Ombler
Posts: 6
9/30/2016
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I chose to take the bequeathment myself because of course I did.
http://fallenlondon.storynexus.com/Profile/Ombler?fromEchoId=9737170
Reward was
[spoiler] A Long-Box[/spoiler]
TeslaWalker wrote:
Received a notification about nine minutes ago in my messages tab:
(Spoiler)
I've never seen this before and as I've just completed the story this felt like the right place to mention it and ask: Does anyone know what this is about?
This is almost certainly related to the New Sequence and the Dawn Machine.
EDIT: Wasn't quoting the spoiler right.
edited by Ombler on 9/30/2016
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Ombler
Leonard von Hoffenburg (gone north)
McCribbins
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Lamia Lawless
Posts: 604
9/30/2016
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I enjoyed this story. Spoilers for the meat of the story and ending below the cut.
[spoiler]I made a mistake with this one. I decided to side with the Abiding Wife automatically, not because she gave me any compelling reasons to listen to her, but because my knee jerk reaction was "cults are bad."
As I played on, though, I realized it would be more in-character for my character to try to help the Iconoclast. I mean, Harris and Mildred are both dying, so why should Harris's last wishes trump hers? And when I thought about it, the Abiding Wife never cared about what was best for the Iconoclast. This line, "I have always been the stake in the heart of my husband's happiness," showed clearly that she felt guilty about making her husband unhappy, not because she let something bad happen to the Iconoclast. But by then it was too late, and I had to go along with the Abiding Wife's schemes. All in all, the ending wasn't too bad, though. Probably best not to have (another) suicide cult running around in the Neath.[/spoiler]
Other than the interesting characters and moral dilemmas, I was really happy with all the references to poetry. Voltaire, Swinburne, and John Gower. Someone else also pointed out that the last Exceptional Story in this series was based on this ballad. Literary references in Fallen London always make me happy, because everything from Victorian times and prior is usually public domain and easy to find on the internet.
Also, while I was playing this, I kept wondering what it is about the Neath that seems to inspire fanatics of all types to sprout up everywhere. When somebody asked one of the Masters why animals speak in the Neath, it said that the Neath is a place of ambition. Afterwards, I noticed it really is a recurring theme: The Rubbery people, the rats and guinea pigs of Pigmote Isle, the Cousins, and the Pentecost Apes all long to have civilization, music, art, or a place of their own. So maybe people of the Neath are just really susceptible to falling prey to the various grasping powers that exist there (the Uttershroom, the sorrow spiders, the Fathomking, Mr. Eaten, etc). With the Dawn Machine it's obvious which power is trying to bring people under its influence, but the Conflagrati is a new one. Who in the world benefits from it? (I noticed hints about something that happened beneath the waves, maybe we'll learn more about the Conflagrati in Zubmariner?)
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The Harmonic Hellfarer
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Blaine Davidson
Posts: 388
9/30/2016
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I can't seem to ever get more than 1 for the value of "Conspiring on the Pyres". Am I doing something wrong?
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Blaine Davidson, a reserved and sensible woman with a fondness of collecting rarities.
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Blaine Davidson
Posts: 388
9/30/2016
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Blaine Davidson wrote:
I can't seem to ever get more than 1 for the value of "Conspiring on the Pyres". Am I doing something wrong?
Nevermind, I didn't realize you had to talk to the wife one last time after determining what was going on in both camps.
I will be redoing this story, I am not happy with how it went.
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Blaine Davidson, a reserved and sensible woman with a fondness of collecting rarities.
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Hattington
Posts: 210
9/30/2016
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TeslaWalker wrote:
Received a notification about nine minutes ago in my messages tab:
[spoiler] "The dust. The sun in your eyes. Everything changes. Everything stays the same. Moving."[/spoiler]
I've never seen this before and as I've just completed the story this felt like the right place to mention it and ask: Does anyone know what this is about?
