One of my favorite things about the Fallen London universe is that no side is truly monolithic. Londoners, Khanagians, alien sea urchins, devils, carnivorous fungi, cloaked space-bats, face-stealing candle-eaters… they all have their own internal conflicts and motives, without exception.
It was wonderfully intriguing to see this play out with the spider-cultists, too.
edited by Saklad5 on 5/28/2017
I sided with the Seamstress.
The Khanate left the Fourth City of their own volition and anything they left behind was by choice. They have no special claim to it insofar as that goes. Also, the Attentive Envoy stole the relics instead of buying them from the people who actually financed the expedition.
While I sympathize with His Amused Lordship, he only wanted the relics to study them and show up the Bishop of St. Fiacre. If anything, that should be easier in cooperation with the Observatory. They managed to assemble it, after all. I wish there was an option to only give the relics to the Seamstress if they would allow His Amused Lordship to study it too, but there’s enough precedent for arrangements like that to make me think it will happen anyway.
Finally, the Seamstress actually had a plan to use the relics. Best of all, that plan doesn’t seem to involve harming anyone (unlike the Emissary of Spiders and his Tomb-Colonists). I also respect her mindset, so that’s a plus. Oh, and she didn’t try stealing the relics.
[quote= Saklad]
Finally, the Seamstress actually had a plan to use the relics. Best of all, that plan doesn’t seem to involve harming anyone (unlike the Emissary of Spiders and his Tomb-Colonists). I also respect her mindset, so that’s a plus. Oh, and she didn’t try stealing the relics.[/quote]
Eh, I am pretty sure she wants to use those relics as the start of a plan to birth a vast spider-monster amalgamation with the intent to further control and propagate a race of monsters who wants to steal people’s eyes and create ‘beautiful sorrow’. I’d say that qualifies as harming people. If anything, her plan is the only one of the three that will result in people being harmed, the other two simply wants the relics for cultural or academic purposes.
The end plan of the spiders in sunless sea was literally the spider apocalypse. Very nasty stuff.
So I’m at the point where I have to decide whether to fight the Envoy, the Seamstress, or both of them. Now, the Envoy seems inclined to bury the info about the Motherlings, while the Seamstress worships SPIDERS THAT HATCH FROM PEOPLE’S EYES, so I’m really inclined to side with the Envoy. But my question is…don’t I need the relics so that the Manager of the Royal Bethlehem will stop having nightmares? I’m torn.
edited by Rhysdux on 5/30/2017
You keep one of the relics to give to the manager, no matter your ending.
Prior to my conversation with the Seamstress at the tavern, I don’t recall hearing anything, anywhere, about Watchmaker’s Hill being a gathering-place for spider-lovers. Is this supposed to be new information, or did I just miss all the clues I maybe stumbled on when I was spending time there earlier in the game?
Watchmakers hill has the Observatory, which is home to an order of priests who worship sorrow spiders and give them bith their eyes.
There’s a story in the House of Chimes about it.
[quote=Anne Auclair]This was a fun story. I ended up giving the relics to His Amused Lordship because the Khaganians were being too pushy and needed reminding that the Forgotten Quarter is far closer to London than it is to Khan’s Glory.
btw, I noticed that there wasn’t any special quality given to my character upon the completion of this story. You know, a little icon under "Story" with a description like "You have resolved X for better or for worse, usually worse." I’m wondering if this was the case for everyone else or just me and whether the lack of a completion quality is intended or if its some sort of bug?
Edit
I sent an email to support asking if the lack of a Story quality is a bug. It probably isn’t, but there’s no harm in making sure.
edited by Anne Auclair on 5/27/2017[/quote]
It wasn’t a bug, it was a simple oversight, and it has since been corrected. This story now has an Ending Quality you can show on your mantel.
Is it standard practice for Exceptional Stories to not affect Quirks? The choice of how to distribute the relics was prime real estate for some Quirk modifications, e.g. Steadfast for sticking with His Amused Lordship, Magnanimous for splitting the relics, Melancholy for favoring the Seamstress, and perhaps Austere for siding with the Emissary.
