Searing Enigma | |
---|---|
Category | Curiosity |
Type | Knowledge |
Price | 1000 x Echo (Sell) at The University |
Data ID | 111726 |
Searing Enigma is considered a Knowledge Curiosity item.
Item description[]
"Mysteries are fire. Truth burns."
Obtaining[]
Searing Enigma can be obtained in the following ways. Please note, this is far from a comprehensive list. Please check the full interactions below to see a complete list (there really are a LOT).
Story events[]
Story event name | Item location | Action name | Effect |
---|---|---|---|
Festival of Flourishing | Visage | Shine a light on the bat-faced figure |
|
Shiftwork in the Dead Letter Office | Nuncio | Descend into the basement with flame |
|
Descend into the basement with sunlight | |||
Descend into the basement with mirrors | |||
The Wisp-Ways | Mangrove College | The Pillar of Riddles |
|
The Festival of Silk | Saviour's Rocks | The Emissary of Spiders |
|
At the Mansion of the Jewel-Turbaned Youth | Varchas | Invent a fanciful tale | Veils success:
|
Deliver the Sphinxstone | Grand Geode | Deliver (?) |
|
Interactions[]
Item location | Action name | Effect | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Iron Republic | Seek a Tittering Artificer's help to awaken the Seal |
|
By following the Irrepressible Cannoneer's storyline. |
Frostfound | Unveil a Judgement's Egg |
|
In the final room of The Corridors of Frostfound |
Wisdom | Ransom a Prisoner |
|
In the Whom Have You Freed section |
Nacreous Survivor | Invite it to dine with you | A jubilant dinner
|
By following The Pulse of the Principles storyline |
The Tree of Ages Uprooted | Learn | "A safe distance?"
|
Available after killing the Tree Of Ages |
Farming tips[]
- A captain may quickly trade for Searing Enigmas by buying Dread Surmise for 9 x Searing Enigma at House of Pleasures in the Iron Republic and selling it for 10 x Searing Enigma at Wind-Come-Calling in Irem. Needless to say one would need to have 9 Searing Enigmas beforehand.
- It is possible to 'buy' Searing Enigmas at Wind-Come-Calling in Irem for 1665 x Echo, by buying 5 x Extraordinary Implication at 333 x Echo each and then trading them for a Searing Enigma. This is likely the most expedient way to gain Searing Enigmas and the most expensive.
- The previous trade can also be done with only 525 x Echo, by buying 3 x Ambiguous Eolith from Mount Palmerston at 35 x Echo each or Anthe at 30 x Echo each and then trading them for a 1 x Extraordinary Implication in Chapel of Lights. Note that this requires Something Awaits You at the Chapel of Lights each time you trade 3 Ambiguous Elioths for an Extraordinary Implication, so it would be a very time-consuming way to earn a Searing Enigma.
- With a Zubmarine and A Page from 'The Neathbow': Gant, you can repeatedly obtain Star-Shells from Gant Pole by spending 1 x Foxfire Candles. Each Star-Shell can be sold for 2 x Extraordinary Implication at The Hunter's Cage in Whither. Since Whither, Palmerston (along with Anthe) and Chapel of Lights are always located near the northern edge of the map, and Gant Pole is always near the eastern edge, as well as Irem, it is possible to combine this route and the previous one to obtain a Searing Enigma in two turns for only 260 x Echo at worst and with an Extraordinary Implication to spare. Selling it to The Alarming Scholar for 250 x Echo will cover the price, especially if you bought the candles in in Khan's Heart instead of Fallen London. Alternatively, you can:
- Buy 12 x Sack of Darkdrop Coffee Beans in Khan's Heart, trade them for 1 x Bale of Parabola-Linen each in Irem and sell these in London.
- Kill lifebergs you encounter along the way and search for treasure. This has 50% chance to give you 2 to 3 x Outlandish Artefact, sold for 100 x Echo each to the Scholar.
- Buy 22 x Firkin of Prisoner's Honey in London to trade them for 1 x Carboy of Primordial Shrieks each in Gant Pole and then sell these at The Chelonate nearby.
- If Wrack and Scrimshander are placed conveniently, instead obtain the Prisoner's Honey by trading Supplies in Wrack, trade Primordial Shrieks for Mutersalt in Scrimshander and trade it for Scintillack in Anthe. This will yield whopping 50 x Echo of profit per unit of cargo, covering the Implications' price with just 5 units. And on any ship with more than 40 Hold, it is possible to buy Enigmas directly from Irem with ease, making any other ways of farming them obsolete.
