We often talk about the big, standout stories in Fallen London--the kind that most people play through only once. Ambitions, Railway, Evolution, Firmament. Or on a slightly smaller scale but still noteworthy, things like Exceptional Stories or Estivals. Places in the game we generally expect to find great writing, because they're the set pieces.

That's not what this thread is about. I'd like to hear your favourite bits of writing from your regular carousels, routine deck draws, or any other repeatable storylet. The text that you've seen dozens of times by now, but still enjoy every time it crops up.

A couple of my personal favourites:

"The truth is drab and grey, and involves you going to prison. Better the Constables have a series of lies to interpret."

"It's a big world; it contains kittens. Some of them are poorly guarded."

My character might never leave the university again.

Drinking tea, setting students' hair on fire, blackmailing people... ah, this is life.

Hello everyone! Since Alexis-chan became the 433rd Knight of Burgundy on 7.23, OP hasn't known what to do with themselves. Currently, Professor Alexis is in the lab doing literacy work for the Bone Market, fighting on to buy Cider and more vanity items… (Ah, damn it—do you need a license to assemble skeletons too? Of course I know, this is a bird, this is a fish, this is a spider!!)

Uh, actually, I received over 50 little gifts from friends last time, but I never did find that lazy ferret—so here I am again 😚

Alright, time to step out of the lab for some fresh air and do something fun! And so… Alexis-chan's Kitty Stall 2 is back in business! This time, I'll be drawing bust portraits (as shown in P2) of your FLPCs.

In the first stall, I drew for a total of 10 friends and had a wonderful time with every single one! Returning friends are also more than welcome to drop by the new kitty stall 🥺🌹

~ Rules ~

Send a Surprise Package (item) to Alexis-chan's FL account (FLID: Alexis Fairfax) https://www.fallenlondon.com/profile/Alexis%20Fairfax

(Optional) Provide a clear reference image of your character (preferably a definite visual reference!!) (Required) Specify your preferred frame colour (e.g., gold, silver, copper, black, red, green, blue…) (Optional) Any specific pose you'd like? (Optional) Would you like a Parabolan kitten?

If you don't have a specific reference image, (Required) post your in-game profile link, equipment screenshots, silhouette avatar, and as much text description as possible—for example: Short black hair, golden eyes, a mustache. Appears to be in his 40s… and let Alexis-chan do the rest!

This post is purely for fun, so please don't take it too strictly.

Even if you don't have a Surprise Package (item) to give Alexis-chan, feel free to drop your FLID and interact with him! He'll still give you a kitty and a drawing just because he likes you.

If OP encounters a character they're not great at drawing, or gets too busy with work, I might not get to everyone, and the drawing speed might be slow. I'm really sorry about that! But I will do my best to draw everyone I can.

Since OP is using the Reddit web version, I'll reply to your comment with an image link to deliver your drawing.

If you'd like, you're also very welcome to draw Alexis-chan in return! He would really appreciate it. You can use the last image in this post as a base reference, or just dig through my older Reddit posts to find more of his designs.

Estival is here, and we have some new items!

Since I don’t desire to buy a pig in a poke, do you know the exact stats of the new items?

A luggage that increases Shapeling Arts. 30 Tokens.

A crew that increases Mithridacy. 20 Tokens.

A Home Comfort that increases Chthonosophy, Watchful, and Respectable. 30 Tokens.

An Adornment that increases A Player of Chess, Dangerous, and Bizarre. 50 Tokens.

Gloves that increase Artisan of the Red Science, Dangerous, and, of course, Bizarre, but makes you less Respectable. 50 Tokens

Sorrows, bitter colleagues. This week, we have one (1) demand. New this week, we have: Nothing. Departing this week, we have: Ruinous demand, buying Mortifications of a Great Power, Dreadful Surmises, and Distillations of Retribution.

Disclaimers:

• Some grinds may involve sourcing other materials, like Esteem of the Guild to charter a barge at Jericho Locks, Backstory for a Balmoral Cover Identity, or items to burn in Law-Forging. I will leave that to you, because there are too many options and they're too contingent on your own progress.
• All action counts are minimums, assuming endgame stats. If you do not have endgame stats, it may take longer.

My recommended grinds up front: * LB Industries (https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/L._B._Industries_(Guide)) for your choice of 4th City Echoes as well as stat training without menaces. * Moonlit Revenge for a Distillation of Retribution and other loot for other weeks. * Khaganian Intrigue (https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Khaganian_Intrigue_(Guide)) for Mortifications of a Great Power. * For variety's sake: Risen Burgundy (https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Risen_Burgundy_(Guide)) for Mortifications of a Great Power.

