PageofCups
Posts: 25
1/18/2016
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I've been stuck between level 4 and 5 of Scholar of the Correspondence for around 2 weeks now. Here's the situation:
-I've been booted from the university, and am nearly done grinding my way through scientific expeditions to regain access (no screaming map yet, so scarce theosophistical notes are slowing me down) but from what I can see the Scholar raising options there require level 5 to begin with.
-I've been down to Flute Street. The opportunity card offering the second Fragment of a Black Coral Sculpture provided some gain in Scholar even on a decline, so I thought that Flute Street would allow me to study the Correspondence a bit further. I haven't tried all the options yet, but thus far nothing has given me Scholar. Should I go back down there for something I missed?
At this rate my 2 pails of snow will go to waste. Right now I only have a 40% success rate with my Semiotic Monocle. If someone could point me in the right direction I'd appreciate it, seems I've been spinning in circles. 
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Not a sailor who writes, but a writer who sails:
http://fallenlondon.storynexus.com/Profile/Max~Black
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Mordaine Barimen
Posts: 670
1/18/2016
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You can incorporate Correspondence into artistic works at Court if you aren't banished from there yet.
Also, Looking for More Evidence of the Correspondence" should work to SotC 7 in the FQ
edited by Mordaine Barimen on 1/18/2016
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I'm sorry, but due to policy clarifications, I will no longer be giving detailed mechanics advice on the forums.
If you still need help, try the IRC channel.
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malthaussen
Posts: 1060
1/18/2016
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As Mordaine said. Random encounters in the FQ will get you to 7, then 27 symphonies at Court will raise you to 10. And make a nice pile of pearls in the process. If you're banished from Court, though, you're SOL.
You may not have enough time, though. The FQ is random, and can take three or four days to reach 7th lvl. It might be quicker to go to Court right now and get all your remaining points grinding symphonies. If you can get Persuasive up to 167 with gear, you can 100% an option that will produce 1 symphony (hence, I SotC CP) every 22 actions (for a 1.36 EPA payout). If you spend 100-odd actions per day (I assume you do sleep sometimes), you can do 5 symphonies/day this way, so 9 days should see you through. Boring, but barely do-able before the end of the month. If you can't 100% the Persuasive checks you will probably run out of time and will have to risk your snow at less than 100% on the monocle check.
If you have acquaintances willing to spring for gifts, there is a small chance of getting a CP of SotC in each package. This actually got me one point during my drive to SotC 10. Only took about 6 packages, I was lucky.
-- Mal
edited by malthaussen on 1/18/2016
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"Of two choices, I always take the third."
Will do all socials except Loitering or Private Evenings (all my Free Evenings are accounted for), and Affluent Photographer Betrayals only, please. I am not currently accepting calling cards.
http://fallenlondon.storynexus.com/Profile/malthaussen
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phryne
Posts: 1347
1/18/2016
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malthaussen wrote:
If you're banished from Court, though, you're SOL.
Really? I'm SotC 7 and banished from Court. Is there nothing I can do, not even something Fate-locked?
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Accounts: Bag a Legend • Light Fingers • Heart's Desire • Nemesis • no ambition
Exceptional Stories, sorted by Season and by writer ― Favours & Renown Guide
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PageofCups
Posts: 25
1/18/2016
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malthaussen wrote:
(I assume you do sleep sometimes)
I laughed harder than I should at this. 
Anyway, thanks for the advice, you guys. I might also check Flute Street again, just to make sure I can't get any there. It's kind of odd though, correspondence thematically is a thing there, and yet, nothing thus far.
--
Not a sailor who writes, but a writer who sails:
http://fallenlondon.storynexus.com/Profile/Max~Black
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Mordaine Barimen
Posts: 670
1/18/2016
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There are Fatelocked options, and there is also lucking out to get Correspondence Plaques from Bundles. And restoring your name at the University.
If you do the further, Fatelocked Theological Husbandry, you can breed two animals that have SotC-building actions on cards that work until you hit 10.
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I'm sorry, but due to policy clarifications, I will no longer be giving detailed mechanics advice on the forums.
If you still need help, try the IRC channel.
