#Koloman republic

[sorepharmacist]

I can't FORCE you to play Fallen London, but I CAN Force you to look at the beautiful flag of the Koloman Republic. (edit, forgot to link to source, my bad: https://www.reddit.com/r/fallenlondon/comments/1emosb4/as_a_flag_nerd_and_a_goose_enjoyer_i_liked_the/)

[geraldofallon]

Fallen London Travel Guide:

Koloman Republic

One thing they do keep in common, despite the medley of accents, languages, and, on closer inspection, dress. They all appear deathly afraid of death. Surfacers. They’ll learn.

Requested by @crow-caller

[lasersquid]

BREAKING NEWS: COILHEART GAMES REVOKES PLANETARY SOCIETY FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF THE ARTS WIN, AWARDS RETROACTIVE TOURNAMENT OF IMAGINATION VICTORY TO KOLOMAN REPUBLIC

* * *

THE FAIR ARBITRATOR EXPOSED! NEUTRAL THIRD PARTY REVEALED AS KOLOMAN MINISTER OF IMAGINATION; COURT OF THE WAKEFUL EYE RULING ON APPEAL: GREAT USE OF CREATIVITY

[ekp0133f]

The Koloman Republic are from the Presbyterate disguised as Surfacers

[jordan-of-dawn-and-storms]

Choose Geese

[thegreatyin]

estival 2024 definitely wasn't perfect but you can undeniably hand one thing to it: it gave us THE GLORIOUS NATION OF THE KOLOMAN REPUBLIC 🪿🪿🪿 WE HONK FOR THE FLAG AND KNEEL FOR THE GOOSE 🪿🪿🪿🪿🪿

[peligin-eyed]

Henry is thriving helping a bunch of tomb colonists build a boat. He doesn’t really care about boats, but he HAS built a zubmarine before, and he can also help out their doctors

Great first event for him honestly (as expected from the science event lol)

[failbettergames]

"It is the season for affection, is it not?" Mr Spices' voice is high and fluting. It waves a shawl-enshrouded hand airily in the direction of the Bazaar. "It is incumbent upon us to ensure that the city is a fertile bed for budding romance."

The Feast of the Rose is here! A festival bursting with affectionate activities, nuptial phantasies, burgeoning romance… and shot through with scorn. Tend to the business of your heart through 'Celebrate the Feast of the Exceptional Rose', available throughout London.

Join the Revels!

Take part in the festivities to gain Masquing, which can be later spent on rewards. Exchange gifts of love (or disdain, or mysterious yet enticing indifference) with other players. Keep your gifts – or trade them for Masquing!

As always, additional Masquing can be obtained with Fate, which unlocks further options.

A Task for Mr Spices

This year, Mr Spices has taken a direct interest in the festivities, and believes that true love might need a little helping hand in order to take proper root. Many things might act as catalysts – a rousing play, a touching story, a thoughtful gift. Even violence, when deployed properly, has its uses.

For the duration of the Feast, select activities in and around London have new options that pay out in a new quality – Burgeoning Romance – in addition to their usual rewards. Trade your Burgeoning Romance with Mr Spices to receive additional payment, in the form of items that can be used to send gifts to friends during Feast-time.

These activities are:

A new play at Court

A new plant in Vertiginous Horticulture

A new Theft of Particular Character in the Flit

A new laboratory experiment

A new duel when 'Getting into other fights' for the Black Ribbon'

A new expedition in the Forgotten Quarter

The Lady in Lilac

"You are desired," she says. "Give me the proof of it, and I'll make arrangements."

Starting on February 13th, the mysterious 'Lady in Lilac' card will appear, allowing you to exchange your Feast gifts for Masquing.

Meet New Faces

Every year, the Feast brings new companions to Fallen London. Starting next week, on February 13th, you will be able to spend your Masquing to attract companions from Feasts past, as well as four new companions:

Break up a brawl with Old Resurrection

Explore the flexibilities of the human condition with the Analgesic Rhetorician

Face off to the pain with the Whispering Duellist

Consider the manifold delights of the Koloman Republic with the Sun-Kissed Polymath

Those last two can be unlocked with Fate.

Matrimony!

This year we've added upgrades to several more spouses: A Bewildering Procession of Companions, Suitors, Lovers and Paramours, and the Cultural Attaché and Attachee, as well as the Devout, Conspiratorial and Academic Intriguers. Support the Procession as they seek to deepen their connection in honeyed dreams, or lend your skills to your spouses from Wilmot's End in order to make your spouses more powerful.

The upgrade for the Procession costs 20 Fate, and can be found in Your Lodgings once you are married.

The Attaché, Attachee and Intriguers can all be upgraded for free from their unique opportunity cards.

Skin-bound Memories and Nuptial Phantasies!

How better to prove your devotion than through permanent ink? High time for a visit to Clathermont’s Tattoo Parlour! Make your way to Ladybones Road to complete the story of the Clathermont family, as long as you have reached level 4 or higher in A Name in Seven Secret Alphabets. Tattoos will become available from the 13th of February.

Also available during the Feast of the Exceptional Rose: Nuptial phantasies! Obtain custom-tailored dreams of nuptial bliss (or marital discord) with some of your favourite Fallen London characters. Find these by visiting the Shopkeeper in Viric, in Veilgarden.

Meet your Destiny!

