Pearl-Encrusted Box

Its insides are mirrored; you keep your most precious mementos safely locked within.

A scrap of yellow silk

A precious memento from your past.

A precious memento from your past.
Enhances your Perception by +1

Shadow-marks

The shadow has written itself on the flesh of your body; do you welcome its darkness, or fear it?

A cowrie-shell tattoo

a black swirl on your palm, which transforms into a pattern of embedded milk-white shells in the dreaming

A five-pointed lotus tattoo

a black design over your heart; a mark of shadow

a black design over your heart; a mark of shadow

An unusual collection

the pleasures and pains of daily life are valuable resources that you carefully collect - spend these sharp & precious things in both the dreaming and the wake

Desires

a glittering collection of carnal lusts, dark ambitions, secret hopes

a glittering collection of carnal lusts, dark ambitions, secret hopes
Gain desires by choosing to indulge your ambition, curiosity and lust

Visions

a swirling mass of mystical prophecy, hallucination & divine pronouncement - some may even be true
inspired by the gods, meditative experiences & wandering in the dream

Memories

your own & others, some sharply painful, others softened by nostalgia

your own & others, some sharply painful, others softened by nostalgia
found in recollections & particularly fine experiences

The Principal Players

There are many here who would change history - some will be remembered, and others too-quickly forgotten

Ghaseti Begum

You have seen Ghaseti Begum's forbidden face; now your life is in her hands

You have seen Ghaseti Begum's forbidden face; now your life is in her hands

Cani Theruvil

She is your portal into the world of dreams and your partner, like it or not

She is your portal into the world of dreams and your partner, like it or not

Mir Jaffar

The Nawab's smiling, thickly-moustachioed general - there is something about him you dislike.

Pierre Renault

The Governor of Chandernagore - he will never be your ally, but perhaps he is your enemy's enemy?

Amina Begum

Rabia Begum is the Nawab's mother - a fiercely loyal ally, but relatively powerless

The Mughal Sa-ilu

Amir is the sa-ilu to the Mughal Court at Delhi - a prideful, bearded young man

Shadowhair

The mysterious shadowhaired woman appears to have powers in the dream. She is also working for the British - a dangerous opponent.

Survivor of the Black Hole

You witnessed the horrors; you will always remember that place

You witnessed the horrors; you will always remember that place

Sa-ilu: you walk in dreams

spies, assassins, advisers - the sa-ilu have shaped history since the time of Babylon

You follow your own path

games of politics & power  are for the rich, you have learned to look out for yourself

Marked by Shadow

the dreaming can be more treacherous than the sea, crueller than the gods - do not let this quality grow too high

Playing the divine messenger

You must have your amusements

Unquiet bones

You hid the truth of Faizen's death at the hands of the Nawab - will she continue to ravage the dreaming?

Poisoned by the Begum

You must return to the Begum each week for the antidote

You must return to the Begum each week for the antidote

Delving into Benigno's past

Half-missionary, half-madman: you gather up fragments of Benigno's intriguing past

Indigo-stained lips

Your lips and tongue are a rich royal blue from indigo dye - surely no one will notice?

A missed connection

Eyes the colour of river-water running across granite; you will remember them forever

A Dream of the Fever-Tree

Its colours are too vivid, it is saturated with the taste of bitter bark - the Young Surgeon's dreams intrigue you greatly.

An arrangement with Nandakumar

The treacherous courtier offered you British silver in exchange for your silence - and you accepted.

Seeking out Nandakumar

The Nawab instructs you to meet with his man in Chandernagore, to help the French defend against the British threat

Uneasy Sleepers

Courtiers & commoners alike lie insensate in the hospital wards: they cannot be woken. What strange plague is this?

Incubus

You have chosen to impress the Young Surgeon with fear rather than admiration

Investigating the Conspiracy

There are disturbing rumours of conspiracy: you must investigate further.

There are disturbing rumours of conspiracy: you must investigate further.

Bengal, 1757 - a troubled time

The Wake

You are in the wake

Imagination

use imagination to act in the dreaming world

use imagination to act in the dreaming world
gained in the wake, you use Imagination in dreams

Curiosity

"you will never be lovelier than you are now" - energy, desire, ambition

"you will never be lovelier than you are now" - energy, desire, ambition

Perception

'he who sees me in a dream truly sees me' - observation, using the senses

'he who sees me in a dream truly sees me' - observation, using the senses

Serenity

'look upon success & failure with an equal eye' - calmness, detachment & logic

An Enemy of the British

You know it is only a matter of time before trade becomes conquest

You know it is only a matter of time before trade becomes conquest

Exercises of Power

the myth of the sa-ilu grows in the telling; percieved power can be more potent than actual power, sometimes

Rumours of Madness and Dissent

Growing whispers of conspiracy, rumours of madness and magic - all of these could prove threatening to your mission
Explore the dreaming and the wake for rumours and threats

Threats of War

The British march against the French, the Afghans and Marathas bristle at your borders - who is the greatest threat?
Explore the dreaming and the wake for clues

Reluctant Conspirator

You have agreed to side with the conspirators - for now.

You have agreed to side with the conspirators - for now.

Dreams of distant shores

You yearn to set sail, to let the sea open up before you like a blue-bright pathway leading you to lands unknown

Ancient and forgotten magics

The world is stranger than even you - dream-walker, sorcerer, stranger - could possibly suspect

Lover's Quarrel

A quarrel with your lover

Madame Molloy

The formidable Madame Molloy is an Irishwoman married to a French trader, a smuggler, and a dab hand at chaupar. A useful woman to know.


you flow on, you wander, you pass through states of existence

Explore the French town of Chandernagore

As you walk the streets of Chandernagore, you feel strangely foreign. You hear Bengali spoken in the trade quarter and cafes, but the influence of the French can be felt everywhere. Murshidabad is a melting pot, Chandernagore is a quaint yellow-and-pale-blue colonial town.

Despite its slightly disturbing beauty, the town is far from peaceful - its streets are clogged with eager young soldiers jostling each other and tradesmen packing up their shops. The people walk the avenues with tight, expectant faces.

Chandernagore

The French-held town of Chandernagore is distinctly charming, and holds its own secrets close

The Dye Factory

A straightforward challenge

Bengal is famous for its Indigo, and Chandernagore produces, sells and exports a huge quantity of it. You follow a worker carrying a bundle of blue-flowered plants to the factory.

            9
            You need Curiosity 9 (you have 31)

            9
            Unlocked with Curiosity 9 - you have 31

L'Eglise Du Sacre Coeur

A straightforward challenge

Frequented by the Governor of Chandernagore, Pierre Renaut, and the officers of the regime - it is no surprise that the Sacre Coeur is the most beautiful church in Chandernagore. Its twin towers fresh-painted white and green, casting cool shadows over immaculately maintained lawns threaded with marigolds and shining pebbled pathways.

            9
            You need Serenity 9 (you have 33)

            9
            Unlocked with Serenity 9 - you have 33

The Nandadulal Temple

A straightforward challenge

The temple is a fine example of do-chala architecture: its roof is impossibly sloped, joining like the vertices of a hunting bow. Priests move hurriedly through the gathered throng, directing devotees and workers as they pass. You venture closer, hoping to hear why they have gathered.

            9
            You need Perception 9 (you have 36)

A familiar pair of eyes

A straightforward challenge

A figure wrapped in a drab brown shawl brushes past you. You almost keep walking, but you are arrested by the memory of the most remarkable eyes you had ever seen. An enchanting figure at one of the innumerable parties at the French residence.  The warm invitation in those shockingly dark eyes, a chance missed. What business could anyone like that have darting through the ill-lit streets at night?

            3
            You need 3 x Desires  (you have 387)

            1
            You need A missed connection 1 (you have 1)

            9
            You need Perception 9 (you have 36)

            3
            Unlocked with 3 x Desires  - you have 387

            1
            Unlocked with A missed connection 1 - you have 1

            9
            Unlocked with Perception 9 - you have 36


Murshidabad

The Nawab's capital city is a glittering jewel on the banks of the river Bhagirathi

Sa-ilu: Travel into the Dream

Unlocked with Sa-ilu: you walk in dreams 1 - you have 7; Unlocked when 1757 is:

April & May - War in Bengal and Rumours of Conspiracy (you have this)

<P>Murshidabad is quiet with the rhythms of rest...

An Arrangement with Nandakumar

Unlocked when 1757 is:

April & May - War in Bengal and Rumours of Conspiracy (you have this)

; Unlocked with An arrangement with Nandakumar 1 - you have 1

<P>You came to an arrangement with the traitor Nandakumar after discovering that he had been bought off by the British in Chandernagore...

Inspiring your imagination

Your powers as sa-ilu come from the imagination, your creative essence...

The Story So Far

Unlocked with A Dream of the Fever-Tree 8 - you have 8; Unlocked with Investigating the Conspiracy 3 - you have 3

<P>The final battle looms on the horizon...

Always

Always

The new inhabitants of Murshidabad

<P>The streets and bazaars of Murshidabad are thronged with new inhabitants: refugees from the siege and capture of Chandernagore, villagers fleeing the advance of the British army in the countryside, soldiers' wives finding safety in the capital city as their husbands march to war, tradesmen and mercenaries hoping to profit from the political unrest...

Investigate the anxious town of Murshidabad

<P>The streets are lit with lamps every evening, casting their oily shadows on groups of bearded men and young boys, hard-faced factory workers, housewives and merchants...

Indulge in your hobbies

It is vital that a sa-ilu indulge the mind and spirit; from time to time, you must pursue hobbies and amusements to keep yourself refreshed, in order that you may continue to travel safely in the dreaming world...


Blood for stone

L'Eglise Du Sacre Coeur

A straightforward challenge

It is strangely silent in the church, even your footsteps seem somehow muffled, eaten up by the softly cushioned pews and sunlight filtered through the enormous stained glass windows. A few members of the congregation give you strange looks - your Bengali clothes and brown skin are far from de rigeur - but none approach. Perhaps the fine quality of the silk and your jewelled rings ease your way. It would not be the first time that  your wealth overwrote societal rules, and you doubt it will be the last.

You approach the nave: a marble statue of Christ hangs frozen in an uncomfortable posture, fingers splayed, neck twisted towards god. The rivulets of blood leaking from the stone thorns are lovingly carved and polished to a gleam.

