The Most Serene Mausoleum

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The Most Serene Mausoleum
The Most Serene Mausoleum (Sidebar)
Located in	Albion
Ports	The Nave
Shops	Memorabilia

The Most Serene Mausoleum is a port in the outer circle of Albion, located in the same segment as Avid Horizon.

Log Entries

A hush lies over the Mausoleum, heavy as a sodden blanket.
A stoker sings a patriotic anthem: "She laid him in the stone's grey grip, 'My love no more is he; O Albion, my Albion, I've no consort but thee.'"
It is as solemn and quiet as an empty church.

The Aunt brushes a complaining crewmember's hair. "It's for your own good. You are close to Royalty."
The Fortunate Navigator frowns. "Promise me - if I die - you won't bring me here. Take me to the Empyrean."
The Inconvenient Aunt frowns. "We're here. I hope we can rely on your crew's discretion."
The Rat Brigade stands to patriotic attention as the Mausoleum comes into view.
The Signalman considers the looming Mausoleum. "Rich or poor, we all end in a box."
The Incautious Driver stares in bleak horror at the Mausoleum. "Never. I couldn't be so trapped."
The Incognito Princess is fascinated by the Mausoleum – until she sees you noticing.
The Vagabond is horrifying your crew with improbable stories about the ghosts that haunt the Mausoleum.
"A house of the dead," the Hoarder says, watching the Mausoleum. "When we ruled London, such things were unnecessary."
"The resting place of Albion's great and good. The great, at least." The Repentant Devil smiles.
"This place induces melancholy," says the Poetic Forged Companion. "I can use that."

The Nave

The soaring, sepulchral heart of the Most Serene Mausoleum. Constructed over the cooling embers of Albion's murdered sun; the Mausoleum was built to house London's most glorious dead.

Kensington Station
Category	Story Event
Type	Story
Data ID	283363

Kensington Station

"An Awareness of the Rules of the Mausoleum(Arrival)"

Trigger conditions

An Awareness of the Rules of the Mausoleum ≤ 1,

Interactions

Actions	Requirements	Effects	Notes
Be escorted inside The footman watches you alight from your engine. He coughs meaningfully.	An Awareness of the Rules of the Mausoleum ≤ 0	Amongst the dead Lighting a fresh taper, which he carries in a silver holder, the footman leads you through a narrow arch and down a winding spiral stair. You can hear weeping close by, but the echoes make it hard to discern the source. Soon after, you hear a sharp burst of laughter and music. Occasionally, you can make out the rumble of what the footman confirms to be the London Necropolis Railroad, far below. At the very bottom is an oak-paneled door. The footman unlocks the door, bows, and departs. An Awareness of the Rules of the Mausoleum = 1
Introduce yourself There are protocols that must be followed in the Mausoleum.	An Awareness of the Rules of the Mausoleum = 1	An introduction and a warning She has you fill out a form, indicating your profession, age, usage of hours, and to confirm your legal status as alive. "The Prince Consort's Tomb is exceedingly popular. To prevent congestion, donations are requested. The greater the donation, the longer you will be allowed to gaze upon the sepulchre." "If one is fortunate enough to garner the attention of one of the Deathless, one must be respectful and only speak when spoken to. It does not do for the living to linger long among the dead." She files away your form into an excessively large black cabinet. An Awareness of the Rules of the Mausoleum = 5 Airs of the Most Serene Mausoleum = (1 to 500) Triggers event:  The Nave

Attending a Funeral
Category	Story Event
Type	Story
Data ID	303692

Attending a Funeral

Few mourners are willing to brave the long journey through the Reach to say goodbye to a loved one. Visitors are welcome to the extra chairs in the Mausoleum's many chapels, provided they carry themselves appropriately. It is a calming way to spend a few hours, basking in lives well-lived, or taking solace in still having a future.

Trigger conditions

Date ≥ An Opportunity in the Most Revered Mausoleum,
Airs of the Most Serene Mausoleum ≥ 1

Interactions

Actions	Requirements	Effects	Notes
Attend a miser's funeral The chapel is empty. The corpse lies, largely unmourned.		Good riddance The attending priest drones soothingly as the few mourners chatter. They came in the hope of a last minute display of generosity. They leave frustrated and disappointed, if not surprised. -5 x Terror An Opportunity in the Most Revered Mausoleum = Date+15 Airs of Opportunity = (1 to 100) Triggers event:  The Nave
Attend a skyfarer's funeral The priests welcome other travellers to share their stories from afar.	Sky-Story ≥ 1 Airs of Opportunity ≥ 0 and ≤ 49	Not forgotten The funeral is a mix of gentle sobbing and clutching handkerchiefs in excitement at stories from the depths of the High Wilderness. You play your part, ensuring that a fellow traveller's life is remembered, instead of being lost to the winds far from home. -10 x Terror Airs of Opportunity = (1 to 100) An Opportunity in the Most Revered Mausoleum = Date+15 -1 x Sky-Story Triggers event:  The Nave
Attend a Deathless funeral The funerals of those joining the Deathless are rare. Privileged onlookers are invited to attend when they occur – for their own betterment.	Airs of Opportunity ≥ 50 and ≤ 100 Sovereign ≥ 100	Interred in state Airs of Opportunity(Deathless) Airs of Opportunity(Deathless2) -10 x Terror Airs of Opportunity = (1 to 100) An Opportunity in the Most Revered Mausoleum = Date+15 +1 x Favour Bestowed Triggers event:  The Nave

The Nave
Category	Story Event
Type	Story
Data ID	294059

The Nave

Visitors to the Most Serene Mausoleum are ushered into the Nave, a vast soaring vault above the heart of the Mausoleum. Here, guests to the Mausoleum may visit the tomb of the Prince Consort, arrange for the burial of their own dead in the catacombs, or merely enjoy the solemn environs of the Empress' monument to her departed love.