- With a Judgement's Egg and at least 50 Mirrors, one can brave the The Corridors of Frostfound, at the end of the journey, one can hatch The Egg for a Searing Enigma. Since Frostfound is extremely risky and detrimental to the character (one point in each stat, at least, needs to be sacrificed to gain passage to the ultimate chamber), it is hardly a good way to farm Enigmas.
- Well-armed captains could buy Mountain-Sherds in Adam's Way for 2000 x Echo each, and then summon, defeat, and loot Mt. Nomad. Each victory will grant a Captivating Treasure (worth 1000 x Echo by itself, and useful for making Heirlooms), a Mt Nomad's Heart, and +1 to Iron. One could then trade the Mt Nomads' Hearts in for a Searing Enigma each in Chelonate, resulting in an arguably decent trade of (roughly) +1 Iron and Enigma for 1000 Echoes + repair costs (take note that repair costs is more than just 100 gold. Depending on how far you are from your planned stop in London, needing repairs may mean having to skip other encounters). For comparison, you could kill a lorn fluke, sell its core covering 500 out of 1665 echo from Irem price, and gain 3 secrets in the process. This way you need extra 165 echo but get two extra secrets and take much less damage in the process.
- A somewhat similar, but even less reasonable idea would be using an Element of Dawn (bought for 50 supplies, 7 crew members, and a single piece of vital intelligence), to summon a Tree of Ages. After uprooting and examining the vessel, one is rewarded with a Searing Enigma and an Extraordinary Implication (worth 1/5 of the Enigma in Irem by itself). This, however, is neither easy nor cost efficient, but most importantly, it is not reasonably repeatable. Just the "cost to self" of an Element of Dawn is over 1.5k echo (Vital intelligence is worth 600, supplies 1000, crew around another 100, see the link for details), then there's all the hassle associated with purchasing it (lugging around 50 crates for the transaction), and there's dealing with the ugly itself. But the toughest nail in this method's coffin is !!!WARNING SPOILERS!!! going to surprise you in London after you do this enough times.
- DO note however than actually killing either of those two bosses the normal way IS a decent method of obtaining Searing Enigmas.
- For those with the access to the zubmarine though, the best method is probably killing dawn flukes. It requires a pages check (100 for 100% chance) and the creature WILL deal some damage before it goes down (decent ranged attack, about 30 HP per hit IIRC, has 500 HP and a ram attack for 80HP - engage with caution on corvette, don't engage on anything weaker than that), but it's by no means a boss and with good enough stats on a good enough ship doesn't pose any serious threat.
Usage[]
Searing Enigma has the following uses:
- One is needed near the end of the Irrepressible Cannoneer storyline to obtain Memento Mori.
- One is needed to dine with the Carnelian Exile and open her storyline.
- Any amount can be sold to the Alarming Scholar at The University in London, for +1000 x Echo
- Note: Searing Enigma is one of the rarer items in the Neath, and many mid- to late-game stories specifically calls for one or even many of these; it's much better to sell off other items, or to just go hauling cargo if you're in dire need of cash.
- Can be traded in for Dread Surmise (in stock amounts for 9 SE in Iron Republic, House of Pleasures, or one-shot at 7 SE at The Alarming Scholar in London, killing him/her); Searing Enigmas are the only way to obtain said item. Since it can be sold for 10 SE in Irem, it can be considered a good late-game trade route (both don't take cargo hold) - it's still a trip across the entire Zee, though.
- Can be traded for a Hesperidean Apple in Irem (1 x Sack of Darkdrop Coffee Beans is also required).
- Can be traded 1:1 for a Doomed Monster-Hunter in Codex (very pricey).
All Interactions[]
Interactions in Brief[]
Click Expand on the right for more.
