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.
It seems to be the consensus that Windy was the one who tried the ritual on us, and I agree. However, Windy isn't our only enemy. Copper is presumably still at large, and with her Grail levels, I'm worried that she might try and do some social meddling with the Bureau.
Despite the voting options mentioning "low" or "high" scrutiny, there is no risk of the Lunar Bureau being infiltrated by changelings. However, there are no promises about other (pony) parties.
We've chosen maximum security, but I'm still a bit worried that she's going to try and reveal our ties to the cult. Even if we capture her, she would probably try to tell Celestia everything to get Velvet vaporized as a final act of spite.
There's not really anything we can do on that front at the moment, but I feel like Copper is our biggest threat right now and once we get to being able to choose Bureau goals, I think we should prioritize trying to root out her influence. After all, we have three more keys, and I doubt that Windy would try the EiB four more times in a row after he already failed once.
But that's the problem. You feel like… no, you know there is something out there, but you can't put a hoof on what it is. You have been going up and down these streets for years, you know every corner and alley there is, and you have already seen more than one ugly gang war. And yet, this feeling you have is… it's just different.
As if something else is roaming the shadowy corners of your city. Something smarter than the gangs, more focused than the swindlers… hay, you dare say it's even more dangerous than the freaks that rampaged during the Catastrophe.
By the way, I wonder if we've found a hint as to where the Master disappeared to? Something smart, focused, and more dangerous than the Changelings... smells a bit of potential occult activity, mayhaps?
By the way, I wonder if we've found a hint as to where the Master disappeared to? Something smart, focused, and more dangerous than the Changelings... smells a bit of potential occult activity, mayhaps?
I do have to admit though, this argument over whether people would actually believe Velvet is actually unharmed or if they would drive themselves crazy wondering whether she's actually just hiding it has made me realize something.
We are the Master now. We are actually, legitimately, the Master. Nobody can believe that even the very obvious and actually true thing that is exactly what it looks like isn't some masterful trick, even despite that obvious thing being completely fucking bullshit.
the artifact thing is... not impossible, but we'd have to explain why Velvet went on an expedition instead of sending Bureau agents.
Velvet is supposed to be an administrator, not a field agent, remember. Any expedition we do with her, we'll most likely do privately and mostly in secret.
Generally the idea is that going on expeditions is a hobby. Get some clean air, go on an adventure, have some bonding time with friends, not have to think about work for a while. Its not Bureau business Its personal.
Of couse if we have some Names and the appropriate influences on hoof there's the possibility of just bringing Shinning with us a witness. Just have Baldomare screw with his memory of the expedition via implanting memories of an alternate history. Then fake up the lie memory of an ancient artifact healing Velvet before falling to pieces with lots of Moth and Grail, like what we did to Ponpon that one time.
I'm talking about Mareinette healing Velvet and then Velvet using the evidence that Mareinette healed us along with our combined Grail score and our leash to convince Shinning to be healed straight away. Then we introduce Cadence to Mareinette.
The risk is variable but if its just Cadence I think it's possible. The bonuses of healing Velvet and healing Shinning along with mega Grail are very big. Enough so that Cadence probably won't try to kill her friend Velvet's new friend.
The Master: The real trick is...
*Pull his clothes team rocket style revealing a velvet covers with grey mane mashes and a cybernetic eye*We always where the master.
She should presumably NOT be already summoned, I think, but yeah, she'd be an obvious caster for the ritual.
She's also supposed to work differently from other Name summonings, both because she was found in the Wake and not the Mansus, and because in the game she worked differently as well.
This plan relies almost entirely on Cadance falling to the grail influence which uhhhhhhhhh. Love Princess. Now I'm not saying it's a bad idea or that it won't work outright just that maybe getting Cadance to be firmly in our corner over Celestia's first might be prudent. Or just waiting for Luna to come back. We could swing the lores with her as something she discovered and used to hide in her convalescence then we could do the whole song and dance without ya'know mindcontrol.
Which btw I feel we're getting a bit too gung ho about as our first option. Like I get why it was taken both times but this is something that can wait or be done in other ways. We made it through 16 turns in our current condition hopefully we can make another like 4.
