Esquestria: The House of the Sun - A pony cultist experience

Voted best in category in the Users' Choice awards.
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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!

Kaelor said:
PSA for whoever needs to hear it:

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.
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(Quote slightly edited to avoid spoilers)
 
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Bird one of the plan ideas was to send AX to do the Canterlot expedition part 2, and have her drop off stuff that point to the existence of the lores, would doing that be viable or would that count as 2 actions.
 
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Ericwinter said:
Sure, if you want her to not do the Selene examination that we've been explicitly told is pretty damn important.

Also I'm pretty sure Bird said at one point that we can't scry an expedition and do it on the same turn.
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Ah, well my mistake honestly.

Greymere said:
He did, yeah. It's part of why we had to buy the Edge artifact instead of scrying one + sending the DoA after it.
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Honestly I completely messed up about that.

And... I pushed a bit last turn I believe but I regret things turning out this way. It was nice to see the DOA at least. <.<

Bakkasama said:
summon won't be extended just because we give her time off,
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Also uh- about this.

I think it probably would?

I suspect giving the Baldomare time off and 100 bits would have resulted in her coming back with a level 5 book... enough to keep her summoned.

I suspect that "letting summons do as they wish" is related to getting them to stick around by befriending them.

But well that's just another kooky theory of mine :V
 
zxzx24 said:
Ah, well my mistake honestly.


Honestly I completely messed up about that.

And... I pushed a bit last turn I believe but I regret things turning out this way. It was nice to see the DOA at least. <.<


Also uh- about this.

I think it probably would?

I suspect giving the Baldomare time off and 100 bits would have resulted in her coming back with a level 5 book... enough to keep her summoned.

I suspect that "letting summons do as they wish" is related to getting them to stick around by befriending them.

But well that's just another kooky theory of mine :V
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The problem is we don't know where the frangiclave is and don't have an easy way to figure it out right now. We basically have to let axe lapse. This is okay, it's only a single turn and we do have this planned for.

What we are planning is the moment we resummon her we're going to go on the frangiclave expedition (or she is with appropriate support).
 
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And to expand on my earlier - we probably shouldn't do this - idea, we could have DoA 'interview' with the lunar bureau as an infiltration specialist (she is). The bureau is paying for the tickets so… :D

I doubt bird would let us actually defray expedition costs this way though.

I did the math, we can afford the 70 bits for the expedition straight out, so that may be the way to go if we decide against summoning a MitL this turn.
 
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Byzantine said:
And to expand on my earlier - we probably shouldn't do this - idea, we could have DoA 'interview' with the lunar bureau as an infiltration specialist (she is). The bureau is paying for the tickets so… :D

I doubt bird would let us actually defray expedition costs this way though.
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If Velvet Pride gets Grailed hard enough, could get him to pay for it as a romantic getaway, just the two of them.

He'd probably die though, which would be bad.
 
I've been thinking about which branches of the Tree of Wisdom Velvet might have affinity for.

Skolekosophy - Grail/Knock/Winter, study of forbidden things. Worms and the Wolf both feature heavily. Of the Skolekosophy skills, I'd say Velvet would have levels of Ragged Crossroads, Solutions & Separations, and Wolf Stories. Strong overall affinity.

Birdsong - Heart/Moth, music, riddles, miscellania, gossip. Only skill I see her having from Birdsong would be Wolf Stories, and that's probably committed to Skolekosophy. I'd say fairly low affinity.

The Bosk - Grail/Heart/Moth/Nectar, deals with the Primeval Wood. Skills might include Desires & Dissolutions, maybe. Fluttershy probably has Bosk affinity, Velvet not so much.

Preservation - Grail/Heart, healing and restoration. Ultimately the goal of the quest. Can't see any skills that suit Velvet. Low affinity.

Horomachistry - Forge/Edge/Moon, deals with the politics of the Hours. Skills might include Desires & Dissolutions, Door & Wall. Fairly low affinity.

Ithastry - Forge/Knock/Winter, Alchemy, metallurgy, pyrotechnics. Honestly, this is just The Forge of Days as a Wisdom. There are actually several skills that fall under Velvet's ability to create reagents, but I'd say Transformations & Liberations represents her best, withe Solutions & Separations going to Skolekosophy. On the lower end of affinities.

Illumination - Forge/Lantern, purification of self and surroundings. Velvet might assign Ragged Crossroads to this instead of Skolekosophy, its hard to say. Very low affinity.

Hushery - Winter/Edge/Lantern, understanding the beauty of silence and its sundering. Windy Flakes, the Wisdom. Seriously, committing Sights & Sensations to Hushery reveals "The artist knows: their every work could be improved. The artist understands: perfect work can never be completed. Perfection exists only as absence: Hushery understands this." Fairly low affinity for Velvet.

Nyctodromy - Knock/Lantern, traveling the transmundane, 'Travelling at night is neither faster nor safer. That's why we do it.' Velvet might know something of Path & Pilgrim, maaaaaybe Auroral Contemplations, possibly Watchman's Paradox. Strong affinity in my estimation.


So we have Velvet, student of the hidden ways and hidden dangers of the world unseen.
 
zxzx24 said:
I am willing to bet we DO have a way to do that-

But without corroborating evidence beyond a hunch I don't expect to convince people -w-
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You… do remember that DoA has been going out on expeditions of her own regularly even when we don't give her a rest option? Like, I very distinctly remember Bird making it a point that just being in the Wake gives her the time and freedom to look on her own.
 
@Ericwinter remember what we asked her to do this turn and how much free time it gave her.

