Factions (Guide)
|
Early MYN Content and Onwards |
If this is a game, which side will you play for?
This Guide is meant to give you an overview of how Factions work, but not necessarily the specifics. Most of the paragraphs in this guide contain a link to a more in-depth guide which tells you about specific actions needed, what the best options are, etc.
What are Factions?[edit]
Your relationships to the many Factions of Fallen London are governed by several qualities. For most Factions these are Renown, Favours and 
Closest To. For a small number of special factions, the key quality is Connected. Note that these qualities are distinct from Social Influence, which tracks your relationship to other players of Fallen London.
- Favours are the primary game-play mechanic. They are gained when you perform actions that are viewed favourably by the faction and are lost when by either displeasing the faction or cashing in your favours. Favours are very profitable, but are capped at 7. See Raising Favours (Guide) and Calling in Favours (Guide) for more details.
- Many factions are in a natural conflict with each other. If you have 5 favours of each of the opposing faction, you can draw non-discardable Conflict Cards.
- Renown is predominantly a roleplaying quality. It is harder to raise and it almost never decreases. Its principal game function is to unlock Renown Items, although it does open up other options as well (e.g. A merry sort of crime). Renown up to 5 can be gained at Mrs Plenty's Carnival for most Factions. Later, Renown is raised primarily through one-off storylines and by cashing in Favours using Faction Items.
- For the few factions that have not been converted to the new system, their Connected quality combines the functionality of Favours and Renown. See Raising Connections.
- Closest To is also primarily a role-playing quality. Corresponding Faction Cards need to be drawn to attain (or lose) Closest To with a certain faction.
Faction Cards have many other uses, such as increasing main Attributes, providing the default option for gaining favours, and enabling Profession advancement.
List of Factions[edit]
Closest To...[edit]
Closest To indicates the Faction you are most closely aligned with, and is initially unlocked by Choosing a Side. The quality doesn't do a whole lot, and is mainly a roleplaying thing. It does, however, open up a new option on the relevant Faction Card that raises Counting the Days.
If you want to align with another Faction, you must first betray your current Faction on their Faction Card. You are then able to become Closest To another Faction on their Faction Card.
It is currently impossible to become closest to The Masters, The Widow, The Duchess, and the University.
Favours[edit]
Raising Favours[edit]
| A player-created Guide is available for this content: Raising Favours (Guide) |
There are four main ways to raise Favours. These are:
- Faction cards. Each Faction has its own card, which have at least one option where you can gain a favour in exchange for a small price in items.
- The Connected Pet of each Faction. Each Renown/Favour using Faction (except for Rubbery Men) has their own connected pet. Each pet has a card associated with it, which has (amongst other things) an option that gives a single Favour of the associated Faction. These pets can be gained in Watchmakers Hill with the storylet A Clandestine Rendezvous.
- Mrs Plenty's Carnival. As long as your Renown with a faction is lower than 5, you can exchange 2 actions and a Carnival Ticket to increase your Renown with the faction and gain a Favour. This is an incredibly good deal and should absolutely be used.
- Each Faction also has at least one carousel of storylets which yields Favours on completion. These are time-consuming, but they are independent of RNG and also grant item rewards. These carousels include the Box of Intrigue(Urchins, Criminals), Mahogany Hall(Bohemians, Tomb-Colonies), and Monster Breeding(Church, Constables), as well as several places at Zee.
Calling in Favours[edit]
| A player-created Guide is available for this content: Calling in Favours (Guide) |
Favours can be used for a great many things. Most major locations have a storylet where you can trade in various Favours for rewards, and there are uncountable storylets which use them. Favours can also be used to increase your Faction Renown past 5.
Renown and Connections[edit]
| A player-created Guide is available for this content: Raising Connections |
Renown is the other half of the coin from Favours; far harder to earn, but it never decreases. The three main ways to raise Renown are:
- Mrs Plenty's Carnival. As mentioned above, Mrs Plenty's Carnival is by far the easiest way to raise both Favours and Renown until Renown reaches level 5. Use this!
- Opportunities for Ingratiation card. You may, with this card, raise 3 factions from renown level 5 to level 10. Use this!
- The Faction's Item. Each Faction (except for the Duchess, the Masters, and the Fingerkings) has a unique item associated with them.
Connections, unlike Renown, can decrease. For instance, connections to the Duchess can drop if you participate in Pass the Cat, and there are occasionally options to spend connections to the Masters. Refer to the Raising Connections guide for more on how this system works.
By using these items, the player can spend items to increase Connections or Favours to increase Renown. It is important to note that these items are not consumed when you use them to gain Renown.
