Ambition: Bag a Legend (Guide)

Early MYN Content and Onwards

Spoiler warning! This page may contain spoilers for Ambitions or other major storylines.

On long evenings at the Medusa's Head, where the monster-hunters drink, they brag about the beasts they've bagged […] But no-one tells stories about […] the Vake, for whose head the Department offers a standing reward of four million Echoes.

Ambition: Bag a Legend! (BaL) is a monster hunt that begins in Watchmaker's Hill and leads the player across Fallen London... and perhaps beyond. The main Attributes are Dangerous and Watchful.

For more information on Ambitions and choosing between them, consult the Ambitions guide.

Progress

This Ambition can be started in Watchmaker's Hill with Dangerous 6. You can check your progress at any time on the Myself tab under Ambition; the number after the Ambition title is the part of the story you're currently on.

This can be helpful when you're unsure where to go next; just find the corresponding part number below.

Learn about the Vake (0–14)

Watchmaker's Hill: What is the Vake?

• BaL 0: If you're ready to take on this hunt, you'll need to find out more about the Vake — Dangerous 6.
• BaL 1: Demand answers about the Vake at the Medusa's Head — Dangerous 10.
• Head into Bugsby's Marshes to meet with someone who's faced the Vake before.
  • BaL 2: Pay 20 x Rostygold for a way through the marshes.
  • BaL 2a: Try to follow the map — Watchful 15.

• Ask the Scarred Naturalist about the Vake.
  • BaL 3: Bring 90 x Rat on a String to the Scarred Naturalist and question him about the Vake.
  • BaL 3a: Go to the conservatory to recapture the sorrow-spider for the Scarred Naturalist — Dangerous 20.

• The Scarred Naturalist helps you prepare to lure the Vake.
  • BaL 4: Bring the Scarred Naturalist 20 x Primordial Shriek to make you a Deafening Hat.
  • BaL 4b: Get help finding a mandrake in the marshes, with either 50 x Rostygold or 4 x Hard-Earned Lesson.
  • BaL 4c: Catch a mandrake — Dangerous 25.

• Tame your Wild Mandrake.
  • BaL 5: Bring the Scarred Naturalist 200 x Bottle of Greyfields 1882 to tame the mandrake.
  • BaL 5a: The Scarred Naturalist informs you that you'll need to teach the mandrake to sing.

Find a singing teacher for your Half-Wild Mandrake

• BaL 6a in Veilgarden: Search Veilgarden for a singing teacher — Watchful 27.
• BaL 6b in Spite: Try finding a singing teacher in Spite — Watchful 27.

Spite: Singing lessons.

• BaL 7: Pay the Sardonic Music-Hall Singer 400 x Drop of Prisoner's Honey to teach your mandrake to sing
• BaL 8: Run off the ruffians who've been lured in by the mandrake's singing — Dangerous 37.
• BaL 9: Figure out what's the matter with your mandrake — Watchful 37.

BaL 10 in Watchmaker's Hill: Find some mud in the marshes — Dangerous 42.

BaL 11 in Spite: Deal with your newly reinvigorated mandrake — Watchful 42.

BaL 12 in Spite: Thank the Sardonic Music-Hall Singer for her help.

• Spend 1 x Modish Bonnet, OR
• Persuasive 40

BaL 13 in Watchmaker's Hill: Return to the Scarred Naturalist with your singing mandrake — Watchful 47.

BaL 14: Save the Scarred Naturalist from the sorrow-spider and marsh wolf — Dangerous 47.

A weapon to kill the Vake (15–20)

Watchmaker's Hill: A Vake-killing club

• BaL 15: Obtain a Sandalwood Club
  • Spend 40 x Rostygold, OR
  • Spend 8 x Incendiary Gossip, OR
  • Dangerous 52
• BaL 16: You'll need to add a tooth to your club — Watchful 52.

The Shuttered Palace: A Vake tooth

• BaL 17: Find the Junior Minister — Dangerous 52.
• BaL 18: Give the Junior Minister 500 x Deep Amber for information about obtaining a Vake-tooth.

• BaL 19: Raise your Suspicion to 8 in order to get sent back to New Newgate Prison.
  • Alternatively, if you have A Name Whispered in Darkness at least 4, you can fail to Rob the Brass Embassy to go straight to New Newgate without affecting your Criminal Record.

New Newgate Prison - again!

• BaL 19: Seek out information about a Vake-tooth.
• BaL 20: Spend 20 x Foxfire Candle Stub to get a Vake-tooth — Dangerous 57.

Black Wings Absinthe (21–31)

BaL 21: Obtain information about Vake sightings (and a bottle of Black Wings Absinthe) for 200 x Jade Fragment.

BaL 22 in Watchmaker's Hill: Assemble your Vake-Killing Club — Dangerous 62.

