A Financial Jump Start: Beginner's Luck (Step by Step)

Need some quick money to get the adventure going? Don't think of trading Sphinxstone with the starter ship, you will miss out on thousands of Echoes. Instead, use "Beginner's Luck" to get 2000 Echoes in about half an hour. Works in Merciful as well as in Merciless Mode and also fits perfectly with doing the Neathbow quest next. I have an extra guide ready for this soon.

Merciful Mode: An Abandoned Expedition

This step-by-step walkthrough nets about 2200 Є in about 20 to 30 minutes.

Only recommended for Merciful Mode. You need to win a crucial 50% luck challenge here and must cheat luck by save/reload if necessary! If you do not want to cheat luck, just use the version for Merciless Mode instead (see guide index).

Requirements

A fresh captain who did NOT inherit the map and has NOT left Fallen London yet.
Stay concentrated, and do things in the listed order.
If you don't know the sequence by heart yet, check the points off the list (maybe print it?). At zee you can pause the game with the space bar at any time to keep track of what you have to do next.

The Trip North

Finish preparations in Fallen London:

• “ADVICE FOR CAPTAINS”: “SELL THIS BOOK”
  (Select the book and scroll to the bottom of its contents.)
  
• “Your Lodgings”: “Read the Morning Papers”
  
• “London!”: “Adopt a Blemmigan Gallivanter” and assign him as mascot.
  (this is available since June 6, 2018)
  
• Shops: Buy 5 fuel and 2 supplies
  
• Shops: Sell the puny Deck-Gun! (at Carrow's Naval Surplus)
  
• Hide your list of officers for a better view of the zee (spot enemies earlier).

Zail to Hunter's Keep and dock there.

• Leave London by typing the magic letters GELW
  (Gazetteer off, Exit port, Light off, Warp 2 ;-))
  
• Travel north-north-east.
  
• Dock at Hunter's Keep's north-western side (type E when reaching the dock).

At Hunter's Keep:

• “Present yourself at the house”
  
• Have “Luncheon with the sisters: Cynthia”
  
• Tell them the News
  
• Now have luncheon with Cynthia a second time!
  
• “Reconnoitre the island”

Zail to Venderbight and dock there.
Beware of foes! Drive widely around them, and reach the dock.

• Leave Hunter's Keep with the light off (type GELW).
  
• Travel north-west until a buoy comes into view, then steer north.
  
• Pass in the middle(!) between the beacons of Carrissa's Point and Horneman's Stag.
  
• Dock in Venderbight

In Venderbight:

• “Visit the First Curator” and “Accept the commission”.
  
• “Gather Gossip”

Travel to Whither and dock there.

• Leave to the north-west with the light off (GELW).
  
• At the cliffs of Picket's Bluff turn north, then follow the coast closely.
  
• Zail through the Censor's Arch, keep left and dock in Whither.

In Whither:

• “Gather intelligence”
  
• “Explore the town”, but do NOT take any risks!

Find the isle Codex and dock there.

• Travel east with the light off (GELW)
  
• Dock in Codex.

In Codex:

• Get the port report.

The Cliff Belt

The mission is now to reach the northern cliff belt and follow it into the east. Please keep in mind:

1. Manage fuel and terror:
   Toggle the prow light on and off (key L) in synch with the ship's position lights.
   
2. On any encounters:
   Turn off the prow light immediately. If possible, escape between cliffs or hidden inside fog.

So, this is it. You take a deep breath and yell: "Anchors aweigh!"

Travel east:

• Leave port (GELW) and zail north-east until you reach the cliff belt.
  Toggle the prow light (L) in synch with the position lights to save fuel and keep terror in check!
  
• Journey east, along the cliffs.
  Keep the prow light in synch with the position lights all the time.
  
• When you discover:
  - Within the cliff belt, a star-studded cove, lined with huge runes:
  Please see the section “At The Avid Horizon” below.
  - South of the cliff belt, a vast tower of ice, its base like a cogwheel:
  Please see the section “At Frostfound” below.