Still we will see if it shows up in her options again. Bird has also been clear multiple times that he does not give "trap" options.
 
zxzx24 said:
Still we will see if it shows up in her options again. Bird has also been clear multiple times that he does not give "trap" options.
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Didn't that mean he does not give options that are worse than they sound? I don't think that precludes options from being as not-good as they sound, and it almost definitely doesn't mean every offered option is good in some way.
 
zxzx24 said:
@Ericwinter remember what we asked her to do this turn and how much free time it gave her.

Still we will see if it shows up in her options again. Bird has also been clear multiple times that he does not give "trap" options.
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I'm… not sure what you mean by the first part. But as to the second, uh…
BirdBodhisattva said:
-[] [AXE] Accompany you, and lend her hoof. (Pick TWO of Velvet's personal actions for her to aid you in)
-[] [AXE] Act as your emissary. (Pick an action from Velvet's list.)
-[] [AXE] Lead an Expedition. (Select her as the leader of an Expedition in which you will not take part, plan the other details of the expedition accordingly. You will still have to fund the Expedition yourself)
-[] [AXE] Ask for a Lesson of Knock. (Grants you one scrap of Knock Lore)
-[] [AXE] Channel an Influence. (During this turn, instead of the usual two months, she will gift you the highest order of Influence of Knock]
-[] [AXE] Craft Wrong Keys. (She will give you three Wrong Keys, which will expire five turns after their creation, starting this turn. May only be picked ONCE per summoning)
-[] [AXE] Something else (WRITE IN a suggested action)
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These are her turn 16 options. There isn't a rest option Zx. Unless you mean to write-in "fuck off and do nothing." Names are meant to be used, man.
 
Ericwinter said:
These are her turn 16 options. There isn't a rest option Zx. Unless you mean to write-in "fuck off and do nothing." Names are meant to be used, man.
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...I must be losing my mind what the heck <.<

I do know that the Baldomare had-
BirdBodhisattva said:
-[] "Go have fun". (Give an amount of bits to Baldomare, and she will return with something interesting. She won't bother to do it unless you give her at least 100 bits. You may suggest her what you want, but she will most likely not listen to you.)
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Man I really must be out of it.
 
zxzx24 said:
...I must be losing my mind what the heck <.<

I do know that the Baldomare had-

Man I really must be out of it.
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The Lantern Name can go find what she wants when she wants. How surprising. :D

But seriously, Baldomare would just cheat to find what she was looking for, and had no real motivation beyond simple interest. If Axe could do that she already would have, because she would likely give up much of anything to be free.
 
Ericwinter said:
Names have special options sometimes, but that's not always a "go have fun" type option. That is basically Baldomare's equivalent of sending Marinette on social actions. Or DoA's keys.
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I think this is actually the second time you had to clarify this exact thing to me as well. Hm.

Byzantine said:
The Lantern Name can go find what she wants when she wants. How surprising. :D

But seriously, Baldomare would just cheat to find what she was looking for, and had no real motivation beyond simple interest. If Axe could do that she already would have, because she would likely give up much of anything to be free.
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And fair and more than fair.

Edit: I would like to do something for the DOA though.

Not that it is an easy ask.
 
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Speaking of Baldomare. Anyone have ideas for how to optimize her summoning. On the slim chance it is opposed by someone who can muster up enough lantern to do so?

Byzantine said:
The problem is there is only one thing she has any interest in, and we have that penciled in for next turn due to wanting Baldomare for optimal chance.
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What if we give her Velvet Pride :whistle:
 
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zxzx24 said:
Speaking of Baldomare. Anyone have ideas for how to optimize her summoning. On the slim chance it is opposed by someone who can muster up enough lantern to do so?
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MitL sacrifice instead of a Lantern reagent is the extent that we can optimize for, I think. We don't really have any larger sources of Knock or SH besides reagents.
 
I... would honestly probably prefer to keep a mare in light around. If we are going to summon one.

And that is unfortunate.

We will see if we end up with a spare Mansus action perhaps.
 
I mean, since DoA is going to be passing we could use her as a sacrifice for a Mare. Though that does mean we're sacrificing one of the social actions.
 
She would make the knock and edge part pretty much an auto-pass.

Lantern roll isn't exactly difficult but- Far from certain.

I would be up for that?

Mare's in light can socialize right?
 
Velvet's Elements of the Soul

Health - Heart/Scale/Nectar, the dwelling place of the soul. Ha, no. 1-2 cards max, none upgraded, 1 afflicted.
Chor - Heart/Grail, Exhuberance, instinct, rhythm. Fairly low, 1-2 cards, none upgraded. Pinkie Pie somehow has 2 at ++++ and far too many basic.
Shapt - Knock/Forge, Socialization, eloquence, the door that opens both ways. High, possibly one at ++ with a few basic.
Fet - Rose/Moth, the part that dreams. Strongest, Rose being very close to SH. Possibly even one at +++.
Ereb - Grail/Edge, Pride, compassion, hatred, fear. High, one afflicted. Copper Secuter probably has high Ereb.
Trist - Moth/Moon, Curiosity, the urge to change. Medium-high. At least one at +.
Mettle - Forge/Edge, Willpower, self discipline, the part of us that makes the right decision, unique in that it has no afflicted form. Medium-low. This is the hard man making hard decisions soul element. Comet Feet is probably primarily Mettle with some strong Ereb.
Phost - Lantern/Sky, perception, inspiration. Medium. Velvet's insights into the world cleave more to Fet/Trist than Phost. Twilight and Jade Lantern are Phost heads.
Wist - Winter/Lantern, memory. Medium-high.
 
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