Welcome to the most romantic fallen london holiday event! Here I'm gonna cover what it is, how it works, and what you won't want to miss. Additionally, FotER is a very social-action focused holiday, so feel free to find people to collaborate with in the comments! (I'll even post a quick trick that can let you uh, entirely skip having to work with other players if you want.) Enjoy!

WHAT IS THE FEAST OF THE EXCEPTIONAL ROSE

It's the valentimes event! It's focused around giving people gifts, getting new companions, and for some reason getting a weird tattoo. There's even a fun option to uh, have a dream of being married and gay with a few major weird FL characters. The feast takes 3 weeks, and many things only open in week 2 or close on week 3, so be aware of that when doing stuff!. The FotER is also an important time for a lot of marriage options in game, but I'm gonna cover those in part 2 where I talk about who should you marry cause that's it's own complicated question. This part is gonna go over all the fun stuff you can do at the feast, and then how masquing/gaining companions work. Lets start with the fun simple things, most importantly...

YOU CAN HAVE SEX WITH MR WINES

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Okay, not really. But there is a guy in Veilgarden who will make you dream of being married to one of a few fancy FL characters, namely the Bishop of Southwark, the Gracious Widow, the Cheery Man, Sinning Jenny... and, for some godforsaken reason, Mr Wines. You'll get a few cards in your deck that tell a story about being married to whoever you choose. There's some rewards, but mostly this is about the fact that you can pretend to be weirdly domestic with these guys. Do note you can only do one at a time, and it will cost 20 Masquing each time (the big resource you need for this holiday); more on that later.

GET A WEIRD TATTOO (THAT UPGRADES YOUR STATS)

If you've done the storyline about The Lady In Lilac and the Clairmont family (and if you're past the super early game you probably have), head over to Ladybones Road on the second week of the festival to finally wraps up that story. After some really interesting stuff, you'll get an opportunity to get a special tattoo. Getting one will raise your BIZZARE or DREADED by +1, and next year you'll be able to get a second one (although 2 is the max). There's an option to refuse to get a tattoo, but as you can only do this once it's not as good.

LEARN ABOUT A WEIRD ROSE

What is the exceptional rose? Well, apparently now you can try to find out, and learn some weird shit about it. This stuff is new-ish, so I can't give much advice, but it should be a fun little story! Look around london and you should be able to figure it out, although you might have to wait for week 2.

GET A DESTINY

If you don't have a destiny, you can get one this feast! Your next opportunity is in august, so check out the Perfumer-Semiotician storylet on the main "feast of the rose" option to get one if you lack one. And if you hate it, don't worry! Someday, you will be able to change it. (And for anyone who already has changed it, during this week you can switch em around over across the ocean at you-know-where.)

With that stuff out of the way, lets talk about the main part of the holiday: getting and spending Masquing.

MASQUING

Your goal this season is to gain a resource called Masquing. It's essentially a "how romantic are you being" stat. You can get this in three main ways.

The first, and easiest, is with a card you'll draw called The Feast Of The Rose! This card will show a few random options out of 16, a lot of which give you 1-2 masquing if you succeed at them. Feel free to experiment and explore, as it'll be drawn way more often then usual while it's available.

IMPORTANT NOTE 1: For anyone looking to Optimize, I've included a short list of options that give 2 masquing reliably/are guaranteed to have at least one show up. Click here to see them.

• A lovers' tryst --> Arrange to meet by the silver fountain
• Buy a kiss from Sinning Jenny --> Negotiate a little first
• A mysterious envelope --> Open It (gives 2 on random success, 1 on failure)
• A face from the past --> Don't remind yourself

This part seems easy; just draw the card, enjoy it's stories, and get your masquing. HOWEVER. This type of masquing can ONLY GO UP TO 20. Once you're at 20 masquing, these options will no longer increase the stat. Additionally, of the 3 weeks the feast lasts, only the first 2 let you draw this card; it'll be gone after February 15th.

