Editing Polythremic Promenade (Guide)

{{GuideFor|Location = Polythreme Streets|Pages = Begin your Polythremic Promenade#Unnatural Exuberance#COGNISANCE#ALLURE}}{{Audience|MidZailing}}[[File:Polythreme.png|right]]
{{ActivitySummary
|Activity=Polythremic Promenade
|Length=Fixed
|Starting Actions=1
|Progress Actions=10
|Ending Actions=1
|Progress Details=Raise {{IL|ALLURE}} and {{IL|COGNISANCE}} to 8/12/13 depending on desired payout.
|Output Items=*{{IL|Maniac's Prayer}}
*{{IL|Storm-Threnody}}
*{{IL|Intriguing Snippet}}
*{{IL|Bazaar Permit}}
*{{IL|Extraordinary Implication}}
*{{IL|Stolen Kiss}}
*{{IL|Maniac's Prayer}}
*{{IL|Memory of Distant Shores}}
*{{IL|Touching Love Story}}
|Boost Items=*{{IL|Surface-Silk Scrap}}
*{{IL|Romantic Notion}}
*''{{IL|Moray Heels}}''
*''{{IL|Mystery of the Elder Continent}}''
*''{{IL|Volume of Collated Research}}''
|Raw EPA = 2.5
|Locked=Yes
}}
==Preparations==
Before leaving London, consider that while in {{IL|Polythreme Streets}}:
*you cannot access the Bazaar
*you cannot use items from your inventory, including changing gear
*you cannot send, get or answer social actions
*you cannot reduce menaces (if one rises to 8 you will feel the consequences the second you get back to London)
*you cannot gain second chances

Here is a spoiler free list of items that you might want to acquire before heading out to avoid leaving Polythreme not having done what you came for. Continue reading the guide to find out what they are for if you will.
*{{IL|Screaming Map}} (!)
*{{IL|Mystery of the Elder Continent|Appearance=Mysteries of the Elder Continent}} for bribes
*{{IL|Volume of Collated Research}} for bribes
*{{IL|Battered Grey Overcoat}}
*{{IL|Exceptional Hat}}
*{{IL|The Jack-of-Smiles Case}} 10
*{{IL|Ambition: Heart's Desire!}} 13
**{{IL|Bottle of Fourth City Airag: Year of the Tortoise}} if doing Heart's Desire.

===Getting There===
{{IL|Polythreme Streets}} are located in {{IL|Polythreme Docks|Appearance = Polythreme}} and require services of a ship.
There are two ways to reach {{IL|Polythreme Docks|Appearance = Polythreme}}:

#The first is to buy [[A Ticket to Polythreme|a ticket]] on the tramp steamer at {{IL|Wolfstack Docks}} using 150 {{IL|Map Scrap}}s (typically earned from [[The Rat Market (Guide)|the Rat Market]]). Then build your {{IL|Approaching Journey's End}} quality to 10, using the various cards and storylets [[Aboard a Tramp Steamer|aboard the Tramp Steamer]]. Once it is at 10, the [[There at last!]] storylet will open up. Selecting [[Polythreme (Aboard a Tramp Steamer)|Polythreme]] there will place you in the {{IL|Polythreme Docks}}, from where you can unlock and access {{IL|The Maze-Garden}}.
#The second method requires a ship of your own (check the [[PoSI Item Crafting#Ship|PoSI Item Crafting]] guide to see how to get one) and an [[Assemble your Screaming Map|assembled]] {{IL|Screaming Map}}. See the [[Zailing (Guide)]] for an introduction to how you zail and plan a trip to Polythreme in the Sea of Voices.

When it's time to leave the island the following options are present:
*Board the [[Zail Away on the Tramp Steamer|Tramp Steamer]] for 80 {{IL|Surface-Silk Scrap}}s (8.00 Echoes). These can be gained in the streets.
*Journey home on your [[Put to Zee! (Polythreme)|own ship]]

==Basic Mechanics==
The Polythremic Promenade revolves around {{IL|ALLURE}} (A) and {{IL|COGNISANCE}} (C), which is used to progress the stories. In addition to this, you could go for instant profit with the action shown in the table below. The {{IL|Surface-Silk Scrap}}s and {{IL|Romantic Notion}}s can subsequently be used in [[Paying Your Way]] to increase ALLURE or COGNISANCE, should you wish to do so.

