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Bedlam

Is where the souls of all True Fae who are stuck by Wayland blades or magic apparently go. I don�t think we know anything else about who or what else may be in Bedlam.
Bedlam may be a demi-plane. It is rumored to be a point between Fae and Hell. How or whether knowing this helps us is unclear.
The Wellman are apparently an Order that originally sealed up Bedlam �to protect mankind�. They will likely be opposing any effort to free anyone from Bedlam. �Mad Maudlin� is part of the Order. One theory on why she�s called �mad� is that she thinks being in Bedlam is a beneficial thing.
I personally feel that we need to look at alternative besides �opening up� Bedlam and letting everything that�s in there out, or that we at least need a better understanding of what�s in there and what unleashing them will do to us. I would not put it pasted the Fae to have manipulated us to the point where opening Bedlam seems like the only solution as a means to accomplish their own ends, which may not be a good for the rest of us.

Additional Information From Nero, 1/7/05

Bedlam is a place that cannot be seen. Even the gods will see anything in Bedlam as having been destroyed. At first, it appeared that the connection I was able to make to Bouquet stopped her from being destroyed forever. In fact, it appears just to have given us enough connection to see that she was in fact hidden, not destroyed.
I believe that all Fae who have been hit with Wayland blades (or equivalent magics) are in Bedlam. I have been told by Maudlin that Bedlam was created to contain the force of �Tom�, who was using it as a base to conquer fae.
Maudlin says that Bedlam is the point where Fae touches Hell. It is at the bottom of the Faerie realm. In theory, one might simply be able to walk there. Direction in Fae can be mind over matter, not logical like in the Realms.
She is called mad not because she thinks being in Bedlam is being a good idea, but because she thing the solution to Bedlam may be to go there and open it up, rather than letting everyone suffer there. The rest of the Wellmen are more concerned with keeping what is trapped there trapped.
It looks as if letting everything out may be the natural result of letting anything out. It may be as simple as -Once you open the door, it cannot be closed. It may be that the very spell that sealed it would be broken.
The people with the answer to these question are the Wellmen. Since most of them are violently and categorically opposed to letting anything out, that narrows it down to Maudlin. My daughter Hope has a contactin her. We really are long overdue just to speak with her about his and learned more details.

Question Still Remaining Regarding Bedlam (Answer from Nero 1/7/05)
�Where is it? (don�t believe it�s a physical place, but if it�s connected to Hell perhaps we need to go through there).

It is the point where Bedlam touches Fae. I believe it *is* a physical place, or as much of one as any place in Fae can be. Remember, location and geography are very abstract in Fae. Mind over matter, a place of ideas, and so forth.

�Who is in there- is it just Fae who�ve been struck with Wayland magic or other things?
Tom, probably his minions, probably CuCullain, and all of the Fae who have been destroyed by Wayland�s power. This includes Bouquet, and for some of us that is all that matters.

�Who build it and why?- The Wellman are rumored to have sealed it up, � to protect mankind, � but
What exactly does that mean?
It appears that they sealed Bedlam to stop Tom from conquering Fae.
�Why is it that Wayland magic sends the Fae there? (ie, what�s the connection between Bedlam and Wayland.)
Good question.
�What happens if Bedlam is opened?
Everything inside will get out.
Other remaining question?

The rest of this document, for now, is all about the Message (the song sent by Luna) that apparently tells us how to get Bouquet back, or how we can. Most of it is interpretation and educated guess, but I think there is a good amount of guesses that are right on, and others that have us at least thinking in the right direction.

The Purging
�The magicks I had access to through Wayland were something called �Fear the Purge.� which I believe refer to Purging all of Fae into Bedlam, knowing the information I do now. The spell itself is something like a �Fear� weaving, causing most Fae in the immediate area to believer that the Purging was really beginning, enticing them to flee, at least until their return to their rational selves. It required a focus of an item that would do harm to them, such as a Wayland Blade, Fae Stone, or Fae Blade.
Above from Metron regarding a regional spell he had called �Fear the Purging.� My first thought is that �The Purging� si Wayland�s purging all Fae into Bedlam, as Metron suggest. But given the Fae�s predilection for misdirection, and Wayland�s seeming adoption of their methods, I wouldn�t put it above him to find out that the Purging is what happened when Bedlam�s opened- maybe since they no longer have a place to go the souls of any Fae struck by Waylands Magic end up going someplace worse, or are actually eliminated.

