Numa

Numa arrives once every nine seasons, though it can happen at any time during those nine seasons. During Numa, The Rectory, The Smithy, and Mrs and Mr Kille will be closed for the duration of the season; but uncanny labours can be performed in The Sweet Bones, where Soul can be used to earn Tally payments. You may also Consider uncommitted Skills (Skills that have not been added to The Tree of Wisdoms) to receive 'A Lesson of Many Facets' that can be used to upgrade any Skill, resetting a level 2+ Skill to level 1 or unlearning a level 1 Skill.

Numa ends after one day. When it ends, all memories will vanish with it - even persistent ones (including Numina and Lessons).

## Leveraging Skill resets for free Skill upgrades

**Skill leveling and resets during Numa**

Skill resets during Numa return the [total number of memories spent (including lessons) to level the skill from level 1 to current] - 1 as Temporary but universal lessons.

Uncommitted languages can also be unlearned for Lessons during Numa, then re-learned later using Spintra. However, this method is extremely inefficient. Break and re-level a level 5 skill instead.

The use of a soul with a malady (which does not fatigue) allows for repeated use of that soul card to skill back up. It is therefore helpful to note the principles that a maladied soul card posesses, and choose a matching lvl 5 skill card to break. It is also therefore useful to maintain a stock of at least one book capable of inflicting each malady.

Likewise, generating any persistent memories that match the principle will help greatly. As it takes 30 seconds to burn a memory while skilling up, but 60 seconds (minimum) to re-learn them from a book or crafting, thought should go into preparing a pipeline. Create memories up to 60 seconds before you need them. For instance, the first three memories you intend to use to get from lvl 1 back to lvl 3 should be generating a fraction of a second after you begin the process, allowing you to almost immediately reclaim those memories after reaching lvl3.

Breaking a level 6 or higher skill that you plan to relearn will lower the total number of additional skill increases due to time constraints. Same for multiple level 3 skills. Level 4 is sub-optimal but is close enough to 5 and is actually preferable if you have other time-limiting factors to consider (low on elements, no memories stocked, normal lessons left over). In some cases, a level 6 or 7 skill may be preferable if you are trying to raise skills to very high levels - the extra lessons provided will reduce the number of unique memories you need to generate, which is especially helpful for more difficult skills with tight memory constraints.

## Gathering

These are special items that you may gather during Numa.

* Aglaophotis (2 Heart, 2 Knock, 2 Lantern, 1 Nectar, 2 Rose), Flower, Gathered in the Physic Garden
* Moly (2 Moon, 2 Moth, 1 Nectar, 2 Scale, 1 Heart), Sustenance, Root, Gathered in the Scent Garden
* Agave Aeterna (2 Lantern, 1 Nectar, 1 Winter), Flower, Gathered in Scent Garden (Normally harvestable in summer)
* Pyrus Auricalcinus (4 Forge, 4 Nectar), Thing, Sustenance, Fruit, Gathered in the Practice Garden (Craftable outside of Numa)

* Mist-Kissed Water (2 Knock, 2 Moon, 1 Winter, 1 Heart), Thing, Liquid, Beverage, To Serve, Gathered at the Hush House Well
* Human Hair (1 Moth) Fabric, Remnant, Gathered in Crowcross Sands

* Hive's Lament (2 Moth, 4 Nectar, 2 Winter), Sound, Gathered in Beehive [chance of gathering beeswax or honey may still apply]
* Cuckoo-Honey (1 Heart, 3 Moth, 2 Nectar, 3 Scale, 2 Edge), Thing, Sustenance, Liquid, Gathered in Beehive

* Tanglebrag (1 Lantern, 2 Moth, 1 Nectar, 1 Scale), Thing, Material, Gathered in The Gull-Colony (Easily craftable outside of Numa)
* Awakened Feather (1 Scale, 2 Sky), Thing, Material, Remains, Gathered in The Gull-Colony (Easily craftable outside of Numa)

