#the neath's mysteries

[c-schroed]

The Neath's Mysteries: Under Construction

Hey, since when is my fav social action Impossible! to perform?

I hope it'll be back soon.

[neathnights]

The Neath's Mysteries

They say the Neath's destiny is bound with these deeper secrets. Are your eyes on these futures?

They say only six letters of it should ever be written together. The seventh will doom all. Four jewels are lost. Hold tight to the fifth!

→ A singular phrase They say that history is seven jewels on a necklace, but two have never been seen. Doesn't one of your friends have a book on the subject?

A long evening You pace your lodgings, wearing a trail into the carpet. Let's hope your friend comes soon with the book.

→ A strange sort of prank You keep seeing something. A flash of vivid green in shop windows and the reflections of gaslamps in puddles. Perhaps you know someone reliable who can help you catch the joker.

Why would anyone do this? There it is again, the briefest green flash, reflected in your own pocket-watch. This is maddening!

The light comes from the jungle behind the glass. Where isn't is.

→ Going to the theatre The show is cancelled, the poster claims. Mahogany Hall – London's most notorious Music Hall and Theatre – is closed tonight. You know better. You have two tickets to a secret performance of the forbidden Seventh Letter. Find a friend – you don't want to see that alone.

Going the back way The urchin eyes you suspiciously as you wait in the cold fog behind Mahogany Hall. Where is your friend? The performance starts soon.

→ Sharing a dream The same dream again. The lush, bright garden. The half-eaten fruit. The mirror and the panther. And you're not the only one. Who else has had this dream?

[hellisntreal]

a power of peace and healing//your bones run strong

I spent a very long time trying to work out a Stone design and I'm still not settled! I'm sure like my other humanizations of Fallen London entities, I'll come up with a few <3

[peligin-eyed]

I made a longer post about this once in the past, but here’s a summary of my characters’ Maladies and Ailments in honor of disability pride month!

Ambrose: ADHD, occasional depressive episodes, chronic headaches

Emery: autistic and ADHD, some chronic pain due to old injuries from Bag a Legend and monster hunting

Liam: dysgraphia and dyscalculia, struggles sometimes with mental health (particularly anxiety and self-esteem), pain and mobility issues from a werewolf-related shoulder injury

Charlie: hard of hearing, ADHD

Henry: autistic, joint problems (cane user), depression (got worse due to Nemesis events, getting slowly better now)

Robin: anxiety, OCD

[asleepinawell]

oh boy! just what I always wanted!

[tleeaves]

Having so many thoughts about how the casting of Tom Blyth as a conventionally attractive man and his changing looks throughout the film actually demonstrate how much the directors intended for him not to be thirsted over -- and what thirsting over him at this point says about the audience.

I mean, if you're given a pretty face, like Coryo is said to have also in the books, you can get away with a lot because not many people are quick to scorn you. It's the fault of Greek philosophy most likely, but it's been thought for so long that physical beauty equates moral and ethical soundness. He has beautiful, absolutely gorgeous curls in the first two parts of the movie (and book), he's explicitly described as lovely and pretty, and many of the women in his life trust him until he reveals his motivations at the end.

The removing of the curls, I think, was not just about the military. It was about removing some of that beautiful mask and costume Coryo moves through the world in, chipping away, so that people began to see just how corrupt he was when they weren't blinded by his charms and he got too caught up after thinking he had their unwavering trust.

Coryo is the games. He makes himself a mystery wrapped in pretty things, surrounded by pretty people, to lure others in and distract from the snake he is underneath. Literally from Shakespeare's Macbeth "serpent 'neath the flower" (paraphrasing, I can't remember the precise wording for underneath and what not). The presence of roses on his character is even more fitting then, not just to disguise the scent of blood, poison, and mouth sores later on, but to give people a false sense of security, to please them, to charm them so they don't notice the snake coiling around them and preparing to bite.

Just like the characters, when the audience thirsts over this younger Snow, they are falling right into a trap. He does not love, he wants the control over people. He enjoys the manipulation. He would sooner kill you to protect himself no matter if you're his lover. The directors, Collins herself too, they're laughing or perhaps just wearily sighing over an audience that does not understand when they are being targeted. Snow wants to be admired. When an audience admires him and overlooks all the bad, it's a commentary about them and the way our society favours beauty over goodness. The way some will roll over and offer their necks to the knife just because it wears a pretty face and it manipulated them into sympathising.

Snow is dangerous. The thirst traps and edits, good as they are for a handsome man like Tom Blyth, are exactly what the Capitol would do for Snow. What he would encourage in theory. He's the snake underneath the flowers. And the audience of both the games and The Hunger Games franchise, is once again ignorant to what their behaviour means. Successful manipulation of a group.

How scary would that be if it happened in real politics with slightly different methods?

[failbettergames]

Estival: The Sixth Coil

The Tiger Keeper rises to his hind legs. "London!" He is bellowing now, gold eyes alight with zeal. "The Sixth Coil is opening at last!”

