Discordant Studies - Costs and Rewards (Guide)

Nothing lies beyond here
Discordant studies is considered a very major spoiler. While the embargo on this content has been lifted, be aware before proceeding.

Post-Railway Content

This is a guide for those who would like to know what they stand to gain and lose with deeper studies of the Discordance or just want a chance to prepare first. You'll need to raise Crystalline Knowledge and encounter Discordant Law before you can start pursuing Discordant Studies - see The Hurlers (Guide) if you want spoilers for everything before the big secrets begin.

As everything in this guide is considered spoilers for this content, each section is collapsed by default. Expand only what you want to see. If you wish for a more detailed, spoiler filled guide, see Deeper Discordant Studies (Guide).

What This Guide Doesn't Cover[edit]

Branch-by-branch mechanics
Unique items and qualities given to you by this content only to unlock a later part of the puzzle
Puzzle answers
Lore and narrative
Costs and rewards of optional and/or optionally-repeatable actions (with exceptions)
Penalties of failed checks (none are severe enough to list)
Costs and challenges of travel

Discordant Studies 2[edit]

If the notion of following an expensive and painful path doesn't appeal to you but don't want to miss out on increasing your Steward of the Discordance cap, fear not! The cap increase is a reward for the first step and the storylet tells you what you stand to lose for taking it. You are welcome to stop your pursuit after this point.

Stat Challenges[edit]

List of stat challenges faced [Expand]
Stat	Difficulty	Type
A Player of Chess	8	Narrow
Artisan of the Red Science	8	Narrow
Glasswork	8	Narrow
Kataleptic Toxicology	8	Narrow
Mithridacy	8	Narrow
Monstrous Anatomy	8	Narrow
Shapeling Arts	8	Narrow
Watchful Dangerous	300 300	Broad
Persuasive Shadowy	300 300	Broad

Costs & Requirements[edit]

Stat Losses [Expand]
Quality	CP Loss
A Player of Chess	-(current level) CP
Artisan of the Red Science	-(current level) CP
Dangerous	-100 CP
Glasswork	-(current level) CP (once or twice)
Kataleptic Toxicology	-(current level) CP
Mithridacy	-(current level) CP
Monstrous Anatomy	-(current level) CP (once or twice)
Persuasive	-100 CP
Shadowy	-100 CP
Shapeling Arts	-(current level) CP
Watchful	-100 CP
Menace Gain [Expand]
Quality	Gain	Notes
Nightmares	+10 CP
Nightmares	+8 CP	move directly to The Mirror-Marches
Suspicion	+4 CP	move directly to New Newgate Prison - again!
Unaccountably Peckish	+1 x
Wounds	set to 8	move directly to a slow boat passing a dark beach on a silent river
Wounds	set to 8	move directly to a slow boat passing a dark beach on a silent river again
Item & Quality Losses [Expand]
Item / Quality	Loss	Notes
A Vial of Queenly Attar	-1 x
Appalling Secret	-2 x
Breath of the Void	-1 x
Current Culinary Concoction: Solacefruit Champagne Sorbet	Gone	Requires ^[1] to create from scratch
Discordant Missive	-1 x	Requires another player's help.
Discordant Soul	-1 x
Doubled Skull	-1 x
Impossible Theorem	-1 x
Memory of Discordance	-15 x
Night-Whisper	-1 x
Non-Cost Requirements [Expand]
Item / Quality	Required
The Rose-Red Streets	1+

Rewards[edit]

Primary Rewards [Expand]
Item / Quality	Gain	Notes
Acquaintance: the Anchoress	+1 x	New Acquaintance quality
Advancing the Liberation of Night:	+110 CP
Anticandle	+3 x	New Luminosity item. Despite the same name and image, this is not the same as Anticandle, the retired Advantage
Crystalline Knowledge	+4 x	L6 -> L10
Discordance Stone	+1 x	New Contraband item
Discordant Studies	+1 x	L1 -> L2
Immaterial Material	+1 x	New Rag Trade item. Can be traded for Veils-Velvet Scrap. Can be acquired multiple times.
Steward of the Discordance	+9 CP
Secondary Rewards [Expand]
Item / Quality	Gain	Notes
Aeolian Scream	+9 x
Appalling Secret	+9 x
Basket of Rubbery Pies	+4 x
Bone Fragments	+666 x
Bottle of Broken Giant 1844	+1 x
Brilliant Soul	+111 x
Carnival Ticket	+9 x
Cryptic Clue	+9 x
Crystallised Euphoria	+1 x
Dark-Dewed Cherry	+3 x
Direful Reflection	+1 x
Dubious Testimony	+9 x
Fillip of Effervescence	+1 x
Horned Skull	+2 x
Lump of Lamplighter Beeswax	+4444 x
Memory of a Much Lesser Self	+4 x
Parabolan Research	+36 x
Primordial Shriek	+9 x
Rat on a String	+3333 x
Romantic Notion	+444 x
Scrap of Incendiary Gossip	+9 x
Solacefruit	+5 x
Soul	+555 x
Sworn Statement	+9 x
Tale of Terror!!	+9 x
Touching Love Story	+4 x
Volume of Collated Research	+19 x

Supplemental Content[edit]

Over the course of your Discordant Studies, you will also unlock multiple repeatable actions. Most notably, this includes some new cards in the Adulterine Castle, some very expensive ways to lower your base Skills, and an expensive-but-repeatable source of Veils-Velvet Scraps.

