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.
You don't know the half of it. In some Histories the Gods-from-Stone are still around diminished, but alive. In others the Grail and her compatriots threw them in an eldritch freezer to snack on at a later day.
In some SiS rises again but he isn't the grand Golden God-king but a Red Sun that knows no mercy but also isn't cruel. In others still he doesn't rise because one of the Solar Hours (I think it's Sun-in-Rags) got sealed away in a prison at the end of time, at the edge of the world as revenge from a resurrected Flint.
You don't know the half of it. In some Histories the Gods-from-Stone are still around diminished, but alive. In others the Grail and her compatriots threw them in an eldritch freezer to snack on at a later day.
In some SiS rises again but he isn't the grand Golden God-king but a Red Sun that knows no mercy but also isn't cruel. In others still he doesn't rise because one of the Solar Hours (I think it's Sun-in-Rags) got sealed away in a prison at the end of time, at the egregious of the world as revenge from a resurrected Flint.
You don't know the half of it. In some Histories the Gods-from-Stone are still around diminished, but alive. In others the Grail and her compatriots threw them in an eldritch freezer to snack on at a later day.
In some SiS rises again but he isn't the grand Golden God-king but a Red Sun that knows no mercy but also isn't cruel. In others still he doesn't rise because one of the Solar Hours (I think it's Sun-in-Rags) got sealed away in a prison at the end of time, at the egregious of the world as revenge from a resurrected Flint.
The text of the Great Counterfeit is about how the SiS and the Forge cannot be together, but Sunset Ceilia and the Swan King can. In the Lantern expression, that results in the Sun in Splendor reigning, with the contextual inference that this is because the Intercalcate never actually happened. So the Hours using mortal proxies as a way to avoid the Crime of the Sky is pretty explicit, and that can be crudely expressed as the SiS using a mortal as a condom.
The Swan King being the King of England... I can't exactly recall where I got that connection, there's something somewhere linking the Swan King to the ruler of a great empire that can be inferred to be England.
So a more accurate version of the joke could be "The Swan King is a condom"
I also need to make a meme with art relating to the Intercalcate and the text "Pegging Could Have Prevented This".
Part of the reason I tend to push back so hard on assumptions and mad speculation is because I'm well aware of those tendencies in myself.
Ahhh the Lantern victory, yes I can see how that and the Numen's text leads to that inferrence. Also irl it's a King of Bavaria that has that epitaph. I don't remember the in game ruler being referenced to by that title but then again I got the incident related to him once and ended that run two days later sooooooooooo.
The text of the Great Counterfeit is about how the SiS and the Forge cannot be together, but Sunset Ceilia and the Swan King can. In the Lantern expression, that results in the Sun in Splendor reigning, with the contextual inference that this is because the Intercalcate never actually happened. So the Hours using mortal proxies as a way to avoid the Crime of the Sky is pretty explicit, and that can be crudely expressed as the SiS using a mortal as a condom.
The Swan King wasn't the SiS's proxy though. He was the Forge's
Also, while iirc what the Swan King is is unspecified in game, Sunset Celia is a Name of the Watchman and was almost certainly a Maid-in-the-Mirror, or at least something like it, prior to that. So it's still not a 100% mortal mix.
"I will live" I suppose. But thank you kindly for asking.
Aye then. I don't see any specific pings for me. Or at least I don't see any pings that weren't answered one way or the other, so there are no other quotes for me to answer.
@Steady Gaze thank you kindly for pointing those out!
I just have a grammatical question, if you don't mind. I agree with the errors you pointed out, except for two. Is "wafting" and "flicking" grammatically wrong given the context? Because sure, I understand a phrase like "he watched as she ran around the room...", but is there anything wrong with "he watched, the girl still running around the room..."?
Still, just a small thing. Again, thank you for the corrections!
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.
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[X] Plan Nightmare's Revenge (Forma Social Awareness)
-[X] 3 personal actions
-[X] (Shopping) Purchase Edge 3 artifact
-[X] Deny it. (Will destroy a Wrong Key)
-[X] (Other) Give Stormchaser a Wrong Key to use while he's away, just in case.
-[X] (Servants) Work on the ground level of Jade's old house.
-[X] (Rarity) Focus on her work
-[X] (Fluttershy) Train
-[X] (Jade) Investigate Selene
-[X] (DoA) Knock Influence
-[X] (Mareinette) Grail lesson
-[X] (Selene) Edge
-[X] (AotL) Lantern: Edge Artifact
-[X] (Forge) Moth 3
-[X] (Knock) Explore beyond the Ruined Church
-[X] Study: Edge 3 artifact, Lantern 6 book
-[X] [COPPER] Perform The Path Through Nightmares aimed at this opponent
--[x] Sacrifice Moth 3 reagent
--[X] At Jade's House. (if this is somehow not available use the Rarity's House)
-[X] Fleeting Opportunity: Cadance
You are Lady Velvet Covers.