You feel suddenly as if you are in the dreaming, as if the veil between the wake has been worn thin by the fervent prayers and strange desires and dreams of distant shores that clog the air of this place. You leave the church quickly, and the feeling fades - surely a mere passing fancy.

17 change points, 17 more needed to reach level 34.

Serenity is increasing...

You succeeded in a Serenity challenge! (Simple challenges mean you don't learn so much.)

a swirling mass of mystical prophecy, hallucination & divine pronouncement - some may even be true

You've gained 2 x Visions (new total 1,138).

You've gained 2 x Dreams of distant shores (new total 210).


Pearl-Encrusted Box

Its insides are mirrored; you keep your most precious mementos safely locked within.

A scrap of yellow silk

A precious memento from your past.

You have a torn scrap of your mother's favourite sari. Your memories come into sharper focus when you carry it with you.:1

A scrap of yellow silk: You have a torn scrap of your mother's favourite sari. Your memories come into sharper focus when you carry it with you.

A precious memento from your past.
Enhances your Perception by +1

Shadow-marks

The shadow has written itself on the flesh of your body; do you welcome its darkness, or fear it?

A cowrie-shell tattoo

a black swirl on your palm, which transforms into a pattern of embedded milk-white shells in the dreaming

An unusual collection

the pleasures and pains of daily life are valuable resources that you carefully collect - spend these sharp & precious things in both the dreaming and the wake

Desires

Gain desires by choosing to indulge your ambition, curiosity and lust

a glittering collection of carnal lusts, dark ambitions, secret hopes

a glittering collection of carnal lusts, dark ambitions, secret hopes
Gain desires by choosing to indulge your ambition, curiosity and lust

Visions

inspired by the gods, meditative experiences & wandering in the dream

a swirling mass of mystical prophecy, hallucination & divine pronouncement - some may even be true
inspired by the gods, meditative experiences & wandering in the dream

Memories

found in recollections & particularly fine experiences

your own & others, some sharply painful, others softened by nostalgia

your own & others, some sharply painful, others softened by nostalgia
found in recollections & particularly fine experiences

Traumas

often gained by accident rather than design

a compendium of pain - you do not know what compels you to collect these little miseries
often gained by accident rather than design

The Principal Players

There are many here who would change history - some will be remembered, and others too-quickly forgotten

Ghaseti Begum

You have seen Ghaseti Begum's forbidden face; now your life is in her hands

You tried to defy the Begum once, but no longer. You are in her power.

You tried to defy the Begum once, but no longer. You are in her power.:3

Ghaseti Begum: You tried to defy the Begum once, but no longer. You are in her power.

You have seen Ghaseti Begum's forbidden face; now your life is in her hands

Cani Theruvil

She is your portal into the world of dreams and your partner, like it or not

She is your portal into the world of dreams and your partner, like it or not

Mir Jaffar

The Nawab's smiling, thickly-moustachioed general - there is something about him you dislike.

Pierre Renault

The Governor of Chandernagore - he will never be your ally, but perhaps he is your enemy's enemy?

Jean Law

The Factory chief at Kasim Bazaar - a potential ally against the British?

The Factory chief at Kasim Bazaar - a potential ally against the British?

The Maratha Envoy

The Hindu Marathas make no secret of their imperial ambitions - their envoy is a bold fellow

William Watts

The British representative of the Nawab's court - blessed with a most charming wife.

Amina Begum

Rabia Begum is the Nawab's mother - a fiercely loyal ally, but relatively powerless

Survivor of the Black Hole

You witnessed the horrors; you will always remember that place

You witnessed the horrors; you will always remember that place

Faizen's honour

You allowed the truth of Faizen's death at the Nawab's hands to emerge - you upheld her honour.

Sa-ilu: you walk in dreams

spies, assassins, advisers - the sa-ilu have shaped history since the time of Babylon

You follow your own path

games of politics & power  are for the rich, you have learned to look out for yourself

Marked by Shadow

the dreaming can be more treacherous than the sea, crueller than the gods - do not let this quality grow too high

An unrequited passion for Cani Theruvil

An unrequited passion for Cani Theruvil 1

She is your partner in the dreaming - but she could be so much more...

She is your partner in the dreaming - but she could be so much more...

Playing the divine messenger

You must have your amusements

Poisoned by the Begum

You must return to the Begum each week for the antidote

You must return to the Begum each week for the antidote

Delving into Benigno's past

Half-missionary, half-madman: you gather up fragments of Benigno's intriguing past

Half-missionary, half-madman: you gather up fragments of Benigno's intriguing past

Indigo-stained lips

Your lips and tongue are a rich royal blue from indigo dye - surely no one will notice?

A missed connection

Eyes the colour of river-water running across granite; you will remember them forever

A lost heritage

Could it be that there are others like you, sa-ilu raised apart from the Nawab of Bengal's court?

A Dream of the Fever-Tree

Its colours are too vivid, it is saturated with the taste of bitter bark - the Young Surgeon's dreams intrigue you greatly.

A spy in the British camp

You blackmailed the treacherous courtier Nandakumar - now he spies on the British for you.

Seeking out Nandakumar

Seeking out Nandakumar 5 - You have - dealt with - the situation

The Nawab instructs you to meet with his man in Chandernagore, to help the French defend against the British threat

Seeking out Nandakumar: You have - dealt with - the situation

1757 March - Anglo-French rivalry threatens Bengal

Bengal, 1757 - a troubled time

March - Anglo-French rivalry threatens Bengal

March - Anglo-French rivalry threatens Bengal

1757: March - Anglo-French rivalry threatens Bengal

The Wake

You are in the wake

Imagination

gained in the wake, you use Imagination in dreams

use imagination to act in the dreaming world

use imagination to act in the dreaming world
gained in the wake, you use Imagination in dreams

Curiosity

"you will never be lovelier than you are now" - energy, desire, ambition

"you will never be lovelier than you are now" - energy, desire, ambition

Perception

'he who sees me in a dream truly sees me' - observation, using the senses

'he who sees me in a dream truly sees me' - observation, using the senses

Serenity

'look upon success & failure with an equal eye' - calmness, detachment & logic

'look upon success & failure with an equal eye' - calmness, detachment & logic

An Enemy of the British

You know it is only a matter of time before trade becomes conquest

You know it is only a matter of time before trade becomes conquest

Investigating the situation for the Nawab

Investigating the situation for the Nawab 295

You must investigate threats to the Nawab's power both in the dream and the wake

Investigating the situation for the Nawab

You must investigate threats to the Nawab's power both in the dream and the wake
Raise this quality to 10 to progress

The Defences of Chandernagore

You must raise this quality to 10 to progress

The Defences of Chandernagore 10 - Formidable fortifications

The Defences of Chandernagore: Formidable fortifications

Ditches, fortifications, artillery, intelligence: you will need all this & more to have a hope of turning aside the British
You must raise this quality to 10 to progress

Exercises of Power

Exercises of Power 15 - Your name is spoken with reverence - or is it fear?

the myth of the sa-ilu grows in the telling; percieved power can be more potent than actual power, sometimes

Your name is spoken with reverence - or is it fear?

Your name is spoken with reverence - or is it fear?:15

Exercises of Power: Your name is spoken with reverence - or is it fear?

Dreams of distant shores

You yearn to set sail, to let the sea open up before you like a blue-bright pathway leading you to lands unknown

Ancient and forgotten magics

The world is stranger than even you - dream-walker, sorcerer, stranger - could possibly suspect

A Marathi Scroll

Stolen from the desk of the Maratha Envoy - it could hold valuable secrets. If you can decipher it.

Madame Molloy

The formidable Madame Molloy is an Irishwoman married to a French trader, a smuggler, and a dab hand at chaupar. A useful woman to know.


The streets are lit with lamps every evening, casting their oily shadows on groups of bearded men and young boys, hard-faced factory workers, housewives and merchants. Courtiers emerge from their fine homes and mix with commoners; a curious sight. The city feels on the edge of something terrible and momentous; the darkness outside its precincts seems to stretch and yowl.

The ancient seat of the Nawabs of Bengal feels papery-thin, its stone and mortar worn down by fear of British and French soldiers marching across Bengal, and of uncertainty within the court.

Murshidabad

The Nawab's capital city is a glittering jewel on the banks of the river Bhagirathi

The Silk Quarter

A straightforward challenge

Your own home is not far from the bustle of the Silk Quarter, where bolts of bright cloth are sold by men with brighter smiles. Perhaps you will find good news in the faces of the prosperous merchants?

            15
            You need Curiosity 15 (you have 37)

            15
            Unlocked with Curiosity 15 - you have 37

The Supreme Court

A straightforward challenge

As the capital city of Bengal, Murshidabad is also the seat of judicial power. Lawyers gossip notoriously; perhaps you could find some useful information if you paid a visit to the grand edifice.

            16
            You need Perception 16 (you have 44)

            16
            Unlocked with Perception 16 - you have 44

The Hospital

A straightforward challenge

Charity is an Islamic obligation: when the Nawab ascended to the throne, he gave a waqf, an charitable endowment, to a local hospital. Those too poor to hire physicians of their own throng its halls.

            16
            You need Serenity 16 (you have 49)

            16
            Unlocked with Serenity 16 - you have 49

The Jahan Kosha Cannon

Gain 2 x Threats of War and 2 x Imagination each time you play this branch.

Built during the time of Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, the seven-ton cannon is seventeen feet and six-inches long. It is placed on a great wheeled carriage amongst the roots of a shady peepul tree; tourists flock to it on warm days. You might find something of worth in their chatter.


Chandernagore

The French-held town of Chandernagore is distinctly charming, and holds its own secrets close

Sa-ilu: Travel into the Dream

Unlocked with Sa-ilu: you walk in dreams 1 - you have 7; Unlocked when 1757 is:

February - the Treaty of Alinagar brings a tenuous peace

March - Anglo-French rivalry threatens Bengal (you have this)

<P>The enameled marble lamp glows in the window - which means that Cani has settled herself into sleep...

Always

Always

Attend a party at the French Residence

Unlocked when 1757 is:

March - Anglo-French rivalry threatens Bengal (you have this)

; Unlocked with

<P>It is a cool, pleasantly crisp March evening and the manor-house of the French Residence is resplendent...