{| class="article-table mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"
|+ [[One Might Profit Even in Such a Place]]
|-
! Option
! Challenge
! Success
! Failure
|-
|[[Make off with a box of silks]]
|{{IL|Dangerous}} 80
|{{IL|Surface-Silk Scrap|+8 x}}
|{{IL|Suspicion|1 CP}}
|-
|[[Observe the camaraderie of objects]]
|{{IL|Watchful}} 80
|{{IL|Romantic Notion|+8 x}}
|{{IL|Nightmares|1 CP}}
|-
|[[Soft to the touch]]
|{{IL|Persuasive}} 120
|{{IL|Surface-Silk Scrap|+12 x}}
|{{IL|Scandal|1 CP}}
|-
|[[Lurk in the eaves]]
|{{IL|Shadowy}} 120
|{{IL|Romantic Notion|+12}}
| -
|}

==Polythremic Promenade==

To access or advance any of the {{IL|Polythreme Streets|Appearance=Polythreme}} [[Polythremic Promenade (Guide)#Storylines|Storylines]] you need to complete a 12 action carousel consisting of [[Begin your Polythremic Promenade|Beginning your Polythremic Promenade]] (giving you 11 {{IL|Unnatural Exuberance}} (UE)), 10 actions reducing these to 1 while changing your {{IL|ALLURE|Appearance=A}}/{{IL|COGNISANCE|Appearance=C}} and a last action to collect rewards or advance a story.

===Raising {{IL|ALLURE}} and {{IL|COGNISANCE}}===
The various ways to increase {{IL|ALLURE|Appearance=A}}/{{IL|COGNISANCE|Appearance=C}} are:

*Buy {{IL|ALLURE|Appearance=A}}/{{IL|COGNISANCE|Appearance=C}} at [[Paying Your Way]]. Here you can pay to dependably raise {{IL|ALLURE}} or {{IL|COGNISANCE}} by 10 or more CP depending on the action. Succeeding gives more CP, and may also give CP of the other quality. The checks are marked as {{IL|Sartorial Cooperation}}, which is essentially {{IL|Luck}} checks that increases by 10% every time you've failed the previous round(s), and resets on a successful round. You can get most of the supplies on the [[One Might Profit Even in Such a Place]] storylet, which doesn't cost {{IL|Unnatural Exuberance|Appearance=UE}}.

*You can exchange {{IL|ALLURE}} for {{IL|COGNISANCE}} ([[A Clay Man of Wealth and Influence]]) or vice versa ([[Robes and Belts and Masks And Mantles]]) as soon as you have 10 CP of one of them. This costs 10 CP of the undesired quality and gains 22 or 12 CP on the other side (50/50).

*The entire [[:Category:Cards - Polythreme Streets|opportunity card deck]] consists of {{IL|ALLURE|Appearance=A}}/{{IL|COGNISANCE|Appearance=C}} changing actions, several of them skill-based (see [[Polythremic Promenade (Guide)#Opportunity Cards Overview|Opportunity Cards Overview]]). Note that you can add/remove the [[Fractious Furniture]] and [[The Zailors at Polythreme's Harbour]] cards to/from the deck by starting/finishing the [[A Little Spy Work]] and [[A Guided Tour of Polythreme]] stories. Since the opportunity card deck in {{IL|Polythreme Streets|Appearance=Polythreme}} is only between 6 and 8 cards thick this makes a great difference. So think about your stats and what you want to do before adding these to the deck.

**Fractious Furniture and The Zailors cannot be drawn before starting your promenade. If you want these cards, make sure to start your promenade first.

===Paying Your Way===

It's difficult to get the progress qualities up to 13 by using cards only, so it's usually a good idea to use [[Paying Your Way]] a few times at the beginning before resorting to cards (as the cost of [[Paying Your Way]] increases as {{IL|Unnatural Exuberance}} decreases.)

