Dear reader! Whether you are new here, archive-reading and whatnot, or you are already someone who has been with us for quite a while, I would like to say a few words that I believe are best kept close to mind.
-This is an MLP quest. And more importantly, none of us are gratuitously cruel. So good things will happen on this quest, and I hope that enough good things have already happened to prove that.
-This is also a horror quest, so bad things will happen. Bad things might happen to good characters if you are not able to protect them, and you most certainly will not be able to intervene if you lack the tools to do so.
-And finally, this is a quest in which you jostle with powers greater than yourself, with all that it entails.
Please, do keep those things in mind as you go forward. But ultimately, this is also a quest in which it is hoped we all have fun! So if any of the above points is not exactly your cup of tea, or somehow make the experience as a whole "not worth it", then this quest might not be for you. Which is fine! Individual tastes are a thing, so don't think any more about it if you don't want to read anymore. And regardless, I hope you have a lovely day!
Readers should take their own mental health into consideration when voting and not subject themselves to triggering narrative elements like rape or constant mental torture of a friend just for the Greatest Good of a world that doesn't exist.
If those are fine for you or Regrettable is even more triggering, then GREAT! More power to you. But you aren't a bad or selfish person for picking the option that keeps the characters you've emotionally connected with safe. [REDACTED for spoiler warning]
This is a high intensity quest that doesn't hold back when it comes to horror and negative consequences. Take care of yourself.
I get that I just think that even with that bringing the obviously monstrous pony looking thing with obvious emotion/mindcontrol powers after having done an obvious impossible boon that Cadance would love to have and gets people into her good graces mars any benefit such an introduction has what with the well, Changeling disaster. Especially with Marinette looking like a monster which we know means she gets beeeeg malus to social because of.
Also I find it hilarious that if we do go through with a version of this plan Velvet would be three for three for going on enthusiastic walks and coming back with Ponys (and analogus things).
Anyways as for the vote I think that we only stand to benefit from having more people in Ponyvile, both because more influence and because more people for the cult side of things to be lost in. Though it may let Copper and Windy get infiltrators in? That seems to be the only long shot con I can think of.
As for the Wrong Keys, isn't DoA's stay shortened because of giving those away? Like she had to expend power to do so. If so she can't spam them, probably has a hard limit of how many she can use before she runs out of juice.
On the matter of EiB I think our best bet is targeting the Lantern portion of the ritual going off of Eo's description.
I get that I just think that even with that bringing the obviously monstrous pony looking thing with obvious emotion/mindcontrol powers after an obvious impossible boon that Cadance would love to have and gets people into her good graces mars any benefit such an introduction has. Especially with Marinette looking like a monster which we know means she gets beeeeg malus to social because of.
Also I find it hilarious that if we do go through with a version of this plan Velvet would be three for three for going on enthusiastic walks and coming back with Ponys (and analogus things).
True but even a failed introduction works for our goals.
Sure it would be really nice for Marinette to become good friends with Cadance so we can hire her with a big fat paycheck for the Bureau (and steal her paycheck). Or at least put Marienette on the books as a well payed consultant (free bits). But all we really need is for Marinette to have a talk with Cadance that doesn't involve Cadance trying to kill her and teleporting to Celestia to attempt to kill our Lady of Wires. We just need Marinette to be the excuse of us being healed.
Oh, the innocent trustworthy Velvet didn't heal herself using sus magic. It was a plot by that sus Marinette trying to influence Princess Cadance.
Oh you know that can actually work. We can make a big production out of it to explain why she all of a sudden vanished too. Maybe have her die to Cadance after an epic battle. Give the poor dear a pick me up of sorts
Though that would make resummoning her a tad bit awkward.
On the worst case scenario that Cadence picks a fight with the ancient eldritch horror. It would probably involve Marinette escaping via the secret Joestar technique of running away given that Marinette is fully there is the flesh... well fully there in the skeleton? And can't be resummoned.
On the worst case scenario that Cadence picks a fight with the ancient eldritch horror. It would probably involve Marinette escaping via the secret Joestar technique of running away given that Marinette is fully there is the flesh... well fully there in the skeleton? And can't be resummoned.
