MisterArendt
Administrator
Posts: 37
8/1/2015
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The tides are hungry.
A funeral for a Sunken Admiral winds through the docks. His death was no accident - seek his murderer among the furtive ranks of a secret society at the heart of Her Enduring Majesty's navy.
Rehearse your handshakes and shibboleths! Choose your side. The soul of the Admiralty is at stake.
Play An Exceptional Story: Invitation to a Mutiny anywhere in Fallen London to begin. Exceptional Friends can continue the story at the House of Chimes.
This month’s Exceptional Story is by Rob Morgan, writer of the Augmented reality game Wonderbook: Book of Spells and The Assembly, a virtual reality title due to be released alongside the Oculus Rift in 2016.
Please remember to be liberal with your use of spoiler tags when discussing this story. If you're unsure whether something is a spoiler, use the tag! Here's a reminder of our position on spoilers and guidance.
In addition to a new, substantial, stand-alone story every month, Exceptional Friends enjoy:
• Access to the House of Chimes: an exclusive private member's club on the Stolen River, packed with content!
• An expanded opportunity deck: of ten cards instead of six!
• A second candle: Twice the actions! 40 at once!
(To retain this story for playing at a later date, you must play through the related storylet in the House of Chimes. This will save it from the monthly changeover.)
An additional note for the attention of Exceptional Friends: after this story, Exceptional Story changeover will happen on the last Thursday of the month.
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http://misterarendt.deviantart.com/
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+6
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Juno
Posts: 63
8/2/2015
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Well done, FB.
The writing is, vivid. Haunting, even.
I was holding on towards the end, grimly determined not to make a choice, when by chance my music player started playing this song
That seriously creeped me out.
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http://fallenlondon.storynexus.com/Profile/Etheridge
An author by trade, available for talks both public and private.
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+7
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Rackenhammer
Posts: 354
8/2/2015
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I'd rate this one a solid 4/5. It didn't blow me out of the water (no pun intended), but as a follow-up to July's excellent story, it was not a disappointment.
I've noticed now, actually, that each of the exceptional stories so far has centered around a person or faction with whom one can accumulate connections. Society for May's; The Duchess for June's; The Revolutionaries for July's; and now the Docks for August. Is this coincidental, or intentional?
I'm satisfied, anyhow, with my choices and how they ended up panning out. I am wondering, though; will it be possible for the Last Dog Society to open up as a potential Club in the future?
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"DO NOT TRUST HAPPY ENDINGS. DO NOT FEAR SAD ENDINGS... NEITHER ARE ENDINGS."
~
Mathieu Psmith: The Bard of Lost Children, loving husband, and a fixture of the artistic set. Can never resist making a show of things...
Irene Psmith: Adopted Daughter of Mathieu. Specializes in Information, Acquisitions, and the Acquisition of Information.
Vaughan Montblanc: Once a frontiersman of Western Canada, he now practices medicine in London. His discretion may be absolutely trusted.
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+5
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metasynthie
Posts: 645
8/13/2015
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Here you go:
http://fallenlondon.storynexus.com/Profile/Third~Walker
I was meaning to say, about this story: I really like the drawn-out pace of the climax in the marshes, as you deliberate on what to do. Great use of tension that intersects with a burning-down action candle. Can you bear to decide? Can you bear to wait? Can you bear to wait another ten minutes for another action?
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Positively antique
http://fallenlondon.storynexus.com/Profile/metasynthie
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+4
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Rook Crofton
Posts: 83
8/14/2015
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Some thoughts on a certain character (big spoilers for this story and Sunless Sea):
[spoiler]Is there any possibility that the Equitable Enthusiast becomes the Carnelian Exile (from Sunless Sea)? The Enthusaist is interested in a secret society called 'Dawn's Auditors,' and the Exile was banished from the Dawn Machine's faction. They're both navigators, love secrets, share the same artwork (a weak connection, admittedly), and the Enthusiast leaves the Last Dog Society regardless of your choices, leaving open the possibility of her joining the Dawn Machine.[/spoiler]
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Rook Crofton: dreamer, antiquarian, mystic
Now a Scarlet Saint. Happy to send anyone an invite to the Temple Club.
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Kukapetal
Posts: 1449
12/22/2015
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Ah, this was the first exceptional story I ever played when it came out. I've been wondering if I should replay it or not. It might be nice to get a less...chilling ending this time around, but on the other hand, that horrific ending played a huge role in my character's development, finally teaching him that actions can have dire consequences and that not everything is a game purely for his amusement. He went from amoral free-spirit to a compassionate chaotic good character, and this story had a lot to do with that.
