Helicon House (Guide)

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Helicon House Summary
Locked Semi-Fixed-Length Activity
Setup Progress End
1 A 2-5 A 1 A
Progress

Details

Make strides towards Fitting in.
Items Inputs/Outputs
Start-up
Inputs
Boosting
Outputs
Raw EPA 3.14Raw SPA 6.19

Helicon House is a location in Ealing Gardens. It is unlocked by acquiring an Acquaintance with Helicon House. With The DF or a Rubbery Bellringer, this can be done with opportunity cards in Ealing.

If you don't have these, you need to build up Investigating... to 5, then "Track the rumours you've been hearing" under the Tour the Neighbourhood storylet. The best sources of investigating before Jericho Locks are either in The Flit, The University or from other sources. See Investigating (Guide) for more info on these. With access to Jericho Locks, Ply them with lager and see what they'll share will give you all the progress you need in a single action.

Entering the House[edit]

To enter the house, you must pay with either a single Surface Bloom or Slim Volume of Bazaarine Poetry, or have either the Oneiric Key ( Bohemian renown 40 item), or the Location of an Underground Organ ( Rubbery renown 40 item). In addition to not removing your renown items, the renown options give 5 Romantic Notions and Warm Amber respectively, and 2 Fitting in at Helicon House (see below).

After this, you can choose which (if any) companion to bring with you. It is recommended within the game, and this guide, to enter with a companion, though the benefits vary greatly. Many of the options are FATE-locked, and both Fate-locked and not can give an increase to Fitting in, Investigating..., Fascinating..., Casing..., or Inspired...; the only notable exception are those who took a particular ending of Nemesis, which gives -3CP of both Nightmares and one of Suspicion or Scandal.


Helicon House Qualities[edit]

Visits to Helicon House use two qualities to determine which actions are available: Time Remaining at Helicon House, and Fitting in at Helicon House (hereafter "Time Remaining" and "Fitting In"). Both of these are reset every visit. In addition there are progress qualities which are not reset.

Time Remaining[edit]

Time Remaining in Helicon House tracks the progression of the evening, and has a slight resemblance to the Time Remaining... quality from Veilgarden Parties, but is not as rigid. Time Remaining starts at 5 (or 4 if entering with the Pendant), and is lowered by 1 every action you take in Helicon House.

Many actions are restricted by Time Remaining, but generally to ranges rather than specific values. Roughly speaking, Time Remaining 4-5 is early in the evening, Time Remaining 3-2 is later in the evening, and Time Remaining 1 is when things are winding down and guests are leaving.

Fitting In[edit]

Fitting In represents your acceptance among the counterculture of Helicon House. Successful actions generally raise it by 1 or 2 points, a handful of options with exclusive requirements raise it by 3 points, and some failures decrease it by 1. Entering Helicon House with any of the Free Entrance methods will start your evening with two free points, and your choice of Companion may give you a free point.

A few actions are gated by Fitting In, sometimes requiring you to take less-profitable actions first to Fit In enough. The profitable options for exiting Helicon House require Fitting In, and several of those options have rewards which scale with Fitting In, although the scaling rewards are not worth being excited about.

In practice, Fitting In is not usually a significant obstacle. A few optimized grinds must fiddle with it to shave an action off of a loop, but most core actions do not require high values. The actions that require values which are difficult to obtain are the ones that will make you Closest To - Rubbery Men or Bohemians.

Progress Qualities[edit]

Helicon House makes use of four Progress qualities that are used elsewhere in Fallen London: Casing..., Fascinating..., Inspired..., and Investigating.... Helicon House does not reset these qualities, and can freely mix with other sources or uses of them in the broader game.

All four qualities can be raised in Helicon House, and the first three can be cashed in profitably. Helicon House uses Investigating... to unlock certain areas, but has no repeatable use for that quality. Casing can be exchanged in the Upstairs Honey Den with Lay claim to any left-behind items, and Fascinating and Inspired can be exchanged in the Prussian Salon with Attract a companion for the rest of the evening and Accept a commission, respectively. Note that all three of those exchanges end your visit in Helicon House.