At The Avid Horizon

• Dock.
  
• Save the game now!
  
• “Explore along the shoreline”
  Look at the list of your findings: As long as you did NOT find an Eyeless Skull you need to reload your game and explore the shoreline again. (Shouldn't take long: chance to find the skull is 50%.)
  
• “Gather Intelligence”
  
• If the option “You heard a story...” is there: activate it!
  (Only shows up if you have ≥77 Fragments! If you lack the Fragments: find the Chapel of Lights to the south-west. If still below 77, find the Kisigar Vortex south-east of the Chapel. Return and activate the option now.)
  
• If you have discovered The Avid Horizon only a minute away from Codex:
  Skip Frostfound entirely and progress directly to “Returning Home” below.
  (Under this circumstances a visit in Frostfound will only waste resources.)
  
• If you have visited Frostfound already:
  Progress to section “Returning Home” below.
  
• If you still have to visit Frostfound:
  Return north, to the cliff belt. Follow the cliffs to the east and toggle the prow light as usual. When you discover Frostfound, follow the section below.

At Frostfound

• Dock at the western side of the fortress' southern isle.
  
• Hire the Tireless Mechanic.
  
• Assign the Tireless Mechanic as Chief Engineer.
  (Gazetteer, tab "Officers": drag & drop him at the slot for 1st enigneer.)
  
• “Take tea with the squatters at the dock”
  
• “Create a Port Report”
  
• If you have not yet found The Avid Horizon:
  Leave north, cross under the bridge, and then follow the cliffs to the east. Toggle the prow light as usual. Dock at The Avid Horizon and see the section above for details.
  
• If you have visited The Avid Horizon already:
  Proceed with the section “Returning Home” below.
  

Returning Home

Head back to Venderbight without stopovers.

• Just check your map (M) and follow your own trail back (toggle the prow light as usual).
  
• If a full-lit cliff comes into view, with a buoy directly beneath it, turn immediately south for Codex.
  
• Below Codex, zail directly west. From now, leave the prow light completely OFF!
  (Possible encounters!)
  
• Cross under the Censor's Arch, follow the coast south and dock in Venderbight.

In Venderbight:

• “Visit the First Curator”.
  
• Give it the Hunter's Eye (Peligin).
  
• Give it the Eyeless Skull (Irrigo).

Return to Fallen London.

• Leave Venderbight (GELW) and just follow the coast closely to London.
  
• You should have "Something Awaits You" when docking in London! Check your Log (lantern at the upper right corner); you may still need to wait a little before docking.
  
• Dock in Fallen London.

In Fallen London:

• “Collect messages from the Harbourmaster” (requires "Something Awaits You"!)
  
• “London!”: “Visit the Admiralty's Survey Office” and sell port reports.
  
• “London!”: “Visit the University”
  
• Sell the Captivating Treasures.
  
• Maybe repair your ship?
  Click “London!”, “Put your ship in drydock” and visit the “Admiralty Yards”
  
• If you lost crew, maybe hire some new (8/10 will do).
  
• Options to reduce your terror:
  “Carouse in Wolfstack Docks”, “Rest in a Room Above the Blind Helmsman”
  Best bet: Stay a day in port (type GELS and wait until the bell chimes so that Something Awaits You), then pay a “Visit to Clathermont's Tattoo Parlour” to reduce terror by -25. This is only available once!

That's it, congratulations! :-)

Merciless Mode: A Riddle of Stones

This step-by-step walkthrough nets about 1800 Є in 30 minutes.

Only recommended for Merciless Mode. In case you have no problem to cheat luck by save/reload just use just use the version for Merciful Mode instead (see guide index).

The trip is as safe as it gets. It is Sunless Sea after all - you may lose crew multiple times, encounter five storms, get stuck in a storm with Mt. Nomad nearby, maybe all at once. However, the chances for such bad luck are comfortingly small.
I took the trip over 30 times and my captains always made it.