Trigger conditions

An Awareness of the Rules of the Mausoleum ≥ 5

Interactions

Actions	Requirements	Effects			Notes
Inter your Aunt It is time. She has requested shore leave at the Mausoleum, and means to join the Deathless. Game note: Your Aunt will leave your engine. You may pick her up again at any time.	Aunt at the Mausoleum ≤ 0 In Possession of an Aunt ≥ 1	Requiem Your Aunt adjusts her horrible veil and beams at you. "Remember, I shall be listening very carefully to your eulogy," she informs you, before being led away into the Mausoleum. The funeral passes in a haze of sherry and fortified wine. Your Aunt's service to the crown is remembered, as are her many contributions to civic life. When the priest forgets a few, your Aunt reminds him in a loud stage whisper from within her ceremonial coffin. And then it is over. Your Aunt has joined the Deathless, for a probationary period. As she tells you afterward, she is free to 'bunk off' whenever she fancies. After all, who will tell her no? Secondment: Inconvenient Aunt = Inconvenient Aunt Inconvenient Aunt = 0 Secondment: Revolutionary Aunt = Your Revolutionary Aunt Your Revolutionary Aunt = 0 Secondment: Spymaster Aunt = Your Spymaster Aunt Your Spymaster Aunt = 0 Aunt at the Mausoleum = 1 Aunt Recruited = 1 (if ≤ 1) Triggers event:  The Deathless Aunt
Look for the Inscribed Tinkerer's sigil The walls are adorned with all manner of ornamentation.	Inscriptions in the Sky = 1 [The Inscribed Tinkerer has asked you to find an example of the Correspondence at Traitor's Wood, the Most Serene Mausoleum, or Pan]	Sifting through sigils You follow the Tinkerer's instructions. A quiet window off a landing below the upper vault. Far below, mourners and courtiers – all in black silk – wander the nave like a host of spiders. You take out a magnifying glass provided and turn your attention to the walls. Some quick thinking on your engineer's part doused the worst of the flames. The Correspondence often has spectacular side-effects. Your notebook has survived, with your drawings of the many, many identical broken sigils that adorn the gallery that looks out over the dead star below. +5 x Terror Inscriptions in the Sky = 10 [You have discovered the Tinkerer's Sigil. Return to her at the Royal Society] Correspondence Sigil in the Most Serene Mausoleum = 10 [[COMPLETE]You found the sigil in the Most Serene Mausoleum] Correspondence Sigil in Pan = 0 Correspondence Sigil at Traitor's Wood = 0
Drop off the crew of the Boatman The headquarters of the Necropolis Line are buried somewhere near the Nave.	Unquiet Living = 1 [You are escorting the crew of the Boatman to the Most Serene Mausoleum]	A nervous return The captain fiddles with her cuff links as she accompanies you to the Office of the Necropolis Line. Her crew have scurried away. "You don't have to come in," she says, not looking at you. "But the Manager's not going to be pleased. If you'd put in a good word..." She trails off. You have arrived at the unobtrusive black painted door of the Office. The knocker bears a grinning silver skull. Inside, the Office is funerary, draped in indigo, and accented with fussy silver fixtures. The Line Manager looks up from his desk and glowers at the captain. "Where the bl__dy hell have you been?" +10 x Trespassing on the Boatman The Crew of the Boatman = 0	Speak up for the captain Captains ought to look out for each other.	The Line Manager rants and rages till you manage to interject. Your mention of 'exceptional circumstances' gives him pause, and your production of the captain's own log puts a stop to his complaints. He plainly does not believe you, but he seems afraid of anything in writing. He dismisses you both, but not without a significant reward for your trouble and your immediate departure. Outside, the captain deflates with relief. "Thank you! Thank you! I'll remember your kindness." +50 x Sovereign +1 x Cryptic Benefactor Unquiet Living = 15 [[COMPLETE]The captain's account was accepted by the Necropolis Line]
			Denounce her She did try to incinerate people, after all.	The Line Manager fumes; the captain makes a mess of her story. The Line Manager doesn't credit a word of it, but is more than happy to believe the worst of his employees. You are seen out, but not without a hefty purse from the Line Manager, 'for your discretion'. +550 x Sovereign Unquiet Living = 10 [[COMPLETE]The captain was reprimanded by the Necropolis Line]
Investigate the Chamberlain's disappearance No one seems willing to state the obvious: that the Chamberlain's sudden absence is a cause for concern.	Date ≥ Chamberlain Search Timer Hearts challenge (62 for 100%) Favour Bestowed ≥ 1 [The Empress' courtiers tolerate you] The Chamberlain's Absence = 1 [The Dismal Chamberlain is missing. Perhaps this merits further investigation]	Failed event			Advanced query needs investigation
		The Missing Chamberlain The other Deathless studiously avoid the topic of the Chamberlain's disappearance, talking around it as one might talk around indelicate matters in polite company. Missing? No, he is 'indefinitely indisposed'. Their polite silence is impossible to break; they change the subject with consummate skill. Perhaps you'll have more luck getting them to open up after more time has passed, and the Chamberlain's continued absence becomes impossible to ignore. Chamberlain Search Timer = Date + 15 -1 x Favour Bestowed
		Successful event
		The Missing Chamberlain The Deathless frown on any discussion of the matter among their servants, but you manage to befriend a group of footmen over a game of cards. It's an issue that's been gnawing at them: With the Chamberlain gone, no one has seniority of the sepulchre, and no one has permission to correct the clocks that go wrong. "When I last saw him, he was descending into the deepest vault," says one of the footmen, laying down a King and Queen of Hearts. "We're not meant to go down there, so I thought it was odd, but I'm hardly going to stop him, am I?" Game note: You can follow the Chamberlain's trail from here in the Nave. The Chamberlain's Absence = 2 [You have learned that the Dismal Chamberlain was last seen descending into the vaults beneath the Most Serene Mausoleum. You can follow him from the Nave] -1 x Favour Bestowed
Descend into the vaults to search for the Dismal Chamberlain No one seems entirely sure which of the vaults is the deepest. The footman advises you to just keep going down until there's no 'down' left.	The Chamberlain's Absence = 2 [You have learned that the Dismal Chamberlain was last seen descending into the vaults beneath the Most Serene Mausoleum. You can follow him from the Nave]	Descent It isn't long before your legs are aching. The vaults seem to offer much more 'down' than the footman had implied. You passed your last coffin long ago – it seems like there's nothing else here but dust and cobwebs. There are torch-brackets on the walls, but no torches. At first you thank Heaven you brought your lantern; but much further down, where the steps are crumbling away, you find the deepest vault bathed in harsh, red, unrelenting light. Triggers event:  The Stain-Beneath-Marble
Ask after the Chamberlain Did he ever make his way back to the Mausoleum?	Pursuing: the Dismal Chamberlain = 1 [Perhaps someone at Brabazon, where you saw him last, or the Mausoleum, his old haunt, can tell you the Chamberlain's current whereabouts] Isery ≤ 0	The Chamberlain's fate The Deathless seem reluctant to discuss the Chamberlain's fate. Finally, the Engraved Mourner agrees to tell you what happened if you immediately drop the subject afterwards and stop making everyone uncomfortable. He accompanies you to a secluded room, and pours you a cup of hot sweet tea. "The Chamberlain was sent a little mad by the Stain-Beneath-Marble," he says. "He ended up languishing in Brabazon. We collected him and sent him to Carillon for a cure to his... obsessions." Pursuing: the Dismal Chamberlain = 2 [The Dismal Chamberlain has been sent to Carillon, in the hope he can be cured of his questing obsession]
Find the Privy Counsellor's Tomb Your Aunt wants to find the final design for the Unclear Bomb. "It'll prove collusion. Or," she adds hopefully, "provide exoneration." Someone in the Mausoleum might be able to help.	Learning about an Inconvenient Aunt ≥ 70 and ≤ 80 Favour Bestowed ≥ 1 [The Empress' courtiers tolerate you] Inconvenient Aunt ≥ 1 [You have recruited the Inconvenient Aunt.]	A candlelit confession The Luminous Cardinal tracks you down as you make enquiries of the footmen. His vestments are as pale as a winter dawn. "This way," he whispers. He leads you deep into the chambers of the Mausoleum's heart. The hallways here are lit only by candlelight. At last, you arrive at a narrow archway that looks down on a long spiral stair. "The Privy Counsellor is buried below. His funeral was ostentatious. He was accorded the second largest tomb. I began wondering— It is blasphemy. May God have mercy on all our souls." The Cardinal strides away into the gloom. -1 x Favour Bestowed Learning about an Inconvenient Aunt = 80 [Search the Privy Counsellor's Tomb to find the designs for the Unclear Bomb] Triggers event:  The Veteran Privy Counsellor's Tomb
