March’s Exceptional Story: The Pursuit of Moths

Turns out the solution to the whole Man Who Was Thursday problem was just to ship all the police with all the anarchists. Like the end of an operetta. Perhaps Gillibrand & Searle could put something on at the Antimacassar.

If I read correctly, you actually go to the Surface in person with the Vandal if you bought her tickets, are close enough to watch her die in sunlight and suffer no side effects yourself. Odd.

Yep, made exactly the same choice. Would have loved an option that let me

DISARM THE DAD, MAYBE? Like, my character has 100+ Dangerous but can’t disarm someone without stabbing them?

Still, it’s a fantastic story that can get me to care that much. Of the 5 I’ve played, tied for first with Steeped in Honey.

[quote=Lavaeolus]Great story. A sad one for my character, but a fun one nonetheless.

In the end, my attempt to find an alternative to either turning the Vandal in or letting her destroy herself in sunlight led to the death of her father. After that I let her go, buying her comfortable tickets, on the condition she not burn the moths with her.

Reward was 5 Uncanny Incunabula, by the way, for anyone who’s interested. I think in this case that reward is universal, right?
edited by Lavaeolus on 2/22/2018[/quote]

Actually, good news, MeingroesseterFan:

Either the father or the Vandal ends up dead if you bring him, because she’s determined to die; you saved his life.

[quote=MeingroessterFan]Hello! Finally decided to register on these forums so I could talk about the Exceptional Story.

Just wanted to say that I regretfully skipped one potential step as a character choice, and I think I deprived myself of a satisfying conclusion because of it.
/SPOILERS/ After my second meeting with the Vandal, I decided not to go back to the society and instead go straight to the docks to meet up with her. I felt like I had a bond with the Vandal after helping her with her art, and going to the society to tell those chuckleheads about her would feel like selling her out. So I made her take off her coat, paid for our tickets and took her to the surface. Unfortunately, that left me with a pretty unsatisfying ending for the Society, and it felt like all those characters ended up not getting a proper conclusion to their side of the story. I guess I just have myself to blame for that, but still, feels kinda bad, and I especially regret not helping her father now. /SPOILERS/[/quote]
edited by GregM on 2/23/2018
edited by GregM on 2/23/2018

This story made me like - actually like - a Snuffer. I didn’t think that was even possible.

I was sorry to see him die at the end, but I really felt those two needed to settle things between themselves, and all in all, I don’t regret my choices. The ending felt bittersweet, but not downright wrong - and the blooming romance between the cop and the anarchist in the last scene made me smile.
My only regret is that I never got to discover what the Collector was truly up to, as I distrusted the crazy b***h from the start and hoped to have her arrested. Oh well!

Did anyone side with the Ministry, by the by?

Oh ho ho ho. It always starts with just one, my friend. ;) Soon you, too, will be fighting for #snufferrights1896.

[quote=Phèdre Delaunay]
My only regret is that I never got to discover what the Collector was truly up to, as I distrusted the crazy b***h from the start and hoped to have her arrested. Oh well![/quote]

Well, given the level of precision we have come to expect from the writing in Fallen London, and given the fact that she is not called the Art Collector, I’d say you can easily guess. The only thing left to the imagination is the state in which the collection is kept, but she makes it clear before the final confrontation.

I really enjoyed this ES! It’s not very long, but that suits the story, and all the characters are interesting and with enough personality that you’re able to care about them by the end.
Pretty good storytelling if you ask me!
edited by Lazarus on 2/23/2018

I loved the story, same reservation about having to kill when you could easily disarm. Even though I read the spoilers, bringing that particular person alone felt like the only logical -and compassionate- thing to do. On the other hand… do Snuffers die permanently? Aren’t we supposed to assume he will rise up after a long boat trip?

Nope, Snuffers don’t return from death. They, however, can live very long if not killed.