IMPORTANT NOTE 2: One of these cards will have an option called The Duchess' Banquet. On here, there will be an option to spend 15 Masquing to hang out with the Captivating Princess (unless you've already done it, it's one time only). Extremely do this if possible. It gives you a 312 echo item and a quality that means she knows who you are, and that's scary!

The second method to raise masquing is through Gifts. These can be found on the main "Celebrate the Feast of the Exceptional Rose!* storylet. The gifts all give 1-2 masquing and cost about 10-20$ respectively, but must be sent to other players. You will not receive the masquing, instead whoever you send the gift to will get the prize which they can turn in for masquing later.

However, just like with the above option, there's a limit; this sort of masquing cannot go above 30. Feel free to give and receive gifts anyways, as this restriction only kicks in when you trade the gift in for masquing, but be aware of the limit. Lastly, you can't convert them to masquing till week 2, and the gifts will no longer be availble to send at week 3. Week 3 is kind of the "cleanup week" in case you forgot to turn in your prizes.

The last method to gain masquing is through Fate Gifts. These work exactly the same as the previous gifts, except they cost fate (the real money currency) to purchase, give anywhere from 5-50 masquing (all cost fate equal to the masquing they give), and are UNCAPPED. This is important, as there's a few big prizes this holiday that cost from 40 to 100 masquing. Since you can only get up to 20 with cards and then from there up to 30 with normal gifts, the rest of the way you'll have to get with fate gifts. Just don't forget to max out your masquing before turning in a fate gift, so that you get the maximum bonus.

IMPORTANT NOTE 3: HOW TO BE ANTI SOCIAL AND BUY ITEMS FOR YOURSELF

Don't want to collaborate with others, especially where real money is involved? What you can do is send a gift to someone, then immediately go into your messages and hit the "cancel" button on that message! Within a few moments you'll get a note that says You cancelled an event: accept a (item here). You now have 1 x (item here). Use this to buy yourself all those fancy prizes you want.

TL;DR, HOW TO GET MASQUING:

• Raise it to 20 with options on The Feast Of The Rose! card
• Raise it past 20 to 30 by trading in gifts you can give to other people (or cheese into getting yourself)
• Raise it past 30 by trading in fate-locked (real money) gifts

IMPORTANT NOTE 4: BUT CAN I LIKE, KEEP THE PRIZES AND NOT TRADE THEM IN?

Sure! In fact, while the majority of them are pointless items that you can't use in any way, a few actually do have uses outside of being traded in! Most notably, A Custom Engraved Skull can be used at the bone market for a 100$ echo payout (although it has some strange downsides), An Antediluvian Ushabti unlocks a research option in the Laboratory, Pink-Painted Cat counts as a cat in parabola (for a very silly storylet), A Heartwood Hearse (30 fate) has the highest Respectable stat of any Transport item, and the Golden Spiked Rosary has the highest BDR/Dreaded of any weapon (unless you're an idiot and seek the name). Additionally, the Lovingly Be-Ribboned Kitten is a new, special thing this year; it's probably worth getting one (although this one you'll need to find the rare player who CAN give these). Having one of these items is pretty cool, and feel free to stock up as many engraved skulls as you want. There's a few other items that do something, but none as important; I've put them below.

Click here to see other items that do stuff.

• The Tiny Silver Kettle of Pickled Liar's Tongues can be sold for 25 echos during the easter holiday, whitsun.
• The Metaphysically Educated Rattus Faber could be upgraded at hallowmas in previous years, but no idea how easy that will be in the future.
• The Hamper of Heart-Cuts and the Rose-Bearing Maggot can be combined into the Shimmering Songster... which has mediocre stats and doesn't do anything. But it's cool?
• A One Way Ticket on the 12:15 to Hell gives you a single, one time-use in a storylet at the very beginning of the railway which lets you skip needing a judgements egg. That's... 50 fate for a check you could have just gotten a judgements egg for. Still it's cool i guess?
• Failbetter may add a funny use for any other item in the game, as well; so feel free to be a hoarder if you like.

