A Clandestine Rendezvous At Watchmaker's Hill

A Clandestine Rendezvous At Watchmaker's Hill
'Be at this place, at this time…' [This will allow you to choose a Connected Pet if you travel to Watchmaker's Hill]
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This item unlocks this story at Watchmaker's Hill.

Spending an action on one of these options will give you a "Connection pet" and block access to this storylet. You can only have one Connection based pet at a time, and if you wish to choose a new one you will have to dispose of your old one through use of it's opportunity card.

A Clandestine Rendezvous.

A connection of yours mentioned that you should look for a meeting of like-minded people in Watchmaker's Hill. They assured you it would be to your advantage to turn up. So here you are. Who was the connection, exactly?
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A Bohemian girl sent you?

A charming young artist, highly gifted.
Unlocked with Connection: Bohemian 5

CHIT-CHAT

'Could you possibly help us out?'

A room full of louche young people; ladies in slightly scandalous dresses and gentlemen with elaborate moustaches. Fingers dipped languidly into bowls of honey; much talk of Art and Philosophy. And a request. 'This dog needs a new home. We're afraid old Cedric's gone completely honey-mazed. We don't suppose…' The little dog looks up at you, wretchedly. 'Oh, it's only a hangover,' says the lady. 'Just takes a little while for the absinthe to wear off, eh?'
You now have 1 x Hungover Terrier.
A twist in your tale! You are now Fingerwork.
Connected: Bohemian has dropped…

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A cleric sent you

A respectable man of the cloth.
Unlocked with Connection: The Church 5

BE UPSTANDING

'A timely reminder.'

It appears this is a meeting for some of the more radical of London's clergy. You are encouraged to think hard on your sins. 'To remind you, take this beetle,' says the curate who invited you. 'It will live in your rafters. It will keep watch. For guilt and sin. Its ticks will act as warnings.'
You now have 1 x Tell-Tale Beetle
A twist in your tale! You are now The Eyes of Icarus.
Connected: The Church has dropped…

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A Docker sent you

A bluff, burly fellow.
Unlocked with Connection: The Docks 5

DRINK!

'Useless bird.'

The room is full of rowdy dockers, drinking rum and engaging in good-natured fistfights. You join in. Somehow, you end up winning a mynah bird in a game of dice. Good luck? These talkative birds must be valuable. 'Hah. Not that 'un,' says the old man you won the bird from. 'That 'un never says a b- word! Hah!' You've been sold a pup.
You now have 1 x Taciturn Mynah
A twist in your tale! You are now Fingerwork.
Connected: The Docks has dropped…

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An Urchin sent you

A cheeky young fellow from the Regiment.
Unlocked with Connection: Urchins 5

ORLRIGHT?

'Garn!'

A gathering of urchins is a rowdy affair. Matters of business seem to centre mostly on territorial disputes, but there is much jostling and competitive shouting. As you're leaving, a young child pushes a small cat into your hands. 'Runt of the litter, innit,' he says. 'You gotta take it. We run outta bricks, in't we.'
You now have 1 x Grubby Kitten
A twist in your tale! You are now The Eyes of Icarus!
Connected: Urchins has dropped…

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A spy sent you

An unremarkable fellow in a suit. The sort you wouldn't be able to pick out of a crowd again.
Unlocked with Connection: The Great Game 5

(shhh....)

'A useful pet indeed.'

A gathering of spies is an exercise in diffidence and unobtrusiveness. No one is giving anything away. Everyone is studiedly casual. Your contact asks you if you'd like to take home a pet. 'We have a surplus. Moles are very useful, we find. They dig, both literally and metaphorically.'
You now have 1 x Subtle Mole
A twist in your tale! You are now The Gates of the Garden (or The Gates of the Garden is increasing…)
Connected: The Great Game is dropping…

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A devil sent you

A plump, genial fellow given to smiles.
Unlocked with Connection: Hell 5

'Oh yes.'

'A token of our esteem!'

Devils gather here to indulge in the seedier pursuits. Dicing, drinking beer. Plotting of the sort that can't be done in an official setting. The devil you've met before is in a genial mood; with a flourish, he presents you with a cage. 'The Macaw is a beautiful bird,' he says. 'Please accept this gift with our compliments.' It's only when you discover just how vain the macaw is that you start to suspect it may be a variation on the traditional white elephant.
You now have 1 x Preening Macaw
A twist in your tale! You are now The Gates of the Garden (or The Gates of the Garden is increasing…)
Connected: Hell is dropping…

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A Society lady sent you

A fine young woman of excellent breeding.
Unlocked with Connection: Society 5

A NEW VICE! 

'You'll be onto a winner with that one, what?'

