February Exceptional Story: The Fair Unknown

Fallen London
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[color=rgb(194, 194, 194)][color=rgb(0, 102, 255)]Exceptional Story for February: The Fair Unknown[/color][/color]

500×650 369 KB

[color=#0066ff]
A Menace Eradicator embarks on a quest to save his missing lover. Will you journey with him to the fabled Tournament of Rubies? Test your skill at arms against Parabola’s most skilled combatants. Unmask the Mystery Knight. Perhaps even win the favour of the Bloody-Handed Queen. All is to play for in the Queen’s tourney ground.[/color][color=rgb(194, 194, 194)][font=facitweb-1, facitweb-2, &quotLucida Sans Unicode&quot, &quotLucida Grande&quot, sans-serif][color=rgb(0, 102, 255)]

Written by James Chew[/color][/font][/color][color=rgb(194, 194, 194)][color=rgb(0, 102, 255)]
Art by [/color][/color][color=#1d1c1d] [/color][color=#0066ff]Monika Eidintaite[/color][font=facitweb-1, facitweb-2, &quotLucida Sans Unicode&quot, &quotLucida Grande&quot, sans-serif][color=#0066ff] [/color]
[color=#0066ff]Editing and QA: Olivia Wood[/color]

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He looks so human that I’m beginning to think he’s fresh from the Surface! :)

Onto notes: please bump this thread if you find any interesting item and quality requirements in this ES. Thanks!

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Bloody-Handed Queen, you say?

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Oh gee, oh gosh. I’ve reached the final round of the tourney and I cannot decide how to proceed. I just want everyone to be happy and nobody to get hurt - is that too much to ask?

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I’m glad I get to go to bed before deciding who to face in the final round. Hopefully rest will help me decide.

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Oh, man. I did NOT expect that I would have the opportunity to ask for the Queen’s Boon on BEHALF of Thomas and Renard, and now I’m facing decision paralysis.

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Warning: I went from 0 Nightmares to 7 upon the conclusion. I do not know if it sets you to 7 regardless of your previous level, or if my particular choice just hits you with a bunch of CP.

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I don’t know whether you get the Nightmares bump no matter how you choose, but I warned by husband (who also plays) just in case.

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Probably.

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Well, I got hit too… Retrospectively, I’m not surprised:the Queen is not fond of rules except her owns…

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Oh my. I’ve just reached what seems to be the first real choice, and am deeply mired in decision paralysis. Does anyone feel good or bad enough about their choice of steed to suggest one?
edited by Snort on 1/28/2021

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I went with the sentimental choice and had no reason to regret it.

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I went with the silver steed and I believe it had no real effect.
I think it may change the exact options you have but broadly you’ll have a choice to win or lose the bouts.

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I went with the silver steed and won the tourney easily (didn’t lose a single tilt). I’m lost as to what difference it could possibly make. Maybe for newer charcters the difference might be significant.

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I’ve gotten to Round Three of the Tournament, and now my Story will not load! I just have a blank bar when I click on “story” and logging out and coming back in has not cleared it!

I must continue with the joust! Help!

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Excellently written story, by the way. I FELT this one, for some reason, and was surprised at how many choices – or at least the illusions of choice – were available.

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Wow. WOW. Of all the ways I expected my first encounter with what I’m positive is the White going, I did NOT expect him to offer me a reward at his fountain for fair play, joust him and then lose because he threw a ball at my chest. Is that even legal?! Also either the b*stard welched on me or his reward is a long time coming. I sought the boon he wanted, and even claimed him innocent to the Bloody-Handed Queen and…where’s my reward? Where’s my bloody reward, you old skinflint?!

…did anyone get a boon from him? I’d also like to see some echoes related to the Bloody-Handed Queen if you participated in/ended the Tournament with her approval instead, just to see what I lost out on. The ironic part is I only fought with honor because 1. it seemed fun and 2. I may have overthought the obvious placement of the stags a little too much and assumed it was some sort of secret test of character. Which I supposed it was, but like-who ENCOURAGES you to cheat at their own tournament?

In all seriousness though, this is an amazing story overall and a strong contender for my favourite of the year despite it being so early on.

[quote=Lord Chillingsworth]I’ve gotten to Round Three of the Tournament, and now my Story will not load! I just have a blank bar when I click on &quotstory&quot and logging out and coming back in has not cleared it!
I must continue with the joust! Help![/quote]

support@failbettergames.com

Try contacting this email? They fix bugs

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I loved it.
The whole Parabola and Arthurian Vibe is right up my (and my characters!) alley. The mechanical aspects were simple but fun, and it was pretty neat that the Story acknowledged that I am a Silverer. (Even if it probably changed nothing except for some flavour text.) Thomas and Reynard were just the right amount of ‘flawed but likeable’ and I really wanted to protect them. Not sure if I succeeded, though…
Let’s just say, when I choose the ending, I kind of got the opposite of what I thought I was choosing. Oh well. At least those crazy kids got each other. That has got to count for something… right?

(Did anybody support Reynard right until the end? I wonder what happens…)
edited by Belinda Cole on 1/29/2021

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Wait, I think I figured it out. If anyone got a reward from the Beleaguered King…were you SUPPOSED to let Reynard receive the Queen’s boon?

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[quote=Lord Chillingsworth]I’ve gotten to Round Three of the Tournament, and now my Story will not load! I just have a blank bar when I click on &quotstory&quot and logging out and coming back in has not cleared it!

I must continue with the joust! Help![/quote]

[color=#e53e00]Please send a support ticket. support@failbettergames.com[/color]