Parabola (Guide)

From Fallen London Wiki (Staging)
A Comprehensive and Descriptive Guide Detailing the Procedures by Which a Fallen Londoner Ought to First Visit Parabola

Original By Vainfire, Edited by Maddie (Crepe Ava), Lux Gracetail and BraydonM

Wiki formatting and copy editing by Asarta

This guide is incomplete. You can help by expanding it.
What needs work: Recent updates massively reduce the amount of Memories of Light required to get to Parabola though exact amounts are unknown to me currently for both Silverers and non-Silverers. The beginning (accessing Parabola portion) of this guide will show wrong info due to this.


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This guide details the preparations for entering Parabola and guides you through important steps when exploring Parabola and unlocking new areas and skills. Parabola is a very expansive area of the game, and much of the content available in Parabola will not be covered in a single guide. For guides to specific areas of Parabola see Parabola Area Guides. This guide assumes that you do not have Fate, but does take note of festival items as well as items which were previously available for free but now require Fate.

When first entering Parabola it is important to plan your actions around efficiently obtaining the quality . When reaching 8 in your Parabolan Base Camp the Storylet Conflagration will auto-fire. This storylet will consume 8 CP of , increase by 1 and lower you Glasswork and Monstrous Anatomy skills by 1 level each. Since players who are new to Parabola will usually not have any CP of Glasswork and Monstrous Anatomy this storylet will initially allow you to gain without any negative consequence and will remove very efficiently. If you have already acquired some amount of Monstrous Anatomy such as from experiments in the University Laboratory you will lose your CP, but don't worry! Parabola allows players to easily and quickly grind higher levels of Monstrous Anatomy. Do not attempt to avoid Conflagration, as you will need to obtain the Sighted the Storm-bird quality in order to capture the Storm-bird and this is the only way to gain it. The Storm-Bird is eventually required for important activities including increasing your Monstrous Studies.

When players obtain 8 the storylet Falling apart will auto-fire at your Base-Camp. This will consume Glasswork and Kataleptic Toxicology. Unlike GW and MA, which will be raised just from using the skills, KT is only raised by a few expensive actions. If you do not have any Kataleptic Toxicology this storylet is harmless but if you do it is very important to avoid 8 wounds in Parabola.

Parabola Area Guides[edit]

Oneiropomp (Guide) For a guide to dream guiding in the Viric Jungle, which is notable as the best source of Comprehensive Bribes.

Parabolan War (Guide) For a guide to war in Parabola. A more advanced weekly activity that requires you first Build up your Base-Camp defenses.

Parabolan Hunting (Guide) For a quick guide to hunting Parabolan creatures and locations.

The Sacroboscan Calendar (Guide) For a guide to past events available in The Waswood.

A Cub's Education (Guide) For a brief list of ways to increase A Cub's Education while cats are dominant in Parabolan War.

The Chessboard (Guide) For a detailed look at actions at the Chessboard.

Preparing to Enter[edit]

Prepare to swap professions to Silverer[edit]

Swapping to no longer offers such a massive gap in cost based on Memories of Light compared to the now costing 50 Memories of Light research project. However, doing it using this method still skips the need for a University Lab, making it potentially worth it for those who don't wish to undergo the whole project.

  • If you don't want to swap professions, there is an option to research the 50 project in the lab. Complete the research and continue as normal.
  • It is also to be noted that other professions, most notably and , do in fact open up other options in Parabola.
  • What you will require: 5 , an Unsigned Message in hand, a , either the Church or Revolutionary Faction card in hand, and five favours of the appropriate type.

Methods to obtain Memories of Light[edit]

See this flowchart for a comprehensive guide to sources of Memories of Light.