Summer of 1899 has come around again, and with it, Estival:  a time of celebration, intrigue, and, historically, disaster. This year, something stirs beneath the Labyrinth of Tigers, and London is awash with striped and toothy visitors. 

Closed to all visitors since the Fall, the Sixth Coil of the Labyrinth is opening at last – and the Court of the Wakeful Eye is holding a grand tournament to celebrate the occasion. The Coilheart Games will soon commence!

Delegations will soon arrive from all across the Neath: the tomb-colonies, the Khanate, the Wakeful Eye itself. Lend your support to your favoured competitors in events that span disciplines physical and mental. Throw your own hat into the ring, and compete for a share of the riches of the Sixth Coil. Investigate the visiting delegations, and the mysteries stirring deep in the Labyrinth. And when the Games are over, the Sixth Coil will open at long, long last.

What is Estival?

The Sixth Coil is Fallen London's summer Estival for 2024, beginning on the 1st of August. It's a free, limited-time mass-participation event, open to players of all levels.

Our annual summer festival is different to all others in Fallen London; it changes every year, both mechanically and in theme. In previous years we’ve excavated holes all over London (unlocking new activities), raised a Museum which became a permanent location in the city, and warred with Starved men from the Roof.

We expect Estival to last around two weeks, with new activities and mysteries opening up as time passes. It'll remain open for a few days after its conclusion for you to catch up and pick up any last rewards. 

In previous years, your participation has affected the pacing of the event. This year, however, your efforts will determine not when events progress, but how: the winners of each of the Games' four disciplines will be determined by your actions. Offer your allies chess tips from the Boatman. Test their scientific hypotheses in your lab. Defeat their nightmares, so they might fight unimpeded. And – perhaps most dangerously of all – influence the fickle attentions of the Captivating Princess. It is all to play for.

As with previous summer events, we will eventually bring the memory of this one to the Waswood, to allow you to revisit the story and obtain some (but not all) of the event's items, should you miss it.

New Items and Equipment

Items from previous summers will be available again, alongside six new items of equipment to collect. These can be purchased with Estival Tokens, the currency of our summer events. You'll receive 30 Estival Tokens for free this year, and more can be purchased for Fate. As always, you will be able to use any Estival Tokens left over from previous years.

In addition, owners of the Winking Gemstone Ring and the Strangling WIllow Ring – both items that were recently moved to the Adornment slot – will be able to swap them for new Gloves that offer the same bonuses, if they wish.

Finally, there'll be several unique qualities and items of equipment that can be earned by participating in this year's Estival storyline.

We hope you enjoy the Coilheart Games, and the opening of the Sixth Coil! As always, this is an experiment in finding new ways to surprise and delight you. We hope that among the action, events, intrigues and competition, there will be something for everybody to enjoy.

[nightssideblogofshame]

Honestly, i respect the hell out of just how involved the game forces you to be with seeking mr eaten

Like, when i first started playing, i was having a good time, yknow? Then i discovered u could seek mr eaten, and like, im curious, of course im curious, but theres piles of warnings on that story and when i went to look it up as like, idk risk investigation, i found out that (spoilers btw) it would lose me my character, like my character would just be gone, idk how or why and i dont want to know without seeing it myself, but i knew my character would be for all practical purposes gone if i did it

And like, by this point i was already attached, yknow? I liked this character, i was doing my best, i was being a slut down in veilgarden and trying to become a master criminal on the side, i was having fun and way too emotionally attached to this character to sacrifice them, yknow

But the mystery, the intrigue, what in the name of the masters happened in the seeking mr eaten story???? I had to know

So what i did, was i made a seperate account, a sacrificial lamb, if you will, specifically to seek mr eaten with, i thought that id just dive directly into seeking mr eaten and like, kill off this character or condemn them or whatever horrid fate would happen to them, and I'd get to know the mr eaten story without risking my emotionally invested account, pretty standard strat in these kinds of risk storyline yknow, just make a throwaway to experience it with

Except! Except! That didn't work!

See, to seek mr eaten, you need high stats, you need resources, you need knowledge, you need a large variety of things that u just dont have and dont have the ability to get in the early game, i didnt get anywhere at all by trying to jump right in, my sacrificial lamb could not be sacrificed

So i start playing with her, and playing, and im choosing choices i didnt in my first go and focusing on stats i hadnt on my other account, and suddenly im invested in this character too, they arent a sacrificial lamb anymore, they came down to the neath to hunt down their nemesis, they were a mother whose child was murdered, she was ruthless and practical, cruel at points but not without reason, had a soft spot for children, i had like a whole mental storyline for her

And i went oh. Oh.