BaL 23: Find out about Black Wings Absinthe from the Scarred Naturalist.

24–29: Procure Black Wings Absinthe in Veilgarden. (You only have to do this once for every bottle you want; this storylet doesn't raise your BaL level.) You have two options for obtaining 1 x Bottle of Black Wings Absinthe:

• Spend 250 x Bottle of Greyfields 1882, OR
• Shadowy 64

BaL 24 in Watchmaker's Hill: Consume 1 x Bottle of Black Wings Absinthe — Watchful 64.

BaL 25: Confront the nun following you — Dangerous 69.

25–31: Opportunity cards may appear in your deck.

• Visions of The Vake: Consume a Bottle of Black Wings Absinthe to raise Hearing Things... by 1 CP.
• Something tapping at the window: A red auto-fire card that raises Hearing Things... by 1 CP.

Note: At this point in the Ambition, you might find it helpful to raise Hearing Things...or are you? as high as you can to make the challenge in part 31 easier. (A level of 4 is required for BaL 29, and the challenge in BaL 31 is based on level 8; you need 13 to 100% it.)

BaL 26 in Watchmaker's Hill: Get more answers from the Scarred Naturalist — Watchful 71.

BaL 27 in Ladybones Road: Find the Scarred Naturalist in Tyrant's Gardens — Dangerous 76.

BaL 28: Take 100 x Foxfire Candle Stub and head into Prickfinger Wastes — Watchful 78.

BaL 29 in Your Lodgings: With Hearing Things... at 4 or higher, consume the bottle of Black Wings Absinthe Nouveau to access the Abyssal Depths.

The Abyssal Depths

• 30: Someone is giggling: Fight the Scarred Naturalist — Dangerous 79.
• 31: The voice of the Vake: The Anticipate option is your way out of the Abyssal Depths, and it's a Narrow challenge at Hearing Things... 9. To raise this quality, use the Opportunity cards that appear:
  • Listen...: Hearing Things... 5; raises Hearing Things... +1 CP
  • Scrabble around: Luck 50%; raises Hearing Things... + 1 CP
  • Use your Mandrake: Lose your Half-Wild Mandrake for Hearing Things... +6 CP

Note: You'll notice that the difficulty of the challenges increases fairly rapidly over the next few parts of the Ambition. Therefore, you might find it helpful to take a break from BaL here and work on leveling and acquiring PoSI status if you haven't reached that milestone already. You'll need access to the Broad Unterzee soon, so acquiring a ship might be one of your first priorities as a PoSI.

The Sisterhood (32–60)

BaL 32 in Your Lodgings: Recuperate from your experience in the Abyssal Depths

33: The Churches of Spite in Spite: Get information about these mysterious nuns.

• Spend 1000 x Foxfire Candle Stub, OR
• Spend 3 x Favours: The Church, plus a Watchful 83 challenge

34: Return to the Medusa's Head in Watchmaker's Hill: Spend 8 x Bottle of Morelways 1872 and 5 to do some eavesdropping.

35: Stacks at Midnight in The University: Bring 20 x Foxfire Candle Stub to do some research.

BaL 36 in Your Lodgings: Read the book you "borrowed".

Veilgarden

• 37: A forgotten shrine?: Get access to the Church of St. Vincent of Saragossa
  • Spend 100 x Relic of the Second City, OR
  • Dangerous 100
• 38: What is Mr Wines' involvement?: Find out what Mr Wines has to do with the Sisterhood.
  • Spend 500 x Piece of Rostygold, OR
  • Spend 1 x Favours: Bohemians, if you have Occasionally Seen at Mr Wines' Revels at least 1

39: Find out more from Jervaise in Mrs Plenty's Carnival — Watchful 127

40: Talk to the Gracious Widow in Spite: Negotiate with the Widow on Jervaise's behalf. You may have different options to pass this part:

• Favours past: unlocked with In Search of a Stiff Drink exactly 5
• A difficult history: unlocked with In Search of a Stiff Drink exactly 7; costs 1 x Comprehensive Bribe
• Be businesslike: unlocked with Connected: The Widow 10; Watchful 135 challenge
• Offer a little sweetener: costs 3 x Presbyterate Passphrase
• Complex negotiations: unlocked with In Search of a Stiff Drink exactly 10; costs 14 x Bottle of Strangling Willow Absinthe

41: Fireworks at the Carnival in Mrs Plenty's Carnival: Bring the fireworks samples to Jervaise — Dangerous 120.

42: Back to the Singing Mandrake at The Singing Mandrake: Spend 5 x Stolen Kiss to gain access to the Parlour of Virtue.

43: Talking to Sinning Jenny in Veilgarden: Ask Jenny about the Sisterhood.

• Spend 20 x Intriguing Snippet, plus a Persuasive 140 challenge, if you have Renown: Bohemians 10, OR
• Spend 20 x Appalling Secret, plus a Watchful 141 challenge

44: Off to zee from Wolfstack Docks: Make plans to sail to the Sisterhood's convent — Watchful 127.

