Absintheuse
Posts: 348
9/27/2018
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Delicious friends, the Exceptional Story for October is here!
The magicians of the Glass are holding their annual masque, and you are invited. Don a mask, attend the ball, and uncover the secrets that plague the society's most promising magician.
The Magician's Dream is the second story in the Season of Celebrations, and was written by Mary Goodden. This Season invites you to attend three new festivals within London. You can begin each from the Season of Celebrations card.
Editing, design and QA: James Chew and Olivia Wood.
Art by Tobias Cook.
EXCEPTIONAL FRIENDSHIP
In addition to a new, substantial, stand-alone story every month, Exceptional Friends enjoy:
- Access to the House of Chimes: an exclusive private members’ 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!
Finishing all three stories in the Season of Celebrations will make you eligible for an additional opportunity, to follow.
If you want to keep an Exceptional Story beyond the month it’s for, you must complete the related storylet in the current Season’s card throughout London. This will save it for you to return to another time.
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Jolanda Swan
Posts: 1783
9/27/2018
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This is eaxctly the feeling I had - and 'gnawing' is the most fitting term.
The thing is that the hard decision was easy, but now I am awkwardly standing in the Magician's dressing room wondering if I should ask for the promised reward or if I should not be so crash. Ugh.
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Lover of all things beautiful, secret admirer of ugly truths, fond of the Parabola Sun... and always delighted to role play.
http://fallenlondon.com/profile/Jolanda%20Swan
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aegisaglow
Posts: 202
9/29/2018
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SingingFlame wrote:
[spoiler]I chose to bargain with the Fingerkings, but I haven't gotten the autofire card yet. Am I just having bad luck with my card draws, or does it show up only if you ended up with "pursued by a serpent" after leaving the Mirror Marches? [/spoiler]
I'm pretty sure I didn't have that quality by the end, and the event still happened for me.
I enjoyed this one. Parabola and the Finger-Kings are just about my favorite bit of Fallen London lore, so I'll take any chance to directly interact with that realm, and this is about as direct as it comes.
I do wish asking the Magician "what's this all about" wasn't mandatory. For established players it makes it seem like their characters don't know what they know, and for newer players it will make a lot of storylines they haven't encountered yet very weird when the game obliquely refers to things they now have a very explicit understanding of. Now that I'm thinking about it, the adventure's framing that you and Bethany are dealing with forces you don't understand is rather undercut by the fact that it's taken as a given that the character does understand.
Another quibble, but it would have been nice if the Glass/Shroud connection had figured in a bit more. Not necessarily in a huge way--I did like the Final Curtain's means of handling it, where one of several ending options required a level of Glass connection, but that might not have worked here. But, for instance: at the start of the party both the Glass and Shroud treated me as one of their own, even though my Glass is at 20 and my Shroud is at 1, which is the level you get after you've essentially revealed yourself as a saboteur to the Shroud. It would have been nice if that quality had instead gotten me some dirty looks while mingling with the Shroud in a snake mask.
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Mx. Aglow. Glazier, hedonist, devil-teaser, Paramount Presence. Pursuing their Heart's Desire.
Ms. Lilian Leith. A lady of proper standing, which seems like an increasingly ludicrous thing to give a rat's ___ about. Known (to some) for her Light Fingers.
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The Ambivalent Dynamo
Posts: 41
9/27/2018
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A pretty good story overall. I'm a stickler for doing the right thing, (even if by Fallen London's very nature that leads to alot of grey areas) so I made sure to uh..'try' to do things properly. But the cost to do so will gnaw at me. Even so, I don't regret what I did. Just worried how this will play in the future...
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https://www.fallenlondon.com/profile/The%20Ambivalent%20Dynamo Happy to take most social actions except plant-related ones. Don't hesitate to send one.
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Passionario
Posts: 777
9/27/2018
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This was the most agonizing choice that I've had to make ever since I've waltzed with the Duke and his daughter. What a perfectly devious trap.
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Passionario: Profile, Story, Ending
Passion: Profile, Appearance
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Jolanda Swan
Posts: 1783
9/27/2018
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loredeluxe wrote:
I don't know how I feel about Exceptional Stories being so blatant about some of Fallen London's greater mysteries. They are very up front about some big time spoiler stuff that is normally hidden behind the high level Shadowy stuff at Mahogany Hall. I appreciate giving extra story for those of us who have completed the Wars of Illusion story, but I can imagine this whole plot will be ''exceptionally'' confusing to new players.
