A taciturn barber in Veilgarden offers to cut more than just his patrons’ hair. Where did he get his comb and scissors from? Are you brave enough to sit in the Barber of Hollow Street’s chair?
The Heretic of Hollow Street is the first story in the Season of Propinquity, and was written by Harry Tuffs. In this season you will experience three stories of affinity, proximity (for good or ill), and the ties that bind.
Begin with the Season of Propinquity card available throughout London.
In addition to a new, substantial, stand-alone story every month, Exceptional Friends enjoy:
[/color][ul][li][color=#0033ff]Access to the House of Chimes: an exclusive private members’ club on the Stolen River, packed with content[/color][/li][li][color=#0033ff]An expanded opportunity deck: of ten cards instead of six![/color][/li][li][color=#0033ff]A second candle: Twice the actions! 40 at once![/color][/li][/ul][color=#0033ff]
Finishing all three stories in the Season of Bargains will make you eligible for an additional opportunity, to follow.
If you want to keep an Exceptional Story beyond its release month, you must complete the related storylet in the current Season’s card. This will save it for you to return to another time. edited by James StAnthony on 8/29/2019 edited by James StAnthony on 8/29/2019[/color] edited by James StAnthony on 8/29/2019
[quote=James StAnthony][color=#0033ff]The Heretic of Hollow Street is the first story in the Season of Propinquity[/color][/quote]Season of what? Lol please tell me I’m not the only one who had to look that word up ::
After finishing the story I was able to replay the first meeting with the glassman. This didn’t appear to have any further consequences but it’s definitely a bug.
Hmmm. I’ve got a sneaking suspicion that the Vivacious Marchioness is actually September, of the Calendar Council. But we’ll have to wait and see, won’t we?
I was playing the ES on three different machines this morning and didn’t get a final result on the “Heretic of Hollow Street” storylets. Has anyone echoed those and can tell me what the reward was?
I can’t say I didn’t have the same problem with this exceptional story as I did Tauroktonos. The mechanics are still infuriatingly impenetrable and really muck up the story for me. I’d have enjoyed it more if it wasn’t an interactive story I was supposed to be a part of, but it was.
EDIT: Also, fair warning of a bug: Do not convince the Chemist to turn back at the end. That option will seem to work… but then he’ll be there in the end. edited by MidnightVoyager on 8/30/2019
[quote=MidnightVoyager]I can’t say I didn’t have the same problem with this exceptional story as I did Tauroktonos. The mechanics are still infuriatingly impenetrable and really muck up the story for me. I’d have enjoyed it more if it wasn’t an interactive story I was supposed to be a part of, but it was.
EDIT: Also, fair warning of a bug: Do not convince the Chemist to turn back at the end. That option will seem to work… but then he’ll be there in the end. edited by MidnightVoyager on 8/30/2019[/quote]
Tried that. Got the outcome you warn about in your spoiler. Didn’t care, really.
Damn, quite a moral conundrum for the Great Pigmeat. On the one hand, he believes a memory, especially a terrible one, shapes a person’s character and cutting it away is akin to destroying someone’s identity.
On the other hand, power is The Great Pigmeat’s weakness. It intoxicates him and it would not be in his character to wield power and not use it.
Lovely story so far, not enjoying it one bit though. Essentially, I have to do something I (and Jolanda) believe to be bad just to be able to play the story.
I don’t know, I fell that the actual choice for me is
a) don’t play this month’s ES
b) play it in a completely detached manner, so you can at least get the lore, writing etc (which, so far, is good).
The good Professor was hoping that the Nepethean razor would perhaps allow him to cut out seven memories he’d rather not have - perhaps at a cost comparable to how he got his flesh restored and how he unstained what remained of his soul.
But in lieu of that, great story and lots of appropriate characterization opportunities for a mad scientist not particularly burdened by ethical considerations.
I trained enough to become a truly masterful barber before cutting even one customer’s hair, removed the zailor’s memories sparingly, removed just the memory of the sacrifice from the Chemist, removed no memories at all from the Surgeon (and told him the truth), pried into the Locksmith’s beliefs about the Barber’s motives (and then removed his memory of that speculation). I removed no memories from any other customers. I interrogated the Barber about his allegiance to the Red-Handed Queen before agreeing to accompany him. I told the bespectacled "man" everything about the Barber, but did not have him intervene before we entered Parabola. The Surgeon, of course, did not come with the rest of his former friends. Once in Parabola, I persuaded the Chemist to turn back (because, unlike the Philosopher, he did not know what was happening.) Unfortunately, later text still referenced his presence. When the Barber asked for his tools back before leading them in for the sacrifice, I broke both the Scissors and the Knife. He was disappointed, but not dismayed, and took the Philosopher and the Chemist(!?) into the ruin (presumably to their deaths). I returned to London with the Comb, to find the barbershop abandoned and deserted.
Things I don’t know:
Can you get the Surgeon to Parabola? What DID they get in exchange for the sacrifice? What happens if you have the Glassman stop the expedition?
Excellent! Do you have any idea what happens in the bug-fixed version?[/quote]
I assume that the Chemist is not in the ending, as he shouldn’t be since you convinced him to leave. Can’t see myself, I just know that Olivia replied to say the problem had been solved.
I enjoyed this story a lot! It’s finally given Aylen the push to do what has been at the back of her mind for a long time- donning the amber spectacles.
So, should we expect more lore about the Bloody-Handed Queen in the future? She appeared in two successive Exceptional Stories, it can’t be just a coincidence.
