Fruits of the Zee Festival (Guide) (Old)

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This guide is outdated and has been retired!
You can find the current guide at Fruits of the Zee Festival (Guide).
This guide has been preserved as an acknowledgment of the history of Fallen London and of the contributions to the wiki.
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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[edit]

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[edit]

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[edit]

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.

Sights Quirk 1 Quirk 2
1–10  Austere Hedonist
11–20  Hedonist Subtle
21–30  Subtle Daring
31–40  Daring Melancholy
41–50  Melancholy Heartless
51–60  Heartless Steadfast
61–70  Steadfast Forceful
71–80  Forceful Ruthless
81–90  Ruthless Magnanimous
91–100  Magnanimous Austere

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![edit]

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.

Sights Quirk 1 Quirk 2
1-33  Forceful Austere
34-66  Heartless Steadfast
67-100  Daring Melancholy

End of the cycle[edit]

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[edit]

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![edit]

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[edit]

Sights Action Success
(EPA with skill level 150)
Alternative Success
0–5  Spy on a delivery for the Custodial Chef -
0–33  Listen to the Drownies' songs
0–33  Dance with a Drownie
34–50  "Oi! You stepped on my invisible rat!"
34–66  Accompany a passing crowd of drunken revellers
51–66  Escape the attentions of the Mary Lloyd -
67–76  Stoke an argument between the Custodial Chef and the Melancholy Curate
67–100  Eat at the Curate's Table
67–100  Eat at the Custodial Chef's Table
86–100  Drink with a Hooded Lady of Mysterious Provenance
86–100  Confront a Hooded Lady of Mysterious Provenance -

Trading in a Strange Catch[edit]

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
34–66  Follow them to the well 1+
67–100  Ask the Custodial Chef to prepare your Strange Catch 1+
67–100  Give your Strange Catch to the Melancholy Curate 1+
86–100  Offer a Hooded Lady your Strange Catch 1+ The Wreckers' Cove

The Wreckers' Cove[edit]

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[edit]

Reward Stats Uses PTtWC Possible Strange Catch values (% chance)
Sinning Jenny's Forsaken Wimple! Return Sinning Jenny's Wimple (Waswood) 6–18
  • 2–4 (100%)
  • 5 (80%)
  • 6 (50%)
  • 7 (29%)
  • 8 (12%)
Scrimshander Carving Knife Carve away some evidence of age 10–12
  • 3 (66%)
  • 4 (50%)
  • 5 (20%)
A Faceted Decanter of Drownie Effluvia 14–16
  • 4 (50%)
  • 5 (40%)
  • 6 (33%)
  • 7 (14%)
Wrecking Boots N/A 18–20
  • 5 (40%)
  • 6 (33%)
  • 7 (29%)
  • 8 (25%)
  • 9 (11%)
Nuncian Pocket Watch Time the appearances of Hillchanger Tower|Persuade the Tower to move, using the persuasions of clock and schedule 18–20
Sun-Seared Silken Gloves N/A 18–20
Inquisitive Lamp-cat Introduce your Inquisitive Lamp-Cat 18–20
A Cured Jillyfleur Cloak N/A 22–24
  • 6 (33%)
  • 7 (29%)
  • 8 (25%)
  • 9 (22%)
  • 10 (20%)
  • 11 (9%)
Corpulent Carriage N/A 22–24
The Forsaken Crown of a Grand Devil N/A 26–28
  • 7 (29%)
  • 8 (25%)
  • 9 (22%)
  • 10 (20%)
  • 11 (18%)
  • 12 (17%)
  • 13 (8%)
Semi-Automated Mary Lloyd N/A 26–28
Keelgraspers N/A 26–28
A Submerged Rector 26+
  • 7 (29%)
  • 8 (50%)
  • 9 (66%)
  • 10 (80%)
  • 11 (91%)
  • 12+ (100%)

Fate Items[edit]

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

Item Action FATE-cost Stats Notes
Mutersalt A bronze jar, still cold from the North.. 10
Consignment of Scintillack Snuff A well-packed keg of Scintillack Snuff 10 Also available at several points during the Railway
Viscountess' Bejewelled Collar The Viscountess' Bejewelled Collar 10 Shared Best-in-Slot item for Glasswork; Also available as part of The Sacroboscan Calendar (Guide)
Viscount's Bejewelled Collar The Viscount's Bejewelled Collar 10 Shared Best-in-Slot item for Mithridacy; Also available as part of The Sacroboscan Calendar (Guide)
Anonymous White Mask, Zee-Stained and Mildewy An Anonymous White Mask, Zee-Stained and Mildewy 15 Shared Best-in-Slot item for Dreaded; Also available as part of The Sacroboscan Calendar (Guide)
Bloodstained Eolith A sinister shard of flint 15 Also available from a Rare Failure in the Lab
'For Your Own Good' Compass A wildly spinning compass 15
Pre-Emptive Guinea-Pig An armoured guinea-pig, shackled to a heavy ball of lead 20

Repeatable Rewards[edit]

Reward (Sell Value) Rare Success (Sell Value) PTtWC Possible Strange Catch values (% chance)
  • 6–10 x Zee-Ztory
  • (E 3.00–5.00)
4 1 (100%)
4–8 1 (100%), 2 (100%), 3 (33%)
6–12 2 (100%), 3 (100%), 4 (50%), 5 (20%)
10–16 3 (66%), 4 (100%), 5 (60%), 6 (33%), 7 (14%)
14–20 4 (50%), 5 (80%), 6 (66%), 7 (43%), 8 (25%), 9 (11%)
18–24 5 (40%), 6 (66%), 7 (57%), 8 (50%), 9 (33%), 10 (20%), 11 (9%)
- 22–28 6 (33%), 7 (57%), 8 (50%), 9 (44%), 10 (40%), 11 (27%), 12 (17%), 13 (8%)
- 26+ 7 (29%), 8 (50%), 9 (66%), 10 (80%), 11 (91%), 12+ (100%)
- 30+ 8 (25%), 9 (44%), 10 (60%), 11 (73%), 12 (83%), 13 (92%), 14+ (100%)

Destinies[edit]

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[edit]

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.