Khaganian Intrigue (Guide)

Late Zailing Content and Onwards

Khaganian Intrigue Summary
Locked Limited-Length Activity
Setup				Progress				End
1 A				2+/10+/13+/75+ A				1 A
Progress Details			Raise Build to intrigue's target.
Items Inputs/Outputs Start-up Depending on Intrigue: None Boosting Outputs Fourth City Airag
Raw EPA			5.02			Raw SPA			6.25

A guide to playing the Great Game in The Khanate, an activity for endgame players.

Beginning steps

To start the story chain allowing you access to Khan's Heart and the activities within, you need to have advanced the Railway as far as , and have fully upgraded your to level 4 there. You will also require a Ship.

A ubiquitous opportunity card will appear in London, giving you an . Deciphering this will give you a and . If you have not already unlocked the Khanate as a destination, you may now do so via a check in a new storylet in Balmoral.

To continue the storyline, you will need a Cover Identity. The game details the requirements, but at minimum you need Ties and at least 5 in Credentials, Nuance, or Witnesses. These will influence which challenges you face in Khan's Heart, as detailed later in this guide.

With a complete Identity, you can zail to the Khanate, a fairly long zee journey (as it is effectively one of the furthest points from London).

Once you reach the Khanate, you can speak to the Reformer of Reputations in a storylet in the The Copper Quarter. After a short introductory segment, the option to create a Khaganian front as a base of operations for intrigues and espionage in the Great Game becomes available. Completing it will give a , allowing you access to Khan's Heart.

Cover Identity

Main article: Cover Identities (Guide)

Each Cover Identity stat has a different use in establishing a front. Your Cover Identity is consumed in the process.

It is strongly recommended to build your cover identity in a way that will maximise chances of success (see Guaranteeing Success, below).

• Elaboration increases , which determines how long your front can withstand investigation by the White-and-Golds, the security service of the Khanate. If this reaches 0, your front will be lost, and you will need to assemble a new Cover Identity to rebuild it! If your stats complement your choice of strategy to the point of guaranteed success during the whole carousel, you can get by with bare minimum, since you won't lose any Obfuscation, otherwise, it's better to get 10 to prolong your stay.
  Obfuscation can be restored, up to 11, by spending s with The Reformer of Reputations.

• Backstory increases , which (presumably) reduces the impact that failures have on Obfuscation. The benefit is capped at 10 Backstory, all excess will be wasted.

• Ties determines your Outward Appearance of a Khaganian Front, which determines which BDR stat can be used for checks in the Khanate. The highest of those checks can be 100%d with 18 in a stat.
  • Surface ties lead to an Academic appearance, which makes use of .
  • Dispossessed ties lead to an Criminal appearance, which makes use of .
  • Bazaar ties lead to an Mercantile appearance, which makes use of .

• Credentials, Nuance, and Witnesses determine both Methods of a Khaganian Front and Weapon of a Khaganian Front.
  Making use of Credentials, Nuance, or Witnesses requires level 5 in each stat. This is a flat lock and not a challenge, so any levels above will be wasted.
  You may only make one selection each for Methods and Weapon, but you are not required to use the same stat for both. Unused stats will be wasted as well, so plan accordingly.
  • Methods selects one attribute for checks, but also influences how you can use resources to advance long intrigues. For the latter, Manipulation is the most flexible.
    • Credentials gives you the ability to select Manipulation, which makes use of .
    • Nuance gives you the ability to select Observation, which makes use of .
    • Witnesses gives you the ability to select Subversion, which makes use of .
  • Weapon
    • Credentials gives you the ability to select Disinformation, which makes use of .
    • Nuance gives you the ability to select Dream-Shaping, which makes use of .
    • Witnesses gives you the ability to select Poison, which makes use of .

You want to pick a skill where you can comfortably reach 10. Note that any character can get access to +5 worth of items (but less than +2 for the other skills), so unless your profession or ambition gives you an amazing boost to one of the other skills, the mirror is probably the way to go.

A Tourist's Guide to Khan's Heart

Khaganian intrigue opens up a number of repeatable carousels -- most notably, Stalemates, Oneiric Pearls, and Airag can all be found here with a bit of Airs cycling. However, for a newcomer intending to make the most of their first visit, there are probably three prizes most worth mentioning. (Collectors may consider the also worth obtaining, in which case they should certainly remember to bring an empty as well.)