Note: You will need a ship to continue from here. Refer to Zailing (Guide) for more information on zailing. Make sure you have everything you will need during your trip before setting out. In particular, you should have the items required for BaL 49. Collections of Curiosities can be obtained by Fighting a War of Assassins with the opponent A Former Lover; Cellars of Wine can be created in the Bazaar Side-streets.

45: Zail to the Convent.

• Select Abbey Rock as your destination, east of London, Hunter's Keep and Mutton Island. You have to complete two Zee-Legs, one with Zailing Progress 160, one with 80. You cannot change your equipment once you make landfall, so pick something that suits Dangerous and Watchful challenges as you approach the port.
• Landfall at The Convent: Reach the shores of the convent — Dangerous 127.

The Convent

• 46: Outside the Convent: Wait to be greeted by the Sisters — Watchful 127.
• 47: Weighed and Measured: Mother Superior greets you — Dangerous 130.
• 48: Vigilance: Pass Mother Superior's challenge — Watchful 130.
• 49: The Sisterhood: Buy secrets for 2 x Collection of Curiosities, 2 x Cellar of Wine, 1000 x Silk Scrap, 2000 x Rat on a String
• 50: Beginning Your Training: Start training with the Sisterhood — Dangerous 140.
• 51–56: Your Training: Continue your training; Saturday is a Watchful 140 challenge.
• 60: The Examination: Learn about the examination.

Assassins (70–95)

70–90: The Assassins. Deal with the first assassin using one of these methods:

• Lure out the First Assassin: 2 x Legal Document, 2 x Comprehensive Bribe, 10 x Thirsty Bombazine Scrap, 2 x An Identity Uncovered! — Dangerous 150
• Make yourself a target and wait for her to strike: 1 x Favour in High Places, 1x Legal Document, 1 x Cellar of Wine, 1 x An Identity Uncovered!, 1 x Night on the Town — Watchful 150

80: Fend off the second assassin — Watchful 160.

• Whether you succeed or fail, you will have to proceed to a slow boat passing a dark beach on a silent river to follow her. You can go there immediately from Mrs Plenty's Carnival with at least Wounds 1 if you Gaze into Heart's Mirror, which is helpful if you don't want to use up a Horsehead Amulet you may have. (Thanks to Skiaphrene for this tip.)

85: a slow boat passing a dark beach on a silent river

• The Second Assassin: How to deal with her?
  • Throw her from the boat: Raises Nightmares +8 CP and Ruthless +5 CP); OR
  • Convince her to renounce her vows: Persuasive 180; raises Wounds +1 CP and Subtle +5 CP

• Return from the boat trip by reducing your Wounds.

90: Where is the third assassin?: To find her, you'll need to raise Detective's Progress to 10 a total of 3 times, via Pursue Your Current Case. Each time, a storylet will unlock that allows you to spend items to raise Evidence in the Case of the Third Assassin.

1. You begin at the Docks: 3 x An Identity Uncovered!
2. Follow the blue bonnet: 1 x Blackmail Material, 100 x Cryptic Clue
3. Closing the case: the scarlet room: 250 x Drop of Prisoner's Honey, 100 x Romantic Notion, 25 x Vision of the Surface, 5 x Touching Love Story

95: The Third Assassin in Veilgarden: Decide whether to complete your task or help fake her death. The latter requires 1 x Favours: Society, 1 x Maidservant's Uniform, 1 x Rookery Password, 1 x Comprehensive Bribe, 2 x Legal Document, 100 x Drop of Prisoner's Honey, and 1 x Alluring Accomplice.

April (100–140)

100: The Vake's Secret in Your Lodgings: Spend 1 x Bottle of Broken Giant 1844 to find out more about the Vake.

110: The Christmas Card List in Wilmot's End: Find out about April.

• Spend 2 x Primaeval Hint, OR
• Spend 2 x Personal Recommendation with Steadfast 4

115: April's Attention: Arrange a meeting with April.

• Spend 3 x Favours: Revolutionaries, OR
• Spend 1 x Blackmail Material with Dreaded 8

Wolfstack Docks

• 120: An Appointment with April: Tell April what you want — Watchful 180.
• 130: The Chorister's Bomb: Provide the components April needs: 1 x Winsome Dispossessed Orphan, 1000 x Primordial Shriek, 48 Aeolian Scream, 12 Storm-Threnody, 4 x Night-Whisper.

140: A Package from April in Your Lodgings

A University Laboratory (150–159)

150–159: Your own Lab in The University. You need a Laboratory in order to prepare the Chorister's Bomb and get it to Parabola. (If you already have your own Lab and The Prestige of your Laboratory at least 1, you can skip this.)