If this results in also receiving extra of the quality that you don't want, see above for swapping it for the one that you do.
{| class="article-table" border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1"
|-
! {{IL|Unnatural Exuberance|Appearance=UE}} range
! Cost
! raise {{IL|ALLURE}}
! raise {{IL|COGNISANCE}}
! Base success rate
! Progress
|-
|11-8 (4)
|{{IL|Surface-Silk Scrap|25 x}} (2.50 Echoes)
|[[Give surface-silk to Clay Men]]
|[[Offer silks to a clothes-colony]]
|50%
|20 / 10
|-
|7-5 (3)
|{{IL|Romantic Notion|50 x}} (5.00)
|[[Spread tales of love and glamour]]
|[[Speak of romance to an empty garden]]
|60%
|20+10 / 10
|-
|4-2 (3)
|{{IL|Mystery of the Elder Continent|25 x}} (12.50)
|[[Speak of the Elder Continent at Arcimboldo's]]
|
|rowspan="2"|70%
|rowspan="2"|40 + 10 / 10
|-
|4-2 (3)
|{{IL|Volume of Collated Research|5 x}} (12.50)
|
|[[Present your findings to an academic gone native]]
|}

===Opportunity Cards Overview===
{| class="article-table" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="1" border="0"
|-
! width="12%" |Card
! Option
! width="25%" |Req
! width="18%" |Challenge
! width="12%" |Success
! width="11%" |Failure
|-
| colspan="1" rowspan="2" |[[At the Market]]
|[[Attract attention at the market]]
|
|{{IL|Persuasive}} 120
|{{IL|ALLURE|Appearance=}} +12 CP<br>{{IL|COGNISANCE|Appearance=}} -5 CP
|{{IL|ALLURE|Appearance=}} +5 CP<br>{{IL|COGNISANCE|Appearance=}} -5 CP
|-
|[[Wander around the market]]
|{{IL|ALLURE|Appearance=}} 4
|
|{{IL|ALLURE|Appearance=}} -10 CP<br>{{IL|Surface-Silk Scrap|Appearance=|25}}
|
|-
| colspan="1" rowspan="2" |[[The Temple]]
|[[Have a look around the temple]]
|
|{{IL|Shadowy}} 120
|{{IL|COGNISANCE|Appearance=}} +12 CP<br>{{IL|ALLURE|Appearance=}} -5 CP
|{{IL|COGNISANCE|Appearance=}} +5 CP<br>{{IL|ALLURE|Appearance=}} -5 CP
|-
|[[Poke around the grounds]]
|{{IL|COGNISANCE|Appearance=}} 4
|
|{{IL|COGNISANCE|Appearance=}} -10 CP<br>{{IL|Surface-Silk Scrap|Appearance=|20-30}}
|
|-
| colspan="1" rowspan="2" |[[The Priest at the Temple]]
|[[Speak of his spiritual work]]
|
|{{IL|Sartorial Cooperation}} 50%
|{{IL|ALLURE|Appearance=}} +15 CP
|{{IL|ALLURE|Appearance=}} +2 CP<br>{{IL|COGNISANCE|Appearance=}} -10 CP
|-
|[[Speak to the Clay priest of matters romantic]]
|{{IL|ALLURE|Appearance=}} 8
|
|{{IL|ALLURE|Appearance=}} Reset<br>{{IL|Romantic Notion|Appearance=|60}}
|
|-
| colspan="1" rowspan="2" |[[The Ruin]]
|[[The walls are rattling]]
|
|{{IL|Sartorial Cooperation}} 50%
| {{IL|COGNISANCE|Appearance=}} +15 CP
|{{IL|COGNISANCE|Appearance=}} +2 CP<br>{{IL|ALLURE|Appearance=}} -10 CP
|-
|[[What's that fluttering?]]
|{{IL|COGNISANCE|Appearance=}} 8
|
|{{IL|COGNISANCE|Appearance=}} Reset<br>{{IL|Romantic Notion|Appearance=|60}}
|
|-
| colspan="2" rowspan="1" |[[Fractious Furniture]] - [[Examine the carvings]]
|{{IL|Spying on Polythreme}} 1
|{{IL|Shadowy}} 120
|{{IL|COGNISANCE|Appearance=}} +12 CP<br>{{IL|ALLURE|Appearance=}} -5 CP
|{{IL|ALLURE|Appearance=}} -5 CP
|-
| colspan="2" rowspan="1" |[[The Zailors at Polythreme's Harbour]] - [[Speak with the zailors]]
|{{IL|Writing of your Polythreme Travels}} 1
|{{IL|Persuasive}} 120
|{{IL|ALLURE|Appearance=}} +12 CP<br>{{IL|COGNISANCE|Appearance=}} -5 CP
|{{IL|COGNISANCE|Appearance=}} -5 CP
|-
| colspan="2" rowspan="1" |[[The Masked Man]] - [[Bid him a good morning]]
|
|{{IL|Sartorial Cooperation}} 70%
|{{IL|COGNISANCE|Appearance=}} +6 CP<br>{{IL|ALLURE|Appearance=}} +6 CP
|
|-
| colspan="2" rowspan="1" |[[The Wax Wind Comes]] - [[Crouching in a low stone building]]
|
|{{IL|Luck}} 50%
| {{IL|ALLURE|Appearance=}} +12 CP
| {{IL|COGNISANCE|Appearance=}} +12 CP
|}