The whole game is a balancing act between too confusing/too revealing. Usually it is confusing enough you need the Wiki to make sense of what you played so I am not sure I am unhappy they threw us an easy one for once. I admit I was also surprised by the Magician's revelations, given what you usually go through to catch a glimpse of the Shroud/Glass metastory, but at least I finally understood that the whole thing was about.
On another note, I think the quality it unlocks is common for both endings and will come back... perhaps when we are close to a Parabolan Camp, or perhaps when the player is lost in the Mirror-Marches the usual way. I will indulge in some Nightmares and try to find out.
edited by Jolanda Swan on 9/27/2018
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Lover of all things beautiful, secret admirer of ugly truths, fond of the Parabola Sun... and always delighted to role play.
http://fallenlondon.com/profile/Jolanda%20Swan
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Plynkes
Posts: 631
10/3/2018
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The 19th Century was when that particular place name began to be used as a given name. It was much less common than nowadays, but its use in this case isn't anachronistic. For example:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bethany_Veney
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"Then tell Wind and Fire where to stop, but don't tell me."
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Vavakx Nonexus
Posts: 892
10/1/2018
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I might rather be the exception here, but I didn't enjoy the story - the day/night Mirror-Marches segment didn't contribute much of anything to my understanding of the Magician and his dreams, nor Parabola's politics, nor particularly impress me as set piece moments. Reading Bethany's notes was cool, but it also didn't have to have a bunch of weird one-time fluff attached to it.
The Panther was around, but it was just as confused about the situation as everybody else, the snake that chased you around for most of the story was fake, Bethany herself doesn't provide any information on how the Fingerkings themselves work, and even if you actively encourage her to be possessed you don't see nor hear anything from it.
I wish there was more focus on the magic mirror and the Fingerkings' venom - Bethany was clearly addicted/enthralled/etc to their bite, or at least regarded it as a nice experience, and I'd think exploring that dynamic would be much more interesting than eating really foul cherries and poking around in peacock nests.
Same for the mirror - its existence has a lot of implications for the lore and how mirrors work, but we hear almost nothing about it except the Magician's 'It throws my fears into the Marches I guess', and what descriptions of it we do get are often squirreled away in endings or easy-to-miss content (did you know it turns red when the Magician activates it? It does that) as single throwaway sentences.
The pair's parents are set up to be a major plot point yet their fate is never remarked on nor revisited once you go to Parabola or meet Bethany - I'd imagine the fact her own parents did the same thing she did, except for a magic dream mirror, would influence her decision a lot.
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Amets Estibariz, the Moulting Eidolon: Cradled by a sun all their own.
Blabbing, the Hobo Everyone Knows: The One Who Pulls The Strings. A Clarity In The Darkness.
Charlotte and the Caretaker: A family?
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Barse
Posts: 706
10/3/2018
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Q. Pheevr wrote:
Did anyone else find the name Bethany oddly anachronistic? It sounds to me like the name of someone born in the 1980s rather than the 1870s.
This seems like an ideal time to mention the Tiffany Effect, something I learned about the other week and is kinda relevant and interesting. (Although I can't actually speak to the authentic Victorian-ness of the name Bethany specifically; you could well be right.)
edited by Barse on 10/3/2018
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 The Scorched Sailor, up for most social actions and RP. Not as scary as he looks.
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Kaigen
Posts: 530
9/27/2018
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Paradox Locke wrote:
One question.
For an individual who's currently at a crossroads in the Wars of Illusion main storyline (particularly, whether to serve as a double agent for the Glass or the Shroud), would it be better to play this story or conclude the 'Embroiled in the wars of Illusion' one first?
(Optional more-than-one questions: Or should one continue the latter up to a certain point and then play The Magician's Dream? If the answer depends on, say, whether one's top priority is knowing best which decisions to make vs. dramatic/narrative/thematic cohesion, could anyone who's played both break it down by the specifics? Spoilers optimally avoided, especially major ones, but I'm not averse to reading spoilers if it's key to making the decision. Much obliged!) I don't know whether still being active in both factions will have any material effect on the story, but I can say that if one is unsure which side to support or betray due to a confusion about what is really going on, this story will provide insight that may aid that decision.
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Just a simple doctor with a chess habit. Publisher of The Flit Dispatch.
"One must remember that the impossible is, alas, always possible."
-Jacques Derrida
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loredeluxe
Posts: 106
9/27/2018
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I don't know how I feel about Exceptional Stories being so blatant about some of Fallen London's greater mysteries. They are very up front about some big time spoiler stuff that is normally hidden behind the high level Shadowy stuff at Mahogany Hall. I appreciate giving extra story for those of us who have completed the Wars of Illusion story, but I can imagine this whole plot will be ''exceptionally'' confusing to new players.
