Fruits of the Zee Festival (Guide)

This content is only available during Fruits of the Zee Festival! For the history of this holiday see Fruits of the Zee Festival (historical)

The Fruits of the Zee is an annual festival taking place in the last two weeks of August on Mutton Island. The main focus is fishing and exchanging your Strange Catch for rewards, but it's also an opportunity to see some sights, obtain unique items, and discover your Destiny.

Getting to the Festival

If you do not yet have a ship of your own, you may Catch a ferry to the Fruits of the Zee festival at Wolfstack Docks for 10 x Moon-Pearl to get to Mutton Island, and Catch the ferry back to London in order to return.

However, if you have a Ship, it should be quicker to zail to Mutton Island on your own, as the ferry takes 5 actions in either direction.

Going Fishing

The main activity of the Festival is fishing for a Strange Catch, which can then be traded for rewards back on Mutton Island.

A single fishing expedition is 10–11 actions, tracked by the quality Gone Fishing, which starts at 1 when you Hire a fishing boat. Until it reaches 10, you will attempt to raise Running Battle... by succeeding at Quirk checks. On each turn, your choice of actions is determined by the randomiser quality Sights at the Festival. Occasionally, you will have the option to spend an item to raise Running Battle without a Quirk check.

When you finally Land your catch, you receive a Strange Catch with a value equal to your final value of Running Battle. The value of your Strange Catch determines the choices you have for trading it in—and, if you choose to Offer a Hooded Lady your Strange Catch, what prizes may be available at The Wreckers' Cove. The main, equippable rewards of the Festival are to be found at The Wrecker's Cove, but there are also non-unique rewards available by trading your Catch to other Festival celebrants.

Gone Fishing 1–9

Each turn of fishing lets you choose between two Quirk checks. All checks are Narrow 2 and have the same effects. Succeeding the check adds +2 CP Running Battle... whereas failing the check gives -1 CP Running Battle... and adds +1 CP to the tested Quirk, up to level 5.

In addition to the Quirk checks, some levels of Sights at the Festival allow you to spend an item for a guaranteed increase to Running Battle....

Sights	Item Cost	Gain
15-25	1 x Map Scrap	+2 CP
43-63	1 x Zee-Ztory	+5 CP
76-95	1 x Partial Map	+10 CP

One last effort!

When Gone Fishing reaches 10, you have the opportunity to make one last effort if you wish. This allows you to gain a final +6 CP Running Battle... by raising one Quirk by +3 CP while decreasing another Quirk by an equal amount. The pair of Quirks depends on Sights at the Festival, but you will always get to choose which of the two you want to raise.

End of the cycle

At Gone Fishing 10–11 you get to choose whether to Land your catch or Throw it back.

If you Throw it back, Running Battle... will be halved and Gone Fishing reset to 1, allowing you to build up Running Battle... from a higher base.

When you choose to Land your catch, you trade in your Running Battle... for an equal level of Strange Catch and finish your fishing trip.

Visit The Fruits of the Zee Festival! for opportunities to trade in your Strange Catch, including The Wreckers' Cove.

Specific Strange Catch Values

When aiming for the Scrimshander Carving Knife, Strange Catch values of 3–5 are required. A basic success at all stages gives a Strange Catch value of 5, giving a 20% chance of rolling the Knife in Wrecker's Cove. For lower values, with a better chance of getting the knife, failures on the Quirk tests are required.

7 may be a desirable Strange Catch level as it allows a chance at all unique items other than the Scrimshander Carving Knife. Options to achieve this while fishing include:

• 7 regular successes, 2 Zee-Ztories, and One Last Effort!
• 8 regular successes, 1 Partial Map, and One Last Effort!
• 7 regular successes, 1 Zee-Ztory, and 1 Partial Map.
• 5 regular successes and 4 Zee-Ztories.

The Fruits of the Zee Festival!

See the sights and mingle at The Fruits of the Zee Festival! The branches available on this storylet change with the Sights at the Festival randomiser.