Neighnia is a Winter Name who usually exists as a picture in the Wake that you can find and—in canon CS—use for various things, including the Ghoul Victory Ascenscion. Here, at least, she was discovered by Copper Secatour relatively recently—as in, the last couple of turns I think?—who was given orders by the Master to start summoning her. It's just a much more complicated process than throwing up a quick ritual like the other Names we've met.
That's the idea, we can probably make it though another 4 turns in our current condition. Probably, and we'd have to make some sacrifices. Making it though another 16 turns however is a lot more dicey, which is quite possible if we decide to do it openly though the lores (on the off chance the open lore plan even works). Whatever way we go about healing ourselves now is going to contain various risks and take a lot more effort.
More relies on Cadance being so happy with her loved ones being healed that she looks past the Lady of Wires appearance. The Grail means that once Cadance is willing to talk she gets diplomanced. Kind of hard for Mareinette to lose social rolls if she actually gets the chance to talk.
Not all of the Names we can summon in the quest are summonable in CS.
Actually, now that I think about it, only Teresa/Baldomare is summonable in both the quest and the game.
Naenia/Neighnia and Marinette are both in CS, but aren't summonable spirits. DoA is a Bird original. The Master (who would have been the Moth Name summon if we didn't pick Moth cult) also appears to be a Bird original, from what little we know. And while we don't know who the Forge and/or Edge Name(s) is, we know it won't be King Crucible and it's probably not Ezeem.
Not quite. From what I recall she's actually based off the old lady in… I want to say Kerisham? The Scottish city that can be in any History, but only one at a time. Granted it's not really clear what she is in canon, so her being a Name is definitely a Bird assumption, but it's not completely impossible to be accurate.
That's what I'm disputing, while we don't know enough to say Cadance's being the Love Princess gives her any resist to Grail she can obviously interact with it via her powers. What I mean is to rely solely on Grail winning the day is foolish. Best to set up the board better and stack things on the mundane side better in our favor before we attempt it. Because Marinette doesn't look good/trustworthy at all, especially after the Catasprohe debacle. Sure we can vouch for her and the healing will further help but her appearance is a very real and a very big malus to any social rolls.
Ezeem is a Grail Name. If we're doing a Name to an Aspect we probably aren't getting him. Which is kinda sad seeing as he'd probably be a lot more agreeable than Marenette. Probably. Hopefully.
Apparently we found out they still have shapeshifting powers, though I'm going to assume they lost the "Lie to the world" effect that comes with it, so ponies are likely now able to doubt them. @BirdBodhisattva anything to say about this?
That is an educated guess, but you weren't in the same room with the one changeling you saw (the one that was Lantern-blasted) for long enough to confirm or deny that. So far, the only thing you know is that "they can still (or they can once again) look like something else".
The "End is Beautiful" here is different from the game because (I do remember what you are talking about) this doesn't operate in the "pull a random card and kill it" mechanic we had in CS.
Here, it is a targeted death ritual. So you pick a target, and if the Lantern roll succeeds the ritual eventually gets to them.
I will say that Velvet doesn't have any personal experience with using it, so she can't be sure of the particularities. But the one brush she had with it just now showed her the ritual can be... maybe "felt"? She could sense it was "getting closer", even if you can't really point a direction and tell "where it came from".
Still, this "getting closer" means she knew it was "coming her way". She wasn't sure if it was aimed at HER or at somepony CLOSE to her, but she could intercept it regardless.
Which is a way of saying that you don't know if it was aimed at you or your family, but you will be able to stop EiBs aimed at them regardless.
The author does not intend to (and should not be interpreted as intending to) break the site's Terms of Service or site rules at any point.
None of the above subjects are condoned, glorified or encouraged by the author, and their presence in this story is purely for narrative purposes.
If you do not wish to be exposed to any of the subjects cited above, you should STOP READING IMMEDIATELY.
- - -
- - -
- - -
[X] Plan Too Many Plans + Rarity Wildhoof
-[X] 3 personal actions -[x] You are under attack!
--[X] Deny it
-[x] You are wounded!
--[X] You don't have time for this.
--[X] You either don't care, or you don't have enough bits to care.
-[X] (Servants) Ask for a specific Lore artifact (Edge 3)
-[X] (Steppes) Help with negotiating with Hills
-[X] (Rarity) Fleeting opportunity: The Wildhoof Club investigation
-[X] (Fluttershy) Clean Jade's old house
-[X] (Jade) Memory of Light -[X] (DoA) Make Wrong Keys
-[X] (Selene) Knock
-[X] (AotL) Grail: Twilight
-[X] (Knock) Explore the Woods
-[X] Fleeting opportunity: Twilight Sparkle
-[X] Fleeting opportunity: Mayor Mare
-[X] Teach our family Lores
You are Velvet Covers, and you are currently reviewing your previous statements.