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Joscelin
Posts: 18
10/1/2018
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This is making me really wish I could reset my Glass/Shroud choice somehow.
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Jolanda Swan
Posts: 1783
10/1/2018
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I too would love to replay the Glass/Shroud. Especially now, that we have supposedly learned new information.
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Lover of all things beautiful, secret admirer of ugly truths, fond of the Parabola Sun... and always delighted to role play.
http://fallenlondon.com/profile/Jolanda%20Swan
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Catherine Raymond
Posts: 2518
9/27/2018
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Interesting. [spoiler] My character has, by chance, a higher "Fingerkings" quality than any of the others of its category. It is useful to learn more about them and about their domain.[/spoiler]
edited by cathyr19355 on 5/18/2019
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Cathy Raymond
http://fallenlondon.com/Profile/cathyr19355
Catherine Raymond aka Mrs. Rykar Malkus http://fallenlondon.com/Profile/Catherine%20Raymond (Gone NORTH)
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The Ambivalent Dynamo
Posts: 41
9/27/2018
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[spoiler] I got the random event where I fulfilled the fingerking's bargain, but I still have the pursued by serpents quality/menace. Is that normal? Or is my game bugged? [/spoiler]
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https://www.fallenlondon.com/profile/The%20Ambivalent%20Dynamo Happy to take most social actions except plant-related ones. Don't hesitate to send one.
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Jolanda Swan
Posts: 1783
9/27/2018
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Beautiful so far. I am not yet spoiling where it's taking us, but I am glad Failbetter followed up last month's grandiose story with yet another much talked-about place. I love small narratives too, but in terms of pacing it fits nicely.
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Lover of all things beautiful, secret admirer of ugly truths, fond of the Parabola Sun... and always delighted to role play.
http://fallenlondon.com/profile/Jolanda%20Swan
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Monara
Posts: 162
9/27/2018
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I really enjoyed this one. I feel like exceptional stories have been getting better lately.
The answer to [spoiler]"what do the finger kings want" being "you wouldn't comprehend" was a little disappointing but expected.
I was surprised to receive yet another judgement's egg, these have been getting weirdly common lately
[/spoiler]
P.S. Did anyone refuse to help? I would like to find out what happens in that case.
I ended up doing the unwise thing, it would be interesting if some time in the future this will have real consequences, but I wouldn't be surprised if it's never mentioned again either.
Edit: had to put everything into a single spoiler tag.
edited by Monara on 9/27/2018
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https://www.fallenlondon.com/profile/Miranah
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DeserterKalak
Posts: 94
9/27/2018
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Kaigen wrote:
Does anyone have an echo of the "daring" choice near the end? I took the "subtle" route and I'm curious as to what happens and whether it affects your options.
Yes, I've echoed it. Doesn't look like kicking and screaming makes a narrative difference. I did get some Tales of Terror in exchange for some wounds and a lot of nightmares, does going softly evade that penalty/reward?
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https://www.fallenlondon.com/profile/DeserterKalak
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Arcengal
Posts: 196
9/27/2018
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I really enjoyed this story. Writing was excellent, really vivid descriptions and most of the "This matters" choices were agony.
Aaaaaaaaaand now I wait to find out badly that bargain is going to affect me.
[spoiler]I mean one of my eyes is already a sorrow-spider egg so what's the worst that could happen?![/spoiler]
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https://www.fallenlondon.com/profile/Arcengal
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Monara
Posts: 162
9/27/2018
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Ok, so I got a forced event while drawing cards to fulfull the bargain I made and [spoiler]I got some nightmares and a tale of terror. Pretty underwhelming I would say..[/spoiler]
It seems the pursued quality sticking around was a bug, and if you still have it you will now be forced into an action that removes it.
edited by Monara on 9/27/2018
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https://www.fallenlondon.com/profile/Miranah
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Monara
Posts: 162
9/27/2018
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Kaigen wrote:
When you have the option...
This should be it:
[spoiler]http://fallenlondon.storynexus.com/Profile/Miranah?fromEchoId=14849524[/spoiler]
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https://www.fallenlondon.com/profile/Miranah
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Blaine Davidson
Posts: 388
9/27/2018
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I'm not looking forward to fulfilling whatever the fingerking is promised.
I really hope there are more options in the future to fight them off or at least, delay their plans.
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Blaine Davidson, a reserved and sensible woman with a fondness of collecting rarities.
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Socotra
Posts: 33
9/27/2018
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Frederick wrote:
Anyone who might know what happens if you let the girl be possessed?