• The , which are best-in-slot Boots for Dangerous (+8) and the only Player of Chess item in their slot.
• The , which can be dismantled into a required to increase your Watchful cap from 218 to 221. (It also sells quite dearly if you care to repeat it, for ~312.5 as a , 5 x, 5 x, 25 x, 120 x and a , or for 4000 Rat Shillings during the right Rat Market seasons).
• , which offers a steady source of Emetic Revelations and unlocks another branch of intrigues that consume these for various profits.

The third one requires 4 intrigues of 130 each to be done in sequence, along with wrapping actions, and thus has no shortcuts.

The first two, however, require very long Intrigues -- 750 or about 75 successful actions. However, as long Intrigues they enable the options on (see below), which allow you to trade 62.5 items for 150 (which item depends on your .) All such items are available in Khan's Heart itself, through beginning Expand your network with various . Since also requires 5 anyway, for Watchful and Shadowy characters (and arguably Persuasive as well) the shortcut is self-funding.

Specifically: Watchful needs Stalemates from the Naive Dissident, or Airs 10-19. Shadowy needs Much-Needed Gaps from either the Immaculate Tailor or Lovelorn Engineer. Persuasive is different because it just requires money, specifically 125 x; in large quantities this is probably best gained from The Trifling Diplomat at the Bone Market, though if you build up a stockpile of Surface-Silk Scraps you can sell them at a rate for 200 to 40 coinage and cycle airs while you're doing it. Also note that the rewards of both the physician, the diplomat, Tailor, and the engineer can also be sold at the Khaganian Markets for .

The precise shape of your 'tour' of Khan's Heart, then, will depend on both your Methods and your luck:

Watchful or Shadowy:

• First, run Intercept a cablegram once, at twenty (four actions including overhead)
• Check your airs to see if your desired agent is available. If not, keep running Intercept a cablegram until they happen to show up -- you'll ultimately need at least 20 for five agents, the Footsteps and the Sounder, and you'll want another 10 later: 10 opens up Tap a telegraph cable, which is much more efficient than Intercept a cablegram for starting intrigues. In total, 30 cablegrams or six runs.
• Then, run Expand your network. You'll need to do this five times, of which four will provide items you need to skip .
• Most likely, you're going to get enough cablegrams for your trip before you have the agents you need. Cycle airs by playing shatar for Opening Novelties or just gather more agents -- you're going to need at least Network Strength 10 eventually.

Persuasive characters have a more consistent approach available to them: do six cablegram runs for 30 x , then grind out 500 x however they like. If you have other things you want from the recruitment reward table, though, you might as well get it by selling silk to cycle airs.

At any rate, once you have enough for four 'skips', you're ready to go. Follow the guide below to get through your days in the Khanate as efficiently as possible, but spend your items at each False-Dawn for 150 x each. Assuming you pass every check, you'll be able to do this twice per intrigue -- you'll hit the Dawn of the Third Day with 520 x.

It should be noted that grinding for False-Dawn resources by expanding your network is only efficient as long as you have to grind . Once you have reached , you are better of just biting the bullet and spending 75 actions. The same goes for the Front / BDR dependent options with additional costs: unless you can grind a in 2.8 actions, you are better off not spending them here.

Intrigue!

Once you establish a Khaganian front, you will receive a , which grants you access to Khan's Heart, from which you plan, advance, and carry out your schemes.

The main activity and use of your Khaganian Front is pursuing Intrigues, started at the Begin an intrigue storylet. Each intrigue requires a certain amount of which is gained through various storylets in Khan's Heart. Which options are available to you in a given storylet are determined by Outward Appearance, Methods, and Weapon. You may leave and reenter Khan's Heart without losing any progress towards , but note that entering costs an action. Note that you are not able to swap equipment while in Khan's Heart.

Options and storylets available are also influenced by the Current Time in the Khanate, which operates on a 12-action cycle. Each action you complete in Khan's Heart increments the current time, shifting available storylets and actions. Once you have enough , you complete the intrigue at The Progress of your (Intrigue Name) storylet. Note that each completed intrigue increases by 2 CP, except for expanding your network.

Table of intrigues and rewards

Name	Requirements	Infiltrating...	Result	Reward
Acquiring cablegrams
Intercept a cablegram	None	20	Collect your intercepted cablegrams
Tap a telegraph cable	10	130	Tap the underzee cable
				or
Spy games for fun and profit
Fabricate blackmail material		20	Assemble your manufactured blackmail
Plant a mirror	4	130	Plant an unsecured mirror
Sabotage a power plant	Colour less than 3	750	Sabotage a power plant	or
Obtain a Corresponding Sounder		750	Walk into the Office of Naval Affairs
Teambuilding and networking
Plant an agent		130	Conclude the infiltration	62.5e worth of items (depends on your agent - see below)
An opportunity: (Opportunity)	20	100	The Pulling of a Thread: (Opportunity)	62.5e worth of items (depends on the opportunity, see below)
Expand your network		130	Expand your network	1 x 62.5e item (depends on Airs - see below)
Growing your influence
Place one of your agents in London	5 No	750	Secure your agent's position
Placing informants (see below)	4	4 x 130	varies	3 2

Planting the Agents - Rewards

An agent must be collected at Wolfstack Docks first.

