Madame Shoshana

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"Who is Madame Shoshana? The Neath's most mystical fortune-teller. You can tell this by the number of silk scarves she wears, and the size of her crystal ball. She can be found in a stuffy little tent tucked away behind the Hall of Mirrors at Mrs Plenty’s. The secrets of the future can be yours! For a price."[1]

Madame Shoshana is a fortune-teller and clairvoyant who works at Mrs Plenty's Carnival.

Let Me Gaze Into My Crystal Ball...[edit | edit source]

"She is an expert on a half dozen mystical traditions and has extensive experience managing disappointed customers. Whether she actually believes in what she offers is unknown, but perhaps that's an advantage."[2]

Shoshana practices a variety of divination methods for the purpose of giving life advice: tea leaf reading, palmistry, tarot, crystal ball scrying.[3] Her repertoire even includes haruspicy — though in lieu of killing an animal, she prefers to scrutinize it with an intense gaze[4] or get spare entrails from the butcher.[5] However, with the help of dedicated students,[6] she is best known as the foremost expert in chiropteromancy:[7] divination based on the movements of bats.[8] Her fortune-telling tent is a sensory experience, filled with beaded curtains, the scent of perfumed incense, the sounds of wind chimes and a gramophone playing the eerie sounds of zee-creatures.[9] Alongside her in-person practice, Shoshana contributes a column to The Unexpurgated London Gazette.[7]

A crystal ball

The legitimacy of Shoshana's practices is often called into question, and she is often a subject of ridicule;[10] some have claimed she relies on prisoner's honey to augment her visions.[11] Shoshana adamantly insists against this[11] and maintains the veracity of her divinations. She admits that her interpretations are not always reliable,[12] but there might be a glimmer of truth to her prophetic abilities.[13] To bolster her credibility, she discreetly supplements her readings with information gathered from the Surface before it reaches local newspapers,[14] as well as implications from zee-captains;[15] this practice is an open secret among her most influential patrons, who help her keep it hidden.[16]

Over the years, Shoshana has provided readings for the likes of her employer Mrs Plenty,[17] Sinning Jenny, and even the Empress (by proxy).[18] She is closely associated with the Shroud, a collective of psychics and mystics operating out of Mahogany Hall,[19] and meets regularly with Dr Schlomo to discuss his specialty field of dream interpretation.[20] While Shoshana frequently complains about Mrs Plenty’s petty behavior and poor treatment of her, she is not without sympathy for her employer's checkered past.[17]

Mayoral Campaign[edit | edit source]

"A fortune-teller, card-reader and clairvoyant, Madame Shoshana is running against her employer, Mrs Plenty. She believes she has no choice: she's seen doom in the tea-leaves. She promises 'A Vision for London.'"[21]

Madame Shoshana's custom deck: The Neathy Tarot, Featuring All 77 of the Major Arcana.

In 1897, Madame Shoshana ran for Lord Mayor of London under the slogan "A Vision for London." Her campaign was driven by ominous visions she claimed to have received — foretelling the city in flames, lacre flooding the streets, and the French descending upon London.[22] She emphasized the importance of foresight and love as the keys to averting disaster,[23] though her proposals remained abstract,[24] and the only concrete policy she put forward was that she would work with the Ministry of Public Decency to provide "psychic protections."[22] Her campaign, managed by her fellow carnival employee Philonous the Uncanny,[25] found the most support among the melancholic and superstitious.[26]

Shoshana’s candidacy put her at odds with her employer, Mrs. Plenty, who was also running for Lord Mayor. Plenty publicly criticized her, calling her ungrateful and deceitful, though there was a hint of reluctant pride in seeing Shoshana strike out on her own.[27] In the end, both Shoshana and Plenty were defeated by Virginia. Shoshana expressed regret for running against her employer, but ended her campaign with a correct prediction of the opening of Arbor, which occurred later that year.[28]

Historical & Cultural Inspirations[edit | edit source]

Madame Shoshana's name is of Hebrew origin and she herself is acknowledged to be Jewish.[29] Shoshana means "lily" or "rose," it is still commonly used in Jewish communities, but outside of this context it has largely been supplanted by other forms of the name (like Susanna or Susan). While there is a long tradition of Jewish astrology and mysticism, traditional teachings prohibit divination and magic, so if Shoshana is Jewish, she is probably not observant.

