So I just left the L&S Nature Reserve, which is the port I’ve been looking forward to the most since the Skies kickstarter. And the art is gorgeous (I still get excited about seeing actual trees in the Fallen London universe). I absolutely adore the Romantic Ornithologist. He’s definitely one of my favorite characters so far. So of course I threw all my sovereigns at him to help him find his bird as soon as possible.
And he saw it! Or at least he saw something. I’m not entirely convinced it was actually his bird. But then he went mad, and was taken away to a hospital. And other than a nice bit of nostalgic text, I haven’t heard from him since.
But… I feel like I missed something. Aside from a line about going to see a waterfall, I never actually got to explore the Reserve. Was this because I went through the Ornithologist’s content too quickly? I didn’t see an option, even a date-locked one, to explore with my guide the Ornithologist, only to talk to him and offer him help. And while those were both lovely options, I was really looking forward to learning about the flora of the High Wilderness. I haven’t completed the storyline with the other academics, but they just seem to want me to bring them items, not explore the Reserve. Is there something else here that I’m missing?
Edit: As Benthic kindly pointed out below, there is a date-locked storylet for exploring the Reserve! edited by Kloxe on 9/5/2017
I too feel like it may be a bit unfinished. One thing I found neat was I am playing through Sunless Sea and when you get the Hesperidian apple it mentions a bird that stole into a garden and stole a seed, the same bird I am guessing?
Ooh, good catch! Since it mentions the bird being mythological, I think you’re right. Or, at least a variation on the same myth. I have a bit of a feeling that he didn’t see his bird at all, but something more terrifying that caused him to go mad.
But that’s purely my speculation, with not much actual evidence to back it up
To me it all seems referencal to stuff like the garden of eden and myths with people sneaking into gardens of the gods and stuff. So maybe he did see some cosmic force. Maybe the "bird" is actually more like a satan or trickster figure.
Oh I remembered what else it reminded me of: Jason stealing the golden fleece from the apple tree guarded by the chimera.
Edit: How do I do spoilers by the way? edited by tbeaz161 on 9/3/2017 edited by tbeaz161 on 9/3/2017
In the elder Continent it is law that only beasts with wings may enter the Garden. This allows the masters to harvest the apples for their cider without competition and find ways to heal the lovers of the fallen cities rulers.
It’s [ spoiler] (type here) [ /spoiler] but without the spaces. :)
And yeah, very much a classic mythological tale. The Hesperidian apple I assume takes its name from the Hesperides, who protected Heras’ golden apples in their garden. Hercules had to steal these for his 11th labor, so there’s definitely the theme of journey, obtain item, return.
The first thing that sprung to my mind when I read the text about the bird is a description of eternity, that shows up in slightly different forms in different works - I have no idea where it originates. Paraphrasing:
There is a mountain in a land far away, higher than any other. A small bird lands on this mountain and sharpens its beak against the stone. It then flies off, only to return after a thousand years has passed to sharpen its beak again. When this bird, returning once in a thousand years to grind its beak against the stone, has worn off the mountain entirely, one single day of eternity has passed.
edit: yes, that one, thanks! I first saw it in Good Omens by Gaiman and Pratchett, sightly… Modified. :p edited by John Moose on 9/3/2017
Anybody been able to turn in more than Hybras Pus to the researcher? I’m wondering if the other rewards are better/reduce the "countdown" on his research faster.
[quote=John Moose]The first thing that sprung to my mind when I read the text about the bird is a description of eternity, that shows up in slightly different forms in different works - I have no idea where it originates. Paraphrasing:
There is a mountain in a land far away, higher than any other. A small bird lands on this mountain and sharpens its beak against the stone. It then flies off, only to return after a thousand years has passed to sharpen its beak again. When this bird, returning once in a thousand years to grind its beak against the stone, has worn off the mountain entirely, one single day of eternity has passed.[/quote]
did you mean this one?
“High in the North in a land called Svithjod there is a mountain. It is a hundred miles long and a hundred miles high and once every thousand years a little bird comes to this mountain to sharpen its beak. When the mountain has thus been worn away a single day of eternity will have passed.”
[color=rgb(24, 24, 24)]― [/color]Hendrik Willem van Loon[color=rgb(24, 24, 24)], [/color][color=rgb(24, 24, 24)]The Story of Mankind[/color]
I think the only places with fixed positions are New Winchester and Port Prosper. I haven’t worked out if certain places are always in the inner circle and others in the outer.
So far, for me and as best I can remember, the nature reserve has been in the outer circle.
Do you know which qualities restrict this option? I’m fairly sure I searched everywhere for a storylet of this sort, but didn’t see any. Is it locked to only appear after a certain date? Or does it have to do with giving the other researchers materials?
Do you know which qualities restrict this option? I’m fairly sure I searched everywhere for a storylet of this sort, but didn’t see any. Is it locked to only appear after a certain date? Or does it have to do with giving the other researchers materials?[/quote]
It’s date-based, I believe.