Expanding your Network - Rewards

Each option also increases by 1, as noted above.

Airs	Name	Reward	Sell to Khaganian Market?
0-9	A Disgruntled Academic		No
10-19	A Naive Dissident		No
20-29	An Immaculate Tailor		Yes
30-39	A Repentant Thief		Yes
40-49	A Shapeless Aristocrat		No
50-59	A Bandaged Naval Officer		No
60-69	A Scorned Diplomat		Yes
70-79	A Lovelorn Engineer		Yes
80-89	A Radical Physician		Yes
90-100	An Idle Soldier		No

Pulling Threads

Once you have , you can begin pulling threads. These intrigues cost and have a shorter action investment (10) for a 62.5 payout. They are setup so that your choice on outcome of the current intrigue determines the next available intrigue.

• See Khaganian Intrigue (Guide)/Opportunity cycles for a graph theory analysis of this.
• See Khaganian Intrigue (Guide)/Loyalty shifts for a graph representation of politics.

• 

  Opportunity Cycles

• 

  Loyalty shifts

Opportunity / Title	Name	Reward	In Echoes	Faction	Next Opportunity
0-1: An agent resurfaces / debrief an old agent	Debrief him, then release him		62.5	Eagle	2: A zailor defects
	Debrief him, and then betray him		62.5	Leopard	3: A codebook is misplaced
2: A zailor defects / shelter a defector	Tell the Forlorn Captain the truth		62.5	Eagle	4: Blueprints go missing
	Arrange for the Forlorn Captain's desertion	1 x  Bottle of Airag	62.5	Tortoise	8: A secret is unveiled
3: A codebook is misplaced / steal a codebook	Alert the Leopard		62.5	Leopard	9: A telegraph chatters
	Obtain the codebook, and sell it	415 x  Surface Currency	62.45	White	5: Someone slips through a mirror
4: Blueprints go missing / retrieve stolen blueprints	Warn the Eagle		60.0	Eagle	11: A Master plots
	Distract the Navy's investigators		62.5	White	3: A codebook is misplaced
5: Someone slips through a mirror / locate a Taciturn Magician	Snap him out of his daze		62.5	White	4: Blueprints go missing
	Leave him in his state		(125)	Black	7: A trove is discovered
6: A device is completed / break into a quiet factory	Leak this information to the Tortoise		37.5 + (25)	Tortoise	2: A zailor defects
	Warn the Revolutionaries		60	Black	5: Someone slips through a mirror
7: A trove is discovered / secure a treasure	Proceed as planned; let the Bazaar have these books	125 x  Khaganian Coins	(125)	Black	9: A telegraph chatters
	Buy out the Bookseller's inventory and cast it into the Zee		62.5	Bazaar	10: A Master covets!
8: A secret is unveiled / investigate unusual shipments	Leak the location of the warehouse to the Bazaar		62.5	Bazaar	7: A trove is discovered
	Observe without interfering		62.5	Tortoise	6: A device is completed
9: A telegraph chatters / contact a dissident	Vouch for the Foppish Revolutionary	1 x  Bottle of Airag	62.5	Black	6: A device is completed
	Leak their identities to the Khagan		60.0	Leopard	10: A Master covets
10: A Master covets / interfere in a trade dispute	Give them a push	125 x  Khaganian Coins	(125)	Bazaar	11: A Master plots
	Leak this information to the Khagan	125 x  Khaganian Coins	(125)	Leopard	1: An agent resurfaces
11: A Master plots / answer a request from Mr Stones	Deliver the Mummified Priest to the Khagan		62.5	Bazaar	8: A secret is unveiled
	Put the Mummified Priest on a London-bound ship		(125)	Eagle	1: An agent resurfaces

Faction	Loop length	Reward
1 - Eagle	4	, , , , , ,
2 - Leopard	4	, , , , 125 x  Khaganian Coins
3 - Tortoise	3	1 x  Bottle of Airag, , , , , ,
5 - White/Surface	3	, 415 x  Surface Currency, , , ,
6 - Black/Deep Power	4	, 125 x  Khaganian Coins, 1 x  Bottle of Airag, , , ,
7 - Bazaar	4	, , 125 x  Khaganian Coins,

An Agent of No Consequence

In order to get you need to place agents. This is a non-repeatable storyline. Options are done in sequence.

