Yeah, like other people here I didn’t expect that [spoiler] assisting the Vandal meant I’d immediately and lethally stab the scoundrel in the back. I was planning to prevent her from being kidnapped out of London against her will, not commit murder. I thought I’d leap between them and tell him to back off, something along those lines. Clearing wording that I was going to stab him while he’s distracted or a warning that "This will kill the scoundrel" would have been nice there.
Is there an ending where the Vandal lives without being imprisoned? I was trying to figure out how to reach a happy ending for her where she doesn’t die. I’m not upset if there isn’t one though. Sometimes stories only have tragic options, and her death in the sun had a poetic beauty. [/spoiler]
Do people have journal links to the various endings they can share?
And can anyone explain what the Collector’s motivation was in all this? edited by Harlocke on 2/24/2018 edited by Harlocke on 2/24/2018
@above: You’ll find the Collector’s motive if you take her side, so to speak.
[spoiler]You may recall that she asks you to ensure the Vandal dies here, not on the surface. This is because, quite cheerfully, she collects dead artists and keeps them as part of a taxidermy collection. I didn’t take this path but here’s an echo of talking to her at the end, after you’ve disposed of the Vandal. It is, in short, a bit creepy.
As you suspect there’s no unambiguously happy ending here. You can give her her final wish, you can arrest her and hope that a lifetime in Newgate eventually erodes her worship, but that’s as happy as it can end for the Vandal.
I enjoyed the story greatly, even if Caroline got enraged about "Bastards who don’t understand ART!!!" She gave the Vandal what she wanted, if demanding the moths be returned. She did not trust any of them enough to take with her. If she had any idea about the Collector, she would try to kill her. As is. As is she thinks the is detritus of the art scene who just wants art for herself and does not understand it.
I thought the story was amusing, and the constant revelations of true intentions were quite interesting, even if Caroline was annoyed and disappointed. edited by Lady Karnstein on 2/24/2018
[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][/quote]
You may well be correct, but it’s bizarre that the choice I intended and the choice I expressly decided to give up have the same result.
Looking back through my echoes, it seems I misremembered; though I could’ve sworn reading "You work together in near-silence", etc… It’s possible I’m just going senile, which is a bit of concern given I’ve yet to reach my 30s.
I still don’t think the actual choice has any consequences. It sort of changes the context, if not the actual text, behind you meeting her at the Docks, but you’re still ultimately chasing the Vandal down to either stop her or see her off. edited by Lavaeolus on 2/25/2018
I absolutely loved this story. It has everything I want in an Exceptional Story: fascinating characters, interesting and well-developed factions, intriguing takes on existing lore, plenty of references to other characters and groups that really make the Neath feel real, tough moral choices to navigate, and even unique items as a memento. I really hope that doesn’t end up getting traded in, by the way.[li]
I chose to take the Scoundrel with me, since he had a right to see his daughter and try to persuade her. He did not, however, have a right to force his daughter to see things his way, so at that point I intervened on her behalf. It’s a shame that Snuffers are so fragile, but I stand by my decisions. I wish choosing to defend the Vandal didn’t mean stabbing the Scoundrel in the back, though: I think it’d be more fitting to kill him by accident from a less intentionally lethal blow.
I loved the Vandal’s art and perspective, from the sculptures of the Great Chain to the significance given to the frost-moths and what they come from. And the ties to Sunless Skies are great.
I know this is yet another young female polymath fascinated by the Judgements and desperate for sunlight, but quite frankly I’m fine with that.[/li][li] edited by Saklad5 on 2/25/2018
[quote=Lavaeolus]Looking back through my echoes, it seems I misremembered; though I could’ve sworn reading "You work together in near-silence", etc… It’s possible I’m just going senile, which is a bit of concern given I’ve yet to reach my 30s.
I still don’t think the actual choice has any consequences. It sort of changes the context, if not the actual text, behind you meeting her at the Docks, but you’re still ultimately chasing the Vandal down to either stop her or see her off. edited by Lavaeolus on 2/25/2018[/quote]
I cannot find the text I thought I remembered in my journal, and the text that is there is consistent with standing by and watching. So I may be having a senior moment myself–much more explicable at my age. ;-) But in any event the result is much the same–stop her or help her.
