However, there is one very important clue - actually, a couple of sets of clues - that make life a little simpler, and which I haven't seen anyone refer to yet. Even people who've run the numbers. Even people who've scrutinised the text. Even people who understand the value of cards.

I really feel like Mr. Eaten has been watching Sesame Street without quite understanding what the "Ah"s stood for. "No, Ah Ah Ah Ah. Eyes, Ah Ah Ah Ah."

In seriousness - in actual seriousness - the clue I mentioned earlier is nothing earthshaking. It'll just make life a bit easier, or at least calculabler. Anyway, I'm shortly going to put St Cerise live, post an image that will cause a certain amount of resigned muttering, watch an ep of the Leftovers and hit the sack. Thank you all for your genuinely delightful company!

I think he's the Count from Sesame Street.

Alexis thought nobody would ever push the button

What does "skite" mean, exactly?

Alexis Kennedy wrote:

Spacemarine9 wrote:

Morucant wrote:

And March is the Third Month...

March, member of the Calendar Council, was poisoned by the Haunted Doctor. He made three sacrifices; he sacrificed his time, for the good of the Cause; he sacrificed his life, for the good of the Cause; he sacrificed his coffee, for the good of the Cause. Now, of course, three sacrifices makes a sacrithrice, as any purveyor of Mr Pages' Most Eleguent Library will inform you. What Alexis is trying to tell us, of course is that March, of the Calendar Council, is a child of Axile. But what manner of child of Axile? Well, if we turn to the Tigoverlord's posting history, we find an interesting snippet. The 29th of February, by rights, by all sense, lies within the domain of March. So who was March, then? None other than the Thief of Faces, my good friend, not poisoned fatally but captured by December himself, to power the cogwheels of the Device, that it may harness the power of contradiction itself; for what could contain more power than splitting the month?

Excellent point. Currently, the number I am investigating is between 8 and 11, contained in 209. Cardamom. Bergamot. Noctis. Juniper. But today is in its way a toady, and today is 9 of 6, and 6 yet remain. The Device, however, is active, and you have unlocked its latest cherry-branch. Wonderful.

I don't know why, but I feel as though we should be checking out the UP Cards. Who knows, maybe Alexis is punishing us for daring to suggest that we tank our UP to avoid continuing the search once we've started.

Alexis Kennedy wrote:

This is basically correct. Or at least N *rose* to 9, on the face of it

Now, of course, we come to the denouément. Observe the post, at least, all the words of my own creation.
Spacemarine9 wrote:

A coin without an n, hmm? this reminds me of a post...


The absent letter, clearly, is the space we have been told to watch out for. The missing 'n' from coin is cleverly hidden within this post; 'the next n months'. All we need to do is find where the Number, that is, the Number of Months, is hidden, and we'll be onto something. I believe the 'n' is a clever shorthand for 'name', or perhaps, 'Name'....

Count the words, and you will find their number is seventy-eight. Close - so close! - to the perfect symmetry of a number born from the Number. n, is, as previous posts have previously confirmed, simultaneously both a shorthand for the concept of a Name, and also a number. What number? It is obvious, of course, considering the span of the evidence, that the number is the Number, which, as we are all familiar with, in the dark absence of the soul where not even the gods can tread, is the Number. So, therefore, we have a mystery, here; a symbol which is both a word and an ennumeration. We also know, however, that my first surmise was Number% correct; I have used methods to extract the truth, and found these eleven words contain the mystery at the heart of this matter, at the heart of all matters.
[spoiler]'The Name is the Number hidden within a clever absent space'[/spoiler]

Check and mate, my dude.

ALL OF US MARTYRS

One player has been selected to play as Mr. Eaten, in game.

mayexist wrote:

Alexis Kennedy wrote:

The Feast of the Rose will end in very early March -- we've figured out what was causing this, and fixed it.

Chris actually said 'Me Eaten', which is basically a confession, so I know who *I'd* believe.

Imitation is the highest form of flatteny.

Light to the top of the chain.

I don't want it toned down...

That being said it is ill advised to do so on the forums.

That seems like an extremely over-conservative interpretation of the request. None of what we're talking about will make any sense to anyone who hasn't gone through the Gate themselves. "Please don't post content dumps" does not mean "don't discuss the story ever". What is the purpose of this thread if not to discuss the story, after all?

What is the purpose of this thread if not to discuss the story, after all?

an_ocelot wrote:

Alexis on Twitter: "I kept meaning to say, btw. Fortigan/Forthigan isn't a typo: it's a clue"

I'm immediately (and unhelpfully?) tempted to take it back to Anglo-Saxon:

• For(dh)i-gan - Go Forth
• Feowertig-an Fortieth
• Forhti-gan Go Fearfully

I'm probably overthinking this.

Sorry, but...

NiteBrite wrote:

(...) and the other one is busy keeping their noman alive at zee (its going to be great recording a noman melting days before they are released, people will have no idea what is going on haha).

