I’ve unlocked or discovered most of the obvious places in London or London adjacent, or at least I know what I have to do in order to unlock them, with two exceptions: The Nadir and the Mind of a Long-Dead God. (I’m already a POSI, but it is fairly recent)
I have some inkling that the Nadir requires five eyeless skulls, and that it may be possible to give and receive said skulls, but I know little more than that. At what point in one’s progress does going Nadir diving become a relevant thing? What exactly does one have to do to unlock it?
I have similar questions about the Mind of a Long-Dead God. I know it is possibly in some ways related to having dreams: What the Thunder Said, which is related to Stormy-Eyed, but how precisely these things connect is a mystery to me. Information on how to unlock these and when they become relevant would be greatly appreciated.
Nadir: I recently unlocked this. You only need a single Eyeless Skull, not five. Once unlocked, it is easy to return to - and there are very few skill checks involved once you’re in there. Profit? Well, it’s an interesting place that’s for sure. But I keep forgetting about the profit …
Mind of a Long-Dead God: As far as I can tell, just keep progressing Thunder-related dreams. Somewhere around 17 or 18 is the turning point if memory serves.
You need 1 eyeless skull to get into the Nadir, then you trade 5 for a certain item. You can also spend a considerable amount of echoes to get this item, or pay 50 Fate, or trade in a LOT of Connected: Revolutionaries (you need 100, and it goes down to 50 from that).
As for the Mind, progress your dreams to 18. Then you get Stormy-Eyed. Then raise that through alternative options in the thunder dreams. Note: This is considered a menace location, but it is a very rewarding one.
It’s easier to advance Stormy-Eyed at Mutton Island. There’s an option on the carousel–listen to the wind or something? Anyway it’s fixed, so easier than waiting for cards. Although you do get neat snippets from the cards
[li]Opening the Nadir isn’t an option until you’ve played the Revolutionary Firebrand and Seculary Missionary’s stories through to their limits, and until you’ve run several successful archaeological digs in the Forgotten Quarter and raised your Archaeologist skill to 5. Only then do the requirements involving an Eyeless Skull and other, more expensive checks become relevant.
The Mind is more of an easter-egg menace area - if your Stormy-Eyed gets high enough, you’ll get sent to the Mind until you lower it again. It’s pretty much only possible to raise it that high by deliberately grinding it, and, at this point, there’s no reason to go there except for the fun of it.
Special thanks to Sir Frederick for the thing about the Revolutionary Firebrand and Secular Missionary. I was stringing the lady along for those 150p fees back before I was a POSI, since it was a better-than-average money card that also increased persuasive with no menace risk. I will have to add that to the list of “stories I’m going to have to move forward with eventually, I suppose.”
Delighted to help! And, honestly, the last few steps of the Missionary/Firebrand storyline are pretty quick - feel free to keep them at their current level and grind up Archaeologist and get ready in the other ways folks have specified first. (That said, if you do manage to unlock the Nadir and complete your first visit before Valentine’s Day, you can get a unique pet and then upgrade it as part of the Feast of the Rose. But, that’s a lot of work, and there’s no reason to believe you won’t just be able to save it 'til next year!)
Ah, that’s very good to know too! I’ve got nothing in particular I’m grinding towards just now, so I might as well work towards that and see how it goes.
[quote=Sir Frederick Tanah-Chook]The Mind is more of an easter-egg menace area - if your Stormy-Eyed gets high enough, you’ll get sent to the Mind until you lower it again.[/quote]Except I’m not getting sent there. It appears to be completely optional, and I’d have to go there on purpose. Which is unlike actual menace areas.
True! Though, at least last time I went there, the story to enter it works in a slightly unusual and unexpected way, so one could click it out of sheer curiosity and get Dead God-ed without warning. So, kind of halfway between a secret location and a menace area?
From an action efficiency standard, what’s the best way to get the Ray-drenched cinder? Normally I’d just spend Nex but I’m already planning to spend a crapton of Nex at the Feast for things I can’t get other ways. I could sell a bunch of stuff and use the cash option, and I have one eyeless skull from doing the missions to raise my archaeology. My revolutionaries isn’t very high at all.
Getting the skulls depends on how lucky you are and it is easier if you have a five card deck so that you don’t need to go elsewhere to clear your hand.
If you have the echoes (or items to sell to raise the echoes) that would probably be quickest.
If you decide to use the revolutionaries give public lectures in the Forgotten Quarter and watch out for your suspicion.
I must say that all my characters went the skull route, but it did take some time.
That’s what I figured. I have a couple collections of curiosities and some maps from Tomb Colonists… luckily I decided to start taking advantage of their card whenever it showed up pretty much as soon as I became a POSI.
I’d have been more likeley to do the skulls route if I didn’t already have archaeologist 5 and scholar 7. If I ever write that guide I’ve been meaning to get to, I’m going to suggest doing the 3-7 Sotc grind and the archaeologist grind all in one big lot if one wants to be efficient… doing it sporadically means I’ve gotten rid of 2-3 skulls along the way.