Interaction | Action | Result Type | Change |
---|---|---|---|
The Alarming Scholar | 'A Searing Enigma' | Requirement | ≥ 1 |
The Alarming Scholar | 'A Searing Enigma' | Default / Challenge Fail | -1 |
The Alarming Scholar | 'A Dread Surmise' | Requirement | ≥ 7 |
The Alarming Scholar | 'A Dread Surmise' | Default / Challenge Fail | -7 |
The Alarming Scholar | 'A Dread Surmise' | Rare Event | -7 |
Whither | 'Deliver the Fading Haruspex' | Default / Challenge Fail | +1 |
Chapel of Lights | 'Attend a service at the Chapel' | Success | +1 |
Chapel of Lights | 'Attend a service at the Chapel' | Success | +1 |
Chapel of Lights | 'Reject what you have learnt' | Requirement | ≥ 1 |
Chapel of Lights | 'Reject what you have learnt' | Success | -1 |
Grand Geode | 'Deliver the Sphinxstone' | Default / Challenge Fail | +1 |
Iron Republic | 'Seek a Tittering Artificer's help to awaken the Seal' | Default / Challenge Fail | +1 |
Irem | 'The Riddle of Stones' | Default / Challenge Fail | +1 |
Irem | 'Voyage of the Snow Child' | Default / Challenge Fail | +1 |
Kingeater's Castle | 'Construct the Fulgent Impeller' | Default / Challenge Fail | +1 |
Kingeater's Castle | 'The Sixth Witness' | Default / Challenge Fail | +1 |
Wisdom | 'Exchange a Secret for a Prisoner' | Requirement | ≥ 1 |
Wisdom | 'Exchange a Secret for a Prisoner' | Default / Challenge Fail | -1 |
Receive an Embassy | 'An understanding with the Presbyterate' | Requirement | ≥ 1 |
Receive an Embassy | 'An understanding with the Presbyterate' | Default / Challenge Fail | -1 |
Salt's Song | '"The price might be an Enigma."' | Requirement | ≤ 0 |
Salt's Song | '"There is no price."' | Requirement | ≤ 0 |
Salt's Song | '"An Enigma will not suffice."' | Requirement | ≥ 1 |
Speak to the Doctor | 'A Long Talk: Cold Reality' | Default / Challenge Fail | +1 |
Speak to the Doctor | 'A Long Talk: Inner Emptiness' | Default / Challenge Fail | +1 |
Speak to the Doctor | 'A Long Talk: For London!' | Default / Challenge Fail | +1 |
Speak to the Carnelian Exile | 'Invite her to dine with you' | Requirement | ≥ 1 |
Speak to the Carnelian Exile | 'Invite her to dine with you' | Default / Challenge Fail | -1 |
Speak to the Carnelian Exile | 'Ask her to dine with you' | Requirement | ≥ 1 |
Speak to the Carnelian Exile | 'Ask her to dine with you' | Default / Challenge Fail | -1 |
Visit to the Smith's Emporium | 'Ask the smith to construct an assembly-housing for the Cannoneer's weapon' | Requirement | ≥ 1 |
Visit to the Smith's Emporium | 'Ask the smith to construct an assembly-housing for the Cannoneer's weapon' | Default / Challenge Fail | -1 |
Vienna | 'Ask the Bureau friend whether you had met before, long ago...' | Default / Challenge Fail | +1 |
Between You Two | 'Accept. Murder the Investigator' | Default / Challenge Fail | +1 |
Abbey Rock | 'Watch' | Default / Challenge Fail | +1 |
At the Mansion of the Jewel-Turbaned Youth | 'Invent a fanciful tale' | Success | +1 |
Departure in Darkness | '"You should go."' | Default / Challenge Fail | +1 |
The Light of Mihir Shines Bright | 'You nod' | Default / Challenge Fail | +1 |
The Isle of Codex | 'Acquire a Doomed Monster-Hunter' | Requirement | ≥ 1 |
The Isle of Codex | 'Acquire a Doomed Monster-Hunter' | Default / Challenge Fail | -1 |
The Isle of Codex | 'Allow your Navigator to join the Mute Exiles' | Default / Challenge Fail | +1 |
The Tree of Ages Uprooted | 'Learn' | Default / Challenge Fail | +1 |
The Uttershroom | 'Consume the jarful of tether' | Default / Challenge Fail | +1 |
The Wisp-Ways | 'The Pillar of Riddles' | Default / Challenge Fail | +1 |
Speak to your nacreous acquaintance | 'Invite it to dine with you' | Default / Challenge Fail | +1 |
The Pulse of the Principles | 'Lose the match' | Default / Challenge Fail | +1 |
The Festival of Silk | 'The Emissary of Spiders' | Default / Challenge Fail | +1 |