Search for a Clay Man The Clay Conductor seeks a new singing partner.	Learning about the Clay Conductor = 10 [The Clay Conductor wishes to visit the Most Serene Mausoleum]	High in Her Renewed Majesty's Favour The Most Serene Mausoleum is full of mourners, tourists and aristocrats, seeking to reconcile themselves with death, one way or another. The Clay Men are conspicuous in their absence. The Clay Conductor lumbers gloomily among the mourners, searching fruitlessly for someone who resembles himself. Eventually, the Cheery Registrar appears. "I'm sorry," she tells you, "Your friend is making people miserable." You explain your situation, and she relents. After a brief consideration of those interred in the Mausoleum, she suggests that you seek an audience with the Engraved Mourner, a man of polished marble. He is one of the Deathless. Game note: You will need to gain Favour of the Deathless through meeting them in the Mausoleum before you can arrange an audience with the Engraved Mourner. Learning about the Clay Conductor = 15 [Spend Favour of the Deathless to arrange an audience with the Engraved Mourner]
Inform the Engraved Mourner of the Chamberlain's fate He became a quester for the Martyr-King's Cup, and has abandoned his role at the Mausoleum.	The Chamberlain's Absence ≥ 5 and ≤ 7	A fate sealed The Mourner's tone is grim. "Yes. We knew. The Chamberlain was always preoccupied by the deepest vaults. Too many visitors have gone down there and come back with strange ideas in their heads." He hands you a sheaf of documents. "Maps from his office, with his notes. They may prove useful. I'm giving them to you because the alternative is to burn them." As you turn to leave, he raises a polished finger. "Before you go: a warning. Fortunately for you, you have not been chosen to seek the Cup. But you should ensure that the journal is destroyed. It can only lead others astray." The Chamberlain's Absence = 8 [[COMPLETE]You discovered the fate of the Dismal Chamberlain, and relayed it to the Engraved Mourner] +1 x Unlicensed Chart +1 x Savage Secret +2500 x Experience
Arrange a meeting with a Retired Devil A single devil resides at the Mausoleum. He spends his time corresponding with various academics. An introduction can be arranged – but one thing your acquaintances agree on: he is in no way 'retired'.	Infernal Appetites ≤ 20 [You've gained access to Number 13, Jubilee Road] Affiliation: Academe ≥ 4 Legacy: Infernal Philatelist ≤ 0	Triggers event:  A 'Retired' Devil
Revisit the Retired Devil Infernal Appetites(Tampered)	Infernal Appetites ≥ 40 and ≤ 45 Legacy: Infernal Philatelist ≤ 0	Triggers event:  A 'Retired' Devil
Listen to the Will Of The People A delegation has been sent to petition you in your role as Minister.	Constituents Waiting = 2 [Delegations are waiting in Carillon, Lustrum, The Most Serene Mausoleum and Worlebury] An Awareness of the Rules of the Mausoleum ≥ 1	Endless problems, few solutions You listen with appropriate amounts of care to each person who begs a moment of your time. The majority are local issues, not worth bringing up in Parliament. Occasionally, inspiration strikes for a new law. You promise with a practiced politician's sincerity that even if there is nothing you can do, you will do it to the best of your ability. They seem mollified by that. The Will of the People = 1 [You have taken note of the Will of the People.] Constituents Waiting = 0 [Delegations around Albion and the Reach are waiting for your arrival]
		Rare event (10%)
		Endless problems, few solutions You listen with appropriate amounts of care to each person who begs a moment of your time. Until the egg hits you in the face. The perpetrators run off giggling. You wipe away the dripping yolk. Someone should make a law against that sort of thing... The Will of the People = 1 [You have taken note of the Will of the People.] Constituents Waiting = 0 [Delegations around Albion and the Reach are waiting for your arrival]
Locate the convent The nun detained in the Avid Horizon was on her way here. Perhaps her sisters might be able to shed some light on her predicament.	An Awareness of the Rules of the Mausoleum ≥ 1 The Nun's Story = 1 [Go the Most Serene Mausoleum to find the convent the nun was travelling to]	The convent The convent is located in a sepulchral annex of the Mausoleum, just off the Nave. Red candles light the way through the gloomy hallways to the entrance. It is ostensibly for the good of the souls of those sequestered in the Mausoleum and patronised by the Luminous Cardinal. You can't help but note the decor is very martial. A Furious Prioress is on hand to answer your questions. "Yes we know her. No, we did not ask her to join us." She frowns. "And even if we had, which I'm not saying we have, diplomatically, we could never be seen to have officially vouched for her. Do you understand?" +5 x Terror The Nun's Story = 10 [[COMPLETE]You have gathered information on the nun]
Write a Port Report The Most Serene Mausoleum is, if not the heart of Her Renewed Majesty's Domain, then at least its pulmonary valve.	An Awareness of the Rules of the Mausoleum ≥ 1 Report: Most Serene Mausoleum ≤ 0	The Most Serene Mausoleum endures. The catacombs grow as the Necropolis Line brings more bodies for burial. Traders bring fresh hours into the Mausoleum; endowments from the Empress for the Deathless interred in their vaults. Plans are in motion to add a new chapel to the Nave, while the Deathless petition for a new, separate station for the exclusive use of their servants. Death has never been so much in motion. +1 x Report: Most Serene Mausoleum
Visit the Memorial to the Prince Consort The most dearly beloved corpse in all Albion.		Triggers event:  The Prince Consort's Tomb
Approach the Deathless Her Renewed Majesty's most highly favoured courtiers prefer the upper climes of the Nave, away from excitable members of the public.		Triggers event:  Courting the Deathless
Inter a member of your crew The Mausoleum accepts remains or mementos of the dead in its vaults. For those who can afford it, of course. For everyone else, there's always the sky.	An Awareness of the Rules of the Mausoleum ≥ 1 Sovereign ≥ 100 Crew ≤ Quarters-1	The Cheery Registrar adopts an expression of practised solemnity and calls for a footman. The footman asks a number of questions about the crewmember: name, occupation, bier or niche, candles and how often, flowers and what variety. Eventually he is satisfied, and leads you and those of your crew closest to the deceased into the catacombs of the Mausoleum. You are guided to a vast tomb, where candles have been lit and the scent of lilies is strong. Your crewmember is interred in a small drawer in one wall of many. Here your crewmember (or some part of them, at least) will remain, at last at rest. -100 x Sovereign -10 x Terror			Advanced query needs investigation
Contemplate the dead sun The corpse of Albion's old sun is visible from the great rose-coloured window.	Mirrors challenge (50 for 100%) Date ≥ Sunstruck	Failed event			Advanced query needs investigation
		Old broken thing The burnished light of the Clockwork Sun gleams on the window. You raise a hand to your brow and squint. Through the gold-flecked glass, you can make out the shattered bulk of Albion's former sun far below. When Her Majesty's armies entered Albion, they conquered the territory by slaying its sun. A weapon of appalling power was built for the task, the proof of which is the smoking, ash-clogged remains below. The sun is quenched, and in its absence London has built its own. +5 x Terror Sunstruck = Date+14
		Successful event
		The conquest of heaven Smoke still rises from the sun's smouldering core. The wound that slew it is clearly visible: a great rent torn in one side. Star-stuff, long since cooled to the colour of coal, spills into the sky. When Her Majesty entered Albion, she slew the sun with an experimental weapon: an Unclear Bomb. Then she claimed the sun's throne and dominion. Leaving the remains here is a clear message: not even the suns are above the Empire's reach. Sunstruck = Date+14 +1 x Vision of the Heavens +5 x Terror
		Partial success event (5%)
		The sun looks back The body of the sun is still cooling. A few embers continue to glow at its core, a low and sullen red. When Her Majesty entered Albion, she slew the sun with an experimental weapon: an Unclear Bomb. Then she claimed the sun's throne and dominion. You can't help feel that, as you gaze on the sun, the sun gazes back. Attention: the Storm that Speaks = 10 (if ≤ 0) [You are watched] +1 x Vision of the Heavens +5 x Terror Sunstruck = Date+14
Finish an unfinished story for the Gardener-Archivist Instigate conflict. Answer questions. Tie loose threads. The Unflower can guide you.	Random Unflower = 2 The Gardener-Archivist's Resolution = 2 [You are in the process of concluding one of the Gardener-Archivist's stories] An Unflower for the Most Serene Mausoleum ≥ 1	A denouement You read the petals of the Unflower. It blackens and wilts in your hands. It becomes apparent what you must do to bring the story to an end... You burst into the funeral, to a chorus of shocked gasps and swoonings. You tear open the lid of the coffin. "This is not the real Sam Wellard!" you exclaim. "This... is his identical twin! Please, come here, and examine the birthmark!" Pandemonium, naturally, ensues. Your part is played; now the story can end. You slip out the back door. An Unflower for the Most Serene Mausoleum = 0 The Gardener-Archivist's Resolution = 3 [Return to the Gardener-Archivist in the Shadow of the Sun and tell her the conclusion of her story]