===Spending ALLURE and COGNISANCE===

Once you reach your last {{IL|Unnatural Exuberance|Appearance=UE}} you cash in whatever {{IL|ALLURE|Appearance=A}}/{{IL|COGNISANCE|Appearance=C}} you gathered:

'''[[Spending your Time]]'''
{| class="article-table"
|-
! Name
! Requirement
! Reward
! Value
! EPA
|-
|[[A Distressing Lack of Progress]]
| -
|{{IL|Maniac's Prayer|200 x}}
|20.00
|1.67
|-
|[[The Voice in the Fog]]
|{{IL|ALLURE|Appearance = A}} 13
|{{TableList|{{IL|Storm-Threnody|2 x}}|{{IL|Intriguing Snippet|25 x}} }}
|30.00
|2.50
|-
|[[There's someone in there]]
|{{IL|ALLURE|Appearance=A}} 13, {{IL|A Person of Some Importance -|Appearance=PoSI}}
|{{TableList|{{IL|Bazaar Permit|2 x}}|{{IL|Intriguing Snippet|25 x}} }}
|30.00
|2.50
|-
|[[What's going on in the bay?]]
|{{IL|COGNISANCE|Appearance = C}} 13
|{{IL|Extraordinary Implication|12 x}}
|30.00
|2.50
|-
|[[Speak to a matched pair]]
|{{IL|COGNISANCE|Appearance=C}} 13, {{IL|A Person of Some Importance -|Appearance=PoSI}}
|{{IL|Stolen Kiss|10 x}} Not up-to-date
|25.00
|1.92
|-
|[[What's going on here?]]
|{{IL|ALLURE|Appearance=A}} 8, {{IL|COGNISANCE|Appearance=C}} 8
|{{TableList|{{IL|Maniac's Prayer|100 x}}|{{IL|Memory of Distant Shores|40 x}} }}
|30.00
|2.50
|-
|[[A walk in the villa gardens]]
|{{IL|ALLURE|Appearance=A}} 8, {{IL|COGNISANCE|Appearance=C}} 8
|{{IL|Touching Love Story|12 x}}
|30.00
|2.50
|}
The required number of CP for the relevant levels are (91 CP for lvl 13), (78 for 12) and (36 for 8). It therefore seems easier to get {{IL|ALLURE|Appearance=A}}8/{{IL|COGNISANCE|Appearance=C}}8 than {{IL|ALLURE|Appearance=A}}13 or {{IL|COGNISANCE|Appearance=C}}13 (36+36=72 vs 91) but since most cards raise one quality while reducing the other it is not.

The highest rewards will result in 2.50 Echoes per action. However, this does not account for failures.

