Editing Moulin Expeditions (Guide)

{{GuideFor|Location = Far Beyond the Cordon|Storylet = Begin your expedition!|Pages = Moulin Expedition Supplies#Moulin: Distance Traversed#Altered, Somehow#Moulin: Returning#Choose a team for an Expedition#A Renegade Claw on your Expedition#A Bandaged Navigator on your Expedition#Assistants' Cut#Wages of a Dig#A Miniature Major-General on your Expedition#Para-Archaeologist#A Rubbery Porter on your Expedition#Tabitha Murgatroyd on your Expedition#The Silk-Clad Expert on your Expedition#A Route through the Moulin Waste}}
{{Audience|LateRailway|Evergreen=yes}}
[[Has icon::File:Hellgorge.png|right]]
{{ActivitySummary
|Activity=Moulin Expeditions
|Starting Actions=2
|Length=Limited
|Progress Actions=8
|Ending Actions=1
|Progress Details=Increase your {{IL|Moulin: Distance Traversed|Appearance=Distance Traversed}}, dig and then return back. Distance limited by {{IL|Moulin Expedition Supplies|Appearance=Supplies}}.
|Output Items=*{{IL|Unlawful Device}}
*{{IL|Proscribed Material}}
*{{IL|Trace of the First City}}
*{{IL|First City Coin}}
*{{IL|Relic of the Second City}}
*{{IL|Relic of the Third City}}
*{{IL|Relic of the Fourth City}}
*{{IL|Silvered Cat's Claw}}
*{{IL|Trace of Viric}}
*{{IL|Rusted Stirrup}}
*{{IL|Silvered Cat's Claw}}
*{{IL|Nicatorean Relic}}
*{{IL|Flask of Waswood Wellspring Water}}
|Boost Items=*''{{IL|Transfixing Squirrel}}''
*''{{IL|Learning from a Silk-Clad Expert|Appearance=Silk-Clad Expert}}''
*''{{IL|Tabitha Murgatroyd}}''
|Raw EPA = 4.41
|Locked=Yes
|Starting Items=*'''Free'''
*{{IL|Piece of Rostygold|100 x}}
*{{IL|Nodule of Warm Amber|10 x}}
*{{IL|Knob of Scintillack|1 x}}
}}
Moulin Expeditions are a repeatable carousel located in {{IL|Moulin}}, once you have built a station there. After some introductory storylets and a tutorial expedition, you are ready to hold expeditions {{IL|Beyond the Cordon}} into the Wastelands of {{IL|Moulin}}.

*This guide uses tables from [[Moulin Expeditions (Guide)/Tables]]

==Beyond the Cordon==
Beyond the Cordon is the story that marks your progress towards unlocking Expeditions. This short story ends with the player paying a payment, one of the following:

*Hell options:
**{{IL|Portfolio of Souls|1 x}} (with a {{IL|Hellish Hymn}} and {{IL|Closest To -}} Hell)
**{{IL|Portfolio of Souls|2 x}} and {{IL|Cellar of Wine|1 x}}

*Society options
**{{IL|Blackmail Material|1 x}} (with a {{IL|Antique Ring Worth Killing For}} and {{IL|Closest To -}} Society)
**{{IL|Bazaar Permit|1 x}}, {{IL|Comprehensive Bribe|1 x}} and {{IL|Legal Document|1 x}}
**{{IL|Bazaar Permit|1 x}} (with {{IL|A Vast Network of Connections Wherever the Bazaar's Influence can be Found|Appearance = A Vast Network...}})

==Basic Mechanics==
===Before the Expedition===
Before the expedition you will need to choose a route and a team.

Different routes will bring different rewards and until you launch your expedition, you can freely change your mind about your choice of route. For an overview of these rewards, look at the reward section below.

The team members you choose affect how much loot you can carry and how much you get to keep. Each possible assistant charges a set percentage of loot and can carry a certain amount of supplies.

===Doing the Expedition===




===Making Progress===
During a regular Expedition, you will expend {{IL|Moulin Expedition Supplies}} to travel out into the Wastes, dig up a treasure, and spend more Supplies to travel out of the Wastes back to Moulin. The last part is important: you need to reserve enough Supplies for the trip back.

