Eyeless Skull, and the Cave of Nadir in general

I want to find this particular skull, but I do not know the best method for doing so. What would be faster, going on an expedition to the temple, or seeking it in the &quotSeeking Curious and Secrets in the Forgotten Quarter&quot Storylet? Or maybe another method entirely?[li][/li][li]
edited by Voodoo Master on 7/16/2013

[li]It’s hard to say for sure, since we don’t know the exact odds of any of the results that give you the skulls.

My intuition is that Expeditions probably have a higher total return in terms of Echoes/action, since they have a higher setup cost and stat requirements. But since so much of that return comes from things other than skulls, Seeking Curios may get you a skull faster.

Seeking curios can also replenish your stores of whispered secrets, so I’d say go with that on principle. You’ll get some other exotic items along the way, too.

That’s what I’m doing, at least partially because I don’t want to have to keep grinding for both Expedition Supplies AND Eyeless Skulls (I have 100 Expedition Supplies already, and I want that many when I try the Cave of the Nadir for the first time).

Thanks you very much, delicious friends!

And I just got my second Eyeless Skull!

Got my first skull from Curious. I’d say it’s definitely faster. The expedition, in my experience, is just a money pit, as half the time it does not even pay for itself.

Thanks guys, just got my first skull! :)

By the way, should I get more than 60 supplies before starting that last expedition, or is 60 enough? My watchful quality is 182.

More never hurts, and might save having to start again.

I’ve just finished that expedition, and it took 76 supplies. Watchful 180. But yeah, it will not hurt to have more.

Two last questions on the subject, or so I hope - There are four factions that would buy the location of the Cave of the Nadir from me.

A) Can I sell it to more than one faction? (I assume the answer is no)
B) If not, which factions would give me the most expensive item in exchange? I know the Revolutionaries can give you Masters Blood that is worth over 1500 echos (!!!), but what are the other options?
[li]

A: No, only one. That sort of information is less valuable, the more people know it, I suppose.

B: The Great Game give an equally expensive reward, though it’s attainable through the Relickers - I already have one myself, in fact. The Devils and the Urchins give second-tier Relicker rewards. I’m still holding out hope that other factions will join the bidding in the future, but that may not be true - it’s been hinted that we’ll get more opportunities to change favoured connections (as selling the Nadir’s location lets us do,) but that might be through other storylines.

Thank you very much kind sir, and everyone else that helped me with my questions.
[li]

I doubt we’ll be able to sell the location to any other factions. First, because it would generate aggrieved emails from people who’ve already sold it but prefer the new option to their original choice. Second, because most of the other factions have little reason to bid. The Masters probably already know (or at least, Mr Wines does); and it would be of little or no use to, say, Society, Bohemians, or the Docks.

Well, it’s absolutely up to the devs, of course, but I can think of justifications for many of the factions. For instance…

Society: His Amused Lordship purchases the location on behalf of the Dilmun Club, believing that its secrets are safest in the capable hands of experienced scholars.

Bohemians: Mrs Plenty offers a modest reward for the location, having some use for the Nadir in the treatment of the Northbound.

The Constables: The Special Constables will compensate us for assisting them in containing the dangers of this threat to Fallen London.

Criminals: Dr Orthos is always interested in a tomb to rob, though this one might prove too much for him.

And so on. Some are more likely than others, but, then again, as it stands, some factions are better developed than others. Right now, the likes of the Revolutionaries and the Urchins are getting a lot of attention - no doubt others will too in due time.

Does selling the location force you to change your favoured faction, or can you sell it without worrying about such things if you’ve already chosen the faction you intend to stay with?

It automatically changes your faction, so if you aren’t selling it to the faction you wish to be with you will need to wait until there are more ways to align yourself.

[quote=Sir Frederick Tanah-Chook]Well, it’s absolutely up to the devs, of course, but I can think of justifications for many of the factions…[/quote]Some of those seem a little far-fetched to me, but leaving that aside, I’d say the real problem is not finding an individual associated with a faction who might pay generously for the Cave’s location. The challenge is explaining why the sale results in a massive increase to your Connected and perhaps even fundamentally changes multiple factions’ perceptions of your allegiances.

This is possible for the factions who’re currently bidding. For example, the Nadir’s discovery would be a notable development in the Game. (Remember those Third City spies? If you don’t… even better.) The espionage networks of Europe, always eager for advantage, are bound to pay serious attention to the seller – if they can find them.

We know Virginia’s orders come from the very bottom of a heavily regimented bureaucracy. Hell may not need the Nadir, but it has an appetite for secrets, enough business sense to know you could have sold higher elsewhere, and a commitment to recognising those who do it service.

As for Urchins and Revolutionaries… Adrift on a Zee of misery, who knows when the dispossessed of the Neath might need to be forgotten? And Revolutionaries, aligned with February or not, are likely to see the discovery of a shield against the Bazaar as an important contribution to the cause.

From what we’ve seen so far, most other factions don’t have the similarity of purpose or fraternity of needs necessary for broad recognition of the sale as a major commitment or service. I can’t see a sale to Mrs Plenty earning more praise in the Singing Mandrake than liberality with mushroom wine or a particularly scurrilous poem, and most of Society is more concerned with fashion and Court gossip than the scholarly pursuits of His Amused Lordship.
edited by Flyte on 7/17/2013

OK, I’ve been camped out curio-seeking for a couple of days, but no skull; anyone have a sense of which of the various seeking options gave them their socket-less cranium?

Wander the Quarter and See the Sights.

Good luck with your search for a skull.