Investigate the Memsahibs of Chandernagore

<P>You resolve to investigate the Frenchwomen that sit in talk in salons and fan themselves as they visit the bazaars, chaperoned with vast phalanxes of Bengali ayahs and bored French soldiers with roving hands...


Uneasy sleepers

The Hospital

A straightforward challenge

The hospital is part of a larger complex of buildings that were erected around a mausoleum to a saint; the wide arches embossed with Persian script reflect that architectural heritage. You hold a light chiffon scarf over your face as you move through the crowd: there is no sense in inhaling the ill-humours of the coughing, shuffling patients. The head physician ushers you past the hollow-eyed men and women in the waiting rooms to the main ward where there are rows and rows of uneasy sleepers lying on beds.

“They cannot be woken,” the physician tells you, with some asperity. “I do not know why. This plague spreads amongst commoners and nobles alike. I confess myself baffled.”

You recognise a few courtiers lying insensate, and behind a discreet curtain even a few ladies from the harems of zamindars and nobles. You have never seen anything like it – perhaps it would be worth investigating this further in the svapnasthana, the dreaming.

48 change points, 2 more needed to reach level 50.

Serenity is increasing...

Courtiers & commoners alike lie insensate in the hospital wards: they cannot be woken. What strange plague is this?

An occurrence! Your 'Uneasy Sleepers' Quality is now 1!


Pearl-Encrusted Box

Its insides are mirrored; you keep your most precious mementos safely locked within.

A scrap of yellow silk

A precious memento from your past.

A precious memento from your past.
Enhances your Perception by +1

Shadow-marks

The shadow has written itself on the flesh of your body; do you welcome its darkness, or fear it?

A cowrie-shell tattoo

a black swirl on your palm, which transforms into a pattern of embedded milk-white shells in the dreaming

A five-pointed lotus tattoo

a black design over your heart; a mark of shadow

a black design over your heart; a mark of shadow

An unusual collection

the pleasures and pains of daily life are valuable resources that you carefully collect - spend these sharp & precious things in both the dreaming and the wake

Desires

a glittering collection of carnal lusts, dark ambitions, secret hopes

a glittering collection of carnal lusts, dark ambitions, secret hopes
Gain desires by choosing to indulge your ambition, curiosity and lust

Visions

a swirling mass of mystical prophecy, hallucination & divine pronouncement - some may even be true
inspired by the gods, meditative experiences & wandering in the dream

Memories

your own & others, some sharply painful, others softened by nostalgia

your own & others, some sharply painful, others softened by nostalgia
found in recollections & particularly fine experiences

The Principal Players

There are many here who would change history - some will be remembered, and others too-quickly forgotten

Ghaseti Begum

You have seen Ghaseti Begum's forbidden face; now your life is in her hands

You have seen Ghaseti Begum's forbidden face; now your life is in her hands

Cani Theruvil

She is your portal into the world of dreams and your partner, like it or not

She is your portal into the world of dreams and your partner, like it or not

Mir Jaffar

The Nawab's smiling, thickly-moustachioed general - there is something about him you dislike.

Pierre Renault

The Governor of Chandernagore - he will never be your ally, but perhaps he is your enemy's enemy?

Amina Begum

Rabia Begum is the Nawab's mother - a fiercely loyal ally, but relatively powerless

The Mughal Sa-ilu

Amir is the sa-ilu to the Mughal Court at Delhi - a prideful, bearded young man

Shadowhair

The mysterious shadowhaired woman appears to have powers in the dream. She is also working for the British - a dangerous opponent.

Survivor of the Black Hole

You witnessed the horrors; you will always remember that place

You witnessed the horrors; you will always remember that place

Sa-ilu: you walk in dreams

spies, assassins, advisers - the sa-ilu have shaped history since the time of Babylon

You follow your own path

games of politics & power  are for the rich, you have learned to look out for yourself

Marked by Shadow

the dreaming can be more treacherous than the sea, crueller than the gods - do not let this quality grow too high

Playing the divine messenger

You must have your amusements

Unquiet bones

You hid the truth of Faizen's death at the hands of the Nawab - will she continue to ravage the dreaming?

Poisoned by the Begum

You must return to the Begum each week for the antidote

You must return to the Begum each week for the antidote

Delving into Benigno's past

Half-missionary, half-madman: you gather up fragments of Benigno's intriguing past

Indigo-stained lips

Your lips and tongue are a rich royal blue from indigo dye - surely no one will notice?

A missed connection

Eyes the colour of river-water running across granite; you will remember them forever

A Dream of the Fever-Tree

Its colours are too vivid, it is saturated with the taste of bitter bark - the Young Surgeon's dreams intrigue you greatly.

An arrangement with Nandakumar

The treacherous courtier offered you British silver in exchange for your silence - and you accepted.

Seeking out Nandakumar

The Nawab instructs you to meet with his man in Chandernagore, to help the French defend against the British threat

Uneasy Sleepers

Courtiers & commoners alike lie insensate in the hospital wards: they cannot be woken. What strange plague is this?

Incubus

You have chosen to impress the Young Surgeon with fear rather than admiration

Investigating the Conspiracy

There are disturbing rumours of conspiracy: you must investigate further.

There are disturbing rumours of conspiracy: you must investigate further.

1757 April & May - War in Bengal and Rumours of Conspiracy

Bengal, 1757 - a troubled time

April & May - War in Bengal and Rumours of Conspiracy

April & May - War in Bengal and Rumours of Conspiracy

1757: April & May - War in Bengal and Rumours of Conspiracy

The Wake

You are in the wake

Imagination

use imagination to act in the dreaming world

use imagination to act in the dreaming world
gained in the wake, you use Imagination in dreams

Curiosity

"you will never be lovelier than you are now" - energy, desire, ambition

"you will never be lovelier than you are now" - energy, desire, ambition

Perception

'he who sees me in a dream truly sees me' - observation, using the senses

'he who sees me in a dream truly sees me' - observation, using the senses

Serenity

'look upon success & failure with an equal eye' - calmness, detachment & logic

An Enemy of the British

You know it is only a matter of time before trade becomes conquest

You know it is only a matter of time before trade becomes conquest

Exercises of Power

the myth of the sa-ilu grows in the telling; percieved power can be more potent than actual power, sometimes

Rumours of Madness and Dissent

Explore the dreaming and the wake for rumours and threats

Growing whispers of conspiracy, rumours of madness and magic - all of these could prove threatening to your mission
Explore the dreaming and the wake for rumours and threats

Threats of War

Explore the dreaming and the wake for clues

The British march against the French, the Afghans and Marathas bristle at your borders - who is the greatest threat?
Explore the dreaming and the wake for clues

Reluctant Conspirator

You have agreed to side with the conspirators - for now.

You have agreed to side with the conspirators - for now.

Dreams of distant shores

You yearn to set sail, to let the sea open up before you like a blue-bright pathway leading you to lands unknown

Ancient and forgotten magics

The world is stranger than even you - dream-walker, sorcerer, stranger - could possibly suspect

Lover's Quarrel

A quarrel with your lover

Madame Molloy

The formidable Madame Molloy is an Irishwoman married to a French trader, a smuggler, and a dab hand at chaupar. A useful woman to know.


Pearl-Encrusted Box

Its insides are mirrored; you keep your most precious mementos safely locked within.

A scrap of yellow silk

A precious memento from your past.

A precious memento from your past.
Enhances your Perception by +1

Shadow-marks

The shadow has written itself on the flesh of your body; do you welcome its darkness, or fear it?

A cowrie-shell tattoo

a black swirl on your palm, which transforms into a pattern of embedded milk-white shells in the dreaming

An unusual collection

the pleasures and pains of daily life are valuable resources that you carefully collect - spend these sharp & precious things in both the dreaming and the wake

Desires

a glittering collection of carnal lusts, dark ambitions, secret hopes

a glittering collection of carnal lusts, dark ambitions, secret hopes
Gain desires by choosing to indulge your ambition, curiosity and lust

Visions

a swirling mass of mystical prophecy, hallucination & divine pronouncement - some may even be true
inspired by the gods, meditative experiences & wandering in the dream

Memories

your own & others, some sharply painful, others softened by nostalgia

your own & others, some sharply painful, others softened by nostalgia
found in recollections & particularly fine experiences

Traumas

a compendium of pain - you do not know what compels you to collect these little miseries
often gained by accident rather than design

The Principal Players

There are many here who would change history - some will be remembered, and others too-quickly forgotten

Ghaseti Begum

You have seen Ghaseti Begum's forbidden face; now your life is in her hands

You have seen Ghaseti Begum's forbidden face; now your life is in her hands

Cani Theruvil

She is your portal into the world of dreams and your partner, like it or not

She is your portal into the world of dreams and your partner, like it or not

Mir Jaffar

The Nawab's smiling, thickly-moustachioed general - there is something about him you dislike.

Pierre Renault

The Governor of Chandernagore - he will never be your ally, but perhaps he is your enemy's enemy?

Jean Law

The Factory chief at Kasim Bazaar - a potential ally against the British?

The Factory chief at Kasim Bazaar - a potential ally against the British?

The Maratha Envoy

The Hindu Marathas make no secret of their imperial ambitions - their envoy is a bold fellow

William Watts

The British representative of the Nawab's court - blessed with a most charming wife.

Amina Begum

Rabia Begum is the Nawab's mother - a fiercely loyal ally, but relatively powerless

Survivor of the Black Hole

You witnessed the horrors; you will always remember that place

You witnessed the horrors; you will always remember that place

Faizen's honour

You allowed the truth of Faizen's death at the Nawab's hands to emerge - you upheld her honour.

Sa-ilu: you walk in dreams

spies, assassins, advisers - the sa-ilu have shaped history since the time of Babylon

You follow your own path

games of politics & power  are for the rich, you have learned to look out for yourself

Marked by Shadow

the dreaming can be more treacherous than the sea, crueller than the gods - do not let this quality grow too high

An unrequited passion for Cani Theruvil

She is your partner in the dreaming - but she could be so much more...

She is your partner in the dreaming - but she could be so much more...

