Shaping a Masterpiece for the Empress

It will no doubt be magnificent. Let us hope the dour old thing will appreciate it.

Shaping a Masterpiece for the Empress is now a defunct story Quality. All the associated cards and mechanics still exist, though. This page now serves as the guide to creating great works of art at The Empress' Court.

Start Carving out a Reputation at CourtEdit

Upon entering The Empress' Court you unlock A slow day where you get your first point of CRC (you must not be working on anything, e.g. a short story). You can now access What's your next work? and pick one of the following masterpieces to craft which locks your Working on... and won't let you choose another project until you finish it. To do so, you need to aquire a certain level of Inspired..., which is either 24 for minor works (e.g. a Song), or 34 for major ones (e.g. a Novel). Note that this requires either 300 or 595 CPs of Inspired, respectively, whereas the challenges give you roughly 10-20 CPs per action. So it is advisable to not start work on a masterpiece for the Empress unless you have high enough stats to reliably pass Persuasive 100 skill checks.

• an Epic Poem
• a Novel
• a Play
• a Song
• a Symphony
• a Ballet

What's next? or A Tale of BanishmentEdit

After having finished a masterpiece you do what all artists do: get on with life and do something productive or start over. Should you decide to keep pursuing the arts you will eventually reach Carving out a Reputation at Court 4 which locks working on any more masterpieces and has the Veteran Privy Counsellor ask you to craft one last work of art. If you oblige, you will work on a special scandalous opera and after presenting it, be banished from The Empress' Court. You can refuse him to reduce your CRC to 3 and do more things at court. But who wants to stay there anyway, right? So you grind up to Inspired... 24 and end it like the artsy little fellow you are. (Although you can pick the flavour of your masterpiece as usual, there are no different results this time around. You collect 2000 Drops of Prisoner's Honey, 2 Fate, a bunch of Scandal and your one way ticket to the Tomb-Colonies.)

Epilogue: If you are wondering why you should burn this bridge, it's because getting banished from Court opens up new storylines - namely the Foreign Office, and Port Carnelian (where you can serve terms as governor). Don't worry - you'll be able to restore your reputation later and return to Court in due time.

Also: Choosing a certain kind of opera to perform lets you advance with a certain ambition (SPOILER: if you are A Scholar of the Correspondence you can choose to have written the Topsy King's opera, basically warping you to the end of that part of the Heart's Desire story. It saves you a lot of trouble the alternative would imply.)

Restored to the Court of Her Enduring MajestyEdit

Once banished from the Court, you can start working on being let back in. First you need to serve as governor of Port Carnelian. Once you complete one term, the Veteran Privy Counsellor tells you that you need to serve a few more so that you can host a state dinner for the Captivating Princess, who then restores you back to the Court.

Once restored, you'll be able to create all the old works of art, as well as new ones, including new types:

• an Opera
• a Film
• a new Fashion

Unlike before your Banishment, you'll find that creating works no longer raises Carving out a Reputation at Court, but a new quality called A Fine Piece. Spend these on your (long) journey to become London's Poet-Laureate.

Inspired... Progress Edit

All challenges are broad Persuasive challenges unless specified otherwise.

All quality gains and losses are in Change Points unless specified, and CP gains to Persuasive based on the challenge itself are not listed.

The common qualities have been compressed to just images in the tables:
Persuasive , Inspired...
Menaces:
Scandal , Suspicion , Wounds
Quirks:
Melancholy , Hedonist , Austere
Favours:
Favours: Bohemians, Favours: The Church, Favours: Revolutionaries, Favours: Hell, Favours: Society
Renown:
Renown: Bohemians, Renown: Tomb-Colonies

Simple Skill Challenges Edit

Straight up grinding here.

Option	Challenge	Success	Failure
Nature in the Neath	98	+10 (Rare: +20)	+1
A quiet day at your lodgings	99	+10 (Rare: +20)	+1
[1]Composition: the low path	100	+10 (Rare: +15)	+1
The men from the Ministry	102	+10	+1
Business at the Court	105	+10 (Rare: +15)	+1
Competition for the post of Imperial Artist-in-Residence	105	+10	+1

Complex Skill Challenges Edit

These challenges spend items, give additional menaces, change quirks or connections for sometimes various rewards and have no ++ unless denoted.

Option	Requirement	Challenge	Success	Failure	Rare Success
A city of culture	1	97	+30 -1	+1	+40 -1
You have rivals	1	100	+30 -1	+1	+10 2 x Scrap of Incendiary Gossip
The people's art	1	100	+35 +1 -1	+1 +1
Devils and art	1	100	+25 -1	+1
[1]The music of the tomb	4	100	+10 +1 (up to 5)	+1 +1 (up to 5)
[2]The lead		100	+15 +1 (up to 5) -5	-20 +1	+15 +1 (up to 5) -5 2 x Flawed Diamond
Religion and Art Call on the help of the Church	1	100	+35 -1
Religion and Art Mortification of the flesh!			+5 -3 +3 (up to 10)
Religion and Art An organ recital at All Christs		7	+20 -10 Jade -3	-1 -10 Jade +1
[2]A gaggle of artistic temperaments		103	+10	+1
The Bohemians	5	107	+15 +1	-20	+20 2 x Appalling Secret
[1]Composition: the high path		108	+20 -25 Honey	-20 -25 Honey +1	+20 1 x Sapphire