• Obtain a laboratory one of two ways:
  • Buy your way in with 1 x Cellar of Wine, 1 x Primaeval Hint, and 1 x Justificande Coin; OR
  • Rely on your professional standing if you're a Correspondent

• Complete the first few steps as listed in University Laboratory (Guide), which consist of experiments for the Dean.
• Then Perform at least one successful experiment of your own to raise Prestige to 1.
• Finish any experiments you're working on before you try to transport the bomb.

150–154: Transport the Bomb in Wolfstack Docks. You'll need: 100 x Whisper-Satin Scrap and 1 x Favours: Constables, plus either:

• Respectable Landau, OR
• 1000 x Piece of Rostygold and 1 x Strong-Backed Labour OR
• Thoroughly Cowed Pony

University Laboratory: With the bomb safely in your Lab, Assess your Progress should now be set to 'the Plans for the Chorister's Bomb'. To complete these plans, you'll need Equipment for Scientific Experimentation at level 3 or higher, as well as 50 x Laboratory Research, 10 x April's Weapons Research, and 10 x Mother Superior's Semi-Theological Research.

• To generate April's and Mother Superior's research, you'll need to ask them to work in your Lab via Adjust the Staffing of your Lab.
  • If you have only one space available, bring in Mother Superior first and get her research, then dismiss her and hire April. (The only extra effect of having both at once is the chance at the opportunity card Papers in the Night.)
  • Both their cards enable you to generate their own research or ordinary research, though Mother Superior only produces 3 of the latter, while April's is based on the level of your equipment.

• You will need the following items to upgrade your equipment to level 3:
  1. 500 x Drop of Prisoner's Honey, 5 x Flask of Abominable Salts, 5 x Bottled Oblivion, 5 x Venom-Ruby, 5 x Bottle of Strangling Willow Absinthe
  2. 1 x Patent Scrutinizer, 1000 x Nodule of Deep Amber, 1 x Bejewelled Lens; plus either 1 x Magnificent Diamond or 5 x Knob of Scintillack
  3. 100 x Memory of Light, 200 x Phosphorescent Scarab

• Take the Next Step once you have the research and equipment you need. This sets Halfway through the Mirror to 1, signifying that you're partway done establishing a route to Parabola. You'll complete this later, but something else requires your attention now...
• Noiseless Disagreement: Find out why Mother Superior objects — Watchful 200 (optional). Then agree to do what April requests in order to complete this stage of the project.
• Begin the investigation that April requested (under Begin a Scientific Investigation).
  • Start the research with 100 x Relic of the Fourth City and 1 x Map Scrap.
  • You'll need 50 x Laboratory Research in order to complete it.

Impersonation (160–195)

160: Costuming in Your Lodgings: Raise Veils Impersonation to at least 15 to proceed. Raising it higher, and using certain options, can give you other options later on, though you can only raise it up to 30.

170: A Road of Silk and Spiders: In Base-Camp, Begin an Expedition in the Forgotten Quarter and choose The Workshop of the Khan of Silks.

• This expedition requires 1 x Set of Intricate Kifers and 10 x Crate of Expedition Supplies; refer to the Forgotten Quarter Expeditions (Guide) guide for more help with expeditions.

180: A Road of Silk and Spiders (2): Choose what to do at the workshop. Your level of Veils Impersonation determines your chances on the first two options; you need 19+ to 100% it.

• Throw April's Wrecker in the mechanism: You lose (2/3 * original value) points of Veils.
• Forget April and talk to Fires instead, You also lose (2/3 * original value) points of Veils.
• Steal one of the coins: Yields 1 x Forged Justificande Coin (on a Shadowy 215 challenge, with a penalty of Wounds +45 CP on failure). You can later show this to the Numismatrix to get more information on what was happening at the workshop. (Note that this is no longer the only way to obtain a Forged Justificande, so you don't have to attempt this rather risky challenge to get one.)

190–195: A Road of Silk and Spiders (3)

• If you have the Free-roving Teeth, you have an option to BITE MR FIRES (a Shadowy 100 challenge that increases in difficulty every time you try it). This is an option regardless of what you did when you entered, as long as you have the Teeth. It's also the only way to raise Veils at this point.
• You can talk to Fires, also regardless of what you did upon entering, though it's a Veils challenge and therefore significantly harder if you chose an option that compromised your disguise.
  • The first option available is Ask Fires what it is doing.
  • If you succeed, you can then Tell Fires it is a fool.
  • If you succeed at this as well, you can Demand an explanation for the replica Mr Veils.

• Failing at any of these options results in Wounds +45 CP, enough to send you on a slow boat passing a dark beach on a silent river if you have nothing (like a Horsehead Amulet) to prevent this.

• When you're finished, you can leave. This option is always available as a risk-free way to complete this section.
• After an interview with Mr Fires: If you fail to trick Mr Fires with your disguise and he throws you out, you will unlock this storylet. (Choosing to leave of your own volition prevents this storylet from appearing.)