Nay, more than that, you are currently scrutinizing your entire life. Your very ideals, even, that led you to what is happening today. You are rethinking just how foolish you are as a pony.
Because just yesterday you had the innocence, the gall, to think that… thata weekend can be sufficiently long.
How foolish you were… how utterly naive!
But you know better now. Today, without a shadow of doubt, your eyes have been opened to your mistakes. After all, right now you can confidently say that…
"I don't want to gooooo…"
Those words leave your mouth almost in a moan, as if you are in pain or exhausted, as you continue to refuse to get up from your seat at the table. And to be honest, the only reason you are not lightly banging your head against the dinner table is because you have a horn. That, and also because your daughters are watching you right now.
You can even hear Silky stifling a giggle as Ponpon continues with her heroic efforts.
"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?"
"But I don't wanna…" you mumble, still keeping your head down as if not looking at Ponpon will magically make her go away. "Everypony else is going cloud-chasing. Everypony else is going to have fun. I want to stay and have fun with my family and…"
"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!
The only consolation that you have is that Silky finally gave up on holding back her laughter, and both Selene and Scootaloo joined in at giggling at the show you are putting on. Small mercies, you suppose.
"Sweetheart, I promise we won't have too much fun without you," Stormchaser chimes in, and you can tell he is talking through a smile.
"Yeah, and we can bring some fluffy clouds for you to hang in the garden when you're back!" Silky chimes in.
You let out another half-hearted groan. But still, you know you can't keep at this forever. In fact, you know Stormchaser is taking the fillies out today precisely because you scheduled that you wouldn't be home. But still, for all that you are being overly dramatic, it does weigh you down a little bit to realize just how little time you will be spending with them.
Regardless, duty calls you suppose.
"Fiiiine," you say, your voice at the same time theatrical and honest. And with heavy hoofsteps, you get up from the table to make your way out.
Although, of course, you take the long way out. You make a full circle around the table, planting a light kiss on everypony's head, before you finally head to the door.
And you will neither confirm nor deny that "everypony" also included Soft Sweeps, who has been eating together with you all, and Scootaloo. But you did make sure to tell your former-maid-slash-daughter to also have fun. She is a pegasus, after all, and she is going together with your husband and the fillies.
She answered you with a small blush. But you also saw the slightest hint of her nodding her head with a smile.
"Alright everypony, have fun. I'll see you all later," you say, leaving the dining hall as several hoofs are waved at you.
With that, you are finally off to Ponyville.
- - -
To be quite honest, you are a bit surprised that, of all the things you could be doing today, you are meeting Mayor Mare.
You don't have anything against the mare, of course. In fact, you find her quite agreeable. It also goes without saying that she is both competent and dedicated, and that her position as the leader of Ponyville feels at the same time earned and natural.
In fact, you were even able to see her leadership skills in person, not long ago. On the aftermath of the several disappearances that happened in Ponyville, a few days before the Catastrophe. You vividly remember just how panicked everypony was, and how hard she worked to make sure everything was under control, calming down an entire town that was on the verge of a crisis. And you can feel how Ponyville only grew closer thanks to it.
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.
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.
Still, regardless of what you think, she sent you a letter asking this and that. And you did feel so intrigued that, instead of answering with a letter of your own, you asked her if you could talk face to face.
Which is why you are here right now.
"Ah, Lady Velvet Covers. Thank you so much for your time. Please, have a seat."
Ponyville's town hall looks pretty much the same as the last time you were here. The sole exception, of course, being the young assistant who was waiting for you at the entrance.
You had never seen that mare before, and you can't help but wonder how Starry Dancer is doing right now. But still, those thoughts only cross your mind for a moment.
"Thank you for having me, Mayor Mare," you say, taking up her offer and sitting down on one of the sofas inside her office. "I'm sure you are a very busy pony, so I really appreciate you making the time for me in such short notice."
Of course, you are also doubly thankful that she agreed to meet you during the weekend. You are not entirely sure how much of this is a social call, and how much of it is related to her work. But still, you appreciate how she was able to accommodate your less flexible schedule.