So now that you have masquing, lets do something with it!

GETTING COOL COMPANIONS

The biggest use for masquing is to trade it in for Companions using the card An Encounter at the Feast during week 2. There's tons and tons of companions, costing anywhere from 3 masquing to 100 masquing, and all are some level of interesting. Week 3 will convert this to a story you can click instead of a card, making it easily accessible, but will also disable the card that lets you get masquing super easy, so try to do as much with this as you can during week 2.

Which companions do you want, though? Given that there's over 20 you can get normally and over 30 you can get with fate, you'll probably have to choose. Obviously you should start by choosing the guys you love the most, it's valentimes day! Get all the cute companions who seem the most charming at the feast. ...However, not all companions are created equal. Some might have better/worse stats, and some might have fun in game stories you need them to unlock.

That's why I've made a handy list of every companion that has either interesting stats or gives you a funny special option somewhere in the game. Any option I think is really notable will be bolded; don't feel like you have to get them, but do at least read the text for those. Please note that any companion could suddenly get a funny use added by failbetter, so don't go "well sure that hot boy over there is cool but he's not on the list" get him anyways and maybe he'll be useful someday! Also, every companion that costs at least 10 masquing will have stat of at least +5, and every companion that costs 20 masquing will have +8 in at least one stat.

The new companions this year are the Codebreaking Courier and the Diptych Painter for under 30 masquing, along with the Smouldering Lexicographer and The Overworked Commodore who will cost at least 40 masquing (and thus be fate locked). I'd obviously recommend getting these, as they're new and interesting. Lastly, a number of companions can be upgraded at hallowmas; however, they add new upgrades every year and rotate out old companions to require 20 fate instead. Thus, having more companions is always good, and a number of the companions listed here can be upgraded into Ultra Versions if you fork over some cash. That will be noted.

IMPORTANT NOTE 5: Why you probably shouldn't get these guys for stats alone

The... problem with the FotER companions is that they've kinda been power crept by an entirely different in game event. You see, come May there's gonna be another holiday, FL's version of Easter, called Whitsun. While FotER is like "pay 30 fate for this one guy", whitsun asks you to pay 20 fate for a permanent upgrade that lets you make at least 6 different companions that have higher base stats then almost any companion you can get at FotER. Thus, it's often a bad idea to grab someone here cause they've got 1 mithridacy or 2 bizzare or something, because in 3 months they'll be outcassed for way cheaper. Instead, what FotER offers is companions that are cool and interesting; grab them because you want their special plotline, or to marry them, or just think they're cool as fuck.

A LIST OF COMPANIONS THAT DO FUN STUFF. CLICK HERE TO SEE THE MASSIVE LIST

• Codebreaking Courier is new! who knows what they'll do. Always get the new guy.
• Diptych Painter is also new, so the same logic applies.
• Debonair Palaeontologist has normal stats, but has a few fun bone-related options and also was once upgradeable (and can be upgradeable with fate). Most importantly, if you upgrade her you can marry her, and they added a special thing for this just this year.
• Impenitent Devil has a few small options you can find in game.
• Curious Contrarian has only one small use in one ambition, but also it's the jovial contrarian that guy is Important so I'd recommend having him in case they add more stuff.
• The Pirate-Poet unlocks a fun option in a late game carousel, and was also once upgradeable (and still is for fate) into an awesome, 2 zeefaring companion.
• Canny Costermonger unlocks a fun important option in a late game carousel.
• Dr Schlomo has an assortment of uses in game, very worth it.
• Presbyterate Diplomat can be invited to your salon, if you have a salon. Don't ask me to explain salons. that's an entirely different guide.
• The Cat's Chiefest Claw shows up in a number of exceptional stories and does little things; but I don't know exactly which ones. Might be worth?
• Sister Lydia gives you an extra option at a late game storylet that's a really fun choice. Get her.
• Genre Painter can be used at helicon house, a late game storylet; but so can any spouse. He can also be upgraded for fate at hallowmas.
• Verity can be upgraded at hallowmas.
• Ivy can be upgraded at hallowmas. Also, she's from mask of the rose!