Acquire the necessary materials to enter Parabola[edit]

Acquire resources to grind advanced stats later[edit]

  • Obtain a stockpile of Identities Uncovered or s
    • Ideally obtain about 12-16 of each, but you will probably not spend this many. You will, however, at base want 12 s and 4 Identities Uncovered.
  • Obtain at least two s for level 7 (You will receive all other levels in Parabola).
    • A third can be used to speed up this step but it is not required.
  • Optional: Obtain at least four
    • If you do not have access to the to obtain these you can acquire them in Parabola but it is generally less efficient.
  • Optional: Obtain one of the following for gaining :
    • Five s
    • 1100
    • An , 6 , and 100 (The , is not consumed.)
    • Optional: repeat this ten more times to gain 10 used in increasing Kataleptic Toxicology Studies to 2.
  • Reach 5
  • Obtain either 50 additional Memories of Light or reach 15
  • Obtain ten of the following for gaining , be sure to bring at least one of each pet. More goldfish is recommended:
    • Five Memories of Distant Shores (2.5 Echoes equivalent, this gives 1 CP but this is easily obtained other ways.)
    • 1 (0.4 Echo and gives a )
    • 1 (0.4 Echo and gives a )
    • 1 (0.4 Echo and gives a )
    • Wiki note: the pets are not only cheaper, they will also give you special Bizarre/Dreaded/Respectable-manipulating companions.
  • Obtain additional for baiting the Focused Albatross. This saves a significant amount of actions for the price. 5-10 is a good number. More can be used later.

Acquire resources for use in Parabola[edit]

  • Obtain one or (purchased from the Bazaar for 470 Echoes)
    • Note: this step is optional. If you have the Cave of the Nadir, the item obtained this way overlaps with the and the which are generally more useful.
  • Obtain one (purchased from the Bazaar for 3 Echoes)
  • Suggested: Bring a good supply of and
  • Suggested: Reach 2
  • Suggested: Reach 2
  • Optional: Obtain a Phantasie of the Bazaar (found only during Feast of the Rose)

Finish Any Projects You Have in the Laboratory[edit]

  • Unless that project requires , you'll want to finish any research projects you have ongoing before going in, to make your obtaining of more efficient (each trip to Parabola costs honey and actions). So you leave Parabola with some , then start a new research project that requires , and you get a head-start on that project. If you have an in-progress research project which does not require , when you later complete that project you'll waste any you obtained from Parabola.

Change Professions to Silverer[edit]

  • Resign from your existing profession (do this by Sending a Message to a Contact in , then choosing to Resign From Your Profession)
  • Play the faction card of your choosing and become a
  • Play the Unsigned Message from your hand and become a
  • Using your , force-draw another Unsigned Message. Use that to become a (use a second chance on it). If unsuccessful, wait for another Unsigned Message draw or until next week for the refresh.
  • The point of this is to not be stuck with bad profession gear for any longer than necessary and to maximise the weekly payment.

Entering Parabola[edit]

As a Silverer[edit]

As a Laboratory Researcher[edit]

If you don't want to switch jobs, here's everyone else's way in:

  • In your , start the experiment to Find a Route to Parabola. This will start a 50 project.
  • Once you're done with that, you'll progress to the second stage of the experiment, which takes 75 .
  • While you're researching, you will draw the card Realisation, which has various options for you to acquire . None of them are good.
  • Remember that your maximum Laboratory Equipment at this time is 4, so even this short experiment is a bit painful.
  • Finish the second stage of the experiment.
  • When you try to Leave Your Lab, you'll find an option to Enter the Mirror for 1 action and 100 Drops of Prisoner's Honey. Choose it.

An Overview of Mechanics in Parabola[edit]

  • Try not to leave Parabola often. Reentering Parabola costs honey and an action.
    • You cannot draw cards in Parabola. Your opportunity deck will fill up after an hour of real time, or an hour and 40 minutes for Exceptional Friends. If you want, you can leave Parabola at intervals to empty your opportunity deck, though note that doing so costs an action and 100 honey (50 honey if you're a silverer) each time.
  • Mechanics: movement within Parabola is free, but requires lots of clicking to go between places. Movement within Parabola will also shuffle
  • While in Parabola, and have no effect when they reach 8, and kick in only once you return to London (though not while you are in the )
  • While in Parabola, have no effect when they reach 8 until you return to your Base-Camp, at which point the Storylet Conflagration (for Nightmares 8) autofires, which will consume a level of both Glasswork and Monstrous Anatomy.
  • Similarly, 8 will trigger Falling apart at your Base-Camp. This will consume Glasswork and Kataleptic Toxicology. Unlike GW and MA, which will be raised just from using the skills, KT is only raised by a few expensive actions, most commonly A preparation for the stomach. So it is a good idea to avoid Wounds 8 in Parabola.