How curious. As someone who supported the Visionary, convinced him to stay where he was, returned the mistress to London and convinced the Bluejacket to donate to the Visionary I seem to have received no messages of note.
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The Dawnburnt Vake-Rider: https://www.fallenlondon.com/Profile/Hattington
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Deathwatch101
Posts: 7
9/30/2016
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Is there anything other than the [spoiler]Evening Ritual's ive done Glimpses of the Future[/spoiler] But even after some other little One of a time options i don't have an additional card and those two are left to me as a choice.
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Gul al-Ahlaam
Posts: 225
9/30/2016
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I was a huge fan of this exceptional story. I like that it was primarily character-driven, as that's the sort of story I actually like to read, especially in the realm of Interactive Fiction. The characters felt realistic, well-rounded, and interesting, and I enjoyed learning more about them, and having my feelings for them grow more tangled and complex as a result. I think the story was paced excellently, and I really enjoyed how simple and straightforward the structure was. It left room for excellent characters, complex webs of friendship and obligation, and several of the most difficult choices in the game, for me at least.
[spoiler] I may have to play the story again just to hang out more with the Abiding Wife. She was super cool. I intended to work with her and intrigue against both cults at first, but I ended up falling head over heels for the Visionary. (I love how nuanced the choices got toward the end. I was so happy when I found that you could advise him to stay on the island). I ended up bringing the Iconoclast back to London, out of a sense of obligation to the Bluejacket, and because I didn't want her dead, but when it came time to give her the Bequeathment, I found I just couldn't bring myself to do it. I loved the Visionary so much, and I couldn't bear to leave him with so little. It was kind of a heart wrenching decision, especially since I really cared about the Abiding Wife, and the option to try and mend things between her and her husband seemed like such a kind and beautiful thing to do, but in the end, I knew who I cared for more.[/spoiler]
edited by Gul al-Ahlaam on 9/30/2016
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The Uncanny Hierophant.
The Jewel-Eyed Prince.
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Optimatum
Posts: 3666
9/30/2016
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folklore364 wrote:
Hmmm, I was sowing a bit of chaos between the two groups and received this line.
[spoiler] Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary walketh about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour"[/spoiler]
...I've seen that exact line before in a message but it was definitely not related to this story. In fact, it wasn't related to any story, so to speak.
Lamia Lawless wrote:
(I noticed hints about something that happened beneath the waves, maybe we'll learn more about the Conflagrati in Zubmariner?)
Given the previous story was related to a certain Harris, who will quite likely be further featured or expanded upon in Zubmariner, it seems a reasonable guess.
Deathwatch101 wrote:
Is there anything other than the [spoiler]Evening Ritual's ive done Glimpses of the Future[/spoiler] But even after some other little One of a time options i don't have an additional card and those two are left to me as a choice.
The evening rituals are the way to progress the story, with iirc four being done total. It doesn't matter which one you choose each night, they both lead to the same event.
edited by Optimatum on 9/30/2016
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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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Alexandra Mavrokordatou
Posts: 2
9/30/2016
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The writing in this month's story was simply beautiful.
I sided with the Conflagrati and let the Iconoclast burn. It felt poetic, and befitting her character. Who am I to judge whose dying wishes are more important? (If anything, she's worked for it a lot harder than anyone else has in this story.)
After that, I gave the Bequeathment to his Wife.
For that I received [spoiler]a Bottle of Fourth City Airag: Year of the Tortoise, but no message.[/spoiler]
I also liked the possible allusion to the sati custom (in atypical Fallen London style) - in this case, the mistress, and not the wife, went before the husband, and by her own accord. Fascinating.
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Alexandra Mavrokordatou, Scholar of the Correspondence
http://fallenlondon.storynexus.com/Profile/Alexandra~Mavrokordatou
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suinicide
Posts: 2409
9/30/2016
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TeslaWalker wrote:
Optimatum wrote:
What ending did you get? I helped the Conflagrati, saved the Iconoclast, and gave the Bequeathment to the wife, and I have no message.