Wait what? I had thought she operated like all of the other summons normally do. Especially as she is a name and so can't be here fully. Huh yeah can't throw Marinette away like that then.
Oh Marinette will almost certainly survive. She's not nerfed by being only partially in the Wake, has a metric ton of health along with having very high heart. She'll almost certainly survive running away from Cadence if it comes to a fight. It's only Cadence afterall. Hell given how strong Marinette is she could probably beat Cadence in a one on one fight.
And remember this is in the worst case scenario where a Grail Name utterly fails a social dc while having a major boost (from the healing).
It's much more likely Cadence lets her walk away given all she's done and the lack of evidence that she's done anything bad.
Do you really think the government would go public about a giant skeleton horse that's strong enough to not be beaten by a Princess and has weird spooky magic which prevent anypony that's not a Princess form finding anything wrong about her?
They'd be the issue of one: causing panic, especially in the current situation. There's a reason the Princesses haven't gone public about the changelings shapeshifting. And two: what can an ordinary pony do about it? If the Lady of Wires has enough weird spooky magic that the most trusted and skilled ponies the Princesses have didn't recognise anything wrong with her she can probably deal with ordinary ponies. Three: Would anything the Princesses do really kill off her social usability? Grail Name here with major tricks for not having her appearance being recognised in a way that effects her social options. Four: Marinette hasn't show to have acted in any way to be an enemy of the Princesses in fact she been shown to act to help them. Five: Marinette has something the Princesses really want, healing power. You can bet Cadence would love to have the option of Marinette healing Shinning or Velvet if they get hurt in the future, or arranging for her to heal Twilight's horn depending on the price. Sure they might not want to work with Marinette before doing a bunch of research to find out who and what the fuck she is if Cadence thinks she sus after their talk. But making utter enemies of a healer prevents you from convincing them to give you healing.
Like, why would Cadence decide to make an enemy of Marinette long term?
That's OC information for her. IC she's just a 3 meters tall eldritch skeleton that nobody seems to mind being a 3 meters tall eldritch skeleton and has healed her loved ones and is open to healing her sister in law. Kinda sus, but being pretty sus doesn't mean instant death sentence, otherwise she'd be killing most of the nobles.
"Lady Velvet Covers, are you really telling me you don't think much about the fact you hosted a Princess in Ponyville?"
Mayor Mare interrupts you. She truly and suddenly interrupts you, and her polite expression finally crumbles, being replaced by one of honest disbelief.
And you… don't really have an answer to what she just said.
Because it dawns on you that yes, you really forgot about the fact that… well, that you hosted… Cadance…
"Ah, right, that happened," the words escape your mouth before you can stop them.
Velvet doesn't really see that as thst much different from having a friend or relative over for a few weeks. The whole "ruler of equestrian society" thing kind of got lost in the haze.
"The one that smelled like knives and murder, but in a wrong way," Soft Sweeps volunteers, clearly blurting out the words because of how scared she still is.
At your request, Fluttershy has successfully cleaned and cleared Jade Whistle's old house. It can now be repurposed for a new use with further actions, and it is no longer a suspicious location.
You have acquired a Winter Level 1 artifact "Twice-used Noose". This artifact does not have any special properties and does not need to be studied.
You have also acquired the knowledge that… Comet Feet is a terrible messenger, and that you should probably talk to Fluttershy about it.
That alone is a gigantic red flag. That means that she has mind altering power, and Equestria just got through a massive crisis where Chrysalis used mind altering power to infiltrate society up to the royal family and launch a massive terror attack, there's no way Cadence will just be chill with Marienette's existence, especially with the Commissioner of the Lunar Bureau strangely being totally okay with this.
Do you really think the government would go public about a giant skeleton horse that's strong enough to not be beaten by a Princess and has weird spooky magic which prevent anypony that's not a Princess form finding anything wrong about her?
And Cadance has to agree with not revealing this to Celestia. If you want to have Marinette come in as an independent contractor then Celestia will know and Marinette tap dances all over her latest set of issues. Plus if we go with the wild idea of her having mindcontroled us as the back up for the talks not going well it puts us in a bad light.