The Deathless Aunt
Category	Story Event
Type	Story
Data ID	312340

The Deathless Aunt

Your Aunt resides among the hushed sepulchres of the Most Serene Mausoleum, as one of the Deathless Few.

She has been given a generous apartment, the decor of which she has thoroughly ruined with brightly-coloured antimacassars and little china ornaments. "I don't hold with Neo-Gothic," she informed you, when you passed comment.

Trigger conditions

Aunt at the Mausoleum ≥ 1
Your Aunt is missing ≤ 0,

Interactions

Actions	Requirements	Effects	Notes
Ask your Aunt to curry favour with the other Deathless While she's here, she might as well be useful.	Aunt Randomiser ≤ 0 An Aunt at Work ≤ 0 Aunt's Project ≤ 0	A full calendar Your Aunt giggles. It is an alarming noise. "I have pre-empted you!" She directs your attention to her diary. What was once a slim notebook is now bulging with timetables, folded up sheets of paper and what might be a small bottle of sherry. "I have appointments already. Do you know I was at finishing school with the Counsellor?" Your Aunt's eyes gleam. "I don't think she remembers. But she will." Aunt Randomiser = (1 to 3) An Aunt at Work = Date+30 Aunt's Project = 1
Ask your Aunt to gather Barrels of Unseasoned Hours The Deathless are supposedly pensioned with an inconceivable amount of them.	Aunt Randomiser ≤ 0 An Aunt at Work ≤ 0 Aunt's Project ≤ 0	An idea Your Aunt looks momentarily downcast. "I'm only on probation – in anticipation of a future and permanent residence. I haven't been given any—" Her eyes widen behind her spectacles. Her expression is avid. It resembles that of an owl descending upon a vole, as seen from the perspective of the vole. "But I know where I might find some. Leave it with Aunty." Aunt Randomiser = (1 to 3) An Aunt at Work = Date+30 Aunt's Project = 2
Claim the Favour your Aunt has been gathering with the Deathless She has been busy terrorising the more senior members of the Mausoleum's permanent guests.	Date ≥ An Aunt at Work Aunt Randomiser ≥ 1 and ≤ 2 Aunt at the Mausoleum ≥ 1 Aunt's Project = 1	A trove of useful information Your Aunt has accumulated a terrifying stack of information – charmed, flattered and occasionally blackmailed from the other Deathless. She is, as ever, circumspect as to her exact methodology. "As it happens, " she says over a cup of horribly sweet tea, "the Counsellor did remember me." +2 x Favour Bestowed An Aunt at Work = 0 Aunt Randomiser = 0 Aunt's Project = 0	Advanced query needs investigation
Collect Hours from your Aunt She has been busy.	Date ≥ An Aunt at Work Aunt Randomiser ≥ 1 and ≤ 2 Aunt at the Mausoleum ≥ 1 Aunt's Project ≥ 2	A reward for labour You meet your Aunt at an unobtrusive pew in a side-chapel of the Nave. She is wearing her biggest hat, presumably having assumed you might have forgotten what she looked like in your absence. You have your satchel, as requested. You place it beneath the pew, also as requested, and slide it across with your feet. Your Aunt gives a solemn nod, before performing her part of the exchange. You both leave with satchels; yours containing the location of the Hours drop. Hers clinks faintly as she walks away. An Aunt at Work = 0 Aunt Randomiser = 0 Aunt's Project = 0 2+(1 to 2) x Barrel of Unseasoned Hours	Advanced query needs investigation Advanced alteration value probably needs examination.
Collect your Aunt It's time she was aboard again. Game note: This will interrupt any task she was working on for you.	Aunt at the Mausoleum ≥ 1 Your Aunt is missing ≤ 0 Aunt Randomiser ≤ 2	A return to service "Oh, hurrah," she says, rushing to gather her things. "It's not that I missed you. I am quite capable of managing by myself," she insists, before launching into a lengthy diatribe on the ways the other Deathless fail to keep up the standards to which she's become accustomed. She hefts her enormous travel bag and adjusts her hat in her ugly hand mirror. "Shall we?" Aunt Randomiser = 0 An Aunt at Work = 0 Aunt's Project = 0 Secondment: Spymaster Aunt x Your Spymaster Aunt Secondment: Spymaster Aunt = 0 Secondment: Revolutionary Aunt x Your Revolutionary Aunt Secondment: Revolutionary Aunt = 0 Secondment: Inconvenient Aunt x Inconvenient Aunt Secondment: Inconvenient Aunt = 0 Aunt at the Mausoleum = 0	Advanced alteration value probably needs examination. Advanced alteration value probably needs examination. Advanced alteration value probably needs examination.
Look for your Aunt Where has she got to? Like spiders, aunts are always better when you know where they are.	Aunt Randomiser = 3 Date ≥ An Aunt at Work Aunt at the Mausoleum ≥ 1 Your Aunt is missing ≤ 0	Absent without leave Her lavish apartment is as you last saw it: covered with antimacassars, eyebrow-raising novels and her inexplicable collection of porcelain cats. It is, however, absent your Aunt. A cautious search of her chambers uncovers a postcard for Worlebury Juxta-Mare, perched cheerily upon the writing desk. 'Terribly stuffy in here. Gone to the seaside! Much love, Aunty.' Your Aunt is missing = 1 [Your Aunt has gone to Worlebury Juxta-Mare]	Advanced query needs investigation

Courting the Deathless
Category	Story Event
Type	Story
Data ID	280988

Courting the Deathless

The Most Serene Mausoleum houses more than just the Prince Consort. Under its soaring spires, the Empress keeps her most favoured courtiers. These lucky few are provided with every luxury they might wish, and a generous stipend of hours. The only condition of this bounty is that they are dead. A legality, only. They cannot possess property nor hold political office as a result. They are the Deathless. Occasionally, they deign to appear to visitors.

