Embroiled in the Wars of Illusion (Guide)

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Guide to progressing Embroiled in the Wars of Illusion, both part of and a continuation of the A Name Whispered in Darkness storyline.

Level 0: The Heights of Chicanery[edit]

This guide is incomplete. You can help by expanding it.
What needs work: This part no longer relies on rare success to proceed (see Fallen London Wiki:Patch Tracking)
Flit.png

The Wars of Illusion story begins in The Flit at A Name Whispered in Darkness 6 in the storylet The Heights of Chicanery. There is a secret world beyond what you've already discovered about The Flit, and to uncover it, you start with what worked before: following couriers and finding out what they know.

Increasing Embroiled in the Wars of Illusion to 2 requires successes on particular options from The Heights of Chicanery, some of which require certain levels of Seeking... or/ and Investigating... to access.

You can use the options in The Tricks of the Courier's Trade to build Investigating... and Shadowing Couriers to build Seeking.... (Alternatively, if you have other sources for these, you can use those storylets to build them up and then spend them here.)

Several of the following options give Embroiled on a rare success (+1 CP, except for Dropping the Eaves, which awards +2 CP).

Investigating Gain
Storylet Option Req. Challenge Success Rare Success Failure
The Tricks of the Courier's Trade Spy on the couriers 85  +2 CP 
  • +2 CP 
  • +1 CP (up to 7) 
+1 CP 
Spy on those who supply them 90  +3 CP 
  • +3 CP 
  • +1 CP (up to 7) 
  • -1 CP 
  • +1 CP 
Spy on the Topsy King's court 95  +3 CP 
  • +1 CP 
Deploy your Suspicious Iguana Suspicious Iguana 70%  +2 CP 
  • +2 CP 
  • +1 CP (up to 8) 
  • +1 CP 
Seeking Gain
Storylet Option Req. Challenge Success Rare Success Failure
Shadowing Couriers Follow at a distance 85  +2 CP 
  • +3 CP 
  • +1 CP (up to 7) 
+1 CP 
Follow closely 90  +3 CP 
  • +3 CP 
  • +1 CP (up to 7) 
  • -1 CP 
  • +1 CP 
Disguise yourself as a courier 96  +3 CP 
  • +1 CP 
Deploy your Unerring Elver Unerring Elver 70%  +2 CP 
  • +2 CP 
  • +1 CP (up to 8) 
  • +1 CP 
Cashing In
Storylet Option Req. Challenge Success Rare Success Failure
The Heights of Chicanery Raid a Message-Drop
  • +270 
  • reset 
  • +270 
  • reset 
  • +1 CP (up to 8) 
  • -5 CP 
  • +1 CP 
More than just Messages
  • +540 
  • reset 
  • +540 
  • +10 
  • +1 
  • reset 
  • -5 CP 
Encounters in the Smoke
  • +540 
  • reset 
  • +20 
  • +200 
  • reset 
  • -5 CP 
Intercept a Message
  • +270 
  • reset 
  • +270 
  • reset 
  • +1 CP (up to 8) 
  • -5 CP 
  • +1 CP 
Dropping the Eaves
85 
  • +536 
  • reset 
  • reset 
  • +540 
  • reset 
  • reset 
  • +2 CP (up to 8) 
  • -5 CP 
  • -5 CP 
  • +1 CP 

Level 2: Wars of Illusion[edit]

Mirrordark.png

Once you've gotten Embroiled to level 2 (a total of 3 CP worth of rare successes), a new option appears under The Heights of Chicanery titled Making Your Name: Wars of Illusion. This redirects to the main Flit storylet Wars of Illusion.

Selecting the only option here (What is going on?) sets Embroiled to 6.

Level 6: Bats and Cats[edit]

Making Use of Bats and Cats Summary
Limited-Length Activity
Setup Progress End
0 A 5+ A 1 A
Progress

Details

Raise Making Use of Cats or Making Use of Bats to 5, possibly together with Seeking... and Investigating...
Items Inputs/Outputs
Inputs
Boosting
Outputs
Raw EPA 0.76

You now realize that the bats and cats of The Flit know something about the Wars of Illusion. A new storylet appears in The Flit titled Bats and Cats.

To progress from here and unlock the Bats and Cats option What is going on with these people?, you need to raise all of these qualities to 5: Making Use of Bats, Making Use of Cats, Investigating..., and Seeking...

As before, you can also raise Investigating... and Seeking... elsewhere and apply it here. You can also spend your Bats and Cats qualities in the rewards storylets. Note, however, that all these actions reset those progress qualities on success, meaning you'll have to build them up again to satisfy the above requirements for unlocking What is going on with these people?

Making Use of Bats[edit]

Making Use of Bats Gain
Storylet Option Req. Challenge Success Failure
Bats... Try intercepting some bats Reprehensible Lizard 85 
  • +2 CP 
  • 1 x  
+1 CP 
Train some bats of your own 10 x  Sulky Bat 90 
  • +3 CP 
  • -1 x  
  • -1 CP 
  • +1 CP 
  • -2 x  

You can combine Seeking... with Making Use of Bats for skill check successes.