And right now, you are entertaining your guests.
Well, not guests. Guest. Singular. Because to your surprise, Fluttershy is the first to arrive.
Which means that, despite your best efforts to start a conversation, your tearoom is still rather quiet.
"Fancy seeing you this early, Fluttershy. I didn't expect anypony to arrive for another half-hour, maybe," you say.
Which is mostly true. You never really set a specific time for these little gatherings you host, apart from a vague "come by after lunch" that everypony seems to agree on. Still, Jade Whistle is usually the first to arrive, and the mare usually reaches your estate at around two in the afternoon.
Rarity, of course, makes a point of being "fashionably late" as she puts it.
But neither of those mares, you realize almost in an afterthought, have wings. Yes, it makes sense that Fluttershy's trip to your home is a lot quicker than theirs.
"Oh, am I early? I hope it's not a problem," the mare says, in her usual, slightly-low tone of voice. "Comet seemed to be excited to come, so I didn't want to keep him waiting."
You try not to raise an eyebrow at that, wondering how in Equestria Comet Feet could be excited about anything. Or rather, how the pegasus mare could possibly look at him and discern what is going on inside the stallion's head.
Because even though you haven't seen him today, and only felt him making his way to Stormchaser's hobby room, his presence is still sharp as ever. So you are sure that his expression is still as closed off and disgruntled as always.
Still, you nod at the mare's words.
And then, once again… the tearoom descends into silence.
Although you realize that this is not because of Fluttershy. Well, it is because of her, but you can't really say it is her fault. Not exactly.
The problem, you think, is yourself.
After all, as much as it pains you to admit it, you don't really know what to say. You don't really know what you can say.
There really is no sugarcoating it: you simply don't know Fluttershy well enough to know how to act around her. You almost don't know her at all.
Because here is the thing. Fluttershy… despite what her name might imply, you don't really think she is shy at all. Not in the usual sense, at least. She is not timid, or embarrassed, or overly conscious about how quiet she is. She is not like an immature foal, who doesn't know how to act around other ponies and instead hides away in fear.
You thought she was all of those things, at first. You thought she was a victim of some limitation, or maybe a trauma that she carried on her back.
However, the more you interacted with her, the more you realized that… well, maybe she has some problems, but she isn't exactly being dragged down by them. No.
You have already seen her be intense. You have already seen her angry. And most of all, you have already seen the determination she can muster when she truly wants something.
So, you can tell that she is not shy. Instead, she is reserved. Fluttershy, you realize, is a mare who knows, understands, and accepts what she likes and dislikes. And the few times you have seen her engaged and talkative, it was when the subject involved something that she was truly interested in.
Fluttershy, you can tell, is a mare who knows what she wants. And who simply does not give any of her time to the things she dislikes.
Even if those things are...
"Ponies are… ponies are mean… they are mean, and loud, and they don't respect you, and they… they don't care about you, and…!"
"… and they don't care about you. So I don't care about them! That's not what I do. I care about animals, and they care about me, and that has been more than enough for me my whole life!"
...even if those things are other ponies, you think. As you remember what she said, on the one time you ever heard her raise her voice.
However, none of that changes the fact that you still don't know her. Or at least you don't know her enough. You might know about her. You might have already seen what she is capable of, and have an educated guess of how she thinks. But still, you just don't feel… what is the word for it? Personal? Familiar? Intimate?
Because you know she loves her animals, for example. But is it because she is fascinated by them like a scholar? Is it pure empathy? Is it something else?
You also know she loves Comet Feet, or at least you think you she does. But is the feeling romantic? Or does she love him like a brother, perhaps due to something in her past? Does she bring him here because she genuinely thinks Comet wants to talk to your husband, or does she think of these visits like taking her dog for a walk?
Would she laugh if you made a joke about it? Would she become flustered? Would she grow angry and leave? Or would she just talk about her... private affairs as if it was something natural?
And most importantly, what does she think about you? You think she is thankful, for when you took her to Comet Feet, but she never thanked you with words. And yet, Rarity told you that the pegasus coming here to visit you was something she didn't think was possible, claiming that Fluttershy was as good as a hermit most of the time.
So…
"Is something on your mind, Velvet?" Fluttershy asks.
And you are legitimately surprised when you hear the mare's voice.