The Venturer's Passage | 'Watch as he completes his scheme' | Default / Challenge Fail | +1 |
The Venturer's Passage | 'Pass beyond with him' | Requirement | ≥ 1 |
Ritual's End | 'Set off a flare, allowing you to see everyone' | Default / Challenge Fail | +1 |
Ritual's End | 'Set off a flare, lighting this place up' | Default / Challenge Fail | +1 |
Ritual's End | 'Shine a light on the bat-faced figure' | Default / Challenge Fail | +1 |
The Throne-Cyst | '"Your Complexity: I pray you, give me back my Campaigner."' | Requirement | ≥ 1 |
The Throne-Cyst | '"Your Complexity: I pray you, give me back my Campaigner."' | Default / Challenge Fail | -1 |
The Throne-Cyst | '"Give me back my Magician."' | Requirement | ≥ 1 |
The Throne-Cyst | '"Give me back my Magician."' | Default / Challenge Fail | -1 |
The Throne-Cyst | '"Give me back my Outcast."' | Requirement | ≥ 1 |
The Throne-Cyst | '"Give me back my Outcast."' | Default / Challenge Fail | -1 |
The New Sequence | 'Progress?' | Default / Challenge Fail | +1 |
Carnelian Conspiracies | 'An offering to the Banded Prince' | Requirement | ≥ 1 |
Carnelian Conspiracies | 'An offering to the Banded Prince' | Default / Challenge Fail | -1 |
The Lost Treasure Hunter | 'Persuade him to give you his map' | Requirement | ≥ 1 |
The Lost Treasure Hunter | 'Persuade him to give you his map' | Default / Challenge Fail | -1 |
The Fathomking's Answer | 'The Fathomking's Key' | Default / Challenge Fail | +1 |
The Mirror-Marches | 'Rarest fruit' | Requirement | ≥ 1 |
The Mirror-Marches | 'Rarest fruit' | Default / Challenge Fail | -1 |
Shiftwork in the Dead Letter Office | 'Descend into the basement with flame' | Default / Challenge Fail | +1 |
Shiftwork in the Dead Letter Office | 'Descend into the basement with sunlight' | Default / Challenge Fail | +1 |
Shiftwork in the Dead Letter Office | 'Descend into the basement with mirrors' | Success | +1 |
Wisdom: whom have you freed? | 'Some Poor Soul' | Default / Challenge Fail | +1 |
The Dark Room | 'Unveil a Judgements' Egg' | Default / Challenge Fail | +1 |
The Dark Room | 'Eat' | Default / Challenge Fail | +1 |
The Dark Room | 'Fumble in the darkness' | Default / Challenge Fail | +1 |
The Dark Room | 'Fumble in the darkness' | Success | +1 |
The Dark Room | 'Fumble in the darkness' | Rare Success | +1 |
The Iridescence | 'Know yourself' | Requirement | ≥ 1 |
The Iridescence | 'Know yourself' | Default / Challenge Fail | -1 |
The Name-Which-Burns | 'The last letter: the East' | Default / Challenge Fail | +1 |
An understanding with the Presbyterate | 'An ancient treaty' | Default / Challenge Fail | -1 |
Invitation to a Beheading | 'Flee' | Default / Challenge Fail | +1 |
Liturgy of Souls | 'Sing your part in the Liturgy' | Default / Challenge Fail | +1 |
Secrets Wrapped in Blood and Bone | 'Ask the Sixth Witness' Question' | Default / Challenge Fail | +1 |
Secrets Wrapped in Blood and Bone | 'Ask your own Question' | Default / Challenge Fail | +1 |
You have defeated a Dawn Fluke | 'Fetch a piece of the fluke to study.' | Success | +1 |
Exploring a wreck | 'Enter the captain's cabin ' | Default / Challenge Fail | +1 |
Discoveries in the Ivory Archives | 'The first skeleton of Scrimshander' | Default / Challenge Fail | + 2 - [q:128381] |
The Writhing Gullet | 'Investigate a biological peculiarity' | Default / Challenge Fail | +1 |
Engineering the Downfall of Nidah | 'Defeat the Presbyter's armies: foster a popular uprising' | Requirement | ≥ 1 |
Engineering the Downfall of Nidah | 'Defeat the Presbyter's armies: foster a popular uprising' | Default / Challenge Fail | -1 |
Engineering the Downfall of Nidah | 'Breaching Nidah's walls: invest in experimental munitions research' | Requirement | ≥ 1 |
Interactions in Detail[]
Click Expand on the right for more.