Wait, what? You actually have a surviving Noman as of RIGHT NOW? That is so sweet!

Can you do anything with that account though? Like, travelling around the Unterzee, anywhere but London? Or would it melt as soon as you did anything?

Darkroot wrote:

Well, it's currently 8 months until the Feast of the Exceptional Rose, which is where the Eaten tattoo traditionally mocked Seekers...

Hey, if we can't get a tattoo of his real name maybe we can at least get a tattoo of his number! After all, as Chris said he's been getting increasingly flirty. A rendezvous, almost having dinner with people in fancy restaurants, being in our dreams, even going so far as to invite people to visit his private address alone...

Well, it's currently 8 months until the Feast of the Exceptional Rose, which is where the Eaten tattoo traditionally mocked Seekers...

Well, so far we have:

Wound.
Skite.
Noctis. Hungry.
Something stinking and quenched.
Something rich and withered.
Soon.
Should you give something up?
Drowned.
Gate. Hungry.
No.

My theory is we'll have to eat our spouses, or 7 acquaintances, to start/restart SMEN...
edited by Rupho Schartenhauer on 6/4/2016

John Moose wrote:

What does "skite" mean, exactly?

According to Google, different things to different people. It can mean boasting (in Australia, at least), can mean to skim or slide across a surface, it can mean to binge drink, it can mean a contemptible person, and it used to mean a sudden glancing blow. So yeah, Mr. Eaten is an Aussie who believes that Twitter is full of boasters. Seems legit.

Isn't it like 2am in England?

..Should I do the seeking on an alt? Because I really don't want to lose my super rich super watchful character Julias Stokes.

dov wrote:

And now directly from Alexis's account:

https://twitter.com/alexiskennedy/status/739845198755291136

Wow. He's really coming back, isn't he?
SMEN has always been a myth to me, since I came to FL. Days of great and unique past. Things long gone which do not work like that anymore.
To be here for the resurrection, well... Exciting. On the other hand, we won't have the longing and craving anymore, which is a bit sad. I mean, once you finally achieve your dream, what do you left with?

https://mobile.twitter.com/Mr_Eaten/status/740068832811831296

"Chapel"

As in Chapel of Lights?

SMEN is back.

Morucant wrote:

Alexis Kennedy wrote:

Spacemarine9 wrote:

Alexis Kennedy wrote:

so Mr 9 at last we cross swords one more time we are two sides of the same coi

A coin without an n, hmm? this reminds me of a post...


Alexis Kennedy wrote:

I'm really looking forward to the next n months. Watch the space.

The absent letter, clearly, is the space we have been told to watch out for. The missing 'n' from coin is cleverly hidden within this post; 'the next n months'. All we need to do is find where the Number, that is, the Number of Months, is hidden, and we'll be onto something. I believe the 'n' is a clever shorthand for 'name', or perhaps, 'Name'....

You are n% correct. No, Mr N, I expect you to why.

N=7. Imminent update to Seeking confirmed.

8^y where y = 7?

Now that I see this, I have to wonder...does Alexis hate us?

(- litnu nrub I lliw ereht dna ,slias etaG eht dna stiaw etihW eht erehw ,dlrow eht fo dne eht ot htron og lliw I yad enO) B TON LLIW TI .snrub tI .nrub ton lliw tI .snrub tI .nrub ton lliw tI .snrub tI .nrub ton lliw tI .snrub tI .nrub ton lliw tI

getting a candle

TheThirdPolice wrote:

If you display a Noman on your mantel, will it stay there even after the real Noman melts?

Why would it? After melting, the Noman's gone. Lilac's Inclination isn't gone, just as Taste of Lacre isn't gone if you've kept something from last Neathmas.

But taking the Noman art out of the game is weird.

Gonen wrote:

Really not believe in this, but throwing it out there to create a hype and clutter the forum.
Perhaps an influence FROM Sunless sea? We can now create meta-qualities which affect SS. Why not the other way round?
(Though I HAVE read someone refer to it).

Seems unlikely given that FBG have expressed several times that they never want people to feel penalized by not participating in all of their games.

Hi all

It is very, very hard to increase the primary Seeking quality, and although there will be other options, they won't make it much easier... and there are difficulties you haven't even seen yet.

However, there is one very important clue - actually, a couple of sets of clues - that make life a little simpler, and which I haven't seen anyone refer to yet. Even people who've run the numbers. Even people who've scrutinised the text. Even people who understand the value of cards.

However, there is one very important clue - actually, a couple of sets of clues - that make life a little simpler, and which I haven't seen anyone refer to yet.

Oh, I didn't realize you needed EXACTLY 42 Airs of London to see this, maybe this is new to some of you (from The Seeking Road):

And I've just reduced my watchful from 200 to 4, for one measly level of Seeking.

I just had SOTC cut from 21 to 10. I didn't even have a 100% chance at the SoTC challenge with 21.