Most branches offer various items, in a quantity based on one or more of your main Attributes. A few branches allow you to trade in a Strange Catch.

If you don't see the option you want—for example, if you're looking for the Hooded Lady to trade your Strange Catch for Wrecker's Cove prizes—choose one of the other non-trading options to randomise Sights until you have the option you're looking for

Normal Branches

Sights	Action	Success (EPA with skill level 150)	Alternative Success
0–5	Spy on a delivery for the Custodial Chef	4 + (0 to /15) x Appalling Secret 1 to 2 CP Nightmares 0.6 – 2.1 EPA	-
0–33	Listen to the Drownies' songs	1 + (0 to /50) x Tale of Terror!! 1 to 2 CP Nightmares 0.5 – 2 EPA	0 to /10 x Romantic Notion 1 x Zee-Ztory 1 to 2 CP Nightmares 0.5 – 2 EPA
0–33	Dance with a Drownie	5 to /10 x Map Scrap 1 to 2 CP Wounds 0.5 – 1.5 EPA	1 to /50 x Zee-Ztory 1 to 2 CP Wounds 0.5 – 1.5 EPA
34–50	"Oi! You stepped on my invisible rat!"	12 to /4 x Nevercold Brass Sliver 12 to /4 x Lump of Lamplighter Beeswax 12 to /4 x Silk Scrap 12 to /4 x Shard of Glim 1 to 2 CP Nightmares 0.48 – 1.48 EPA	1 x Partial Map 1 to 2 CP Nightmares 2.5 EPA
34–66	Accompany a passing crowd of drunken revellers	3 to /20 x Maniac's Prayer 10 to /4 x Primordial Shriek 1 to 2 CP Wounds 0.5 – 1.44 EPA	5 + (0 to /15) x Appalling Secret 1 to 2 CP Wounds 0.75 – 2.25 EPA
51–66	Escape the attentions of the Mary Lloyd	1 to 2 x Hard-Earned Lesson 1 to 2 CP Wounds	-
67–76	Stoke an argument between the Custodial Chef and the Melancholy Curate	1 to /50 x Scrap of Incendiary Gossip 1 to 2 CP Nightmares 0.5 – 1.5 EPA	15 to /4 x Soul 5 to /8 x Proscribed Material 1 to 2 CP Wounds 0.5 – 1.49 EPA
67–100	Eat at the Curate's Table	1 to /50 x Tale of Terror!! 1 CP Austere -1 CP Hedonist 1 to 2 CP Nightmares 0.5 – 1.5 EPA	3 to /20 x Intriguing Snippet 1 CP Austere -1 CP Hedonist 1 to 2 CP Nightmares 0.6 – 1.4 EPA
67–100	Eat at the Custodial Chef's Table	5 to /10 x Map Scrap 1 CP Hedonist -1 CP Austere 1 to 2 CP Wounds 0.5 – 1.5 EPA	3 to /15 x Appalling Secret 1 CP Hedonist -1 CP Austere 1 to 2 CP Wounds 0.45 – 1.5 EPA
86–100	Drink with a Hooded Lady of Mysterious Provenance	3 to /20 x Inkling of Identity 3 to /20 x Romantic Notion 1 to 2 CP Wounds 0.6 – 1.4 EPA	3 to /20 x Inkling of Identity 10 to /4 x Cryptic Clue 1 to 2 CP Wounds 0.5 – 1.44 EPA
86–100	Confront a Hooded Lady of Mysterious Provenance	-1 x An Identity Uncovered! 1 x Sworn Statement 2–4 x Ostentatious Diamond 1 – 2 EPA	-