Hunting in Parabola (the First Pass)[edit]

Your First Hunt: the Seven-Throated Warbler[edit]

  • All the other Parabolan Quarries have prerequisites, though you will be hunting all three in this guide. Besides, you'll want to do this a few times anyway because it gives you s (see below).
  • All your options here change the . Look for the options that appear to reference other locations. These are dependent on Airs and they give you the route to other locations. When they show up, play them if you don't have their Route yet. If they don't show up this hunt, don't worry. You'll be doing more.
  • Unless you have a special airs option available that you haven't played yet, the best way to hunt right now is just to Push onward over and over. This gives you on failure, which is a good thing.
    • Allow your nightmares to reach 8 and enter Conflagration.
    • Play the option given. It will lower your nightmares by 8 CP and give you one instance of . If you have followed this guide, the storm-bird should have no or to take.
  • Once you succeed in Pushing Onward, you're given two options: to fight the beast in its lair or out here, in the open (has requirements). Choosing the lair gives you the opportunity to steal from its nest, which grants you alternative rewards without requiring skill checks, as well as the ability to grind (which we will take advantage of later, but not right now).
    • For the Seven-Throated Warbler, stealing from its nest gives a . You will want 3 of these to upgrade your laboratory equipment, and later you will want another 3 for .
      • Eventually, you will also want some for the Railway.
    • The itself is used in a variety of things, including being a good companion (+8 Persuasive). You will eventually want 3 for Kataleptic Toxicology Studies, and one more for a . You can also give them to the Fingerkings later, if you so wish and be rewarded with a .
  • If you choose to fight the beast in its lair but still just want to capture it, just play the option to Capture the Seven-Throated Warbler and ignore the one to ambush it at close range. It might escape and wound you. Increasing to 8 is okay if you don't have base . In the future, be sure to just play the option Trick the Parabolan Quarry into chasing you if you want to capture the beast itself.

After the Hunt[edit]

  • Do not heal your unless you have base (allowing them to reach 8 and being forced to in Falling apart is better).
  • Do not heal your (Allow them to reach 8 and be reduced by Conflagration).
  • Check which routes you have open by playing the storylet Leave your Parabolan Base-Camp. The three options you want to see are Visit the Moonlit Chessboard, Visit the Waswood, and Visit the Dome of Scales, though the only vital one is . The other routes you can deal with later.
  • If you don't have all the routes, no problem. Do another hunt! You'll eventually want at least 6 s and 4 s (5 if you plan to keep one as a companion following its usage in lab experiments).

Your Other Hunt: the Focused Albatross[edit]

  • After you capture one , you'll gain a Parabolan Trophy. This unlocks the option to hunt the .
  • This hunt is much the same as the former, except the checks are more difficult and you can't steal anything of value from its nest.
  • Use the option to bait it with a goldfish. This makes it substantially easier to capture and failing will give you and force you to spend an additional action chasing it.
  • You will want 3 Focused Albatrosses for , and one for the . It also has value as a companion for completionists and those who want a companion who gives nightmares.
  • Note: Do not hunt the Storm-Bird yet.

Acquire the following items from your hunts[edit]

  • 6 s
  • 4 es
  • 1 less than your intended number of s (3 or 4, you will come back for the last one later)
  • Several instances of (there will be another way to increase your , later, but try to get some now)

Grinding Advanced Stats[edit]

A Player of Chess[edit]

For a more in-depth look at the Chessboard, see this guide.