"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 you are curious about what she might have heard. After all, it isn't really a secret that… well, a lot of things have happened. It isn't really a secret that you are involved with the Crown, and that you are working on Canterlot, but you haven't gone out of your way to spread those news either. Of course, you also know that ponies talk, but you can't help but wonder how much of it has reached out-of-the-way Ponyville.
And more importantly, you can't help but wonder how much embellished were the news that did arrive here.
But you bite down your curiosity. This isn't about you, and you are here to talk to Mayor Mare about her letter.
"Well, I suppose we are both glad today is working out then. So, you mentioned in your letter that you wanted to hear my thoughts about Ponyville, but I honestly don't think I understood what you wanted to know," you say, easing into the sofa as the mayor casually adjusts her glasses. "Or rather, I realized I missed your point when I was half a page into saying how much I love this place. Because as heartwarming as that might have been to read, I don't think it would have helped you in whatever you are trying to figure out."
Mayor Mare lets out a short laugher, shaking her head for a few moments. But still, her expression becomes slightly clouded a few moments later.
"I suppose the letter I sent you was a little vague, Lady Velvet. But I think that is the problem. This issue… well, I don't even know if it is an issue? Still, this thing I have been thinking about, it's a little hard to put into words."
The mare stops talking for a few moments, one hoof lightly going to her chin as she mulls over something in her mind. You patiently wait for her to continue, of course, even if it takes a while. Her assistant coming into the room in the interim and placing two cups of water in the low table that is between you two.
"You see, Lady Velvet, I speak with a lot of ponies," she begins to say. "Ponyville is quite large, but we are by no means the size of a town. So, I can still do my job by keeping in touch with everypony in a more… let's say in a more grounded way."
You nod to her, telling her to go on.
"And I don't say this as if I am bragging or anything. I really think this is one of the differences between a small town and a larger city. But still, I think I have a good feeling of how Ponyville is going simply because it is small enough that I can talk to most of our citizens. I can learn about problems as they arise, speak to the ponies involved instead of hearing about it later. Hay, I can even mediate a few problems on the spot without having to do anything in my capacity as mayor."
"And I think you do an excellent job at that," you remark briefly, but honestly. Motioning at her to continue right after.
"Well, thank you," she says with a small smile. "But here is the thing. Ever since the disappearances, and ever since that dreadful catastrophe that followed, everypony in town has slowly begun to talk about…"
She mumbles to herself for a few moments, almost as if citing a list under her breath. Until she finally just shrugs, as if giving up, and simply continues to speak.
"Well, they have been talking about everything, Lady Velvet. It's a hundred little things, coming from a hundred different ponies, and I won't really waste your time talking about any single one of them. You don't have to worry about it. But still, I feel like all those requests… all these opinions, and problems, and even suggestions… as the days go by, I can't help but notice that they are following a trend of sorts."
You raise an eyebrow, feeling yourself incline slightly closer to her as she speaks, ears perked up in attention at what she is telling you.
"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."
You are intrigued by what she is saying, and you can't help but interrupt her for a few moments just to ask what precisely she has been hearing. And the mare seems almost relieved to comply, as if having somepony else to discuss those issues is somehow alleviating the weight she has been carrying.
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.
Still, you listen to Mayor Mare as she eventually reaches the point that, in her opinion, is the most telling.
"And then there are the newcomers, or the talk about newcomers. You see, every other day I hear about… a pony, or a family, or even a business asking about us. Every other day I talk to somepony, and they tell me how, recently, somepony asked them about how it is like to live here, or if there are houses for sale, or something like that."
Mayor Mare stops for a few moments, picking up her glass and drinking some water, and you can tell from her expression just how much this has been occupying her mind.
"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."
You slowly nod at Mayor Mare's words, keeping your expression polite and neutral.
"So the bottom line is that Ponyville is growing. Or it is about to start growing. That's the feeling I get when I talk to ponies nowadays. And as slow as things might move when they have to board a train, I think that idea has slowly been reaching ponies in other places as well."
Mayor Mare takes a deep breath, and you feel like she has finally finished speaking. You purse your lips as you think back on everything she just told you. Because now that she mentions it, this situation does make sense.