Option / Faction	Reward
The Wolf Khan	Sets to 1
Tortoise Khan	Sets to 2
Eagle Khan	Sets to 3 Sets to 1
Khagan Court	Sets to 2 Further options also provide and
is required for a weekly reward of

Once you have placed your informants, weekly you can Receive the latest 'reports' from your 'agent' to collect . Rather than being reset by , taking this task sets a living story that resets in exactly 7 days from taking the action. Additionally this unlocks the ability to trade in various items for depending on the current world quality . This changes on Tuesdays at 11 AM UTC.

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• (currently available)
• 

Intrigue Actions in Khan's Heart

Note that you are not able to swap equipment while in Khan's Heart. Overview

• ✓ - There's an option for the given stat at the given time.
  • ✓* - increases this option's difficulty level
• ✗ - There's no option for the given stat at the given time.

Challenges based on Method stats are Broad with difficulty 170, giving 100% at 284.
Challenges based on Weapon stats are Narrow with difficulty 6, giving 100% at 10.
Challenges based on Appearance stats are Narrow with difficulty 10 or 14, giving 100% at 14 or 18, respectively.

This article/section sets colors manually, instead of using the appropriate CSS classes. As a result, the colors may be hard on the eyes, particularly in dark mode.

Hour	Time	Methods			Weapon			Appearance
1	False-Dawn	✓*	✗	✗	✓	✓	✓	✗	✓	✓
2	Early Morning
3	Morning
4	Midday		✓*	✓*				✓
5	Early Afternoon	✗			✗	✗	✗
6	Afternoon
7	False-Dusk
8	Early Evening
9	Evening	✓	✓	✓
10	Late Night								✗	✗
11	Nearly Midnight
12	Midnight

The below table shows your options that are not made more difficult by along with minimum level to 100%:

Time	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
									284
BDR	18			14						18
Advanced Skills	10

Guaranteeing Success

Noting that you are not able to swap equipment while in Khan's Heart, there are three (relatively) easy ways to dress for success in Khan's Heart and guarantee 10 per action:

1. Use one of 10 for Time 1-4 and 18 for Time 4-12. This option does not depend on , but picking is recommended because of the flexibility of the False-Dawn option.
2. Use one of 18 for Time 1-9 and one of 284 for Time 9-12. This option does not depend on any of the advanced skills.
3. Use one of 10 for Time 1-4, one of 14 for Time 4-9, and one of 284 for Time 9-12.

If you need only briefly visit the Khanate and plan to intrigue but once per week, there are two further options that will guarantee success once per Time the Healer:

1. Use one of 10 for Time 1-4 and one of 284 for Time 4-12. This option does not depend on .
2. Use 284 for Time 1-4 and for 9-12 and one of 14 for Time 4-9. This option also does not depend on any of the advanced skills.

In addition, consider also achieving A Player of Chess 12 to ensure a guaranteed success when cycling airs via the always-available Play a game of shatar (see Cycling airs, below).

Whichever method you choose, please ensure that you set up your cover identity appropriately.

Table of Options by Stat

Persuasive

Unlocked with Methods: Manipulation, acquired with Credentials 5, and the challenge is 170.

Hours	Times	Storylet	Branch	Notes
4-9	Midday - Evening	The Iron Quarter	Strike a conversation with a factory manager	increases the difficulty by 5 per level.
9-12	Evening - Midnight	The Nephrite Quarter	Extricate information from a Recalcitrant Informant

Watchful

Unlocked with Methods: Observation, acquired with Nuance 5, and the challenge is 170.

Hours	Times	Storylet	Branch	Notes
1-4	False-Dawn - Midday	The Graphite Quarter	Surveil the factories	increases the difficulty by 5 per level.
9-12	Evening - Midnight	The Nephrite Quarter	Surveil a merchant

Shadowy

Unlocked with Methods: Subversion, acquired with Witnesses 5, and the challenge is 170.

Hours	Times	Storylet	Branch	Notes
4-9	Midday - Evening	The Iron Quarter	Slip into a factory	increases the difficulty by 5 per level.
9-12	Evening - Midnight	The Porcelain Quarter	Pickpocket an actress

Bizarre

Unlocked with Appearance: Academic, acquired with Surface Ties.