Then again, learning empathy has brought him nothing but poverty and grief, given how relentlessly the game punishes you for being nice :P
Maybe I won't put the poor idiot through that again after all :P
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+3
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Diptych
Administrator
Posts: 3493
8/1/2015
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What a delightfully-written story! Though, really, it had me from the Mournpipe. Rob Morgan, shake yourself by the hand on my behalf for that one.
[spoiler]My one regret was that I lost the Acquaintanceship of the Enthusiast despite shielding her. She seemed nice![/spoiler]
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Sir Frederick, the Libertarian Esotericist. Lord Hubris, the Bloody Baron.
Juniper Brown, the Ill-Fated Orphan. Esther Ellis-Hall, the Fashionable Fabian.
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Curious Foreigner
Posts: 210
8/1/2015
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I liked this month's story, though I find July's a tad better. Still, it was a haunting experience there in the end.
[spoiler]Am I the only one who was reminded of Mr Eaten? A drowned man, coming back for vengeance against his killer?
In the end, there was justice, of a sort. Or perhaps you might call it a Reckoning.[/spoiler]
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Cochimetl went North, and beyond. No poems, only candlelight now. (Well, maybe one poem.)
The Gun-Toting Gallivanter, after an extended absence, is back in London again.
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+2
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RandomWalker
Posts: 948
8/1/2015
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Great story, as always. Chilling ending, if you remain steadfast.
I liked that the rewards were meted out over the course of the story. Less big-ticket items at the end, maybe, but less irritation found in exploring the story and so damaging EPA.
Oh, SPOILER warning. Reading the final journal entries will reveal something important about the story that is best postponed until you make your final decision. By all means ask 'what if', but make your decision first.
Additional spoiler: the section below mentions one specific reward that can be found from one path, that is not unique, but may be of interest to players of another game.
[spoiler]There is no unique loot, but if you have a desperate need for a long-box, I'll be happy to tell you which of the options I chose gave one)[/spoiler]
My main stayed true to honesty and decency (http://fallenlondon.storynexus.com/Profile/RandomWalker)
One of my alts intervened immediately in favour of the people who weren't insane, brainwashed lunatics (http://fallenlondon.storynexus.com/Profile/Stroller)
and my other alt decided that making the brainwashed lunatics allies would be fine and dandy
(http://fallenlondon.storynexus.com/Profile/Third~Walker)
Of course, they both acted immediately, and didn't realise that you can wait things out a little... I don't know, but maybe somone would be more grateful in some circumstances...
Ugh. I hope that this isn't too spoilery. If I've overstepped the mark anywhere, please let me know and I'll edit/delete.
edited by RandomWalker on 8/1/2015
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RandomWalker
Posts: 948
8/2/2015
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I like Rackenhammer's theory about the connections with the different factions. The first story doesn't seem to closely match a faction, but you could make an argument for it to be a Society story.
So that leaves University colleges (possibly both at the same time for interesting conflicts), Great Game (possibly already had a link to that with the Revolutionaries' story, but a separate one could be good), Urchins (mmm, I can taste the lore from here), Church and Hell could be combined, maybe, Tomb Colonists, Constables, Rubbery, Bohemian, Criminals, and Widow. There are a lot of factions when you get right down to it, and they could all be seeds for great stories.
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metasynthie
Posts: 645
8/2/2015
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RandomWalker wrote:
I like Rackenhammer's theory about the connections with the different factions. The first story doesn't seem to closely match a faction, but you could make an argument for it to be a Society story.
Well, the Prim Baronet is certainly a central character in the Haunting of the Marsh-House, and he also features in more than one Society story on the Park and Palace card -- it's his dynasty you rehabilitate to become Closest To Society, and another fate-locked story potentially involves a... replacement for him on that same card.
So that leaves University colleges (possibly both at the same time for interesting conflicts), Great Game (possibly already had a link to that with the Revolutionaries' story, but a separate one could be good), Urchins (mmm, I can taste the lore from here), Church and Hell could be combined, maybe, Tomb Colonists, Constables, Rubbery, Bohemian, Criminals, and Widow. There are a lot of factions when you get right down to it, and they could all be seeds for great stories.