Seeking Parabola (210–310)

210: Returning from the factory

• Back to yourself: Moves you to The University.
• Finding a Body in University Laboratory: Search the body. April, and all other assistants, leave your Lab. If you were in the process of training a student, you should graduate them first.

Veilgarden: April and Sinning Jenny

• 220: Meeting with Sinning Jenny: Seek out Jenny to see if she knows where April is.
• 230: Still Speaking with Sinning Jenny: Ask what she knows about Mother Superior's fate — Watchful 215. Then ask to see April.
• 240: Reunite with April
  • April and Jenny: Stare at Jenny's reflection — Watchful 150.
  • Almost caught: Pick up the Vake Claw.

300: A route to Parabola from your University Laboratory.

• You can Ask April to work with you again now. (You'll need her for part 330.)
• Complete a Route to Parabola if you haven't already.
  • Starting the research requires 500 x Memory of Light, 1 x Uncanny Incunabulum, and 1 x Antique Mystery. Note that using the Silverer option for the route in Veilgarden is cheaper than this in both items and action costs.
  • In addition to your usual cards, you can draw Sleep and Realisation. Both of them are rather bad.
  • Once you have 75 x Research, you can Build the Equipment.

• If you did the smart thing and already have a route to Parabola, you can instead Create an Export Route for your Bomb and then Widen the door (requires 50 x Research).

310: Push the Choristers' Bomb into Parabola in University Laboratory: Sends you to the Reflection of your Laboratory in Parabola.

Parabola (320–380)

320: Laboratory work, backward tells you what you'll need to advance

• 1 x Seven-Throated Warbler (see Parabolan Hunting (Guide) for help)
• Parabolan Defences 3 (see Build up your Base-Camp or the table below)
• 25 x Parabolan Research (the basic type of research done in the Reflection of your Laboratory)

Build up your Base-Camp

Level	Requirement options
1	1000 x Drop of Prisoner's Honey, 1 x Parabola-Linen Suit, 1 x Parabola-Linen Frock, 1 x Strong-Backed Labour
	1000 x Drop of Prisoner's Honey, 1 x Parabola-Linen Suit, 1 x Parabola-Linen Frock, Monster-Hunter*
2	600 x Drop of Prisoner's Honey, 11 x Nodule of Pulsating Amber
	600 x Drop of Prisoner's Honey, 11 x Rookery Password
	600 x Drop of Prisoner's Honey, Countess of Thorns*, Persuasive 150 challenge
	600 x Drop of Prisoner's Honey, An Enfranchised Anchoress*, Persuasive 150 challenge
3	Bengal Tigress
	Parabolan Panther*, Dangerous 150 challenge
	Slavering Dream-Hound*, Shadowy 150 challenge
	Dream-dwelling Carnivorous Aurochs*, Persuasive 150 challenge
	* item is NOT consumed

330: Complete your improvements to the Chorister's Bomb once you have everything you need.

• The Bomb is Ready: And now you need to invent a way to bring the Vake to you.

340–360: Concocting a Curved-Talon Absinthe in Reflection of your Laboratory

• 340: Distill the juice of the Orange-apple to a Base Spirit — Kataleptic Toxicology 1. If you don't have a Parabolan Orange-apple, you can get one from tending a tree in your Base-Camp.
• 350: Give the brew a little of your blood; OR, if you have the Free-roving Teeth, you can Infuse your brew with one of your teeth
• 360: Bottle the brew with the Vake's Claw, using up the Vake Claw to create 1 x Curved Talon Absinthe

370: Luring the Vake

• Send the absinthe via Mr Wines: costs 1 CP of Connected: The Masters of the Bazaar, 1 x Cellar of Wine, and 1 x Vial of Tears of the Bazaar. (There is an alternative method that requires the Fate-locked story Mysteries of the Foreign Office.)
• If you do use the Mr. Wines option, you will decide whether to make a promise to him (and whether you intend to break it).This will set Swore an Oath to Mr Wines to either 1, 2, or 3. (There is another, Fate-locked choice related to the story Cricket, Anyone? that is only visible with a certain item from that story.) How you approach the oath will affect your choices in part 400 and, depending on whether you keep it, some of the text at the end. (See the table under "Back to Normal" below for a breakdown of these story branches.)

380: It is here it is here in Parabolan Base-Camp

• Stand against the Vake ( Dangerous 300 - 10 * Monstrous Anatomy) to advance. (Running from the Vake ultimately forces you to face another Dangerous challenge anyway.)
• Face the Vake with the Chorister's Bomb Beside You: Set off the Chorister's Bomb
• During the Explosion: Lift up your voice
• And then there are three: Learn about the remaining fragments of the Vake. If you still have your Half-Wild Mandrake, you can accept its congratulations here.
• After them!: Pick up the Vake-Tooth.