Cards [Expand]
Icon	Option	Challenge / Requirements	Success	Failure
		ASotC 20 challenge	+1 x Memory of a Much Lesser Self +3 x Correspondence Plaque +3 CP Wounds	+1 CP Nightmares +10 x Maniac's Prayer
		Luck: 40%	+1 x Human Arm +2 x Correspondence Plaque	+7 x Maniac's Prayer
		3 x Dark-dewed Cherries	-3 x Dark-dewed Cherries +22 x Venom-Ruby +22 x Inkling of Identity +2 x Tale of Terror!!	–
		Dangerous 300 challenge	+30-34 x Phosphorescent Scarab +58-60 x Rat on a String	+1 CP Scandal +2 x Scrap of Incendiary Gossip
		SotD 5 challenge	+7 x Journal of Infamy	+1 CP Nightmares
		Luck: 90% Monograph in Progress	-2 CP Scandal +219-228 x Whispered Hint	+1 CP Scandal
		4 x Journal of Infamy	-4 x Journal of Infamy +8 x Palimpsest Scrap +3 x Tale of Terror!! +2 CP Inspired...	–
		Inspired... 4 challenge Inspired... 2	-2 CP Inspired... +20-25 x Romantic Notion +1 x Unusual Love Story	+1 x Tale of Terror!!
		Watchful 250 challenge	+1 x Glass Gazette +22-28 x Proscribed Material	+1 CP Nightmares +1 x Withered Tentacle
		Watchful 300 challenge On the Maladies of Goats, volume 1	+8 x Journal of Infamy	+1 CP Nightmares +1 x Tale of Terror!!
		Luck: 50%	+6-8 x Brilliant Soul	+5-7 x Memory of Light
		A Pot of Violant Ink	+1 CP Inspired... +6-7 x Palimpsest Scrap	–
		Austere 12 challenge	+318-352 x Lump of Lamplighter Beeswax	+4 x Hand-picked Peppercaps
		1 x Bottled Oblivion	-1 x Bottled Oblivion +1 x Extraordinary Implication +6 x Inkling of Identity	–
		Shadowy 200 challenge	+61-75 x Stolen Correspondence	+1 CP Scandal
		Neathproofed 2 challenge	+2 CP Wounds +1 x Aeolian Scream +2 x Compromising Document	+1 CP Wounds
		Dangerous 210 challenge	+1 x Thirsty Bombazine Scrap +7-9 x Surface-Silk Scrap	+1 CP Wounds +1 x Silk Scrap
		1 x Immaterial Material	+7-8 x Whisper-Satin Scrap (does not lose the Material)	–
Various Content [Expand]
Icon / Link	Option	Challenge / Requirements	Success
		Discordant Studies exactly 2 Base SotD < 7	+1 x Irrigo +1 CP Steward of the Discordance Resets all the relevant qualities
		Discordant Studies exactly 2 Base SotD 7	+2 x Irrigo +1 x Discordant Soul Resets all the relevant qualities
		1 x Discordance Stone 1 x Memory of a Much Lesser Self	-1 x Memory of a Much Lesser Self +1 x Memory of an Anchorhold
		Commercial Development 3 1 x Immaterial Material 5 x Comprehensive Bribe no Don't Mention It	-5 x Comprehensive Bribe +1 x Don't Mention It
		Fallen London Card Frequent Frequency Don't Mention It exactly 1	+100 x Stolen Correspondence +10 x Compromising Document (Redirects to the storylet below)
		1 x Immaterial Material	-1 x Immaterial Material +1 x Veils-Velvet Scrap -1 x Don't Mention It
		–	+2 CP Wounds +77 x Compromising Document +2 x Hastily Scrawled Warning Note -1 x Don't Mention It
		3 x Bombazine Warp 5 x Steward of the Discordance Knowledge of the Crossroads 7 1 x Immaterial Material	Moves to No Future Resets all the usual qualities
		1 x Promissory Note to Yourself 1 x Memory of a Much Greater Self 1 x Memory of a Much Lesser Self 1 x Memory of Discordance 1 x Memory of Light 1 x Memory of Sunlight 7 x Fluke Spine, Freely Given 77 x No Currency 777 x Frayed Thread 1 x Immaterial Material	Moves to Irem Removes your Current Destiny Grants The Tower Resets all the usual qualities. Removes all the required non-equipment items, including the Immaterial Material