The main part of the Expedition uses University Laboratory mechanics: an infinite deck, with a fixed hand size of three cards. All of the cards fall into one of two general categories:

; Obstacles
: ''Non-discardable''. Playing these cards is the only way to make progress on an expedition. 
; Opportunities
: ''Discardable''. They do not advance the Expedition, but may provide a benefit such as extra loot or Menace reduction. Most of them are situationally useful.

Obstacles may have several actions available, representing different ways to approach that obstacle. Usually one of the approaches requires a specific Assistant. Every approach to an obstacle consumes 2 or 3 Supplies, and moves you one distance in the direction you're traveling. Failing a challenge will ''also'' add Menaces, but you will still move forward (or backward) and the number of Supplies used will not change.

Opportunity cards will not make progress (except for {{FontFate}} {{IL|The Silk-Clad Expert on your Expedition|Appearance=The Silk-Clad Expert}}). In some cases, they will let you expend Supplies. Most assistants add an opportunity card to your deck, with a unique bonus.

===Turning Around===
The {{IL|Moulin: Distance Traversed}} quality represents how far into the Wastes you have travelled from Moulin. It will increase by 1 every time you play an Obstacle card, until you turn around. After you turn around, it will decrease by 1 every time you play an Obstacle card. When it reaches 0, your Expedition is concluded and you handle the loot.

The normal way to turn is to [[Dig here!]], which requires you to have traversed 4 Distance. You will be assigned a reward value proportional to your Distance Traversed, and gain a {{IL|Moulin: Returning}} quality that represents a successful dig. You may also give up at any point and head back. Some non-standard Expeditions will have you turn around for different reasons.

The value of your Moulin: Returning quality represents your reason for heading back, and decides what happens when you return to Moulin, but has no effect on the Expedition itself. If present at any value, you are returning and playing Obstacles moves you closer to Moulin instead of further.

===Running out of Supplies===
If you run low on Supplies before returning to Moulin, a [[Out of supplies...|Storylet]] will appear giving you options for acquiring more at the cost of Menaces, namely of {{IL|Wounds}} or {{IL|Disgruntlement among the Expedition}}. It is not possible to acquire more Supplies if you are not returning to Moulin, thus the maximum distance an expedition can go before digging is determined by the Supplies you have when you set out, barring {{FontFate}} {{IL|The Silk-Clad Expert on your Expedition|Appearance=The Silk-Clad Expert}}'s Opportunity card. There are no options to progress except by acquiring more supplies. If your Menaces are in check, then this only costs additional actions to scrounge resources. If your Menaces get out of hand, then you may fail the Expedition.

===Sorting Through Loot===
When you [[Dig here!]], you will be given the quality {{IL|Wages of a Dig}}, which represents the total value in pennies of your Expedition findings. This value is locked-in when you dig for treasure, and will not be modified during the Expedition. Once you return to Moulin, your Wages will be reduced by a ''percentage'' equal to {{IL|Assistants' Cut}}. Then you will receive rewards that total to the remaining Wages (aside from rounding). 

The value of {{IL|Wages of a Dig}} is calculated as:

: {{IL|Moulin: Distance Traversed}} × 1 000 × 1.15 × (value between 0.96 and 1.05)

This formula can be explained as :

: ({{IL|Moulin: Distance Traversed|Appearance=Distance Traversed}}) × ({{e}}10 per distance) × (Balance out {{IL|Assistants' Cut}}) × ({{IL|Luck|Appearance=}}RNG)

The factor of 1.15 is almost exactly canceled out by an {{IL|Assistants' Cut}} of 13: 1.15 × 87% = 1.0005. If you hire your Assistants worth that "baseline" value, then you will earn 10 echoes per Distance on average. Different choices for Assistants will adjust your Wages accordingly. The RNG factor adds some variance, but should average to 1.005 over time.

Your choice of {{IL|A Route through the Moulin Waste}} will not affect the Wages value of the Expedition, only which form it will take. See the table below for a breakdown of how the different Routes convert Wages into loot.

