Out of Game: Has been shared with the Motley & Queen Ortega
A Fledgling Attempt at Understanding the Nature of The Hedge and its Relationship to Fate, Dreams, Humanity, the Lost, and the Gentry
aka Unified Hedge Theory
By: Solomon Wisp
¶ Known Facts
I have senses through which I perceive.
Senses can be fooled, but also help interpret my understanding of reality.
Self-hood is relative.
Thoughts exist.
¶ Probable Facts
I was taken and changed.
I was taken somewhere that perception and sense have less meaning.
There are beings that can change my senses and perception, including myself.
I perceive locations through senses. I perceive "The Hedge" as a location.
The Hedge does not follow the laws of physics as I understand them.
The Hedge can be accessed from multiple locations on Earth.
Humans and Changelings dream.
The first clause of the Dream contract strictly involves the Hedge rather than dreams, reinforcing a connection between dreams and the Hedge.
The senior motley members of 6Pence are "twice-returned" from Arcadia.
Some Hedgebeasts that are not created by Gentry (such as the Ridged Pentaeaters) do not feel the bane of iron. ((Who/What created them?))
From Abtanis: The contracts of Dream (Pathfinder) are closely related to the Hedge because of the similar qualities they share (ex. nonlinear travel and mutable nature). Pathfinder works in the Hedge because of these similarities. Also hinted that Dream contracts (and therefore Dream) are similar to Hedge. Pathfinder can be used in Dreams as well, but usually they are hazy facts. They may become clearer in a recurring dream, but I was cautioned that if they become very clear, or provide more information than just facts, then I may not be in a dream anymore (hinted it was the Hedge or Arcadia).
- Possibly means that Dream and Hedge overlap enough to share metaphysical boundaries (dream certainly thinks so). This also suggests that other Dream Contracts might be usable in the Hedge. Didn't quite work in the Maelstrom, however.
¶ Assumptions
"Magic" exists. Colloquially as "Glamour." Glamour is connected through contracts made with entities of great(er) power.
Self-hood is determined by experience, which is filtered through internal and external senses.
I am either too far gone for senses to be reliable, or I am not.
There are "places" with unknown units not measured in the perceived 3-4 dimensions, such as the Hedge and Arcadia.
The known universe is connected to the Hedge through "magical" passages and doors. These passages and doors act as barriers between traditional sensory input and less certain input.
Arcadia is closer (by some unknown/unperceived unit) to the Hedge than to the known universe.
The Hedge exists in a greater number of dimensions than the known world - based on the probable fact that it can be accessed from multiple locations on the planet.
The Hedge is alive in the sense that it has motor function (attacked Eddie and us) and does not appear to be mechanical. It also appears to have goals (such as killing us), or other beings are directing it as a tool to complete unknown goals that involve trying to kill us.
The Hedge is contiguous in some dimension, likely beyond human perception.
The Hedge is conscious.
Pieces of the Hedge are movable from the Hedge back to the known world. Ex. Hedgespun items, goblin fruit.
Humans are changed when they agree to their first contract with a being that has access to a contract with a more powerful being.
Contracts flow from one source.
Changelings (humans who were changed through access to contracts with powerful beings) exist in both the Hedge and in the known world.
Changelings can access the same "contracts" and "magic" as some more powerful beings (either in different quality or quantity).
Changelings can create Hollows, Freeholds, and other magical "locations" in the Hedge, with enough power.
Changelings lose sanity when they become more like the "Gentry" (powerful beings that wield the power of contracts at a level difficult to comprehend).
Changelings lose sanity and ability to discriminate the known world from the imagined when they become more like gentry.
Gentry are powerful because they wield powerful contracts.
Gentry are difficult to understand (at best) from the perspective of one who has clarity of thought.
Gentry exist in an unknown ecology "within", "near", "and "around" the Hedge, and can modify the Hedge.
More powerful contracts are correlated with a higher likelihood/risk of becoming like Gentry.
Dreams exist in at least 4 dimensions, and possibly more, as they may connect to the Hedge.
Humans can perceive "magic" even if they have no ability to use it themselves. Ex. Eddie was able to see the party's mien (and comment on it), even if he could not explain it. Eddie also interacted with the Hedge when it attacked both his body and his "soul" (as Birdie explained) was "ripped."
Humans can exist (at least temporarily) in the Hedge (Ex. Eddie). Eventually they must return to Earth, or they will die, become hedge beasts (Briarwolves), or become Lost.
Dreams are sometimes controllable (lucid dreaming), and also often perceived as reality in the moment of the dream.
Iron is perceived as painful to gentry and the Hedge.
The Hedge has the largest domain (that changelings are aware of) within the higher dimension in which it resides. Gentry have domains within the Hedge, and Freeholds/Hollows/etc. exist within this higher dimensional landscape at a smaller level.
Gentry seek out humans to turn into changelings for their own reasons.