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malthaussen
Posts: 1060
1/18/2016
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@Phryne: I am no expert on the alternatives, but this has been discussed at some length recently, since many want to reach SotC 10 for the Wicket. The University option is expensive in Correspondence Plaques and requires high Watchful checks (100+10XLevel you want). It is unlocked after you're kicked out of the Uni and do the requisite Scientific Quest for re-admission (which will not give you all the Uni options, but will allow you to grind SotC). Another post-Uni option involves a glim salesman, but as I am not post-Uni I don't know about it firsthand. There is also a Fate-locked Companion that helps, apparently. But yeah, not having Court access makes it very tough.
-- Mal
edited by malthaussen on 1/18/2016
--
"Of two choices, I always take the third."
Will do all socials except Loitering or Private Evenings (all my Free Evenings are accounted for), and Affluent Photographer Betrayals only, please. I am not currently accepting calling cards.
http://fallenlondon.storynexus.com/Profile/malthaussen
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phryne
Posts: 1347
1/18/2016
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Thanks for the replies! I guess I'll leave SotC for the time being... I don't want to get kicked out of the University yet. At least for losing the Court you gain the Foreign Office and Port Carnelian governorship. For losing the University you only get the option to do scientific explorations to three tiny islands unless I'm missing something... feels like kind of a bad deal.
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Accounts: Bag a Legend • Light Fingers • Heart's Desire • Nemesis • no ambition
Exceptional Stories, sorted by Season and by writer ― Favours & Renown Guide
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Parelle
Posts: 1084
1/18/2016
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I'm not certain, but having gained access to Flute Street you may have locked yourself out of the Glim Sculptor (according to what I've heard) He's good for raising your SOTC to 7 only though.
What's your current Taste of Lacre?
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Parelle, Lady Joseph Marlen. The Singular Librarian. A Midnighter, a Player of the Marvelous.
pages from a dusty bookshop: a badly updated FL changelog | Useful Guidance and Explanations
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Mordaine Barimen
Posts: 670
1/18/2016
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You also cannot unlock Flute Street before being kicked out of the University.
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I'm sorry, but due to policy clarifications, I will no longer be giving detailed mechanics advice on the forums.
If you still need help, try the IRC channel.
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PageofCups
Posts: 25
1/18/2016
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Parelle wrote:
I'm not certain, but having gained access to Flute Street you may have locked yourself out of the Glim Sculptor (according to what I've heard) He's good for raising your SOTC to 7 only though.
What's your current Taste of Lacre?
Yeah, that card doesn't seem to come up anymore. Seems I would have benefited more by delaying Flute Street and just grinding SotC off of the Glim Sculptor opportunity. Oh well, the more you know...
My current Taste of Lacre is a wonderful 3.
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Not a sailor who writes, but a writer who sails:
http://fallenlondon.storynexus.com/Profile/Max~Black
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Guest
1/18/2016
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PageofCups wrote:
Parelle wrote:
I'm not certain, but having gained access to Flute Street you may have locked yourself out of the Glim Sculptor (according to what I've heard) He's good for raising your SOTC to 7 only though.
What's your current Taste of Lacre?
Yeah, that card doesn't seem to come up anymore. Seems I would have benefited more by delaying Flute Street and just grinding SotC off of the Glim Sculptor opportunity. Oh well, the more you know...
My current Taste of Lacre is a wonderful 3.
Besides the exchange of Bundles, your only other option are 2 fate-Locked Empyrean Redolence creatures you need to draw from your deck and pass a Luck Check. They raise the value by 1 CP up to 10. It also takes a very long time and recommended you draw at a remote address.
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Optimatum
Posts: 3666
1/19/2016
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Once at SotC 3 the fastest option I found at the time, outside of cards, was seeking curios in the Forgotten Quarter. After this brings you to SotC 7 free options to continue are the Court, the University pre-completion, high level Bundles of Oddities, and ironically enough a success on examining snow through a monocle all give +1 CP up to level 10. (Aside from the monocle on snow option, which goes up to level 15.) After completing the University storyline the option to raise SotC as far as 21 unlocks but that requires high watchful for the challenge and increasing item costs. In terms of Fate content, as mentioned above two Empyrean Redolence pets have card options giving +1 CP though one is a 50% luck challenge.