If you were embarked on a non-standard Expedition, or turned around without digging, then you will not have any Wages to pay your Assistants. You will not be able to begin another Expedition until you [[Pay off your Assistants|resolve this situation]] (but are not blocked from anything else). Unless you {{IL|Mithridacy}} your way out of paying anything, the cost of paying them off will be proportional to the outstanding Cut they were promised.

Finally, Wages of a Dig also increases {{IL|Para-Archaeologist}} (up to 7). Every 1500 Wages--''before'' paying your Assistants--gives +1 CP of Para-Archaeologist. So:

{| class="article-table mw-collapsible"
|+'''Average Para-Archaeologist gain per Distance Traversed'''
!{{IL|Moulin: Distance Traversed|Appearance=Distance}}
!4
!5
!6
!7
!8
!9
!10
!11
!12
!13
!14
!15
|-
|Average {{IL|Wages of a Dig}}
|4623
|5779
|6934
|8090
|9246
|10402
|11557
|12713
|13869
|15025
|16180
|17336
|-
|{{IL|Para-Archaeologist}} CP
| +3
| +4
| +5
| +5
| +6
| +7
| +8
| +8
| +9
| +10
| +11
| +12
|}

==Strategy==

Some options to progress your Expedition cost {{IL|Moulin Expedition Supplies|Appearance=Supplies|2 x}}, and some of them cost {{IL|Moulin Expedition Supplies|Appearance=Supplies|3 x}}. The single most important aspect of preparing for your Expedition is ensuring that you always have a 2-costed option, and are never forced to play a 3-costed option. Saving supplies allows for longer expeditions, and more opportunities to play [[A Lesser Find]]. There are six obstacle cards, so you need to unlock options on four of them to guarantee that one will always be available. 

{|class="article-table mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"
!Obstacle Card
!Automatic Pass
!Skill Challenge
!Stat Challenge
!Failure penalty
|-
|[[A Clatterwaul]]
|{{IL|A Bandaged Navigator on your Expedition|Appearance=Bandaged Navigator}}
| -
|{{IL|Watchful}} 220
|{{TableList|{{IL|Nightmares}} +4 CP|}}
|-
|[[A Quandary]]
|{{IL|Tabitha Murgatroyd on your Expedition|Appearance=Tabitha Murgatroyd}}
|{{IL|Transfixing Squirrel}} ({{IL|Kataleptic Toxicology|Appearance=KT}} 8 to 100%)
| -
|{{TableList|{{IL|Wounds}} +3 CP|}}
|-
|[[A Snap-Gap]]
|{{IL|A Rubbery Porter on your Expedition|Appearance=Rubbery Porter}}
|{{IL|Shapeling Arts}} (10 to 100%)
| -
|{{TableList|{{IL|Wounds}} +3 CP|}}
|-
|[[A Viric River]]
|{{IL|The Silk-Clad Expert on your Expedition|Appearance=Silk-Clad Expert}}
| -
|{{IL|A Renegade Claw on your Expedition|Appearance=Renegade Claw}} ({{IL|Persuasive}}) 180
|{{TableList|{{IL|Disgruntlement among the Expedition|Appearance=Disgruntlement}} +1 CP|{{IL|Altered, Somehow}} +1 CP}}
|-
|[[Movement?]]
|{{IL|A Miniature Major-General on your Expedition|Appearance=A Miniature Major-General}}
| -
|{{IL|Dangerous}} 220
|{{TableList|{{IL|Wounds}} +2 CP|{{IL|Disgruntlement among the Expedition|Appearance=Disgruntlement}} +3 CP}}
|-
|[[Clay Soil]]
| -
| -
|{{IL|Shadowy}} 220
|{{TableList|{{IL|Wounds}} +2-4 CP|}}
|}

The most useful attributes to have are {{IL|Shapeling Arts}} 10, and {{IL|Kataleptic Toxicology}} 8 with a {{IL|Transfixing Squirrel}} from {{FontWhitsun}}. Having both of these will enable guaranteed successes on 2-costed actions, without affecting your Expedition Team composition. Almost all Expeditions will have either {{IL|A Renegade Claw on your Expedition|Appearance=Renegade Claw}}, who carries the most supplies of any non-{{FontFate}} Assistant, or the {{FontFate}}-locked {{IL|The Silk-Clad Expert on your Expedition|Appearance=Silk-Clad Expert}}. Additionally, {{IL|A coordinated assault!|Appearance=the Miniature Major-General's automatic pass}} is the only one that always uses {{IL|Moulin Expedition Supplies|Appearance=Supplies|3 x}}, making him the least useful team member.