Fallen london absolutely forces you to get invested in your characters before youre allowed to seek mr eaten, they will not allow you to remain distant, the really extremely common strat that works in any other game to experience the 'bad route' by making a stupid trash character just wont work, is absolutely foiled!, by fallen london

Fallen london gives you a route it says will take everything from you, and then forces you to gather things to lose if you want to experience it, and i respect the hell out of that

[redactahoe]

pretty darlin appreciation listener addition

this is a compellation of everyone finding darlin hot and darlin not getting it this is part 1 with all the relevent listeners and part 2 will include the boys this is inspired by @whorefordarlin btw

this might be long af

the only physical trait i give to trait is a beefy build and short hair tw: alot of simping shenanigans, mention of shitty foster care parents/neglectful parents, i cant spell so be warned

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

angel:(set durring darlins first meeting back)

angel had no idea what to expect from this 'mysterious pack member'. but it definitely wasn't this. i mean give angel some credit with the way the pack described the pack member it made them out to be some sort biker gang delinquent with and eye patch or something! but no the person Infront of the angel was most definitely not what they expected.

they were about 6 inches taller than them and and had a very pretty face with all kinds of pretty piercings on it. they were wearing a patched up leather jacket with a tank top under neath, tattered but tight jeans, and some beat up combat boots. all of this layered on top of they're very broad frame.

"Hi, i'm angel! nice to meet you!" angel greets with a nervous but excited glint in their eyes.

"oh! davids mate right?, nice to meet you too." tanker greeted back and GOOODD!! their voice was so fucking sexy. their voice was deep with a slight rasp to it that made angels face go red and burst into a fit of flustered giggles.

thus began the slightly awkward conversation between angel and tanker before the pack meeting started. with a red faced angel barely being able to keep together and a very concerned tank trying to decipher what all the giggling means

"hey by the way i think i scared your mate...". the pack meeting finally ended. tank ad david were going some final things when tank brought up angels strange behavior's.

david let out an amused huff "pft- i don't think you have to worry about tanker." he had this amused all knowing smile spread across his face recalling the 5 minute rant angel went on about just how hot tanker was.

"i- what does that mean???"

"don't worry about"

babe:(set in a library near asher and babes apartment)

"baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaabe im bored.." asher was starting to remember why he disliked libraries so much. they were everything he wasn't, quiet.

"asher i told you that you didn't have to come in with me today" asher's fiancé thick accent rang out quietly through the room. today babe had been called in the fill the last few minutes of someone's shift at the library because they had to go home early.

but before asher could reply the bell at the front door rings out as a very familiar head of white hair is spotted

"well hey there tanker, what you doin' here?" asher genuinely forgot that tank actually loved reading but he loved teasing (lovingly) them about it. "i could ask you the same thing, aren't you the one who constantly complains about libraries being boring or something?" tanker sarcastically shot back.

babes head wiped around breaking out of their concentration at the new voice. so this was the elusive 'super hot biker that comes in every Saturday', as their coworkers described them.

and that description was pretty accurate. they had sharp, half lidded eye that had this twinkle to them that made babe feel like they were in a ya novel when the made eye contact with the very attractive wolf. they some how have both a baby face and a nice sharp jawline and the same time. their hair was cut short and was slightly messy that made them some how even hotter. they were dressed in a lazy zip up hoodie and a band t-shirt along with the forbidden grey sweat pants.

they were hypnotic, alluring, fucking enchanting they wer-

"hey you good?" a deep rasping voice snaped them out of their own spiral. making them realize that A. they had been starring at poor confused wolf and B. asher had this all knowing, shit eating grin spread across his stupidly handsome face.

"o-oh right, um h-how can i help you?" shit their all flustered now and probably made tanker uncomfortable as well

"ive just come to return these." they answered noticeably not making eye contact with them, and thankfully. babe didn't now if the could keep together any longer if they had to keep looking at those bewitching eyes of theirs.

tanker heaves the stack of books they were holding onto the counter. "um o-oh y-yeah okay, let me just...." babe trailed off as they focused back to their work.

the transaction went by pretty fast with tank and Asher playfully bantering back and forth all the while babe processed the book returns. eventually all books were processed and tank was off on their way. Asher turns to them with the same shit eating grin on his face and states "aren't i glad you met me before tanker huh?"

sweetheart:(first day at high school, they're childhood besties)

"its okay, im sure this new family and school will really click with you!" sweethearts social worker had always been an optimistic women even though both of them knew the women was partially lying.

rita had been sweethearts social worker since they 6. so she most likely knew the whole song and dance of sh being forgotten and then eventfully returned. but she didn't know was that a new family meant new neglectful parents but it also meant new asshole kids and new neglectful teachers.