Can't help but to notice Mr. Eaten called my name the other day. Gulp!

https://twitter.com/Mr_Eaten/status/740959219571101697

Morucant wrote:

Beau Mercy wrote:

Can't help but to notice Mr. Eaten called my name the other day. Gulp!

https://twitter.com/Mr_Eaten/status/740959219571101697
edited by Beau Mercy on 6/11/2016

As your name is one in the same with a candle, you are contractually obligated to take Seeking far enough to AT LEAST get that candle. Well, go on. I'll try to do the same, though as I'm sure as it is with you, it will be hard to advance that far.

minimum stockpile, assuming 0% failure rate: 24255 appalling secrets. A "mere" 3638.25 echoes in the best-case scenario, which likely requires absurd luck.

The main thread for discussing SMEN is here:

We know his previous name (that is hardly a secret), and that he was betrayed, etc. Now, depending on your character, this might be enough for you to be Melancholic and grieve for him, or enough to hate what was done to him and seek retribution on his behalf. You can do those things without knowing the full story.

Personally, I was always in this for the journey, not for the destination.

Optimatum wrote:

The downside to losing Lodgings is it also presumably means losing all five-card lodgings, seasonal Remote Addresses, the currently-unobtainable K&C lodgings, and possibly even the Marsh-House Remote Address.

Wait, what? When does THIS happens?
Oh. This seeking thing gonna hurt... Don't think I and many others who never seeked truly understand this

Morucant wrote:

Gonen wrote:

Optimatum wrote:

The downside to losing Lodgings is it also presumably means losing all five-card lodgings, seasonal Remote Addresses, the currently-unobtainable K&C lodgings, and possibly even the Marsh-House Remote Address.

Wait, what? When does THIS happens?
Oh. This seeking thing gonna hurt... Don't think I and many others who never seeked truly understand this

I never Seeked, but when I heard about it, I began to study it. You're given a choice on one of the candles; lose all of your points in connected, lose all of your lodgings, or get your destiny shredded (costs fate, so probably a fate buyout, or maybe it also removes your destiny.)
edited by Morucant on 6/7/2016

Given that this is the name, it probably replaces your destiny with something along the lines of "NULL", now, preventing you from getting a new one.

Gentle reminder: At the minimum, the end of SMEN wouldn't be here until next year.

Emain Ablach wrote:

From what I remember, we HAD to stain our soul in order to progress. Being soulless will stop you from progressing the story, except if Alexis thought about it and made some changes.

Oh. I might have misunderstood, then. What sets the hunt of devils on you?

TheThirdPolice wrote:

Oh, I didn't realize you needed EXACTLY 42 Airs of London to see this, maybe this is new to some of you (from The Seeking Road):

You do not. This shows "exactly" on several other Airs

Out of interest, have any Seekers visited the well on Mutton Island yet? The storylet is checking for SMEN now but I didn't have any when I dropped by.

ochrasy wrote:

I will take the long route, and get 1x SMEN per week. I got lucky and my Time, the Healer will show up in just a couple of hours, so I'll get to three now.

also because I want different texts, not grinding, at least not yet. I intend to play the opportunity cards on order, starting with ace of hungers.

It's just a different sacrifice: time, present enjoyment, and willpower. It all blackens to ash for the sake of the Name.

I haven't really got to grips with this yet (because I'm supposed to be working even on this most sacred of profane days), but this may be shooting yourself in the foot. The cards are non-discardable, so once you've gone up to e.g. 9 Peckish, you'll have 8x the chance to draw one painful card you don't want vs 1 you do. Whereas if you go top-down you can gradually decrease the amount of pain in your deck.

So, it looks like the structure of raising Seeking is:

[spoiler]- You can raise it in your lodgings on the Seeking Road card, which options cause significant damage to your person
- When you have no Marsh-Mired, you can raise it on various opportunity cards for somewhat less damage to your person; but using one of these options gives you Marsh-Mired
- Time, the Healer removes Marsh-Mired once a week, meaning you can use one of these opp cards per week. Once you have Marsh-Mired, the options left on the (non-discardable) cards just damage you and reduce your Unaccountably Peckish.[/spoiler]

Does that sound about right? It's been a long time since I've been so eager for Time to come... (Time just came last night, I gotta wait a week.)

I'm trying to drop my last point of UP, but ACE OF HUNGERS won't drop it below 1. Anybody come across a way to clear the last point yet?

Morucant wrote:

I think I'm going to take Seeking slowly-clearly that's the key to not getting obliterated, and it sort of fits my attitude about story line progression. I generally don't focus on any given story, it's more like I do them between grinds.

I'm beginning to think this is probably the best way to approach this. While rushing at Eaten full throttle sounds great in theory, it seems pretty undoable this time around. I'll probably end up doing this in the same method as the Cave of the Nadir. A little skimmed off the top each week.

No, no, no, the N is a red herring, entirely different from n. N is obviously 9, otherwise nothing makes sense, but 9 is an insignificant number, the product of a past caprice. n, on the other hand, holds the truth, and when we find the truth it will light our way.