Many of the fate-locked stories that rolled out before Exceptional Stories also centered around a particular faction, such as:
Flute Street: Rubbery
Diocesan Intrigue: Church (Hell)
Velocipede Squad - Spinning the Wheels: Constables
Foreign Office: Great Game, more or less
Blemmigan Affair: I thought of this as a fairly Bohemian story
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Positively antique
http://fallenlondon.storynexus.com/Profile/metasynthie
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BlakeTheDrake
Posts: 237
8/2/2015
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Well, after having complained up a storm over the last two stories, I must say I really liked this one. The way it made use of the Seasoned Sailor and Crew of the Galatea qualities made it feel very much a part of the overall narrative rather than some picked-up and soon-forgotten side-story. The ambiance was excellent, new information was learned, interesting characters appeared... and in the final tally, you get some decent goods to take home for a souvenir.
Hmm. Well, you can pick up some decent stuff along the way, anyway, and the final choice *I* picked had a nifty reward, but I dunno what the two other options provides. Presumably, supporting either candidate will win you their gratitude - and a suitable repayment for services rendered - but I wonder about that third ending for the very patient...
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One of these days, I will remember to record interesting things in my journal...
http://fallenlondon.storynexus.com/Profile/BlakeTheDrake
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Kolanowski
Posts: 148
8/21/2015
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I liked this exceptional story a lot, but true, it was very, very short. Still, it was nice to see that the bright-eyed lot is getting more and more screentime, so to speak.
[spoiler]I chose the Sequencer, of course. I wasn't going to, until the Shamble-man starter to warn me about the disaster she and her ilk might bring. My character is a destructive type, so... Heh heh heh heh...[/spoiler]
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Kazimierz Kolanowski, gentleman, scholar, humble servant of the Maw. Chaotic Evil. Open to all social actions & accepting almost all requests. Might sell you to Satan for a single corn chip.
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TheThirdPolice
Posts: 609
8/1/2015
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A wonderful story. An impressive blend of humorous and grim, which is exactly what I want from Fallen London. I look forward to eventually finding out how my decision affects the world, and maybe to meet again the Enthusiast and the Bright Eyed S——. I liked the quirk changes throughout: players will spend more time over Exceptional Stories, so you know you'll be adjusting quirks based on weightier decisions. Quirk-hoarders should note that you can lose Heartless, Steadfast, and probably others... but jump in, it's worth it.
But no one's talking about the hip new game Hollow King! It would be awfully fun to see that as a Terror reduction option in Sunless Sea. A bit sillier than that game usually gets, but maybe as a random event at a relatively low terror level. (And a cryptic hint about the name's origins? I haven't figured it out.)
Incidentally, if anyone needs a terribly important reason to avoid one decision:
[spoiler]
The Bright Eyed S—— bans Hollow King if she takes control! Why I 'ave 'arf a mind—— but my experiences at Bethlehem are neither here nor there.
[/spoiler]
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Excessive Corpse & Tender to Irreal Ravens
Lover of Flawed Souls
And with especial pride, Worst Screwup of the Decade!
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MidnightVoyager
Posts: 858
8/1/2015
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Decisions are hard.
[spoiler]I found out that the boxes were rigged and now they're doing a thing with bells. I can let it go through or sabotage it.
The New Sequencers are such bad shit, but... I get the feeling the other guy is a dick, too. If I let it play out, it could go a way I don't want, but.... aaaaaaaaaaaaaaa[/spoiler]
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Midnight Voyager - A blood-cousin to predators. Collector of beasts. Affably mad.
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TheThirdPolice
Posts: 609
8/1/2015
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From the inklings that have been spilled in this thread (but no firsthand knowledge), I suspect the third option leads to a twist ending.
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Excessive Corpse & Tender to Irreal Ravens
Lover of Flawed Souls
And with especial pride, Worst Screwup of the Decade!
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MissCrumpet
Posts: 113
8/14/2015
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I felt like this month's story was too brief: it didn't draw me into the world like some of the others. From what I've read here, it seems like the story would have been more meaningful if I played Sunless Sea. Without that, it felt like I was dropped among two crazy people in a situation I don't know much about and asked to make a decision that felt like it was none of my business. Of course, not every month will be a momentous, game-changing story!
In any case, I went with the Sequencer. A crazed revolutionary is always preferable to an outwardly jolly patriot. 
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Julia C, a creatively named lady. I am always looking to expand my circle of acquaintances and enjoy pleasant social interactions.