"sure..." to be entirly honest with you they weren't exactly excited, with the old bullies it was easy to predict and avoid. but with new bullies there was always a learning period and those always hurt the worst.

but eventually and much to sweethearts dismay they arrived to their final destination, met their new family and unpack their things into their "bedroom'. though you couldnt really call it a bedroom, it was more like mattress and night stand in an unfinished basement but they've had worse.

it took awhile but sleep came and went. they were up and out of the door by 5 am sharp, theyve made it a habit to not stick around and 'be a bother'. they sat down at the bus stop and got emersed into a book, the wait would be long after all.

they were so emersed they didn't notice the warm body that sat next to them. that was until of course that person fell asleep and start to let a soft snore. turning to look at them had sweetheart slightly fluster but also worry.

they had remarkably clear skin for a 15 year old and had short but shaggy hair that fell over and framed their face almost perfectly. but on the other hand they dressed and had the general demeaner of a typical bully. the cool and Grundy punk style they had to them though didn't come of as forced like alot of the others, it looked so natural and so good on them, well good enough to make sweethearts teenage heart flutter.

......okay that may have been a bit of a stretch since the person was asleep, but this was a good opportunity to scope out a possible danger that didn't with sweetheart getting pummeled... hopefully.

a sharp and admittedly cute snort interrupted sh's thoughts as that person woke up. there was a bleary almost adorably clueless look in their eyes as they but two and two together on where they were.

they looked around and made eye contact with sweetheart, then looked down at the book they had. and smiled...... but then quickly looked straight ahead

why did they have to be so. god. damn. gorgeous????

and what makes it worse (read as: better) was that they didnt even know any one knew about this book!!!

"u- um do you like this series?"

why did the say?!?!?! what compelled sweetheart to blurt that out in the most awkward way possibl-

"oh um, yeah its actually my favorite..." there was a slight nervous chuckle at the end of that sentence that made sh's heart sore in ways they never felt before.

the question and reply started an unlikely friendship between the two that no one, not even sweetheart saw coming. all because sh' thought the were pretty and liked the same book

lovely:(lovely was getting repairs done on their guitar when tank walks in)

this was the worst.....

lovely couldn't believe they had to sit here in this ironically quit music store. it was days like these they wish Vincent could go out into sunlight. it would mean at the very least they would have him there to bored along with them. but alas that wasn't the case.

they heard that this store in particular was good at repairs with instruments and had decent prices though. it was a small music shop that was decorated with history music, old expensive instruments lined the walls with a few poster of famous rock a metal idols along with them.

the only other person in the store with them was this older Hispanic man that looked like a much older Gómez Addams

suddenly the man shot up from his seat as soon as the shop bell ringed.

" aye!!! i havent seen in awhile where have you been lobo?!" the older Hispanic man that was working on their guitar asked with excitement towards the person

"ive been busy old man, i cant just hang around the shop all day like i did when i was kid." the deep raspy voiced stranger responded with amusement.

and when they came just a little close..... they just were so pretty???

lovely didnt even know if it was just the lighting or something but they were prettier than Vincent! and Vincent was stage 10 pretty boy but this random person in this small little music shop was prettier!?!? now dont get them wrong they love Vincent very much but for a brief moment they considered snapping a picture and asking Vincent for a polycule with this random but very attractive stranger. all the while the stranger was conversation with the old clerk while he works on lovely's guitar they were able to get a good look at them.

they well built but like in that really hot muscular with a layer of softness over the muscles that made them look both very strong but very huggable, the had soft short hair that lovely would've broken bones to run their had through. in their eyes there was this mysterious almost teasing look to them that had lovely hooked and all types of hot and bothered. everything about them was just so tantalizing.

the stranger or lobo as the store clerk called them had this aura around them that could only be described as playful but mysterious and those scars looked so good. lovely didn't know many people in real live make having scars so sexy-

" how did you fuck up this thing so bad??" the older clerk cries throwing his hands on his head in distress snapped them out of their small simping spiral. when looking at what the old man was talking about they saw a well used and loved bass sitting on the counter, guitar was already finished and set off to the side.

the body of the bass was slightly cracked and the strings looked like they were a tap away from snapping.

"I told you've i've been busy...." lobo trailed off almost ashamed of the state of their bass"

the older man only mumbled something in spanish about bullshit excuses and turned of to call out to lovely, telling them he's done with the repairs and told them the price. they paid and excited the building only catching the beginning of a likely very hefty scolding about the importants of bass care.

they immediately whipped out their phone once out of ear shot and called Vincent.

"vinney you will not believe i just saw someone prettier that you!!!"

okay thats it for now thxs for reading, srry for any spelling mistakes

[gmalaart]

The Spectacled Beholder

Name: Doctor Emon Cavendish

Gender: Left it on the surface (he/they))

Height: 6'2" (188cm)

Occupation: Enquirer, working under the Honey-Addled Detective’s wing.

Prominent skills: Watchful, Shadowy, Persuasive

Prominent quirks: Subtle, Heartless, Hedonist, Steadfast

Reputation:

Dr. Cavendish hasn’t been in London long but they’ve surely been busy. It isn’t uncommon to see them skittering through alleyways and avenues alike, keen eyes flitting this and that way in search of opportunity. Not much is known for sure about them, just that he came from the surface and took to the city like it was his to begin with. However, there are rumours about a brother they apparently have on the surface, about their previous life being an overly sheltered one, or even about their academic pursuits being a front for activities tied to The Great Game. For now, the doctor hasn’t sworn allegiance to any faction yet, and their intentions remain a bit of a mystery to any prying eyes.