The Mage of Chimeron

There was, shortly after the Wayland egg as opened, some divination that pointed towards needed to find the �now-deceased mage of Chimeron�. Among his many secret was the ability to forge demi-planes. I think the original idea was that we could put Bouquet in a safe place until the Wayland effect could be countered. I have not heard anything about his for months, so it may be a plan/theory that has proven incorrect or untenable or it may be that it was dropped in favor of the more direct route of awakening CuCullain and his opening Bedlam.

Additional Info From Nero 1/7/05
This may have been presented as an alternative to waiting for the message. It is almost certainly separate from the method outlined in the Message. I don�t know if there is a benefit to doing both.
As for the message, I have nothing new to add� Except that I really should simply confirm the perspective of each verse, one by one, and work from there.

Device of Entrapment- new as of 1/6/05 Wayland Magic
Info from Khol regarding one of the Wayland regional spells.
There also Device of Entrapment. You create a vessel that can be used to capture and store a soul inside it. The vessel can then transfer the soul at a later point (ie into a wayland blade). The creation of a Device is a drawn out process that you need to find a bunch of different components for. I�m not sure it it�s a one time use thing, or if you can use it over and over. If it can be used multiple times, it will probably turn out to be quite useful.

If we can get into Bedlam, and if it�s only Bouquet�s Soul that�s there and not her whole body, this might be one way to transport her out of there�. Need to ask Brighthammer what happened to Bouquet- was her body there or did that disappear too? If it was there, what happened to it?

The interpretation
The bold text are some of Nero�s initial interpretations. I�m not sure if he�s revised any. The Italic ones are my own interpretation.

I know a little bit more about the Message delivered from Luna by Dahal. It appears to be a series of steps, instructions for rescuing Bouquet from Bedlam. Some verses are from �our� point of view, or presumably the general point of view of someone seeking to rescue someone from Bedlam, like us. Some are from the point of view of �a Giant Killer�, Finally, some are from the point of view of Luna herself.
Below, I will attempt to translate the message of each verse as well as I can. If you have more insight to add, or have confirmed anything with spells, please chime in. Much of these ideas are just my educated guesses.
I believe we touched on the first two verses at the Black and White. We meet Maudlin, and we began to awaken CuCullain. **
The only thing I have to add here is that I�m willing to bet money that the �Giant Killer� is CuCullain.

For to see Mad Tom of Bedlam
Ten thousand miles I traveled
Mad Maudlin goes on dirty toes.
To save her shoes from gravel.

To seek one lost to Bedlam, a hard journey is ahead. Seek out Maudlin. You will know her by her bare feet.
The Step: Mind Maudlin. This is complete, but we have much of learn from her.
Not entirely sure if Maudlin can be talked to again, if it was one-shot deal, and what if anything was learned from her. There was still a couple of people I need to talk to who are likely to have more insight.

I know more than Apollo
For when he did lie sleeping
The fae doth fade to changeling blade
And the wounded land lay weeping

This describe the damage done to Fae while someone, possibly CuCullain, was missing.
The perspective on this verse is important. If it is us, then there may be something we need to learn to complete his step. If it is Luna, then perhaps it say that the Moon knows more than the Sun, for in dark times came the purging. If it is the giant-killer, which I think unlikely, then I am not sure what it means.
I think Nero�s right about this likely being from Luna�s point of view, but I think it�s a hint about the time of day being important. It could be that a particular fae or many fae were killed during the night. The changeling blade is clearly a reference to the Wayland blades. This could also be another reference to CuCullain, indicating the fading of Fae that has occurred while he has been gone. The �wounded land� is likely Chimerion, but could be Faerie too.
There is also at least in legend, the idea that some gates between the Fae and our world or location where the two overlap are only seen at twilight/nighttime.
The Step: I think the step here may be simply learn to revive CuCullain, which we began the Sunday after Black and White.
Reviving CuCullain is theoretically easy- someone need to don his vestment. It is unknown what happens to the person who does said vestment- they could be forever replaced by CuCullain�s spirit. The current wisdom is that this isn�t the case, that CuCullain will use the bessel as he need to and will then leave and the person will be okay. I�m not sure this versue required a step so much as it may be telling us what happened, or simply be an indication that we need to go to Bedlam at night.

