I’ve just completed the expedition to reach this cave, so now i can open it, possibly. The options for doing so are expensive, but i’m sure i’ll manage.
I’ve heard that upgrading at least one item is possible in there, i’m assuming more. I’d like some advice on this.
Can you please tell me as much as possible about the mechanics of the cave, what i can do in there, what i should bring in with me in order to utilize every possible option, and will i be able to return there?
While also telling me as little as possible about the story and lore of the place, because i’d not like that spoiled.
The cave of the Nadir works entirely through opportunity cards. All of them are non-discardable, so it’s best to go in with a 5-card lodging if you can, as this will enable you to ‘bank’ bad cards.
Each card will offer you various options, which generally give some items/stats and one or two points of irrigo, which is the Nadir’s menace quality. When you leave the Nadir, your base stats will lower, taking more damage the higher your irrigo. At 10 irrigo, you’ll be forcibly removed from the cave and take extra stat damage, so your goal is to maximise your gains before getting kicked out.
Having nightmares adds some bad cards to the deck, so it’s best to go in with none. You’ll also want to take some second chances, as these are swapped for expensive goodies on ‘the end of battles’ card.
The items you can upgrade are parabola linen frock/suit, spider silk slippers, the neathglass goggles and devious henchman. You may also want totals one blackmail material, some identities uncovered and 5 diaries of the dead. You don’t need to take everything on your first trip though!
Once a week TTH will remove your irrigo and you can return to the cave. You can also clear your irrigo with fate to return more often. edited by Màiread on 1/16/2016
[quote=Nanako]wait, what? 5-card lodging?
All the highest tier, ridiculously expensive stuff at the bazaar are 4 cards. where the heck do i get a 5 card lodging[/quote]
You get 5-card lodgings by having one of the 3 4-card lodgings, and upgrading it.
The (extremely) expensive way to upgrade such a 4-card lodgings into the 5-card version is available through the relevant lodgings card.
The cheap way to do this upgrade is available once a year only during Christmas (i.e. Right Now!), via Penstock’s Wicket (it does costs Taste of Lacre and some Notability, though).
If you have any of the 4-card lodgings (or a way to get them quickly), and have the needed amount of Taste of Lacre (or Pails of Snow) and Notability, upgrade to 5-card lodgings right now. This is a once-in-a-year opportunity.
The "regular" 4 card lodgings are indeed very expensive at the Bazaar. However, all of them has a cheaper way to buy:
Premises at the Bazaar: with 50 x Bazaar Permit, in the Bazaar Side-Streets.[/li][li]A Room at the Royal Beth: 50 x Antique Mystery, via the Merry Gentleman card.[/li][li]A room at the Brass Embassy: 100 x Muscaria brandy, 500 x Brilliant Souls, 1 x Brass Ring, Connected Hell 50, and being an Intimate of Devils, via the devils’ Burning Shadows card.
All of the needed materials (which, as I said, are overall cheaper than buying the lodgings via the Bazaar), can be farmed efficiently via Thefts of Particular Character in the Flit (preferable by using a Gang of Hoodlum and high Shadowy, but even if not, any POSI can safely grind Casing).
The Brass Embasy is even cheaper than the others in terms of materials, but requires the Intimate of Devils quality (easy to get, unless you soul is stained), and the Hell connections (get to 20 with the Bright Brass Skull, and then it can take some time playing conflict cards, but can also be farmed using Casing in the Flit by Selling Information to devils).
Good luck - if any are within reach, and you have 3 Notability and the needed 7/8/9 Taste of Lacre, get one and upgrade it before the Wicket closes.
[quote=Màiread]
Once a week TTH will remove your irrigo and you can return to the cave. You can also clear your irrigo with fate to return more often. edited by Màiread on 1/16/2016[/quote]
so once i’ve opened it, i can go back once a week? is there any cost to that? do i have to pay to open it again?
