Yeah, deface or study was a tough choice, but I feel good about my choice. I’m curious what one gets for studying it, though.
Is anyone else not seeing an image on their profile for the new lodging? Just a broken image link?
From what I and others have found, you gotta refresh to make the lodging image pop out
I loved the Bram Stoker/Dracula vibes from this story, as well as all the twists and turns and reveals as to the Viscomte’s true nature, coming to such a satisfying Fallen London reveal. The visiting of the other three lodgings were thematically and storywise very enriching and satisfying from a world building perspective. I’m now imagining several abandoned buildings where L.B.s have set up communities, have a clearer idea just what goes on in Not!Greenwich Observatory, and that Gothic Bookshop…whoo boy~ <3 That would almost certainly be the property I would be most tempted by if I lived in Fallen London and probably would split my time between there and Beatrice’s Tea Salon, really was on point with both the best atmosphere of a bookshop and the most inspiring and intoxicating of a creative writer.
I didn’t necessarily mind the heist-like mechanics, particularly since you had an easy way out should things not go as you plan, but I do recognise how the RNG can get incredibly frustrating and sink a lot of actions, the Darkdrop and Magnificent Feast from Advent being the only thing that kept me immersed in the story at a decent pace. Had I been a bit unluckier with drawing the cards, it probably would have been worse. It was refreshing to see something a little different though, so I’d encourage more experimentation with such mechanics, especially as I do feel they fit with the theme of the story.
Finally as to the reward of keeping the lodging, I do hope we get more appropriate ES rewards like that which tie more memorably to our adventures than just a simple rare or high value item you can get elsewhere, especially since we no longer have to seasonally turn them in. It appeals to the individual in me to want to have these options for displaying on mantlepiece or just to look at when browsing through possessions. I do really, really, really, really want to be able to exchange the Chateau for the Gothic Bookshop instead, was hoping for a pick of the Viscomte’s properties at the end…but I appreciate why that might not be viable. I’m glad it has it’s own card and options on it too rather than the Prim Baronet’s estate, which I ended up not getting given RP choices, but still feel good about not getting as a result of it not really offering much. I do wonder when we’ll get art of the estate though, as that might be another reason why I don’t feel as invested in it as I do say, the Gothic Bookshop.
Please can I have the Gothic Bookshop?
Can I at least visit it?
Or have the wrought iron bat entrance bell?
Seriously though, well done, a great start to this year~
(Afterthought: Oh, I also appreciate the irony that after almost decades of insisting that you don’t go and do the same thing as most seem to do with this genre of making everyone super pale and gothic and sexy, you both immediately subvert and maintain it by plopping this classic feeling vampire story in)
edited by Indigo Clardmond on 1/1/2021
From what I and others have found, you gotta refresh to make the lodging image pop out[/quote]
Nope; I’ve soft and hard refreshed my profile, still can’t see it ^_^()
Not sure if I’ve ever commented on an ES, but like everyone else who enjoyed it thoroughly, I found this to be a delightful read. Kept being tempted by certain choices, but in the end ‘popped’ that legal binding and left the sigil be. Though I found studying it to be underwhelming. Now to remodel that chateau!
I liked it. It reminded me of Homecoming, which I also liked. This one I liked also materially, because it started giving me things that were new, such as bones.
This was an interesting (and quite "Neathy") take on the classic vampire story, but I noticed what appears to be a very clever abuse of the internal mechanics of Fallen London:
At first, the Vicomte’s properties look (mostly) unrelated. However, one thing I noticed was that the first one I visited presented me with an empty hand, but visiting the other properties lead to that hand "persisting", in a way. I started each with two cards that corresponded with the two non-"smash" cards that remained in my hand when I finished the previous property. In addition, each property has essentially the same set of cards, at least in terms of their checks and payouts.
From the action "See another of her lectures" on the card "A public lecture", among other actions, we know the text of actions can vary based on qualities (and those qualities aren’t specified as being checked on the action, either). I suspect that the same is applicable to card/action titles, as well.
From those facts, (and the minor fact that all the properties share the location name "The Vicomte’s Estate",) I conclude that there’s a clever trick being pulled here: There’s actually only one location and one set of cards, but their names and descriptions depend on the "Vicomte’s estate" property. If so, kudos from one programmer to another* for clever reuse of your work. And, as a reader, they felt different; you didn’t skimp on the writing!
*Even if you don’t normally program, you were programming the Fallen London platform to contain your story, so you’re a programmer to that extent.
Has anyone started receiving Sanguine Chateau-related lodgings cards like this? Anyone got the other storylets? For those who haven’t, just to be clear like the other lodgings items there’s an option to get rid of the card in the future from the card itself-and retain the Deed to the Sanguine Chateau for if you want to move back in and presumably regain it.