My staff has murdered giants
Me bah a long knife carries
To cut mince pies from children�s thighs
With which to feed the fairies.


This is clearly from the perspective of the Giant-Killer. I would very much like to know who this is, and what we need to know about them to finish this quest. I would say this is not an entirely nice person.
I am almost positive this refer to CuCullain in that his spear, also referred to as his staff, was that he used to kill his friend who was a giant, in the legends at least. I don�t know anything about the mince pie or why faired would be eating bits of children.
This could also be the Man in the Moon (see a few verses down), which might make some sense as I think he�d be more likely to be cutting up children to feed fairies (Though I don�t know why they�d eat that).
The Step: Unknow. Discover the giant killer?
I�m not sure there is a �step� here or after each verse necessarily. I think it�s more a case of some clues which may be helpful in our quest, or just some additional information. Maybe it�s an indication of another �vestment� that need to be gathered (The bag or the knife?), or a heads up that some faired we�re going to meet will be expecting some nasty food? Dunno.

I went down to Satan�s kitchen
For to get me food one morning
And there I got souls piping hot
All on the spirt a-turning

Perspective her is important as well. If it is the Giant-Killer, it might not be something for us to do. If it is from our perspective, when we will need to go to hell, it seems. Given that we now know that Bedlam is in the place where Hell and Faeir meet, at the bottom of hell, this makes a certain amount of sense
Something eating souls? Maybe souls need to be sacrificed to strengthen CuCullain or revive him?
The Step: Unknow. Go to hell? Rescue a soul?
Not sure of any step here, except perhaps a sacrifice, but that�s shaky guess at best. Maybe it�s a warning not to eat the food? Eating Faery food is supposed to be bad anyway�

By a knight of ghosts and shadows
I summon am to tourney
Ten leagues beyond the wide world�s end
Mething it is no journey.

This is almost certainly from our perspective. Perhaps we will be summoned to something, and have to travel to bedlam?
I think the knight is either CuCullian or maybe Wayland, or some other knight that will guide usor whoever puts CuCuallin�s vestment on to a tourney. Perhaps it is a tourney to determine who is good enough to become the next embodiment of CuCullain?
Ten leagues doesn�t match 10,000 miles (which Mauldin walked to get there), but the basic idea is you can�t get there by walking at least IMO.
The Step: Unknown
Either summoning CuCullian or figuring out what to do to get the guide to appear. I actually think this verse is from CuCullian�s perspective.

No demon, man or faerie
Shall keep my mad Tom from me
I�ll dance all night, with star I�ll fight
And the gray shall well become me

This may be us. We may have to do battle to rescue those lost to Bedlam. However, I would want to confirm that is us.
This only things I get from this are a) we�ll likely be fighting something, b) we could be fight demons (especially if we have to go through Hell to get here), men (possibly the Wellmen, who would seem to be human, at least Maudlin), and fae (some who are in power currently might not those who have been vanquished to return?). Maybe we�re going to be fighting �stars� too?
The Step: Unknown.
No idea either.

The sprits while as lightning
Would on my travel guide me
The stars would shake and the moon would quake
Whenever they espied me.

This again is almost certainly us, but we should confirm it. Does this outline that we will be guided somewhere? Perhaps also that we will surely be opposed from many angles. If it is the Giant-Killer. I do not know what is means. It cannot be Luna, I think
The Step: Be led somewhere?
Could be a hint as to the guide, maybe a Will-o-wisp or something similar? Course following Will-o-wisp is generally considered a bad thing.

And then that I�ll be murdering
The man in the Moon to a powder
His staff I�ll break, his god I�ll shake
And there�ll howl no demon louder.

