Reading your conversation with the lovely paradoxlost, I just thought I'd put out my own theory regarding the Master's drums.
I think he says at some point in SoD or LotTL that they chose him as a child? Something to that effect. Anyway- the drums are a psychic disturbance, but when Gallifrey still stood, with the Matrix intact and all the Time Lords alive, the combination of all their psychic presences and the grounding effect of the Matrix was enough to ensure that the drums didn't get really maddening. Just a faint background noise in his mind, maybe occasionally irritating or confusing, but nothing to rant on about.
But then there's the Time War, and all that psychic power is wiped out of existence, and suddenly all the Master can hear is the drums- there's nothing to block them out anymore, and suddenly they are enough to drive him to madness.
That's not articulated as well as it might be, but that's my general idea.
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I think he says at some point in SoD or LotTL that they chose him as a child? Something to that effect. Anyway- the drums are a psychic disturbance, but when Gallifrey still stood, with the Matrix intact and all the Time Lords alive, the combination of all their psychic presences and the grounding effect of the Matrix was enough to ensure that the drums didn't get really maddening. Just a faint background noise in his mind, maybe occasionally irritating or confusing, but nothing to rant on about.
But then there's the Time War, and all that psychic power is wiped out of existence, and suddenly all the Master can hear is the drums- there's nothing to block them out anymore, and suddenly they are enough to drive him to madness.
That's not articulated as well as it might be, but that's my general idea.