Turned them against eachother, told the visionary to leave, brought the iconoclast back, and gave the bequeathment to the wife.
I don't know if the story and the message were related but I figured I'd post in here incase they were.
That message is from another storynexusgame.
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http://fallenlondon.storynexus.com/profile/sunnytime
A gentleman seeking the liberation of knowledge, with a penchant for violence.
RIP suinicide, stuck in a well. Still has it under control.
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Hark DeGaul
Posts: 208
9/30/2016
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So, as a good little Dawn Machine acolyte I decided to help the Visionary and urge him to stick with his original plan. I am a little peeved that I was not given access to an Element of Dawn giving ending, but I felt it was the best thing to do at the time. It was also nice to get to see a New Sequencer who was not either unambiguously evil or completely brainwashed.
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The Dawn-Eyed Optician: http://fallenlondon.storynexus.com/Profile/Hark%20DeGaul
That Vicar Who Ruined the Royal Wedding for Everyone (including himself): http://fallenlondon.storynexus.com/Profile/Hebediah%20Fix
The Dreaded Relative: http://fallenlondon.storynexus.com/Profile/Your%20Aunt
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folklore364
Posts: 136
9/30/2016
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So I've finished it, and I have to say that was simply delightful. I was charged with getting the bequeathment to the iconoclast and she received it. Almost gave the poor fellow a heart attack.
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A correspondent who hungers for knowledge. May have doomed london to war with Hell.
http://fallenlondon.storynexus.com/Profile/folklore364
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Teaspoon
Posts: 866
9/30/2016
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Has anyone picked the selfish ending yet?
I'm curious to know what it was.
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Truth lies at the bottom of a well.
https://www.fallenlondon.com/profile/Alt%20Ern
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Barse
Posts: 706
9/30/2016
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Yeah, you get a Soothe and Copper Longbox.
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 The Scorched Sailor, up for most social actions and RP. Not as scary as he looks.
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Optimatum
Posts: 3666
9/30/2016
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Teaspoon wrote:
Has anyone picked the selfish ending yet?
I'm curious to know what it was.
Ombler wrote:
I chose to take the bequeathment myself because of course I did.
http://fallenlondon.storynexus.com/Profile/Ombler?fromEchoId=9737170
Reward was
[spoiler] A Long-Box[/spoiler]
--
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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Anne Auclair
Posts: 2215
9/30/2016
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I helped the Conflagrati, stopped the Iconoclast from burning up, and told the Bluejacket to leave the money to the Iconoclast. My character's motivation was fairly straightforward:
1. Do the letter of the job she was hired to do and get the b___dy hell out of there.
2. Crush that New Sequence b__tard and stop the false god from getting a few more converts.
Which she did.
[spoiler]The Conflagrati are fairly nasty, but they're a new take on an old heresy, the new part being merely an Elder Continent disease that makes your soul burn up (lets leave aside that their heresy is unsettling close to Anne's own devotion to St. Joshua...). If the Iconoclast had set her cult up in downtown London it would present something of a problem, but since she's located/quarantined herself on a deserted island in the middle of nowhere and has stated her intent to keep her followers there with her it seems fairly safe to let them burn themselves out (literally). They'll use the money to presumably erect some sort of reverse-hospital where they inflame the disease rather than starve it.
The Dawn Machine on the other hand is a new god and its servants are organized, armed, and have clear imperial ambitions, so they're the bigger threat. [/spoiler]
Anyway, review time. There was a lot to like.
This was an intimate and very entertaining glimpse into the viewpoints and practices of two Neathy religions. The writing had my attention throughout. The format was somewhat traditional - two opposing sides, with the balance of power hanging in your grasp, but it worked. Throughout the story I really felt that a lot of things could happen on that ship. I really liked the introduction of the Conflagrati - they may be a death cult, but they have style. The Iconoclast was very intriguingly written, a burning array of contradictions - set on achieving her spiritual conflagration, determined to guide/protect her followers, outwardly fanatical but filled with regrets and secret doubts. I'm glad they kept the zailing part of the story.
