Multiple questions for Fallen London players at this point

[eternalexhilaration]

Hello.

At the moment one of my favourite things in this game is interacting with the same characters in both Sunless Sea and Fallen London.

Some of my favourite encounters were ones like the mission about tracking down the Last Constable or selling items to notable people in the Roser's Wharf or some of the things involving Penstock.

To be fair, i am still fairly new to both of the games and there may have been more characters crossing over that I simply did not recognise.

I am currently wavering in my motivation to play this game, and i have not found any discussions or threads talking about the characters who crossover.

If anyone knows of any other significant characters from Fallen London also being in Sunless Sea that would be most helpful and would likely motivate me to keep playing in order to encounter such characters.

Thank you for your time.

[Ellixer]

The Blind Bruiser and the Last Constable as you mentioned.

You can sell a certain fairly minor thing to the Jovial Contrarian. I can't remember what though.

You can meet February of the Calendar Council... I think in Vienna? In Fallen London, she appears here and there in some early stories, usually as an antagonistic force. Back before they retired Knife & Candle (basically PvP) she featured in that too, as an enemy of Mr Iron (incidentally Mr Iron is never seen but you can purchase his weaponry in Sunless Sea and he controls one of the ports).

You can meet the Old Man in Vienna, in Vienna. In Fallen London you can never meet him, but his influence is felt more strongly, with many players of the great game acting out his will. Increasing your Renown with the Great Game enough and the text will mention that you drew his attention. In another story, he schemes against the Masters of the Bazaar (or perhaps the Bazaar itself, it is unclear). There are other stories where you are involved with his agents.

The Lady in Lilac becomes an officer (requiring above 75 Terror on top of other requirements) and is part of Maybe's Daughter story. Rather opportune because she appears in Fallen London right now via the Valentine event.

The Haunted Doctor appears in Fallen London during past Hallowmas events. He gave the player the confession that he was ordered by the Calendar Council to murder the previous March. In Sunless Sea, he is a possible officer.

The Genial Magician appears in a Destiny in Fallen London where you rescue him from the Fingerkings' imprisonment by replacing him. He is an officer in Sunless Sea.

Mr Sacks appears during Fallen London's Christmas event. Here, he is a quest giver. There are reasons to believe that the Sunless Sea Sacks is an older version compared to the Fallen London Sacks however.

The Wretched Mog is a companion in both games, not that it has much of a character.

The Dark-Spectacled Admiral appears in both games, though in Fallen London he might only appear in Exceptional Stories.

The Pirate Poet is in both games. She is a rival captain in Sea. In Fallen London, she can become a companion during Valentine, and is featured in some exceptional stories, most prominently My Kingdom for a Pig.

Lady Black has a minor role in both games. In Sunless Sea, a zubmarine ending involves her as a major character, though it's not a very long story. In Fallen London, the finale to the Season of Explorations also involves her as a surprise character, though again it's not very long.

If we're counting the Bazaar, it is featured in both games heavily, as it is inseparable from London. You never get to talk to it, though you do get to tell it love stories in one Seasonal Finale and it has a larger presence in Fallen London in general.

The Zee Gods are in the background for both games. Stone is obviously always a big player, as she is responsible for Neathy pseudo-immortality. Storm is a minor presence in Sunless Sea, while in Fallen London he is the primary subject of the What the Thunder Said recurring dreams, which culminate in being able to see through his eyes. Additionally, interactions with the urchins in Fallen London indicates that the kids both hear from him and act out his will. Salt, well, if you know, you know.

[eternalexhilaration]

Originally posted by Ellixer:

The Blind Bruiser and the Last Constable as you mentioned.

You can sell a certain fairly minor thing to the Jovial Contrarian. I can't remember what though.

You can meet February of the Calendar Council... I think in Vienna? In Fallen London, she appears here and there in some early stories, usually as an antagonistic force. Back before they retired Knife & Candle (basically PvP) she featured in that too, as an enemy of Mr Iron (incidentally Mr Iron is never seen but you can purchase his weaponry in Sunless Sea and he controls one of the ports).

You can meet the Old Man in Vienna, in Vienna. In Fallen London you can never meet him, but his influence is felt more strongly, with many players of the great game acting out his will. Increasing your Renown with the Great Game enough and the text will mention that you drew his attention. In another story, he schemes against the Masters of the Bazaar (or perhaps the Bazaar itself, it is unclear). There are other stories where you are involved with his agents.

The Lady in Lilac becomes an officer (requiring above 75 Terror on top of other requirements) and is part of Maybe's Daughter story. Rather opportune because she appears in Fallen London right now via the Valentine event.

