Echo Bazaar Update: Let’s Get Dangerous

Latest updates in the Echo Bazaar. And I still haven’t started up multiple accounts! Although I’m very, very tempted to…

Read on beneath the fold.

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Current description

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

I currently am equipped with dangerous-enhancing items that lower some of my other stats (Watchful by 2, Persuasive by 4); I’ve also had to remove Shadowy enhancements except for the Ratskin Suit, so I’ve got +3 there, but it’s not enough to overcome the penalty for Persuasive. Alas, for I loved being sinister.

Stats

Dangerous: 42 (up 15 levels)
Watchful: 90 (still maxed)
Persuasive: 90 (still maxed)
Shadowy: 83 (up 8 levels)

I’ve been splitting my time between Dangerous and Shadowy and the obligatory exploration of nightmares, so raising has been slow. Also, there have been days where I’ve not been able to get a full 80 actions in. Le sigh.

Current Level of Heart’s Desire Ambition

*twiddles thumbs*

New Stuff

  • Iron Hat. Because one must have a good hat.
  • Modish Bonnet, purely for the scandal.
  • Pirate Hat, purely for the suspicion.
  • Spiderchitin gauntlets
  • Ancient Hunting Rifle
  • Rattus Faber Rifle
  • Brass Ring, purely for the scandal, suspicion, nightmares, and Fascintating…
  • Prison Shiv, purely for the suspicion
  • Savage Hob-nailed Boots
  • Scarlet Stockings of Dubious Origin, purely for the scarlet scandal

I’ve discovered that I can get into the Tomb Colonies whenever I want, even if I start with no scandal. If you don’t have scandal (or suspicion or nightmares), equipping an item that bestows any such quality actually gives you level 2 in that quality. Thereon it’s quite easy with +4 from the bonnet, ring, and stockings to catapult into the Tomb Colonies—and even makes it easier to leave almost whenever you want.

New Accomplishments

  • Master Thief – level 2, as I’ve stolen from the biggest target once and the second-biggest target twice.
  • Courier for the Dead – Not an official accomplishment, but I’ve managed to complete it successfully once, and fail twice.

New Acquaintances

Well, I did know a Repentant Soldier briefly, but after I poked him into a fight, I’ve lost his acquaintance. I’m tempted to put out an “all is forgiven!” ad, but I doubt he’d answer it.

Significant Contacts

Bohemian 14 (+1)
The Great Game 21
Criminals 9 (+2)
Urchins 17 (+1)
Church 29 (+2)
Hell 9
The Docks 10
The Orient 27
Revolutionaries 13 (+1; so gullible…)
Constables 39 (+2)
Society 53 (+2)
Rubbery Men 5
Duchess 15 (-1; a ticket out of the Tomb Colonies)

Nightmares!

Well, I’ve seen a lot more complex development of The Fire Sermon, which pleases me. Thus far:

Is Someone There? 17 (up 1 level)

Seems to have petered out, but it was a great Nightmare run. After the Dark Tunnel, there seems to be no more new cards. I thought that was a nice ending, insofar as Nightmares can have endings. As the first Nightmare I’ve explored in Echo Bazaar, it holds a special place in my heart, although I wish I knew what Memories of Light did.

I’ll note that the highest unlock is level 13, which unlocks not a card, but an option on a level 12 unlock card.

Death by Water 11 (up 1 level)

This definitely seems to have petered out. I’ve seen no new cards after the dream about home, so this dream is a little disappointing.

Burial of the Dead 7

Nothing here. I’m going to visit the Tomb Colonies and that slow-moving boat on a silent river to see if I can get a quality that unlocks more of this Nightmare, whatever it may be. The most disappointing nightmare by far. Don’t bother to start it.

The Fire Sermon 14 (up 5 levels)

Now this is a Nightmare. The Fire Sermon has surprised me by starting to become as complex as Is Someone There?, which is a very welcome thing. I’ve seen 16 unique cards, the latest unlock I know of is level 13, so this dream is likely far from being over.

As for variety of landscapes and situations, The Fire Sermon is comparable to the Chess dream, and perhaps with even greater variety. I’ve been in hearths, gardens with fireflies, volcanos, ships glowing with St. Elmo’s Fire, burning cities, and even underwater (which made me wonder if Death by Water is going to cross the streams with The Fire Sermon any time soon).

