This can’t be happening! Lord P______ is the most scandalous man in London, and his diamond newt has found its way into your hands! Do you know what he does with this newt? Even the mildest rumours could destroy your reputation by association!
But you have a plan to save your good name. You’ll have to recruit a few criminal accomplices, break into Lord P______'s townhouse, and put the newt back where it belongs – without anyone learning you ever touched it. Prepare to embark on a heist like none other.
I bet New Current Year’s eve may have something to do with the newt’s arrival in our hands!
EDIT: Now this ES has some interesting tie-ins! Not on wiki yet, but, as a reward, you can pick from Newt identity (Companion - Shadowy +4, increases nightmare and decreases scandal buildup or Diamond Newt (home comfort - increases scandal buildup, Bizarre +2, Respectable -2).
So far there are many reasons to recommend the challenge-focused structure of this story, but by far the most important one is that you can potentially set a cat to fight a crocodile. And see the cat win.
I do love a good reverse heist, but I’m struggling a bit with the idea that my character wouldn’t immediately respond to acquiring the most scandalous newt in London by going “ooooohhhh fun time to wear this everywhere”
I feel like this whole story was a dream and I have no idea why the newt was so awful, how I got it, or what the thing I got from this was. Discordance, right? That’s the only way I can rationalise this.
This and The Bloody Wallpaper have been pure gold. Intriguing and fast moving, mechanically engaging, felt like no time at all to complete. Some of the best ESs I’ve done so far had really really difficult choices to make - my desire to spare my accomplices leading to losing out on the unique treasures on offer was almost a physically painful decision to make. I’d be angry if I weren’t so pleased about the feeling of tangible consequences for my actions in an ES. Overall a great story.
I think I can safely say Lord P___ is one bizarre dude. Even though he has very little actual presence, his house (namely, his excessive amount of poisons and very fucked up furniture) speaks volumes about how weirdly menacing this guy is. I loved this funky anti-heist caper and enjoyed that abrupt POV switch with the ending I chose (giving up that damned newt and keeping the Newt, with the POV switching from the Newt to me, at my desk, writing the story I think??)
I stopped in mid-story to do other things, and don’t know how to pick up the story again. I have A Newt by Any Other Name 80, Newt-Like Tread 1, and Newtish Credulity 7. I’ve been bopping around London looking for an appropriate storylet but I can’t figure out where to go. Any ideas?..
