A thread for the tiny epiphanies one has or has previously had about Fallen London and the Sunless universe.
To cite the description of r/Showerthoughts, shower thoughts are
For example,
Of course the Notability grind is one of the most soul-crushing and frustrating endeavors in all of Fallen London - it’s sponsored by none other than Hell itself.
Remember, be respectful and have fun!
If one were to knock on wood for luck seven times, would it bring bad luck in the Neath and/or terrify others?
If a tree falls over in Parabola and no one is around, does it exist?
Soulless Showerthoughts:
What if a Soul that was thrown into the Lacre was mine? Can I use Lacre as Soul then or someone else’s Soul like a Pentecost Ape?
Who is London’s Ambassador to Hell? What did he do to deserve being posted to literal hell?
edited by The Stranger Man on 1/9/2019
I’m on Polythreme now. The game mechanics are a bit frustrating and limiting. However, that fits thematically with the place. Polythreme is supposed to feel barren and rather dull compared to all the other Zee locations. After all, there are only Clay Men and clothes-colonies that don’t really have their own agency and purpose apart from the King of a Hundred Hearts.
The game experience supports this atmosphere to a tee. One may be vexed by the game mechanics of Polythreme, but one is meant to be vexed. If not much happens there lore-wise, it makes sense that not much can happen there game-wise too. So, I’m vexed, but I also can’t help but respect in-game Polythreme for what it is.
If Hell had a single casualty during the War of '68, everyone would’ve known what the devils really are.
[quote=Vega]
The game experience supports this atmosphere to a tee. One may be vexed by the game mechanics of Polythreme, but one is meant to be vexed. If not much happens there lore-wise, it makes sense that not much can happen there game-wise too. So, I’m vexed, but I also can’t help but respect in-game Polythreme for what it is.[/quote]
This is on point. During normal gameplay, I’ll happily inflict great pain and loss upon my character, if it fits by current metagame goals; often even without pausing to consider the consequences, in cases where it becomes routine (for example, during the early stage of Seeking while playing through the UP cards every week: yes, yes, I just clicked on an action that apparently made me eat my own teeth, done that before and will do it again, now let’s scarf down some formless lumps and then time for archeology!).
Polythreme is the one exception to this: I, the player, experience all the frustration a normal character trying to achieve anything while there would feel, and share my own character’s intense dislike (perhaps, even, burning hatret) of being there. It is the one place I avoid like the plague, not because of some mechanical out-of-universe reason, but solely because of what the place is, and without any effort whatsoever on my part to roleplay.
I’d never thought of it that way before; you just vastly raised my respect of the place. (Still not going there, though.)
edited by Dudebro Pyro on 2/16/2019
We all know the devils are the agents of Hell, but what if the rubbery men are in fact the secret agents of Heaven?
Οοοh. I could believe that, with their hymns and so on. But… we do know a bit of their true provenance, and their Heaven is such only in a very literal sense.
[quote=misericordius]We all know the devils are the agents of Hell, but what if the rubbery men are in fact the secret agents of Heaven?[/quote] As is befitting of the Judeo-Abrahamic mythology from which they’re derived, though, the devils of Hell are not quite so different from the merciless Heavens.
Do Rattus Faber that wear suit sometimes wear suits made from human skin like we wear Rattus Faber suits?
Yes.
If one were brave enough to milk an Overgoat/Übergoat/Heptagoat, could one even safely drink it?
Or if one managed to kill one, would their skin/hide make a good suit?
So many souls have burnt their names with Salt in Frostfound. The traveller is always returning. The time is no time. The time is fire. The time is a wheel. The way we pronounce Salt is a result of time, and for a wheel the true name of Salt must be, “alts”. Yes.
Where do all the weasels and bats given to the Boatman go? Do the people in the Royal Bethlehem know why they’re there? Will the Merry Gentleman ever leave me alone so I stop feeling bad for being impolite and not greeting him? Do things in Parabola dream of the real world? If a bat falls down a well and no one’s around to hear it, does it really die?
To seek, one must give up their own name. Therefore, the Name is that of all those who sought it.
What did the First, Second and Third Cities call the Masters? "Mr" is an english convention, and the Fourth City called them "Khans". Maybe in the Second City they were called Pharaohs (Pharaoh of Wines, Pharaoh of Spices etc). That would mean (SMEN spoiler) Mr Eaten might not have even been called Mr Candles, since the english language didn’t even exist during the time of the first two cities.
Considering all the machinations of the heavens, the phrase "you must be yanking my chain" has a much more sinister connotation in London.
“I’d sell my soul for you.” Can be interpreted and done literally down here…