Story
Order of play
| Step | Twinhold first (route A) | Lanternfall first (route B) |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | The fork at Halfway: choose Tamsin's road | The fork at Halfway: choose Rook's road |
| 1 | Twinhold with Tamsin (chapter 1) | Lanternfall with Rook (chapter 3) |
| 2 | Long Road, Twinhold to Lanternfall; Tamsin rides along (chapter 2) | Long Road, Lanternfall to Twinhold; Rook rides along (chapter 2) |
| 3 | Lanternfall; Rook meets you at the Sand Gate, Tamsin comes in (chapter 3) | Dace teaches threading at the pass summit (chapter 4) |
| 4 | Rook teaches threading after the Shardfield (chapter 4) | Twinhold; Tamsin meets you at the Far Gate, Rook stays outside (chapter 1) |
| 5 | Midpoint choice (chapter 5) | Midpoint choice (chapter 5) |
| any | Greenvault and Hushfold once their invitations arrive (chapter 6) | Same |
(Idea) Why the Long Road sits between the courts: Twinhold, Lanternfall and Halfway form a triangle. Halfway has a road to each court, and the Long Road is the highland caravan route that joins the two courts directly. Whichever city the player starts in, Dace's caravan takes them to the other one, so Gale is always learned between the two letters and the first thread always comes after Gale.
Beats that change with order
| Beat | Twinhold first | Lanternfall first |
|---|---|---|
| Who walks with you from Halfway | Tamsin | Rook |
| Who rides the Long Road with you | Tamsin, who then comes into Lanternfall | Rook, who leaves you at Twinhold's gate ("They know my sleeve") |
| Where Dace hires you | Twinhold, as the Waymaker envoy at the courting | Lanternfall's caravan yard |
| Long Road cargo and direction | Evane grain and mirror-polish going down to the Shardfield | Salvaged shard-glass going up to Twinhold's glaziers |
| Facet Seal known in Twinhold? | No | Yes: drawing it at the Measuring is a choice, and casting it inside the walls is a risk |
| The un-teaching | A stranger, Pell, is sealed. Rook later asks what you saw | Rook asked you to carry a word to Pell; you meet Pell in the holding cell first |
| Who teaches threading | Rook, in Lanternfall, with Tamsin watching | Dace, at the wind pass summit, with Rook watching |
| Lio | You have already seen an un-teaching; Lio asks if they will do it to her | Lio is your first close look at what a glyph can cost |
| Iver's Vault plan | Iver asks what you saw in the Hall and finds his way in from it | Iver gives you a drain map to check when you reach Twinhold |
| Second letter's recipient | Iver knows you've come from Twinhold | Ondine knows you've come from Lanternfall |
| Faction invitations | Arrive in Twinhold at the courting, early in the act | Arrive late, when you reach Twinhold |