Madame Shoshana is also a reference to the fortune-teller Madame Sosostris from The Waste Land, a poem by T. S. Eliot.[30]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ Visit Madame Shoshana, the Neath's Foremost Clairvoyante, Fallen London
  2. ↑ Invite Shoshana, Fallen London
  3. ↑ Visit Madame Shoshana, the Neath's Foremost Clairvoyante, Fallen London options: Have your tea-leaves read, Have your palm read, Try the tarot cards, See what the crystal ball can foretell
  4. ↑ Ask for an extispicy, Fallen London "[…] what she does do is stare very, very hard at a small goat that lives in the back of her tent. The goat seems perfectly healthy. Madame Shoshana pats him on the head affectionately and pronounces that you will find love and happiness. […]"
  5. ↑ Discover her plans for London (Madame Shoshana), Fallen London "...and when the butcher's been by, the odd bit of haruspicy."
  6. ↑ Assist a fortune-teller, Fallen London "You have to steal […] notes from a Chiropterochronometry student to provide Madame Shoshana with her information. She pays […] in secrets […] In her tent, you catch a glimpse of closely-written foolscap sheets, covered in intricate geometrical diagrams."
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Ask Madame Shoshana to cast your horoscope, Fallen London "Madame Shoshana is London's greatest Chiropteromancer - you can often find her predictions in the Gazette."
  8. ↑ Sidebar Snippets: Divination and chiropteromancy, Fallen London "The movements of bats up in the far reaches of the cavern roof are mysterious, but seasonal patterns can be observed. [...] Of course, Madame Shoshana and her ilk do not rely solely on these signs when foretelling the future; but chiropteromancy is one of the less messy means."
  9. ↑ Ask Madame Shoshana to share a confidence, Fallen London "Madame Shoshana is in her tent; you have to push through numerous beaded curtains and clouds of incense to find her. A gramophone plays the sound of wind-chimes mixed with the noises of deep-zee creatures."
  10. ↑ Make fun of Madame Shoshana, Fallen London "Many have gone before you; there are few avenunes to humour not well trod when it comes to the famous clairvoyant. Your observations will need to be incisive."
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Ask Madame Shoshana to share a confidence, Fallen London "Madame Shoshana is in a temper. "Did you hear what that brass harpy said?" she demands, "Me! Honey-mazed! The very idea! I come by my visions honestly." She sighs dramatically. [...] "I suppose I do sound a bit like an old fraud. But I'm telling the truth." She takes your hand. "You believe me – don't you?""
  12. ↑ Probe Madame Shoshana about the rumours, Fallen London "It's Madame Shoshana. "A flying visit, I'm afraid, I've a consultation imminently. But first, I wanted to reassure you. [...] I have, in the past, not always been accurate. Readings and visions require interpretation. Sometimes, I misunderstood what I saw. The past is a foreign country and its byways are shrouded in the mists of time, a veil I will not part. [...] My readings, however, are first rate. There's no one else in the city who can do what I can.""
  13. ↑ Probe Madame Shoshana about the rumours, Fallen London "She finishes playing with a deck of your cards. When she turns them over, you see three cards: each of which proves startlingly relevant to the rest of your day."
  14. ↑ Accept hush money from Shoshana, Fallen London "Madame Shoshana likes to appear prescient. Whether she has mystical powers or not, she gets some of her information from the surface. Before the newspapers have it. She would like this arrangement to stay out of the public eye."
  15. ↑ Madame Shoshana is seeking an Extraordinary Implication, Sunless Sea "Shoshana holds a mirror over her pot of tea. The steam fogs the glass. As is market tradition, you write your information into the condensation with a finger. When you have finished, there is a rustling beneath her scarves; a wrinkled hand emerges from the silk, and places a fat envelope next to the tea pot. "For the knowledge; and your silence.""
  16. ↑ Hand over your report to the Constables, Fallen London "There is no public outcry. No arrest. Nothing reported in the Gazettes. It seems that Madame Shoshana has influential patrons."
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 Ask Madame Shoshana for her opinion on Mrs Plenty, Fallen London "Madame Shoshana has a number of complaints: having to work long hours, with no recognition or respect. Mrs Plenty smokes her horrible pipe outside Shoshana's tent [...] But, Madame Shoshana is not without sympathy. She has drawn Mrs Plenty's past and future, many a time. It begins with darkness and ends in appetite."
