As I proceed toward the 100 mark for my qualities, I find myself in a touch of a concern.
There remain three lodgings that I still do not have under my wing - The three biggest in fact. The Brass Embassy, The Royal Bethlehem, and The Premises at The Bazaar.
Each requires a fairly fantastic amount of resources - 40 thousand Souls, 40 thousand drops of honey and 80 thousand whispered secrets.
All of these seem like incredibly high levels of resources…or did, until someone informed me offhand what the items involved in the game once you have become a person of Some Importance…
so, I profess to you my friends - How would you recommend going about aquiring the funds for these last three Lodgings and - More importantly to my future sanity, Just what sort of pure mindless grinding will I be facing in order to gain items seemingly requisite to enjoying ANY of the content beyond 100? because if it is as bad as I have been led to believe - Tens of thousands of bottles of wine and candles for a SINGLE item you will be expected to have upwards of FIVE of? - I may find any desire I have to play this game at all beyond this point vanish in a haze.
I dont mind a bit of hard work to reach new content, but there is a bit of a point where I lose patience.
Grind for Whispered Secrets in the Court. It took me about a month or so, by grinding via Romance (83 WS/action) and Tea at the Court (84 WS/action).
I find that Honey is too impractical. Souls, on the other hand, can be grinded at Ladybones Road. One can go about it by stealing from the Sprifers, and grind one’s Shadowy and Watchful at the same time. It’s highly unprofitable, and I regrettably gave up after 20k Souls.
If you don’t mind a bit of fate, I did much of my grinding for secrets at Flute Street. Very interesting content as well, one of the more fun fate-locked choices if you ask me. I don’t know if it’s more effective for actually acquiring the secrets, but it is more fun than other options for grinding them.
As a reminder, you don’t need any of these lodgings to become a Person of Some Importance. The card which needs them has another option for those with a great many other, smaller hideouts. Even then, you don’t need that particular card to reach the next level of PoSI. Any of the level 7 cards will do.
Also, many of the items that one used to have to grind for are available at Wilmot’s End and in the War of Assassins much quicker, so I would suggest waiting until you have those options before attempting to obtain things like ships or transport.
Oh the Bazaar. All those secrets. How very long you took me. If you have places that give large things, like the tiger keeper at the end of a labyrinth cycle or books or contracts if you’ve an easy way of getting them, are a good source of getting money for secrets. Other than that, it’s tricky as becoming a Person of Importance has a bit of a steep grind initially. I’d say, do what you enjoy doing and then you’ll regret the grind less. Also prioritise - it’s so easy to go “I WANT ALL THE THINGS” - hell, I did that, but it will take forever and is vastly more impractical than “I WANT ALL THE THINGS, EVENTUALLY”
I ground for the secrets at the university, wandering around the quad day after day for 95 a pop. I could also then have dinner at Summerset four times when ‘Term passing…’ reached 11 and congratulate the devils at the end of the Benthic match at ‘Term passing…’ 12, which both got better rates of return than the straightforward quad.
It took me about 3 weeks, what with looking at opportunities while I went. However, the time does pass and you can see a steady increase in your secret/souls/honey level, which keeps you going. And 4 cards is significantly better than 3 in terms of flexibility over what to keep and what to discard. I’d recommend getting one top-level lodging at least, with the bazaar premises being slightly better than the others, because they gives you 4 certifiable scraps not 3 when you’ve got them. Which is appropriate, given that you’re living in the hub of a massive market.
If you’re going to be a Person of Some Importance soon and would like to wait the way I’ve done it for the Bazaar premise (twice now on both accounts) is to grind for Jade on Watchmaker’s Hill. It’ll get 105 per action. Then go over to the first coil of the Labyrinth and trade Jade for Secrets with the Keeper. You’ll get 1100 secrets for 1000 Jade. The best deal you’re going to find probably.
How I’ve obtained Reservations at the Bethlehem is similar. I had long worn out my welcome at the Palace and so found myself without an efficient way to get PHoney. But PHoney costs as much as Proscribed Material sells for so I went to Watchmaker’s Hill and got 40000 Proscribed Material and sold that for PHoney.
The Brass Embassy is the simplest as long as you’re a Person of Some Importance and have some connection to the Devils. Unfinished business in Spite will let you get 50 souls a pop.
In my experience if you’re relatively dedicated to grinding for the material it’ll take about 3-4 weeks to obtain your lodging without being an Exceptional Friend. edited by amaresu on 12/24/2011
If you have Shadowy 100+, the most efficient way I’ve found to get the Whispered Secrets is in Mahogany Hall. Work for Jasper and Frank - pick the “fire-raising” option. 112 Deep Amber, which you can then trade with the Tiger-Keeper at a rate of 1000 amber for 1100 secrets. It’s a little bit faster than grinding for jade at Watchmaker’s Hill.