[x] Earth ponies built Equestria. They invented the farming communities that colonized the land. And then they invented concrete when they decided they needed the proper soil in which they could plant buildings. Ponyville will always be an earth pony town, but it is time for it to embrace its future form. (Ponyville will begin to grow quickly, and many more ponies will benefit from it.)
I feel like we haven't had any discussion of the actual vote this time around…
Anyway, it'll need more effort to keep the city in order if we grow it faster, but reducing the Wolf's influence might be worth it.
[X] Earth ponies built Equestria. They invented the farming communities that colonized the land. And then they invented concrete when they decided they needed the proper soil in which they could plant buildings. Ponyville will always be an earth pony town, but it is time for it to embrace its future form. (Ponyville will begin to grow quickly, and many more ponies will benefit from it.)
[X] Earth ponies built Equestria. They invented the farming communities that colonized the land. And then they invented concrete when they decided they needed the proper soil in which they could plant buildings. Ponyville will always be an earth pony town, but it is time for it to embrace its future form. (Ponyville will begin to grow quickly, and many more ponies will benefit from it.)
I can NEVER hear those words without thinking of the above.
...I wonder how the tv series is going. I dropped it a few episodes into the 13th doctor, the first female one.
...uh. quick check tells me that David Tennant (10th doctor, the one in the gif) came back for a short role as the 14th doctor! I might want to get back into it JUST for that, even if he's not there to stay.
"Ma'am, the meeting won't take more than two hours, and you are the one who set the date to begin with. Besides, need I remind you that we are talking about the mayor?"
"Ma'am," Ponpon says with a sigh, "you don't have wings. Stormchaser is taking the girls out this afternoon to do something you literally can't do."
You let out a long, drawn-out groan. Because to Tartarus with Ponpon and her blasted logic. You don't need wings to follow your family on a fun outing. Your husband can carry you on his back just fine!
However, it is precisely because you know how competent she is that you are surprised at today's meeting with her. Because, to put it in very few words, it seems that Mayor Mare basically wants your opinion on certain things.
But why she wants your opinion, when she already seems to be so on top of things, sincerely eludes you.
You know, this reminds of another couple of Mares who look a lot like they know what they're doing.
Like Cadance, for example. but the best example Starts with "V" and ends in "elvet"
You know, the mare who definitely has a plan for everything, and is totally not winging it and and falling/failing her way into success? That Velvet?
Seriously, could you imagine if we were NOT playing Velvet but seeing her from the outside? We'd NEVER believe she's as worried and out of her dephths as she actually is!
Because granted, you are not so innocent to forget your station. You do realize you are the town's only noble, and so forth. But still, the fact remains that you practically didn't interact with Ponyville at all for almost as long as you have been living here.
"I should be the one saying that, Lady Velvet. I'm sure you are a much busier pony than I am, nowadays."
You give her a curious glance at that. Particularly because something about her tone makes you feel that she really means it. Or to be more specific, her tone makes you think that she heard about something, and that she is talking based on that information.
"And the thing that is in everypony's mind, Lady Velvet… or at least, what I think is in everypony's mind, is that they are all wondering what comes next. But not in a disastrous way. Not because they are afraid the disappearances might happen again," she stops talking for a few moments, thinking back on her words. "Well, everypony is afraid that something dreadful might happen, of course. But that's not what is really going on here. Everypony wants to know what happens next to Ponyville as a whole. Everypony is asking themselves what awaits us in the future as a community."
So, she tells you about the several small requests, and suggestions, and just idle chatter that have been reaching her from all sides these last two months. About how the woodcutters have been saying they were thinking about expanding their operations. About how several ponies were discussing rerouting the river to make more space to the town's south. Ponies talking about mining the nearby hills, or expanding the train tracks so Ponyville isn't an out-of-the-way place anymore, or even about trying to do something about the Everfree Forest.
And as she tells you about those several anecdotes, about all the little pieces she has been gathering throughout the weeks as she constantly takes Ponyville's temperature while doing her mayoring duties, you think you understand where she is going with it.
You think you can also see it, how everypony just seems to be thinking about the future. Or, to be more precise, about making the future happen with their own hoofs, rather than just allowing it to come to them.