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Jacke
Posts: 71
9/1/2015
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I've just gotten around to following this story. I'm just at the start of The Court of Muntineers and the selection of a new Grand Pilot. I'm wondering who I should support, especially as I've heard there is a third option not yet apparent at my point of the story. My appreciation of the situation so far:
[spoiler]
The Shamble-Man is a power-worshiping toady with connections to the Masters and the Worshipful Purser is a crazed revolutionary with connections to the Dawn Machine.
I do wonder about all these things like the Dawn Machine and the Liberation of Night. The revolutonaries connected to them seem crazier than usual and I worry London may end up worse off than it is, even considering right now it's a plaything of the Bazaar and the Masters.
Yet supporting the Shamble-Man sticks in my craw too. And I've heard the third option is closer to dealing with the murder of the Sunken Admiral. Yet it also ends the Last Dog Society.
[/spoiler]
Decisions, decisions. Wish I knew more about these infernal machinations.
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http://fallenlondon.storynexus.com/profile/Jacke
Calling cards and social actions welcome.
No boxed cats; it is cruel and heartless.
The 'e' in the name is silent. Be seeing you.
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Màiread
Posts: 385
12/21/2015
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I believe it was mentioned on Twitter that the re-release had been delayed by other content (Sackmas, Flint); it will probably come out soon.
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Màiread - Correspondent, composer, lover of cats. Can probably bake you a d__n fine cake.
Useful Links: Traveller's Friend (Progress Tracker & Notability Calculator) | phryne's Guide to Favours & Renown |
Peggy the Nowoman lived to see the Feast. Thank you for the memories, Snow Lady.
I'm happy to accept most social actions except for lethal sparring and loitering suspiciously. Please challenge my plant! Currently not accepting calling cards.
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+1
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Hannah Flynn
Administrator
Posts: 491
8/18/2015
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Reminder that we'll be changing over to the next story on 27 August, which is a Thursday. If you want to save this month's story to play later, remember to play through the House of Chimes storylet, after which The Last Dog Society will be saved for you.
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Wields the news canon, aboard the hype train.
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xKiv
Posts: 846
8/3/2015
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I would give the story 4/5 (good, but not mindblowing), gameplaywise 2/5 (not much there to actually *play*, as opposed to mostly linear interaction with the fiction; I also didn't like how it funneled me through what seems like mandatory quirk loss - and I was especially baffled how the quirks of the quirks system made me choose based on "I like having quirk X the most, but it's the easiest one for me to raise, so I will instead choose the opposite option, which reduces X, but raises a much harder-to-raise quirk Y).
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https://www.fallenlondon.storynexus.com/Profile/xKiv - a witchful, percussive, dangermous and shadowry scholar of coexplodence, hopsidirean, and walker of fallen kitties.
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Rook Crofton
Posts: 83
8/5/2015
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I enjoyed this story quite a bit, especially the difficult choices at the end. This story made me regret my choice, which I take as a sign of a good narrative, and I love the mixture of comedy and horror.
[spoiler]As others have said, I really wish I could have kept the Enthusiast as an acquaintance! She made me laugh out loud, and she'd make an interesting contact for future stories.[/spoiler]
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Rook Crofton: dreamer, antiquarian, mystic
Now a Scarlet Saint. Happy to send anyone an invite to the Temple Club.
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Kilrathi
Posts: 24
8/13/2015
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A question (spoilered just in case):
[spoiler] Did anyone actually save the Sequencer? Definitely not my cup of tea, but I'm really curious how that one plays out and haven't seen it reflected anywhere. As for me, I know what I want to do but I'm thinking of booting up Sunless Sea again soon and that box is tempting. [/spoiler]
edited by Kilrathi on 8/13/2015
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Danko
Posts: 142
8/2/2015
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I rather liked the story.
Made me sad a few times that I "sided" with the princess during The Gift. Hope it pays off in later stories!
The lore is great. Last decision made my agonize as usual. Some thoughts under spoiler.
[spoiler]New Sequence lady is a madhat radical with a clear destructive agenda, while the other guy is a power-hungry murderer. Siding with the admiral is interesting and is overall what a nice good person would have done, but it kind of severs the ties for further stories since The Last Dogs are pretty much disbanded after.
In the end I've sided with the Shamble-man, since he gives a slightly more interesting reward and provides further tie-ins
Also I have no idea yet whether I should support Dawn Machine people or not, since I don't have much of an idea what it is about, besides an obvious guess and the feeling of dread mixed with hatred everyone has towards it. I don't want to spoil it yet, so I guess I'll wait to be seared with enigma someday. Is the Dawn Machine and Liberation of the Night even discussed in detail anywhere in London? Just like Judgments, I've barely seen them mentioned at all.[/spoiler]
Overall I'll give the story 4/5 - great writing, but a little short and a bit too straightforward.