Trigger conditions

An Awareness of the Rules of the Mausoleum ≥ 5

Interactions

Actions	Requirements	Effects			Notes
Consult the Engraved Mourner A man of alabaster and marble; cold and ancient as an antique statue. Might he have an interest in the Clay Choirs? Game note: You will require the Favour of the Deathless to facilitate a meeting with the Mourner. Interactions with the Deathless may grant Favour.	Learning about the Clay Conductor = 15 [Spend Favour of the Deathless to arrange an audience with the Engraved Mourner] Favour Bestowed ≥ 1 [The Empress' courtiers tolerate you]	A courtesy The Engraved Mourner consents to a meeting in his many-pillared chambers. You sit on couches of blue stone and drink wine in ivory cups. The Conductor hunches; his form far heavier than the furniture can support, while the Mourner reclines elegantly upon his divan. After polite introductions, the Conductor demands: "Why do you look different?" The Mourner smiles. "I was built for a purpose. To guide, to shepherd, to travel. It was deemed I should be pleasing to the eye and ear. Now, you wanted to hear me sing?" His singing is sombre, and cold and sad. The Clay Conductor shakes his head. "No good. Too much like the sky." You make your excuses. Game note: Speak to the Clay Conductor on board your engine to continue. -1 x Favour Bestowed Learning about the Clay Conductor = 20 [The Clay Conductor was disappointed. Speak to him on your engine] +1000 x Experience
Entertain a request from the Macabre Counsellor The Cheery Registrar gives you a note and a worried smile. The Macabre Counsellor has requested your attendance: an honour rarely granted the legally living.	Favour Bestowed ≥ 1 [The Empress' courtiers tolerate you] The Counsellor's Daughter ≤ 0	Into the dark Several footmen are on hand to escort you from the Nave and through the oak-panelled doors that lead down into the Catacombs of Silence, where the Macabre Counsellor resides. Black candles burn in silver candelabras. Fading tapestries moulder on the walls. In glass cabinets, bones of saints and sinners are displayed with gloomy relish. Triggers event:  A Task for the Macabre Counsellor
Visit the Macabre Counsellor You have unfinished business with her.	The Counsellor's Daughter ≥ 10 and ≤ 1000	Triggers event:  In the Employ of the Macabre Counsellor
An Invitation to Dine The Cheery Registrar hands you a gold-leaf envelope, penned in black. It seems you have attracted the attentions of one of the Deathless. Game note: This will allow you to take on unique Bargains for the Deathless, though you will lose Favour. The Bargain is randomised: you may be able to change which is available by replaying the Invitation.	Favour Bestowed ≥ 3 [The Empress' courtiers tolerate you] Date ≥ Time Away from the Mausoleum	hominem te esse memento! Airs of the Most Serene Mausoleum(Dinner) Game note: A new bargain may now sometimes be found at the Mausoleum. Time Away from the Mausoleum = Date+7 Airs of the Most Serene Mausoleum = (1 to 500) +1 x Savage Secret -3 x Favour Bestowed Dealing with the Deathless = 1			Advanced query needs investigation
		Rare event (50%)
		Respice post te! Airs of the Most Serene Mausoleum(Dance) Game note: A new bargain may now sometimes be found at the Mausoleum. Time Away from the Mausoleum = Date+7 Airs of the Most Serene Mausoleum = (1 to 500) +1 x Vision of the Heavens -3 x Favour Bestowed Dealing with the Deathless = 1
Speak with the Luminous Cardinal He is the Papal Legate to the High Wilderness and Her Renewed Majesty's favourite Catholic.	Airs of the Most Serene Mausoleum ≥ 1 and ≤ 100 Hearts challenge (50 for 100%) Date ≥ Time Away from the Mausoleum	Failed event			Advanced query needs investigation
		In nomine matris The Cardinal stalks through the sepulchral vaults of the Mausoleum, his bright vestments trailing on the flagstones. He notices your gaze and approaches. The Luminous Cardinal ignores your introduction and launches into a sermon on the new Kingdom of Heaven. "To whom did Christ entrust the kingdom of God but his own mother? Who now reigns on the throne of Heaven, but a woman, a mother, and a queen? This is the third and last Age! We shall have a queendom, whose boundaries are as limitless as the mysteries of the Godhead! Just as soon as she converts." He turns away, having forgotten you entirely. Airs of the Most Serene Mausoleum = (1 to 500) +15 x Terror Time Away from the Mausoleum = Date+7
		Successful event
		Timor domini The Cardinal is unattended today, as he walks through the sepulchral vaults of the Mausoleum, his bright vestments trailing along the flagstones. He notices your gaze and approaches. A footman hurries over to facilitate conversation. His Eminence is delighted to meet a skyfarer. He has many questions for you: for his new exegesis on the Bible. Genesis will need a considerable gloss in light of recent information. The Reach, verdant as Eden. The celestial gates of the Blue Kingdom. The infernal splendour of Eleutheria, and so on. His curiosity quenched, he thanks you for your time and leaves you with a Pater Noster for your trouble. +1 x Favour Bestowed Airs of the Most Serene Mausoleum = (1 to 500) Time Away from the Mausoleum = Date+7 +5 x Terror
Speak with the Macabre Counsellor She is a former Lady of the Bedchamber, and Governess to at least some of Her Renewed Majesty's children. Mortality is a preoccupation of hers.	Airs of the Most Serene Mausoleum ≥ 101 and ≤ 250 Hearts challenge (50 for 100%) Date ≥ Time Away from the Mausoleum	Failed event			Advanced query needs investigation
		Found wanting The Counsellor advances through the Nave like an old and cunning spider trespassing on a rival's web. Her dark eyes dart, and her fingers curl and twitch. She notices your gaze and approaches lazily. She stands for a moment, surveying you curiously, while footmen watch on nervously. Her fingers grasp your arm, feeling the muscle in your bicep, the elasticity of your shoulders. Her grip is adamantine. Then, as suddenly as she appeared, she turns away, muttering "Too vital," as she makes her stately departure. Airs of the Most Serene Mausoleum = (1 to 500) +15 x Terror Time Away from the Mausoleum = Date+7
		Successful event
		Half in love with easeful death The Counsellor advances through the Nave like an old spider trespassing on a rival's web. Her dark eyes dart, and her fingers curl and twitch. She notices your gaze and approaches lazily. A footman moves to intercept, but she holds up a hand. He pales and retreats. She begins by quoting Keats at you: Ode to a Nightingale. She surmises you've encountered death in the skies, known its easeful touch on your cheek. She proceeds thusly for some minutes, lingering on each crewman fallen, each cold burial in the dark. And then, she smiles suddenly, and bids you a pleasant day. Airs of the Most Serene Mausoleum = (1 to 500) +1 x Favour Bestowed Time Away from the Mausoleum = Date+7 +5 x Terror
