March ES: The Thing That Came in From the Fog

[color=#e53e00]Exceptional Story for March: The Thing That Came in From the Fog[/color]

[color=#e53e00]An uninvited visitor appears in the fog. He seeps into your lodgings and occupies the bathtub; he spills crumbs on your carpet and tea on your favourite chair. What does this fog-man want – and how can you get him to leave? And why is he so fixated on chess?[/color]

[color=#e53e00]Written by Harry Tuffs[/color]
[color=#e53e00]Art by Monika Eidintaite[/color]
[color=#e53e00]Editing and QA: Olivia Wood[/color]

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EXCEPTIONAL FRIENDSHIP
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Nice to see an option for those with a Tapestry from the Elder Continent, since it is not an item with a lot of additional uses.

This Exceptional Story gave me a wholly unnecessary option to visit the Boatman. Naturally, I took it (the Captivating Princess made an appearance).

I now have a second wholly-unnecessary option to visit the Boatman. The only reason to do this is because I don’t want my lab rats to find out secrets before I do. Which, I mean… I need some chess experience anyways, I suppose.

I messed up a lot…

I didn’t realize that the Presbyterate only allows 1 Mithridacy option to be chosen, so I went to get the last question only to lock me out of sending the Fog to the EC to look for his real self.

I chose to win the chess game, but I started too early without setting up defense. Therefore, to avoid lodging contamination, I had to forfeit.

This is what you get for rushing early in the morning without reading. Definitely redoing this one later on.

I’ve died twice so far in this story. I’m loving it so far.

Haven’t done any ES yet but since it’s my birthday next month, I might get it as a present. Why not.

[quote=The Curious Watcher]I messed up a lot…

I didn’t realize that the Presbyterate only allows 1 Mithridacy option to be chosen, so I went to get the last question only to lock me out of sending the Fog to the EC to look for his real self.

I chose to win the chess game, but I started too early without setting up defense. Therefore, to avoid lodging contamination, I had to forfeit.

This is what you get for rushing early in the morning without reading. Definitely redoing this one later on.[/quote]

I’m not there yet, but I wish I had asked where his body was buried too.

A fun story. Sending him to explode in Mr. Fires’ office gave me quite a good laugh, I must say.

If he stays and doesn’t explode, does he become a companion?

The ending if you have him rescue himself.
edited by Winthropx on 2/26/2021

Aw dang - I messed up too. Add this to my list of stories to replay when I have the spare dosh. Otherwise, though, I thoroughly enjoyed this one! It was fun to have a story where basically everyone in it was a recognisable historical figure.
edited by Diptych on 2/26/2021

Bah. Well-practiced in Chess and Mithridacy, so I encouraged his delusion. Unfortunately I took pity on the coroner and didn’t press for a location, so I couldn’t send him hunting for his body. Invited him into my home (knowing what it entailed) out of frustration. Damnation, that was unfortunate. And just another piece of the Mountain to show for it all. Maybe the tigers want it - I’ve got enough.
edited by Wylte on 2/26/2021

Well it apepars i screwed up too…

How does one get the armor of thin lies?

[quote=Anagram]Well it apepars i screwed up too…
[/quote]

You have to speak to the horticulturist about it before beginning the chess game.

edited by Kaunisenkeli on 2/26/2021

[quote=Rachel ]

You have to speak to the horticulturist about it before beginning the chess game.

edited by Kaunisenkeli on 2/26/2021[/quote]
oh. gonna have to redo this one, sadly. darn

I for one got everything I wanted. I spent the whole story trying to murder an annoyingly smug and fire-proof houseguest, and not only ended it with the thing broken-hearted but also got to FWOOOOOMPH some random Liberationists. Also, dying repeatedly and then just bouncing back with the Hesperidean Cider was hilarious! I half expected the Boatman to start complaining about the unfairness at some point. Good times had all round.

Also, LOVED that ending nightmare.
edited by Hattington on 2/26/2021

I sort of wish I’d been able to get him to rescue himself. I had thought I might be able to force him to go live with the horticulturalist, but that didn’t turn out either. So… eh.

I liked the writing a lot, though! Probably won’t replay it just to get the ‘good’ ending. It’s the Presbyterate’s problem and they don’t seem particularly bothered to clean up the mess on their own doorstep.

As a note, Horsehead Amulets also stop you from dying here, which was a surprise.

Huh. So apparently these three fellows were all real, historical figures. As was their cult.

I have slightly different feelings now about the fact that two of them exploded.

I am early in the story, and I didn’t use a Patent Scrutinizer to get data on the thing at first, cuz I don’t have one, had just finished my Ambition and was broke as a joke. Now I have the echoes, there’s no option to use one. I don’t want to die, and I just want to ask: if you experiment on rats, are they Rattus Faber? (I can’t do that–my character has many as part of her household; she could never live with the guilt!)
edited by Azora Perlino on 2/27/2021

Whether they’re rats or Rattus Faber is never made completely clear. I think they may be rats because them running a maze was mentioned, and RFs would probably look at you weirdly if you asked that of them.

edited by Kaunisenkeli on 2/28/2021