Making Use of Bats Rewards
Storylet Option Req. Challenge Success Rare Success Failure
Making Use of Bats Intercept a bat on its way to the Palace
  • Reset 
  • 270 x  
  • -5 CP 
  • +1 CP 
Track a bat heading towards Veilgarden
82 
  • Reset 
  • Reset 
  • 540 x  
  • Reset 
  • Reset 
  • 540 x  
  • +3 CP 
  • -5 CP 
  • -5 CP 

Making Use of Cats[edit]

Making Use of Cats Gain
Storylet Option Req. Challenge Success Failure
Cats... Try to find out about their allegiances 90 
  • +3 CP 
  • -1 CP 
  • +1 CP 
Make contacts among cat kind 10 x   85 
  • +2 CP 
  • -10 x  
  • -10 x  
  • +1 CP 
See what your Starveling Cat knows Starveling Cat 90 
  • 3 x  
  • 3 x  
  • 10 x 

You can combine Investigating... with Making Use of Cats for skill check successes.

Making Use of Cats Rewards
Storylet Option Req. Challenge Success Rare Success Failure
Making Use of Cats Ask for help with a little sabotage
  • 3 x  
  • Reset 
  • 140 x  
  • 260 x  
  • -3 x  
  • Reset 
  • 270 x  
  • -3 x  
  • -5 CP 
  • +1 CP 
  • +1 CP 
  • -3 x 
Follow up a tip-off
85 
  • Reset 
  • Reset 
  • 540 x  
  • Reset 
  • Reset 
  • 540 x  
  • +3 CP 
  • -5 CP 
  • -5 CP 

Once you unlock What is Going on with These People? in the Bats and Cats storylet, you will be redirected to a storylet with the option Convoluted like a weasel. This is a Shadowy 95 challenge; failure will subtract 5 CP of each of the tracking qualities, and success will set Embroiled to 9 and A Name Whispered in Darkness to 7.

Level 9: Make More Use of Bats and Cats[edit]

Keyhole1.png

A storylet now appears in The Flit called Make More Use of Bats. Or Cats. Here you can choose whether to work with the bats or the cats — though, as the game informs you, the choice isn't permanent at this point. (Ultimately, siding with the bats will align you with The Glass later in the story, while choosing the cats will align you with The Shroud.)

Choosing bats sets Making Use of Bats to 1, and choosing cats sets Making Use of Cats to 1. Whichever you choose, Embroiled is set to 10.

Level 10: Choosing a Side[edit]

Bat.png

Your choice also unlocks a new Flit storylet, either Working with the Bats or Working with the Cats. (You can unlock the other as well by raising its Making Use quality to 1 on the Bats and Cats storylet.)

Blackcat.png

When your Bats or Cats quality reaches 6, a new Flit storylet appears, either Gain the full trust of the bats or Cement your place with the cats.

The following cards may also appear in your opportunity deck during this section of the story, and give Cryptic Clues and/or Seeking... on success. Additionally, the option Anything but that on A Theosophistical Enquiry gives 2 CP of Plagued by a Popular Song.


Theosophistical Society
Card Req to Draw Choice Req Challenge Success Failure
A Theosophistical Enquiry
  • 97
  • 10-15
Get involved with the Theosophistical Society
  • set to 1
  • 20 x  
Anything but that
  • +2 CP
A Theosophistical Discussion
  • 1-4
  • 10-20
Listen with an open mind
  • +2 CP
  • 20 x  
Remain sceptical
  • +1 CP
  • 20 x  
A Theosophistical Debate
  • 3-4
  • 10-20
  • In
Listen with an open mind
  • 10 x  
Reject the invitation
  • Reset
  • 5 x  
A Philosophical Commission
  • 5-8
  • 10-20
Draw a satirical cartoon 104
  • +3 CP
  • 104 x  
  • -10 CP
  • -1 CP
  • +1 CP
Come prepared 108
  • +3 CP
  • 108 x  
  • -20 CP
  • -1 CP
Intellectual indignation 110
  • -1 CP
  • 50 x  
  • +15 CP
  • -1 CP
  • +2 CP
A Theosophistical Development
  • 5-8
  • 10-20
  • In
Break up the fight 105
  • +3 CP
  • 52 x  
  • +1 CP, Up to 5
  • -1 CP
  • +1 CP
Encourage the fight 106
  • +3 CP
  • 53 x  
  • +1 CP, Up to 5
  • -1 CP
  • +1 CP
A Theosophistical Excursion
  • 5-8
  • 10-20
  • In
Take the class to Watchmaker's Hill 108
  • +3 CP
  • 54 x  
  • -1 CP
A Theosophistical Séance
  • 6-8
  • 10-20
  • In
Play a vital part 110
  • 55 x  
  • 55 x  
  • +2 CP
A Theosophistical Decision
  • 9
  • 10-20
  • In
There's definitely something in it
  • set to 12
It's nothing but a confidence trick
  • set to 10
  • 10 x  
A Theosophistical Occasion
  • 9
  • 10-20
Speak on the Bazaar's Correspondence 1 114
  • 80 x  
  • 80 x  
  • +1 CP
Speak on Spiritualism 1 112
  • 112 x  
  • +1 CP
A Theosophistical Profit
  • 10
  • 10-20
  • In
Expose the scam 110
  • Reset
  • 110 x  
  • +3 CP Up to 10
  • +3 CP Up to 10
  • set to 8
  • +1 CP
Get in on the scam 108
  • Reset
  • 54 x  
  • 54 x 
  • set to 8
A Theosophistical Profit
  • 11
  • 10-20
  • In
Look for wealthy donors Renown: Society 10 110
  • Reset
  • 300 x  
  • +1
  • +1 CP
Find some unconventional donors Renown: Hell 10 114
  • Reset
  • 310 x  
Look for donors where you can Renown: Hell 10 112
  • 112 x  
  • +2 CP