Personality:

SUBTLE; despite their eccentric appearance, Cavendish is nothing if not discreet. They’ve apparently spent a lot of their life avoiding people’s scrutiny and they prefer to be a fly on the wall rather than the centre of attention.

HEARTLESS; simply put, Cavendish doesn’t much care for the wellbeing of others. They’ve seen what it does to people, caring too much, and they’d rather avoid the hassle. Close relationships are quite alien to them due to this fact, but he’s amused when people try to form one (and someday, someone might sneak through one of his cracks)

HEDONIST; on the surface, the good doctor was said to be a bit of a shut-in, rarely leaving his family’s abode unless strictly necessary. Those restrictions are far behind them now, as they set out to sample all that London has to offer (especially the honey that their Detective friend is so fond of).

STEADFAST; despite their many faults, Cavendish is known to be a person of their word. That word may be bought with coin, secrets or favours, but outside of exceptional circumstances it is a matter of first come, first served.

+bonus: ALLERGIC TO BOREDOM; Cavendish has curiosity in spades as well as an overactive mind that can’t go very long without entertainment. A discerning mind will realise that this is the prime reason why they struggled in high society and why they decided to delve into Fallen London instead. Their smile is brightest when discovering something new and slightly scandalous (perhaps a bit too bright). Due to this they are also quite attracted to all manner of non-human beings found in the Neath.

Example Dialogue:

"Miss Bean,

If we are to cooperate in our investigation I must INSIST on getting rid of those wounds all over your person. I am acquainted with matters of the flesh and its rending (as I am sure you garnered from the scar across my own face, hah!) and I know that leaving a wound untreated is sure to cause unnecessary bleeding at the most inopportune time. If you were to leave a dripping trail of blood behind us right as our investigation is coming to its climax, why I fear I would have to abandon you there and then! And I would so miss your charm. Meet me in my lodgings within the next three days, I have some medical supplies left over from my latest errand for the Department of Menace Eradication.

Ever your servant,

Dr. E. Cavendish”

[jane-d-ankh-veos]

I'm so happy to have the Arcane Academic background in MotR:

– naturally attuned to the mysteries of the Neath (and I'm such a fan of this trope whenever I see it... rediscovering kinship with local weirdness in Pathologic, sensing the town in Disco Elysium... it's much subtler here, but still feels like Fallen London-verse's dark wonders reach out directly to you, and you to them)

– bonding with friends/sweethearts through discussions of their fascinating cultures' mythology and their faiths' esoteric nuances (I was going to joke about my strange nerdy ways of flirting, but seriously, on second thought, finding shared interests in deeply personal topics actually significantly strengthens relationships)

– bookworm and total geek (shown not as a stereotypical/boring/bad thing, thankfully, and even giving this cute advantage in sapphic romance)

[gachabastard]

Limbus Company Sinners as Fallen London Companions

Smashing my two hyperfixations together like dolls and making them kiss. What I'm seeking (lol) to do here is not to conflate the Sinners to existing Companions, but rather create Companions based off of them instead. If you know both things then this won't take any explaining.

For people who know Limbus Company but not Fallen London: Fallen London is a browser game made by Failbetter Studios. It is an alternate history of an 1800s London that has sunk deep below the earth into a subterranean cavern known as the Neath and is now overseen by the mysterious Masters of the Bazaar. You begin the game as a Surface-dweller who has recently descended into the Neath for certain reasons, which you are able to decide for yourself and act upon as you progress through the game. Companions are "equipment" of sorts that you can equip to increase (or lower) your character's stats. A full write-up of FL's mechanics could be another three separate posts on its own, so I recommend the wiki's Beginner's Guide and other resources therein to understand the mechanics I'll detail here. If you enjoy the writing in LCB you will most likely also love FL's writing. Please play it, it is awesome. (And lmk if you do, I'll add you as a friend and definitely not stab you in the back)

For people who know Fallen London but not Limbus Company: Limbus Company is a mobile game made by Project Moon. It is the third in a series of games, preceded by Lobotomy Corporation and Library of Ruina, which are both available for purchase on Steam, though Limbus Company can be played independently of these if you want; the player avatar is an amnesiac so things are generally explained as needed (though Lobcorp and LoR are also very good and I recommend them, but you do have to buy those, so). The game centers around a department of the titular Limbus Company, the Limbus Company Bus Team (often shortened to LCB), the twelve individuals referred to as Sinners who make up the team, and their amnesiac Manager named Dante as they brave the ruins of the old branches of Lobotomy Corporation to retrieve strange objects known as Golden Boughs. All of the major characters in LCB are based off of classic literature (for example, Dante is based off of Dante's Inferno). If you like FL's writing you may enjoy LCB, but it is a gacha game which turns a lot of people off. For character info you can visit the Fandom wiki (yeah I know, it's a Fandom wiki), and if you want to read the story so far without playing the game you can check out this github page which contains all of the story text.