Speak with the Duchess Incarnadine A childhood friend of Her Renewed Majesty, the Duchess Incarnadine was instrumental in the conquest of Albion. Her place in the Mausoleum was her reward.	Airs of the Most Serene Mausoleum ≥ 251 and ≤ 400 Hearts challenge (50 for 100%) Date ≥ Time Away from the Mausoleum	Failed event			Advanced query needs investigation
		The brocade incarnadine She glides along the flagstones, a great train of scarlet cloth following her like the tell-tale trail of blood in a penny dreadful. Today she is menacing the footmen; loudly inquiring after their physiques and their athleticism. She requires only the fittest to survive her mock battles. She notices your gaze, but after looking you up and down, merely sighs. "Insufficient," she says, before gliding away. You cannot help but notice the smears of drying blood on her brocade, nor the wash of crimson that trails in her wake like a red tide. Airs of the Most Serene Mausoleum = (1 to 500) +15 x Terror Time Away from the Mausoleum = Date+7
		Successful event
		A second Tamora The Duchess would be a small figure, were it not for the mounds of silk and brocade that comprise her dress. She glides along the flagstones, a great train of scarlet cloth following her like the tell-tale trail of blood in a penny dreadful. Today she is menacing the footmen; press-ganging them into her mock-battles in the Tower Carmine. Fatalities are rare in her battles. Maimings are not. She gives you a red-lipped smile. A footman intervenes and introduces you. She is pleased to encounter a genuine captain, and quizzes you on all the battles you've fought in the Wilderness. The goriest details she demands you linger on. She parts with you only reluctantly. Airs of the Most Serene Mausoleum = (1 to 500) +1 x Favour Bestowed Time Away from the Mausoleum = Date+7 +5 x Terror
Enter the De Charney Vault Here lies the weapon that would unmake the stars.	Learning about an Inconvenient Aunt = 75 [Find Her Majesty's Privy Counsellor's Tomb in the Most Serene Mausoleum] Inconvenient Aunt ≥ 1 [You have recruited the Inconvenient Aunt.]	A servant's tomb The Cardinal's directions are good. The south tower opens to swallow you like a throat, and you spend an hour traversing the gullet of the Mausoleum. Brief candlelight flickers in the darkness, illuminating the elaborate danse macabre motif that covers the walls with captains, engineers and auditors dancing with corpses. At the foot of the stair, the darkness opens out into a desolate catacomb. Low iron doors line the walls. The nearest to the stair reads 'De Charney'. Your Aunt advances with the key. Learning about an Inconvenient Aunt = 80 [Search the Privy Counsellor's Tomb to find the designs for the Unclear Bomb] Triggers event:  The Veteran Privy Counsellor's Tomb
Speak with the Engraved Mourner The Mourner is supposed to be a Clay Man, though in appearance he resembles a Greek statue of Hermes more than the lumpy, stolid workers of Old London.	Airs of the Most Serene Mausoleum ≥ 401 and ≤ 500 Hearts challenge (50 for 100%) Date ≥ Time Away from the Mausoleum	Failed event			Advanced query needs investigation
		Toppled frescoes Candlelight dances on the polished marble of the Engraved Mourner as he strides through the Nave. Unlike the other courtiers, the footmen pay him no heed. Today he is testing the integrity of the Nave's vaults. He notices your gaze and asks you to hold his (reinforced steel) ladder, while he investigates the integrity of the arches above you. He disappears into the gloom and is gone some time. Suddenly, you hear a groaning as chunks of masonry tumbles from above. You manage to duck just in time, as the Mourner descends, carrying a stone arch of inferior aesthetic quality. He does not acknowledge you as he walks past. Airs of the Most Serene Mausoleum = (1 to 500) +15 x Terror Time Away from the Mausoleum = Date+7
		Successful event
		A man all of marble The Mourner is a vision in white. A Clay Man, his skin is alabaster, his curls are spectral, his thin winding sheet pallid. Candlelight dances on the polished marble. Unlike the other courtiers, the footmen pay him no heed. Today he is testing the integrity of the Nave's vaults. He notices your gaze and requests you hold a ladder (made of reinforced steel) for him, as he needs to reach the top of the pillar besides you. "If I fell, I'd shatter," he says, before mounting the ladder. It sways with the weight of him, but your grip is steady. He rewards you with a dazzling smile on his descent, some time later. Airs of the Most Serene Mausoleum = (1 to 500) +1 x Favour Bestowed Time Away from the Mausoleum = Date+7 +5 x Terror
Speak with the Dismal Chamberlain The Chamberlain presides over the affairs of the Mausoleum. He has seniority of the sepulchre, and rarely meets with visitors.	The Chamberlain's Absence ≤ 0 Ambition: The Martyr-King's Cup ≤ 0 Moonlight Beckons ≤ 0 Favour Bestowed ≥ 1 [The Empress' courtiers tolerate you]	The Dismal Chamberlain Your attempts to meet with the Chamberlain are met with relentless obfuscation. His secretary reschedules the meeting eight times, eventually arranging it for six days ago. You even try waiting all day outside the Chamberlain's office, but he does not appear. His duties include regulation of time in the Mausoleum, where the Deathless wallow in generous pensions of hours. However, the clocks are not keeping the same time. Has something happened? Finally, you manage to corner the Engraved Mourner and press him for answers. "The Chamberlain is no longer in residence," he replies curtly. "We don't dwell on the matter. We suggest you follow suit." The Chamberlain's Absence = 1 [The Dismal Chamberlain is missing. Perhaps this merits further investigation] -1 x Favour Bestowed
Make a donation to the upkeep of the Mausoleum The Deathless do not lack for time. They do, however, lack for diversion. Fresh reading material is valued high here; a glimpse of a world left far behind. Game note: This will allow you to speak to the currently available member of the Deathless immediately.	Date ≥ 100 [It is not the date that it was.] 1 x Ministry-Approved Literature	Expedited The Cheery Registrar smiles as you make your intent clear. There are forms to be filled out (endless) and interminable questions as to how you wish your donation to be remembered (plaque or bench). But, eventually, the transaction is made. And, wouldn't you know it, but a member of the Deathless has just become available should you wish some of their time. Time Away from the Mausoleum = Date -1 x Ministry-Approved Literature