When you're ready to progress, Gain the full trust of the bats or Cement your place with the cats. Both require Shadowy 97 to be unlocked, and the challenge level is Shadowy 101 (but thankfully, you don't lose Bats or Cats CP on a failure).

On success, Embroiled is set to 15, and Connected: Glass (if you chose bats) or Connected: Shroud (if you chose cats) is set to 1.

Level 15: Mahogany Hall[edit]

Mahoganyhall.png

To continue the storyline, you need to unlock the route to Mahogany Hall, which will now appear in the Spite area of your map. Note that unlocking access from the map is fairly pricey, as you'll need a bunch of bats, rats, hats and other bits and bobs -- see the list at Gain entrance to Mahogany Hall.

( Mahogany Hall can also be unlocked temporarily, or permanently for 5 FATE, from the opportunity card The Ways of Mahogany Hall.)

When you reach Mahogany Hall, you will either be welcomed to the Glass if you gained the full trust of the bats and Connected: Glass is now 1, or be welcomed to the Shroud if you cemented your place with the cats and Connected: Shroud is 1 (but not both -- see below).

You'll once more get the chance to rethink your allegiance, and if you choose the "Play both sides" option on either of the "Welcome to the Shroud/Glass" storylets, your Embroiled will be reset to 9, and you can play through that part of the storyline again. Note that this option results in +3 CP Subtle (up to level 10) and is repeatable if you choose the same side again, so if you wish to grind Subtle this way, continue choosing a single side until you decide to move on by choosing the other side, and thus having both Connected: Shroud and Connected: Glass set to 1.

If you choose to remain loyal to your side on a "Welcome to the..." storylet, or if both Connected: Shroud and Connected: Glass are 1 (because you played both Gain the full trust of the bats and Cement your place with the cats) and you see Playing both sides in the Wars of Illusion instead of one of the "Welcome to the..." storylets, then Embroiled will be set to 20 and you can continue with the story.

(If you use Playing both sides in the Wars of Illusion to continue the story, then you do get the Pair of Magician's Gloves you spent to access Mahogany Hall back -- or at least a pair -- which is a nice bonus.)

See Tales of Mahogany Hall (Guide) for more information.

Level 20: An Illusion or a Séance[edit]

The following storylets are available in Mahogany Hall with Embroiled 20 and certain levels of Connected:

Increasing Connected: Shroud Shroud Glass
Hold your own séance? exactly 1 
The mystic arts 2–5 
Before the grand séance 6–14  exactly 0 
Become a double agent for the Shroud 6–9  6–9 
Watching the Grand Illusion 6–10  0–6 
Sabotaging an illusion 11–14 
Final preparations for the grand séance 15 
Increasing Connected: Glass Glass Shroud
Star in your own illusion? exactly 1 
The magic of the theatre 2–5 
Before the grand illusion 6–14  exactly 0 
Become a double agent for the Glass 6–9  6–9 
Sabotaging a séance 11–14 
Final preparations for the grand illusion 15 

If you have one Connected quality, simply progress through your chosen side's storylets. You'll use its Before the grand [performance] storylet to set Connected to 15 and progress to the final stages.

If you have both Connected qualities, you'll need to raise each of them to 6 before the twin Become a double agent for the [Glass/Shroud] storylets appear, and you'll need to choose one to permanently finalize an alliance with your chosen faction. There, you'll have the option of either sabotaging the opposite faction via an additional Sabotaging a [performance] storylet, or progressing straight to the final performance. After either skipping or progressing with the sabotage, the associated Connected for your faction will be set to 15.

Once Connected is 15, the Final preparations storylet will unlock for your chosen side. That storylet will raise your Connected to 16 and set Embroiled to 25, unlocking a new storylet for the final performance.

Level 25: The Performance[edit]

It's time to put on your big séance or illusion. In either case, it's a Shadowy 113 challenge, and success raises your Connected to 20.

Note: Unlocking The Most Daring Feat of Illusion and Escapology! also requires Day of the Week to be set at 6 (Saturday) via The weekly variety bill!, which in turn requires Tales of Mahogany Hall to be at least 13. See Tales of Mahogany Hall (Guide) for details.