Requirements

A fresh captain who did NOT inherit the map and has NOT left Fallen London yet.
Stay concentrated, and do things in the listed order.
If you don't know the sequence by heart yet, check the points off the list (maybe print it?). At zee you can pause the game with the space bar at any time to keep track of what you have to do next.

The Trip North

Finish preparations in Fallen London:

• “ADVICE FOR CAPTAINS”: “SELL THIS BOOK”
  (Select the book and scroll to the bottom of its contents.)
  
• “Your Lodgings”: “Read the Morning Papers”
  
• “London!”: “Adopt a Blemmigan Gallivanter” and assign him as mascot.
  (this is available since June 6, 2018)
  
• Shops: Sell the puny Deck-Gun! (at Carrow's Naval Surplus)
  
• Shops: Buy 3 fuel and 4 supplies
  
• Hide your list of officers for a better view of the zee (spot enemies earlier).

Zail to Hunter's Keep and dock there.

• Leave London by typing the magic letters GELW
  (Gazetteer off, Exit port, Light off, Warp 2 ;-))
  
• Travel north-north-east.
  
• Dock at Hunter's Keep's north-western side (type E when reaching the dock).

At Hunter's Keep:

• “Present yourself at the house”
  
• Have “Luncheon with the sisters: Cynthia”
  
• Tell them the News
  
• Now have luncheon with Cynthia a second time!
  
• “Reconnoitre the island”

Zail to Venderbight and dock there.
Beware of foes! Drive widely around them, and reach the dock.

• Leave Hunter's Keep with the light off (type GELW).
  
• Travel north-west until a buoy comes into view, then steer north.
  
• Pass in the middle(!) between the beacons of Carrissa's Point and Horneman's Stag.
  
• Dock in Venderbight

In Venderbight:

• “Visit the First Curator” and “Accept the commission”.
  
• “Gather Gossip”

Travel to Whither and dock there.

• Leave to the north-west with the light off (GELW).
  
• At the cliffs of Picket's Bluff turn north, then follow the coast closely.
  
• Zail through the Censor's Arch, keep left and dock in Whither.

In Whither:

• “Gather intelligence”
  
• “Explore the town”, but do NOT take any risks!

Find the isle Codex and dock there.

• Travel east with the light off (GELW)
  
• Dock in Codex.

In Codex:

• Get the port report.

The Cliff Belt

The mission is now to reach the northern cliff belt and to reach Irem in the east. You need to do this in the dark to save fuel:

1. Keep your prow light off all the time.
   
2. Keep close to the cliff belt to lessen terror increase.
   (Dots on the terror clock should be yellow instead of red.)
   
3. When you spot anything moving: stay away, and stay off light. Escape between cliffs, or through fog for cover.

So, this is it. You take a deep breath and yell: "Anchors aweigh!"

Travel east:

• Leave port (GELW) and zail north-east until you reach the cliff belt.
  
• Journey east, along the cliffs and keep your eyes open for a huge, cogwheel-like structure of rock, south of the cliff belt. This would be Teneb, the north-isle of Frostfound. Dock at the western side of the south-isle.

At Frostfound

• If you have 20 Echoes to spare: Hire the Tireless Mechanic AND assign him as Chief Engineer.
  (Gazetteer, tab "Officers": drag & drop him at the slot for 1st enigneer.)
  
• “Take tea with the squatters at the dock”
  
• “Create a Port Report”

Find Irem in the east and dock there.

• Leave Frostfound to the north (GELW), cross under the bridge and reach the cliff belt.
  
• Travel east along the cliffs until you find Irem in the realm of the Pillared Sea.
  (Hard to miss, the air around the city is full of tumbling rose petals.)
  
• Dock in Irem.

In Irem:

• Solve “The Riddle of Stones”.
  
• Get the port report.

