Raising Connections

This guide lists the best repeatable methods in London for raising Connected values for characters whose major qualities are 100 or more. It does not currently include storylets available only at the University or Empress' Court.

Mrs Plenty's Carnival
If your Connected is less than 10, you can expend two actions and a Carnival Ticket to gain 10-30 change points (hereafter 'cp'). The exact value depends on the faction. This method can be used for all factions other than Benthic, Summerset and the Masters.

Known values:
 * Constables: 30cp
 * Criminals: 10cp (not capped at 10)
 * The Duchess: 20cp
 * Hell: 30cp
 * The Orient: 30cp
 * Revolutionaries: 20cp (takes three actions)
 * Rubbery Men: 12cp

Connection Items
Connection items can be bought at the Bazaar and used when you have Connected 10-19 with a faction. This takes three actions and most (or all?) give 75cp in exchange for 150p worth of items.

They can be sold for either 250p or 500p less than their purchase price.

There are a few exceptions to these rules:
 * The Bohemian, Rubbery Men and Benthic/Summerset Items all sell for 30 to 50 Echoes less than their purchase prices;
 * The Criminals Connection Item can only be used with Connected 14 or less;
 * The Benthic/Summerset Item can be used with Connected 1.

Conflict Cards
Ten conflict cards unlock when you have Connected 5 with each of two factions. These let you trade 15cp with one faction for 30cp with the other. Many options also give 30-100p worth of items and affect quirks. The combinations are: Notable secondary effects: You can use these to increase connections with all factions other than Benthic, Criminals, the Duchess, and Summerset, for a net benefit of 15cp per action (along with other benefits/detriments).
 * Siding with The Church against The Great Game gives one of each Second Chance;
 * Siding with The Church against Hell reduces Scandal by 3cp;
 * Siding with Urchins against Hell gives 3cp Wounds;
 * Siding with Urchins against The Orient reduces Nightmares by 3cp;
 * Either option on A misfortune at the Carnival gives 1cp Wounds and 5 Carnival Tickets.

This is usually more efficient on a per action basis than using storylets (exceptions: Bohemians, Revolutionaries and Society), although it takes longer in real time since you actually have to draw the cards.

One good use of these cards is to transfer cps from easily grindable factions to others -- for instance, from Bohemians to the Great Game via the Church.

Two more cards become available with Docks/Orient 30 and Constables/Criminals 50: The Acacia and the Butterfly and Crime or punishment? These give some items and 30cp connections with the favoured faction at the cost of massive penalties -- at least 465cp -- to the other.

Bohemian

 * Publishing poetry in praise of the Duchess gives 22cp Bohemians and 10cp Duchess.
 * Giving a public lecture in the Forgotten Quarter gives 15cp Bohemians, Revolutionaries and Society and 1cp Suspicion.

Criminals

 * Selling information in the Flit now gives 10cp Criminals and 10cp Shadowy for 10cp Casing. That gives 2.65cp of each if using a Gang of Hoodlums, but appears to be capped at Connected 50.
 * With Casing 5 and Suspicion 2, you can watch those watching you in the Flit for 30 Cryptic Clues and 2cp Hell, Constables and Criminals.
 * Meeting criminals at the Carnival isn't capped at 10. This is probably a bug, but is currently the best way to grind this connection. It gives 4.66cp per action, or 5cp for those with a surfeit of Carnival Tickets.
 * Cards: you can remind your Hoodlums who's boss for 10cp Criminals and 1cp Suspicion; frustrating Jack-of-Smiles on the Tower of Knives gives 10cp Criminals and Revolutionaries, but is only available to those who are an annoyance to him -- and naturally, he must still be around. Those with Shadowy 118 or less can get 5cp and 80 Moon-pearls from a normal success on The little people card.  Choosing a bare-knuckle prize fight as your implausible penance gives 5cp Criminals and either 60 Rostygold or 100 Rostygold and -5cp Constables.  Finally, Dirigible theft gives 15cp Criminals.
 * Meeting Sardonic Music-Hall Singer through A Visit card and Drop in for a chat gives 10 CPCriminals, along with 10?CP Bohemians.