Self-hood is lost when humans and changelings become lost in the Hedge.
Changelings become more powerful when they successfully leave Arcadia (evidence: twice returned increased power).
- This power can manifest by "special friend" contracts in which the changeling is able to bend the restrictions of a pledge.
Demi-fae are a separate class of changeling closer to fae than human. Examples include senior members of the motley, Alice (a loyalist who represents Lord of the Windward Wave), and a Belgian man reported by the motley.
¶ Conjecture
In the long run, I can trust my senses, particularly when I exist in 3-4 dimensions.
Arcadia is "in" or "beyond" the Hedge.
The Hedge is sentient.
The Hedge as I perceive it (as a landmass of differing types), is not able to directly occupy space in the known world as a whole.
Gentry follow thought patterns humans would consider irrational, and would have equal difficulty understanding the thought patterns and motivations of humans.
^^Supported by comments from Ted as well
Changelings are changed from humans when they take their first contract because humans cannot physiologically support the "magic" of a contract.
The Hedge is able to damage humans and changelings on both a physical and some other ("spiritual/soul") level.
Undirected dreaming is a thought-state closer to the thought pattern of a Gentry, in which senses, emotions, experiences, and desires all have variable impact on perception of reality.
Dreaming either is or accesses the 5th (or some higher) dimension beyond space and time.
Dreams, which can be ordered or disordered thoughts/images/sensations/emotions… are another way to interact with other beings, people, and places.
The Hedge exists within or immediately adjacent (in some measure of unit) to this higher dimension that involves dreams.
Though Humans do not initially wield contracts, they have a similar enough physiology to changelings and Gentry to exist in higher dimensions such as Dream and the Hedge.
The Hedge can influence dreams, just as Gentry and Changelings can (and to a certain extent, so can Humans).
Gentry generally prefer the Hedge and Arcadia to "the known world" because it makes more sense to them, grants them more power, and because there is less iron there.
Only (?) creatures with access to the magic of "contracts" can alter the Hedge to create domains.
The Hedge is connected to the power of contracts.
The Hedge has made a contract with the source of contracts (or has direct access without the same "contract" requirements as humans and changelings). It may be the source, or have some cosmic relation to it.
Based on rate of expansion and perceived domain, the Hedge is the oldest being in its dimension (second perhaps to the source of contracts, which may be a being or a natural aspect of that dimension).
Due to the hostility of the Hedge against changelings and humans, we are not powerful enough or "native enough" to exist peacefully with the Hedge.
The Gentry (which follow different thought patterns closer to dreaming) are considered powerful enough or "native enough" to exist peacefully within the Hedge ,or at least for it to tolerate Them.
The Hedge acknowledges Gentry as native and/or powerful.
The Hedge and Gentry are similar enough to have an understanding.
Gentry can create sentient beings through contracts (Fetches).
Contracts have the ability to create self-aware beings that can act in our world.
- Contracts can be "bent" by demi-fae or twice-returned changelings. Therefore likely that fae can also bend these contracts.
¶ Possible Conclusions
Humans can become changelings through active choice (accepting a contract) through the mediation of beings acknowledged by the Hedge (ex. Gentry).
Contracts are not inherently a part of the 3-4 dimensions associated with the known world.
The Hedge acknowledged one being as able to receive contracts before others.
Gentry are created.
Gentry create changelings from humans. Changelings can become gentry when they are acknowledged by the Hedge (by being similar enough/powerful enough/native enough), or by spending enough time in/escaping Arcadia.
Because the hedge can exist in the dimension of dream, it can influence humans, who can perceive but not defend against it when in this higher dimension of disordered thought.
The language of Contracts suggests a bartering of services/goods.
The Hedge receives something in return when it acknowledges beings through contracts.
Contracts flow from a source (the Hedge? or through the Hedge) to Gentry, then to Changelings, who are humans who have accepted that they will change to accommodate the ability to "use" a contract.
The Contracts that changelings and gentry use only work in the "known world" with 3-4 dimensions because of the Changelings/Gentry who act as drivers for the contracts, which would otherwise not exist in that world (Earth).
Contracts are the laws of (or follow the laws of) a higher dimension that is incompatible with our 3-4 dimensions (except the '5th dimension' of dream).
Gentry are the eventual result of contracts being offered to humans (and other sentient species).
Contracts are inherent to the nature of the Hedge and Arcadia.
Self-hood diminishes when humans agree to be changed and become a creature of 5+ dimensions.
The change from human to changeling is also the expansion of the Hedge into our set of (fewer) dimensions.
The Hedge is Madness. The Hedge is incompatible. The Hedge is a parasite.
WE BECOME PART OF THE HEDGE. THE HEDGE USES US TO EXPAND.
How do we reclaim self-hood and control? Destroy the invasive species (The Hedge?, certainly the Gentry)
How do we destroy that which has become part of us? Destroy what it needs to survive.