  • If you haven't found the route to already, you may leave this step for later. The Chessboard will allow you to gain and increase it to base level 7. It also allows players who do not have s a chance to acquire them but it is otherwise independent from the rest of your progress through Parabola.
  • At the chess-board, you will eventually want to play as white. If you have advanced your Liberation of Night to the point where you cannot pick white, pick black instead.
  • Start off by playing the option to Follow the movements of the pieces twice. A rare/alternative success here grants . You will probably pick up some by the time you finish grinding . It is a good idea to spend a on this check as you will need to spend three actions to return to the start of the game and get another chance to raise .
  • In the midgame:
    • As white, simply Play aggressively, you will probably fail. Alternatively, you can Sabotage Your Side to progress the Liberation of Night and guarantee failure (failing will be important).
    • As black, Sabotage Your Side—you want to swap to white. Don't worry about losing your Liberation of Night, there are ways to grind it back up. Alternatively, if your quality is too high to quickly lower below 10, there is another method to swap to white. At any rate, you will still want to Sabotage Your Side: failing is important!
    • In order to quickly level , spend your new game Following the Movements of the Pieces, then in the midgame take any two actions before Allowing Yourself to be Sacrificed—it's much quicker to do this than to continue the game, since at low values of it is extremely difficult to actually win games. The midgame action you take doesn't matter, but you probably don't want to spend the Justificandes you get from sacrificing yourself to gain . Save them for railway progress later.
  • Consider swapping to black before you leave: This will make it easier to grind later.
  • This entire process can be done in one long session in the Chessboard, though doing so is not necessary — traveling in Parabola is free. Also, don't bother healing the wounds you acquired sacrificing yourself unless you have base .

Mithridacy[edit]

  • If you do not have the route to , and do not have 2 or higher you may find the route by playing the storylet Leave your Parabolan Base-Camp and attempting the check. It will eventually succeed. If you do have 2 or higher keep doing more hunts until the option Cut through a forest of things-that-were appears and play it.
  • Check the The Sacroboscan Calendar (Guide) to see what is currently available in . Choosing to Search out the lost histories of London will allow you to play out a shortened version of a past event, and some reward useful items. This event changes every week on Thursday following a rotating calendar.
  • Pick the option to Compose a Corrective History. If it fails, it increases your and gives .
  • After you successfully compose a , switch to composing Revisionist Histories
  • Allow your to reach 8, like previous
    • Upon returning to your Base-Camp, you will enter Conflagration.
    • This should quickly increase your quality. You will eventually want 7.
  • You will eventually want to acquire 3 s and 1 for . Even if you reach 5 and aren't grinding that anymore, keep going! Each time you meet the Storm-Bird, it makes tracking it down later that much easier.
  • If you accidentally use all your s, don't worry. See below () for how to get more.
  • A may be useful to help you fail checks so you can increase without consuming items.

Glasswork[edit]

  • Before you grind , make sure you have 7 . If you don't, continue grinding until you do.
    • Players who have additional increasing items will need 1 less per point they have. The difficulty of the check to begin hunting the is 10 minus your amount of . This is why you want 7 : a difficulty of 3 allows you to 100% the check at 8 adjusted .
    • To make it easier to get to 7, you can equip the and the . Each of these will increase your gain, allowing you to encounter the Storm-Bird more quickly.
    • The two methods most useful for gaining CP in are by playing the option Apply your own knowledge while tracking Parabolan prey or by playing Sneak away from your wounds from Attend to Your Health in your Parabolan Base Camp. Either option gives +1 cp on success or failure.
    • Once you reach 5 Leave your Parabolan Base-Camp and Visit the Dome of Scales
  • Interlude: Viric Clothing
    • If you already have the route to the , now is an acceptable time to visit. Play the option The Most Searing Green and trade in your Parabola-Linen clothing for Viric clothing that gives you +1 .
    • Not all players may have at this stage, so the guide will continue as though you do not have this bonus.
    • Note: the reward for doing this, the / Suit, has a similar use to the / Suit which can be obtained from the Nadir, also by trading in a / Suit, or bought from The Rat Market in the Flit.
    • If you don't like the Fingerkings, you can also get this by paying a small fortune in the Clay Tailor at the Sidestreets.
  • To increase the final level we will chase another Parabolan quarry.
  • Once you are properly Lost in Strange Lands, repeatedly choose the option to Apply your own knowledge.
    • Starting from 0, you will have to increase 28 times to get to 7. You do not have to do this all right now: your next hunt is the , which will present more opportunities to spam this option.
    • You will also be able to build up by healing the you acquire on this hunt (you will definitely acquire on this hunt).
  • Once at 5-7 (7+1 due to Cosmogone Spectacles), or just when the option Push onward is at a 100% chance to succeed, move onto the next step by playing the option Push onward.