Correspondents, who by nature already have SotC 10 minimum, can also attempt to write a monograph in lacre and succeeding on an SotC 15 challenge (aka 60% of success at SotC 15) gives between 2 and 10 CP up to level 15.
--
Optimatum, a ruthless and merciful gentleman. No plant battles, Affluent Photographer requests, or healing offers; all other social actions welcome.
 Want a sip of Cider? Just say hi!
PM me for information enigmatic or Fated. Though the forum please, not FL itself.
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Scienceandponies
Posts: 247
1/19/2016
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phryne wrote:
malthaussen wrote:
If you're banished from Court, though, you're SOL.
Really? I'm SotC 7 and banished from Court. Is there nothing I can do, not even something Fate-locked?
I fell into the same Level 7, banished from everything pit. Managed to pull myself out via fate-locked animal husbandry. It's the only realistic option. You could wait around for a whole lot of the rare, side-streets only, "Skin of the Bazaar" card, though I think I've only ever seen it twice ever, and you would need it a lot, so that would probably take something like 10 years. There's also a rare card you could draw at the docks which has a CHANCE of giving you plaques and a little SotC, but that would probably take even longer. Other than that, I suppose you could eventually get yourself unbanned from the university and burn crazy amounts of plaques there, but that's a rather involved process.
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yetanotherone
Posts: 135
1/19/2016
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phryne wrote:
malthaussen wrote:
If you're banished from Court, though, you're SOL.
Really? I'm SotC 7 and banished from Court. Is there nothing I can do, not even something Fate-locked?
As others have mentioned, getting the fate-locked Corresponding Ocelot pet (breed a hyena with all the stops pulled out) and tickling its belly will work wonders for SotC.
One other thing that is very random is opening a surprise package and getting "something perilous" - that's +1CP up to 10, and also gives you plaques. I think you only get this from the 10-echo gift you get from other players (abuse an alt, or find someone & set up a gift exchange agreement) and also the the gift from the very rare Unsigned Message card.
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https://www.fallenlondon.com/profile/AncientDrunkard
https://www.fallenlondon.com/Profile/ModernDrunkard
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Optimatum
Posts: 3666
1/20/2016
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Exchanging lots of Surprise Packages (and receiving them from An Unisgned Message) is quite good, giving about a 10% chance for an increase in SotC and in general a decent amount of items. Getting to SotC 10 just through the University option is completely doable; once you start a Scientific Expedition getting back is quite quick. Level 10 requires a modified watchful of 190 and costs 218 Plaques without any rare successes. Considering SotC 10 is only needed for becoming a Correspondent and absolutely guaranteeing success on one possible action in one seasonal event, I'd say it's really not that bad.
Also there are two pets obtainable through breeding that help SotC, not just the Ocelot. The Bifurcated Owl requires Flute Street as well as Empyrean Redolence, but its card can raise SotC on top of being tied with Ubergoats for best BDR pet.
edited by Optimatum on 1/20/2016
--
Optimatum, a ruthless and merciful gentleman. No plant battles, Affluent Photographer requests, or healing offers; all other social actions welcome.
Want a sip of Cider? Just say hi!
PM me for information enigmatic or Fated. Though the forum please, not FL itself.
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PageofCups
Posts: 25
1/20/2016
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Got a third pail of snow and used my existing Taste of Lacre to get a remote address. I'll work the Forgotten Quarter and draw cards in the Bazaar Sidestreets, luckily I already have the Ocelot, and just now got a Skin of the Bazaar opportunity card. Not bad.
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Not a sailor who writes, but a writer who sails:
http://fallenlondon.storynexus.com/Profile/Max~Black
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Ian Hart
Posts: 437
1/20/2016
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Theological Husbandry is one of the better fate-locked stories in my opinion, and it makes grinding SotC up to 10 a snap.
Grinding from 10 to 15 can also be done via the Semiotic Monocle option with pails of snow, if you can still acquire those.
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http://fallenlondon.storynexus.com/Profile/Antifinity
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