It is possible to achieve 100% success rate on Skill challenges, but not challenges against primary Stats. Failures do not cost additional supplies, but they do accrue Menaces, making them less desirable than Automatic or Skill options. Removing Stat checks entirely is not possible except with a very odd team composition, but you should minimise the number of Stat options you need to rely on. However, with {{IL|Shapeling Arts}} 10, and {{IL|Kataleptic Toxicology}} 8 with a {{IL|Transfixing Squirrel}}, you can employ the Bandaged Navigator and either the Renegade Claw or Silk-Clad Expert, thus effectively avoiding Stat options (in the sense that the one stat challenge you take does not inflict menaces).

===Gearing Up===
'''You cannot change outfits while on an expedition.'''

If you've managed to pick up a {{IL|Transfixing Squirrel}} from Whitsun, then wear a piece of equipment that increases {{IL|Kataleptic Toxicology}} for the check on [[A Quandary]]. Try to get as close to 10 {{IL|Shapeling Arts}} as you can - {{IL|A Turnip?}} and {{IL|Amber Vision of the Sea of Spines}} should get you up to 9 if you've completed the Railway, and the last point you can get from either spending {{FontFate}}, from {{FontWhitsun}} or other sources. Apart from that, try and minimise {{IL|Persuasive}} - the failure of [[Employ the help of your Cat's Claw]] raises {{IL|Altered, Somehow}} and {{IL|Disgruntlement among the Expedition}}, but the latter is very unlikely to get high enough to cause issues.

If you don't have a {{IL|Transfixing Squirrel}}, you'll want to maximise {{IL|Shapeling Arts}} and {{IL|Shadowy}}.

=== Playing the Expedition ===
Depending on the number of Supplies that you started with, there will be a fixed number of times that you can play [[A Lesser Find]]. Always play this card first, until you have played it the maximum number of times for your Expedition.

Prefer Obstacle cards that you can automatically pass before Stat options (or Skill options you cannot guarantee success). The fallible option with the "best" failure is [[Employ the help of your Cat's Claw]], because it grants {{IL|Altered, Somehow}} on failure. Other fallible options are lowest priority. Once you have enough {{IL|Altered, Somehow}} to draw [[An Alteration]] after your Expedition, cash it out via [[Something Nacreous]].

=== Profit Analysis ===
Without using Fate-locked assistants, the maximum amount of Supplies that an expedition can begin with is 32 (25 from assistants, plus 7 from {{IL|Para-Archaeologist}} at the cap). With this many supplies, the maximum {{IL|Moulin: Distance Traversed}} without digging for supplies is 8 (starting at distance 1, traveling 7 distance out and 8 back at 2 supplies each). Travelling further than this should be avoided: each further point of distance costs 3 actions (one on the outbound journey, one when returning and one to gather more supplies) and only increases the payout by ~10 echoes, which is not efficient. There will be 2 supplies left over which can be spent on playing [[A Lesser Find]]. [[A Rubbery Trench]] is never worth it to play and should just be discarded.

Not counting  Menaces or {{IL|Altered, Somehow}}, this expedition would take 20 actions (2 to hire assistants, 1 to begin, 7 to travel, 1 to dig, 8 to return and 1 to finish) for an average payout of 8 044 {{IL|Wages of a Dig}}, after the assistants take their cut (assuming you bring the Bandaged Navigator). Hiring these assistants costs {{e}}3.50 of goods, so overall this works out to '''3.85 EPA'''. If [[A Lesser Find]] is used twice on the 2 extra supplies, the payout is increased by 15{{e}} on average and 2 more actions are spent (22 in total), bringing the payout to '''4.18 EPA'''. Unfortunately, unless you choose (and have access to) the right assistants and equipment, the Menace action cost starts bringing that down - as does the fact that you won't always get two [[A Lesser Find|lesser finds]] in an expedition.