The Haunted Doctor appears in Fallen London during past Hallowmas events. He gave the player the confession that he was ordered by the Calendar Council to murder the previous March. In Sunless Sea, he is a possible officer.

The Genial Magician appears in a Destiny in Fallen London where you rescue him from the Fingerkings' imprisonment by replacing him. He is an officer in Sunless Sea.

Mr Sacks appears during Fallen London's Christmas event. Here, he is a quest giver. There are reasons to believe that the Sunless Sea Sacks is an older version compared to the Fallen London Sacks however.

The Wretched Mog is a companion in both games, not that it has much of a character.

The Dark-Spectacled Admiral appears in both games, though in Fallen London he might only appear in Exceptional Stories.

The Pirate Poet is in both games. She is a rival captain in Sea. In Fallen London, she can become a companion during Valentine, and is featured in some exceptional stories, most prominently My Kingdom for a Pig.

Lady Black has a minor role in both games. In Sunless Sea, a zubmarine ending involves her as a major character, though it's not a very long story. In Fallen London, the finale to the Season of Explorations also involves her as a surprise character, though again it's not very long.

If we're counting the Bazaar, it is featured in both games heavily, as it is inseparable from London. You never get to talk to it, though you do get to tell it love stories in one Seasonal Finale and it has a larger presence in Fallen London in general.

The Zee Gods are in the background for both games. Stone is obviously always a big player, as she is responsible for Neathy pseudo-immortality. Storm is a minor presence in Sunless Sea, while in Fallen London he is the primary subject of the What the Thunder Said recurring dreams, which culminate in being able to see through his eyes. Additionally, interactions with the urchins in Fallen London indicates that the kids both hear from him and act out his will. Salt, well, if you know, you know.

Thank you for your reply.

I was unaware that you could meet February in Sunless Sea. Perhaps that could be a goal to work towards.

Unfortunately I believe my character has come across most of the crossovers that Sunless Sea has to offer, based on your list.

However, you have definitely given me another reason to double down in Fallen London and work towards meeting those characters. Perhaps I will spend money on fate after all, I just do not want to fall into that rabbit hole.

Also, as you are a Fallen London player, I have another question purely about that game.

Which Ambition do you feel is the best? My character is close to becoming a Person of Some Importance in Fallen London and I could never decide which one to go with at the beginning of the game.

Once again, thank you for taking the time to reply.

[Ellixer]

Having made multiple accounts to play them all, my personal favourite is Heart's Desire, and the polls I've seen does indicate that it is the most popular. However, I think it does depend almost entirely on what you're looking for. Here's a brief summary.

Nemesis: Personal tale of revenge. Lots of intrigue. You're playing someone who's investigating the death of a loved one and creeping closer and close to the culprit. Somber and melancholy in tone. Some horror elements. It's my second favourite.

Bag a Legend: Monster hunting story. That's about it. It's an uncomplicated and action-packed quest to kill a big monster, and if that appeals to you then you're in for fun. Revolutionary characters might find it rather rewarding too.

Light Fingers: This one is wild. It is a lot of things. What it is not is a heist story, as the title suggests. The story goes in a million direction but suffice to say horror is a strong element of this ambition, and it does come together in the end as a story about (spoiler for the ultimate theme of the story) found family and various forms of love, mostly non-romantic.. It is the second most popular according to the polls I've seen.

Heart's Desire: Win a card game and your wish will be granted. This one is best for driven characters who rarely shy away from taking ruthless actions to get what they want. Obviously they cannot account for every single wish the player has, but the general themes of your wish are: Power, Nostalgia, Love or Immortality, to put it vaguely and not all 100% accurately. It's a tale of greed and obsession. If that appeals, you're probably in for fun. More so than the other stories, this one's cast consists of the most recognizable characters in Fallen London, giving important lore on established faces.

[eternalexhilaration]

Originally posted by Ellixer:

Having made multiple accounts to play them all, my personal favourite is Heart's Desire, and the polls I've seen does indicate that it is the most popular. However, I think it does depend almost entirely on what you're looking for. Here's a brief summary.

Nemesis: Personal tale of revenge. Lots of intrigue. You're playing someone who's investigating the death of a loved one and creeping closer and close to the culprit. Somber and melancholy in tone. Some horror elements. It's my second favourite.

Bag a Legend: Monster hunting story. That's about it. It's an uncomplicated and action-packed quest to kill a big monster, and if that appeals to you then you're in for fun. Revolutionary characters might find it rather rewarding too.