* Honeyscar Jasmine (2 Forge, 1 Nectar, 1 Rose), Flower, Gathered in Scent Garden (Normally harvestable in autumn)
* Sea Holly (1 Moon, 1 Nectar, 1 Winter), Flower, Gathered in St Brandan's Cloister (Normally harvestable in summer)

* Horizon-Sight (4 Rose), Memory, Persistent, Gathered at Sea's Edge by disposing of a Penny (Higher denominations will not work)
* Enduring Reflection (3 Rose, Heart, Knock), Memory, Persistent, Gathered at the Moor and the Sea-Caves (Craftable outside of Numa)
* Skaptodon Fang (2 Edge, 2 Scale), Thing, Remains, Gathered at the Moor
* Salt-Sign (2 Moon, 3 Rose), Thing, Mark, Gathered at the Sea-Caves (Easily craftable outside of Numa)

Some of the items harvestable in other seasons are gathered in greater numbers (x2 per action) during Numa, but it's generally not a smart choice to pick those up during numa instead of Numa-exclusive options.

## Mist and Silence

Regular NPC dwellings cannot be activated while Numa is in effect and will be replaced with the following description:

> "The door is open, the fire is cold, the shapes at the tables are hunched and quiet, dressed in furs and dark feathers. Mist presses against the walls and strokes the flagstones with its fingers. A drum taps an irregular rhythm somewhere beneath the inn. Numa."
>
>

There is however a short time-frame between dawn and the activation of Numa during which they can be activated same as in any other season. That includes the inn, should you need paid assistance during Numa for some reason.

## The Sweet Bones

There are two special events that occur at The Sweet Bones while Numa is active: 'Uncanny Labours' and 'The Refreshments of the Labyrinth Season'

### Uncanny Labours

> "The inn is crowded with Numa's heralds and pilgrims. They will be gone by morning. Until then, I could offer my services for payment. I might regret it."
>
>

Replaces normal work at The Sweet Bones. It takes 6 minutes (1 full day) to complete and gives 1 Silver Spintria (4 Tally) but also inflicts a Malady on the soul card used, except for Mettle which remains unfatigued the next day.

> "Afterwards I don't remember what work I performed, except in scents and sensations - leaf-mould, a rhythmic musical clicking like melodious castanets, soft blue flame like antique gaslight. And cold; I remember that where we went, it was cold." - upon completion of work at The Sweet Bones during Numa.
>
>

### The Refreshments of the Labyrinth Season

> "The inn is crowded with Numa's heralds and pilgrims. Their meat is unfamiliar; their drink is unknown. As I linger at the window, an electric bulb flares like a marsh-light: a guest raises her glinting eyes and sees me. She beckons me in with a gloved hand."
>
>

Replaces recovering at The Sweet Bones when placing a 'Fatigued' soul card into the work. Takes 1 minute and 10 seconds to complete, gives 1 random Memory and will inflict a Malady on the soul card used, except for Mettle which is recovered.

> "I have eaten, I have drunk. A cloying taste lingers. My lips are stained with grey." - Upon recovering at the inn during Numa.
>
>

#### Possible Memories:

* Wild Surmise (3 Lantern, 3 Moth, 3 Sky)
* Hive's Lament (2 Moth, 4 Nectar, 2 Winter)) , Music
* Old Wound (1 Edge, 2 Moon, 3 Winter), Persistent
* Memory: Contradiction (2 Edge, 1 Moon)
* Old Moment (2 Lantern, 2 Moth, 1 Scale)
* Horizon Sight (4 Rose), Persistent

## Strategy

### Preparing for Numa

**Warning, read ahead!** - Much of the below information is clearer when considered along with the whole rather than as individual points. Some might even be a bit misleading if taken literally without accounting for the later points.