The Prince Consort's Tomb
Category	Story Event
Type	Story
Data ID	294140

The Prince Consort's Tomb

The Most Serene Mausoleum was built to commemorate Her Renewed Majesty's dead love. His tomb is the heart of the Mausoleum: the vaults, chapels, mourners and courtiers all arteries and capillaries to his memory. To visit the tomb, one must speak to the Cheery Registrar.

Interactions

Actions	Requirements	Effects			Notes
Arrange something more than a private viewing The Chiropterous Hoarder will not risk the presence of the Cheery Registrar or her minions, not with what it intends to do.	Learning about the Chiropterous Hoarder = 220 [The Chiropterous Hoarder is interested in love. It wishes to go to the Most Serene Mausoleum, to the tomb of Albert] Ministry-Stamped Permit ≥ 3 Veils challenge (67 for 100%)	Failed event
		She doesn't buy your story Something in the penmanship of the permit, in the angle of your smile gives away your deception. Though her amiability doesn't falter, her voice cools in degrees. "No." she declares as she folds a permit into a tiny square, putting it away. -1 x Ministry-Stamped Permit
		Successful event
		Thankfully, she is convinced A few well-architectured lies, some raw confidence: it is all that is required. The Cheery Registrar presents no argument as she scans the permits you submit her. "Ministry business," you insist, while the Chiropterous Hoarder glowers from behind you. "They know they need to tell us these things sooner," says the Cheery Registrar, her smile both luminous and lifeless. "But go on, go inside." -3 x Ministry-Stamped Permit Learning about the Chiropterous Hoarder = 230 [You and the Chiropterous Hoarder have gained private access to Albert's tomb] Triggers event:  Inside the Tomb	Enter the tomb You enter the tomb, alone as assured.	The dust and the air sit heavy as grief upon your tongue. Inside the tomb, you see the Prince Consort upon his altar. As you move deeper, he lets out a laboured moan. There is a figure beside him – an impossible, improbable silhouette. Is that Her Renewed Majesty? At first glance, it seems true. But there is something not quite right about the shadows of her face, something younger, more waxen. Well then.
Call upon assistance to arrange for more than a private viewing The Chiropterous Hoarder will not risk intrusion while it works. You will have to use your contacts to gain ingress, or risk its rages.	Cryptic Benefactor ≥ 1 Learning about the Chiropterous Hoarder = 220 [The Chiropterous Hoarder is interested in love. It wishes to go to the Most Serene Mausoleum, to the tomb of Albert]	A familiar name, a worrying reaction The Cheery Registrar's expression dims at the mention of your cryptic benefactor and though her smile does not wither, something in her eyes alters. "Him," she purrs without affection. "Of course, it'd be him." "Very well." Emptied now of remark, the Cheery Registrar allows you into the mausoleum, her gait turned stiff and reluctant. -1 x Cryptic Benefactor Learning about the Chiropterous Hoarder = 230 [You and the Chiropterous Hoarder have gained private access to Albert's tomb] Triggers event:  Inside the Tomb	Enter the tomb You enter the tomb, alone as assured.	The dust and the air sit heavy as grief upon your tongue. Inside the tomb, you see the Prince Consort upon his altar. As you move deeper, he lets out a laboured moan. There is a figure beside him – an impossible, improbable silhouette. Is that Her Renewed Majesty? At first glance, it seems true. But there is something not quite right about the shadows of her face, something younger, more waxen. Well then.
Return to the Nave You have lingered long enough in the shadow of death.		Triggers event:  The Nave
Join the reverent crowds at the Prince Consort's Tomb A few sovereigns will buy you a few minutes at the sepulchre. Game note: This will reduce a little Terror.	Sovereign ≥ 3 An Awareness of the Rules of the Mausoleum ≥ 1	The Cheery Registrar marks your name in the account book, before summoning a footman to guide you to the tomb. The tomb is sunk into a round chapel behind the choir. An effigy of the Prince Consort rests on top, his long hands are folded in prayer. Four sculpted seraphim support him, as though about to lift him up in flight. Crowds of visitors in mourning jostle for a better position. A lady in an inconceivable hat shoves her way to the front. You are afforded a brief glimpse of the Prince's haunted marble face, before you are ushered away. -3 x Sovereign -1 x Terror
Deliver Uncanny Specimens to get access to the upper gallery The Cheery Registrar will accept 'diverse meats' in lieu of monetary donations. It is customary to leave offerings at the tomb, which are cleared away the next day. Game note: This will reduce a moderate amount of Terror.	Uncanny Specimen ≥ 3 An Awareness of the Rules of the Mausoleum ≥ 1	The Cheery Registrar gives you a vibrant smile. Your specimens are placed in a safe under the Registrar's desk, which is swiftly locked. The smile never falters. You are led to the chapel where the Prince Consort is housed. Crowds throng around the tomb, leaning over the sturdy iron railings for a better look. You are directed to a balcony up a small spiral stair. From your elevated position above the crowds, you can make out the serene features of the prince's effigy, gazing up from his tomb as though at the stars. You can also make out a little door just behind the tomb, locked and barred. -3 x Uncanny Specimen -25 x Terror
Donate souls for a private viewing of the Tomb A donation of suitably august souls will get you a private viewing. Game note: This will reduce a significant amount of Terror.	1 x Selection of Immaculate Souls An Awareness of the Rules of the Mausoleum ≥ 1	Your donation is placed on a velvet cushion and carried away. You are to return in three hours, when the chapel will be ready for you. At the appointed time, the Registrar escorts you to the tomb. The chapel is empty. Posies lie crumpled on the marble floor, along with mourning lace and brooches bearing the Prince Consort's handsome face. You spend a sombre hour admiring the frescoes and the folds of marble cloth that swaddle the effigy. Somewhere behind you, a bell tolls. The Cheery Registrar hurries you out. Another visitor is coming, and there must be no one at the tomb when they arrive. -1 x Selection of Immaculate Souls -75 x Terror
		Rare event (25%)
		The Cheery Registrar sends your donation away with a footman, informing you there's a vacancy available now. Another visitor has failed to appear. She hurries you to the tomb, her footsteps clattering along the flagstones of the choir. As she opens the curlicued gate, there is a bout of coughing from within. A footman straightens from where he is bent over the Prince's effigy, his hands white with plaster. He hurries a small mask behind his back, before bowing elaborately to you and retreating. The Cheery Registrar's smile is fixed to her face. She informs you your donation will be returned, as she locks the chapel door firmly shut. -75 x Terror
Call in a favour to help the Princess get inside Then you can sneak in unnoticed.	Cryptic Benefactor ≥ 1 Learning about the Incognito Princess = 30 [The Incognito Princess would like to visit her father, in the Mausoleum] Incognito Princess ≥ 1 [You have recruited the Incognito Princess.]	Powerful friends, easy passage A few words from your well-positioned friends to the Direful Chamberlain, and he arranges for your passage. It is no small thing. The Guards clear the mausoleum of the general public, and then other guards clear the usual guards. These deaf, trusted elite don blindfolds and each pull upon a chain around their neck, each revealing a silver key. The Princess gathers the keys, examining the intricate filigree scenes they're decorated with. "Oh," she says, "this is of the day my parents met. They were so young then!" She turns to the first door, and chooses the appropriate key to open it. Seven doors follow, the designs of door and key alike recapitulating the relationship between Queen and Prince Consort, from those early happy days to his tragic death. As you follow the Princess, the doors draw shut behind you. -1 x Cryptic Benefactor Triggers event:  Heart of Empire
If the Princess wants in, we can talk our way inside However, it would require the most inspired of lies.	Moment of Inspiration ≥ 1 Learning about the Incognito Princess = 30 [The Incognito Princess would like to visit her father, in the Mausoleum] Incognito Princess ≥ 1 [You have recruited the Incognito Princess.]	A surfeit of conversation Afterwards, you can barely remember the story you told; something about religious cleaners, a pilgrimage, oaths of private homage and a half other brilliant digressions. The Incognito Princess even applauded when you drew to a close. There are some minutes where news travels to the Dire Chamberlain and back again with his decision. You are to be allowed access. It is no small thing. The Guards clear the mausoleum of the general public, and then other guards clear the usual guards. These deaf, trusted elite don blindfolds and each pull upon a chain around their neck, each revealing a silver key. The Princess gathers the keys, examining the intricate filigree scenes they're decorated with. "Oh," she says, "this is of the day my parents met. They were so young then!" She turns to the first door, and chooses the appropriate key to open it. Seven doors follow, the designs of door and key alike recapitulating the relationship between Queen and Prince Consort, from those early happy days to his tragic death. As you follow the Princess, the doors draw shut behind you. -1 x Moment of Inspiration Triggers event:  Heart of Empire

The Veteran Privy Counsellor's Tomb
Category	Story Event
Type	Story
Data ID	290709

The Veteran Privy Counsellor's Tomb

There is one tomb at the foot of the stairs. It is vast as a Gothic cathedral, and must occupy an entire wing of the Mausoleum. It is almost entirely shrouded in darkness. The light from your lamps struggles against the tides of gloom.