Idk how to do spoiler tags so I will ask this vaguely. Is the "reward" you get at the climax the same whether you get it before the ascent or after? Just wondering because it seems that one would be a downgrade from the other given the… exposure.
All I see is the ability to grind for Romantic Notions.
By which, I’m saying, all I see is the single storylet option to feed the bats for two cents. It doesn’t advance, doesn’t give me any options.
What gives?
[quote=Ivica]Did anyone bring somebody else than Scorundel to meeting with Vandal?
Insurgent or Cognoscente?
I’m interested to read about this endings.[/quote]
I brought the Cognoscente, but didn’t record an echo.
You get three options - to kill her together, to bring her to the Ministry or to assist her in leaving. The descriptions of the last two options mention Cognoscente saying something along the lines of "I’m afraid I can’t let you do that", so I assume they end with his death, but I wouldn’t bring someone involved in the Liberation if I wanted to do either of those things. All in all, I killed her, some puns were shared, I believe I got paid, but nothing noteworthy besides some CP in "Advancing the Liberation of Night", and returned to the Society for some sherry and a rather sickening revelation about the Artist Collector
[quote=Catherine Raymond][quote=Lavaeolus]Looking back through my echoes, it seems I misremembered; though I could’ve sworn reading "You work together in near-silence", etc… It’s possible I’m just going senile, which is a bit of concern given I’ve yet to reach my 30s.
I still don’t think the actual choice has any consequences. It sort of changes the context, if not the actual text, behind you meeting her at the Docks, but you’re still ultimately chasing the Vandal down to either stop her or see her off. edited by Lavaeolus on 2/25/2018[/quote]
I cannot find the text I thought I remembered in my journal, and the text that is there is consistent with standing by and watching. So I may be having a senior moment myself–much more explicable at my age. ;-) But in any event the result is much the same–stop her or help her.[/quote]
They probably fixed their mistake, which also affects all the journal entries.
[quote=Madame Spork]All I see is the ability to grind for Romantic Notions.
By which, I’m saying, all I see is the single storylet option to feed the bats for two cents. It doesn’t advance, doesn’t give me any options.
What gives?[/quote]
That is the universal season storylet, and only vaguely related to the actual ES. If you’re an exceptional friend and started the story, you probably need to go to veilgarden.
[quote=Madame Spork]All I see is the ability to grind for Romantic Notions.
By which, I’m saying, all I see is the single storylet option to feed the bats for two cents. It doesn’t advance, doesn’t give me any options.
What gives?[/quote]
If you enjoy the text, it’s worth noting that the final paragraph changes (depending on airs?), recording various circumstances arising from what is happening. I love such titbits, so I generally pursue such things. (A great example of this was the Manager’s nightmares at the Royal Beth a couple of seasons back.)
[quote=Shadowcthuhlu][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 """"reward"""" 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?[/quote]
Yeah, I went the same route you did, not knowing what would happen. I hope they’ll let you redo this story, cause I feel bad enough as it is. ><
This was far and away the best Exceptional Story I’ve ever played through (and that number is pretty high). All of the characters were really interesting, and the choices my character made actually had weight. The different paths the story could take felt very natural, and I would replay it in a heartbeat to see the different outcomes. The minor subplots were fun too, they were engaging; more than just a mechanic to move the story along. The writing was beautifully done. Although the ending choices were vague and not terribly clear on their consequences it added to the story, even if it didn’t exactly fit with my character’s motivations. All in all a phenomenal story, I hope to see more like this in the future! edited by Hummingbelle on 2/26/2018
Probably my favourite exceptional story barring Lost in Reflections.
S.F. brought the Scoundrel with them, allowed the Vandal to kill him, then killed the Vandal. They didn’t betray the anarchist (though they were sorely tempted) or the constable, and were mildly disgusted by the Collector. They were motivated mostly by curiosity in this whole thing, as always, but for once their curiosity was more or less satisfied. They’ve transcribed and encrypted the Vandal’s journal, and added it to their wall. In their version of events, the Collector’s house probably ends up burning down in a tragic cake-baking-related incident. Why the Collector was in bed with a cake in the oven is a mystery that will, perhaps, never be solved.