Costs of Raising Renown[edit]
Favours to Reach Renown Items.| Renown Level | Action | CP / Favour | Cost / Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| < 5 | Carnival Action | 0[1] | 0 |
| < 8 | Renown Item T1 Action | 1 | 0 |
| 8-15 | Renown Item T2 Action | 2 |  2.5
|
| 16-55 | Renown Item T3 Action | 4 | 12.5[2]
|
| Renown Level | Level Significance | Total Uses to Reach [1] | Total Favours to Reach [1] | Total Cost [1]
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | Carnival Max | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| 8 | T2 Renown Action Begins | 8 | 21 | 0 |
| 10 | First Renown Item | 10 | 35 | 5 |
| 15 | T3 Renown Action Begins | 14 | 63 | 15 |
| 25 | Second Renown Item | 22 | 119 | 115 [2] |
| 40 | Third Renown Item | 39 | 238 | 327.5 [2] |
| 55 | Renown Cap | 65 | 420 | 652.5 [2] |
Renown Rewards[edit]
Raising Renown unlocks storylets, cards, options on same, and allows purchasing Renown Items with Favours. Storylets etc. vary widely based on faction, but the items have a consistent pattern.
Renown Items[edit]
Renown items are special equipment that become accessible once your Renown with a factions reaches a certain level. Each Faction has three Renown items:
Renown 10 items have low stats (+4), are easily surpassed by other equipment, and generally don't have other uses. The one exception to this is the Barrel with Leather Shoulder-Straps from the Bohemians, its +4 Dangerous bonus is only surpassed by expensive end-game gear and is thus relevant to most players for a very long time. These can be acquired from the Faction's opportunity card in London.
Of minor note is that the 
Amber Cello, 
Implausible Beartrap, and 
Antique Ring Worth Killing For are the only items from this tier that have actual minor uses in some late-game storylets.
Renown 25 items have better stats (mostly +7), and some of them are best-in-slot. In addition, they provide opportunity cards or unlock actions in the Upper River. These can be collected from various locations in London.
Of particular note is the 
Language of Laces, which is shared best-in-slot for Watchful Boots with a SUMMER item; honorable mentions go to the 
Pair of Defenestrating Boots, the second best boots for Dangerous in the game, and the 
Constant Cufflinks, second-best for Shadowy Adornments behind a FRUITS OF THE ZEE item. The Bohemians, Docks, and Tomb-Colonist items at the Renown 25 tier unlock rather middling (but not terrible) opportunity cards in the Upper River, so if you wish to minimise your Upper River deck they are better avoided as they cannot be sold once acquired, although the Docks card does have some utility which might be of interest to some players.
Renown 40 items are often best-in-slot (mostly +10), and may have some other uses. These can be acquired from places that are hard to access.
In the table below, Strict Best in Slot items are bold and Shared Best in Slot items are italic.
Be warned! The items underlined below will permanently add a card to your Upper River deck! Avoid them, if you care about that sort of thing.
'So you have to lose your marbles to gain treasures...' (Tips)[edit]
As the table above indicates, the locations of Renown 40 items are not immediately accessible. With the exception of the Fate-locked Flute Street, none of them are in London; most are in Menace areas or late-game Zailing destinations.
Note: You will need to have 7 Favours from the relevant Faction to retrieve the Renown 40 item! Don't waste a trip by not being prepared.
The Mirror-Marches (Bohemians, Great Game)[edit]
Oneiric Key: Accept an invitation; 
The Great Game (Affiliation): The Game Begins
This location is generally accessed by reaching 
Nightmares 8, while having at least one 
Memory of Light or 
Having Recurring Dreams: Is Someone There? 10.
There are many ways to increase Nightmares; the quickest is A mahogany-framed mirror at 
Mrs Plenty's Carnival. If you take any Nightmares route, you will have to lower Nightmares as usual in order to leave.
If you have discovered the Adulterine Castle (requires having built a railway station at The Hurlers), you can leave that location through the Mirror-Marches, which doesn't require Nightmares. This avoids the necessity of lowering Nightmares in order to leave afterward.
A state of some confusion (Revolutionaries)[edit]
Gleaming Buttons: Try your best to sleep
You enter 
A state of some confusion (The Royal Bethlehem Hotel) with Nightmares 8 and neither of the other requirements for visiting the Mirror-Marches. Alternatively, you can move from the Mirror-Marches to the Royal Beth via the storylet A familiar scene?
The quickest route to a state of some confusion is to Gaze into Dream's Mirror at Mrs Plenty's Carnival.
a slow boat passing a dark beach on a silent river (Constables)[edit]
The Place Where they Bury the Bodies: Where the Dead Go
At this point in the game, you're probably all too familiar with the slow boat. The quickest route is to Gaze into Heart's Mirror at Mrs Plenty's Carnival, but there are other ways to hurry death along.
New Newgate Prison—Again! (Criminals)[edit]
One Who Pulls the Strings: Someone Wants a Word
Of all the ways to increase 
Suspicion, the fastest (though not guaranteed) may be to fail to Rob the Brass Embassy, which sends you immediately to prison. An additional benefit of this route is that it does not raise your Criminal Record, which can cause difficulties if you are a 
PoSI.
The Iron Republic (Hell)[edit]
Infernal Vinification Apparatus: A Day Outside of Days
To zail to the Iron Republic, you will need an 
Iron Republic Safe-Conduct. This costs 
3 x Mark of Credit Page and a Brass Ring (in addition to requiring less Hell Renown than you need for the Apparatus, anyway). The most profitable action to obtain the Safe-Conduct is on the Secrets and Spending card; otherwise, you can obtain one at your Lodgings.