The only weak part was the character of the Abiding Wife. She was a major part of the story, but I didn't really connect with her. In contrast to the complicated Iconoclast, the Wife felt kind of flat and one note? But then other players seem to have liked her, so maybe it's just me. The Visionary was also flat, but that worked in his favor as he's a slave to the New Sequence, which makes its followers singlemindedly devoted to the new dawn.
Not one of my favorite stories, but quite enjoyable nonetheless. I can't wait to see what the long term consequences of my decisions will be with the Bluejacket.
edited by Anne Auclair on 9/30/2016
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http://fallenlondon.storynexus.com/Profile/Anne%20Auclair
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Pnakotic
Posts: 266
9/30/2016
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Robin Alexander wrote:
SmallFish wrote:
SmallFish wrote:
Damn I forgot already where I was supposed to zail. Any help?
Honestly, I'm now at the Southern Archipelago and have no idea where to go. I went to the old sailor's house in London to get the mission brief but promptly forgot where the Pyres island was. Was it behind Mutton island? Am I supposed to go there?
There should be a storylet in your lodgings.
You need to head back to London to get there.
Edit: It might be accessible at other locations in London, but I found mine quite far down in the Lodgings - you still have to go through the zailing, but it'll lead you to your destination (it's literally the only one that appears, you can't go anywhere else, so you won't be able to get it mixed up or miss it in any way).
edited by Robin Alexander on 9/29/2016
G_d D___it!
Well, at least I caught a seal...
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J. Ward Dunn, Glassman
Book of All Hours 9:99: Journey's end in lover's meeting. Progress is ascendancy.
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Mr. Sails
Posts: 37
10/1/2016
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This story unfortunately didn't resonate too much with me. The main reason is perhaps mechanically related. I was quite confused as to what I was supposed to do once I reached the wreck, and what you did during the "day" didn't seem to impact the rituals too much anyways. You were free to choose sides as you wished. I spent more time being confused about how to snap up as much information as possible than actually chewing the cud.
Secondly, the situation seemed somewhat forced to me. We're on a wreck, there's this nutty Narcissus who wants to burn up and be left alone, this other dude who thinks he's a Dawn Machine prophet and a bunch of followers, with on information on how they're sustaining their communities. The worldbuilding aspect was completely ignored in favour of character building, but somehow the characters didn't strike me as particularly interesting anyways.
After last months powerstory that completely pivoted my character into an entirely different view of life and philosophy, this was a bit of a letdown. However, seems like there's lots of other peeps on here who enjoyed it, so I might just have esoteric tastes.
edited by Cantankerous Captain on 10/1/2016
edited by Cantankerous Captain on 10/1/2016
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Anne Auclair
Posts: 2215
10/1/2016
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Mr. Sails wrote:
However, seems like there's lots of other peeps on here who enjoyed it, so I might just have esoteric tastes.
Nothing wrong with that ^_^
edited by Anne Auclair on 10/1/2016
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http://fallenlondon.storynexus.com/Profile/Anne%20Auclair
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Rhysdux
Posts: 19
10/1/2016
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I'm kind of lost with this story. There's a woman whose...soul is burning up somehow? And she has followers? Do they worship her as well as fire? And then there's some guy who keeps talking about machines and dawn, and HE has followers too, for some reason. I can't make out what either of them believe or what they would do if they had support. Both groups seem like fools (burning up souls seems dumb in a place where you can actual buy jars full of them, and why would you worship a machine?). I don't know what I'm supposed to do. I've been trying to gather information, but I'm not doing very well at it. I'd like to smash both cults and bring the Iconoclast and the Visionary to their senses, but I doubt that's possible.
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