Maybe because the disappearances, and then the Catastrophe, made everypony realize that "tomorrow" might not be as kind as they were expecting. Maybe this is the result of your peaceful farming town being shocked out of its idyllic state of being.
Or who knows, maybe this is something else entirely.
with chaos, opportunity. After a disaster, recovery and growth.
It makes some sense. Equestria in general was very much satisfied with "things as they were", even when there was a deathworld just a few Kilometers outside of the cities... but now they know better.
They know things are not "good enough" as they are.
"And I… I think I understand the reason for this. Or the reasons, plural, because I think there is more than one. But word spreads between cities, even if it takes a bit longer. And ponies have been talking about how Ponyville was less affected during the Catastrophe, and about how much free land we have, and… well, there's even idle gossip that ponies just feel safer here. More than they do in the larger towns, at least."
Additionally, biased as you might be, you legitimately think Ponyville is a good place to live in. It might be a bit old fashioned from a social perspective, being an earth pony farming community that grew over time, but you think that is a positive rather than a negative. And from an economic perspective? The Everfree Forest might be large and dangerous, but Ponyville is still a huge and untapped stretch of land that is a stone throw's away from the capital itself.
Also for all of its dangers the Everfree Forest is also a source of opportunity, in theory. Just look at Zecora and all the alchemical ingredients she can find in there.
Or the treasures of the abandoned castle.
or, for something that actually benefited people... the Zap Apples.
for those who didn't watch the show, basically when she was young Granny Smith (Applejacks grandmother, still alive) went into the forest and got some magical apples from it. they grow all at once through a weird magical process in 3 days, then disappear after a single day.
They use them to make some magically delicious apple jam that sells for I imagine quite a bit.
And finally, there are also… other reasons. Reasons that perhaps only you know about, but that you know are valid nonetheless.
Because Mayor Mare may only have brushed over it, or maybe even dismissed it as gossip. But you do know that… well, that ponies feel less safe when living in other cities.
"Hold on a minute… Lady Velvet I-… No, let me word this properly. It has been a bit over two months since the disappearances happened. But Lady Velvet, if you don't mind me asking, have you been around town much since then?"
"Looking up to me? I beg your pardon?" you answer almost immediately, honestly surprised.
And Mayor Mare's expression tells you that you have both confirmed a suspicion she had, and that she is not entirely sure on how to move forward.
"I… Well… Lady Velvet, I really don't know how to explain this to you, but… Do you remember the morning after the disappearances? When we practically ran around town rallying everypony, and making sure everything was under control, and basically stopping the panic from settling in?"
This is Velvet, ladies and gentlemen. Arrogant enough to believe she's the only one that can save the world, Resourceful enough that it's actually true, and STILL failing to recognize how or why people might admire and respect her for all she's done.
And that's ignoring how NOBODY actually knows EVERYTHING she has done, for good AND ill.
"No, that's the thing. You didn't just help. I really mean this. You actually made an impression on basically everypony. And please, Lady Velvet, it wasn't just that. You are the only noble in our town, and you know that makes a difference. There is even talk that you are doing something important in the Capital!" she says, her tone for some reason becoming slightly exasperated. "But most of all, are you telling me you don't know the effects of what happened two weeks ago?"
...our hosting of Princess Cadence and plenty of royal guards?
That would definitely make a strong impression... and there's also how we brought back Twilight, which I think had already become pretty popular in town.
what princess? I was just hosting my friend Cady. You know, we go way back!
It's funny because Velvet was all flustered and in a panic about hosting a princess at the time, but now... it barely even registers among all the other things we dealt with in the last month!
Look Mayor Mare, it's not your fault, but I assure you that in the life of the MC called Velvet... that barely rated a 7/10 in terms of how important it was among all the things we have been dealing with.
And Somehow we've just become MORE influential in Ponyville than when we were basically the second in command of the secret society slowly spreading throughout it.
Truly, Windy and ESPECIALLY Copper must think this was all part of the plan
[] Earth ponies do not rush things. They do not make plants grow faster, but instead they care for it until it decides to flourish on its own. Ponyville is cared for, and it is flourishing at its own pace. There is no need to change anything or hasten it. (Ponyville will begin to grow, but it will do so slowly. Mayor Mare and the local community will not take any steps to accelerate it.)