Several Ambition rewards unlock an option in Helicon House. Many of these are unique ways to raise one of the Progress qualities. Likewise, many of the Companion choices give free Progress on entrance.

Overview of Storylets[edit]

The storylets are ordered into different rooms, which have different focuses. You can mix and match rooms as much as you want to.

The Entrance Hall[edit]

The South Parlour[edit]

The Yellow Salon[edit]

The Prussian Salon[edit]

The Supper Room[edit]

The Upstairs Honey Den[edit]

Must be discovered.

The Mirrored Salon[edit]

Must be discovered.

Below-Stairs[edit]

Must be discovered.

FATE The Sculpture Garden[edit]

Must be discovered, requires A Pendant of Helicon Amber.

Tables[edit]

Table of Fitting In Sources[edit]

Fitting In Sources
Option Location Gain Time Remaining Notes
Arrive fashionably late Helicon House (Storylet) 2 Start at Time Remaining 4, instead of 5
Requires A Pendant of Helicon Amber (FATE)
Show your Pendant of Helicon Amber at the door Helicon House (Storylet) 2 Also gives 3 x Intriguing Snippet
Requires A Pendant of Helicon Amber (FATE)
Gain entry as an old friend to the Bohemians Helicon House (Storylet) 2 Also gives 5 x Romantic Notion
Requires Oneiric Key
Gain entry as an old friend to the Rubbery Men Helicon House (Storylet) 2 Also gives 5 x Nodule of Warm Amber
Requires Location of an Underground Organ (FATE)
Your Boneless Consort
Your Companion in Amber
Your spouse, Cultured Attaché
Your spouse, the Cultured Attachée
Your Festive Rubbery Friend
The Notorious Art Dealer
The Gentleman Smuggler
The Bohemian Sculptress
Alone, or with a companion? 1 FATE
The Blooming Wallflower
The Flexible Intelligencer
The Joyful Charter Clerk
The Joyful Illuminator
The Soothing Palaeontologist
Everyone
The Genre Painter
Alone, or with a companion? 1
Keep a close eye on everyone present The Entrance Hall 1 2+ Also gives Casing and Investigating
Listen to the compositions The South Parlour 1 2+
Sell off a few Glass Gazettes The Mirrored Salon 1 2+ Costs 5 x Glass Gazette, gives 29 x Hinterland Scrip
Admire the work of the Nocturnal Landscape Painter
Admire the work of a fellow Nocturnal artist
The Yellow Salon 1 2+ Only one option is available at any given time, depending on your art school
Flirt with the most interesting person in the room The Supper Room 1 2+ No Companion
Also gives Fascinating
Gorge yourself on mushroom vols-au-vent The Supper Room 1 2+
Dream with the others The Upstairs Honey Den 1 2+ Also gives Inspired
Make polite conversation with a railway passenger The Prussian Salon 1 2+
Critique the work of the Night Painter
Discuss the Tentacled Entrepreneur's plans
Converse with the Dean of Xenotheology
Talk with the Bohemian Sculptress
The Prussian Salon 1 2+ Only one option is available at any given time, depending on Airs of Ealing Gardens
Also give Inspired
Deploy your Morally and Physically Flexible Rubbery Cat The Entrance Hall 2 4+ Costs 3 x Hand-picked Peppercaps
Also gives Casing
Slip a few snacks to your Rubbery Hound The Entrance Hall 2 2+ FATE
Also gives Investigating
Offer yourself as escort and guide The Upstairs Honey Den 2 2+ Requires Set of Cosmogone Spectacles
Also gives Inspired
Perform the duties of a sous-artist Below-Stairs 2 2+
Draw tentacles from the cauldron Below-Stairs 2 2+ Costs 5 x Nodule of Warm Amber and gives 3 x Withered Tentacle
Astonish the company with an illusion The Mirrored Salon 2 2+ Also gives Making Waves
Inspire them with the light of your False-Star The Mirrored Salon 2 4+ Ambition: Light Fingers!
Also gives Inspired
Advance your Spouse's Career The Mirrored Salon 2 Broad 2 challenge Requires Master Jewel Thief, Train Luxuries 5, Casing... 3, gives 3 x Sapphire and 6 x Ostentatious Diamond
Dance with your Lover, Returned
Dance with your Spouse, Returned
The South Parlour 2 4+ Ambition: Nemesis
Also gives Inspired
Share the paintings with your returned Daughter The Yellow Salon 2 4+ Ambition: Nemesis
Also gives Inspired
Dine with your Brother, Returned The Supper Room 2 4+ Ambition: Nemesis
Also gives Inspired
Listen to the compositions 2 The South Parlour 2 2+
Study the Portrait of the Tentacled Entrepreneur
Study the Portrait of the Tentacled Entrepreneur 2
Study the Portrait of the Tentacled Entrepreneur as a work of Bazaarine art
The Yellow Salon 2 2+ Only one option is available at any given time, depending on your art school
Join in with a Rubbery Euphonium
Join in with a Rubbery Euphonium 2
The South Parlour 3 2+ Requires Rubbery Euphonium
Contribute some extra practitioners
Contribute some extra practitioners 2
The South Parlour 3 2+ Requires Rubbery Campanologist and Rubbery Herald
Encourage the Boneless Pianist to join in The South Parlour 3 2+ Requires Boneless Pianist
FATE
Brood, ostentatiously The Supper Room 3 4+ Ambition: Nemesis ( The Bloodied Travelling-Coat of Mr Cups)
Also gives Fascinating
Bask in Admiration The Supper Room 3 4+ Also gives Fascinating
Ambition: Heart's Desire!
Serve up a Culinary Tribute to the Sea of Spines The Supper Room 3 2+ Requires Current Culinary Concoction exactly 57 and Involved in a Railway Venture 90, gives 56 x Hinterland Scrip and Inspired
Display your own painting The Yellow Salon Variable 2+ Requires Completed Painting and Involved in a Railway Venture 80, Fitting In gain/loss depends on Painting: Incendiary/ Painting: Nostalgic, gives Inspired based on Painting: Luminosity, gives 125 x Hinterland Scrip