Why do the Quality gather in this seedy, dismal area? To gamble. Specifically, to race slugs. Specialist mollusc-breeders have taken the Neath's hardy little gastropods and bred them for speed and intelligence. A well-placed bet wins you a particularly fine specimen. Lucky you. Best stock up on lettuce.
You now have 1 x Racing Slug of Fine Pedigree
A twist in your tale! You are now Falling Cities.
Connected: Society is dropping…

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A Tomb-colonist sent you

A lady. Probably. You never saw her face.
Unlocked with Connection: The Tomb-Colonies 5

COUGH!

'Under those bandages is a fine bird, I assure you.'

Tomb-colonists mill around, making desultory chat. The meeting doesn't seem to be about anything more than socialising in relative peace. Those on their way back to the colonies apparently use these occasions to rid themselves of bulky or troublesome possessions, though, and somehow you find yourself clutching a birdcage. 'She may look decrepit, but these ravens are very intelligent,' says the previous owner, a lady with fine linen bandages. 'A Surface bird, you see? Lovely dark plumage. Much life experience. I wish I could keep her, but the journey by zee did so disagree with her, I fear she wouldn't survive another. Closer to the Surface she gets, the better, although obviously she couldn't go back permanently, not in this condition. Anyway, I know you will be a good owner.'
You now have 1 x Bandaged Raven
A twist in your tale! You are now The Gates of the Garden.
Connected: The Tomb-Colonies is dropping…

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A criminal sent you

This underworld has its own underworld; it's a thriving network.
Unlocked with Connection: Criminals 5

WINK!

'Maybe you'll do better.'

Criminals gather to talk about the good old days and bemoan the current state of things. It's a genial evening with a faint undercurrent - the danger of extreme violence breaking out at any moment adds a definite frisson. It's why you don't like to refuse the gift of a young marsh-wolf from a man with a knife-scar where his right eye used to be. 'My usual trainin' di'n't seem to take,' he tells you. 'But you've a kind eye. I reckon you can do a good job.' The wolf looks up at you with eyes full of hope.
You now have 1 x Disappointing Marsh-Wolf
A twist in your tale! You are now Fingerwork.
Connected: Criminals decrease

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A Constable sent you

One of London's fine protectors. According to himself.
Unlocked with Connection: The Constables 5

EVENING.

'You'll provide a good 'ome, won't you?'

Off-duty Constables like Watchmaker's Hill; they can be unobtrusive. They can avoid fights and official scrutiny both. Tonight, one of the detectives from the Velocipede Squad is looking for someone to take his old bloodhound. 'Faithful as anything.
Gets the job done, too.
You won't regret it.' A minute later, you have a dog. You regard each other with interest.
You now have 1 x Maverick Bloodhound
A twist in your tale! You are now Falling Cities.
Connected: The Constables is dropping…

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A Revolutionary sent you

A hotheaded young man, idealistic and quick-tempered.
Unlocked with Connection: Revolutionaries 5

CONSPIRE!

'Best in the Neath, these are.'

The Revolutionary meeting is full of fire and vigorous argument. Much intellectual discussion is had, much plotting achieved. At the end of the evening, your contact offers you a small bundle. 'Messenger tortoise,' he says. 'We all use 'em. Much better than bats. Much more reliable. Here. You ought to have your own.' You hold the tortoise up to your face. The little reptile looks at you with the wisdom and equanimity of a thousand years.
You now have 1 x Partisan Messenger Tortoise
A twist in your tale! You are now The Eyes of Icarus!
Connected: Revolutionaries has dropped…

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What does what?

A little summary, if you're in search for something particular:

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this connection:	Bohemian	The Church	The Constables	Criminals	The Docks	The Great Game	Hell	Revolutionaries	Society	The Tomb-Colonies	The Urchins
gives	Hungover Terrier	Tell-Tale Beetle	Maverick Bloodhound	Disappointing Marsh-Wolf	Taciturn Mynah	Subtle Mole	Preening Macaw	Partisan Messenger Tortoise	Racing Slug of Fine Pedigree	Bandaged Raven	Grubby Kitten
oOH! The nice picture! I NEED this one!
(Bonus)	+1 Bizarre	+1 Respectable	+1 Dreaded	+1 Dreaded	+1 Respectable	+1 Dreaded	+1 Bizarre	+1 Respectable	+1 Respectable	+1 Bizarre	+1 Dreaded
… and starts	Fingerwork	The Eyes of Icarus	Falling Cities	Fingerwork	Fingerwork	The Gates of the Garden	The Gates of the Garden	The Eyes of Icarus	Falling Cities	The Gates of the Garden	The Eyes of Icarus
	Bohemian	The Church	The Constables	Criminals	The Docks	The Great Game	Hell	Revolutionaries	Society	The Tomb-Colonies	The Urchins

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