Luck ChallengesEdit

Option	Requirement	Success Chance	Success	Failure
The Decency Evaluator		30%	-50 x Foxfire Candle Stub +15 +2 +2 Secluded Address	-50 x Foxfire Candle Stub +15 +2 +1
Yesterday's work	5	60%	+25 (Rare: +35) +1 Confident Smile	-20 +2
The pleasures of the Neath		50%	-15 x Honey -20 x Bottle of Greyfields 1879 +20 +3 (up to 10) -3	-15 x Honey -20 x Bottle of Greyfields 1879 +10 +3 (up to 10) -3

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2} Unlocked only when working on a Song, Symphony, Ballet, Opera, or Film.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} Unlocked only when working on a Play, Song, Symphony, Ballet, Opera or Film.

Minor WorksEdit

Minor works include plays, songs, symphonies, ballets and fashion.

These options require raising Inspired... to level 24, and provide materials worth 30. Note that there is no benefit from achieving more than the needed level of Inspired....

Before being Banished from Court, these provide +1 CP Carving out a Reputation at Court.
After being Restored to Court, they provide instead 2 x A Fine Piece.

PlaysEdit

Opening Night!	Making Waves	Results
A Slapstick Farce	+10 CP	3000 x Moon-pearl
A Wry Satirical Comedy	+10 CP	3000 x Moon-pearl
A Heart-Wrenching Tragedy	+10 CP	3000 x Moon-pearl
A Romance of Poverty [1]	+10 CP	3000 x Moon-pearl
A History [1] [2]	+10 CP	3000 x Nevercold Brass Sliver Scandal +10 CP
A Celestial Spectacle [1] [3]	+10 CP	3000 x Moon-pearl

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2} Only available after being Restored to Court
2. ↑ Requires Connected: Summerset 5
3. ↑ Requires Identified with a School: The Celestials

SongsEdit

Publish your song!	Making Waves	Results
A Rousing Hymn	+5 CP	3000 x Foxfire Candle Stub
A Newly Arranged Folk Song	+10 CP	3000 x Moon-pearl
A Patriotic Anthem	+10 CP	3000 x Moon-pearl
A Drinking Song! [1]	+10 CP	3000 x Piece of Rostygold
A Renaissance Piece! [1]	+10 CP	3000 x Moon-pearl
A Political Anthem! [1] [2]	+10 CP	3000 x Lump of Lamplighter Beeswax Scandal +10 CP

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2} Only available after being Restored to Court
2. ↑ Requires Renown: Revolutionaries 5

SymphoniesEdit

Your symphony is complete!	Making Waves	Results
Somewhat challenging music [1]	+8 CP	3000 x Moon-pearl A Scholar of the Correspondence +1 CP (up to 10) Wounds +3 CP
An exuberant cannonade	+5 CP	3000 x Moon-pearl Scandal +3 CP
A choral requiem	+10 CP	3000 x Moon-pearl
A Modern Fantasia [2]	+10 CP	3000 x Moon-pearl
Something of your own genius [2] [3]	+10 CP	3000 x Moon-pearl
A Rubbery Tone Poem [2] [4]	+10 CP	3000 x Nodule of Deep Amber Scandal +10 CP

1. ↑ Requires A Scholar of the Correspondence 1
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2} Only available after being Restored to Court
3. ↑ Requires Identified with a School: Your own genius
4. ↑ Requires Renown: Rubbery Men 5

BalletEdit

Stage your ballet!	Making Waves	Results
A light work based around a Neathy folk tale	+8 CP	3000 x Jade Fragment
A work of romance and automata	+10 CP	3000 x Moon-pearl Scandal +5 CP
A work of barely-clad decadence	+10 CP	3000 x Moon-pearl Scandal +10 CP Disgraced exile in the Tomb-Colonies
An infernal work [1] [2]	+10 CP	3000 x Nevercold Brass Sliver Scandal +10 CP
A Carnelian work [1]	+10 CP	3000 x Moon-pearl 3 x Tribute [3]
A Blemmigan work [1] [4]	FATE

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2} Only available after being Restored to Court
2. ↑ Requires Renown: Hell 5
3. ↑ Only with Associating with Radical Academics at least 15
4. ↑ Requires Identified with a School: The Mycologenes

Fashion ^[1]Edit

A Fashionable Extravaganza!	Making Waves	Results
A sleek suit	+10 CP	3000 x Jade Fragment
Practical improvements for undergarments!	+10 CP	3000 x Moon-pearl
A return to the styles of yore	+10 CP	3000 x Moon-pearl

1. ↑ Only available after being Restored to Court

Major WorksEdit

Major works include poems, novels, operas and films.