Tables of Progress Quality Sources[edit]

Casing... Sources
Action Location Gain Time Remaining Notes
Just the right person Alone, or with a companion? +2 Also gives Fascinating and Investigating
Your Platonic Partner in Crime Alone, or with a companion? +2
Your Platonic Eminence Grise Alone, or with a companion? +2 FATE
Keep a close eye on everyone present The Entrance Hall +5-1 2+ Gives more Casing earlier
Also gives Investigating
Deploy your Morally and Physically Flexible Rubbery Cat The Entrance Hall +6 4+ Costs 3 x Hand-picked Peppercaps
Fascinating... Sources
Action Location Gain Time Remaining Notes
Just the right person Alone, or with a companion? +2 Also gives Casing and Investigating
No one! Alone, or with a companion? +2 No Companion
Your Fabulous Accomplice Alone, or with a companion? +5
Your spouse, the Comfortable Intriguer
Your spouse, September
Captain Amelia Whitlock
Alone, or with a companion? +5 FATE
The Infamous Mathematician Alone, or with a companion? +2
Flirt with the most interesting person in the room The Supper Room +6 2+ No Companion
Brood, ostentatiously The Supper Room +5 4+ Ambition: Nemesis
Bask in Admiration The Supper Room +5 2+ Ambition: Heart's Desire!
Inspired... Sources
Action Location Gain Time Remaining Notes
Both your spouses Alone, or with a companion? +2
Your spouse, the Revolutionary Firebrand
Your spouse, the Secular Missionary
Alone, or with a companion? +5 FATE
Critique the work of the Night Painter
Discuss the Tentacled Entrepreneur's plans
Converse with the Dean of Xenotheology
Talk with the Bohemian Sculptress
The Prussian Salon +4 2+ Only one option is available at any given time, depending on Airs of Ealing Gardens
Dream with the others
Offer yourself as escort and guide
The Upstairs Honey Den +6 2+
Dance with your Lover, Returned
Dance with your Spouse, Returned
The South Parlour +8 4+ Ambition: Nemesis
Share the paintings with your returned Daughter The Yellow Salon +8 4+ Ambition: Nemesis
Dine with your Brother, Returned The Supper Room +8 4+ Ambition: Nemesis
Inspire them with the light of your False-Star The Mirrored Salon +8 4+ Ambition: Light Fingers!
Serve up a Culinary Tribute to the Sea of Spines The Supper Room +4 2+ Requires Current Culinary Concoction exactly 57 and Involved in a Railway Venture 90, gives 55 x Hinterland Scrip
Display your own painting The Yellow Salon +0-6 2+ Requires Completed Painting and Involved in a Railway Venture 80, Inspired gain depends on Painting: Luminosity, gives 125 x Hinterland Scrip
Investigating... Sources
Action Location Gain Time Remaining Notes
Just the right person Alone, or with a companion? +2 Also gives Casing and Fascinating
The Roguish Semiotician Alone, or with a companion? +2
Your Esoteric Accomplice Alone, or with a companion? +5
Your spouse, the Academic Intriguer
Your spouse, the Devout Intriguer
Alone, or with a companion? +5 FATE
Keep a close eye on everyone present The Entrance Hall +5 2+ Also gives Casing
Slip a few snacks to your Rubbery Hound The Entrance Hall +20 2+ Costs 1 x Hand-picked Peppercaps
FATE
This guide is incomplete. You can help by expanding it.