Hours	Times	Storylet	Branch	Challenge	Notes
1-4	False-Dawn - Midday	The Graphite Quarter	Attend a Liberationist meeting in disguise	13
4-9	Midday - Evening	The Realgar Quarter	Listen to a Paranoid Novelist	9
		The Imperial Colleges	Arrange a realistic forgery	6	Costs Gives

Dreaded

Unlocked with Appearance: Criminal, acquired with Dispossessed Ties.

Hours	Times	Storylet	Branch	Challenge	Notes
1-4	False-Dawn - Midday	The Graphite Quarter	Attend the presentation of a new weapon	13
4-9	Midday - Evening	The Iron Quarter	Make arrangements with smugglers	9
		The Realgar Quarter	Intimidate a Bureaucrat	5	Costs Gives

Respectable

Unlocked with Appearance: Mercantile, acquired with Bazaar Ties.

Hours	Times	Storylet	Branch	Challenge	Notes
4-9	Midday - Evening	The Realgar Quarter	Attend a Society party	9
		The Imperial Colleges	Remove academic impediments to your scheme	9	Costs Gives
9-12	Evening - Midnight	The Porcelain Quarter	Attend an operetta	13

Advanced Skills

Hours	Times	Storylet	Branch	Weapon:	Challenge
1-4	False-Dawn - Midday	The Nephrite Quarter	Start a market panic	Disinformation ( Credentials 5)	5
			Influence certain dreams	Dream-Shaping ( Nuance 5)	5
			Dispose of an impediment	Poison ( Witnesses 5)	5

Profession

These are guaranteed successes.

Hours	Times	Storylet	Branch	Requirement	Menace Reduction
12	Midnight	The Sinking Quarters	Confess your sins	Shrine to Saint Joshua	(-1 CP)

Using Resources

For long intrigues (where is 750, or at least >130), there is an option at False-Dawn during the first half of the intrigue to spend 62.5e of resources for 150 . The needed resource varies; your Methods offer one option, and owning some event equipment gives access to others.

Hours	Times	Storylet	Branch	Methods:	Cost	Menace Reduction
1	False-Dawn	False-Dawn	Create a pause in events	Observation		(-10 CP)
			Exploit a gap	Subversion
			Distribute bribes	Manipulation
			Implant misleading fantasies in the dreams of Taimen agents
			Position your pawns in all the right places

Managing Taimen's Attention

Failures and finishing most intrigues earns you an amount of TA (up to level 10). Your current TA level makes some checks harder.

reduces it every week by a CP amount depending on your current level of TA. ([- (TA * [ TA + 1] / 3)] CP).

Old Level	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
CP Loss	-1	-2	-4	-7	-10	-14	-19	-24	-30	-37
New Level	0-1	1-2	2-3	2-4	2-4	4-5	3-5	4-5	5-6	5

As you can see, it may be more advantageous to raise your TA to the next full level before bowing out of the Khanate for the week. For example, a level of 9+9 CP will land you at 6+3 CP when Time comes, whereas a full level 10 will land you on 5+3 CP.

The "rollover" that will earn you a bigger drop in TA is in the table below:

If your current level is ...	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9
then go for the next level if you have at least ... CP in the current level	2	2	3	3	3	4	4	4

Additionally, TA may be lowered on if your is at least 750 and you are at most half-way done. It is also automatically wiped if you lose your Khaganian Front.

Cycling airs

If you're looking for a certain reward from improving your network, you may want to change your airs of the Khanate. There are several options which do this, some of which cost resources. These options may also be useful if there are times during the day you can't beat the challenges.

For a list of descriptions that correlate to particular numbers, see Airs of the Khanate.

Always available:

• Play a game of shatar - winning provides

Morning:

• Explore the canals in a water-taxi (Morning) - provides for
• Purchase a box of lightbulbs - provides for

Evening:

• Supply Surface silk to a tailor's shop - Buy with
• Commission the manufacture of a Crackling Device - Buy a with and
• Take a walk through the Khan's gardens - provides
• Explore the canals in a water-taxi (Evening) - Buy with
• Stroll into a bookshop - Buy various books with

It is worth knowing that any action that produces intrigue cycles airs, but canceling a current intrigue, nor completing one does not. If you are looking for specific rewards, a slightly slower method that is still profitable is to intercept cablegrams or fabricate blackmail. As they only take 2 intrigue actions to complete, you only ever have an opportunity cost of 3 actions to cancel and accept the current airs. A cycle takes 4 actions (1 to Accept, 2 intrigue, and 1 to cash in) and will change your airs twice, yielding either and or and . If you do this method, make sure to consult the Airs of the Khanate table to know which descriptions match up to the rewards you are looking for.