These options require raising Inspired... to level 34, and provide materials worth 60. Note that there is no benefit from achieving more than the needed level of Inspired....

Before being Banished from Court, these provide +2 CP Carving out a Reputation at Court.
After being Restored to Court, they provide instead 3 x A Fine Piece.

PoemsEdit

Your poem is complete!	Making Waves	Results
An Epic Cycle	+12 CP	6000 x Moon-pearl 1 x Copy of your Epic Poetic Cycle
A Tragedy of Romance	+12 CP	6000 x Moon-pearl Fascinating... +50 CP Scandal +3 CP 1 x Copy of your Tragedy of Romance
An Allegorical Satire	+15 CP	6000 x Moon-pearl Scandal +3 CP 1 x Copy of your Allegorical Satire
A Zeefaring Epic [1] [2]	+15 CP	6000 x Piece of Rostygold 1 x Copy of your Zeefaring Epic
An Ode to the Elder Continent [1]	+15 CP	6000 x Lump of Lamplighter Beeswax 1 x Copy of your Ode to the Elder Continent
A Nocturnal Rhapsody [1] [3]	+15 CP	6000 x Foxfire Candle Stub 1 x Copy of your Nocturnal Rhapsody

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2} Only available after being Restored to Court
2. ↑ Requires Renown: The Docks 5 and An Experienced Zailor: A Seasoned Captain
3. ↑ Requires Identified with a School: The Nocturnals

NovelsEdit

Your novel is complete!	Making Waves	Results
A Gothic Romance	+10 CP	6000 x Moon-pearl Fascinating... +50 CP 1 x Copy of your Gothic Romance
A Tale of the Future!	+10 CP	6000 x Nevercold Brass Sliver Connected: Benthic +10 CP Connected: Summerset +10 CP 1 x Copy of your Tale of the Future
A Patriotic Adventure!	+15 CP	6000 x Moon-pearl 1 x Copy of your Patriotic Adventure
A Tale of Espionage! [1] [2]	+15 CP	6000 x Jade Fragment 1 x Copy of your Tale of Espionage
A Tale for the People! [1] [3]	+15 CP	6000 x Moon-pearl 1 x Copy of your Tale for the People
A Bazaarine Tale! [1] [4]	+15 CP	6000 x Nevercold Brass Sliver 1 x Copy of your Bazaarine Tale

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2} Only available after being Restored to Court
2. ↑ Requires Renown: The Great Game 5
3. ↑ Requires Renown: Criminals 5 and Renown: Urchins 5
4. ↑ Requires Identified with a School: The Bazaarines

Operas ^[1]Edit

An Opera!	Making Waves	Results
A Thunderstorm of Morality	+10 CP	6000 x Shard of Glim
A Heartwarming Farce	+10 CP	6000 x Moon-pearl
An Epic of Far-Off Lands	+10 CP	6000 x Foxfire Candle Stub

1. ↑ Only available after being Restored to Court

Films ^[1]Edit

Show your Film!	Making Waves	Results
An Innocent Fictional Scene	+10 CP	6000 x Shard of Glim
A Brief Comedy	+10 CP	6000 x Moon-pearl
A Documentary	+10 CP	6000 x Silk Scrap

1. ↑ Only available after being Restored to Court

Is it worth it?Edit

Having a Copy of your Tale of the Future can come in handy when Designing your Zubmarine if you don't have A Scholar of the Correspondence 3, while any of the other five poems or novels available prior to Banishment saves you 2000 Foxfire Candles and two Favours when Making Friends among God's Editors on the Making the Good Book Better golden opportunity card. A Copy of your Patriotic Adventure can be used for increasing Connected: The Masters of the Bazaar on the 6th day of Mr Sacks, with Mr Sacks! Take this exalted hymn to patriotism!, but unlike the previously mentioned uses you lose your copy. It is possible to give this Sacks 10 touching love stories instead for the same reward.

Should you fancy a trip to the Tomb-Colonies, a saucy ballet is the way to go. Composing a couple dozen somewhat-challenging symphonies is the best (if not the only) way to reliably grind A Scholar of the Correspondence to 10.

Whatever you create, it will basically give you a bit more than one Echo (per action) worth of the various 0.01 Echo items. This is assuming you pass the challenges at 100%. Investing favours or items increases inspiration but, well, you pay for it. The optimal choice to get complete works the fastest while Persuasive is below 148 is The Decency Evaluator, which will complete a small work in 20 actions, cost 1000 Foxfire Candle Stubs, gain an average of 12 Secluded Addresses, and gain an average of 14 Suspicion, which works out to (30 - 10 + 12 * 0.50) / (20 + 0.25 * 14 + 2) = 1.02 Echoes per Action. Once you have Persuasive 148, The lead becomes the better option on works other than poems and novels. At Persuasive 167, there is no chance of failure and you can rack up the needed inspiration with 20 actions, netting a whopping 30 / (20 + 2) = 1.36 Echoes per Action. If you are gaining Favours: Revolutionaries faster than you can use them, this is also the only repeatable storylet that can use them, so you can make use of them here rather than maxing them out.