Table of Opportunities to Cash In Progress Qualities[edit]

This guide is incomplete. You can help by expanding it.
What needs work: Rewards have not been updated to include added Hinterland Prosperity if you have completed the Railway.


Cashing In
Final Activity Location Requires Rewards Notes
Accept a commission The Prussian Salon Inspired... 24
Fitting In 5
Time Remaining 1
60+(Fitting In/2)(rounded) x Hinterland Scrip
312 x Nodule of Warm Amber
-300 CP Inspired...
Painter of Fine Art
Attract a companion for the rest of the evening The Prussian Salon Fitting In 5
Fascinating... 20
No Helicon House Companion
1 x Favour in High Places
1 x Blackmail Material
375 x Cryptic Clue
570 x Hinterland Prosperity
15 x Extraordinary Implication
-210 CP Fascinating...
-( Fitting In) CP Nightmares
Agree to do a bit of modelling The Prussian Salon Time Remaining < 3
Fitting In 3
(Fitting In/2)(rounded)x Bottle of Strangling Willow Absinthe
18 (20 with any Helicon House Companion) x Hinterland Scrip
Nab a supply of Incorruptible Biscuits on your way out The Entrance Hall Time Remaining < 2 4 x Crate of Incorruptible Biscuits
2-9 (random) x Pot of Venison Marrow
Forget the biscuits, take the Solacefruit The Entrance Hall Train Luxuries 4
Fitting In 3
Time Remaining < 2
20 x Solacefruit
(Fitting In) x Hand-picked Peppercaps
Never mind the Solacefruit, take the mushroom vol-au-vents The Entrance Hall Bizarre 10
Fitting In 2
Time Remaining < 2
1 x Thirsty Bombazine Scrap
(15 + Fitting In) x Hand-picked Peppercaps
Lay claim to any left-behind items The Upstairs Honey Den Fitting In 3
Casing... 5
24+(Fitting In/2)(rounded) x Hinterland Scrip
1-20 x Drop of Prisoner's Honey
1-50 x Moon-Pearl
-15 CP Casing...
Lead them like sacrifices to the Priests of the Red Bird The Upstairs Honey Den The Long-Dead Priests of the Red Bird
Fitting In 5
Inspired... 6
Access to a Parabolan Base-Camp
3 x Expertise of the Third City
6 x Memory of Light
6 x Memory of Distant Shores
1 x Memory of Discordance
1 x Memory of a Much Lesser Self
-? Magnanimous
up to 10 Ruthless
-21? CP Inspired...
+? Nightmares