And if you don't know either...I don't know why you're reading this, but I hope my explanations and provided resources are enough to help you understand it regardless.

Okay, wall of text out of the way, let's get into the actual point of the post. This isn't meant to be balanced or anything this is just for fun because I'm diseased. Also LIMBUS SPOILERS THRU CANTO VI sorry.

Starting off with Sinner #1, Yi Sang:

Mirror-Marred Litterateur In the Mirror's glass, he observed endless possibilities. One such possibility observed him back. Watchful +4, Glasswork +2, Bizarre +1

Reasoning: Honestly? I thought about Sang Yi chilling in Parabola and that colored my whole concept here. But for real the whole Mirror thing is too perfect. Yi Sang defines Glasswork.

Sinner #2, Faust

Hell-Touched Engineer She hasn't the eyes of a devil, but builds infernal machinery previously unseen outside of Hell. Claims to know all outcomes, but shares precious little. Dreaded +2, Artisan of the Red Science +2, Decreases Nightmare build up

Reasoning: Something something Faust something something Mephistopheles something something her base EGO heals SP.

Sinner #3, Don Quixote

Dreaming Knight The only weapon stronger than a dream is delusion. Dangerous +5, Mithridacy +2, Increases Scandal build up

Reasoning: DQ is so skilled in Mithridacy she's got herself convinced of untruths, man. She's also allowed little a Scandal. As a treat.

Sinner #4, Ryoshu

Bohemian Blademaster Her masterwork blade is her brush; her enemies, her canvas. Legend has it that even the Boatman respects her work. Dangerous +4, Dreaded +2, Monstrous Anatomy +1

Reasoning: I feel like this one's pretty self-explanatory. I added a point of MA since I feel like she'd want to be a bit knowledgeable in monster anatomy for Art Reasons

Sinner #5, Meursault

Chained Stranger "The Neath is a prison," he says matter-of-factly, "And I am here because I am meant to be." Despite this, one could swear they saw the sun reflecting off his eyes. Persuasive +2, Respectable +3, Reduces Scandal build up

Reasoning: Hehe did you see what I did there. I referenced the thing. Anyway aside from being pretty blunt, he's probably the best candidate out of the whole group for Respectable.

Sinner #6, Hong Lu

Bright-Eyed Debonair New to the Neath, from an affluent Surface family. The Neath's many delights confuse and excite him. Persuasive +2, Shadowy +1, Kataleptic Toxicology +1

Reasoning: I think Hong Lu being new to the Neath fits with him being sheltered in canon. Also +1 KA cuz you know that boy is hittin that Honey. The Honey-Dens of Veilgarden already know him by name.

Sinner #7, Heathcliff

Bereaved Ruffian He knows the backstreets of London like the scars on his hands. He remembers that which the world does not, and waits. Dangerous +8, Shadowy -3, Chthonosophy +1

Reasoning: Oops Canto VI colored the fuck out of this one oops oops oops. Happy Firmament Day btw have some Chthonosophy. :)

Sinner #8, Ishmael

Zeefaring Pathfinder She's hunted the most feared creatures known to the Zee, losing her way to chart a path for her mad captain. Her compass will see that she never loses sight of her path again. Zeefaring +2, Monstrous Anatomy +3, Increases Nightmares build up

Reasoning: Ishy-Fishy you were made to embody Zeefaring and MA.

Sinner #9, Rodion

Lacre-Drowned Cardshark Born in a run-down corner of London where the Lacre falls thickest at Sacksmas, she knows a thing or two about cards. She wouldn't mind teaching you...for a price. Persuasive +4, Watchful +6

Reasoning: Heart's Desire vibes. That's it.

Sinner #10, Dante

Timepiece Manager An infernal timepiece ticks away where a head should be. They have no memories of their own, but they can never forget again. Chthonosophy +2, Steward of the Discordance +1, Dangerous -5, Reduces Wounds build up

Reasoning: Congratulations Dante on being the only bitch to not have the Discordance because the Discordance isn't real. Ummm I went off vibes here but tbh I think Dante should decrease your Dangerous by way more actually. Hell, let's make then decrease Dreaded too. Let's make them a Weasel of Woe.

Sinner #11, Sinclair

Unrealized Prodigy Young and anxious, jumping at every shadow. His potential is very promising. Dangerous +6, Dreaded +1, Increases Wounds build up

Reasoning: Sinclair may be baby. But he is Scary Baby.

Sinner #12, Outis

Commanding Oneironaut She's led the forces of Parabola to victory more times than you could count. Don't ask her any questions. Dangerous +8, A Player of Chess +2, Glasswork +1

Reasoning: Everybody shut the fuck up Parabolan War General Outis is everything to me, you hear me. EVERYTHING. She favors the Chessboard, obviously, with that +2 to APoC.