Trading in a Strange Catch

Sights	Action	Req.	Success
0–33	Offer your Strange Catch to the Drownies	5+	The Drowning Feast
0–33	Offer your Strange Catch to the Drownies: Reprise (25 FATE)	5+	FATE Allows you to repick a destiny.
34–66	Follow them to the well	1+	1 to 5* x Appalling Secret 1 to /2 x Tale of Terror!! 0 to /3 x Extraordinary Implication 250 x Cryptic Clue 3 to 5 x Zee-Ztory 1 to 10 CP Nightmares
67–100	Ask the Custodial Chef to prepare your Strange Catch	1+	1 + (+++)/400 x Partial Map 0 to (+)/50 x Zee-Ztory 0 to (+)/10 x Map Scrap -(4* to 6*) CP Wounds
67–100	Give your Strange Catch to the Melancholy Curate	1+	1 + (+++)/400 x Partial Map 0 to (+)/50 x Zee-Ztory 0 to (+)/10 x Map Scrap -(4* to 6*) CP Nightmares
86–100	Offer a Hooded Lady your Strange Catch	1+	The Wreckers' Cove

The Wreckers' Cove

The Wreckers' Cove is the main place to trade in a Strange Catch, accessed by Offering a Hooded Lady your Strange Catch in The Fruits of the Zee Festival!. You can trade in your Catch for a variety of normal goods or a number of unique items. It's important to note that the items available for trade in The Wreckers' Cove is based on a range derived from your Strange Catch level, so getting the highest Catch you can is not always the goal.

When you Offer a Hooded Lady your Strange Catch, Picking Through the Wreckers' Cove is set to a random even value in the range 2 × [( Strange Catch + 1) to (2 × Strange Catch)]. This value then determines what rewards are available in The Wreckers' Cove.

Unique Rewards

Reward	Stats	PTtWC	Possible Strange Catch values (% chance)
Sinning Jenny's Forsaken Wimple!	Persuasive +2 Watchful +1	6–18	2–4 (100%) 5 (80%) 6 (50%) 7 (29%) 8 (12%)
Scrimshander Carving Knife	Watchful +3 Persuasive +2 Dangerous -1	10–12	3 (66%) 4 (50%) 5 (20%)
A Faceted Decanter of Drownie Effluvia	Shadowy +5 Watchful +3 Dangerous -1	14–16	4 (50%) 5 (40%) 6 (33%) 7 (14%)
Wrecking Boots	Dangerous +4 Shadowy +6 Persuasive -1	18–20	5 (40%) 6 (33%) 7 (29%) 8 (25%) 9 (11%)
Nuncian Pocket Watch	Shadowy +6 Respectable +2	18–20
Sun-Seared Silken Gloves	Respectable +2 A Player of Chess +1	18–20
Inquisitive Lamp-cat	Shadowy +6 Dreaded +1	18–20
A Cured Jillyfleur Cloak	Dangerous +6 Watchful +4 Persuasive -1	22–24	6 (33%) 7 (29%) 8 (25%) 9 (22%) 10 (20%) 11 (9%)
Corpulent Carriage	Shadowy +3 Bizarre +1 Monstrous Anatomy +1	22–24
The Forsaken Crown of a Grand Devil	Watchful +4 Dreaded +1 Artisan of the Red Science +1	26–28	7 (29%) 8 (25%) 9 (22%) 10 (20%) 11 (18%) 12 (17%) 13 (8%)
Semi-Automated Mary Lloyd	Dangerous +4 Bizarre +3	26–28
Keelgraspers	Dreaded +2 Zeefaring +1	26–28
A Submerged Rector	Persuasive +7 Watchful +6	26+	7 (29%) 8 (50%) 9 (66%) 10 (80%) 11 (91%) 12+ (100%)

Fate Items

The following table includes items that are only available via The Wreckers' Cove (Fate); however, all regular items can also be bought there.