[] Earth ponies built Equestria. They invented the farming communities that colonized the land. And then they invented concrete when they decided they needed the proper soil in which they could plant buildings. Ponyville will always be an earth pony town, but it is time for it to embrace its future form. (Ponyville will begin to grow quickly, and many more ponies will benefit from it.)
well, it's likely going to bring chaos, but with chaos come both danger and opportunity.
Ponyville growing larger means our potential influence over it becomes more valuable. And yes, in the short term it will mean fewer people are affected by Paranoia
Maybe we can direct some investments with our personal funds (or our families) into the town as well, and get some bits out of it too.
On the other hand, if Ponyville grows enough it would become easier for enemies to hide in it. Including Changelings and cult agents.
On the other other hand, we'll likely get more guards as well... and we could probably direct some Bureau squads to keep an eye out on the place if/when it becomes necessary...
"The thing is, sweetheart, that… you remember the stallion that visited us a few days back? Big, strong pegasus? The one that you swear talked to me for hours, but I can't remember anything?" Stormchaser begins to say.
"The one that smelled like knives and murder, but in a wrong way," Soft Sweeps volunteers, clearly blurting out the words because of how scared she still is.
And as you finally spot the item they are talking about, finally understand that the item Comet Feet delivered to Soft Sweeps, together with the message that "she will know what this means" is…
… a noose. A battered noose, tied from an old and dusty rope.
You facehoof so quickly that you actually hurt yourself a little bit.
... we're MORONS
We sent Fluttershy to clean out a near-suicide scene!
FLUTTERSHY!
I remember being somewhat against this, but NOT for this reason. I COMPLETELY forgot that.
Edit: Oh, I know why this vote feels strange to me! It's not an incredibly important and high-risk decision with potentially devastating consequences, as many of our choices are nowadays
I don't think that's allowed. Obviously if we accept more people Copper is going to come back with a new cult, and if we refuse we're probably leaving a lot of people into poverty or something 😇
The cult remnants are still likely in town. Some of them, at least. And it'll be much easier both for them to fade into a growing population, as well as spread what little they know to the growing population.
It might also make for a good power base if we ever decided we wanted to restart the cult or something.
…You know, I just realized that even with Scootaloo Velvet will quite possibly end up as the only member of the family without wings, unless we become an Alicorn at some point. That's almost sad, really.
Also goddamit Comet Feet. Though I do wonder what he thinks of that, and the fact that Velvet asked Fluttershy to help clean up the house. Hell, I wonder what Fluttershy thought.
I mean its not like there's any proof that the expeditions are dangerous sites unless its location is somewhere like Death Desert. Otherwise is just exploration in remote areas which a whole lot of ponies did fairly recently. I don't see why its not a justified hobby?
Also I find it hilarious that if we do go through with a version of this plan Velvet would be three for three for going on enthusiastic walks and coming back with Ponys (and analogus things).
As for the Wrong Keys, isn't DoA's stay shortened because of giving those away? Like she had to expend power to do so. If so she can't spam them, probably has a hard limit of how many she can use before she runs out of juice.
On the matter of EiB I think our best bet is targeting the Lantern portion of the ritual going off of Eo's description.
no it's not shorter. It's just that asking for 3 keys is basically equivalent to the one task we can assign her each month.
If anything it means she's now more or less free to do what she wants the rest of the month, as she held up her part of the bargain.
in regards to EiB, we can probably find out who the caster was with our Tapestry ritual. We talked a LOT about doing it this turn, actually, but in the end... well, our action economy is hell as you might have noticed. We deal with a fire, and a flood happens somewhere else. In the end we decided to hold back on it.
In large part it's due to how we need to save the money for the Edge 3 Artifact we're buying (to study to be prepared for Selene's edge lesson, help with future incision rituals, and possibly as a weapon), and for Mareinette's and Baldomare's coming summons.
Wait what? I had thought she operated like all of the other summons normally do. Especially as she is a name and so can't be here fully. Huh yeah can't throw Marinette away like that then.