Sinner #13, Gregor

Metamorphic Veteran A large insectoid pincer sits where a right arm should be. He'll talk about pretty much anything but the details around that. Seriously, be careful around that thing. Dangerous +5, Shapeling Arts +3, Bizarre +2

Reasoning: You had to know Gregor would be the only bitch to get Shapeling Arts. Look me in the eyes and tell me he wouldn't. I wanted to give him Persuasive due to his amicability but also he actually. Sucks at being persuasive like canonically, so. Dangerous it is.

BONUS! Vergilius

The Red Gaze The most feared Fixer in the Neath. Whatever could you have done to strike up an alliance with him? Watchful +30, Shadowy +30, Dangerous +30, Persuasive +30, Greatly reduces Nightmare build up

Reasoning: He's the Red Goat I ain't gotta explain shit.

anyway hope you enjoyed even though you definitely didn't. i have a headache now so i'm gonna go consume painkillers and caffeine and go run mirror dungeons in lcb for that limbus battle pass.

[house-of-mirrors]

Some mystery, finding clues, and solving puzzles are a big part of the fun in playing Fallen London but stuff still needs to be Comprehensible, and I'm of the humble opinion that someone shouldn't have to go through official social media and fan pages to learn the lore. Despite the fact it's a partially multiplayer game, you should be able to play the game with one ambition and never talk to another fan and still understand the main plot!

There needs to be a main story required for game progression for everyone—not an obscure bit of side text or an easily missed, non repeatable, and frankly incomprehensible seventh letter play during feast of the rose—that explains the main lore with the bazaar, sun, masters, neath, and chain. The quest would come at a point where the player has advanced enough knowledge to understand it and not as some random hint at the end of your ambition

Maybe firmament will address this lack of in-universe lore knowledge 🙏 we can hope

[starryeyed-seer]

A couple jabs at Sixth Coil theorizing

Three guesses based on clues/hints at what's inside the coil.

....I ain't got a clue!!

Okay, I do, but it's always hard to feel confident and I know I'm thinking too much about my own bias. But hear me out!

Establishing details

The games are sacred to the tigers, but are not games the tigers intend to win. It's important the games go well and are visible to all, and there's an obvious nervousness to the organizers

The 6th coil and it's opening, however sacred, is not a dignified thing- it's more a grim duty.

We get here also the title 'Ambassador to the Heartlands of the Messenger' (That's the Bazaar!!) (Ambassador to the Messenger's HEARTlands huh?) and 'Gaoler of Sins' (Shames are sins, and Stone herself is (prob counts) a Shame. So the title is 'Ambassador to the Bazaar, and jailer of sins'.

Hearts are such a broad big theme it's really hard to know whose hearts we're talking about. I'm not certain what we know about Stone's heart. My instinct is that it is the Garden, or lies within the Garden. Stone and hearts are usually mentioned as 'the heart of the Elder Continent'. There's also The Sunken River (ES) which has a lot of heart mentions: below the zee, Stone's wounds have create a cave of blood and a living mirror-heart-entity. But that Heart is called 'a mountain-child', not Stone's heart.

The end of Heart's Desire takes place within the heart of the Bazaar. The Bazaar also had a body part called 'The Cladery Heart', which was surgically removed (to remove the urge/need to travel) and is not likely to be a literal heart.

Another place we hear about Hearts is here, at the shrine to the Mountain's Mother in SSeas. THE BIRTH! THE HEART! THE CHAIN! We don't know what the Birth of Stone was like. What does the Heart mean here? But we all know the Chain.

It's not known if the 'To Assemble a Heart from Dust' was specific to the tomb colonies winning or if dust was always going to be the word used. frustrating.

WHAT IS IN THERE/WHAT IS GOING ON:

1. A sealed away love

The doors to the 6th coil are sealed. Not shut, but sealed. There's no blueprints of what is beyond, because it probably doesn't exist in that kind of way. Each time we clear an event, a new sigil appears on the door, and it will open with all four. This is a correspondance gate.

The reoccurring dream for the event is a good hint. We run through a battlefield, not caring about the conflict but instead our love (who looks just like us). There's a place where the war doesn't dare tread. And an invocation of royalty.

Our love is locked away and feared. Their dread heart is locked away, and they're restrained by chains. Glass invokes Parabola and mirrors, but glass-forged could also refer to The Chain more broadly. We love this monster who is not meant to be seen, and we're trying to open the gate. In the waking world, we're doing games on the Tiger's behest to open a mysterious door.

I think Stone could have a forbidden love of her own with something from Parabola. This feels almost too up my alley, but I don't think it's out of the question. The 6th coil could be a prison, and the Games are the rare time they are allowed to reconnect: The tigers hate the is-not, but must allow their god this. It's sacred but grim. FL loves narrative parallels. It's funny to complicate the cosmic family tree even more. what if the sun had a fingerking for an in-law. Stone dreams of flight, maybe Stone met another monster to fly with.

2. More Tigers

I haven't mentioned people who go to the 6th coil don't seem to return.