Playing the divine messenger

You must have your amusements

Poisoned by the Begum

You must return to the Begum each week for the antidote

You must return to the Begum each week for the antidote

Delving into Benigno's past

Half-missionary, half-madman: you gather up fragments of Benigno's intriguing past

Indigo-stained lips

Your lips and tongue are a rich royal blue from indigo dye - surely no one will notice?

A missed connection

Eyes the colour of river-water running across granite; you will remember them forever

A lost heritage

Could it be that there are others like you, sa-ilu raised apart from the Nawab of Bengal's court?

A Dream of the Fever-Tree

Its colours are too vivid, it is saturated with the taste of bitter bark - the Young Surgeon's dreams intrigue you greatly.

A spy in the British camp

You blackmailed the treacherous courtier Nandakumar - now he spies on the British for you.

Seeking out Nandakumar

The Nawab instructs you to meet with his man in Chandernagore, to help the French defend against the British threat

Bengal, 1757 - a troubled time

The Wake

You are in the wake

Imagination

use imagination to act in the dreaming world

use imagination to act in the dreaming world
gained in the wake, you use Imagination in dreams

Curiosity

"you will never be lovelier than you are now" - energy, desire, ambition

"you will never be lovelier than you are now" - energy, desire, ambition

Perception

'he who sees me in a dream truly sees me' - observation, using the senses

'he who sees me in a dream truly sees me' - observation, using the senses

Serenity

'look upon success & failure with an equal eye' - calmness, detachment & logic

'look upon success & failure with an equal eye' - calmness, detachment & logic

An Enemy of the British

You know it is only a matter of time before trade becomes conquest

You know it is only a matter of time before trade becomes conquest

You must investigate threats to the Nawab's power both in the dream and the wake
Raise this quality to 10 to progress

The Defences of Chandernagore

Ditches, fortifications, artillery, intelligence: you will need all this & more to have a hope of turning aside the British
You must raise this quality to 10 to progress

Exercises of Power

the myth of the sa-ilu grows in the telling; percieved power can be more potent than actual power, sometimes

Dreams of distant shores

You yearn to set sail, to let the sea open up before you like a blue-bright pathway leading you to lands unknown

Ancient and forgotten magics

The world is stranger than even you - dream-walker, sorcerer, stranger - could possibly suspect

A Marathi Scroll

Stolen from the desk of the Maratha Envoy - it could hold valuable secrets. If you can decipher it.

Madame Molloy

The formidable Madame Molloy is an Irishwoman married to a French trader, a smuggler, and a dab hand at chaupar. A useful woman to know.


Murshidabad

The Nawab's capital city is a glittering jewel on the banks of the river Bhagirathi

Always

Always


Inspect the Defences of Chandernagore

The Nawab has his own men in the French town of Chandernagore, of course, but that does not mean he trusts them.

You remove your amulet of office and change your clothing: you judge that it would be best to observe the preparations being made for the British attack unseen.

Chandernagore

The French-held town of Chandernagore is distinctly charming, and holds its own secrets close

The artillery of the Fort D'Orleans

A straightforward challenge

The Nawab had warned the French to bolster their defences last year, when the British marched to take Calcutta back from his invading force. Have the French heeded his warning, you wonder?

            8
            You need Serenity 8 (you have 33)

            8
            Unlocked with Serenity 8 - you have 33

Porte Royale

A straightforward challenge

The grand gates leading to the lushly-leafed avenue outside the Fort are beautiful, but defensively weak. They must be shored up if the city is to hold against British bombardment.

            8
            You need Perception 8 (you have 36)

            8
            Unlocked with Perception 8 - you have 36

The river-approach

A straightforward challenge

While the walls are being strengthened, and the houses surrounding the fort demolished to prepare for a land assault - the British have formidable ships of war that must be halted.

            8
            You need Curiosity 8 (you have 31)

The deserters

You will gain 1 x Pierre Renault, 2 x The Defences of Chandernagore and 5 x Desires

It appears that the soldiers of the British East India company grow discontented in the peace - and now clamour to join the French against their old masters.

The river-side

The Fort D'Orleans stands on the banks of the Hughli river, and as far as you can see the east of the fort has been entirely ignored. Do you wonder why?

The trade quarter

Curiosity

"you will never be lovelier than you are now" - energy, desire, ambition

A straightforward challenge

You step lightly across rubble, avoiding the bolts of silk and scatterings of pepper and spice that litter the now half-demolished trade quarter. A girl with blue-stained hands up to the elbow looks intently at your lips. You suddenly remember they are blue with indigo dye. She pulls you round a corner, down an alley and then into a shop still mostly intact. A crowd is sipping chai inside - they look up at your entry.

Explore the town of Chandernagore to gain Indigo-Stained Lips, which unlocks this branch.

            1
            You need Indigo-stained lips 1 (you have 63)

            3
            You need 3 x Traumas  (you have 14)

            8
            You need Curiosity 8 (you have 31)

            1
            Unlocked with Indigo-stained lips 1 - you have 63

            3
            Unlocked with 3 x Traumas  - you have 14

            8
            Unlocked with Curiosity 8 - you have 31


Indulge in your hobbies

It is vital that a sa-ilu indulge the mind and spirit; from time to time, you must pursue hobbies and amusements to keep yourself refreshed, in order that you may continue to travel safely in the dreaming world.

There are many pastimes to choose from at the Nawab's court, and in Murshidabad: intellectual pursuits and physical pastimes, refined courtly games and pastoral enjoyments.

How do you choose to spend your valuable time?

Gain Imagination if you succeed.

Reading alone in the library

Perception

'he who sees me in a dream truly sees me' - observation, using the senses

A straightforward challenge

There are several libraries in the palace complex. You have a favourite, located in a small tower set deep in the gardens, dedicated to obscure medical texts. The tower was built half a century ago for a Hindu court Physician who was particularly celebrated by the court for his aphrodisiac drugs.

            14
            You need Perception 14 (you have 44)

            14
            Unlocked with Perception 14 - you have 44

Hunting with the court robles

Serenity

'look upon success & failure with an equal eye' - calmness, detachment & logic

A straightforward challenge

The ladies of the Nawab's court often accompany their noble husbands, brothers and fathers for the hunt in covered palanquins. One of the palace huntsmen spotted a deer in the nearby woods this morning: a hunt is assembling.

            14
            You need Serenity 14 (you have 49)

            14
            Unlocked with Serenity 14 - you have 49

Games of chess with the scholars

A straightforward challenge

Though the Hindu game of shatranj, chess, is not particularly popular with the Nawab there is always a match to be found in the gardens and courtyards of the palace. The scholars have a particularly lively weekly game near the peacock fountain; you are guaranteed a challenge, if you chance to pass by.

            14
            You need Curiosity 14 (you have 37)

            14
            Unlocked with Curiosity 14 - you have 37

Carousing with the traders and workmen

Gain 2 x Imagination and 2 x Threats of War each time you play this branch.

Murshidabad is always an excellent place to find liquor and company, but there is a particularly febrile air to the to the nightly merriment these days; it adds a certain dark appeal to an evening of palm-wine and camaraderie in the town's many crumbling liquor-shops.


A tactical assessment

The co-ordinator of the defences is a man called M. Laporterie. You take your amulet from a deep pocket and slip it around your neck before barging into his offices - he looks like he has not slept in days, and is surrounded by carefully-inked ledgers and military texts. "The east?" He shakes his head sharply. "We have guns on the approach, and the bed is shallow. The British ships will never make it to the fort. You are clearly not a habitue of naval warfare," he sniffs. "Now, excuse me, I have many important matters to attend to."

He hands you a book on river warfare - a slightly mildewed, rather worn text. You spend a few hours with it open in front of you. Your mind wanders in a most relaxing fashion. In fact, you feel quite refreshed!

use imagination to act in the dreaming world

You've gained 1 x Imagination (new total 187).


Pearl-Encrusted Box

Its insides are mirrored; you keep your most precious mementos safely locked within.

A scrap of yellow silk

A precious memento from your past.

A precious memento from your past.
Enhances your Perception by +1

Shadow-marks

The shadow has written itself on the flesh of your body; do you welcome its darkness, or fear it?

A cowrie-shell tattoo

a black swirl on your palm, which transforms into a pattern of embedded milk-white shells in the dreaming

An unusual collection

the pleasures and pains of daily life are valuable resources that you carefully collect - spend these sharp & precious things in both the dreaming and the wake

Desires

a glittering collection of carnal lusts, dark ambitions, secret hopes

a glittering collection of carnal lusts, dark ambitions, secret hopes
Gain desires by choosing to indulge your ambition, curiosity and lust

Visions

a swirling mass of mystical prophecy, hallucination & divine pronouncement - some may even be true
inspired by the gods, meditative experiences & wandering in the dream

Memories

your own & others, some sharply painful, others softened by nostalgia

your own & others, some sharply painful, others softened by nostalgia
found in recollections & particularly fine experiences

Traumas

a compendium of pain - you do not know what compels you to collect these little miseries
often gained by accident rather than design

The Principal Players

There are many here who would change history - some will be remembered, and others too-quickly forgotten

Ghaseti Begum

You have seen Ghaseti Begum's forbidden face; now your life is in her hands

You have seen Ghaseti Begum's forbidden face; now your life is in her hands

Cani Theruvil

She is your portal into the world of dreams and your partner, like it or not

She is your portal into the world of dreams and your partner, like it or not

Mir Jaffar

The Nawab's smiling, thickly-moustachioed general - there is something about him you dislike.

Pierre Renault

The Governor of Chandernagore - he will never be your ally, but perhaps he is your enemy's enemy?

Jean Law

The Factory chief at Kasim Bazaar - a potential ally against the British?

The Factory chief at Kasim Bazaar - a potential ally against the British?

The Maratha Envoy

The Hindu Marathas make no secret of their imperial ambitions - their envoy is a bold fellow

William Watts

The British representative of the Nawab's court - blessed with a most charming wife.

Amina Begum

Rabia Begum is the Nawab's mother - a fiercely loyal ally, but relatively powerless

Survivor of the Black Hole

You witnessed the horrors; you will always remember that place

You witnessed the horrors; you will always remember that place

Faizen's honour

You allowed the truth of Faizen's death at the Nawab's hands to emerge - you upheld her honour.