After all, tragic as it might have been, Ponyville was "only" struck by disappearances. Nothing nearly as horrible or traumatic as a changeling attack took place, contrary to what happened to the larger cities during the Catastrophe.
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.
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.
You forcefully blink your eyes, pushing away the thoughts that are welling up inside your head.
"Everything you just said is… very interesting, for starters," you begin to say, slowly putting your thoughts in order. "And it all makes sense, of course. And I don't just mean economically. I can definitely see why families would want to move here after… well, after what happened in so many other towns. I heard my whole life that larger towns were supposed to be safer, but now that everypony has been shocked out of that notion, well…"
This time Mayor Mare is the one nodding back at you, and you can see in her expression that you are just confirming the things she was already thinking about.
"But still, and I apologize if it should be clear by now, but what exactly would you like my opinion on?"
"Well, if you don't mind sharing your thoughts, Lady Velvet, I really want to know what you think about all of this. After all-"
Mayor Mare starts talking, but then suddenly stops. And you watch as she narrows her eyes for a few moments, looking at you as if she had just realized something.
"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?"
You tilt your head slightly at her question, but still you think back on the last two months.
And now that you think about it, you can't really say you have been that engaged with Ponyville.
Of course, you have been in town every now and then, but given how far your estate is you usually only come to town when you have a particular purpose in mind. And these last two months? You can only think about… well, you visited Fluttershy, but she doesn't really live in town. And maybe you visited Rarity or Jade?
To be honest, you remember being whisked away to Canterlot more vividly than you remember being in Ponyville proper. That, and you feel like most of your time was consumed planning and going to Manehattan to rescue poor Twilight.
"Now that you mention it, Mayor… I am not sure I have?"
"Ah, that explains it. Lady Velvet, I don't know how to tell you this, but… Well, everypony in town has been… looking up to you?" she says, almost hesitantly. As if unsure of how you might take her words.
"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?"
"Of course I do. I don't think I'll ever forget that dreadful day. I also remember how you ran yourself ragged, and I think things would have been much worse if you weren't there."
You say that, and you really mean it. You vividly remember the sorry state that so many ponies were in, the fear that everypony had as they began to understand what had just happened. The dawning realization of families that realized they had just been broken.
It took every last trick you knew to keep things from spiraling out of control, but even then, you realize you were able to help Mayor Mare a tiny little bit.
So you can't help but feel slightly confused, as you look at her expression and realize she looks… slightly conflicted?
If you didn't know any better, you would actually think that she wants to say something like I'm the one who is supposed to be saying that.
But of course, you realize that is just ridiculous.
"Lady Velvet, you were right there with me," she says, waving a hoof at you as if stating the obvious. "You were there, Lady Velvet, and well… you made an impact on the townsponies."
"You can't be serious," you say, waving a hoof at her. "I was barely able to follow after you as we went from place to place. You were the one who knew everypony by name, you were the one who knew where to check next or what to say. I was just helping."
You stop yourself from laughing, realizing that Mayor Mare is probably just being polite with you. Because of course she is.
Although, much to your surprise, your reaction just seems to make her speak with an even more serious tone.
"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?"
You open your mouth to answer her, to dismiss her silly claims. Because yes, you may have helped here or there, but you really don't think it rises to the level that she is telling you.
However, the words get stuck in your mouth when you realize you don't really know the answer to her last question.
"Wait, two weeks ago…?" you say, narrowing your eyes slightly. Trying to think about what the hay she is referring to.
But ultimately… nothing really comes to mind?
"Two weeks ago, two weeks ago… Apologies, Mayor Mare, but what exactly happened two weeks ag-?"
"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.
To which the mayor simply freezes for a few moments, eyes wide open as she just stares at you.
Several long, awkward seconds pass until the mare moves once again. Slowly moving a hoof to pick up her glass of water, downing the entire thing in one gulp.
"The thing is, Lady Velvet," she says. Slowly. Calmly. As if she is measuring her every word. "The ponies of Ponyville want to know what your opinion is. Whenever I ask around, maybe one out of three ponies outright asks me what you think about it. And… well, to be honest I want to know as well."
You try your best to keep your expression from turning apologetic, because you can't believe you just made the mayor go into a state of shock, short as it may have been.
Still, you are relieved that she is finally talking to you again.
"And this isn't really a problem. Ponyville growing is something almost inevitable, because stopping other ponies from coming here just doesn't make sense. We are ponies, we won't turn down more neighbors. But one thing that I can do is, well, speed it up."