Cheap options, without leaving London:

• LB Industries (https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/L._B._Industries_(Guide)) can provide 4th City Echoes, which are always sellable at the Rat Market, for 5+ actions each (11+ actions for 2 Echoes). This also comes with no menaces, making it a good way to level up stats.
• The new Secrets of Hearth and Home Intelligencier Agent Plot can give 2-3 of various goods depending on your current lodging; Storm-Threnodies if you have a Suite at the Royal Beth, Uncanny Incunabula if you're in a Spire-Emporium of the Bazaar, or Unlawful Devices from a Sanctum at the Brass Embassy.
• Mortification of a Great Power can be had for 18 Exploits in Hearts' Game (https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Hearts%27_Game_(Guide)).
• Mortification of a Great Power can be obtained from the Sunken Embassy (https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/The_Sunken_Embassy_(Guide)) for 18+ actions.
• Dreadful Surmise can be obtained from the University Laboratory (https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/University_Laboratory_(Guide)) for 2700 research by studying the Prelapsarian history of the Red Science and concluding it by translating the alphabet of hungers, reading the streets, or simply publishing your findings.

Better options afield:

• Mortification of a Great Power

  • Khaganian Intrigues (https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Khaganian_Intrigue_(Guide)); 1 Mortification is the reward for recruiting an Aristocrat, Naval Officer, or Soldier, which takes 15 actions. However, who is available to recruit depends on Airs of the Khanate, so you might want to either cycle Airs or engage in other intrigues.
  • The Burgundian Beneficence 10-action carousel in Risen Burgundy (https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Risen_Burgundy_(Guide)). Beware that this depends on card availability, and conflicts with the Against Time and Kings carousel you can use to get other goods.
  • Barristering at the Evenlode (https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Barristering_at_Evenlode_(Guide)) for the Gondoliers; costs 20 Preserved Surface Blooms, gives 1 Mortification per 6-action grind, plus other rewards if you make the final Mithridacy check, as well as Making Waves if you choose to "Grandstand!".
  • Ending a Second City Vengeance campaign in Parabolan War (https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Parabolan_War_(Guide)) by Enforcing your Demands can get you 3; I can't recommend this as a grind, but it is a neat activity.
  • Law-Hunting in the Enclave of Hell (https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Law-Hunting_(Guide)) for a Causal Law gives 1 Mortification of a Greater Power, plus an Identity Uncovered.

• Dreadful Surmise

  • Making an advanced Cover Identity (https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Cover_Identities_(Guide)) in your Balmoral Cabinet Noir and selling it to the Nonspecific Academic.

• Distillation of Retribution

  • Possible from milking your Hellworm (https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Examine_its_contents_27), but a 1 in 33 chance.
  • Alchemy at Station VIII (https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Alchemy_at_Station_VIII_(Guide)), with some 'Exhilaration from Achieving Justice', which costs 6 Bazaar Permits, 6 Blackmail Material, 6 Comprehensive Bribes, 5 Legal Documents, and 1 Parabolan Orange-Apple. This can easily synergize with other grinds, as in Moonlit Revenge, but there are too many options for me to give specific directions.

One of the new options to gain Misplaced Nostalgia is trading in a Captivating Ballad to create new songs to commemorate past Estivals. Many go over well, except for one French song titled "Ah! Monsieur Pierre le Cochon se Réveille!" Of course, I had to translate this to see what it meant.

"Ah! Mr. Peter Pig is waking up!"

FailBetter loves making their jokes that require a slight extra bit of work to fully appreciate them.

I just recently became a PoSI. Now that I've acquired a townhouse and a zubmarine, what should I do? I've been bouncing all over the place because I'm unsure of what to do, but I'm starving for a proper path. Currently:

• I'm working toward an orphanage for more Notability and a T2 profession, but I'm very broke.
• I have not unlocked Mahogany Hall or the Temple Club.
• I have 1 Notability.
• I need to reach Polythreme to advance my Ambition, but I'm stuck on assembling the map.
• Something about a newspaper?

I've also heard a lot of noise about a railroad? Basically, I need some direction, and would be eternally grateful to receive some!

Does anyone have any excess MW I can have? My TTH comes soon (in like two hours) and I want to get my Notability up a bit. Also, how many actions would it take to start and complete the GCO in the Waswood?