Sa-ilu: you walk in dreams

spies, assassins, advisers - the sa-ilu have shaped history since the time of Babylon

You follow your own path

games of politics & power  are for the rich, you have learned to look out for yourself

Marked by Shadow

the dreaming can be more treacherous than the sea, crueller than the gods - do not let this quality grow too high

An unrequited passion for Cani Theruvil

She is your partner in the dreaming - but she could be so much more...

She is your partner in the dreaming - but she could be so much more...

Playing the divine messenger

You must have your amusements

Poisoned by the Begum

You must return to the Begum each week for the antidote

You must return to the Begum each week for the antidote

Delving into Benigno's past

Half-missionary, half-madman: you gather up fragments of Benigno's intriguing past

Indigo-stained lips

Your lips and tongue are a rich royal blue from indigo dye - surely no one will notice?

A missed connection

Eyes the colour of river-water running across granite; you will remember them forever

A lost heritage

Could it be that there are others like you, sa-ilu raised apart from the Nawab of Bengal's court?

A Dream of the Fever-Tree

Its colours are too vivid, it is saturated with the taste of bitter bark - the Young Surgeon's dreams intrigue you greatly.

A spy in the British camp

You blackmailed the treacherous courtier Nandakumar - now he spies on the British for you.

Seeking out Nandakumar

The Nawab instructs you to meet with his man in Chandernagore, to help the French defend against the British threat

Bengal, 1757 - a troubled time

The Wake

You are in the wake

Imagination

use imagination to act in the dreaming world

use imagination to act in the dreaming world
gained in the wake, you use Imagination in dreams

Curiosity

"you will never be lovelier than you are now" - energy, desire, ambition

"you will never be lovelier than you are now" - energy, desire, ambition

Perception

'he who sees me in a dream truly sees me' - observation, using the senses

'he who sees me in a dream truly sees me' - observation, using the senses

Serenity

'look upon success & failure with an equal eye' - calmness, detachment & logic

'look upon success & failure with an equal eye' - calmness, detachment & logic

An Enemy of the British

You know it is only a matter of time before trade becomes conquest

You know it is only a matter of time before trade becomes conquest

You must investigate threats to the Nawab's power both in the dream and the wake
Raise this quality to 10 to progress

The Defences of Chandernagore

Ditches, fortifications, artillery, intelligence: you will need all this & more to have a hope of turning aside the British
You must raise this quality to 10 to progress

Exercises of Power

the myth of the sa-ilu grows in the telling; percieved power can be more potent than actual power, sometimes

Dreams of distant shores

You yearn to set sail, to let the sea open up before you like a blue-bright pathway leading you to lands unknown

Ancient and forgotten magics

The world is stranger than even you - dream-walker, sorcerer, stranger - could possibly suspect

A Marathi Scroll

Stolen from the desk of the Maratha Envoy - it could hold valuable secrets. If you can decipher it.

Madame Molloy

The formidable Madame Molloy is an Irishwoman married to a French trader, a smuggler, and a dab hand at chaupar. A useful woman to know.


Hessian and light wool

Carousing with the traders and workmen

Indulge in your hobbies

It is vital that a sa-ilu indulge the mind and spirit; from time to time, you must pursue hobbies and amusements to keep yourself refreshed, in order that you may continue to travel safely in the dreaming world.

There are many pastimes to choose from at the Nawab's court, and in Murshidabad: intellectual pursuits and physical pastimes, refined courtly games and pastoral enjoyments.

How do you choose to spend your valuable time?

Gain Imagination if you succeed.

Gain 2 x Imagination and 2 x Threats of War each time you play this branch.

Murshidabad is always an excellent place to find liquor and company, but there is a particularly febrile air to the to the nightly merriment these days; it adds a certain dark appeal to an evening of palm-wine and camaraderie in the town's many crumbling liquor-shops.

The tradesmen and factory-workers sprawl in the liquor-shops and on street-corners, gamely attempting to outdo each other with fanciful tales. The travelling tradesmen tell stories of narrowly escaping tigers and smuggling and drunk Portuguese sailors, and the factory-workers riposte with anecdotes about strange French factors and flirtatiously fainting memsahibs and arrogant young whips from the Nawab's court.

The textile merchants buy more rounds than anyone else; you manage to find yourself a seat at their bustling table. One of them confides that they are celebrating a large wholesale order: the British administrators at Chandernagore have cleaned them out of hessian and light wool. It is only much later, when you are sobering up in your rooms that you realise that those are materials used in soldiers' uniforms; the British, it seems, are recruiting.

use imagination to act in the dreaming world

You've gained 2 x Imagination (new total 1,238).

The British march against the French, the Afghans and Marathas bristle at your borders - who is the greatest threat?

Threats of War has not changed from 15 because it's higher than 15.


Pearl-Encrusted Box

Its insides are mirrored; you keep your most precious mementos safely locked within.

A scrap of yellow silk

A precious memento from your past.

A precious memento from your past.
Enhances your Perception by +1

Shadow-marks

The shadow has written itself on the flesh of your body; do you welcome its darkness, or fear it?

A cowrie-shell tattoo

a black swirl on your palm, which transforms into a pattern of embedded milk-white shells in the dreaming

A five-pointed lotus tattoo

a black design over your heart; a mark of shadow

a black design over your heart; a mark of shadow

An unusual collection

the pleasures and pains of daily life are valuable resources that you carefully collect - spend these sharp & precious things in both the dreaming and the wake

Desires

a glittering collection of carnal lusts, dark ambitions, secret hopes

a glittering collection of carnal lusts, dark ambitions, secret hopes
Gain desires by choosing to indulge your ambition, curiosity and lust

Visions

a swirling mass of mystical prophecy, hallucination & divine pronouncement - some may even be true
inspired by the gods, meditative experiences & wandering in the dream

Memories

your own & others, some sharply painful, others softened by nostalgia

your own & others, some sharply painful, others softened by nostalgia
found in recollections & particularly fine experiences

The Principal Players

There are many here who would change history - some will be remembered, and others too-quickly forgotten

Ghaseti Begum

You have seen Ghaseti Begum's forbidden face; now your life is in her hands

You have seen Ghaseti Begum's forbidden face; now your life is in her hands

Cani Theruvil

She is your portal into the world of dreams and your partner, like it or not

She is your portal into the world of dreams and your partner, like it or not

Mir Jaffar

The Nawab's smiling, thickly-moustachioed general - there is something about him you dislike.

Pierre Renault

The Governor of Chandernagore - he will never be your ally, but perhaps he is your enemy's enemy?

Amina Begum

Rabia Begum is the Nawab's mother - a fiercely loyal ally, but relatively powerless

The Mughal Sa-ilu

Amir is the sa-ilu to the Mughal Court at Delhi - a prideful, bearded young man

Shadowhair

The mysterious shadowhaired woman appears to have powers in the dream. She is also working for the British - a dangerous opponent.

Survivor of the Black Hole

You witnessed the horrors; you will always remember that place

You witnessed the horrors; you will always remember that place

Sa-ilu: you walk in dreams

spies, assassins, advisers - the sa-ilu have shaped history since the time of Babylon

You follow your own path

games of politics & power  are for the rich, you have learned to look out for yourself

Marked by Shadow

the dreaming can be more treacherous than the sea, crueller than the gods - do not let this quality grow too high

Playing the divine messenger

You must have your amusements

Unquiet bones

You hid the truth of Faizen's death at the hands of the Nawab - will she continue to ravage the dreaming?

Poisoned by the Begum

You must return to the Begum each week for the antidote

You must return to the Begum each week for the antidote

Delving into Benigno's past

Half-missionary, half-madman: you gather up fragments of Benigno's intriguing past

Indigo-stained lips

Your lips and tongue are a rich royal blue from indigo dye - surely no one will notice?

A missed connection

Eyes the colour of river-water running across granite; you will remember them forever

A Dream of the Fever-Tree

Its colours are too vivid, it is saturated with the taste of bitter bark - the Young Surgeon's dreams intrigue you greatly.

An arrangement with Nandakumar

The treacherous courtier offered you British silver in exchange for your silence - and you accepted.

Seeking out Nandakumar

The Nawab instructs you to meet with his man in Chandernagore, to help the French defend against the British threat

Uneasy Sleepers

Courtiers & commoners alike lie insensate in the hospital wards: they cannot be woken. What strange plague is this?

Incubus

You have chosen to impress the Young Surgeon with fear rather than admiration

Investigating the Conspiracy

There are disturbing rumours of conspiracy: you must investigate further.

There are disturbing rumours of conspiracy: you must investigate further.

Bengal, 1757 - a troubled time

The Wake

You are in the wake

Imagination

use imagination to act in the dreaming world

use imagination to act in the dreaming world
gained in the wake, you use Imagination in dreams

Curiosity

"you will never be lovelier than you are now" - energy, desire, ambition

"you will never be lovelier than you are now" - energy, desire, ambition

Perception

'he who sees me in a dream truly sees me' - observation, using the senses

'he who sees me in a dream truly sees me' - observation, using the senses

Serenity

'look upon success & failure with an equal eye' - calmness, detachment & logic

An Enemy of the British

You know it is only a matter of time before trade becomes conquest

You know it is only a matter of time before trade becomes conquest

Exercises of Power

the myth of the sa-ilu grows in the telling; percieved power can be more potent than actual power, sometimes

Rumours of Madness and Dissent

Growing whispers of conspiracy, rumours of madness and magic - all of these could prove threatening to your mission
Explore the dreaming and the wake for rumours and threats

Threats of War

The British march against the French, the Afghans and Marathas bristle at your borders - who is the greatest threat?
Explore the dreaming and the wake for clues

Reluctant Conspirator

You have agreed to side with the conspirators - for now.

You have agreed to side with the conspirators - for now.

Dreams of distant shores

You yearn to set sail, to let the sea open up before you like a blue-bright pathway leading you to lands unknown

Ancient and forgotten magics

The world is stranger than even you - dream-walker, sorcerer, stranger - could possibly suspect

Lover's Quarrel

A quarrel with your lover

Madame Molloy

The formidable Madame Molloy is an Irishwoman married to a French trader, a smuggler, and a dab hand at chaupar. A useful woman to know.


Murshidabad

The Nawab's capital city is a glittering jewel on the banks of the river Bhagirathi

Chandernagore

The French-held town of Chandernagore is distinctly charming, and holds its own secrets close

Always

Always


Always


Pearl-Encrusted Box

Its insides are mirrored; you keep your most precious mementos safely locked within.