1. Prepare the skill(s).
	1. Keep one skill unassigned and at lv5. Both of it's aspects should be common among the memories provided by books and assistants.
	2. Keep at least one element affected by malady. Pick an element that can be used to level the above provided skill.
	3. If you know for sure what you want levelled during next numa consider covering some of that with afflicted elements as well.
2. Deal with lessons.
	1. Unless you are save-scumming, keep track of your seasons and don't leave too many lessons near the end of seasons when there is still a chance of Numa. Ideally, keep none.
	2. To make better use of Numa try to focus your out-of-Numa levelling towards high level skills and/or skills with aspects that are rare among common memories.
3. Prepare memories.
	1. Prepare as many persistent memories as you can. (Unless you know that some specific ones will be of no use to you, but this is generally a case of better safe than sorry.)
	2. Unless you are save-scumming, within ~5 seconds after the night warning on the last day of any the season after which numa can follow, have all your afflicted elements assigned to re-reading books. This will ensure that Numa doesn't catch you completely unprepared even during early game.
4. Prepare the bed.
	1. Make sure your bed is ready for action at the end of any season that Numa can follow after.
	2. Don't let your beverage stock fall below 6. This refers specifically to beverages you can afford to chug to restore fatigued elements.

### During Numa

1. Watching your seasons during dawn should allow you to detect Numa a few seconds before it takes effect (pause at dawn and mouse over). Use that opportunity to grab an assistant.
2. Break the prepared skill into 13 MFLs as soon as the game recognises Numa as such.
3. Use the next 10 consider cycles to re-level that skill and level up some of your other skills using 13 MFLs.
4. Use your afflicted elements to re-read books for memories and keep talking to your assistant to grab some random ones to fuel the above levelling throughout the day. Supplement with normal elements if needed, prioritising the ones not usable in levelling and gathering.
5. Once you're sure your memory costs are covered, send the rest of your normal elements to gather the Numa-exclusive resources.
6. Turn fatigued elements (except Mettle) into afflicted ones at the inn. Use bed and 3 beverages to restore what doesn't fit into the inn (including Mettle).

### Near the end of Numa

1. Use the inn with a non-fatigued element to get your Silver Spintria. Mettle is preferable here.
2. Use your afflicted elements to re-read books to prepare some memories for tomorrow. Preferably the ones useful to re-level the skill you're breaking.
3. Use the 12th consider cycle to break that skill yet again.

### After Numa

You've guessed it, no time to relax just yet. Yesterday's 12th consider cycle should let you "smuggle" 13 MFLs into today. Alas you have no persistent memories to back you up, and the inn is out of commission.

1. You get 12 more consider cycles. For those 13 MFL. Re-level your Numa-dedicated skill yet again, level up some more of your other skills.
2. Keep those memories coming. There's nothing worth doing today aside from skill levelling. DO grab the assistant though, to help with memories, obviously.
3. The inn is down for the count but the bed is not. Chug the other 3 beverages to keep the day alive.

### Contingencies

If you fail to plan you plan to fail. But let's see if we can fail better.

1. Should Numa catch you ~~with your pants down~~ unprepared, breaking a level 5 skill might be wasteful. If you have to skip a couple of cycles due to lack of memoires, or to divert a few towards lessons still unused, then breaking a level 4 skill is preferable. But if you don't plan to fail, plan for a level 5.
2. If you have failed to plan (in general skill levelling) badly enough to be left with some unassigned skills you actually need de-leveled, then incorporate those into your strategy instead. Just don't forget that you WILL need an unassigned level 5 skill in the end for future Numas.

## Summoning Numa

Since the COSELEY update, Numa can be summoned actively by the player in the late game by the following steps:

1. **Write a "Petition for a Labyrinth Season".** This should be done on a desk, with a Blank, a Porphyrine, and at least 20 points of *any* of Porphyrine's principles (Knock, Moon, Rose). Additionally, Edge, Heart, and Winter are not allowed to present.
2. **Send the petition through the Post Office.** This costs a Tin Spintria (3 tally).