Light Fingers: This one is wild. It is a lot of things. What it is not is a heist story, as the title suggests. The story goes in a million direction but suffice to say horror is a strong element of this ambition, and it does come together in the end as a story about (spoiler for the ultimate theme of the story) found family and various forms of love, mostly non-romantic.. It is the second most popular according to the polls I've seen.

Heart's Desire: Win a card game and your wish will be granted. This one is best for driven characters who rarely shy away from taking ruthless actions to get what they want. Obviously they cannot account for every single wish the player has, but the general themes of your wish are: Power, Nostalgia, Love or Immortality, to put it vaguely and not all 100% accurately. It's a tale of greed and obsession. If that appeals, you're probably in for fun. More so than the other stories, this one's cast consists of the most recognisable characters in Fallen London, giving important lore on established faces.

Thank you for this. You have mostly convinced me to choose Heart's Desire.

Just wondering though, do you recall the cast of characters that has major expanded lore through Heart's Desire? That detail is certainly intriguing but I would just like to know which characters they are because I have varying degrees of interest in many of the characters. For example, the Duchess is one of the more interesting characters in my opinion while I have very little interest in characters such as the Cheery Man.

And one last thing: are Soap and Sophia from the short lived Fallen London comic in Sunless Sea? There is no wiki article about them so I assume the answer is no, but the wiki is also incomplete in some areas so I'm just making sure.

[Ellixer]

Duchess isn't in any of the ambitions. However, characters somewhat adjacent to her are in Bag a Legend, and by that I mean her sister.

Important characters who are featured in Heart's Desire as major players are: Bishop of Fiacre's, Topsy King, Virginia, Merry Gentleman (that's the Manager of the Royal Bethlehem), Mr Pages (this one shows up last and is the biggest name of the bunch so I spoiler tagged just in case). In the later part of the story, you also meet a number of characters who give good lore but isn't as big a player in the plot, these are: the Boatman, His Amused Lordship, October.

I do not believe Soap and Sophia are featured in Sunless Sea but I admit if they did it would have slipped my mind entirely I don't pay them much attention.

[eternalexhilaration]

Alright sounds good. I will probably choose Heart's Desire then.

One last thing, once again Fallen London related.

What are your personal favourites among the Exceptional Stories? I am assuming that you play with them based on your earlier comment informing me of the Pirate Poet and Dark Spectacled Admiral's involvement in a couple of Fate-locked stories.

[Ellixer]

My personal two favourites are "Cricket, Anyone?" and "My Kingdom for a Pig", but both (especially the latter) delve into fairly deep lore territory and might leave you entirely lost if you're not familiar with the lore. Both are written by Chandler Groover, who is proving to be possibly the most popular writer of Exceptional Stories among the fandom.

"Por Una Cabeza" is another story I really like from the same author and requires little to no prior lore knowledge to enjoy, and while I'm on the Chandler train "Caveat Emptor" is a super great "vampire story" in my opinion, though it does require basic lore knowledge of what the Bazaar is. "Paisley" is really good too but I assume you already know that.

This month's story, "the Fair Unknown", is shaping up to be in my top 5, but I eat up any content regarding the Red-Handed Queen anyway.

"Lost in Reflection", "the Gift" and "Hojotoho" are old favourites. They're easy to get into and enjoy and are always fairly safe to recommend.

Since you enjoy the Duchess, you might enjoy "the Calendar Code" and "Go Tell the King of Cats", both of which are good. "A Court of Cats" I assume involves the Duchess, but I haven't played that one, and it does not seem as well-received as other stories are.

The subreddit occasionally survey people on how they enjoyed fate-locked stories, You might find it helpful. In order, the most recent survey's top 5 were: Cricket Anyone, My Kingdom for a Pig, Hojotoho, Por Una Cabeza and the Gift. See here for how all the other stories ranked.

https://www.reddit.com/r/fallenlondon/comments/lagwvr/results_of_our_fatelocked_stories_survey_january/

Someone also created a search system for exceptional stories, tagging every story with which lore area they cover and which recurring character is covered. It is WIP but might be worth a look.

https://mzs42.gitlab.io/fate-locked-stories/

[eternalexhilaration]

Wow, thanks for all of this. You have been a real help and I am definitely going to try out those exceptional stories.

[Ellixer]

Originally posted by eternalexhilaration:

Wow, thanks for all of this. You have been a real help and I am definitely going to try out those exceptional stories.

You're welcome!

Fallen London lore gets more coherent if you engage with the community. The lore is vast and disparate. There are archival efforts to compile relevant texts such as prior elections and other events so we don't lose them when the needs arise. It's difficult to get a handle on the lore otherwise.

The subreddit has always been helpful if you want that engagement in my opinion, and last I checked the official discord is nice too, even if it's too crowded for me.