A scrap of yellow silk

A precious memento from your past.

A precious memento from your past.
Enhances your Perception by +1

Shadow-marks

The shadow has written itself on the flesh of your body; do you welcome its darkness, or fear it?

A cowrie-shell tattoo

a black swirl on your palm, which transforms into a pattern of embedded milk-white shells in the dreaming

An unusual collection

the pleasures and pains of daily life are valuable resources that you carefully collect - spend these sharp & precious things in both the dreaming and the wake

Desires

a glittering collection of carnal lusts, dark ambitions, secret hopes

a glittering collection of carnal lusts, dark ambitions, secret hopes
Gain desires by choosing to indulge your ambition, curiosity and lust

Visions

a swirling mass of mystical prophecy, hallucination & divine pronouncement - some may even be true
inspired by the gods, meditative experiences & wandering in the dream

Memories

your own & others, some sharply painful, others softened by nostalgia

your own & others, some sharply painful, others softened by nostalgia
found in recollections & particularly fine experiences

Traumas

a compendium of pain - you do not know what compels you to collect these little miseries
often gained by accident rather than design

The Principal Players

There are many here who would change history - some will be remembered, and others too-quickly forgotten

Ghaseti Begum

You have seen Ghaseti Begum's forbidden face; now your life is in her hands

You have seen Ghaseti Begum's forbidden face; now your life is in her hands

Cani Theruvil

She is your portal into the world of dreams and your partner, like it or not

She is your portal into the world of dreams and your partner, like it or not

Mir Jaffar

The Nawab's smiling, thickly-moustachioed general - there is something about him you dislike.

Pierre Renault

The Governor of Chandernagore - he will never be your ally, but perhaps he is your enemy's enemy?

Jean Law

The Factory chief at Kasim Bazaar - a potential ally against the British?

The Factory chief at Kasim Bazaar - a potential ally against the British?

The Maratha Envoy

The Hindu Marathas make no secret of their imperial ambitions - their envoy is a bold fellow

William Watts

The British representative of the Nawab's court - blessed with a most charming wife.

Amina Begum

Rabia Begum is the Nawab's mother - a fiercely loyal ally, but relatively powerless

Survivor of the Black Hole

You witnessed the horrors; you will always remember that place

You witnessed the horrors; you will always remember that place

Faizen's honour

You allowed the truth of Faizen's death at the Nawab's hands to emerge - you upheld her honour.

Sa-ilu: you walk in dreams

spies, assassins, advisers - the sa-ilu have shaped history since the time of Babylon

You follow your own path

games of politics & power  are for the rich, you have learned to look out for yourself

Marked by Shadow

the dreaming can be more treacherous than the sea, crueller than the gods - do not let this quality grow too high

An unrequited passion for Cani Theruvil

She is your partner in the dreaming - but she could be so much more...

She is your partner in the dreaming - but she could be so much more...

Playing the divine messenger

You must have your amusements

Poisoned by the Begum

You must return to the Begum each week for the antidote

You must return to the Begum each week for the antidote

Delving into Benigno's past

Half-missionary, half-madman: you gather up fragments of Benigno's intriguing past

Indigo-stained lips

Your lips and tongue are a rich royal blue from indigo dye - surely no one will notice?

A missed connection

Eyes the colour of river-water running across granite; you will remember them forever

A lost heritage

Could it be that there are others like you, sa-ilu raised apart from the Nawab of Bengal's court?

A Dream of the Fever-Tree

Its colours are too vivid, it is saturated with the taste of bitter bark - the Young Surgeon's dreams intrigue you greatly.

A spy in the British camp

You blackmailed the treacherous courtier Nandakumar - now he spies on the British for you.

Seeking out Nandakumar

The Nawab instructs you to meet with his man in Chandernagore, to help the French defend against the British threat

Bengal, 1757 - a troubled time

The Wake

You are in the wake

Imagination

use imagination to act in the dreaming world

use imagination to act in the dreaming world
gained in the wake, you use Imagination in dreams

Curiosity

"you will never be lovelier than you are now" - energy, desire, ambition

"you will never be lovelier than you are now" - energy, desire, ambition

Perception

'he who sees me in a dream truly sees me' - observation, using the senses

'he who sees me in a dream truly sees me' - observation, using the senses

Serenity

'look upon success & failure with an equal eye' - calmness, detachment & logic

'look upon success & failure with an equal eye' - calmness, detachment & logic

An Enemy of the British

You know it is only a matter of time before trade becomes conquest

You know it is only a matter of time before trade becomes conquest

You must investigate threats to the Nawab's power both in the dream and the wake
Raise this quality to 10 to progress

The Defences of Chandernagore

Ditches, fortifications, artillery, intelligence: you will need all this & more to have a hope of turning aside the British
You must raise this quality to 10 to progress

Exercises of Power

the myth of the sa-ilu grows in the telling; percieved power can be more potent than actual power, sometimes

Dreams of distant shores

You yearn to set sail, to let the sea open up before you like a blue-bright pathway leading you to lands unknown

Ancient and forgotten magics

The world is stranger than even you - dream-walker, sorcerer, stranger - could possibly suspect

A Marathi Scroll

Stolen from the desk of the Maratha Envoy - it could hold valuable secrets. If you can decipher it.

Madame Molloy

The formidable Madame Molloy is an Irishwoman married to a French trader, a smuggler, and a dab hand at chaupar. A useful woman to know.


Pearl-Encrusted Box

Its insides are mirrored; you keep your most precious mementos safely locked within.

A scrap of yellow silk

A precious memento from your past.

A precious memento from your past.
Enhances your Perception by +1

Shadow-marks

The shadow has written itself on the flesh of your body; do you welcome its darkness, or fear it?

A cowrie-shell tattoo

a black swirl on your palm, which transforms into a pattern of embedded milk-white shells in the dreaming

A five-pointed lotus tattoo

a black design over your heart; a mark of shadow

a black design over your heart; a mark of shadow

An unusual collection

the pleasures and pains of daily life are valuable resources that you carefully collect - spend these sharp & precious things in both the dreaming and the wake

Desires

a glittering collection of carnal lusts, dark ambitions, secret hopes

a glittering collection of carnal lusts, dark ambitions, secret hopes
Gain desires by choosing to indulge your ambition, curiosity and lust

Visions

a swirling mass of mystical prophecy, hallucination & divine pronouncement - some may even be true
inspired by the gods, meditative experiences & wandering in the dream

Memories

your own & others, some sharply painful, others softened by nostalgia

your own & others, some sharply painful, others softened by nostalgia
found in recollections & particularly fine experiences

The Principal Players

There are many here who would change history - some will be remembered, and others too-quickly forgotten

Ghaseti Begum

You have seen Ghaseti Begum's forbidden face; now your life is in her hands

You have seen Ghaseti Begum's forbidden face; now your life is in her hands

Cani Theruvil

She is your portal into the world of dreams and your partner, like it or not

She is your portal into the world of dreams and your partner, like it or not

Mir Jaffar

The Nawab's smiling, thickly-moustachioed general - there is something about him you dislike.

Pierre Renault

The Governor of Chandernagore - he will never be your ally, but perhaps he is your enemy's enemy?

Amina Begum

Rabia Begum is the Nawab's mother - a fiercely loyal ally, but relatively powerless

The Mughal Sa-ilu

Amir is the sa-ilu to the Mughal Court at Delhi - a prideful, bearded young man

Shadowhair

The mysterious shadowhaired woman appears to have powers in the dream. She is also working for the British - a dangerous opponent.

Survivor of the Black Hole

You witnessed the horrors; you will always remember that place

You witnessed the horrors; you will always remember that place

Sa-ilu: you walk in dreams

spies, assassins, advisers - the sa-ilu have shaped history since the time of Babylon

You follow your own path

games of politics & power  are for the rich, you have learned to look out for yourself

Marked by Shadow

the dreaming can be more treacherous than the sea, crueller than the gods - do not let this quality grow too high

Playing the divine messenger

You must have your amusements

Unquiet bones

You hid the truth of Faizen's death at the hands of the Nawab - will she continue to ravage the dreaming?

Poisoned by the Begum

You must return to the Begum each week for the antidote

You must return to the Begum each week for the antidote

Delving into Benigno's past

Half-missionary, half-madman: you gather up fragments of Benigno's intriguing past

Indigo-stained lips

Your lips and tongue are a rich royal blue from indigo dye - surely no one will notice?

A missed connection

Eyes the colour of river-water running across granite; you will remember them forever

A Dream of the Fever-Tree

Its colours are too vivid, it is saturated with the taste of bitter bark - the Young Surgeon's dreams intrigue you greatly.

An arrangement with Nandakumar

The treacherous courtier offered you British silver in exchange for your silence - and you accepted.

Seeking out Nandakumar

The Nawab instructs you to meet with his man in Chandernagore, to help the French defend against the British threat

Uneasy Sleepers

Courtiers & commoners alike lie insensate in the hospital wards: they cannot be woken. What strange plague is this?

Incubus

You have chosen to impress the Young Surgeon with fear rather than admiration

Investigating the Conspiracy

There are disturbing rumours of conspiracy: you must investigate further.

There are disturbing rumours of conspiracy: you must investigate further.

Bengal, 1757 - a troubled time

The Wake

You are in the wake

Imagination

use imagination to act in the dreaming world

use imagination to act in the dreaming world
gained in the wake, you use Imagination in dreams

Curiosity

"you will never be lovelier than you are now" - energy, desire, ambition

"you will never be lovelier than you are now" - energy, desire, ambition

Perception

'he who sees me in a dream truly sees me' - observation, using the senses

'he who sees me in a dream truly sees me' - observation, using the senses

Serenity

'look upon success & failure with an equal eye' - calmness, detachment & logic

An Enemy of the British

You know it is only a matter of time before trade becomes conquest

You know it is only a matter of time before trade becomes conquest

Exercises of Power

the myth of the sa-ilu grows in the telling; percieved power can be more potent than actual power, sometimes

Rumours of Madness and Dissent

Growing whispers of conspiracy, rumours of madness and magic - all of these could prove threatening to your mission
Explore the dreaming and the wake for rumours and threats

Threats of War

The British march against the French, the Afghans and Marathas bristle at your borders - who is the greatest threat?
Explore the dreaming and the wake for clues

Reluctant Conspirator

You have agreed to side with the conspirators - for now.