Repeatable Rewards

Reward (Sell Value)	Rare Success (Sell Value)	PTtWC	Possible Strange Catch values (% chance)
6–10 x Zee-Ztory ( 3.00–5.00)	3 x Partial Map ( 7.50)	4	1 (100%)
8–12 x Flawed Diamond 6–10 x Ostentatious Diamond ( 3.96–6.44)	1 x Magnificent Diamond ( 12.50)	4–8	1 (100%), 2 (100%), 3 (33%)
1 x Touching Love Story 8–12 x Scrap of Incendiary Gossip 1–10 x Inkling of Identity ( 6.60–9.50)	1 x Volume of Collated Research 8–12 x Compromising Document 1–10 x Inkling of Identity ( 6.60–9.50)	6–12	2 (100%), 3 (100%), 4 (50%), 5 (20%)
1 x Bottle of Broken Giant 1844 21–30 x Bottle of Morelways 1872 1–10 x Bottle of Strangling Willow Absinthe ( 5.10–10.50)	3–4 x Muscaria Brandy ( 7.50–10.00)	10–16	3 (66%), 4 (100%), 5 (60%), 6 (33%), 7 (14%)
1–2 x Presbyterate Passphrase 2 x An Identity Uncovered! 2–3 x Scrap of Incendiary Gossip ( 9.50–11.50)	1 x Blackmail Material 1 x An Identity Uncovered! ( 15.00)	14–20	4 (50%), 5 (80%), 6 (66%), 7 (43%), 8 (25%), 9 (11%)
4 x Thirsty Bombazine Scrap 1–4 x Whisper-Satin Scrap ( 10.50–12.00)	1 x Puzzle-Damask Scrap 2 x Thirsty Bombazine Scrap ( 17.50)	18–24	5 (40%), 6 (66%), 7 (57%), 8 (50%), 9 (33%), 10 (20%), 11 (9%)
1 x Uncanny Incunabulum 1–5 x Tale of Terror!! ( 13.00–15.00)	-	22–28	6 (33%), 7 (57%), 8 (50%), 9 (44%), 10 (40%), 11 (27%), 12 (17%), 13 (8%)
1 x Storm-Threnody 1–2 x Aeolian Scream 1–100 x Primordial Shriek ( 15.02–19.50)	-	26+	7 (29%), 8 (50%), 9 (66%), 10 (80%), 11 (91%), 12+ (100%)
1 x Strong-Backed Labour 1–3 x Sworn Statement ( 5.00–10.00)	-	30+	8 (25%), 9 (44%), 10 (60%), 11 (73%), 12 (83%), 13 (92%), 14+ (100%)

Destinies

If you don't already have a Destiny—or you wish to spend Fate to reset your Destiny—this is one of your three annual chances to get one. Bring a Strange Catch 5 to The Fruits of the Zee Festival! and wait for Sights at the Festival 1–33, then Offer your Strange Catch to the Drownies. This will bring you to a storylet where you get to set your Destiny.

WARNING: Once you Offer your Strange Catch to the Drownies, you will not be able to Perhaps Not out, so make sure you are ready to choose a Destiny.

See Destinies (Guide) for more information about Destinies and how to choose which future is right for you.

Menaces

As you explore The Fruits of the Zee Festival!, most branches will increase either Nightmares or Wounds regardless of success or failure. If either hits 8 while on Mutton Island during the Festival, you will trigger the penalty storylet An Unusual Interlude (Nightmares) or Over-Indulgence (Wounds).

Besides returning you to Your Lodgings and resetting Strange Catch, the penalty storylet will drop the corresponding Menace to 6 and reduce two of your main Attributes by a number of CP equal to their current modified levels. An Unusual Interlude will reduce Persuasive and Watchful, while Over-Indulgence will reduce Dangerous and Shadowy.

Fortunately, The Fruits of the Zee Festival! does offer a way to recover Nightmares and Wounds without leaving Mutton Island or reducing your Attributes. With Sights at the Festival 67–100, you can trade in your Strange Catch to either the Custodial Chef (to reduce Wounds) or the Melancholy Curate (to reduce NIghtmares). The amount of reduction is partially randomised, based on your Strange Catch level. As a small consolation, these branches will also give you random amounts of Partial Maps, Zee-Ztories, and Map Scraps, which can be spent for guaranteed Running Battle progress on future fishing expeditions.