#feast of roses

[ihearttseliot]

GOOD BOOKS: The Feast of Roses, by Indu Sundaresan

[moondostj]

“beautiful, and willful, and dead before her time.” / “he dreamed of her at times, so often that he could almost see her face. in his dreams, she was beautiful, and highborn, and her eyes were kind.” / “you saw her beauty, but not the iron underneath.” / “the slim, sad girl who wore a crown of pale blue roses and a white gown spattered with gore.”

— george r.r martin

[meii-jasmine]

Happy Anniversary to FF2 and FF13!

[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.

[thegreatyin]

important master of the bazaar tierlist i will neither explain nor elaborate upon

[staring-at-my-keyboard]

hypothetical doodles of my boy dressed up pretty for Lord Emerson's Lonely Hearts Club.. if only he actually owned clothing in light colors

[s0fter-sin]

supernatural au where ghost is a flesh eating ghoul and soap is painfully human

in the middle of las almas, soaked in rain and blood that feels a little too close to soaked earth, soap asks - begs - ghost if he'll eat him if he dies here. ghost has to swallow the urge to promise that he will; that he'll savour him, let his body and his memory keep him warm and full as he mourns

not a drop would go to waste

and soap... soap needs to know that he won't be left in this place reeking of death and betrayal. the thought that he could fall in one of these back alleys and be left to rot and bloat, his ribs eventually cracking open and exposing his soft insides to the mexican heat fills him with a unique dread

he needs to know he'll be brought home

but scotland hasn't been home in a long time. england never came close; the various concrete bases he’s shuffled between no better than the blending walls of hotel rooms to his teenage eyes

ghost wouldn't drop him off at the nearest morgue to be planted a field with a cookie cutter headstone to be forgotten. he would consume him; piece by piece, bite by bite. it would probably take hours - days maybe - of slow, devoted feasting

but ghost is nothing if not persevering

ghost would give him a home and a duty to fulfil, even in death. he would make it so his body served a purpose just as he's served all his life

served his parents. served god. served the military. poor, aimless soap- always longing for a reason, a higher calling

what higher a calling is there than feeding a starved man?

[letters-of-fire]

Howard's outfits for the Feast of the Rose :) the first one is for Lord Emerson's Lonely Hearts Club

[the-insouciant-scientist]

Feast of the rose fashion tiiiiiiiime (feat. name reveal for a certain someone <3)

Had a lot of fun trying to create some seasonally appropriate outfits while working within their personal styles and color schemes!

[shazzbaa]

HI HEPHAESTA WE'RE MAKING A CHEMICAL DESIGNED TO CREATE FEELINGS OF ROMANTIC LOVE WANNA HELP OUT? .........NO???????????

[thedeafprophet]

Ry made us aware of this extra lab text for April and i'm here like GIRL?!?! You're supposed to be dead set against Fires, not using the same means as it, not acting like it?!

Wow. I always knew she was vicious as a rev but in like. bombs. not non consent planning ajskdkgkhkh

[also we checked on some other lab assistants, i specifically went for Hepheasta, and there was no extra text there, so why april with this line specifically]

[sarah-sandwich-writes]

Have I mentioned I HATE the way I outline??

Why do I always have to figure out the plan? Why can't past Sarah figure out the plan for once???

[moondostj]

i want jon to ride rhaegal in the books. yes, he is a northern at heart and he will not become like nothing happened a “fire and blood” type of targaryen. he is a stark. he is ice. he belongs to the distant north. yet, i still want him to ride rhaegal!! at least once.

[papiermachete]

Since i watched the double a little over a month ago i got sucked into the world of chinese dramas … and realized a lot of the ones i was watching had many repeat actors/actresses. So i made a web showing the overlap i found between 10 different cdramas that i’ve watched. See if you can spot each show.

(Disclaimer: i made it in 1 hour sorry if there are any mistakes)

[szilverer]

endlessly circling

something something the song & dance of a constant push & pull regarding control etc

quick thing i did over the weekend w this ref. posting it bc the looking away is important but i had to cover it up lol

[thevioletscout]

Feast of the Exceptional Rose - 2025 1899

This year's feast has many handsome strangers with intriguing tales to share. Perhaps one would enjoy your company?

Approach a Devilish Claywoman The quartz in her skin glitters beautifully against her gilded dress, but those cracks and the horns remind you of the danger she presents.

Join a Well-Intentioned Thief That scandalous outfit just barely distracts from their hands sneaking into your pockets. They could certainly make use of a partner in crime.

Escort an Insatiable Ingenue She looks a bit young for this crowd, and her mind doesn't seem entirely clear. Someone would probably be in your debt if you kept her out of trouble.

------------------------------------------------------

Another event, another excuse to draw my PCs in pretty outfits! And the masked ball gives me a chance to go all out.

I started by searching through mochipan's catalogue of designs for inspiration. Sibyl's dress is even a direct rip of their vampire overcoat design. But I didn't want to make them ALL red or rose themed, so I was left with the question of where to start. Then it hit me.

The cameo frames.

So yeah I designed their outfits after each of their respective cameo frames, which was a really fun exercise in putting them in colors I would usually avoid. Most notably bright gold isn't usually what I'd go for with Fae; I tend to default to monochromes and blue to stay neutral with her skin and hair's color scheme. However I found the gold actually complimented her quite beautifully. She sort of reminds me of lapis lazuli with that combination.

I do kinda wish I had a fourth character only to complete the set with that spider/candle themed one, but meh. I have some non-pc characters but nobody I felt like drawing and I don't want to make a fourth account for the foreseeable future.

This is my first Feast, so I'm excited to learn more about it! Hope you're all having fun this year too.

Used photos for reference, also- Going to hesitantly tag @neathyfashioncoalition in case Feast of the Rose outfits are covered by the current winter prompt. If not though, no worries.