The cats suggest it's always humans who go in too. It's odd to think something like this would happen and it wouldn't be better recorded in history: the last Coilheart games were during the fourth city, not insanely long ago. If the Tigers shoved some people in a death pit, end of games, you'd think that'd be remembered with resentment. (The Neath is full of ways to alter and forget memory though). People go in, they don't seem to return. But that doesn't mean they die.

My first thought on this line was that the winners become the prizes, somehow: transformed into entities like living statues crying gold tears or w/e. Suitable freaky neathy fate.

But... This is a theory someone suggested on the discord. Tigers.

........................look. What are tigers, anyway? Raised to serve a divine purpose by Stone.

The tigers at the Wakeful Eye imply the tournament is competing for something they already own (but also reference 'that shadow', again some shame to this coil). I don't know what they own beyond a great blessing from Stone. Maybe you go into the coil and you turn into a tiger, is what I'm saying. Have we ever seen a tiger cub?

(I don't know why this fills them with such disdain though- dislike sharing?)

Maybe other Coilheart games no one pressed charges because the people who went in didn't die- they just didn't come out quite the same.

3. More tigers (jailed)

Maybe in the sixth coil you can finally go see some tigers at the zoo behind bars, because it's where fingerking possessed tigers are stored. They gotta open the door sometimes for humane reasons. I don't know what the treasure is here. Secrets?

4. literally anything else

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I'm loooooving this estival though such a blast!

[asleepinawell]

sorry if this seems a bit out of the blue, but ever since youve been posting about fallen london, im a bit curious about it! What is the game about and where can I get it?

oh no worries! I'm happy to ramble about it

fallen london is a free to play browser game you can find here. the basic premise is that sometime in the 1800's the entire city of london is engulfed in a swarm of bats and then falls through the earth into a cavern a mile below. this is the neath, a huge underground cavern where london sits on the shore of a vast ocean. queen victoria is still around locked in her palace being a typical shitty british monarch, who, amongst other things, decided that 1900 was cancelled and we were just going to have 1899 for a second time

things are a little...different down there. humans are far from the only ones running around. there's devils, rubbery men (think mind flayer vibes), clay men, and the shadowy cloaked figures running the bazaar (and the city) called the masters. death mostly isn't permanent and the dream world is a little too real. also, most importantly, cats can talk! and there are tons of them! and tigers too

it's got victorian, gothic horror, dark humor, lovecraftian vibes. also it's extremely queer as is everything the dev, failbetter games, makes. something I especially appreciate is that you don't have to give your character any particular gender (though you can) and some of the little avatars are very gender neutral:

since it's free to play it comes with the normal things that type of game has such as real money transactions (completely optional and unnecessary for enjoyment (though some of the bonus side stories you can buy are extremely cool)), limited number of actions you can take (max of 20 at a time and refills 1 per 10 minutes). it is definitely grindy too though there's so many things to do (cannot emphasize the insane amount of content enough) I will usually just switch things up every so often

it's single player for the most part but you can ask friends to assist you in certain actions and there are some specific items that can be sent to other players

(if you like the setting but not the free to play part you can check out mask of the rose which is a visual novel they just released set right after london fell. it's a romance but with full aro and ace options (which I actually preferred) and a murder mystery. that one is a normal just buy the whole game deal and I think it's on most platforms. there's also sunless seas and sunless skies which take place in the same world but are a very different type of game and would require their own post. all of these have great writing in them)

but back to fallen london. it works based off of 'storylets', or little short stories when you usually do a skill check to accomplish something in return for advancing the story, levelling your skills, and reward items. you unlock more and more things as you go and get access to new stories and areas. here's an example of one of the little activities and its resolution

since it's a game designed to be able to play endlessly there isn't really a way to lose or game over. you can die but dying is just a minigame of its own and sometimes even a thing to do purposefully. (the only actual way to die is the notorious story called seeking mr eaten's name which you may have seen me post about, which is a very unique story that will permanently erase your character at the end. why you'd ever want to do that would also be its own post. it's pretty hard to stumble on accidentally I think and extremely well-marked as a thing with severe consequences that you probably shouldn't do. or should you...)

anyway I'd definitely recommend giving fallen london a try if you're interested in the premise and aesthetic

[capn-twitchery]

Sweet pea for Twitch and Lilac for Grace? (or each for both, if you want)

Lilac - Does your OC have a comfort item? If so, what is it?

Grace lost most of his stuff when his entire ship ended up in the neath, and the crew had to abandon it to look for help on foot. all he really had was his clothes & sword, and uh, twitch has both of those

but he still has his hat & waistcoat! so as the last things he still has from the surface, they're comforting to him, at least.

Sweet pea - What colour are your OC’s eyes?

VERY SNEAKY ok i'll bite >:3c

uncensored version under the cut for mild eye horror/spookiness (& in case someone wanted to keep their face a mystery)

(there are eyes there, i promise, they just look fucked up)