Access to {{FontFate}}-locked team members will change the payouts. Tabitha does not change the overall strategy, but just allow for longer Expeditions. Optimal play for the Silk-Clad Expert is difficult to model, because her unique card advances distance without costing supplies. Her card should be drawn once every 12 cards; for the table below, we shall round that to twice per expedition. The saved supplies can be used to travel further into the wastes, or to excavate [[A Lesser Find]] more often. Outcomes for both strategies are show below, with digging also separated by how many Lesser Finds you think is reasonable to draw on a single Expedition.  

The table assumes your {{IL|Para-Archaeologist}} is 10, thus giving you an extra 7 supplies.

{|class="article-table mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"
!Assistants
!Expedition Summary
!Income & Expenditures
!EPA
|-
|{{TableList|{{IL|A Renegade Claw on your Expedition|Appearance=Renegade Claw}}|{{IL|A Bandaged Navigator on your Expedition|Appearance=Bandaged Navigator}}}}
|{{TableList|{{IL|Moulin Expedition Supplies|Appearance=Supplies|32 x}}|{{IL|Moulin: Distance Traversed|Short=y|8 x}}|2 x [[A Lesser Find]]|22 Actions}}
|{{TableList|{{IL|Wages of a Dig|9246 x}}|{{IL|Assistants' Cut|-1202}}|-{{e}}3.50 Hire Cost|+{{e}}15 Lesser Finds|'''{{=}} {{e}}91.94'''}}
|'''4.18 EPA'''
|-
|{{TableList|{{IL|A Bandaged Navigator on your Expedition|Appearance=Bandaged Navigator}}|{{IL|Tabitha Murgatroyd on your Expedition|Appearance=Tabitha Murgatroyd}}}}
|{{TableList|{{IL|Moulin Expedition Supplies|Appearance=Supplies|32 x}}|{{IL|Moulin: Distance Traversed|Short=y|8 x}}|2 x [[A Lesser Find]]|22 Actions}}
|{{TableList|{{IL|Wages of a Dig|9246 x}}|{{IL|Assistants' Cut|-1110}}|-{{e}}1.00 Hire Cost|+{{e}}15 Lesser Finds|'''{{=}} {{e}}95.36'''}}
|'''4.33 EPA'''
|-
|{{TableList|{{IL|A Renegade Claw on your Expedition|Appearance=Renegade Claw}}|{{IL|Tabitha Murgatroyd on your Expedition|Appearance=Tabitha Murgatroyd}}}}
|{{TableList|{{IL|Moulin Expedition Supplies|Appearance=Supplies|37 x}}|{{IL|Moulin: Distance Traversed|Short=y|9 x}}|3 x [[A Lesser Find]]|25 Actions}}
|{{TableList|{{IL|Wages of a Dig|10 402 x}}|{{IL|Assistants' Cut|-1560}}|-{{e}}2.50 Hire Cost|+{{e}}22.5 Lesser Finds|'''{{=}} {{e}}108.41'''}}
|'''4.34 EPA'''
|-
|{{TableList|{{IL|A Renegade Claw on your Expedition|Appearance=Renegade Claw}}|{{IL|The Silk-Clad Expert on your Expedition|Appearance=Silk-Clad Expert}}|Go further}}
|{{TableList|{{IL|Moulin Expedition Supplies|Appearance=Supplies|37 x}}|{{IL|Moulin: Distance Traversed|Short=y|10 x}}|1 x [[A Lesser Find]]|25 Actions}}
|{{TableList|{{IL|Wages of a Dig|11 558 x}}|{{IL|Assistants' Cut|-1965}}|-{{e}}2.50 Hire Cost|+{{e}}7.5 Lesser Finds|'''{{=}} {{e}}100.93'''}}