[quote=Hattington]Imgur: The magic of the Internet
Has anyone started receiving Sanguine Chateau-related lodgings cards like this? Anyone got the other storylets? For those who haven’t, just to be clear like the other lodgings items there’s an option to get rid of the card in the future from the card itself-and retain the Deed to the Sanguine Chateau for if you want to move back in and presumably regain it.[/quote]
He’s still around I my version. I can feed him romantic notions.
I guess I’ve almost finished the story, but a strange thing occured and I guess I’ve missed a small bit of text. If anyone has the text for when one allows the Vicomte to have a small treat on the last supper (allow him a bite), could they share it with me? For some reason, when I selected it, it only prompted returning to my lodgings without any story snippet.
It. Is. A. Fallen London. Vampire. Story.
Lucy van Helsing here appreciates. A lot, in fact.
I was the one who fed the Vicomte fully, and then kissed the sigil. Because, well, the Vicomte did remind Lucy of a certain gentleman who did more or less the same things to her once. Which ended in her needing to hide in the Neath from the eye of the Judgements.
[quote=Aronia]It. Is. A. Fallen London. Vampire. Story.
Lucy van Helsing here appreciates. A lot, in fact.
I was the one who fed the Vicomte fully, and then kissed the sigil. Because, well, the Vicomte did remind Lucy of a certain gentleman who did more or less the same things to her once. Which ended in her needing to hide in the Neath from the eye of the Judgements.[/quote]
Given "Caroline" Karnstein’s backstory I know what you mean. SHe was not so keen to repeat the experience, however.
Mostly she was intrigued by a second shark in the waters.
edited by Lady Karnstein on 1/3/2021
I haven’t yet finished the story - still trying to glimpse the storylet I missed before going on, reading and choosing the sequence of it all, but so far I’ve liked it a lot. A nice spin on some well-liked tropes, some really clever mechanics, very well-written prose, a very satisfying interaction with the places and sensations, and I have a soft spot for Penstock, so it’s always a blast to interact with him in any capacity.
And that’s why I’m finding it a pity that a bug (which I guess was on my browser) made me miss the bit about what happened after allowing the Vicomte a bite at the supper at the Sanguine Chateau (still waiting on the kindness of anyone who chose this route, registered it in their diary and could share it’s findings with me).
edited by Baruch Blake on 1/3/2021
I only have a snippet for the first dinner with him, before you meet with Penstock… Fallen London . At the last dinner I had been thoroughly convinced of his creepiness and denied him everything.
Just got to my first longbox - really wish there was an option to mark it and move on, without attracting attention or destroying it. Wylte is very much “live and let love” with the denizens of the Neath, studying everything and drawing the line at letting anything have control over him personally. So far the Vicomte is pushy, but not enough that we’d hurt him. Hell, I loved the Paisley, and gave it the benefit of wearing me up until it started overwriting our opinions. (Then those things were trashed).
[quote=Baruch Blake]
And that’s why I’m finding it a pity that a bug (which I guess was on my browser) made me miss the bit about what happened after allowing the Vicomte a bite at the supper at the Sanguine Chateau (still waiting on the kindness of anyone who chose this route, registered it in their diary and could share it’s findings with me).
edited by Baruch Blake on 1/3/2021[/quote]
Unfortunately, I didn’t record the snippet when I did it. But it’s more or less the same as other interactions with him: you feel the world slipping away, you and him are the only creatures in the universe, and you feel good.
And there is a quality description below: "You have fed the Vicomte fully".
[quote=Lady Karnstein]
Given "Caroline" Karnstein’s backstory I know what you mean. SHe was not so keen to repeat the experience, however.
Mostly she was intrigued by a second shark in the waters.[/quote]
In Lucy’s case, said gentleman was more or less the love of her life.) Despite the fact that they only met once. Despite the fact that she knows pretty well how these sharks work, being one herself. She does understand these feelings are not entirely her own, but that doesn’t make them any weaker.
Almost a story worth selling to the Bazaar.) And the most embarassing fact is that she’s probably told all of this to the Vicomte, being so enthralled and always thinking about the man.
An interesting story overall, decently paced, no mechanical curveballs. I enjoyed it, though I’m a touch disappointed I wasn’t able to acquire any new knowledge of the Correspondance.
I did notice the lodging card remains afterward, though I still don’t have an image for it when I move in. I wonder if there will be an additional card in my deck now, as per the other lodgings…
[quote=Pnakotic]An interesting story overall, decently paced, no mechanical curveballs. I enjoyed it, though I’m a touch disappointed I wasn’t able to acquire any new knowledge of the Correspondance.
I did notice the lodging card remains afterward, though I still don’t have an image for it when I move in. I wonder if there will be an additional card in my deck now, as per the other lodgings…[/quote]
There will. My husband has gotten the card several times, and I have gotten it once since completing the story.