Echo Bazaar Update: Delving Into Shadowy

Only interesting updates here; but as I maxed out both Watchful and Persuasive at 90 each, and I’m not fond of arachnids (eeek), I started working on my Shadowy.

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Description

ArachneJericho, a sagacious and sinister individual of mysterious and indistinct gender.

Sagacious and sinister? I rather like that. This is due to my +13 bonus to Shadowy from various items, which ding my Persuasive but leave my Watchful alone.

Stats

Dangerous: 27 (up 2 levels by accident)
Watchful: 90 (still maxed)
Persuasive: 90 (still maxed)
Shadowy: 75 (up 39 levels)

It’s been an extra week or so since an update, due to life and PTSD getting in the way, so Shadowy has increased quite a bit.

Current Level of Heart’s Desire Ambition

Well, there’s almost nothing left for me to do at the moment. But I do note that a high level of Shadowy does unlock an extra card about a day in the Flit which has an option that unlocks with the Heart’s Desire Ambition. It’s a challenge both to your Shadowy quality (still almost impossible at an effective Shadowy 88, so you know, I’m glad I bought all my itmes) and your Ambition: Heart’s Desire – the Topsy King quality (straightforward at 10 for me).

I like that there’s a challenge to an individual part of the Heart’s Desire story, which has four parts (the base ambition itself, The Bishop of St. Fiacre’s, Scrawled Notes on the Wall, and Topsy King).

At the moment, for adding order to my life, I work on robbing things in the Flit.

New Stuff

  • Ratskin Suit
  • Kifers
  • Devious Henchman

These, with my older Shadowy items, give me a +13 bonus in Shadowy.

I also managed to get a Prison Shiv while in New Newgate (gotten bounced in twice, both of my own volition), which gives both +1 Dangerous and +1 Suspicious. Which means you could equip it and walk around Newgate forever, even if your base Suspicious hits 0. If you’re seeking the Forger, this can be useful.

(You could do the same with the Ragged Clothing and Prisoner’s Mask.)

… Now I’m thinking about buying that Brass Ring (Suspicion +1, Nightmares +1, Scandal +1, Fascinating… +1, Persuasive +2). You could use it to walk around Newgate, the hotel, and the tomb colonies for as long as you wished, experiencing things and gaining other items.

Hmm. And could you use these items to go wherever you wanted to go, whenever you wanted?

Suspicion leads to New Newgate Prison

Ragged Clothing (+1), Prisoner’s Mask or Pirate Hat (+1), Brass Ring (+1)… so, not quite whenever you want. It would take three points of suspicious (reaching Suspicious at level 2) to get into Prison again.

Scandal leads to Exile in the Tomb Colonies

Brass Ring (+1), Modish Bonnet (+1), Scarlet Stockings of Dubious Origin (+2). Almost there! You just need to do one scandalous thing, and off to the Tomb Colonies you go!

Nightmares lead to A State of Some Confusion

Actually, you need a very high level of nightmares to get here (level 8, which takes quite a while). But you can easily wander into nightmares with just the Brass Ring, 5 Carnival Tickets, and the House of Happy Fun Mirrors.

Wounds lead to a Slow Boat Passing a Dark Beach on a Silent River

Wound yourself once (there are many ways to do this, the most reliable for me being laudanum), 5 Carnival Tickets, and the House of Happy Fun Mirrors. However, this means you only have one wound, and thus it’s difficult to stay dead, as no item gives Wounds +1. Or at least, nothing I’ve found yet.

Speaking of items, there are fewer types of items that raise Watchful; and by type, I mean that you can’t get, say, Eye Boots or Cloaks of Watchful +MoreThanOne, and Watchful items get more expensive more quickly. Sigh.

New Accomplishments

Survivor of the Affair of the Box. Boring thus far. Still have it, and only managed to get glim out of it once. A bit disappointing.

New Acquaintances

Repentant Forger. From my second term in New Newgate Prison, and a fairly neat guy. He unlocks a branch on a card outside of prison, but I’ve not yet had much use from it (I need to build this quality up, which means more prison time. But only after I’ve stolen from the Brass Embassy).