You give her a slow, thoughtful nod as you understand where she is going.
You try your best to focus on the matter at hoof, as she finally reaches the point she wanted to make all along.
Because Ponyville is growing, but it can grow even more quickly. And if there is anypony who can speed up that process it's Mayor Mare. She can turn the plans of miners and loggers into reality, she can make it easier for new families to move in, and she can tap into the wealth and influence of your local businessponies to encourage the economy to grow. Or perhaps even to create new industry.
More names, more faces, more opportunities. And of course, more ponies in Ponyville means less ponies living in places affected by… other things.
But still, that is a choice. That is the choice she is facing. And the two of you realize that she can also choose to do nothing, and let growth run its course. It will make things slower, of course, and Ponyville will remain smaller and more tightly knit for maybe a little longer. But still, this growth seems to be inevitable, according to the mayor, and doing nothing will just mean that the direction things go will be left to chance.
And ultimately, that is what she wants your thoughts on.
Or, if she is to be believed, that is what everypony wants to hear your opinion about.
Because apparently, and much to your surprise, it seems your words carry weight in Ponyville.
You think about everything she told you for several long minutes. And when the two of you finally begin to talk again, you already know what direction you will be taking that conversation.
[] 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.)
- - -
Ponpon was wrong. Your conversation with Mayor Mare took more than two hours.
The sun is already close to the horizon as you return to your estate. It is not yet night, not technically, but still it's getting closer and closer to the time that everypony realizes is the end of the day.
Which makes your hoofsteps both quick and heavy as you make your way across the garden. Because you are supposed to leave your home once again tomorrow, and your time here just seems to be passing way too quickly.
Thankfully, those thoughts melt away as soon as you reach the front door, and the scent of your family reaches your nose.
However, much to your surprise, you also sense something… not strange, and not worrying, but unusual?
You don't really know how to describe it. It isn't even something weird. But still, it definitely feels "out of place" enough for you to raise an eyebrow.
Because you can feel that the fillies are in Silky's room, huddled around something. Probably playing a game or reading a book. Nothing out of the ordinary there.
But as you looked for Stormchaser and Softy, you realized they are… in Stormchaser's study room?
Again, there is nothing wrong with it, but you don't think you have ever seen Soft Sweeps approach your husband before. Not because they have anything against each other (although Softy always had a bit of fear of nobles, you know), but because since her sole job is to foalsit she always had more contact with you than him. In short, she never had the opportunity to warm up to him, you think. So, sensing that the two of them are in his study/hobby room is just… unusual?
Feeling curious, you enter your home and make a beeline towards them, going up the stairs on the main hall and making your way down the long corridor by the guest rooms.
"Stormy? Are you in there?" you ask innocently, knocking at the door as soon as you reach your husband's study.
And you swear that you heard them, as you were getting closer. In fact, you almost think they were discussing something in hushed whispers. Almost as if they were… nervous about something?
But whatever they were talking about dies down as soon as they hear your voice. And your suspicions become certainties when you hear a panicked set of hoofs all but running towards the door.
"Mrs. Velvet! Thank Celestia you are here," Soft Sweeps say, as she almost throws the door open to greet you.
She doesn't even give you time to react. In fact, the young mare barely looks behind you, to see if there is anypony else in the corridor, before she takes one of your forelegs and yanks you into the room.
And as she closes the door behind you, and you are greeted to the sight of both Stormchaser and Soft Sweeps wide-eyed and scared, you really don't have time to do anything but feel surprised and worried.
"Sweetheart, we-… The thing is that-… I-I mean, we don't know what the hay we did wrong but-"
"I-he-… is this a bad thing? I-is something going wrong? Should I go get the fillies o-or?!"
The two of them immediately begin to talk over each other. Hay, they even begin to talk over themselves, and the only thing you can understand is that something happened. Something happened, and they are at the same time startled and frightened.
You feel your heartrate quicken, several mental checklists running through your head as you take stock of the situation. Because two ponies you care about are pale and frightened, yes, and that is bad and you need to do something about it. But the calmer part of your mind also can't help but notice that they are unhurt. They are unhurt, and all your fillies are accounted for, and that… well, you can't even feel anything dangerous anywhere in the house.