Aspects of the Vake (400–450)

Your task now is to track down the remaining fragments of the Vake: Curator Veils, Veils of the Surface, and Veils of the Third City.

After setting off the Chorister's Bomb, you'll end up in the storylet Track the Animals of Parabola in Parabolan Base-Camp. You can begin tracking the Vake fragments from here. Leaving this storylet by choosing "perhaps not" returns you to your Base-Camp.

From your Base-Camp, you can also Think in the Midst of the Hunt, where you can consider whether you'll kill all three aspects of the Vake or spare one of them. What you choose will set Willingness to Spare Some Aspect of the Vake and may affect Swore an Oath to Mr Wines. (See the table under "Back to Normal" for a breakdown of these paths.) This storylet will disappear once you make your choice.

You can only spare the last Vake that you hunt down, so if you want to spare one, make sure to kill the others first.

Note: Whether you decide to spare one of the Vakes, and which one you spare, will affect the unique item you receive for completing the Ambition. You may want to refer to the table of Ambition Rewards at the end of this guide to decide in advance which one you want.

Track Curator Veils

• The Day of the Hunt: The hunt begins. This will add the storylet Track Curator Veils, correctly prepared, which shows the requirements to begin this hunt. Besides the necessary items, you will need both Location of a Decoy Mr Veils and Traces of Veils the Curator exactly 2:
  • During any Parabolan hunt, while Lost in Strange Lands, a version of the storylet Stop and look through a distracting mirror with an icon of the Vake will appear with Airs of Parabola 1–50. This grants Location of a Decoy Mr Veils.
  • With this quality, go to The Labyrinth of Tigers and choose the storylet VAKE SILKS and TAILORED VAKEMENTS to obtain the decoy Veils.
  • Back in your Base-Camp, Track Curator Veils again to raise Traces of Veils the Curator to 2.
• Track Curator Veils, correctly prepared back in Parabola: Requires 1 x Ratwork Derringer, 5 x Pair of Vakeskin Boots, 7 x Solacefruit, 1 x Focused Albatross, 3 x Dream-Trophies of Parabola. These items are not consumed now, but will be used later.
• Gain Parabolan Scouting to reduce the Dangerous challenge on Continue towards its Howling and Windy Home in order to Face the Curator Mr Veils
• Embattled with Curator Mr Veils: Observe the Day of the Hunt, the Feast, and Council, expending the items you collected earlier
• Observe the Day of Bargain or, with Willingness to Spare Some Aspect of the Vake 1–3 and Remaining Incarnations of the Vake exactly 1, you can choose to Bargain for the Curator to return with you
• Observe the Day of Slaughter if you didn't spare the Curator

Track Veils of the Surface

• Once you choose this option, a Parabolan hunt immediately begins, sending you to Lost in Strange Lands. (If you haven't yet faced Curator Veils, this is a good time to shuffle Airs of Parabola until the correct Stop and look through a distracting mirror option appears. You will be able to continue the hunt after playing that storylet.)
• Continue towards a Parisian Salon in order to Face the Surface Mr Veils. Gaining Parabolan Scouting first will reduce the Dangerous challenge here.
• Embattled with Surface Mr Veils: Attack Surface Veils here to find out that you need to create weapons at The Chessboard to defeat him.
• Track him through Parabola again to face him. You'll need 60 x Copper Cipher Ring and 1 x Favour in High Places for whichever option you choose, plus one chess item:
  • To Pin down Surface Veils, you need 1 x Queen Mate
  • To Outflank Surface Veils, you need 1 x Epaulette Mate
  • To Capture Veils the Intriguer, you need 1 x Stalemate, Willingness to Spare Some Aspect of the Vake 1–3, and Remaining Incarnations of the Vake exactly 1