Echoes here:
http://fallenlondon.storynexus.com/Profile/Socotra?fromEchoId=14859676
http://fallenlondon.storynexus.com/Profile/Socotra?fromEchoId=14859811
http://fallenlondon.storynexus.com/Profile/Socotra?fromEchoId=14859820
http://fallenlondon.storynexus.com/Profile/Socotra?fromEchoId=14859831
[spoiler] Nothing earth-shattering from an outside perspective - she is just distant and seems 'off' to her brother [/spoiler]
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https://www.fallenlondon.com/profile/Socotra
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Optimatum
Posts: 3666
9/27/2018
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Anyone know what happens if you refuse to help or don't volunteer for the illusion?
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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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Winthropx
Posts: 166
9/28/2018
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Is the end of the bargain an opportunity card?
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Bishop Winthrop, a kind-hearted soul
A Paramount Presence
I accept all social actions
His Appearance
http://community.failbettergames.com/topic9363-your-characters-appearances.aspx?messageid=229809&Page=10#post#post229809
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Kaigen
Posts: 530
9/28/2018
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Frederick wrote:
Anyone who left Bethany in parabola?
Yes, echoes start here: https://beta.fallenlondon.com/profile/Kaigen/14851165
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Just a simple doctor with a chess habit. Publisher of The Flit Dispatch.
"One must remember that the impossible is, alas, always possible."
-Jacques Derrida
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Wilhelm Leibniz III
Posts: 63
10/3/2018
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I liked it mostly...but this would have been the perfect story to have unique options for a Glassman yet I didn't see any!
I also didn't like the [spoiler]making a deal with the Fingerking was automatic. I expect to be able to make choices but nope. Would have been an opportunity to flesh out the Fingerkings desires and maybe manage to win against them, and again a Glassman should know what they are dealing with already and have some kind of leverage over them. [\spoiler] That was a big disappointment.
edited by Wilhelm Leibniz III on 10/3/2018
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Wilhelm Leibniz III, Glassman, Hearts Desire
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Jolanda Swan
Posts: 1783
10/8/2018
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NotaWalrus wrote:
Does anyone have the unique menace you get from dealing with the fingerkings on their scrapbook? I'm curious.
I understand this was a bug after all, and was later rectified.
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Lover of all things beautiful, secret admirer of ugly truths, fond of the Parabola Sun... and always delighted to role play.
http://fallenlondon.com/profile/Jolanda%20Swan
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Wilhelm Leibniz III
Posts: 63
10/8/2018
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Jolanda Swan wrote:
NotaWalrus wrote:
Does anyone have the unique menace you get from dealing with the fingerkings on their scrapbook? I'm curious.
I understand this was a bug after all, and was later rectified.
What if it was not merely a bug. But rather...the bill.
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Wilhelm Leibniz III, Glassman, Hearts Desire
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NotaWalrus
Posts: 221
10/8/2018
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Nudraxon wrote:
Another great exceptional story. Also, I'm not sure if the new artwork for the Mirror-Marches is specific to this story, or if it's been updated with the site redesign, but it looks amazing.
For anyone interested in discussing symbolism...
[spoiler]I'm curious which of the Magician's fears the different things represent. The snake is obviously his fear of the Fingerkings. I think Bethany's cage might be his fear of losing her. I'm guessing the two marble statues are their parents, and the crypt represents his fear of failing to live up to their legacy, or something like that. I'm not sure what the swamp and treasure represent. Does anyone have any ideas? [/spolier]
My guess is that the treasure represents the allure of dealing with the Fingerkings.
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http://fallenlondon.com/Profile/NotaWalrus
Ignacious, the Fluid Professor, he will accept most social invitations, including boxed cats and affluent photographers (but only betrayals), though he is absent-minded and might take more time than entirely necessary. He apologizes.
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Lazaroth
Posts: 67
10/10/2018
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Nudraxon wrote:
Another great exceptional story. Also, I'm not sure if the new artwork for the Mirror-Marches is specific to this story, or if it's been updated with the site redesign, but it looks amazing.
For anyone interested in discussing symbolism...
~snip~
[spoiler]I see the treasure as representing his fear of losing himself to the temptations found in Parabola—both those to offered by the Fingerkings, and those which he might take for himself. Meanwhile, I'd say the swamp is probably his fear of Parabola itself—it is a treacherous and hostile location, requiring a map to navigate, reflecting how Parabola could spell doom for the incautious, even if the Fingerkings are not personally causing it. [/spoiler]
edited by Lazaroth on 10/10/2018
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The Perspicacious Romantic — When all the world is washed away by misery, something beautiful will still remain.
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