You can obtain a Destiny or alter your existing one during the Feast. Destinies offer unique insights into the deeper mysteries of the Neath, and once acquired, confer a mechanical bonus too. 

Find the way to the Perfumer-Semiotician's shop through the card 'The Feast of the Rose', which can be drawn in London.

Those who know the way there could also zail to Irem, where destinies are grown, altered, and consumed.

A Continuing Mystery

Just what is the Exceptional Rose? Rumours abound. Some say that it's a vicious, fanged flower. Others that it's a cherub sent to watch over star-crossed lovers. Yet more tut, calling it an elaborate ruse cooked up by Mr Inch. Whatever it is, nobody has seen the real Exceptional Rose in years. But perhaps this Feast is different? But, the Exceptional Rose, like love, is a changeable thing, and does not always look the same...

Newcomers may start this story in 'The Exceptional Rose', available anywhere in London. If you were here last year, you already know the way; seek the Rose out once more when Millicent's Parlour opens on the 13th.

Key Dates for the Festival

The Feast of the Exceptional Rose starts today, February 6th.

February 13th: 'An Encounter at the Feast' and 'The Lady in Lilac' become available. Trade gifts for Masquing, and obtain new companions. Tattoos will also be available in the Forgotten Quarter.

February 20th: Gift exchanging and obtaining Masquing closes. You will still have a week to exchange Masquing for companions and to Experience Feast seasonal stories.

February 27th: All remaining Feast storylets close.

[neathbound]

Koloman Republic: Analysis

I'm specifically of the opinion that they're a coalition of agents for White.

Their flag

Purple, a notably regal color. Also similar to irrigo, associated with the Great Game.

"Lux," of course, for light.

Geese are a symbol of collective effort, as their V-formation allows them to fly more efficiently. Collective effort, however, isn't always merely republican; take "goose-stepping" for example.

The tongs, possibly for forging a new republic, possibly for forging the Chain.

The rope and the hat honestly elude me.

Other tidbits

They're associated with lilies and lavender, both of which commonly symbolize purity.

They aren't noticeable at the opening ceremonies, and the game specifically notes that they've either "assimilated" (which spies would be good at) or didn't come (they've got something else to do while everyone's distracted).

Naturally the wide spread of apparent cultures could indicate a group of agents of different nationalities; I'd also note (and this could be me showing my ignorance here) that they seem to imply that the Republic stretches from the Alps to the Adriatic, which isn't necessarily a huge swath of land, despite how often the game emphasizes how many disparate cultures seem to be represented.

Entirely self-indulgent, but it's specifically noted that they're supposedly famous for their architects and engineers - people who create and maintain specific systems and structures.

Smarter people than me have explained this in more detail, but they seem to be named after a historical figure who was (suspected of being?) a spy.

I've almost certainly missed a few things, and obviously any number of these could be red herrings. It would be pretty funny if after all of the suspicion, they turn out to really just be a normal Surface country.

[esteemed-excellency]

THE NAME IS KILLING ME TOO!! "van der" being dutch mixed with "caligari-mastroiani" being italian(?) Really just feels like its trying to sound European TM so hard askdjfg

average koloman republic team

[zeefaring]

ok heres my definitive take on the koloman republic. it used to be a fake country for spy project made by a single country, but then so many different parties infiltrated it that now basically everyone is from a different country and they cant get a story straight because no two people in there have the same allegiance. so basically every spy was hoping to just see what was there and go with the flow, only to discover there was in fact no flow to go with.

[czolgosz]

[ID: a tumblr post by leolaroot which reads, "doing spy missions with a ragtag crew but if I'm being honest I hate all of their fucking guts. we are not making an unlikely family I want to kill these people"; "spy" has been changed from "space" /end ID]

after seeing most of the recent clues, this is the koloman republic to me

[neathbowprideflag]

the koloman republic has a GDP of one kolomillion dollars

[the-fugitive-lexicologist]

I'll be honest, at this point there's so much stuff pointing to the Koloman Republic being spies that I think it's just bad writing. Two possibilities:

1. They are the worst spies of all time. Literally from the moment they got off the boat they acted over-the-top sus. You're trying to tell me this is a group of spies that did an operation as complex and high-stakes as this and just.....didn't bother with a good cover story? They only brought incompetent spies who fumble the backstory? They only get more bumbling as time passes? It kinda shatters suspension of disbelief. If this is the Great Game they've flipped the tone and flopped the delivery. If FBG tries to do a reveal that they're spies, it's just sloppy writing. Spies don't suck at the job this bad.

2. They aren't spies. This seems more likely to me, but it's also bad writing if so. If they do some big reveal that the Koloman delegation is actually something totally unexpected, unrelated entirely to the Great Game.......what was the point of putting in 27 clues that they are spies? It's not really a twist as much as just a red herring. Also sloppy writing.

IDK, I just don't know how they could pull what they've written already into a satisfying reveal.

[wind-come-calling]

There are several interesting theories about what may be hidden within the sixth coil flitting around Fallen London communities, so I thought it would be interesting to gauge which side FL Tumblr falls on.

[justdiptych]

MR HUFFAM: We must find out what the tigers have planned for the opening of the Sixth Coil.

FALLEN LONDONERS: Yeah sure bestie but what the Hell is going on with the Koloman Republic? They appear to be from everywhere in Europe at once, they keep making reference to history that hasn't happened yet, they might or might not be human, and their national flag has a goose in a hat on it.