|'''4.04 EPA'''
|-
|{{TableList|{{IL|A Renegade Claw on your Expedition|Appearance=Renegade Claw}}|{{IL|The Silk-Clad Expert on your Expedition|Appearance=Silk-Clad Expert}}|More Finds, average luck}}
|{{TableList|{{IL|Moulin Expedition Supplies|Appearance=Supplies|37 x}}|{{IL|Moulin: Distance Traversed|Short=y|9 x}}|4 x [[A Lesser Find]]|26 Actions}}
|{{TableList|{{IL|Wages of a Dig|10 402 x}}|{{IL|Assistants' Cut|-1768}}|-{{e}}2.50 Hire Cost|+{{e}}37.5 Lesser Finds|'''{{=}} {{e}}113.83'''}}
|'''4.38 EPA'''
|-
|{{TableList|{{IL|A Renegade Claw on your Expedition|Appearance=Renegade Claw}}|{{IL|The Silk-Clad Expert on your Expedition|Appearance=Silk-Clad Expert}}|More Finds, blessed luck}}
|{{TableList|{{IL|Moulin Expedition Supplies|Appearance=Supplies|37 x}}|{{IL|Moulin: Distance Traversed|Short=y|9 x}}|5 x [[A Lesser Find]]|27 Actions}}
|{{TableList|{{IL|Wages of a Dig|10 402 x}}|{{IL|Assistants' Cut|-1768}}|-{{e}}2.50 Hire Cost|+{{e}}37.5 Lesser Finds|'''{{=}} {{e}}121.33'''}}
|'''4.49 EPA'''
|-
|{{TableList|{{IL|Tabitha Murgatroyd on your Expedition|Appearance=Tabitha Murgatroyd}}|{{IL|The Silk-Clad Expert on your Expedition|Appearance=Silk-Clad Expert}}|Go further}}
|{{TableList|{{IL|Moulin Expedition Supplies|Appearance=Supplies|37 x}}|{{IL|Moulin: Distance Traversed|Short=y|10 x}}|1 x [[A Lesser Find]]|25 Actions}}
|{{TableList|{{IL|Wages of a Dig|11 558 x}}|{{IL|Assistants' Cut|-1849}}|+{{e}}7.5 Lesser Finds|'''{{=}} {{e}}104.58'''}}
|'''4.18 EPA'''
|-
|{{TableList|{{IL|Tabitha Murgatroyd on your Expedition|Appearance=Tabitha Murgatroyd}}|{{IL|The Silk-Clad Expert on your Expedition|Appearance=Silk-Clad Expert}}|More finds, average luck}}
|{{TableList|{{IL|Moulin Expedition Supplies|Appearance=Supplies|37 x}}|{{IL|Moulin: Distance Traversed|Short=y|9 x}}|4 x [[A Lesser Find]]|26 Actions}}
|{{TableList|{{IL|Wages of a Dig|10 402 x}}|{{IL|Assistants' Cut|-1664}}|+{{e}}30 Lesser Finds|'''{{=}} {{e}}117.37'''}}
|'''4.51 EPA'''
|-
|{{TableList|{{IL|Tabitha Murgatroyd on your Expedition|Appearance=Tabitha Murgatroyd}}|{{IL|The Silk-Clad Expert on your Expedition|Appearance=Silk-Clad Expert}}|More finds, blessed luck}}
|{{TableList|{{IL|Moulin Expedition Supplies|Appearance=Supplies|37 x}}|{{IL|Moulin: Distance Traversed|Short=y|9 x}}|5 x [[A Lesser Find]]|27 Actions}}
|{{TableList|{{IL|Wages of a Dig|10 402 x}}|{{IL|Assistants' Cut|-1664}}|+{{e}}37.5 Lesser Finds|'''{{=}} {{e}}124.87'''}}
|'''4.62 EPA'''
|}

Alternatively, you could choose to play every [[A Lesser Find]] you draw and make up for the shortfall by [[Convince your team to keep going|gathering more supplies]]; this has the advantage of substantially increasing EPA, but does make the grind slightly more complicated.