Significant Contacts

  • Bohemian 13
  • The Great Game 21
  • Criminals 7
  • Urchins 16 (I loved playing games with them in the Flit, because I could get 5 bottles of laudanum every couple days)
  • Church 27
  • Hell 9
  • Docks 10 (just through my weasels! Hm. That sounds like a euphemism for something dirty.)
  • Orient 27
  • Revolutionaries 12 (um, I managed to decimate it all previously with one choice on an opportunity card, but have since gotten some back)
  • Constables 37
  • Society 51 (oh yeah)
  • Rubbery Men 5 (finally!)
  • Duchess 16

Menace

I only worry about two: Nightmares, because going mad means I lose all progress in my nightmares, and let me tell you, I’ve progressed quite far (more below); and Suspicion, but only while I’m casing something.

Wounds, I don’t really care about, because it’s too easy for me to beat Death at chess (seriously, man, he needs to work on his moves) and I still haven’t successfully completed the Courier for the Dead mission.

I have yet to get enough Scandal to get banished to the Tomb Colonies. Perhaps after I’ve robbed the Bazaar I’ll take a look into this.

I still don’t know what happens when Inciting a Simian Revenge? gets high enough; I haven’t had a chance to, but I suspect if I sell a couple First City Coins, I might find out by abusing the little monkey a little in Spite to get more.

But man, those coins were so painful to get… I don’t really want to explore this option in case, you know, it loses you all your coins.

Nightmares

Okay, nightmare update! My favorite part of Echo Bazaar. (Here’s a link to my previous Echo Bazaar Nightmares status.)

Is Someone There? 16 (up 4 levels)

The most complex Nightmares storyline, gives plenty of bonuses to Watchful and Persuasive, and has thus far 18 unique cards, 8 of which are non-autofire. The highest card I’ve seen unlocks at level 12, so I think there isn’t any more.

This dream also gives you Memories of Light. Still don’t know what they do.

Death by Water 10 (up 4 levels)

This has certainly gotten more interesting. More for Dangerous and Shadowy, and I’ve seen 8 unique cards, only 2 of which are non-autofire. The highest card I’ve seen unlocks at level 7—so it’s possible that there’s still more storyline.

The dream gives you indications that NORTH is important somehow.

Burial of the Dead 7 (up 2 levels)

Haven’t seen anything new; just two unique cards (one of which doesn’t raise nightmares, so it’s sort of interesting that way). Meh dream.

Fire Sermon 9 (up 5 levels)

This has also gotten interesting, with 9 unique cards so far, 3 of which are non-autofire. I think this particular nightmare is mostly for Nightmare connoisseurs, as I’ve only seen it raise two minor qualities in a rather high level card. The highest card I’ve seen so far unlocks at level 9, so it is not over. Unless it is.

A Game of Chess 15 (up 6 levels)

This dream shows up fairly frequently for me, and gives various stat bonuses. It’s a highly useful dream, and I’ve used one of its highest cards to boost Shadowy. 13 unique cards, 6 of which are non-autofire (so it’s something of a dream you have more choice in when participating). This is a Nightmare for everybody, so to speak.

The highest card I’ve seen unlocks at level 12, so possibly I’ve reached the ending card. I like the ending card (which I still see from time to time).

Minor Qualities

  • Daring 9
  • Heartless 6 (Shadowy will do that to you.)
  • Magnanimous 20 (One piece of exotica has an option that needs a somewhat high Magnanimous, but don’t expect the little bugger to be grateful. And don’t do it if you’re trying to explore Nightmares.)
  • Ruthless 7 (One piece of exotica has an option that needs a somewhat high Ruthless, I think possibly higher than 7. I don’t know, I keep breaking it before I remember to take notes on it.)
  • Forceful 4
  • Subtle 15
  • Hedonist 10 (A little bit useful in the Heart’s Desire! Ambition, as a few challenges related to it are against your Hedonism quality. See also the House of Happy Fun Mirrors.)
  • Steadfast 5
  • Melancholy 1 (So apparently I enjoy the ‘Neath very much now.)

New Story Stuff

  • investigating the Secrets of St Dunstan’s 1. I think I’ve been here before, on the Watchful track. I wonder what the Shadowy track will turn up.
  • Plotting Against the Masters 3. So, is there any more? I liked this story. I want more.
  • an Occasional Guest at Mr Wines’ Revels 3. Want more.
  • cultivating an acquaintance with His Amused Lordship 2. I’m waiting for the third card. Waiting. Might not get it while my Persuasive is dinged down to 85, though.
  • a nocturnal visitor to the Palace Cellars 1. Hmmmmmmmmm.