Monstrous Anatomy[edit]

Kataleptic Toxicology[edit]

  • s are how you get in Parabola.
    • Growing a is done by playing the option Tend a Curious Tree in the Base-Camp, and using any of the options to fertilise and subsequently pluck fruit from the tree.
    • Eating a is under the Attend to Your Health storylet. It will heal you on success but grants you 1 CP of regardless. This is a very expensive way to gain a small amount of .
  • If you brought enough materials to get 10 s, you might as well do that right now. If you brought enough to get 11, and wish to level through the Polite Poisoner, this is a way to get your first level and unlock the option on her opportunity card.
    • If you didn't bring enough to get 11, only 10 s, and still wish to level your through the Polite Poisoner, your first level can also be gained by researching Queenly Attar or by using (explained below).
    • If you didn't bring enough resources to get this many, that's alright. You'll have to come back to Parabola at some point anyway, and growing s can be done from your Base-Camp.
  • The other option requires having an from Whitsun and allowing it to lead you while on monster hunts.
  • Future points of are best grinded outside of Parabola. Eating s is expensive. More on how to level is explained below.

Hunting in Parabola (the Last Pass)[edit]

Your Last Hunt: the Storm-Bird[edit]

  • To even start hunting the Storm-Bird requires you to succeed on a Glasswork check. The difficulty of this check is 10 minus your amount of . This is why you want 7 : a difficulty of 3 allows you to 100% the check at 8 adjusted .
  • Hunting the Storm-Bird is much like hunting the other two birds, except now you probably don't want to build up . Instead, you can spam the Apply your own knowledge and Airs options (all route options give +10 ) before Pushing Onwards as a 100% chance, then instead of fighting the Storm-Bird in the open you can track it back to its Cloud and Ambush it at Close Range until you can 100% the check to capture it. This gives you the least amount of , which is something that you may care about. Alternatively, follow a similar strategy as previous and heal up the nightmares however you see fit.
  • The loot from the Storm-Bird's nest is fairly underwhelming: usually some s, and occasionally a or (good for collectors but not worth much otherwise). All of these can be obtained elsewhere, more efficiently for the first and second, and more flavorfully (but probably with more difficulty) for the third.
  • You will eventually want 3 s for and 1 for a . It also has marginal value as a companion, and can be presented to the Fingerkings for 4-5 s per action (reasonable early as a way to finish projects quickly, but outclassed later by other options).
  • You do not necessarily need to hunt all 4 right now, you can come back later.

Leaving Parabola: what to do next[edit]

Before You Leave[edit]

(See also #Making Use of Parabola below.)

The Checklist: Parabolan Booty[edit]

  • Beasts of Parabola
    • 4-5 s (3 for , 1 for the , 1 as a companion that reduces build up)
    • 4-5 (3 for , 1 for the , and 1 as a companion that increases build up)
    • 4-5 s (3 for , 1 for the , and 1 as a companion that gives +8 )
    • 6+ s (3 for Lab Equipment level 5, 3 for , and more if you want to lay Railway track through hilly terrain)
  • Stats of Parabola
    • 5
    • 7
    • 7
    • 5
    • 0-1 , depending on whether you want your first point from Parabola in order to gain more from the Polite Poisoner
  • Items of Parabola
    • Optional: 1 / (+1 Clothing)
    • 3 s, 1 (For use in )
    • Optional: 10 s (For )

Laboratory Equipment[edit]

You can use 50 , 100 s, 2000 s, 1 , and 3 s to improve your Laboratory Equipment from level 4 to level 5.

Monstrous Anatomy Studies[edit]

  • are conducted through research projects at the laboratory. You will need 5 to start them, and you will need 6 to get the maximum lifted to 7.
  • Your first level of is through the research project Work Toward A Fuller Understanding of Monstrosities. It costs 3 es and 500 to begin, and requires 300 and 50 .
    • The 500 are purchased from the Bazaar for 0.4 E each, at a total cost of 200 Echoes.
    • Make sure that this, , or the Comprehensive Study is the first research project you do once out of Parabola: not all projects require , but all of them reset it upon completion.
  • Your second level of is through a research project that is also titled Work Toward A Fuller Understanding of Monstrosities. This one costs 3 . Finishing the project takes 500 and 50 . (Note that you don't necessarily need to go back to Parabola for Parabolan Research, but it is usually faster and more optimal to gain research in Parabola).
  • You don't necessarily have to go back to Parabola right now to grind up to 7, there are several other methods you will probably encounter.
    • Completing the will grant you some CP in , as will completing several other research projects. You will also have to go back to Parabola after reaching Ealing Gardens on the Railway to hunt the and the Kill the Pinewood Shark for , which is an opportunity to spam Ambush at Close Range and grind up .