Because on one hoof, her question opens a floodgate of concerns inside your mind. After all, why is she asking this? Did you do something wrong? Are you somehow messing this up? You don't know her at all, so is this a test? Is she trying to manipulate you? A rush of increasingly concerned thoughts run behind your eyes, as the one mare who seems to have sway over the Enforcer asks you a question that could mean a thousand things all at once.
But on the other hoof, as you look into Fluttershy's eyes, you can also tell that…
That her question is sincere. That she genuinely cares. And not because she is uncomfortable with the silence, or because she feels hesitant around you or anything. No.
She is asking you because she thinks you are her friend, and she can tell that there is something on your mind.
And as you look at her disarmingly kind expression, the only thing you can really think of is…
"… actually, there is," you say, letting out a sigh. To which the mare answers by giving you a small nod, telling you to go on. "It's just that a lot has been going on, Fluttershy."
You say that, and the mare's caring expression actually turns into one of concern.
But not the harsh type of concern. Not the judging, creased-brow expression of a pony who thinks you have failed. Not the urgent and tense face a pony would have as they tried to understand what went wrong. None of that.
Instead, her eyes have nothing but the honest concern of a pony who hopes you are doing alright.
"Would you like to talk about it?" she asks, almost hesitantly. And you can hear a small conflict in her voice. However, you can only tell that her conflict comes from the fact that she wants to help you, at the same time she doesn't want to intrude if she is not welcome to.
And there is something that is just so sincere about her question, that before you realize it-
"Actually, I would."
-you have already answered.
Fluttershy gives you a small nod, and you just begin to talk. She doesn't have an ear for Ponyville's gossip, so you begin to tell her about everything that has been happening. Almost venting to her. The last time you saw Fluttershy was, quite literally, almost a full month ago, and you don't talk to her nearly as much as you do Jade and Rarity. So, you fill her in on the details she probably missed, you tell her about your first month at the Bureau, and your concerns, and all the little things you wish had gone differently.
And she patiently listens. She doesn't try to cheer you up, like Rarity would. She doesn't give you a worryingly logical (and maybe sad) insight like Jade would. Instead, she just listens.
And by the time Jade arrives, you honestly feel a little better.
You feel a little better, about the things you told Fluttershy, but also about the things you thought of Fluttershy before you started talking.
Because sure, you might not know much about her… you might not understand her very well. But ponies aren't like machines, or books, that need to be understood for you to be able to like them. And more importantly, you at least know about the parts of her that really matter. Those deeper, more personal parts that she purposefully hides from almost everypony else. After all, she invited you into her house already, and she let you see that other side of her, and you know that matters.
And the rest… the rest you can learn about her in time. As you would with any other friend.
You have a small smile on your face, when Jade finally arrives and sits next to Fluttershy on the place you have been calling the Quiet Couch. And you have all but forgotten about your concerns when Rarity strides into the tearoom shortly after.
"Alright everypony, thank you all for coming," you say, as Rarity greets everypony and sits down next to you. "Our first order of business today is… well, you all know by now that my younger brother has moved into the estate, right? Well, Ponpon told me, after the very first week he arrived here nonetheless... that he seems to have the hots for Velvet Axe."
Your first declaration is met with a pleasantly diverse array of reactions.
And with that, you begin yet another afternoon with your friends.
- - -
It was a pleasant day, all things considered.
You gossiped and chatted with your friends, and caught up with how everypony is doing. You all shared your concerns and troubles, giving each other advice where it was warranted and commiserating when nothing else could be done. And all in all you had a good time.
Rarity spoke at length about how the coming change of seasons will affect her work, and how she has her hoofs full planning her next set of designs. Her work focusing on a mixture of making something that might uplift a pony's mood, given everything that has happened, while also remaining discreet and respectful.
Jade talked a little about how she has been reading and researching, and also about how she has been seeing several new faces in town. She also talked about how the Wildhoof Club burning down shocked everypony, particularly one of her musician roommates who used to work there at night.
And Fluttershy talked about… well, she didn't talk about it as much as she had the information coaxed out of her by a much-braver-than-you Rarity. Still, she said a few things about how her routine has changed now that she is living with somepony.
Although, even the few words she said was enough to confirm several of the suspicions you and Rarity had been whispering to each other these last few weeks. (*Cough-cough*) not that either of you let it show on your faces, of course. Oh no, you and Rarity are refined ladies after all.
And of course, you all talked about the Mansus. Or rather, you talked about the Mansus. Giving Rarity a few frustratingly vague tips on how to traverse the Woods, which she still has not succeeded in crossing. Discussing some points of Jade's research that she wanted to talk about. And even answering some of Fluttershy's questions about Edge, or at least clarifying some of the things that she realized Comet was doing and that she noticed, even if the stallion didn't realize it.