A simulation of one million expeditions using this method (with a {{IL|Transfixing Squirrel}} and {{IL|Kataleptic Toxicology}} 8, {{IL|Shapeling Arts}} 9, {{IL|Persuasive}} 200, {{IL|Shadowy}} 280 and {{IL|Wounds}} reduced using [[Sneak away from your wounds]]) gave an estimated EPA of '''4.16'''. With {{IL|Shapeling Arts}} 10, this becomes '''4.24'''; decreasing {{IL|Persuasive}} further would improve EPA, but not by a great deal. If you lack a {{IL|Transfixing Squirrel}}, the EPA drops to '''3.97''' for {{IL|Shapeling Arts}} 9, {{IL|Shadowy}} 286, and '''4.04''' for {{IL|Shapeling Arts}} 10.

If instead you play all your [[A Lesser Find|lesser finds]], these figures become '''4.34''', '''4.41''', '''4.15''' and '''4.21'''.

With {{IL|Shapeling Arts}} 10, a {{IL|Transfixing Squirrel}} and replacing the {{IL|A Renegade Claw on your Expedition|Appearance=Renegade Claw}} with the {{FontFate}}-locked {{IL|The Silk-Clad Expert on your Expedition|Appearance=Silk-Clad Expert}}, the EPA reaches '''4.46'''.

==Expeditions to the Wellspring==
Once you reach {{IL|Para-Archaeologist}} 8, a new expedition is unlocked to [[The Wellspring of the Waste]]. This Expedition has slightly different mechanics and will not get you a direct reward, however there are some special rewards that may be available once you reach {{IL|The Wellspring of Moulin}}.

The first time you visit your {{IL|Para-Archaeologist}} increases to 10 and you get some extra items.
On all visits you will get the following:
*Once per week, reset with Time, The Healer
**Crooked-Crosses: {{IL|Revisionist Historical Narrative|1 x}}, {{IL|Verse of Counter-Creed|1 x}}, {{IL|Antique Mystery|1 x}}, {{IL|Memory of a Much Lesser Self}}
**Crooked-Crosses and everyone else: {{IL|An Epistemologically Flexible Approach to Historiography}} ({{IL|Mithridacy}} mood)
*{{IL|Flask of Waswood Wellspring Water|4 x}}

{{IL|Flask of Waswood Wellspring Water}} can be exchanged for 13 {{e}} worth of items or to find {{IL|Hiding Place of a Peculiar Item}}, which subsequently can be used in heists to gain  102.5 {{e}} worth of items (125 {{e}} with rat market).

Once you've reached your destination and gained your rewards, you may choose to leave the same way as you came, or alternatively leave through Parabola. Doing the latter also gives you {{IL|The Mirror's Hunger}} 2 (or 1 for {{IL|Silverer}}s). This will get you [[That Which was Taken|an opportunity card]], which will either cost a lot of {{IL|Memory of Light}}, {{IL|Wounds}}, {{IL|Nightmares}} or {{IL|Watchful}}.

===Strategy===
<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed mw-collapsible-content">
As you only need to reach Distance 6, you won't need many supplies. You will also want to reduce your costs as much as possible, because these costs will still have to be paid some way or another.
It is recommended to have {{IL|A Miniature Major-General on your Expedition|Appearance=the Major-General}} and {{IL|A Bandaged Navigator on your Expedition|Appearance = the Bandaged Navigator}}, as these should get you enough supplies.

Actions overview:
*11 action to reach the Well, claim the weekly reward and the flasks

Either:
*9 actions to return to Moulin and pay your assistants at the end
''or''
*4 actions to deal with the mirror (menace reduction not included) and pay your assistants at the end

With the first option, if you have 10 Para-Archaeologist, you will have exactly enough supplies to head to Moulin on foot, assuming you take only actions that spend 2 supplies. Without a {{IL|Transfixing Squirrel}}, you may get unlucky and have to spend an action getting more supplies. The second option is likely more profitable if you can efficiently reduce the menaces gained from [[The Mirror's Hunger]] or don't mind your main stats taking a hit.