All of the options below this require at least 40 masquing, so be aware you will have to pay some fate to get the fancy gifts to get them. However, some are still awesomely worth it. I'll put in their prices.

• ?? MASQ: Smouldering Lexicographer is new, we don't know what's up with them or what they do.
• ?? MASQ: The Overworked Commodore is new, we don't know what's up with them or what they do.
• 40 MASQ: Intrepid Deacon has a thing in the railway where you'll choose between 3 guys on a Thing, and whoever you choose will give you a ton of fun story and other stuff. However, you might want to choose one of the other (free) options, and it will let you pay 25 fate (15 fate more then here) to grab him if you do want to choose him. Otherwise, he's fine.
• 40 MASQ: Lettice, the Mercy will let you hire Lettice at your lab for free, and having lettice in your lab is awesome. However, you can also hire her with 5 tomb colony favors, so she's not impossibly hard to get. Still, I love her.
• 60 MASQ: Nacreous Survivor has a few storylets, but as he's fate locked I don't know the details of them. He gives +2 bizzare.
• 60 MASQ: Lovelorn Bishop is the same thing. He gives +2 respectable.
• 60 MASQ: Countess of Thorns will give you a 1 time option in parabola, when you are "building up your defenses", that lets you use her instead of spending 687.5 echos on stuff. This is a huge save! Unles you've already done it, in which case she has no use. Apart from this, she gives +1 kataleptic toxicology and +2 bizzare.
• 60 MASQ: Crimson Captain has the same thing as the intrepid deacon, although he costs 40 fate (20 fate more then here) to choose. Grab him or the deacon if you like their vibes a lot. Apart from this, he gives +2 dreaded and +1 Player of Chess.
• 80 MASQ: Efficient Commissioner was once upgradeable at hallowmas, and will now cost fate to upgrade. She gives +2 Player of Chess.
• 80 MASQ: Bohemian Sculptress gives +2 mithridacy, and does 1 very minor thing in game.
• 80 MASQ: September is my favorite character in all of fallen london, and if you get him at this feast, you can marry him eventually. If you already have someone you're marrying, don't worry about this. But oh my god he's so cute. Marry that bitch. Please.
• 80 MASQ: A Monster-Hunting Academic gives a couple of minor story things, and also... that's Sophia from Sophia's club, so she can help you get in. Did you know that they once tried to make a comic about her? It's true, you can look it up.
• 80 MASQ: Ferret is from Mask of the Rose, gives +2 Monstrous Anatomy, and might have more uses in the future.
• 80 MASQ: The Abbot Commander gives +2 Shapeling Arts, and might have more uses in the future.
• 100 MASQ: The Secular Missionary, Renewed can be married! If you love her, consider throwing your money at her so you can get married someday.
• 100 MASQ: The Revolutionary Firebrand, Reforged is the same thing.
• 100 MASQ: Green-Eyed Devil/Quiet Deviless can be gotten from other sources in game, and aren't very good. Unless you're madly in love with those devils that keep flirting with you, skip.
• 100 MASQ: Incognito Princess is like, the incognito princess. She doesn't have many uses (aside from a fate-locked hallowmas thing) but goddamn you sure did romance the evil princess huh
• 100 MASQ: Captain Amelia Whitlock can be married! At 70 fate, she and the two missionaries cost about 18.2$ of real money to marry in game, making them the most expensive spouses available. Wow!

Feel free to ignore your heart and grab any of these fuckers regardless of my notes; but do consider looking up their stats if you're gonna spend real money on them. Some of the very old companions have been massively power crept at this point.

That's all you need to know for the feast of the exceptional rose! Stay tuned for PART 2 where I talk about CHOOSING A SPOUSE. We're gonna talk about being FUCKIN MARRIED.