Track Veils of the Third City

• You learn that you must venture to The Waswood to face this Veils. If you don't yet have this route, find it through a Glasswork 5 challenge from Leave your Parabolan Base-Camp (storylet: Look for the Waswood). Alternatively, you can find the route while Lost in Strange Lands with Airs of Parabola 70–79 and Having Recurring Dreams: Is Someone There? 2.
• Track Veils of the Third City? informs you that you can create a weapon to use against Third City Veils in your Laboratory.
• Begin creating the Jaguar Blade in University Laboratory:
  • Prepare a weapon of vengeance: Requires 5 x Ravenglass Knife, 1000 x Relic of the Third City, and 1 x Impossible Theorem
  • Prepare a weapon of vengeance using particular knowledge: Requires 5 x Ravenglass Knife, 1000 x Relic of the Third City; also requires (but does not consume) A Wink from the Manager of the Royal Bethlehem.
  • Prepare a weapon of vengeance using the knowledge you attained at the greatest price: Requires (but does not consume) The Seven-Fold Knock (which can only be obtained by following a certain unspeakable storyline).
• Complete the Jaguar Blade. (The method you used to begin the research does not affect your options here.)
  • Complete a Jaguar Blade: Requires 50 x Laboratory Research, 25 x Parabolan Research, Expertise of the Third City 30 (which requires Lettice in your Lab).
  • Complete a Jaguar Blade Wailing with Hunger: Requires 150 x Laboratory Research, 100 x Parabolan Research, 1 x What Might Be A Thunderbolt, and either The Seven-Fold Knock (not consumed) or Seeking Mr Eaten's Name 30.
• The Waswood: As you Stay a little while, you Recognise Veils of the Third City. This sets Traces of Veils of the Third City to 3 and redirects to Afloat. For now, you can only Go, and return later.
• Venture into the Waswood again. This time, as you Stay a little while, you can Draw close to Veils of the Third City.
• Afloat: Confront Third City Veils.
  • With the regular Jaguar Blade, you can Kill Veils of the Third City.
  • With the Jaguar Blade Wailing with Hunger, you can Take Vengeance on Veils of the Third City.
  • If you have Willingness to Spare Some Aspect of the Vake 1–3 and Remaining Incarnations of the Vake exactly 1, you can instead Capture Third City Veils.

The end

Back to Normal: Once you have no more remaining Vakes to deal with, this storylet autofires, with different text depending on whether you spared an aspect of the Vake and what you promised Mr Wines. In any case, you receive 1 x Vial of Masters' Blood.

• See the table below for the full breakdown of outcomes from this series of actions. The two unique outcomes are if you made the oath intending it to mean the Vake specifically and then killed all 3 aspects (which sets Swore an Oath to Mr Wines to 10: "You have honoured an oath to Mr Wines"), or if you made the oath knowing you may be held to it at some unknown future time (which keeps Swore an Oath to Mr Wines at 3: "You have sworn an oath. You accepted the consequences"). All other paths ultimately result in 1: "You have sworn an oath. You did not mean it".

Swore an Oath to Mr Wines

	Lie	Interpret	Accept
Oath (Sending the Vake a gift via Wines)
	1	2	3
Temptation (Think in the Midst of the Hunt)
Spare (advantage)	1, 1	1, 1	3, 1
Spare (fellow feeling)	1, 2	1, 2	3, 2
Spare (excuse)	1, 3	1, 3	3, 3
Honor your oath	N/A	2, 10	N/A
Withstand persuasion	1, 11	2, 11	3, 11
Resolution (Back to Normal)
Killed 3 Vakes	1	10	3
Spared 1 Vake	1	1	1

Claim your Reward at the Dept. of Menace Eradication. The options and text here differ depending on whether you spared one of the Vakes or killed them all, but in any case, you receive a substantial amount of Bragging Rights at the Medusa's Head. You also have some questions to be answered at Abbey Rock, and April leaves your Lab.

An Epilogue: The End of the Convent: Autofires when you reach Abbey Rock.

Twenty-four hours later

A living story appears in your Messages tab; it differs depending whether you killed every aspect of the Vake or spared one.

If you killed all the Vakes:

• You receive An Invitation from the Efficient Commissioner to discuss that 4 million Echo reward.

• On the Way In, you get a Promissory Note from April that allows you to hire her in your Lab again.

• A Reading of Procedures: You encounter Mr. Wines again. The text here differs depending on your final level of Swore an Oath to Mr Wines:
  • 0: If you never swore an oath, instead enlisting the Foreign Office's help
  • 1 or 3: If you still owe your end of the bargain, whether or not you intend to keep it
  • 10: If you killed the Vake to fulfill your oath

• The Back Room: In lieu of a cash payment, you acquire A Vast Network of Connections Wherever the Bazaar's Influence can be Found and 1 x Fragment of the Tragedy Procedures.

If you spared an aspect of the Vake:

• Attending to a Matter at Home

• Home from Parabola: April is upset that you spared one of the Vakes.
  • If you want to hire her again, you'll need either 15 x Justificande Coin or 1 x Revisionist Historical Narrative to earn the Promissory Note from April.
  • Alternatively, you can simply Burn the note.
• Managing Your Monster: Depending on which Vake you spared, you now get to decide what to do with it.
  • Third City Veils: Chain it in Parabola or eat it. You receive The Long-Dead Priests of the Red Bird and 1 x Primaeval Hint.
  • Surface Veils: Reach an accommodation or take its knowledge. You receive Society of the Three-Fingered Hand and 5 x Vital Intelligence.
  • Curator Veils: Keep it locked up or pamper it. You receive A Winged and Taloned Steed Formerly Mr Veils and 1 x Night-Whisper.