You have agreed to side with the conspirators - for now.

Dreams of distant shores

You yearn to set sail, to let the sea open up before you like a blue-bright pathway leading you to lands unknown

Ancient and forgotten magics

The world is stranger than even you - dream-walker, sorcerer, stranger - could possibly suspect

Lover's Quarrel

A quarrel with your lover

Madame Molloy

The formidable Madame Molloy is an Irishwoman married to a French trader, a smuggler, and a dab hand at chaupar. A useful woman to know.


Sa-ilu: Travel into the Dream

The enameled marble lamp glows in the window - which means that Cani has settled herself into sleep. She was trained alongside you, by the last sa-ilu. She can slip into a steady and sure dream-state as quickly as laying her head down on a pillow. Like it or not, you must rely on her.

Always

Always

Enter the dream

A straightforward challenge

Her breathing is steady and light.

You spend Imagination to act in the world of dreams. Gain Imagination by playing appropriate 'sometimes' cards in the waking.

            1
            You need Imagination 1 (you have 187)

            1
            Unlocked with Imagination 1 - you have 187


An opium-wreathed afternoon in the Nawab's court

Of late, the Nawab's weekly durbar is charged with anxiety, thick with heat and the closeness of bodies. It seems as though half of Murshidabad has decided to traipse to the Palace.

The grand hall is wreathed in opium smoke; half-clad dancing girls laugh and cavort to the tunes of wine-maddened musicians. Servants in gold chains and white langotis fan the courtiers with palm-fronds. The holy men have absented themselves, muttering darkly of ill-omens and wickedness.

Amongst the fearful revelry, refugees from Chandernagore come to trade the last of their wares or beg the lords for land, diplomatic Envoys exchange packets of documents, and the nobles talk endlessly of war and provisions and treachery.

Many of these courtiers can be visited in the dreaming as well.

Murshidabad

The Nawab's capital city is a glittering jewel on the banks of the river Bhagirathi

The Mughal Envoy

A straightforward challenge

Your Nawab owes his fealty to the Mughal Emperor Alamgir II of Delhi, a man who has spent forty of his fifty-five years of life imprisoned and is known to be in the thrall of his clever Vizier ul-Mulk. You wonder which one of them the Envoy reports to; it would be wise to choose your words carefully.

            12
            You need Serenity 12 (you have 49)

            12
            Unlocked with Serenity 12 - you have 49

The French Representative

A straightforward challenge

Jean Law looks like a man with a rakshasa, a demon, pursuing his dreams. As you yourself have not visited them much of late, you surmise that it is the stress of the Anglo-French war that is causing the haggardness in his face. To your surprise, he approaches you.

            12
            You need Perception 12 (you have 44)

            12
            Unlocked with Perception 12 - you have 44

The Sikh Merchant

Curiosity

"you will never be lovelier than you are now" - energy, desire, ambition

A straightforward challenge

Omichand represents a large guild of silk-weavers and silversmiths; he is a devout Sikh, and known for his fearlessness in business deals. His wealth and connections make him powerful, and he is reportedly discontented with the Nawab. It would be prudent to keep an eye on him.

            12
            You need Curiosity 12 (you have 37)

The Factor's Wife

A straightforward challenge

It seems the Irish-French merchant escaped the fall of Chandernagore none the worse for wear. She chuckles at the sight of you, and waves away another supplicant, gesturing for you to sit at the chaupar board. It seems Madame has set up shop right here in the Nawab's court. A chilling thought: she will probably be running the kingdom by next year.

            1
            You need 1 x Madame Molloy  (you have 1)

            12
            You need Curiosity 12 (you have 37)

            1
            Unlocked with 1 x Madame Molloy  - you have 1

            12
            Unlocked with Curiosity 12 - you have 37


Chandernagore

The French-held town of Chandernagore is distinctly charming, and holds its own secrets close

Always

Always

<P>As you walk the streets of Chandernagore, you feel strangely foreign...


A woman of means

The Factor's Wife

A straightforward challenge

As you lay out the pieces, you enquire after her business following the siege. “It was a damned hot time of it, I don't mind telling you,” she says, as she pours the tea with that surprising grace. “War is no good for anyone but the quick and the dead, and I intended to be one of the quick ones. So I laid my hands on a store of powder and shot and got it out of the city under cover of a shipment of grain, and myself and my ledgers in a cartload of fever-dead. An experience I'll not soon forget.”

She gives a dyspeptic chuckle and moves a piece. You can tell that she intends to dine out on this story for many years. And so she shall, if any of her listeners can keep their dinner down.

Then, is she selling powder to the Nawab? “Aye, but it's a seller's market,” she says with a wink. “I'd never sell coal dust for powder, but there's nothing to say a merchant can't label their powder-barrels as wine or indigo and let them sit a-while as the prices go up. The Nabob's excise-men can't tell the difference, or won't for a friendly fee.” She laughs, and traps one of your pieces in a neat move. She is certainly enamoured with her own good sense.

And what of her husband? you ask, playing along. She gives you an empty look, and removes her pipe from her mouth. “Didn't make it out, poor devil,” she says. You are not terribly surprised.

31 change points, 7 more needed to reach level 38.

Curiosity is increasing...

You succeeded in a Curiosity challenge! (Simple challenges mean you don't learn so much.)

The British march against the French, the Afghans and Marathas bristle at your borders - who is the greatest threat?

Growing whispers of conspiracy, rumours of madness and magic - all of these could prove threatening to your mission

Rumours of Madness and Dissent has not changed from 15 because it's higher than 15.


Pearl-Encrusted Box

Its insides are mirrored; you keep your most precious mementos safely locked within.

A scrap of yellow silk

A precious memento from your past.

A precious memento from your past.
Enhances your Perception by +1

Shadow-marks

The shadow has written itself on the flesh of your body; do you welcome its darkness, or fear it?

A cowrie-shell tattoo

a black swirl on your palm, which transforms into a pattern of embedded milk-white shells in the dreaming

A five-pointed lotus tattoo

a black design over your heart; a mark of shadow

a black design over your heart; a mark of shadow

An unusual collection

the pleasures and pains of daily life are valuable resources that you carefully collect - spend these sharp & precious things in both the dreaming and the wake

Desires

a glittering collection of carnal lusts, dark ambitions, secret hopes

a glittering collection of carnal lusts, dark ambitions, secret hopes
Gain desires by choosing to indulge your ambition, curiosity and lust

Visions

a swirling mass of mystical prophecy, hallucination & divine pronouncement - some may even be true
inspired by the gods, meditative experiences & wandering in the dream

Memories

your own & others, some sharply painful, others softened by nostalgia

your own & others, some sharply painful, others softened by nostalgia
found in recollections & particularly fine experiences

The Principal Players

There are many here who would change history - some will be remembered, and others too-quickly forgotten

Ghaseti Begum

You have seen Ghaseti Begum's forbidden face; now your life is in her hands

You have seen Ghaseti Begum's forbidden face; now your life is in her hands

Cani Theruvil

She is your portal into the world of dreams and your partner, like it or not

She is your portal into the world of dreams and your partner, like it or not

Mir Jaffar

The Nawab's smiling, thickly-moustachioed general - there is something about him you dislike.

Pierre Renault

The Governor of Chandernagore - he will never be your ally, but perhaps he is your enemy's enemy?

Amina Begum

Rabia Begum is the Nawab's mother - a fiercely loyal ally, but relatively powerless

The Mughal Sa-ilu

Amir is the sa-ilu to the Mughal Court at Delhi - a prideful, bearded young man

Shadowhair

The mysterious shadowhaired woman appears to have powers in the dream. She is also working for the British - a dangerous opponent.

Survivor of the Black Hole

You witnessed the horrors; you will always remember that place

You witnessed the horrors; you will always remember that place

Sa-ilu: you walk in dreams

spies, assassins, advisers - the sa-ilu have shaped history since the time of Babylon

You follow your own path

games of politics & power  are for the rich, you have learned to look out for yourself

Marked by Shadow

the dreaming can be more treacherous than the sea, crueller than the gods - do not let this quality grow too high

Playing the divine messenger

You must have your amusements

Unquiet bones

You hid the truth of Faizen's death at the hands of the Nawab - will she continue to ravage the dreaming?

Poisoned by the Begum

You must return to the Begum each week for the antidote

You must return to the Begum each week for the antidote

Delving into Benigno's past

Half-missionary, half-madman: you gather up fragments of Benigno's intriguing past

Indigo-stained lips

Your lips and tongue are a rich royal blue from indigo dye - surely no one will notice?

A missed connection

Eyes the colour of river-water running across granite; you will remember them forever

A Dream of the Fever-Tree

Its colours are too vivid, it is saturated with the taste of bitter bark - the Young Surgeon's dreams intrigue you greatly.

An arrangement with Nandakumar

The treacherous courtier offered you British silver in exchange for your silence - and you accepted.

Seeking out Nandakumar

The Nawab instructs you to meet with his man in Chandernagore, to help the French defend against the British threat

Uneasy Sleepers

Courtiers & commoners alike lie insensate in the hospital wards: they cannot be woken. What strange plague is this?

Incubus

You have chosen to impress the Young Surgeon with fear rather than admiration

Investigating the Conspiracy

There are disturbing rumours of conspiracy: you must investigate further.

There are disturbing rumours of conspiracy: you must investigate further.

Bengal, 1757 - a troubled time

The Wake

You are in the wake

Imagination

use imagination to act in the dreaming world

use imagination to act in the dreaming world
gained in the wake, you use Imagination in dreams

Curiosity

"you will never be lovelier than you are now" - energy, desire, ambition

"you will never be lovelier than you are now" - energy, desire, ambition

Perception

'he who sees me in a dream truly sees me' - observation, using the senses

'he who sees me in a dream truly sees me' - observation, using the senses

Serenity

'look upon success & failure with an equal eye' - calmness, detachment & logic

An Enemy of the British

You know it is only a matter of time before trade becomes conquest

You know it is only a matter of time before trade becomes conquest

Exercises of Power

the myth of the sa-ilu grows in the telling; percieved power can be more potent than actual power, sometimes

Rumours of Madness and Dissent

Growing whispers of conspiracy, rumours of madness and magic - all of these could prove threatening to your mission
Explore the dreaming and the wake for rumours and threats

Threats of War

The British march against the French, the Afghans and Marathas bristle at your borders - who is the greatest threat?
Explore the dreaming and the wake for clues

Reluctant Conspirator

You have agreed to side with the conspirators - for now.