Trigger conditions

Learning about an Inconvenient Aunt ≥ 80 ≤ 90,

Interactions

Actions	Requirements	Effects	Notes
Search for the design of the Unclear Bomb Her Majesty's Privy Counsellor must have taken it to the grave.	Learning about an Inconvenient Aunt = 80 [Search the Privy Counsellor's Tomb to find the designs for the Unclear Bomb]	Night's black agents You walk forward into the darkness, reaching out for obstacles. Your hands disappear before you, as though swallowed by night. Your Aunt vanishes as though she never was. You brush against stone as cold as death's lips, feel cobwebs upon your face – but can see nothing. Inch by inch, you press on. Suddenly a familiar voice splits the darkness. "Are you there? I've found it." Your Aunt's voice is quiet. She sounds scared. Learning about an Inconvenient Aunt = 85 [Return to your Aunt to see what she's found]
Look for your Aunt She's found something.	Learning about an Inconvenient Aunt = 85 [Return to your Aunt to see what she's found]	The death of light You find her by feeling your way around the curvature of the wall, back towards the centre of the crypt. Your Aunt is just ahead of you. "Don't make any sudden movements. I've found it." The designs? "The Unclear Bomb. Your hands are on it." You remove your hand from the 'wall' immediately. The Privy Counsellor's tomb has been taken up with the dormant Unclear Bomb – the weapon devised by London to kill a sun, the device to quench stars, drowning them in sorrow. Why is it still here? Why hasn't it been used? Your Aunt tugs your sleeve. "Let's get out of here. Slowly." Learning about an Inconvenient Aunt = 90 [You have found the Unclear Bomb]
Leave the tomb It does not seem wise to linger here.	Learning about an Inconvenient Aunt = 90 [You have found the Unclear Bomb]	Into light You help your Aunt find her way through the darkness, back to the spiral stair that leads into the more welcoming chambers of the Mausoleum. You stub your toe and your Aunt trips several times, but together, you manage. "We'll talk back on board," your Aunt says when you reach the top of the stairs. Her skin is ashen, but her expression is stern. Learning about an Inconvenient Aunt = 95 [Talk to your Aunt on your engine to decide what to do next] Bomb! = 1 [You have the location of Albion's Sun-Vanquishing Weapon] +2000 x Experience Triggers event:  The Nave

A 'Retired' Devil
Category	Story Event
Type	Story
Data ID	318563

A 'Retired' Devil

He has converted a vacant crypt into a cramped space, not unlike a hobbyist's shed. A stove in the corner blazes out heat. A copper kettle sits atop it. A grand bookcase is loaded with binders – identical, well-used, and each marked with a cartouched reference in one of the thorny alphabets of Hell.

The devil himself has a narrow, chiselled face, and a boyish tousle to his hair. He wears small, round glasses.

Interactions

Actions	Requirements	Effects			Notes
Make conversation, and try to learn more about him He prepares you a cup of stewed tea and presents a plate of Murgatroyd's fungal crackers. They are years old, and have the exact consistency of cardboard.	Infernal Appetites ≤ 40 [Return the unopened letters to him]	Verbal fencing He is a polite conversationalist, but reticent to discuss himself. Instead, you discuss your mutual acquaintances in academia. Is he an academic himself, you ask? No, no, he demurs; his interests lie in less formal areas. You nod at the full binders covering the wall, and remark that he has clearly been keeping himself busy. He refuses to take the bait, adroitly changing the subject. If you ask more directly, he deflects, assuring you that he is a bland and uninteresting individual, unworthy of your curiosity.
Hear his request After an appropriate amount of small talk, he steers the conversation around to the topic of your availability. He requires the assistance of a skyfarer.	Infernal Appetites ≤ 0	An opportunity "London's ambassador to the Eagle's Empyrean wrote regular letters home to his sister. I require one of those letters – specifically, one dating to February 1902. Fortuitously (for me, if not for her), the sister in question passed away that month, so I believe the letter has never been opened. Hopefully, it is at their family home." He gives you a London address. "I have no interest in how you acquire it. I will pay generously, in souls of immaculate quality." You ask why he needs the letter. His glasses gleam in the candlelight. "A good question. What might someone like me want with correspondence from a loose-tongued ambassador to his beloved sister?" Infernal Appetites = 10 [Travel to London and retrieve a set of mysterious letters for him]
Deliver the letters As you approach, he puts the kettle on. "Do you have it?" he asks. There is the ghost of a hint of a tremor in his voice. Game note: Ensure you have at least 5 free spaces in your hold for your reward.	Infernal Appetites ≥ 40 and ≤ 45	The last piece He discards all but the last letter, which he examines minutely. The kettle begins to shriek like a boiling rat. Taking a knife, he slices the envelope briskly open. He removes the letter inside, opens the stove door and, without the slightest interest, casts the letter into the fire. All the time, his attention is fixed on the empty envelope. He holds it over the steam from the whistling kettle. Then, with one manicured nail, peels the stamp from it carefully. "A 1902 Pennyroyal Blue," he murmurs. "First printing. See? There are the wrong number of tines in Her Majesty's crown. That's why they withdrew it from circulation so quickly, of course." He is a stamp-collector. +1000 x Experience Infernal Appetites = 50 [Deliver the Infernal Philatelist to the Well of the Wolf] +5 x Selection of Immaculate Souls +1 x Infernal Philatelist	Remain silent Yours is not to judge.	"At last," the devil breathes. Selecting one of the binders from the shelf, he lays it open on his desk. Its pages are covered in neat rows of stamps. On one page, a single gap mars the grid. With relish, he glues the Pennyroyal Blue into the space. "There. Done." He removes his glasses and sighs with utter, ragged relief. After a lingering look, he returns the binder to the shelf. "I'll have your payment delivered to your engine. But perhaps you could do me one last service: if you could drop me off at the Well of the Wolf as the opportunity permits, I'd be grateful. I only have hand-luggage." He removes a cage from under his desk. It contains a bee the size of a poodle. The bee sings, like a priest at choir.
			Ask if that was all he wanted You went through rather a lot of trouble...	"I suppose so," the devil says. Selecting one of the binders from the shelf, he lays it open on his desk. Its pages are covered in neat rows of stamps. On one page, a single gap mars the grid. With relish, he glues the Pennyroyal Blue into the space. "There. Done." He removes his glasses and sighs with utter, ragged relief. After a lingering look, he returns the binder to the shelf. "I'll have your payment delivered to your engine. But perhaps you could do me one last service: if you could drop me off at the Well of the Wolf as the opportunity permits, I'd be grateful. I only have hand-luggage." He removes a cage from under his desk. It contains a bee the size of a poodle. The bee sings, like a priest at choir.
Return to the Nave You bid the devil a good day. When he inclines his head, his glasses glint.		Triggers event:  The Nave

Shops

Memorabilia

This is the most cheerless gift-shop in all of Albion. They do sell commemorative Prince-Consort windows at a reasonable price, though.