In fact, you even gave Fluttershy some of your manuscripts, after she showed interest in learning a little more. She hasn't had the Dream yet, but you don't see a problem in giving her an encouraging push in that direction.
At least Comet hasn't given you any signs that he doesn't approve of it… right?
The memory of a noose being "delivered" to your house flashes through your mind, but you quickly push it away.
Still, pleasant day aside, you have work to do. And rather unusually, you also have a free evening ahead of you to get it done.
Stormchaser is drunk, following Comet's visit. Your younger daughters are away at a friend's house, and your older daughter is doing… something. You are not sure what, but you are sure it is fine.
Which means that you have both the time and the means to finish a task that you have been putting off for far too long.
[No roll required to read a deciphered book]
[Rolling to resist FASCINATION…]
[Success]
You keep the old and large tome inside a locked cabinet. And even though you know the simple lock would not be able to deter a thief, it at least keeps the unusually thick book away from prying eyes. After all, the tome would stick out like a sore hoof if you were to display it next to its more modern exemplars.
And now that you have it in your hoofs, you are also reminded that the thing probably wouldn't fit on the regular bookshelves either.
Still, it is finally time for you to… read this. Or at least for you to do the closest thing you can to reading it.
The old tome is full of stray papers, written in your own hoofwriting. Dozens of notes that jut out from in between the closed pages, making the book slightly thicker than it already is. Each of those notes an attempted translation, or a comment, or even a stray idea that came to you as you tried to decipher the damn thing.
However, despite all the effort you went through to write those notes, you don't bother to pick them up. You don't parse through your notes, one by one, as you try to piece together the great puzzle that is this ancient book. You don't use them as guideposts to remember what insights you gleamed all those months ago, when you pored your efforts into translating this tome.
In fact, you won't even read your notes.
Not with your eyes, at least.
Instead, you take out one of your plain metal horseshoes, and you place a hoof over the book's ancient cover.
And you allow the knowledge to flow into you.
It is not easy. In fact, most of it doesn't even make sense. But as the seconds go by, you finally understand enough to form a picture in your mind. Because if this unknown, dead language that you are trying to read is like a path made of sharp spikes, then your notes are like planks of wood on which you can walk without being hurt. It is unsteady footing, and the experience is almost dangerous, but you can still make it.
In fact, even the position of your notes is important, as well as intentional. And as the message of the old tome becomes more convoluted and confusing, your sparse notes placed next to the more cryptic passages act like oases and safe havens on which you can rest and put your mind in order.
You are almost surprised when the stream of knowledge suddenly ends, and you realize you have finished reading the book.
But more than that, you are shocked when you put think back at what you just read, and notice that you actually understood it.
… when the Sun was divided, the world became less. The sky lost its colors. And the stars stopped moving. And the paints wept as they lost their luster. But the mirrors, those touched by true light, remembered. And those old reflections of the times before were as coveted as they were hunted. The trade of mirror-keeping, oft shunned, finally rose into prominence, lest those lights be lost…
Velvet Covers has gained one scrap of LANTERN Lore. Velvet Covers' LANTERN is now Level 4.
Velvet Covers has gained the trait "Mirror Keeping Techniques".
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[Rolling for Edge Artifact study…]
[Success]
Later in the night, after all the servants have gone to bed and your husband is sleeping his wine away, you sneak out of the main building.
But not because you don't want to be seen. Instead, you are doing things at this hour because you don't want to be disturbed.
After all, you understand that the workshops the servants use during the day, to perform the countless small repairs for the estate's maintenance, is a busy place. And you would not like to disturb the craftsponies with your presence.
Still, you need a particular piece of equipment for what you are going to do next.
The small piece of metal you are carrying with you was almost prohibitively expensive for its size. Barely enough to be melted down into a few nails, and definitely not enough to be shaped into a tool. However, you are more than satisfied by the fact that, true to the merchant's words, the thing is the real deal.
Astrology is a… curious science. After all, you know the stars are real, but you also know that the alicorns can shape the night sky at their whims. Or at least Princess Celestia can, and Princess Luna was long reputed to being able to do so.
The moon and the sun, also, are there for all to see.
But what exactly does it mean when a pony sees a shooting star? Where do the comets that cross the sky, in decades-long intervals, come from?
And what does it mean when a meteor falls down to the ground?
You do not know the answer to those questions. Perhaps nopony does.