Anyways, I’ve now finished the story, and it was quite a bit of fun. The end rewards were nice, at least for honoring my agreement with His Amused Lordship, although I’m surprised it didn’t come with a boost to his Cultivating an Acquaintance quality. Story-wise it was very fun to participate in some Forgotten Quarter archaeological intrigue, and I now find myself wishing there were a bit more of that in the core game - expeditions seem a bit lonely compared to what I got up to this time.
edited by Anchovies on 6/1/2017
[quote=Anchovies]Is it standard practice for Exceptional Stories to not affect Quirks? The choice of how to distribute the relics was prime real estate for some Quirk modifications, e.g. Steadfast for sticking with His Amused Lordship, Magnanimous for splitting the relics, Melancholy for favoring the Seamstress, and perhaps Austere for siding with the Emissary.
Anyways, I’ve now finished the story, and it was quite a bit of fun. The end rewards were nice, at least for honoring my agreement with His Amused Lordship, although I’m surprised it didn’t come with a boost to his Cultivating an Acquaintance quality. Story-wise it was very fun to participate in some Forgotten Quarter archaeological intrigue, and I now find myself wishing there were a bit more of that in the core game - expeditions seem a bit lonely compared to what I got up to this time.
edited by Anchovies on 6/1/2017[/quote]
ES often effect quirks, but not every single time. Or maybe they overlooked it with the massive amount of changes they were pushing out :)
Good stuff!
Most importantly, I’ll second phryne’s suggestion and ask may we please get a Spider-Senate in Sunless Skies? >: D The lore and backstory here was lovely and dark, my favourite part. I wish I knew why they were called the Motherlings, and I’m wondering how the "spider knotting" relates to the quite different tale you hear if you give the relics to the Seamstress. But it wouldn’t be Fallen London if you gave us all the answers! (Does anyone know where else to read about Motherlings? It sounds vaguely familiar from the Irrigo cavern, maybe?)
For something set up as a mystery, the investigation was quite straightforward and the conclusion quite definite. I was expecting more alternative theories or uncertainty, but the conversations were well-written enough that I enjoyed most of it anyway.
The fight was light-hearted fun, which I think is always a nice breather between the tense or difficult decisions in these stories. Small, weird nitpick that I wish I could have seen some failure text after dropping my Watchful to 90. I can understand everything being easy when you’re at max stats, but I was hoping my recently blackened mind would stop me from breezing through yet another ES challenge.
The competing characters and the array of ending options were among the best I’ve seen, I thought, covering most of what a player would want and meshing a new combination of London’s factions and moral dilemmas. The Khaganian position would probably be more interesting if the Envoy were less guarded (it seemed impossible to ally with her in advance of the dig site). I’m sure some players wanted a "hoard all the relics" option, too, which could have led to a spidery dream as the epilogue, perhaps. But overall, this part was really well done.
edited by TheThirdPolice on 6/1/2017
Speaking as a relatively new player… I think this month will be my first exceptional story. The plot sounds interesting, but really it’s the artwork that’s got my attention. The team at FBG should definitely keep Tobias around and consider having him revamp some of the more prominent portraits in the game.
Speaking as an art director… FBG, please abuse Tobias as much as possible, so that he’ll quit and we can hire him. No really. Tobias, if you’re being held hostage blink twice and we’ll come save you!
He’d better keep his hands off the portraits of all my favorite Fallen London boys! They’re perfect as they are :P
adores Mr. Arendt’s cute artwork
I adored this story! One of my favorites without a doubt. I’m a sucker for adventure stories and archaeological capers. ^~[li]
The ‘pragmatic’ answer to the Envoy’s final question was especially welcome, since it fit my character quite perfectly! The art was lovely, and the characters were deep and very enjoyable to interact with. I do hope I get to see a spider senate in Sunless Skies, or have the opportunity to help breed one! I love the sorrow spiders so much! My FL character is almost an honorary spider-cultist by now. ^o^ This story was great for their development too, and really helped me pin down where I want to go with them from an RP perspective, which I was struggling with a little bit recently! All in all, an exceptional Exceptional Story! ^^
Hey, now that I’ve finished this story up, is there anyone who chose the seamstress? I’m dying to know what I missed, lol.
edited by Teklogikal on 6/8/2017
I sent you the text for that result.
I can’t get to the Eclipse Tavern from the Web of the Motherlings card. Is there another way? I suspect it may have something to do with my backing out of the investigation at the tavern midway through.
I’m afraid I don’t know, but exiting partway through an investigation and being unable to re-enter has been a repeat problem, so I think you should send a bug report (support@failbettergames.com)
I find it a shame we can’t split it between the Seamstress and the Khanate. After all as a monster hunter id like to see the mega spider to get a chance to slay such a creature.
In addition, recovering artifacts and sending some “home” would also be making a mark as a legendary fighter.