Mithridant Studies[edit]

Kataleptic Toxicology[edit]

Comprehensive Study of Avian Anatomies, Oneiric and Otherwise[edit]

Making Use of Parabola[edit]

Re-entering Parabola[edit]

  • There are multiple places from which to re-enter Parabola. s will generally have an easier time of it. The three main places in London which you can enter from are , the University Laboratory, and the Honey-Dens in . Entrance costs 50 Honey for s and 100 for everyone else. Entrance always takes an action.
  • s have the option to head to any location in Parabola directly from London. This saves clicks but not actions.

The Reflection of Your Laboratory[edit]

  • Entering the from the University Laboratory costs 100 honey for non-s and 50 honey for s. s can also enter the for free from their lodgings.
  • The is where you can efficiently gain . Here, you can employ reflections of the people you hire in your normal lab. In Parabola, they take on forms that more closely mirror what they aspire to be. Rather than draw cards, you can instead simply play the available storylets. A weaker version of this is available in your lab on The Reflection of Research.
  • It is usually more efficient to reenter Parabola than it is to use slower options on . The Numismatrix specifically will produce as much Parabolan Research in the card as she does in Parabola. However better options exists and this is usually one of the most frequent needs driving players to Parabola.
  • Once you've discovered the Non-Existent Block in the Railway, you can come here to start special Red Science-related laboratory projects.

Parabolan Defences & Parabolan War[edit]

Parabolasmall.png Early Parabola Content
Main article: Parabolan Hunting (Guide)
A player-created Guide is available for this content: Parabolan War (Guide)


Upgrading your is needed for some ambitions, the Parabolan War, and unlocks a fairly efficient heal. It will also be required for later.

Once your are complete engaging in Parabolan War is done over multiple visits as Time, the Healer will reduce your Ravages of Parabolan Warfare once a week helping you begin new campaigns. See Parabolan War (Guide) for details.

The Viric Jungle[edit]

A player-created Guide is available for this content: Oneiropomp (Guide)


The storylet Dreams: A Choice of Reverie allows you to , or dream guide. This gives various rewards but is most notable for being the hands down best place to gain . Check out the guide for more details!

The Chessboard[edit]

A player-created Guide is available for this content: The Chessboard (Guide)


is the source for several chess related items you won't find other places. These items often aren't yet useful to players new to Parabolan but you will eventually come here to play chess. See the guide for the details!

The Waswood[edit]

A player-created Guide is available for this content: The Sacroboscan Calendar (Guide)
  • Play through whatever event The Sacroboscan Calendar offers this week. This will take you through a shortened story of a past festival and can give past festival items not obtainable elsewhere. Some of these items are BIS or shared BIS items and they don't have any requirements except the from the event which requires spending a T7 item on Building a Parabolan Device.
  • /
    • A check can grant you either one, spending either 4 Identities Uncovered for the or 4 s and 1 for the .
    • Even though creating a does not expend an , it still requires you to have one to make.
  • Reach Towards the Shore for various items.
    • If you support the cats in the Parabolan War, you can find a here for you. It can help you raise at the Cat-controlled Dome of Scales.

The Dome of Scales[edit]

  • s
    • Climbing at The Top of the Dome is a difficult check that yields 5 s upon success, as well as a nominal amount of Jade that scales with .
  • With Fingerkings in the Dome of Scales (Default)
  • With Cats in the Dome of Scales (siding with cats in the Parabolan War)
  • With the Red-Handed Queen in the Dome of Scales (siding with her in the War)
    • s
      • With from a previous Hallowmas, you can grind s here.
    • Accessing this storylet requires specific actions during the Parabolan War, and as such it has its own methods for grinding , raising , and raising (but you can't get your first level of from here!).
      • Grinding
        • You can trade 20 s for several hundred CP of Shadowy, raising the attribute by multiple levels.
        • With 1, you can trade 1 for 2, raising your maximum to 7.