What does it need to survive? Unknown. Possibly the power and spread of contracts. Possibly dreams.
How do we stop the spread of contracts with an unknown number of humans being kidnapped and changed? And an unknown (and growing) number of gentry? Destroy the source of contracts, the Hedge's connection to contracts, or the connection between Arcadia and the Wyrd.
How? Unknown. Need to know the origin of the source of contracts, and in what dimensions it exists, as well as the laws that it must follow. Need to know how to create and shape contracts and contact the source.
How does that help? Teaches us how the source can directly interact with us. If it IS the Hedge, then strategy will need to change. If the Hedge IS the source, then we need to make every human, changeling, gentry, and possible contractor incompatible with either the Hedge or contracts. Iron might help. If the Hedge is weak to anything else, that will need to be discovered.
¶ Hedge Theory Updates
The Hypothetical Dimensional Axis may be the Maelstrom rather than a Deadzone. The Maelstrom is impermanent and typically one-way. Possibly because it is a tipping point and it is difficult to remain there before falling into one of the three known realms.
Becoming twice-returned as a changeling results in an increase in connection to Wyrd, and also causes glamour addiction. It is also likely that contract-granting entities would not have spoken to any of us until we became twice-returned. Being twice-returned appears to have given us all special friend contracts relating to our magical affinity.
Human subject 'E' was observed to return from the Hedge without dying. Returning resulted in him able to see meins like a changeling or fetch. While in the Hedge, it tried to leech out the closest equivalent to his 'Soul' or essence. NOTE: He could also see meins in Kel after he had been damaged/leaking his energy.
- Possible conclusion: The act of escaping a magically harrowing location increases your connection to the Wyrd. For humans and changelings, Arcadia certainly counts. For humans, surviving the Hedge seems to count as well. Specifically, the violence and draining effects of the Hedge seem to immediately open some magical abilities for at least one human.
- Future considerations: If 'E' returns to the Hedge, he should be observed closely to determine if he becomes a changeling, hedgebeast, or human with additional Wyrd-related abilities. Also isolate if being damaged by the environment, or merely escaping the environment, is enough to increase magical potency/change.
Hypothesis: The closer you re to the Wyrd, the more easily or willing the contract-granting entities are to converse with you. According to Ted, no changeling in recent memory has spoken with a contract before our motley. If 'E' were to be twice-returned from the Hedge, he may gain some lesser equivalent of a special friend contract or contract-based ability.
- All known contracts cost glamour (and sometimes also willpower).
- All known contracts have a 'catch' built in that forgoes the need for glamour.
- Glamour can only be obtained from humans, glamour-fruit/crystals, or the maelstrom of the Hedge.
- Humans are the most common source of glamour.
- Gentry require humans to truly 'create' rather than just modify.
- Gentry are locked in their ways, and according to Ted They only understand a small sliver of humanity.
- To Gentry, humans are a resource and a tool to create and invent for them.
- The maelstrom may be somehow a human-driven force, as hedgespun do not last forever there.
- The maelstrom may be a raw collection of a portion of humanity, like the collective subconscious is for Dream.
- Magic does not REQUIRE glamour to work. So it is either a payment or an investment of a power/resource to enforce a specific effect that might otherwise happen on it's own in the right circumstances.
- Contracts might not have existed before the existence of glamour-bestowing creature/objects/places.
- Humans MAY be the origin of contracts. Or contracts only became frequently useful once humans offered a ready source of glamour beyond catches.
- According to Separation, 'The [mortal] world is made up of all of us [contract-granting entities]' and they choose to live there.
- The mortal world is made up of contracts. But contracts also choose to live there. So the world might be possible to exist without contracts present?
- According to Separation, 'The [mortal] world is made up of all of us [contract-granting entities]' and they choose to live there.
- It seems to be common wisdom that Gentry do not worry about fulfilling catches. At the same time, they seem to seek out humans and use glamour freely.
- If glamour addiction is a side effect of being twice-returned, then Gentry may have a similar addiction that forces them to seek out humans
Unfortunately, if the current Hedgetheory is close to accurate, Hedgeburning is not a sustainable answer to stopping the Gentry. Beyond the fact that we don't know if it is a natural buffer between Arcadia and the mortal world or a 'bridge' that can be destroyed, there is another dimension (Dream) through which the Gentry can influence humans. If Gentry ARE cut off from Earth through the Hedge, then they will be forced to acquire humans by accessing the Collective Subconscious and either sowing dream poison or using Dream contracts to will themselves into existence on the side of the mortal world. However, this doesn't mean we have to LIKE making hedgespun or actively contribute to the possibly-invading parasite that is the Hedge by bringing it back to the mortal world with us. The usefulness of each hedgespun (and possibly each token) must be weighed against the possibility that it is another seed the Hedge will use to grow and terraform our world.