So you can't really do anything about this until you-
"Stormy, Softy, I need you both to calm down and take a deep breath," you say, keeping your heartrate in check. Raising your hoofs as you try to placate the two ponies. "And I need you to explain to me what happened, but I need you to do it slowly."
You watch as Stormchaser calms down first, listening to you and immediately taking a long, calming breath. Softy takes a little longer to calm down, and even then you can see how she is still pacing in place every now and then.
But still, eventually, they begin to talk more cohesively. At least a little bit.
"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.
You, uh… well, you set aside what Softy just said for later. But still, you think you know what Stormchaser is talking about.
"You mean Comet Feet?" you ask.
"Yes! That one. He, uh, came by a few minutes ago. Maybe just half an hour before you arrived?"
You feel a small wave of relief as the two ponies in front of you nod. Because now everything makes more sense, even if just a little bit. If nothing else, Comet Feet is a known quantity, and you hope being in Fluttershy's good graces means he won't be a problem.
However, for all that the stallion is intimidating, you still don't understand why they are this scared.
"He knocked on the front door, Mrs. Velvet. It felt dangerous so I went to see who was knocking," Softy begins to say. But the young mare is clearly shook, so the words get stuck in her mouth every now and then. "B-but he… he gave me something a-and… s-so I went and gave it to Mr. Stormchaser because I didn't know what to do a-and…!"
"And he just left it here, Velvet," your husband continues, seeing that poor Soft Sweeps can't even manage to talk anymore. The terror in both of their voices quickly rising once again. "He just gave it to her, and then he left!"
Saying that, your husband beckons you to the far end of the study room, pointing towards an object that was carefully set on top of one of the larger tables.
"H-he said you will know what this means and… sweetheart, what the hay does this mean? I-Is, is this a threat? Is he… is he going to hurt us? Did something happen?!"
Your eyes follow in the direction that he is pointing, your thoughts beginning to race once again as you try to piece together what in the heavens is going on.
And when you finally spot the item they are talking about, you finally understand what happened. You immediately 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.
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.
More to follow. Six hours moratorium on Ponyville's vote. Another update will probably be posted while that vote is still open, but only because this already feels long enough for a single post.
Damn. Forgot you need to click the "open voting" button to get things going, and that you can't do it on "edit" after it's done.
Also, I forgot to add the colors to certain words. That's fixed now. There will also probably be more updates before the voting period closes, whenever that is, but don't worry about it.
[] 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.)
Huh. I... don't really know what to think of this actually. I guess more ponies not in Paranoia's range would be good, but at the same time I feel very ??? on the consequences of either of these.
Your eyes follow in the direction that he is pointing, your thoughts beginning to race once again as you try to piece together what in the heavens is going on.
And as you finally spot the item they are talking about, you 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.
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
Huh. I... don't really know what to think of this actually. I guess more ponies not in Paranoia's range would be good, but at the same time I feel very ??? on the consequences of either of these.
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.
And you will neither confirm nor deny that "everypony" also included Soft Sweeps, who has been eating together with you all, and Scootaloo. But you did make sure to tell your former-maid-slash-daughter to also have fun. She is a pegasus, after all, and she is going together with your husband and the fillies.
…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 do have to admit though, this argument over whether people would actually believe Velvet is actually unharmed or if they would drive themselves crazy wondering whether she's actually just hiding it has made me realize something.
We are the Master now. We are actually, legitimately, the Master. Nobody can believe that even the very obvious and actually true thing that is exactly what it looks like isn't some masterful trick, even despite that obvious thing being completely fucking bullshit.
the master, after all, was OBVIOUSLY the eldritch leader. We tricked our way into being possibly the second most powerful pony in the country, because remember, We have unlimited discretionary power and ONLY CELESTIA can punish us for what we do.
So the inner circle of the old cult, ESPECIALLY Windy and Copper, would see us as having planned it all from the very beginning.
I wouldnt' be surprised if Copper somehow thought we either planned the Master's disappearance, OR that this is part of the Master's plan (which, ironically, it MIGHT be. How would we know?!), or maybe that we knew they'd leave in advance or suspected it and prepared a plan B.
Why lead a cult when you can lead The Suppression Lunar Bureau?
Generally the idea is that going on expeditions is a hobby. Get some clean air, go on an adventure, have some bonding time with friends, not have to think about work for a while. Its not Bureau business Its personal.
