I just realized how perfect it is that the most popular(and maybe efficient?) way to grind supplies is through whispered secrets. We stalk the cobblestones of the Neath, hoarding secrets in the quest to explore, discover, and uncover the unknown depths of the Fallen Fourth. And ultimately, in the end, we will discover (or at least try to) the ultimate truth, the Justices’ pride, the secret of secrets. How did we accomplish this? By finding vast quantities of the relatively tiny and insignificant tidbits of hidden information and utilizing them to reveal enormously larger truths. There’s almost something poetic about it.
Hmm. So it’s known that Eyeless Skulls can be acquired with a rare success at the Shrine, or as a pair in an Unpredictable Treasure, which at present may only be available through expeditions to the Temple. That leaves one reasonably discoverable way, and two obscure ones. Some ideas:
[ul][li]Rare successes on fourth-tier item conversions are generally worth around 62.50; perhaps one now gives an Eyeless Skull.[/li][li]Doing something inadvisable with a Nephrite Lens.[/li][li]Corpsecage Island.[/li][li]Excessive Correspondence scholarship. (Although you may be reluctant to give the resulting skull to Revolutionaries. Fortunately guillotines seem out of fashion.)[/li][/ul]I’ve just estimated the chance of getting an Eyeless Skull on a rare success from a normal storylet/opportunity card, based on the assumptions that a) the storylet or card is no more profitable than the Affair of the Box, and b) a normal success gives 90-130 pence per action. The result: at most 1.2%. That would certainly explain why these methods would be hard to find.
I’d guess the third non-obscure method is an item conversion.
edited by Flyte on 6/30/2013
The description “You can sometimes find these in the Forgotten Quarter, especially from Expeditions” suggests that there is some form of thing you can do in the Quarter that will give a Skull that isn’t an Expedition. So that’s a starting point, at least. The terrifying maze that is the Curios storylets may hold the secret… or… not?? i dunno
Excellent~ now we just need to find the last two sources.
There’s a problem with the Tomb of the Seven expedition. No where does it say or hint at that you need 30 supplies for the possibility of completing. So imagine my (extreme) annoyance when I tentatively accepted an expedition for it with only 10 supplies. To learn those will all be wasted.
Gah! Those supplies are very very tough to come by as a measly new Fallen Londoner.
What’s this so-called Tomb of Seven?
I believe that’s the new Correspondence Stones expedition.
Where is it?
I don’t know - already having the Correspondence Stones, I don’t have access to it.
Presumably if you haven’t done the original Forgotten Quarter story, the part where you would’ve gotten the Stones the first time around is replaced with the Tomb of the Seven expedition.
[li]And FYI, if you hit 10 Rival’s Progress and sufficient Archaeologist’s Progress at the same time, you can still take the action to complete the Expedition. (At least with Shrine of Deep Blue Heaven)
Skull Sources:
- “A Shrine of the Deep Blue Heaven” (rare success reward upon completion)
- ‘See the sights’ option of “Seeking Curios and Secrets in the Forgotten Quarter” storylet (rare success)
- ‘Wander the Quarter’ option of “Seeking Curios and Secrets in the Forgotten Quarter” storylet (rare success)
- A Temple of Uttermost Wind (random reward upon completion; fate-locked)
5?) I guess it’s one of several possible randomized rewards from completing the fate-locked “A Gallery of Serpents”, though the skull being a rare success from item conversion also seems likely.
I’m sure the Gallery of Serpents will offer a nice selection of high level Unpredictable Treasures, but I’m not sure if it’d count as a separate source of a skull even if it was available. Whatever the 5th source is, it’s definitely something currently available.
I’m uncertain whether Alexis meant “now” as in “it’s been fully coded now” or “it’s been coded and fully released now”. Probably the latter, but he is a tricksy fellow.
Flyte’s ideas of toying with a Nephrite Lens and rummaging through Corpsecage Island sound interesting. If it’s one of those, it’s likely another charge at the RNG for a rare success.
If one way is coded but not released that certainly would make it a difficult source to find. :) Maybe next time I find myself with 4 Skull cards in hand I’ll pop by Corpsecage Island for a run of the place. One run probably won’t help if it’s another rare success, but you never know. Would have to figure out which of the options is most likely to yield a skull. Probably not one that gives Notes.
I’ve been doing a little muddling through Corpsecage, though mainly for Prelapsarian Notes. I only went through it about four times, though.
A Polite Invitation to a party also does wonders for getting rid of Skull cards. Be sure to keep one if you have it in such an event!
edited by Owen Wulf on 7/2/2013
Am I the only person who actually plays the Skull cards? So you lose some stats but it doesn’t do any permanent damage and I wouldn’t put it past Alexis to have snuck in some Rare Success - Like the route for the Nadir or the fifth way to get another skull on those cards.
An interesting theory. Have you seen any noteworthy results?
[quote=Zeedee]Skull Sources:
- "A Shrine of the Deep Blue Heaven" (rare success reward upon completion) [/quote]
Does anyone know if you can get more than one this way?