The staff is spoken of again. I believe this refers to us, killing the Giant-Killer, apparently also know as the Man in the Moon. I would like to confirm that the Giant-Killer is the Man in the Moon. If so, it seems we have identified an adversary on this quest. It also sounds like a Demon serves him, whoever he is.
(The alternative may be that the Giant-Killer sing here of killing me, but that seems doubtful.)
I think the Man in the Moon is CuCullain, only because of the �Staff� and the god reference, both a common theme in legends of CuCullain. It may mean that this is the process of becoming CuCullain. My own perspective is simple that the last line means that either the person who kills the Man in the Moon or the Man in the Moon himself will be loud. It could also be reference to the dog (the last time), who may howl in mourning of it�s Master�s death. If I�m not mistaken ifn Fae legend there is something about a howling moon dog.
The Step: Kill the Man in the Moon, probably the same as the Giant-Killer.
I�m not positive this is the right step- at least the part about CuCullain, the Giant-Killer, and the man in the Moon being one and the same.
Found some reference to the Man in the Moon being the keeper of souls or men and animals, and he�s also supposed to have a god. If this is head honcho of Hell, that might make some sense, the dog would be Cerebus.

From the hag and hungry goblin
That into rage would rend ye.
All the sprites that stand by the naked man
In the book of moons, defend ye.

This is a bit mysterious. I would say until we know who the naked man and the book of moons are, it won�t take much sense. This may refer to Mad Tom of Bedlam.
The Step: Unknown
The �book of moons� may be a lunary (a book used to make prediction based on the phases of the moon). I�m not sure how knowing that helps us. I don�t think it�s a specific book.
The �all the sprites that stand by the naked man� bit makes me think that there will be some friendly Fae that will help protect us perhaps. If it were a specific person (like CuCullain), I would think it would�ve been �The Naked man�. But it could mean that whoever takes up CuCullina�s vestment too, thought the phrase would lead one to think he�d be defenseless at that point.
A very simple interpretation where is that the Seelie will help protect us from the Unseelie, which has already happened at Black and White.
Might be worth think about what if any connection the Seelie, or Fae in gerna, have with different phases of the moon or the moon itself.

With a host of furious faerie
One fae he is commander
With a burning spear and a shield of air
He men he will not squander.

I believe this is CuCullian. He is know for a weapon. Sometimes called a spear, and for an unbreakable shield. Whether we need to awaken him is someone, or rescue him from Bedlam, I am not sure.
Is CuCullian a Fae or a man? I would think this was indicating that a Fae would lean an army, but I don�t know if he�s going to be with us or against us. My gut says this is Oberon trying to stop us.
It could be Mad Tom himself as well.
The Step: Awaken a new CuCullian? Rescue CuCullain from Bedlam?
If CuCuallin is Fae, then I think Nero�s right on and this is awakening CuCullain.

That of your five sound senses
You n ever be forsaken
Nor wander from your selves with Tom
Or your soul it will be taken.

This is a warning, Do not let Tom of Bedlam take you away, or drive you mad. But is he an actual person, or is this again a metaphor for anyone locked in Bedlam?
I think this is a reference to fairy glamour: and basically a warning not to be led astray by any of the inhabitant of Bedlam. I don�t know if they're talking about physically leaving a path or being charmed, or being tricked into breaking some rule or some vow that would result in one being imprisoned or scalped?
Also, there is a difference between madness and insanity.
Madness- you let reality slip away. Insanity- it is ripped from you.
Kind of a long shot but there is also a legendary place called the Valley of No Return (or something like that) where a knight may not leave once he has entered, unless he has never betrayed his true love.
The Step: Beware madness
More specifically, be away that Tom, or the denizen of Bedlam if Tom is a metaphor, will try to lead you astray.

I now regret that ever
Poor Tom I do disdain-ed
My wits are lost sine him I crossed
ANd now I must go chained.

Mad Tom was locked in Bedlam long ago by the Wellmen, when he used to point between Hell and the Faeire as a base for his power. I wonder who regret locking him away. I wonder if it might be Luna, or a Queen of Faerie, or even Maudlin. It is also possible that this is just another warning to us.
Someone betrayed Mad Tom perhaps (I don�t know the base of power bit, but if he has a place of power and then lost it, perhaps this person betrayed him.
Or could this be a follow-up to the above verse indicating that if you �cross� Tom you�ll go mad, and end up stuck in Bedlam?
The Step: Unknown.
Probably another warning, but perhaps we need to fix someone? (Bouquet, Maudlin, Tom?)
Created by Janna Oakfellow-Pushee at 01-17-22 07:57 PM
Last Modified by Janna Oakfellow-Pushee at 01-17-22 07:57 PM