By now you should have more than 77 Fragments ready. Check: Have a look in the gazetteer's Hold tab, there should be a symbol with small puzzle pieces.
If its number is 77 or higher:
- Leave Irem to the north-west and follow the cliff belt west until you reach the Avid Horizon.
If its number is below 77:
- Leave Irem's port to the east(!) and journey close along the city walls
(this should unveil Ruegsegger Straits, east of the city, for +50 Fragments)
- If still below 77: Follow the city walls further. When right in the middle above the city, turn to face the city and then flash the prow light - this should unveil Irem itself for another +50 Fragments.
- Now follow the cliff west until you reach the Avid Horizon.

At The Avid Horizon

• “Gather Intelligence”
  
• If the option “You heard a story...” is there: activate it!
  (Only shows up if you have ≥77 Fragments! If you lack the Fragments: There is still the chance to unveil the Chapel of Lights to the south-west. If still below 77, find the Kisigar Vortex south-east of the Chapel. Return and activate the option now.)

Returning Home

Head back to Venderbight without stopovers.

• Leave west along the cliffs (GELW).
  
• Follow your own trail back by occasionally checking the map (M).
  
• Don't miss the turn south!
  (If a full-lit cliff comes into view, with a buoy directly beneath it, steer immediately south for Codex.)
  
• Pass below Codex, cross under the Censor's Arch and follow the coast back south.
  
• Dock in Venderbight

In Venderbight:

• “Visit the First Curator”.
  
• Give it the Hunter's Eye (Peligin).

Return to Fallen London.

• Leave Venderbight to the south (GELW)
  
• When passing Carissa's Point:
  If you have at least 2 supplies left: follow the coast closely, back to Fallen London.
  If you have less than 2 supplies: make an emergency stopover at Hunter's Keep and have luncheon with Cynthia.
  
• You should have "Something Awaits You" when docking in London! Check your Log (lantern at the upper right corner); you may still need to wait a little before docking.
  
• Dock in Fallen London.

In Fallen London:

• “A breath of relief” (requires "Something Awaits You"; in case it's disabled because you are below 50 terror everything is fine too). If you intend to play "The Neathbow" next, watch out for nightmares. You may deal them at a certain chapel.
  
• If available: “Collect messages from the Harbourmaster”
  
• “London!”: “Visit the Admiralty's Survey Office” and sell port reports.
  
• “London!”: “Visit the University”
  
• Sell the Captivating Treasure.
  
• Sell the Searing Enigma (no worries, there are more).
  
• Maybe repair your ship?
  Click “London!”, “Put your ship in drydock” and visit the “Admiralty Yards”
  
• If you lost crew, maybe hire some new (8/10 will do).
  
• If you do not need more Menaces: Nightmare's Strength, you need to reduce your terror:
  Camp a day (type GELS and wait until the bell chimes so that Something Awaits You) and then pay a “Visit to Clathermont's Tattoo Parlour”. Getting inked will do quite well. This option is only available once!

That's it, congratulations! :-)

[N8y]

@ZorkFox & @Helper HR3
Correct, you need "Something Awaits You" for the harbourmaster, and may miss it by a few seconds when coming directly from the port in Hunter's Keep.
Neither the harboumasters dialogue nor the wiki mention any requirement of SAY, instead the game states "This storylet only appears when you've been at see for a while." Just now I checked if the dialogue pops up with SAY available. It pops. ;-)
As you know "A breath of relief" sits as second option on the harbourmasters page and therefore is unavailable without SAY too.
Thanks! Added the hint in both versions. :)

[thatWretch]

@ZorkFox I had that problem as well - I assumed it was because I lost my "Something awaits you in port" at Hunter's Keep.

I accepted the "compensation" waiting for me, then went back out for a little until a new event triggered, then came back in and the "A breath of relief" bit happened. That also ate a "Something awaits you" so that might be the problem.

[ZorkFox]

I don't see "A breath of relief!" when I return to London. Are you being hyperbolic, or is this an option that has disappeared? I also wasn't offered messages from the Harbourmaster (though I've been offerend them on previous games).

I wound up with 2,115 echoes, so things panned out marvelously; nevertheless, I'm wary.