In addition each expedition costs 100 {{IL|Piece of Rostygold}} to recruit the Navigator and possibly 10 {{h}} to pay your debts.
It takes 19 actions to complete the cycle without the weekly reward and 20 with the weekly reward, in addition to ~6 {{e}} worth of expenses. Exchanging these directly for 13 {{e}} therefore gives an EPA around 2, which is a lot worse than other expeditions at this point. If doing this weekly, by arriving shortly before the living story removes your {{IL|Glowing Viric}} you may acquire 8 bottles in 21 actions, for an EPA of 3.45.

Using the flasks for heists (assuming the ability to assemble an outfit with {{IL|Glasswork}} 12 and {{IL|Shadowy}} ~280, as well as an outfit with {{IL|Monstrous Anatomy}} 12, {{IL|Glasswork}} 11):
* 5.09 actions to convert flasks into hiding places
* 4.07 actions for Parabolan {{IL|Casing...}}
* 1 action for entering Parabola
* 3 actions to prepare for the heist
* ~6.12 actions to complete the heist
* 1 action to convert items to rat shillings
Gives an approximate EPA of around 4.93 without the weekly bonus, 5.42 with it

You can avoid paying your assistants at all by choosing to [[Refer them to the Payroll Office of the GHR]], which will raise {{IL|In Corporate Debt}} by 3 CP and raise {{IL|Ruthless}} by 3 CP. If you're voting dividends at weekly GHR board meetings, take the Payroll Office option after the meeting, since the increase in corporate debt in board meetings is higher the more corporate debt is already present. After a board meeting and subsequent expedition "payment", you will have exactly 5 levels. Inviting the Tentacled Entrepreneur to the board (as part of the next cycle) will completely remove corporate debt. 
</div>

==Other Notes==
===Altered, Somehow===
The only current use for {{IL|Altered, Somehow}} is to draw and use the card [[An Alteration]]. The card has Standard Frequency and appears in the {{IL|Upper River}} when Altered, Somehow is at least 8. It has 5 options, one of which is Fate-locked.

Two of the options' main purposes are to boost your {{IL|Watchful}} or {{IL|Dangerous}} by a significant amount. Two of the others gain you items; one of these gives {{e}}12.988 worth of items at no extra cost, whilst the other costs 5CP of {{IL|Mithridacy}}, gives more situationally useful items that are less quantifiable, and +5CP {{IL|Melancholy}} up to 14.

Finally, all options set Altered, Somehow to 0 and increase {{IL|Number of Completed Alterations}} by 1 level.

==Reference Material==
===Rewards===
All rewards from Expeditions can be used in [[the Archaeological Institute]] for writing Monographs. See [[Writing a Monograph (Guide)]] for a guide to these.

After your Assistants have taken their cut, the sum of rewards from an Expedition into the Wastes will be worth 1 penny per remaining {{IL|Wages of a Dig}} (aside from rounding), distributed across the different results. Most rewards from most expeditions can be sold at the Bazaar. Some rewards from expeditions unlocked later can also be sold at the [[Upper River Exchange]] for {{IL|Hinterland Scrip}}, which increases their Echo value by 1.6% when exchanged for {{IL|Tinned Ham}}. A {{IL|Trace of the First City}} can ''almost only'' be used for writing Monographs, but can be assigned a value based on all other Monograph options consuming {{e}}12.50 echoes of material. (The other use is [[Study the Prelapsarian history of the Red Science]]).  {{IL|Relic of the Second City|Appearance=Relics of the Second City}} are very slightly more profitable for writing monographs, making the The Deep Layer optimum for grinding Cautionary materials.
{{#lsth:Moulin Expeditions (Guide)/Tables|Rewards}}

===Card Tables===
{{#lsth:Moulin Expeditions (Guide)/Tables|Obstacle Cards}}
{{#lsth:Moulin Expeditions (Guide)/Tables|Discardable Cards}}
===Table of Assistants===
{{#lsth:Moulin Expeditions (Guide)/Tables|Table of Assistants}}
[[Category:Guides]]