Of couse if we have some Names and the appropriate influences on hoof there's the possibility of just bringing Shinning with us a witness. Just have Baldomare screw with his memory of the expedition via implanting memories of an alternate history. Then fake up the lie memory of an ancient artifact healing Velvet before falling to pieces with lots of Moth and Grail, like what we did to Ponpon that one time.
I'm talking about Mareinette healing Velvet and then Velvet using the evidence that Mareinette healed us along with our combined Grail score and our leash to convince Shinning to be healed straight away. Then we introduce Cadence to Mareinette.
The risk is variable but if its just Cadence I think it's possible. The bonuses of healing Velvet and healing Shinning along with mega Grail are very big. Enough so that Cadence probably won't try to kill her friend Velvet's new friend.
Neighnia is a Winter Name who usually exists as a picture in the Wake that you can find and—in canon CS—use for various things, including the Ghoul Victory Ascenscion. Here, at least, she was discovered by Copper Secatour relatively recently—as in, the last couple of turns I think?—who was given orders by the Master to start summoning her. It's just a much more complicated process than throwing up a quick ritual like the other Names we've met.
@Iustus Vitae ALso worth pointing out that we HAD a chance to find her ourselves and we gave it up. It was in the Nat-100 Secret History roll, when we had to decide which and how many of the possible histories happened at the same time.
We went for Lantern 6 book and a meeting with Forge-Velvet giving us 3 scraps of Forge.
[] Black Kettle, your uncle's good friend, has gifted you an antique tapestry after a delightful visit you paid him. (Gain book: "The Grail, Bleeding". GRAIL, level 6 Book. Codified, must be deciphered before being studied.)
[] Your uncle, in a display of wealth and guile that far surpasses your own, has kindly gifted you an immeasurably old book. (Gain book: "The Sun, Divided". LANTERN, level 6 Book. Codified, must be deciphered before being studied.)
[] You have met yourself, from another History, and you have learned many secrets of Forge. Gain three scraps of FORGE Lore. (This may be picked for free, in exchange of a FASCINATION malus)
[] You have met the ever delightful Miss Neighnia. And despite her being a motionless and inanimate painting, and nothing else, you very much wish to meet her again. (This may be picked for free, in exchange of a DREAD malus)
[] After a pleasant evening with Ponpon and a few of Cadance's guards, you have found the following books: GRAIL5 (120 bits), GRAIL4 (60 bits) SECRET HISTORIES3 (30 bits). (These books will be available for purchase like normal, and not buying them will cause them to be lost) (This may be picked for free, in exchange of a FASCINATION malus)
[] You have found the following books: SECRET HISTORIES 5 (120 bits), HEART4 (60 bits) WINTER3 (30 bits). (These books will be available for purchase like normal, and not buying them will cause them to be lost) (This may be picked for free, in exchange of a FASCINATION malus)
I think there was some arguing if taking Neighnia was worth the risk, and some hope that Fascination and Dread could be used against each other like in the game, but it was clarified by Bird that no, they would NOT negate each other, and we didn't feel like we could afford to deal with both Dread and Fascination at the same time.
Considering we're always putting out some fires somewhere, we were probably right, but I can't help but wonder...
The "End is Beautiful" here is different from the game because (I do remember what you are talking about) this doesn't operate in the "pull a random card and kill it" mechanic we had in CS.
Here, it is a targeted death ritual. So you pick a target, and if the Lantern roll succeeds the ritual eventually gets to them.
I will say that Velvet doesn't have any personal experience with using it, so she can't be sure of the particularities. But the one brush she had with it just now showed her the ritual can be... maybe "felt"? She could sense it was "getting closer", even if you can't really point a direction and tell "where it came from".
Still, this "getting closer" means she knew it was "coming her way". She wasn't sure if it was aimed at HER or at somepony CLOSE to her, but she could intercept it regardless.
Which is a way of saying that you don't know if it was aimed at you or your family, but you will be able to stop EiBs aimed at them regardless.
It's even easy to justify with conventional physics/geometry. Just have it move in a spiral pattern, slowly getting closer. You can't exactly guess where it started that way.
That said... Do we have an idea of how earlier than it striking its target can we feel it? Mostly because... let's say it's targeting our family and not us, and we're not with them.
Does it take days to get to them? Weeks? for how long it would be in our range before reaching us?
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?
[] 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.)