The 
Iron Republic Streets are difficult to navigate; you will want to refer to the Iron Republic Street Map. Day 99 is the one that removes your 
Iron Republic Days quality, making the Day Outside of Days accessible.
Flute Street (Rubbery Men)[edit]
Location of an Underground Organ
After unlocking Helicon House in 
Ealing Gardens (requires starting the 
Railway (Guide) storyline), you can raise 
Fitting in at Helicon House to 5 to Descend further below.
To unlock earlier than the railway, you can also unlock this location for 10 FATE on the card A present from the Solitary Glim-sculptor after you have finished 
Solving Cases around London. Flute Street has its own guide.
Port Carnelian (Society)[edit]
Most Humbling Expression of Her Majesty's Esteem: An Honour from Her Majesty the Queen
After you are Banished from the Court, you can begin Working toward a Foreign Posting, which results in access to Port Carnelian. Upon zailing there, you can find the storylet for this item at Heartscross House.
Corpsecage Island (The Church)[edit]
Beatific Stone: Dedicate yourself to prayer
To zail to this island, you will need to unlock scientific expeditions (see the Guide). The main prerequisites are finishing the University storyline, having begun to Associate with Radical Academics, and Cultivating an Acquaintance with His Amused Lordship.
The Pillared Sea (The Docks)[edit]
Unexploded Mine: The Admiralty's Error
The Pillared Sea is the most perilous area of the Unterzee, and one you won't often visit. You'll pass through when zailing with the currents on your way home from Polythreme, or against the currents to the Khanate. See Zailing (Guide) for more detailed instructions. Remember that renown items are gained via storylet rather than card.
The sole destination in the Pillared Sea is Irem, which you will unlock at the conclusion of the lengthy Evolution storyline. Zailing directly there will also give you a chance to acquire the Unexploded Mine.
The Tomb-Colonies[edit]
Newly-Born Frost-Moth: A note in your journal
A number of delightful options exist for getting oneself exiled to the Tomb-Colonies, including composing a risque ballet, kissing a 
Counterfeit Head of John the Baptist, and Toppling a dowager into a shrub.
The Mind of a Long-Dead God (Urchins)[edit]
What Might Be A Thunderbolt: A Light to Bright the Dark
You can access 
The Mind of a Long-Dead God through a pinned storylet unlocked with 
Having Recurring Dreams: What the Thunder Said 15 and Stormy-Eyed 19. The Dreams guide should help with this grind.
Renown Storylets etc.[edit]
The hodgepodge of other storylets are different for every faction. Almost everything has a set cutoff of a minimum Renown; almost all of that is a simple multiple of 5, ranging from 5 to 40 (with higher cutoffs usually corresponding to later-game content). A few are marked 'Variable'; this means that every point of Renown lowers the difficulty of some check (generally by 3 on a Broad Attribute check or by a more complicated formula for an Advanced Skills check). One and only one, Join the enforcement team, has a Renown maximum - characters with 
16 Renown: Rubbery Men or more cannot help the Constables beat them up. For the purposes of this section, storylets that require a renown item will be listed as well.
Bohemians[edit]
Church[edit]
Constables[edit]
| Threshold | Location | Card/Storylet | Option | Effect Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Variable |  Clay Highwayman's Camp
|
A First Impression of the Clay Highwayman | What does he want? | Lowers difficulty of a Watchful challenge to gain  Investigating...
|
| 5 | Card | Tea with the Inspector (also requires Watchful 81–118) | Offer your help with their case | Gain  Jade Fragments
|
| Ask for help with your case | Gain Investigating...
| |||
| 15 |  Concord Square
|
In the Boozer with the Lads | Get a pint in and sit down | Gain  Riding the Savage Cobbles
|
| 20 | Card | The Inspector Calls | You come highly recommended by the Chief Constable | One option to join The Velocipede Squad |
|
 Upper River
|
Who is the Clay Highwayman? | Investigate the Clay Highwayman: Ask the Constables | Easy way to gain  On the Trail of the Clay Highwayman without spending Investigating...
|
| Ministry Enforcement | Join the enforcement team | A bad way to earn some  5 x Hinterland Scrip
| ||
| 50 |  Spite
|
London's Marrow | Recognition | With  50 Renown: Criminals, prove yourself  London's Marrow
|
Criminals[edit]
Docks[edit]
Great Game[edit]
Hell[edit]
Revolutionaries[edit]
Rubbery Men[edit]
Society[edit]
Tomb-Colonies[edit]
Urchins[edit]
- Guides
- Faction Guides
- Faction: Bohemians
- Faction: Criminals
- Faction: The Church
- Faction: The Docks
- Faction: Hell
- Faction: Society
- Faction: The Great Game
- Faction: The Widow
- Faction: The Duchess
- Faction: The Masters of the Bazaar
- Faction: Urchins
- Faction: Benthic
- Faction: Summerset
- Faction: Revolutionaries
- Faction: Rubbery Men