The Church

 * There are no good storylets for those who have finished their business at the Court and University. Giving the Bishop a Hound of Heaven provides a moderate amount of cp (50?) and a Cellar of Wine, but requires a lengthy trip to Zee and at least 23 actions in the Labyrinth.  If the Airs of London are right, it is possible to gain 5cp and 22 Glim for three actions by undertaking the Temperance Campaigner's quick commission in Veilgarden.
 * Cards: Attending a fete gives 10cp Church and -1cp Nightmares; working diligently for God's Editors gives 5cp Church, -1cp Scandal and Nightmares, and 1cp Austere.

Constables

 * Selling information in the Flit gives 30cp for 6cp Casing. If using a Gang of Hoodlums with a 100% success rate, that's 11.25cp per action.
 * Providing training in Watchmaker's Hill gives 5cp and 47 Rostygold.

The Docks

 * If your Dangerous is 90 or less you can take a break from duelling in Wolfstack Docks for 5cp Docks, 15 Cryptic Clues and 3 Morelways. Since you can reduce your Dangerous by at most 27 using equipment, this won't be possible if your Dangerous exceeds 117.
 * Cards: you can exchange 10 Rostygold for 10cp Docks and 2cp Dangerous on the Docks card; and an oddly effective option may also be available to those who seek a certain name.

The Duchess

 * Publishing poetry in praise of the Duchess at the Palace gives 10cp Duchess and 22cp Bohemians.

The Great Game

 * No storylets currently available to high-level characters increase this.
 * Cards: failing a luck check on the A parliament of bats card gives 8cp Great Game; courier work on your Velocipede gives 70 Cryptic Clues and some cp (5?), up to Connected 15. Visiting the Wry Functionary gives 20 Cryptic Clues, 2cp Society and 2cp Great Game.

Hell

 * Selling information in the Flit gives 30cp and -6cp Casing, for up to 11.25cp per action.

The Orient

 * The best option is to attend an audience with the Widow in Spite (which requires Connected 10) for 10cp Orient and 36 Jade; alternatively, helping to bring in peach brandy gives 6cp Orient and 42 Jade, and requires only Connected 5.

Revolutionaries

 * Public lectures in the Forgotten Quarter provide 15cp Revolutionaries, Bohemians and Society for 1cp Suspicion. This is vastly more efficient than blowing up statues or bankers in the Flit.

Rubbery Men

 * Watching the rubbery specimen at the Carnival's Most Educational Anatomy Exhibition gives 20 Amber, 2cp Persuasive and 1cp Rubbery Men on a normal success. Grinding in Flute Street (Fate-locked) is significantly more efficient. Otherwise, this is best raised with Conflict Cards.

Society

 * Being erudite at the Duchess's salon gives 33cp Society.
 * If you have access to Court, you can help with someone else's scandal for 30cp Society and 20 Greyfields 1882, or go to afternoon tea for 10cp Society and 84 Whispered Secrets.
 * Cards: giving someone a lift in your Respectable Landau gives 150 Whispered Secrets, 1 Appalling Secret and 20cp Society, while saving someone from death by water on The Heron Tower card gives 30cp and 1 Certifiable Scrap.

The Tomb-Colonies

 * Depending on the airs of London, you may be able to increase this by a modest amount when taking a drink with the Cheery Man (if indeed you favour him). Many storylets and cards in the Tomb Colonies give 1cp and scandal reduction, but little else. This is generally best increased by trading in Society connections through the relevant Conflict Card.

Urchins

 * Speaking softly while having Fun with the Fisher-Kings in the Flit gives 3cp.
 * Cards: A Lucky Weasel can be exchanged for 10cp Urchins and 2cp Shadowy on the Urchins connection card.

Benthic and Summerset

 * Helping A colleague with a problem gives 40 Cryptic Clues and 5cp Benthic and Summerset.

The Masters of the Bazaar

 * This can be acquired through the card A libraryette for Mr Pages, either by trading 10000 Proscribed Material and 50 Jade for 1cp Masters and 10 Appalling Secrets, or 20 Collated Research, 80 Touching Love Stories, 5 Blackmail Material and 5 Uncanny Incunabula for 3cp. The Proscribed Material is worth 400 echoes while the assorted items are worth 375; the latter option is therefore more than three times as cost-effective. To draw the card, you must have at least 100 Proscribed Material, and Connected 10 or less.
 * It can also be raised to the same cap less efficiently by those who possess an Invitation to the Temple Club and a great many Romantic Notions.