Chthonic Communication (Guide)

Chthonic Communication Summary
Limited-Length Activity
Setup				Progress				End
1 A				9+ A				1/3 A
Progress Details			Raise The Mind's Ascent to 4.
Items Inputs/Outputs Start-up If not London: 2 x Memory of a Much Lesser Self Outputs Searing Enigma Primaeval Hint Stalemate
Raw EPA			5.23			Raw SPA			9.6
Special			London requires 3 actions to end.

Summary

To progress the Exploration of a Hinterland City you will need to speak to the TLU City, the Creditor, and London. The former two are accessible in the City, but London is (obviously) in London, specifically Your Activities. After being carried out at least once as part of the City storyline, these processes may be repeated for profit. Additional communions with the City and the Creditor costs 2 x Memory of a Much Lesser Self, while London grants +5 Nightmares.

Activity

Each of the three communions revolves around various advanced skill checks to raise The Mind's Ascent, with each offering different checks when you have The Mind's Ascent 1, 2 and 3; once this reaches 4 the mind of the chthonic entity can be entered, with the reward being granted on leaving the mind. Failures on these checks grant +2 CP Nightmares, whereas successes grant +1 CP The Mind's Ascent.

Mind	Challenges	Cost	Reward	EPA
TLU City	Monstrous Anatomy 10 Shapeling Arts 10 Kataleptic Toxicology 10	x 2 MoaMLS	x 1 Searing Enigma	5.23
	Artisan of the Red Science 10 Zeefaring 10 Steward of the Discordance 4
	Mithridacy 10 Glasswork 10 A Player of Chess 10 Chthonosophy 10
Creditor	Monstrous Anatomy 10 Shapeling Arts 10 Kataleptic Toxicology 10	x 2 MoaMLS	x 1 Primaeval Hint	5.23
	Artisan of the Red Science 10 Zeefaring 10 Steward of the Discordance 4
	Mithridacy 10 Glasswork 10 A Player of Chess 10 Chthonosophy 10
London	Monstrous Anatomy 10 Shapeling Arts 10 Kataleptic Toxicology 10		x 1 Stalemate +5 CP Nightmares	4.88
	Artisan of the Red Science 10 Zeefaring 10 Steward of the Discordance 4
	Mithridacy 10 Glasswork 10 A Player of Chess 10 Chthonosophy 10

Analysis

At 5.23 EPA, by the time this is unlocked, you already have the TLC, and the grind is on par with them without consuming Memory of a Much Lesser Self, but it is the most efficient way of gaining Searing Enigmas and Primaeval Hints if those are required.

Scrip Making

Reaching out to London's Mind allows one to grind a Stalemate in 13 actions (assuming that one can 100% every check) at the cost of 5 Nightmare CP. Assuming Honey is acquired at 2 actions per 100 and Parabolan Defences 3), 92 actions for 6 Stalemates gives 8.15 SPA when done in bulk (so that the Honey actions spent on travel can be disregarded). A Silverer can reduce the Honey actions to 1, and adding Aurochs'-Fur Coat, or Final Resting Place of an Old Friend, or other Nightmare-reducer, the Nightmares dip to 4CP/Stalemate; three cycles of 8 Communes with Defences 3 gives 8.50 SPA. If you picked the specific Bag a Legend option to get Defences 4, the Nightmares drop faster, and the grind is 8.70SPA. It is more efficient to acquire Stalemates gradually to make use of "free" Nightmares reduction: if the Nightmares can be amortised (via Time, the Healer, the Nadir, or another action that incidentally reduces nightmares), the rate improves to 9.62SPA.