If, maybe because of bad luck, you will reach neither {{IL|ALLURE|Appearance=A}}8/{{IL|COGNISANCE|Appearance=C}}8, {{IL|ALLURE|Appearance=A}}12, nor {{IL|COGNISANCE|Appearance=C}}12 you can spend small amounts of {{IL|ALLURE|Appearance=A}}/{{IL|COGNISANCE|Appearance=C}} via some of the [[Polythremic Promenade (Guide)#Opportunity Cards Overview|opportunity cards]] to increase the round's revenue. Picking up {{IL|Surface-Silk Scrap|25 x}}s requires 10 CP of {{IL|ALLURE|Appearance=A}} or {{IL|COGNISANCE|Appearance=C}}, while getting {{IL|Romantic Notion|60 x}}s requires at least {{IL|ALLURE|Appearance=A}}8 or {{IL|COGNISANCE|Appearance=C}}8 and costs all of it. Remember that you will be able to gain {{IL|Maniac's Prayer|200 x}}s at [[Spending your Time]] no matter how low your {{IL|ALLURE|Appearance=A}}/{{IL|COGNISANCE|Appearance=C}} is. This has the bonus of increasing {{IL|Sartorial Cooperation}}, making your next cycle easier.

===Storylines===
There are a handful of storylines to follow. It might be a good idea to do several of these at a time.

*{{IL|The Jack-of-Smiles Case}} winds through Polythreme.
*{{IL|Ambition: Heart's Desire!}} requires a visit to Polythreme.
*Turn an {{IL|Exceptional Hat}} into an {{IL|Unfinished Hat}} by learning about Unfinished Men via [[An Unfinished Story]].
*Turn a {{IL|Battered Grey Overcoat}} into a {{IL|Moderately Co-operative Clothes Colony}} at [[The Clothes-Colony]].
*Do [[A Little Spy Work]], adding [[Fractious Furniture]] to the opportunity card deck, when doing stories based on {{IL|COGNISANCE}}. You can finish the storyline if you want better odds for {{IL|ALLURE}} cards.
*Take [[A Guided Tour of Polythreme]], adding [[The Zailors at Polythreme's Harbour]] to the opportunity card deck when doing stories based on {{IL|ALLURE}}. You can finish the storyline if you want better odds for {{IL|COGNISANCE}} cards.

:'''See [[Polythremic Promenade (Guide)/Story Table]] for a breakdown of all the story-based conclusions to the promenade.'''

All of the listed storylets become available with exactly 1 {{IL|Unnatural Exuberance|Appearance=UE}}. Playing any option will remove that last one and finish the promenade.

=== Notes ===

* All storylines require {{IL|ALLURE|Appearance=A}}12 or {{IL|COGNISANCE|Appearance=C}}12 but ''not'' all offer a superior option for {{IL|ALLURE|Appearance=A}}13 or {{IL|COGNISANCE|Appearance=C}}13. The superior options double the reward.
** If your round has hit level 13 but the story you wanted to advance has only level 12 options, '''it is usually better''' to spend it on a story you did not want to advance, or just [[Spending your Time|Spend your Time]] without advancing a story, rather than waste half the reward.
** If your round hits only level 12 and there are level-12-only stories you could advance with it, '''consider''' advancing one of those stories rather than another story which ''does'' have a level 13 option, even if you would prefer to make progress on the latter.
* Regardless of how you cash in your {{IL|ALLURE|Appearance=A}}/{{IL|COGNISANCE|Appearance=C}}, you will lose ''all'' of it with your last {{IL|Unnatural Exuberance|Appearance=UE}}. '''There is ''no'' way''' to [[Begin your Polythremic Promenade]] with ''any'' {{IL|ALLURE|Appearance=A}}/{{IL|COGNISANCE|Appearance=C}}.

==Tips & Tricks==
A summary of the tips mentioned in the guide:
*It's often a good idea to spend an action or two buying progress, to ensure you get enough - at least when not doing the carousel for Echoes.
*Unlock ''either'' [[The Zailors at Polythreme's Harbour]] or [[Fractious Furniture]] depending on whether you're going for {{IL|ALLURE}} or {{IL|COGNISANCE}} (assuming you have the stats to do the challenge). Start your promenade before drawing cards.
*If you get progress in the wrong quality, such as with [[The Wax Wind Comes]], exchange it for what you want.
*If you see that you're not going to make it, spend your progress on the cards that exchange them from items, and use the cycle to increase {{IL|Sartorial Cooperation}} instead.

[[Category:Guides]]