January Exceptional Story: Adornment

[color=rgb(194, 194, 194)][color=rgb(0, 102, 255)]Exceptional Story for January: Adornment[/color][/color]


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[color=#0066ff]An incendiary smuggler seeks to rob Mr Stones of a prize beyond compare. Their intent for the Master is secret and unwise, and to achieve their end, they require a great deal of luck, a most unusual Clay Man, and you. How far must you go to untangle this labyrinthine scheme? And how far must you delve to learn what lies beneath the mines of Mr Stones? [/color]
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[color=rgb(194, 194, 194)][color=rgb(0, 102, 255)]Writing: Harry Tuffs[/color][/color]
[color=rgb(194, 194, 194)][color=rgb(0, 102, 255)]Editing and QA: Olivia Wood and James Chew[/color][/color]
[color=rgb(194, 194, 194)][color=rgb(0, 102, 255)]Art: Paul Arendt[/color][/color]
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EXCEPTIONAL FRIENDSHIP[/color]
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[color=rgb(194, 194, 194)][color=rgb(0, 102, 255)]In addition to a new, substantial, stand-alone story every month, Exceptional Friends enjoy:[/color][/color]

  • [color=rgb(0, 102, 255)]Access to the House of Chimes: an exclusive private member’s club on the Stolen River, packed with content[/color][/li][/ul][ul][li][color=rgb(0, 102, 255)]Access to Mr Chimes’ Lost & Found, a shop in the Bazaar where you can exchange currency earned through playing Exceptional Stories for exclusive companions and items[/color][/li][/ul][ul][li][color=rgb(0, 102, 255)]An expanded opportunity deck: of ten cards instead of six![/color][/li][/ul][ul][li][color=rgb(0, 102, 255)]A second candle: Twice the actions! 40 at once![/color]

You no longer need to log in to claim your Exceptional Stories! If you have an active subscription when one is available, you’ll receive it automatically.[/color][/font][/color]
edited by James StAnthony on 12/30/2021

Haven´t played the story yet, but I have to say that I love that picture!
I really like seeing that various masters´ designs become more distinct. The jewels of Stones, the ink splotches of Pages etc.

I couldn’t agree more! This is by far the best representation of a Master.
Thanks for the year’s end treat, delicious FGB.

I think there might be a bug. Because at the very end, I got no reward, not even a Memory of a Tale

Sounds wrong. I got a Memory.

[quote=Skinnyman]I couldn’t agree more! This is by far the best representation of a Master.
Thanks for the year’s end treat, delicious FGB.[/quote]

I agree. This story helped bring back some of the spacebat-god-prisoner’s gothic suffering, arrogance, internal politics and intrigue, and overall mystery. I loved it when Mr. Stone’s rage was turned upon my character and I was forced to hold ground. That made for an exciting point in the story. And the imagery revealed of Mr. Stone was well written.

[quote=Akernis]Haven´t played the story yet, but I have to say that I love that picture!
I really like seeing that various masters´ designs become more distinct. The jewels of Stones, the ink splotches of Pages etc.[/quote]

Agreed, it’s gorgeous. Is there a gallery somewhere?

I liked this one! At the beginning, it looked like “betray the smuggler” and “aid the smuggler” would be such different stories and I had no idea how FBG would handle that, but then it made sense - I’m assuming if you help Stones, you end up trapped in the cave all the same?

Shouldn’t the elaborately-titled tigress count for the tiger-chow threat? Nobility doesn’t make a tiger any less threatening in my book. Which isn’t saying much as my book is titled, “Tigers: Always Pretty Scary”.

Yes. Stones has you continue the scheme and you end up in the cave.

That was interesting. A little frustrating at points. Good overall, I guess.

Also I was surprised that when I stole the huge azure diamond, the accursed thing was only an Ostentatious Diamond. My character was like “So I yoinked a diamond from the obsessive claws of the Master of Stones itself and it’s not even worth half an echo?”

Also not sure what the material reward was, other than a Blackmail Material and the Memory of a Tale. Did I forget something?

Obviously I didn’t manage this, but I was wondering if anyone managed to keep Mr Stone’s approval until the end, or does it always bleed to nothing along the course of the story.

I didn’t try that, but I can tell you there are no consequences from plotting against it. Its approval doesn’t seem important mechanically, so there’s probably no way to keep it. Otherwise some of us might have missed Mr Stones screeching and flitting erratically about the cave like a trapped budgie, and that would have been a shame to miss.

If anyone knows differently…I do wish to know if there are significant rewards I missed. Even though I’m not going to reset the story.

I do have one question before I proceed deeper into the story: does plotting against Stones cost any Connected: Masters?

Nope.

For the first time playing this game, I deeply misunderstood a mechanic and missed out on some flavor text.

That said, it appears to not have mattered and I am comfortable with the conclusion. Except that I did not have the opportunity to hire Mica as my personal assistant. He’s clearly exactly what I’ve been waiting for.

Oh,yeah, I’d hve loved tohave Mica. He and my poet could have been great friends and debaters.

Feast of the Rose will need new companions in a month and change. Time to start the petition!

[quote=Toran]For the first time playing this game, I deeply misunderstood a mechanic and missed out on some flavor text.

That said, it appears to not have mattered and I am comfortable with the conclusion. Except that I did not have the opportunity to hire Mica as my personal assistant. He’s clearly exactly what I’ve been waiting for.[/quote] Is the mechanic you refer to notifying Mr Stones about the scheme? I am wondering whether I should do that just for the flavor text although my inclination is to keep the affair a secret as much as possible.

[quote=theonie][quote=Toran]For the first time playing this game, I deeply misunderstood a mechanic and missed out on some flavor text.

That said, it appears to not have mattered and I am comfortable with the conclusion. Except that I did not have the opportunity to hire Mica as my personal assistant. He’s clearly exactly what I’ve been waiting for.[/quote] Is the mechanic you refer to notifying Mr Stones about the scheme? I am wondering whether I should do that just for the flavor text although my inclination is to keep the affair a secret as much as possible.[/quote]

It was the part in the dream. I got kicked out before I saw everything in there.