Also, the Fire Sermon gives out more variety in terms of bonuses—when it does give out bonuses, because many of its cards don’t. It seems mostly to be a minor stats increase dream (Melancholy, Steadfast, and so on). There are also unique mechanics I’ve not seen in other Nightmares: for instance, an option that actually reduces your level in The Fire Sermon, in case for some reason you want to do this; and a card that is both autofire and a choice card (the earthquake. It can raise your Nightmares twice, so be careful if you’re veering on the edge of crazy).

As a result, I like The Fire Sermon.

A Game of Chess 16 (up 1 level)

At first I thought I was nearing the end of the dream, but apparently not! I’ve now seen 16 unique cards (3 new ones since last I wrote up an Echo Bazaar update), and the new cards are all quite fun. Parabola does show up again as a mention; before I’d only seen it in an odd dream and breaking the Nephrite Glass.

This dream also has the highest unlock card I’ve seen so far—level 16. So Chess, like the Fire Sermon, is far from over.

For pragmatists, the Chess dream, if one is going to dream Nightmares at all, is a rewarding one to chase. But I still like the variety in the Fire Sermon. HECK! I love them both. Even if I drink myself into a slow boat on a silent river quite often these days.

Minor Qualities

Daring 9
Heartless 5
Magnanimous 21
Ruthless 7
Forceful 3
Subtle 16
Hedonist 10
Steadfast 7
Melancholy 3

New Story Stuff

  • Vermin-Free. But the poor, poor Rattus Faber chief….
  • Annoyance to Jack-of-Smiles 2. BRING IT, BOY.
  • Investigating the Secrets of St Dunstan’s 1. And hasn’t moved….
  • Plotting against the Masters 3. What can I say? I’m a complicated person….
  • Nocturnal Visitor to the Palace Cellars 2. It’s getting quite creepy down here….

Discovery About Death

This is either a bug or strangely intended. If you get wounded by a storylet into level 5 of wounds, if you “try again” you can keep going until your actions run out. After that, the boatman takes you; but before it, I guess by the virtue of adrenaline you survive just long enough for the surgeons to really examine that spleen.

Plans

  1. Buy more stuff. Some day I’ll be able to save up for an Overgoat.
  2. Get rooms at the Bazaar.
  3. Advance nightmares even further. Every line, actually, even Burial of the Dead, to see where they go.
  4. Continue shepherding souls, but the guy comes around less and less. :(
  5. Advance Shadowy to the max alongside advancing Dangerous.
  6. Indeed, advance Dangerous without getting involved in SPIDERS. If this is even at all possible.

7 thoughts on “Echo Bazaar Update: Let’s Get Dangerous”

  1. There’s 3 cards in the St Dunstans line, but you may have leveled over where they fire, dunno.

    Some things just won’t show up if you have Suspicion quality; the same may be true for Scandal/Wounds/Nightmares.

  2. The funny thing is that I think I went through St. Dunstans for the Watchful track. I’m not missing all that much, I think.

    Hm, stuff not showing up with suspicion/scandal etc on would make sense. I tend not to do anything about the wounds because I’ll just get more the next time I lower nightmares with the laudanum.

  3. When you get into the Black Ribbon stuff on Dangerous, you will have to keep your Wounds down to zero or you won’t get the top-level fights options.

    I’m wondering what else I may be missing by not being too concerned about some of those menace levels. :)

  4. Aaah, that’s like the Flit—you need to keep your Suspicion at 1 or below in order to see the really big heists.

    Wounds 0, I can manage if I need to. Good thing I stole like 36 bottles of Tincture of Vigour.

  5. And there’s Spending The Day In Bed, too.

    I’m doing the Shadowy heists now. Resolutely NOT buying Fate, at least till current credit card cycle turns over. (This is my version of responsible spending.) So it’s a slow go, esp since I fumbled the Duchess’ jewels lift. Twice. I keep having to shed +Shadowy items every time I level.

  6. “Day in bed” heals so slowly though. I think it does 1 point (rather than 1 level) per action or something. Peach Brandy in Spite does healing, though.

    And yeah, I had to shed a lot of Shadowy items on the way up. The heist opportunities disappear way too soon, and at 90 Shadowy they are gone entirely. O.O Thank goodness for Ridiculous Hats and so on.

  7. Same with Black Ribbon fights. Is good strategy to have a number of plus items on when you start, so you have them to doff.

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