Story | Action | Required | Effect |
---|---|---|---|
The Alarming Scholar | A Searing Enigma | Default:
| |
A Dread Surmise | Default:
| ||
Whither | Deliver the Fading Haruspex | Default:
| |
Chapel of Lights | Attend a service at the Chapel |
|
Success:
|
Attend a service at the Chapel |
|
Success:
| |
Reject what you have learnt |
|
Success:
| |
Grand Geode | Deliver the Sphinxstone |
|
Default:
|
Iron Republic | Seek a Tittering Artificer's help to awaken the Seal | Default:
| |
Irem | The Riddle of Stones | Default:
| |
Voyage of the Snow Child |
|
Default:
| |
Kingeater's Castle | Construct the Fulgent Impeller |
|
Default:
|
The Sixth Witness |
|
Default:
| |
Wisdom | Exchange a Secret for a Prisoner |
|
Default:
|
Receive an Embassy | An understanding with the Presbyterate |
|
Default:
|
Salt's Song | "The price might be an Enigma." |
|
|
"There is no price." |
|
Default:
| |
"An Enigma will not suffice." |
|
| |
Speak to the Doctor | A Long Talk: Cold Reality |
|
Default:
|
A Long Talk: Inner Emptiness |
|
Default:
| |
A Long Talk: For London! | Default:
| ||
Speak to the Carnelian Exile | Invite her to dine with you |
|
Default:
|
Ask her to dine with you |
|
Default:
| |
Visit to the Smith's Emporium | Ask the smith to construct an assembly-housing for the Cannoneer's weapon |
|
Default:
|
Vienna | Ask the Bureau friend whether you had met before, long ago... |
|
Default:
|
Between You Two | Accept. Murder the Investigator | None | Default:
|
Abbey Rock | Watch |
|
Default:
|
At the Mansion of the Jewel-Turbaned Youth | Invent a fanciful tale |
|
Success:
|
Departure in Darkness | "You should go." | None | Default:
|
The Light of Mihir Shines Bright | You nod | None | Default:
|
The Isle of Codex | Acquire a Doomed Monster-Hunter | Default:
| |
Allow your Navigator to join the Mute Exiles |
|
Default:
| |
The Tree of Ages Uprooted | Learn | None | Default:
|
The Uttershroom | Consume the jarful of tether |
|
Default:
|
The Wisp-Ways | The Pillar of Riddles |
|
Default:
|
Speak to your nacreous acquaintance | Invite it to dine with you | Default:
| |
The Pulse of the Principles | Lose the match |
|
Default:
|
The Festival of Silk | The Emissary of Spiders | None | Default:
|
The Venturer's Passage | Watch as he completes his scheme | Default:
| |
Pass beyond with him |
|
| |
Ritual's End | Set off a flare, allowing you to see everyone |
|
Default:
|
Set off a flare, lighting this place up |
|
Default:
| |
Shine a light on the bat-faced figure |
|
Default:
| |
The Throne-Cyst | "Your Complexity: I pray you, give me back my Campaigner." |
|
Default:
|
"Give me back my Magician." |
|
Default:
| |
"Give me back my Outcast." |
|
Default:
| |
The New Sequence | Progress? | None | Default:
|
Carnelian Conspiracies | An offering to the Banded Prince |
|
Default:
|
The Lost Treasure Hunter | Persuade him to give you his map |
|
Default:
|
The Fathomking's Answer | The Fathomking's Key |
|
Default:
|
The Mirror-Marches | Rarest fruit | Default:
| |
Shiftwork in the Dead Letter Office | Descend into the basement with flame |
|
Default:
|
Descend into the basement with mirrors |
|
Success:
| |
Descend into the basement with sunlight |
|
Default:
| |
Wisdom: whom have you freed? | Some Poor Soul | None | Default:
|
The Dark Room | Unveil a Judgements' Egg |
|
Default:
|
Eat |
|
Default:
| |
Fumble in the darkness |
|
Default:
| |
The Iridescence | Know yourself | Default:
| |
The Name-Which-Burns | The last letter: the East |
|
Default:
|
An understanding with the Presbyterate | An ancient treaty | None | Default:
|
Invitation to a Beheading | Flee | None | Default:
|
Liturgy of Souls | Sing your part in the Liturgy | Default:
| |
Secrets Wrapped in Blood and Bone | Ask the Sixth Witness' Question | Default:
| |
Ask your own Question | None | Default:
| |
You have defeated a Dawn Fluke | Fetch a piece of the fluke to study. |
|
Success:
|
Exploring a wreck | Enter the captain's cabin | Default:
| |
Discoveries in the Ivory Archives | The first skeleton of Scrimshander | Default:
| |
The Writhing Gullet | Investigate a biological peculiarity | Default:
| |
Engineering the Downfall of Nidah | Defeat the Presbyter's armies: foster a popular uprising |
|
Default:
|
Breaching Nidah's walls: invest in experimental munitions research |
|
Default:
|
Shop availability[]
Shop | Item | Buy Price | Sell Price |
---|---|---|---|
House of Pleasures - The Parliament of Flies | |||
Uncle Ankle's Lean Place - A Notch in the Shell | |||
Wind-Come-Calling - The Last Market | |||
Wind-Come-Calling - The Last Market |