ceremonial.[31]
References
- ↑ Dream of Arbor in the company of the Jovial Contrarian, Fallen London
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Ask about 'Attar', Fallen London
- ↑ A Dream of Roses, Fallen London
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 An Introduction to Arbor, Fallen London
- ↑ Enter the Forbidden Embassy, Fallen London "It does not matter. You are steeped in Attar. Dreaming a door is no obstacle this deep in Far Arbor."
- ↑ Wile away your time, Fallen London
- ↑ Witness a trial, Fallen London
- ↑ Serve as a Serpent-Shepherd, Fallen London
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Ask about the first Arbor, Fallen London
- ↑ Barter your Attar, Fallen London "Near-Arbori stalk through the bazaar, weighing these luxuries against the possibility of acquiring enough Attar to reach the far city."
- ↑ Near Arbor (Centre), Fallen London
- ↑ Take a short-cut north, Fallen London
- ↑ Barter your Attar, Fallen London
- ↑ Near Arbor (Temple), Fallen London "Its friezes commemorate the city's three greatest victories."
- ↑ Labour in the temple, Fallen London
- ↑ Visit London's Embassy, Fallen London "The windows are shuttered; candles and gaslight alone illuminate the gloomy decor."
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 Ask about the second Arbor, Fallen London
- ↑ Enter Far Arbor, Fallen London
- ↑ Serve as a Serpent-Shepherd, Fallen London
- ↑ Attend a reception at the Copper Fortress, Fallen London
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 Browse the Edifice of the Unveiled Lie, Fallen London
- ↑ Enter the Forbidden Embassy, Fallen London
- ↑ Gift your Attar in tribute to the Roseate Queen, Fallen London
- ↑ 24.0 24.1 Ask about the third Arbor, Fallen London
- ↑ 25.0 25.1 Hallowmas 1896: An Envoy from the Elder Continent, Fallen London
- ↑ Take a Wretched Mog, Fallen London
- ↑ Solve the Mystery of the Rosers, Fallen London
- ↑ The Envoy from Elsewhere 2, Fallen London "The Rosers fled long ago, but we were in Arbor first. Our kingdom borders dream. It has always taken in the refugees of your short-lived cities."
- ↑ Speak with the Roseate Queen, Fallen London ""I sent my Envoy to London to ask a question I knew the answer to." She smiles, bright as a cut diamond, "I wanted to see who could follow the trail. Who could understand the history of my city, and its relationship with your own.""
- ↑ An Embassy to London 2, Fallen London
- ↑ Be appointed Ambassador to Arbor, Fallen London "Your duties are explained: you will facilitate relations between Arbor and London. You will use the Envoy's premises for the purpose. There is a mirror in the ballroom: it will suffice. Your reputation in both cities will enjoy a substantial boost. Otherwise, your function is almost entirely, splendidly, ceremonial."