This was my first Exceptional Story (only been playing about a weeks) and I think I hecked it up pretty badly X) I completely forgot to go back to the Society after meeting the Vandal, which meant I didn’t even have the option to bring anyone with me. Left the story with less pennies than when I started :P At least the greatcoat is nice.

That’s an interesting point, Estelle. However:

it’s always possible that you were watching her through a windowed door leading to the deck of the ship or something like that. It seems (and this ES makes it clearer) that it isn’t being back on the Surface that dooms Neath dwellers per se–it’s being touched by sunlight in particular.

I was confused by one thing. I expressly chose the option to let the Vandal complete her last artwork, but NOT HELP HER. The storylet I got, though, states that I AM helping the Vandal with the chains that are part of the artwork. Bug? I don’t mind the ending that I got, but it wasn’t what I intended to happen as a result of my choice.

@Catherine: This is when

[spoiler]you first meet the Vandal, right? Same here; I chose to stand back and her let her do it, but the text seemed to be the same for helping.

The good news is, I don’t think helping her or chasing her or what else actually has any large effect on the final outcome / choices presented. Even if you try to subdue her she gets away, and I think that leads to the same place in the story.[/spoiler]

This story heals my wounds caused by Factory of Favours. What a lively characters! What a searing drama! What a tremore of decision! I love this story so much! By the way, the Season of Silver gone from brillant first story to poor last, is it a rule of thumb in season packs? (Silver was my first season)

And what I especially loved there is …

… an uncontrallable burst of violence when Vandal faces her Snuffer father! What happens was a twice twist of what I expected with the second twist occuring when I attempt to disarm the Vandal, ending up with a dead girl and smitten father. And a cynic ridiculous reward for the murder from infernal Collector! If you was not agonizing in guilt already, you will start right when paid with Flawed Diamond for a murder of an innocent!

Oh ho ho ho. It always starts with just one, my friend. ;) Soon you, too, will be fighting for #snufferrights1896.[/quote]

Also this story made me hate the Judgements a lot. &quotAberration&quot, seriously?

[quote=Glaucus92]I loved this story, even with the horrible ending I got.

I took the Scoundrel/Snuffer with me, hoping for a renunion, or at least be able to convine the Vandal that she didn’t have to die. And then she attacked him, and I tried to intervene. Intervene! Not murder! And then she died, in a wharehouse. And then the Scoundrel left, and died as well according to the text. AND THEN I went back to the society, and recieved my &quot&quot&quot&quotreward&quot&quot&quot&quot for murdering the Vandal. It was a whole Flawed Diamond I tell you. Totally worth it. Definflty. Oh, of course the other part of the reward is the finding out that the Collecter’s collection is dead, stuffed, taxidermed people, which now includes the Vandal. Great. I feel great. Definitly glad with the choices I made. And I didn’t even get to stop/kill/otherwise destroy the Collecter and her ‘collection’ after finding out.

Dirae Erinyes understands your pain greatly. Who knew that trying to support snuffer family values would be so hard?

Honestly, I’m fine enough [spoiler]with choosing to defend someone ending with the other party dead. Even if you went for a disarm there’s no guarantee of de-escalation on the other party’s side. Or on your own party’s side, for that matter.

But I think there’s still a problem that the choice presented seems to feel like ‘intervene’ or ‘stand back coldly’, and then the result text has you jump up and immediately fatally stab whoever. Side with the Vandal and you outright ‘plunge your knife into the Scoundrel’s back’ – which is a bit hard to see as defensive, especially given how he hasn’t even pulled a weapon (at least not explicitly) by the time you strike.

I think there could be a better way to preserve this dilemma without overriding people’s sense of character.[/spoiler]
edited by Lavaeolus on 2/24/2018

This is my first Exceptional Story, and I’ve got to say, it was a thrill. The twists! The implications! And increase in &quotAdvancing the Liberation of Night&quot is always welcome

Yay, I liked this one! Far better than the whole Season of Silver taken together. :)