  18. ↑ Assist in a private reading with Madame Shoshana, Fallen London "Madame Shoshana has an array of visitors: morning to midnight. [...] The more important customers come later, after Madame has put up the 'Closed' sign. Sinning Jenny [...] has a question about the past. It is her usual question, that she asks at this time every year. [...] Next, is the Veteran Privy Counsellor. Madame Shoshana anticipates his question, and lays out three cards. [...] "Tell Her M– Her. Mrs Plenty is the surest bet. Not the wisest. But the surest.""
  19. ↑ Working with the Cats, Fallen London "Assist a fortune-teller"
  20. ↑ Choose a Target: Madame Shoshana's Campaign, Fallen London "...you receive word of a standing dinner reservation at a small and anonymous restaurant. [...] it has been visited by Madame Shoshana, and Dr Schlomo. The restaurant is empty on these occasions, but careful observation reveals both leave these lengthy candlelit dinners with bulging notepads."
  21. ↑ Choose Madame Shoshana as your candidate, Fallen London "Madame Shoshana's supporters crowd the streets of Elderwick. Society matrons and flashy magicians eye each other cautiously. Anarchists, clergy and the occasional poet flit around the edges of the gloomy throng. Philonous the Uncanny, the carnival mesmerist, has a black rosette for you. "Glad to have you. Don't worry, no one here has been hypnotised." He winks, extravagantly. "I'm only here to shore up the good Madame's spirits. She carries the cares of London on her shoulders," he says, pinning the rosette to your collar. An urchin tugs your sleeve. "There's something for you in Mr Mirror's Marquee. You'll be picking it up shortly. I see'd it Shoshana's crystal ball.""
  22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 Learn more about Madame Shoshana's platform, Fallen London ""Madame Shoshana has been driven to seek office because of her dreams. She sees cities aflame, and falling to dust. She sees tides of Lacre. She sees the French falling in. She sees Berlin and Vienna, St Petersburg and Melbourne." As for what Madame Shoshana means to do to avert this danger, Philonous frowns. "London requires psychic protection. We mean for the Ministry to get involved.""
  23. ↑ Discover her plans for London (Madame Shoshana), Fallen London "It's about foresight. And love. Love will stave off the end. Of that, I am certain. I just don't know whose love, for whom. Or what. Still, I mean to work with concerned citizens to promote love, unity and guide people together. I am thinking of a title I saw in a dream. 'Madame Shoshana's Lost Hearts'."
  24. ↑ Madame Shoshana, Fallen London "Madame Shoshana announced her candidacy in the horoscopes page of the London Gazette: you will have the opportunity to vote for Shoshana in the upcoming Election. This was followed by a prediction that a woman would be the next mayor, and a warning that bats are in the Sixth House. She was forced to make a more specific pronouncement at Hastings Square. Here she warned of a general doom due to fall upon London and a specific and particularly nasty doom about to descend on Virginia. According to Madame Shoshana, London faces certain destruction. She's hazy on the details, but she is crystal clear that only London having a Mayor Shoshana will avert the disaster."
  25. ↑ Choose Madame Shoshana as your candidate, Fallen London "Philonous the Uncanny, the carnival mesmerist, has a black rosette for you. "Glad to have you. Don't worry, no one here has been hypnotised." He winks, extravagantly. "I'm only here to shore up the good Madame's spirits. She carries the cares of London on her shoulders," he says, pinning the rosette to your collar."
  26. ↑ Choose Madame Shoshana as your candidate, Fallen London "Madame Shoshana's supporters crowd the streets of Elderwick. Society matrons and flashy magicians eye each other cautiously. Anarchists, clergy and the occasional poet flit around the edges of the gloomy throng."
  27. ↑ Ask Mrs Plenty for her opinion on Madame Shoshana, Fallen London "In Mrs Plenty's esteemed opinion, 'that woman' is a liar, a charlatan, a no-good mountebank, an ingrate, biting the hand that feeds her, a mistress of chicanery and Judas reincarnated. Is Mrs Plenty actually proud of her?"
  28. ↑ Have a word with Madame Shoshana, Fallen London "I saw it coming [...] But I couldn't help myself. [...] I saw disaster if I didn't win. Disaster we shall have. [...] Or maybe if she'd just taken me seriously, she wouldn't have run against me. I shall have to have words. A bigger tent, at the very least. [...] Until we meet again. We're in for interesting times." She is about to go, when she turns back. "Be careful in Arbor, my dear.""
  29. ↑ Alexis Kennedy, Failbetter Games Forums "[...] We have two probably-Jewish characters (that I can think of) - Schlomo and Madam Shoshanna - and we’ve been accused of anti-Semitic stereotyping because ‘all [our] Jews are mystics.’ [...]"
  30. ↑ Alexis Kennedy, Failbetter Games Forums "[...] As it happens, Schlomo is Freud (minor spoilers there) and Shoshanna is a riff, like so much else, on the Waste Land, but even innocent intention can look weird on the Internet."
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