While we’re on the subject, I’d like to know when some of the stories will have more stuff. For instance, I want more cases from Mr. Pages and more missions from Mr. Wines, because seducing people is fun! I want to start carrying out missions for the Cheesemonger, at least!

Also, it appears that Soul Trade and Shepherd of Souls has mostly wound down. Woe.

Other Notes

I like the Flit and Shadowy challenges that give you a random lottery of stuff. It makes grinding more interesting. I now have 38 bottles of Laudanum….

I wish I knew what Memories of Light and pieces of Intriguing Gossip do.

Plans

  1. Save up for expensive Watchful items so I can get a better bonus than +10, at least. Patent Scrutinizer Deluxe!, Extraordinary Hat, and maybe, if life gets more boring in Fallen London, an Overgoat.
  2. Get rooms at the Bazaar.
  3. Advance Nightmares even further, especially Death by Water and the Fire Sermon.
  4. Continue shepherding souls, I guess.
  5. Complete Courier for the Dead successfully.
  6. Explore the Tomb Colonies.
  7. Rob the Bazaar and the Brass Embassy.
  8. Build up my acquaintance with the Repentant Forger.
  9. Max out Shadowy, then move to Dangerous.

10 thoughts on “Echo Bazaar Update: Delving Into Shadowy”

  1. Sheparding souls does not appear to do much except boost Contacts with various sets. Kind of a let-down.

    For the rest, the next Part can’t come too soon for me. I have three accounts pursuing different roads, but there’s a fair bit of overlap at the higher levels, especially when the Ambitions hit content limits.

    If you can get past the arachnid stuff in Wolfstack, you might enjoy the dueling. I had a powerful lot of fun with that.

  2. Pericat: Would you happen to be playing the Nemesis Ambition on any of those accounts? If so, do you know when the content for it ends? (I ask because my husband seems to have hit a wall in his, and I’m wondering if it’s really that much shorter than Heart’s Desire…)

  3. pericat,

    Yeah. They’re good contacts, though, and totally fuel the Shuttered Palace’s favor-calling.

    I’m thinking of starting more accounts to explore the different ambitions (“Bag a Legend!” seems intriguing).

    I’m thinking of trying to find a plugin that will let me replace the spider pictures with other pictures. Anything else. Ick. But dueling (as long as it’s not with spiders) sounds fun.

    Cori R.,

    Before a couple months ago or so, all the ambitions only ran to level 60; they were able to extend Heart’s Desire! and I think Light Fingers to level 80.

  4. Unlike the others, Nemesis ended with content wall and then nothing. It’s disappeared, no continuing blue box. I have faith that when they add more, it will reappear. Meanwhile, that account traded Fate for the Shadowy storylines and is busily stealing stuff in Flit. After having gambled and lost Correspondence Stones to Virginia the Devil. Dash it all!

    ‘Bag a Legend’ is a lot of fun, btw. Several points where I laughed out loud at the outrageous. None of the Black Ribbon dueling involves spiders.

  5. Pericat, Arachne: Yeah, that’s what he’s seeing – nothing, no blue box anywhere. He doesn’t have Flit open, but that’s the only area he hasn’t explored looking for it. And he’s well below level 60 where I thought the content ran out. Weird.

    I’m so tempted to play around with another account, maybe with the Light Fingers ambition, just to see what happens.

  6. Hum, sounds like there’s nothing in the Flit either. However, I did have to open up the last place I didn’t have access to (Wolfstack Docks) before I could find the last box for Heart’s Desire!.

    Some of the boxes end up in weird places.

  7. I received an email from Alexis at EB – he has indeed hit a content wall. Apparently, there is (yet another) bug that causes the blue box with the “MORE SOON” info to not reliably display for all Nemesis Ambition-holders. Naturally, he hit the bug (he finds bugs like no tomorrow, they seem to love him). So, Nemesis’ content ends around Dangerous 45 for the moment.

  8. Oh dear. And Nemesis sounded like such a fun ambition (if only I had the stats for it…).

  9. Do you know how high your wounds quality can go? I keep losing chess to the Boatman. I’m at 24 wounds. At some point do I make it to the shore???

    • Don’t play chess if your Watchful quality isn’t high enough to consistently beat him. Look at the red-bordered cards; most of them will reduce your wounds. A few will increase ’em, but they’re very few. If a red card mentions a place you’ve been to before, it’ll reduce your wounds.

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