On a side note I think I've noticed that all Exceptional stories in a very subtle way follow a straight storyline about the future of Fallen London - the Orts, the Masters, the Revolutionaries - they all scheme behind the scenes, they all set things in motions, and we can see some glimpses of it. It really makes me feel that something is coming. That something will change. Most dreadful!
edited by Danko on 8/2/2015
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http://fallenlondon.storynexus.com/Profile/Danko
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Lemexis
Posts: 155
8/2/2015
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[spoiler]I know the Dawn Machine from Sunless Sea, but it's the first time I think it's even mentionned in Fallen London.(and I've spent quite some time on the game)
If you want to know more about the Liberation of Night and the Machine, you should play Sunless Sea I guess. [/spoiler]
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http://fallenlondon.storynexus.com/Profile/Lemexis
Feed me your most terrible secrets
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RandomWalker
Posts: 948
8/1/2015
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Not having that quality does not impact the story in any major way - some dialogue changes slightly, but the story still ends in the same place.
You didn't miss out on that quality by taking fate-locked stories in an odd order. You can probably still get it, if you haven't purchased / played 'The Gift' yet. (You should get 'The Gift' even if you don't want that quality).
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Danko
Posts: 142
8/1/2015
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Oh my! Is it the time already? What a pleasure!
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http://fallenlondon.storynexus.com/Profile/Danko
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Trifa
Posts: 19
8/1/2015
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Sir Frederick Tanah-Chook wrote:
What a delightfully-written story! Though, really, it had me from the Mournpipe. Rob Morgan, shake yourself by the hand on my behalf for that one.
(SPOILER)
Agreed!
[spoiler]When I saw it pop up as a quality, I hoped that might mean there was a chance she would show up again in the future. I liked her.
I enjoyed this story a lot, but I'm not so sure about my choice. Not assisting the Sequencer seemed like an obvious choice, but I guess neither of them really deserved it. Maybe I should have let them both drown... ![/spoiler]
I'd say this one wasn't quite up to last month's standard, but to be fair, that story set a very high bar. I found The Last Dog Society to be very satisfying, and enjoyed meeting the new characters and learning a little more about zailor culture.
EDIT: Thank you to Sir Frederick Tanah-Chook. I got my spoiler tags working!
edited by Trifa on 8/1/2015
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http://fallenlondon.storynexus.com/Profile/Trifa - Bohemian, hedonistic, and slightly mad, Trifa is a legendarily charismatic Correspondent. Likes cats. No Loitering Suspiciously, please.
http://fallenlondon.storynexus.com/Profile/Blythe~Grimm - Mysterious. Humorless. Ruthless. With hidden depths? Perhaps. Neck-deep in the Great Game.
http://fallenlondon.storynexus.com/Profile/Thomas~Lane - A newcomer to Fallen London, Thomas is chivalrous, flawlessly polite, and a little naive. Hopefully he'll learn to be more guarded before his trusting nature gets him in over his head.
Open to new acquaintances and social actions on all characters. Regarding IC or OOC messages, I am likely to follow your lead.
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Jeremy Avalon
Posts: 345
8/1/2015
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Any particular Quirk-raising options in this story?
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How we must glow; yes, I bet we look like snow.
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metasynthie
Posts: 645
8/1/2015
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Does anyone know if the Enthusiast quality sticks around if you shield her while you're A Seasoned Captain?
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Positively antique
http://fallenlondon.storynexus.com/Profile/metasynthie
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Lemexis
Posts: 155
8/1/2015
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No, it doesn't. Sadly.
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http://fallenlondon.storynexus.com/Profile/Lemexis
Feed me your most terrible secrets
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RandomWalker
Posts: 948
8/1/2015
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Sir Joseph Marlen wrote:
Wonderful story so far, but I'm currently stuck at a certain point.
[spoiler] I'm currently about to enter the Court of Mutineers, but the game is reminding me that I should make sure I've finished the meeting before I go on. I've met with the Jolly Shamble-man and the Sequencer, but no one else. Is there anything I should do before entering the Court?
[/spoiler]
Not really. You can get more BI, but all your BI gets converted into fungible assets. The exchange rate isn't awful, but it certainly isn't worth your time farming more BI to get it closer to 100. I think the option is there so that people aren't kicked out before they have a chance to explore the content.
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