You missed out a few bits. read the Mareinette summon.
we're NOT summoning her temporarily. Hers is a PERMANENT summon. she'll be here to stay, and if/when her bindings come lose (we'll have a chance to renew them, similarly to how we could extend Baldomare's summon by giving her lvl 5+ books or how we can presumably turn Baldomare into a friend possibly by giving her a lvl 6 or 7 book (that's our theory at least), or by giving DoA the Frangiclave to free herself in the Mansus (our best guess there)) she'll be free to do what she wants.
Also Mareinette is... not exactly a Name.
She's a Ligeian. one of the Alukite/Empousai (they that committed the Crime of the Sky, had a child with another immortal, ATE IT, and then became something OTHER, outside of the Laws of the Mansus), and she who in CS held one of the Keys necessary for a Long to ascend into Namehood.
Such keys, you see, can't be owned by anyone. but such a law does not apply to the Alukites, and so she could keep it.
Each of the 7 Ligeian held a different key, and each key can be used to open one of the doors in the Mansus, without paying their price, and obtaining a different result comparing to normal opening.
The fact she's heavily implied to like to eat children is an obvious reason, actually.
Though apparently she likes our blood enough to be sated on that for the short term, or at least that was our best guess on the price we'll have to pay to keep her bound.
Velvet doesn't really see that as thst much different from having a friend or relative over for a few weeks. The whole "ruler of equestrian society" thing kind of got lost in the haze.
but between the Bureau, Twilight, Shining, the cult breaking down, the Master disappearing, Cadence breaking down thinking she had a miscarriage, her new job...
well, it's understandable she'd forget that bit.
[X] Earth ponies built Equestria. They invented the farming communities that colonized the land. And then they invented concrete when they decided they needed the proper soil in which they could plant buildings. Ponyville will always be an earth pony town, but it is time for it to embrace its future form. (Ponyville will begin to grow quickly, and many more ponies will benefit from it.)
she's a giant skeleton lady, from all appearances a monster, and Cadence has grail-senses that will likely let her sense there's something wrong with her.
She's also very likely to report to Celestia, and I don't trust Mareinette's aura of normalcy to hold up to her.
I think that what they are talking about is how she probably isn't going to stop herself from eating people. And they are afraid that the alicorns can overcome her grail so how she would normally ignore the consequences might not work. And if she does get caught I find it likely that she probably go for a more violent reaction than a peaceful one. (I hope I'm not misinterpreting things here)
I read the update I just didn't know what the options were or any WoGs after the update seeing as i don't read after the first couple of posts usually and so may have missed a WoG. Or rather I no longer remember if the options mentioned a Winter Name.
She's a Ligeian. one of the Alukite/Empousai (they that committed the Crime of the Sky, had a child with another immortal, ATE IT, and then became something OTHER, outside of the Laws of the Mansus), and she who in CS held one of the Keys necessary for a Long to ascend into Namehood.
Mistaken assumption from this, I had thought by the plot line you meant an actively malevolent plot where we're the mindcontrolled/confunded patsy instead of being OoC naive or something similar.
Vote:
[X] Earth ponies built Equestria. They invented the farming communities that colonized the land. And then they invented concrete when they decided they needed the proper soil in which they could plant buildings. Ponyville will always be an earth pony town, but it is time for it to embrace its future form. (Ponyville will begin to grow quickly, and many more ponies will benefit from it.)
she's a giant skeleton lady, from all appearances a monster, and Cadence has grail-senses that will likely let her sense there's something wrong with her.
She's also very likely to report to Celestia, and I don't trust Mareinette's aura of normalcy to hold up to her.
I think that what they are talking about is how she probably isn't going to stop herself from eating people. And they are afraid that the alicorns can overcome her grail so how she would normally ignore the consequences might not work. And if she does get caught I find it likely that she probably go for a more violent reaction than a peaceful one. (I hope I'm not misinterpreting things here)
Errr, that's not how summoning works. We command her not to go two timing on us by seeking other ponies to get her fix and she obeys. Marinette's only eating the ponies Velvet will allow her to eat, like Velvet.
Like I can see a reason for Cadance not wanting to work with/become friends with being that Marinette is kinda sus. But that's not a really good reason to become enemies.