[eternalexhilaration]

Good to know, I will join both of those groups.

[eternalexhilaration]

I am assuming the answer is yes, but just to make sure: it is worth it to become an Exceptional Friend?

[Ellixer]

A cop out answer but it depends on how much you already like the game and whether you can spare the money.

You almost always get two Exceptional Stories for your 7 USD (some months, if you time it right, you get three Stories), each one if read from beginning to end without waiting for actions to refill last you like a few hours at most. There are mechanical benefits to completing them but those tend to be fairly minor.

On top of this, while subscribed, you get more actions to spend and cards to draw, or at least you increase the cap. This is more useful if you don't constantly check the game every hour and can actually reach that cap (which is the more reasonable way to play).

If you might miss that 7 USD a month, maybe don't go for it. The volume of text you get is small if you compare it to that of a small novel you can buy with that money. However, if you can afford that amount and already enjoy Fallen London, it's a way to get some new stories for yourself while supporting an indie developer. If you think you might buy that Exceptional Story with fates later, definitely subscribe now instead. Paying with Fates is more expensive and give you less benefits, though you do have the benefit of surveys to tell you which one is worthwhile if you wait.

If you want to be frugal, you alternate. Exceptional Stories go live on the last Thursday of the month. So if you want that story, you subscribe the Wednesday before it goes down, and then you get that story plus another story the day after. Then you immediately unsubscribe and wait for another story you want, subscribing on the day before it goes down. If you only want the stories, this is more economical than being subscribed month-to-month. If you're on the fence about a particular month, you can check the forum, the subreddit or the discord to see if people think it's worthwhile.

[eternalexhilaration]

Good to know, I will employ those tactics to get the best possible value for the money I spend.

[eternalexhilaration]

Originally posted by Ellixer:

My personal two favourites are "Cricket, Anyone?" and "My Kingdom for a Pig", but both (especially the latter) delve into fairly deep lore territory and might leave you entirely lost if you're not familiar with the lore. Both are written by Chandler Groover, who is proving to be possibly the most popular writer of Exceptional Stories among the fandom.

"Por Una Cabeza" is another story I really like from the same author and requires little to no prior lore knowledge to enjoy, and while I'm on the Chandler train "Caveat Emptor" is a super great "vampire story" in my opinion, though it does require basic lore knowledge of what the Bazaar is. "Paisley" is really good too but I assume you already know that.

This month's story, "the Fair Unknown", is shaping up to be in my top 5, but I eat up any content regarding the Red-Handed Queen anyway.

"Lost in Reflection", "the Gift" and "Hojotoho" are old favourites. They're easy to get into and enjoy and are always fairly safe to recommend.

Since you enjoy the Duchess, you might enjoy "the Calendar Code" and "Go Tell the King of Cats", both of which are good. "A Court of Cats" I assume involves the Duchess, but I haven't played that one, and it does not seem as well-received as other stories are.

The subreddit occasionally survey people on how they enjoyed fate-locked stories, You might find it helpful. In order, the most recent survey's top 5 were: Cricket Anyone, My Kingdom for a Pig, Hojotoho, Por Una Cabeza and the Gift. See here for how all the other stories ranked.

https://www.reddit.com/r/fallenlondon/comments/lagwvr/results_of_our_fatelocked_stories_survey_january/

Someone also created a search system for exceptional stories, tagging every story with which lore area they cover and which recurring character is covered. It is WIP but might be worth a look.

https://mzs42.gitlab.io/fate-locked-stories/

I've just purchased 280 Fate, but I've had a thought. Are there Exceptional Stories that are locked behind functions that you can only get by being a Person of Some Importance? For example, it seems like at least a third of the stories involve different places on the Unterzee. Do you need to obtain your own boat in order to go to those places or does the story send you there for free by simply following through with the story?

[Ellixer]

Stories are designed to be playable at any point in the game. If they send you overzee, there will be an option to get on someone else's boat. You will almost never be locked out of any outcome by not having stuffs outside the story (with the except of Por Una Cabeza, which has a borderline secret ending if you have Cider).

However, some stories have options that require you to have such things. Like I said you won't need to take those options to progress. They are just used to add more flavour to the story. A character may recognize that you're a big deal (POSI). A situation may call you to use your knowledge of the Correspondence (a Scholar of the Correspondence 21). If you are Poet-Laureate of London (Poet-Laureate 21), some stories will let you employ your artistic skills. If you already met a character prior to seeing them in an Exceptional Story, sometimes they will comment on it. They are never necessary to reach the ending however, and are not that common anyway. Exceptional Stories are designed to be perfectly playable at any point in the game.