Long-term rewards

• You can now create a replica of your Jaguar Blade in your Lab.
• Vake Claw is a weapon which raises both Suspicion and Nightmares, which can be situationally useful (namely at Hallowmas).
• Severed Chimaerical Head of the Vake is a unique Dreaded +3 weapon, with additional opportunity to Duplicate the Vake's skull and use it to decorate your (Skeleton Type) from Bone Fragments at the Bone Market.
• Enjoy a Drink at the Medusa's Head: Spend your Bragging Rights on some Making Waves and Wounds reduction or a Revolutionary Favour (with additional text if you have the Free-roving Teeth or Committed Impersonator).
• Invite April to the Board of your Railway when you start it. She's a difficult director and thus not worth it... but having access to her does make a certain option later in the railway much easier to achieve (saves 7 Revolutionary Favours).
• Receive The Rewards of Ambition (two weeks after completing the Ambition, and every 4 weeks afterwards). The exact reward depends on the choices you made, though all include Nightmares –5 CP and Making Waves +10 CP, and flavour text that varies with The Airs of London.

Items needed

This is an attempt to list all possible items needed in BaL, for help with planning. The quantities listed are the fewest you can get away with (min), and the most you will need (max). This list only includes items that can be found outside of this Ambition; items like the Half-Wild Mandrake that are unique to BaL are listed elsewhere.

Item	Min	Max	Parts
Aeolian Scream	48	53	130, 160
Alluring Accomplice	0	1	95
An Identity Uncovered!	1	2	70
Antique Mystery	0	1	300
Appalling Secret	0	20	43
Bejewelled Lens	0	1	150
Bengal Tigress	0	1	320
Blackmail Material	0	2	115, 160
Bottle of Broken Giant 1844	1	1	100
Bottle of Greyfields 1882	200	varies	5, 24-31
Bottle of Morelways 1872	8	8	34
Bottle of Strangling Willow Absinthe	0	19	40, 150
Bottled Oblivion	0	5	150
Cellar of Wine	2	5	49, 70, 150-159, 370
Collection of Curiosities	2	2	49
Comprehensive Bribe	0	4	40, 70, 95
Copper Cipher Ring	60	60	400
Dream-Trophies of Parabola	3	3	400
Drop of Prisoner’s Honey	400	2600	7, 95, 150, 320
Epaulette Mate	0	1	400
Favour in High Places	1	2	70, 400
Flask of Abominable Salts	0	5	150*
Focused Albatross	1	1	400
Foxfire Candle Stub	140	1140	20, 28, 33, 35
Hard-Earned Lesson	0	8	4b, 15
Intriguing Snippet	0	20	43
Jade Fragment	300	300	21
Justificande Coin	0	16	150-159, 1010
Knob of Scintillack	0	5	150
Legal Document	0	5	70, 95
Magnificent Diamond	0	1	150
Maidservant's Uniform	0	1	95
Map Scrap	1	1	155
Memory of Light	0	1000	150 , 300
Modish Bonnet	0	1	12
Night on the Town	0	1	70
Night-Whisper	4	4	130
Nodule of Deep Amber	500	1500	18, 150
Nodule of Pulsating Amber	0	11	320
Pair of Cracksman's Mittens	0	1	160
Pair of Vakeskin Boots	5	5	400
Parabola-Linen Frock	0	1	320
Parabola-Linen Suit	0	1	320
Parabolan Orange-apple	1	1	340
Patent Scrutinizer	0	1	150
Penny	500	8277	34, 160
Personal Recommendation	0	2	110
Phosphorescent Scarab	0	1000	150
Piece of Rostygold	20	1610	2, 4b, 15, 38, 150
Presbyterate Passphrase	0	3	40
Primaeval Hint	0	3	110
Primordial Shriek	1020	1020	4, 130
Queen Mate	0	1	400
Rat on a String	2090	2090	3, 49
Ratwork Derringer	1	1	400
Ravenglass Knife	0	6	400, 2000
Relic of the Fourth City	100	100	155
Relic of the Second City	0	100	37
Relic of the Third City	0	1000	400
Revisionist Historical Narrative	0	1	1010
Rookery Password	0	12	95, 320
Set of Intricate Kifers	1	1	170
Seven-Throated Warbler	1	1	330
Silk Scrap	1000	1000	49
Solacefruit	7	7	400
Stalemate	0	1	400
Stolen Kiss	5	5	42
Storm-Threnody	12	12	130
Bottle of Strangling Willow Absinthe	0	25	160
Strong-Backed Labour	0	2	150, 320
Thirsty Bombazine Scrap	0	10	70
Uncanny Incunabulum	0	1	300
Veils-Velvet Scrap	0	1	160
Venom-Ruby	0	5	150
Vial of Tears of the Bazaar	0	1	370
What Might Be A Thunderbolt	0	1	400
Whisper-Satin Scrap	175	175	150, 160
Winsome Dispossessed Orphan	1	1	130