You have agreed to side with the conspirators - for now.

Dreams of distant shores

You yearn to set sail, to let the sea open up before you like a blue-bright pathway leading you to lands unknown

Ancient and forgotten magics

The world is stranger than even you - dream-walker, sorcerer, stranger - could possibly suspect

Lover's Quarrel

A quarrel with your lover

Madame Molloy

The formidable Madame Molloy is an Irishwoman married to a French trader, a smuggler, and a dab hand at chaupar. A useful woman to know.


You resolve to investigate the Frenchwomen that sit in talk in salons and fan themselves as they visit the bazaars, chaperoned with vast phalanxes of Bengali ayahs and bored French soldiers with roving hands.

You wonder whether the French traders have been trying to conceal the impending siege from their wives and and sisters and mistresses –  European men have such strange and complex notions of propriety, and the women so often have entirely different ones.

Yet it would be useful to know if the women are eagerly bloodthirsty or fearful, ready to throw themselves at the mercy of their enemies. It would be even more useful to know who exactly the Frenchwomen consider to be the enemy.

Chandernagore

The French-held town of Chandernagore is distinctly charming, and holds its own secrets close

The Passage Wife

A straightforward challenge

Both the British and French Companies persist in their strange tradition of arranging for cargoes of eligible white ladies to be sent to their outposts like so many unripe mangoes – a cause of much jocularity in the Nawab's court. You manage to engage one of these uprooted ladies in conversation over a particularly fine enamelled comb at the picked-over bazaar.

            7
            You need Perception 7 (you have 36)

            7
            Unlocked with Perception 7 - you have 36

The Housekeeper

A straightforward challenge

One of the chief factors of the French Company here in Chandernagore maintains quite the household, with a French Housekeeper who took ship with him. The way a man treats his servants reveals much, and you resolve to investigate this oddity of a woman, who is white yet plainly a servant; subordinate and yet purportedly superior.

            7
            You need Serenity 7 (you have 33)

            7
            Unlocked with Serenity 7 - you have 33

The Factor's Wife

You will gain the character Madame Molloy: she will unlock more content this month, and in upcoming episodes, as well as 2x Defences of Chandernagore and 5x desires

You have been investigating a certain Madame Molloy in the Dream, wife of one of the French Company factors. You have heard repeatedly that she is a memorable, even formidable woman.

You manage to find yourself across from Madame Molloy at a local teahouse through the careful application of a childhood spent slipping away from lessons in dreamwalking to try your hand at games of chaupar.

The Little Mademoiselle

A straightforward challenge

The town's wealthiest trader has a young daughter, normally kept battened up in the schoolhouse with the nuns. You could not imagine a less appropriate time to begin venturing out-of-doors, but the approaching siege has thrown all kinds of domestic arrangements into disarray.

            7
            You need Curiosity 7 (you have 31)

            7
            Unlocked with Curiosity 7 - you have 31


Murshidabad

The Nawab's capital city is a glittering jewel on the banks of the river Bhagirathi

Always

Always


Lady of all she surveys

The Housekeeper

A straightforward challenge

There is nothing subservient about Madame Cupre. One of the houseboys – bribed with a hot cup a tea and a sympathetic ear - tells you that before the woman learned the names of all the spices in the pantry she had memorised the quantities in each jar. He lifts his shirt and shows you the livid red marks where she had him flogged on the mere suspicion of pilfering. He gives you a sheepish shrug as you spot the cloves bulging from his pockets.

You follow Madame Cupre as she haggles with marketplace traders like a particularly tightfisted moneylender, and climb the bougainvillea-twined trellis that reaches up to her window to watch her rooms. You learn without surprise that the implacable Madame and her employer are bedfellows, and seem to have been so for years if their careless intimacy is any guide. Their pillowtalk reveals that the factor's wife back in Paris is – as a well-bred Englishman might put it - a notorious flirt, but reveals little of his business. Madame Cupre herself seems to hold her master in little professional regard: you watch as she drafts a letter to a former employer aloud, inquiring after vacancies and hinting delicately at the impending siege.

Yet Madame Cupre might well be of use to you if and when the siege truly begins – her assiduously guarded kitchen stores, you are certain, could feed the assembled French troops for at least a week.

18 change points, 16 more needed to reach level 34.

Serenity is increasing...

Ditches, fortifications, artillery, intelligence: you will need all this & more to have a hope of turning aside the British

The Defences of Chandernagore has not changed from 10 because it's higher than 10.


Pearl-Encrusted Box

Its insides are mirrored; you keep your most precious mementos safely locked within.

A scrap of yellow silk

A precious memento from your past.

A precious memento from your past.
Enhances your Perception by +1

Shadow-marks

The shadow has written itself on the flesh of your body; do you welcome its darkness, or fear it?

A cowrie-shell tattoo

a black swirl on your palm, which transforms into a pattern of embedded milk-white shells in the dreaming

An unusual collection

the pleasures and pains of daily life are valuable resources that you carefully collect - spend these sharp & precious things in both the dreaming and the wake

Desires

a glittering collection of carnal lusts, dark ambitions, secret hopes

a glittering collection of carnal lusts, dark ambitions, secret hopes
Gain desires by choosing to indulge your ambition, curiosity and lust

Visions

a swirling mass of mystical prophecy, hallucination & divine pronouncement - some may even be true
inspired by the gods, meditative experiences & wandering in the dream

Memories

your own & others, some sharply painful, others softened by nostalgia

your own & others, some sharply painful, others softened by nostalgia
found in recollections & particularly fine experiences

Traumas

a compendium of pain - you do not know what compels you to collect these little miseries
often gained by accident rather than design

The Principal Players

There are many here who would change history - some will be remembered, and others too-quickly forgotten

Ghaseti Begum

You have seen Ghaseti Begum's forbidden face; now your life is in her hands

You have seen Ghaseti Begum's forbidden face; now your life is in her hands

Cani Theruvil

She is your portal into the world of dreams and your partner, like it or not

She is your portal into the world of dreams and your partner, like it or not

Mir Jaffar

The Nawab's smiling, thickly-moustachioed general - there is something about him you dislike.

Pierre Renault

The Governor of Chandernagore - he will never be your ally, but perhaps he is your enemy's enemy?

Jean Law

The Factory chief at Kasim Bazaar - a potential ally against the British?

The Factory chief at Kasim Bazaar - a potential ally against the British?

The Maratha Envoy

The Hindu Marathas make no secret of their imperial ambitions - their envoy is a bold fellow

William Watts

The British representative of the Nawab's court - blessed with a most charming wife.

Amina Begum

Rabia Begum is the Nawab's mother - a fiercely loyal ally, but relatively powerless

Survivor of the Black Hole

You witnessed the horrors; you will always remember that place

You witnessed the horrors; you will always remember that place

Faizen's honour

You allowed the truth of Faizen's death at the Nawab's hands to emerge - you upheld her honour.

Sa-ilu: you walk in dreams

spies, assassins, advisers - the sa-ilu have shaped history since the time of Babylon

You follow your own path

games of politics & power  are for the rich, you have learned to look out for yourself

Marked by Shadow

the dreaming can be more treacherous than the sea, crueller than the gods - do not let this quality grow too high

An unrequited passion for Cani Theruvil

She is your partner in the dreaming - but she could be so much more...

She is your partner in the dreaming - but she could be so much more...

Playing the divine messenger

You must have your amusements

Poisoned by the Begum

You must return to the Begum each week for the antidote

You must return to the Begum each week for the antidote

Delving into Benigno's past

Half-missionary, half-madman: you gather up fragments of Benigno's intriguing past

Indigo-stained lips

Your lips and tongue are a rich royal blue from indigo dye - surely no one will notice?

A missed connection

Eyes the colour of river-water running across granite; you will remember them forever

A lost heritage

Could it be that there are others like you, sa-ilu raised apart from the Nawab of Bengal's court?

A Dream of the Fever-Tree

Its colours are too vivid, it is saturated with the taste of bitter bark - the Young Surgeon's dreams intrigue you greatly.

A spy in the British camp

You blackmailed the treacherous courtier Nandakumar - now he spies on the British for you.

Seeking out Nandakumar

The Nawab instructs you to meet with his man in Chandernagore, to help the French defend against the British threat

Bengal, 1757 - a troubled time

The Wake

You are in the wake

Imagination

use imagination to act in the dreaming world

use imagination to act in the dreaming world
gained in the wake, you use Imagination in dreams

Curiosity

"you will never be lovelier than you are now" - energy, desire, ambition

"you will never be lovelier than you are now" - energy, desire, ambition

Perception

'he who sees me in a dream truly sees me' - observation, using the senses

'he who sees me in a dream truly sees me' - observation, using the senses

Serenity

'look upon success & failure with an equal eye' - calmness, detachment & logic

'look upon success & failure with an equal eye' - calmness, detachment & logic

An Enemy of the British

You know it is only a matter of time before trade becomes conquest

You know it is only a matter of time before trade becomes conquest

You must investigate threats to the Nawab's power both in the dream and the wake
Raise this quality to 10 to progress

The Defences of Chandernagore

Ditches, fortifications, artillery, intelligence: you will need all this & more to have a hope of turning aside the British
You must raise this quality to 10 to progress

Exercises of Power

the myth of the sa-ilu grows in the telling; percieved power can be more potent than actual power, sometimes

Dreams of distant shores

You yearn to set sail, to let the sea open up before you like a blue-bright pathway leading you to lands unknown

Ancient and forgotten magics

The world is stranger than even you - dream-walker, sorcerer, stranger - could possibly suspect

A Marathi Scroll

Stolen from the desk of the Maratha Envoy - it could hold valuable secrets. If you can decipher it.

Madame Molloy

The formidable Madame Molloy is an Irishwoman married to a French trader, a smuggler, and a dab hand at chaupar. A useful woman to know.