I read in another thread, that the cave can upgrade Hushed Spidersilk Slippers into an enhanced version, so i’m assuming i’ll want to take some of those in. But what else? Are there any other upgradeable items that i should bring in with me? I’d appreciate a full list of stuff that can be upgraded there, or that is needed as a cost to take certain options, so i can prepare my inventory appropriately
The complete guide on the Nadir is here.
It has no story spoilers, but is full with all mechanics spoilers (i.e. what items you can get, what cards to look out for etc.)
If you don’t want to be spoiled to much on mechanics, here’s just the list of things which can be upgraded in the Nadir:
One time only upgrade (i.e. can’t have more than one of the upgraded item):
[ul][li]Parabola-Linen Frock[/li][li]Parabola-Linen Suit[/li][li]Pair of Hushed Spidersilk[/li][li]Nodule of Warm Amber[/li][li]Devious Henchman[/li][/ul]Multiple upgrades possible:
Cryptic Clue[/li][li]Journal of Infamy
Since everything in the Nadir is card based, it’s possible to not encounter the card you need in any given visit.
Don’t worry - you’ll be able to return weekly (once Time the Healer gives you a way to clear your Irrigo from your last visit), at no additional cost (other than spending 3 actions). Practically anything you do in the Nadir gives you Irrigo (usually 1 or 2 points) - when it hits ten you’ll be forced out. But notice the higher your Irrigo is when you leave, the larger is the hit to your main stats. (roughly, until Irrigo 5 the stat loss is negligible, from 6-9 it’s annoying, and if you’ve reached 10 and was forced out it’s painful). edited by dov on 1/16/2016
[quote=Mairead]
The items you can upgrade are parabola linen frock/suit, spider silk slippers, the neathglass goggles and devious henchman. You may also want totals one blackmail material, some identities uncovered and 5 diaries of the dead.[/quote]
Another thing to think about right now: - You can exchange 7 Tastes of Lacre for 1 Tears of the Bazaar in the Nadir. (if you draw the right card.) So it is one good way to spend extra buckets if you have them before they melt (but obviously get everything you want from Penstock’s first :) )
ToL itself won’t melt, only the buckets, so you may just want to keep it - either for next Sacksmas or if you want to get the 3 ToL Penstock’s Wicket Tattoo at the coming Feast of the Rose - (which is no better than any other tattoo really, but you might?) edited by Charlotte_de_Witte on 1/16/2016
[quote=dov]
If you have any of the 4-card lodgings (or a way to get them quickly), and have the needed amount of Taste of Lacre (or Pails of Snow) and Notability, upgrade to 5-card lodgings right now. This is a once-in-a-year opportunity.[/quote]
I don’t have enough Taste of Lacre to get into penstock’s wicket :(
And from what i’ve read, it’s not possible for me to get anymore this year. am i mistaken?
If you have a bucket of so-called snow, then you can use that to boost your taste, but unless you have a monocle and are a Scholar of the Correspondence and actually have four taste, then you probably won’t be able to get enough taste to be able to afford a five-card lodging.
If you don’t have a pail, and yet still have at least one point then you could still technically do it. I’m not sure if the urchins are still selling snow, but if they are then you’d be able to buy some from them. Additionally you could huff tears of the bazaar and increase your taste that way.
While not impossible, it would be very hard, and require a lot of luck, to do from your current position. If you have no taste at all, you’re out of luck for this year.
Thinking about it, the notability requirement will be much more of an obstacle than getting the taste of lacre, and that’s saying something. You’re a new POSI, so you won’t have much BDR right now. Getting the notability you need would take too long, I’m sure. edited by RandomWalker on 1/16/2016
I’m working up to find this mysterious place. Got me ray drenched cinder all ready to go. What I was wondering was whether there was anything nasty like when taking stat drops from visiting it detracts from your total possible - I heard 200 is the max stat, so if I lost say 1 via the Nadir, would I then be limited to maxing at 199?
The cap remains at 200. You’ll just lost some CP in all stats (how many CP depended on how long you’ll stay in the cave).
Usually it’s no big deal. But notice that if you’ve overcapped your stats using Notability (e.g. to 215) the stats will still drop and you won’t be able to raise them again without sacrificing Notability, again.