However, the small piece of metal you have with you undoubtedly originates from the night sky. It cut through the dome of your world's heavens, perhaps even invaded your planet in a sense, and was in turn cut back by the forces that tried to bar its entry.
It is, you know, nothing but a small clump of metal… and yet it is also so much more.
A piece of meteoric iron, perhaps worth little more than a lump of mundane metal at the hoofs of a blacksmith.
A fragment of the outside, whetted by the fierce barrier that divides Equestria from everything else.
You wish you had enough of it to make a knife out of it, but that would probably be too on the nose. You would have shaped it into an earring, or a chain in your necklace, if you were as adept with metalworking as you are with fluids and alchemy, but you are not.
Still, you have an idea of what to do with this.
Velvet Covers has gained one scrap of EDGE Lore. Velvet Covers' EDGE is now Level 4.
Your Edge Artifact has been successfully purchased and studied. 250 bits have been deduced from your coffers for its purchase.
Velvet's knowledge of her own Sacrament requirements, for both Lantern and Edge, has increased.
Additionally, throughout the month, Fluttershy will read a few pieces you have borrowed her. Fluttershy's WINTER is now Level 1. You have not been able to piece together what other affinity she has, if she even has a secondary affinity at all.
-Mirror Keeping Techniques: "Thrice clockwise, then across, till the sheen evaporates. Lay it flat on the ground, then..." (All rituals involving Lantern cost -5 bits, already applied)
Bird's presumably known what this particular book would give us long before BoH was released though (and iirc, still is yet to play it), so it is still a surprise.
Actions of your own: "Books, much like any physical object, are immutable. Or rather, they cannot change themselves, and must be changed by an outside force such as a pony. And their immutability is what makes them so easy for your hoofs to understand. But can you apply your talents to mutable things? Do these flashes and sensations you feel every time you... touch a pony, can they possibly mean something?"
-Pick a Prisoner, or a character you have a "Minion-level" relationship with, and perform an action dedicated to "The Conversation".
-In order to succeed, "The Conversation" will require a Lantern Knowledge test of CD 100 (does not apply any other status, other than Lantern 4 (+40) and any Lantern Influence you have).
-Regardless of success or failure, "The Conversation" will destroy your prisoner of Minion without leaving a body. (But you only need to succeed once)
-You must reach 4/4 scraps of Lantern before taking this action.
I see Velvet's personal Lantern sacrament is going the way of the Watchman's Marks. I assume a Mansus-spirit Minion does not suffice for this? It has to be an actual pony/contact?
LANTERN
Actions of your own: "Books, much like any physical object, are immutable. Or rather, they cannot change themselves, and must be changed by an outside force such as a pony. And their immutability is what makes them so easy for your hoofs to understand. But can you apply your talents to mutable things? Do these flashes and sensations you feel every time you... touch a pony, can they possibly mean something?"
-Pick a Prisoner, or a character you have a "Minion-level" relationship with, and perform an action dedicated to "The Conversation".
-In order to succeed, "The Conversation" will require a Lantern Knowledge test of CD 100 (does not apply any other status, other than Lantern 4 (+40) and any Lantern Influence you have).
-Regardless of success or failure, "The Conversation" will destroy your prisoner of Minion without leaving a body. (But you only need to succeed once)
-You must reach 4/4 scraps of Lantern before taking this action.
-Known "worthy opponents": Princess Celestia, Princess Cadance, Mareinette, Comet Feet.
-WARNING: By definition, Velvet Covers is now also a "worthy opponent".
EDGE Level 3 (STUDIED)
"A piece of metal, whetted by the heavens themselves. Pulverized into thick dust. Kept around the neck, in a fur-colored pouch."
Appraised cost: 200 bits.
Special properties: If a character carrying this artifact fails an "Escape" attempt during combat by a difference of 50 or less, destroy this artifact and automatically succeed at escaping.
A little disappointed the EDGE artefact won't actually help us (or our summons) in winning in combat, but I suppose it's fitting for Velvet.
Lantern Sacrament doesn't seem too difficult, at least compared to some of the others... Wonder if we could trust Mareinette to capture Copper and not just eat her.
The lantern sacrament seems doable, one action to get a prisoner from a the cult perhaps? And one to do it, I think that hard part will be getting all the scraps of lantern. Us being a worth opponent is concerning, especially because we are either not willing or not capable of killing any of the people in that list. The edge artifact only helps with escape, not attacking. I do wonder if we could try finding more meteoric iron to make a bigger artifact, but that sounds very expensive.
The skill will save us some money over time, it is nice but nothing to write home about.
Well, on the one hand Lantern Sacrament is a murder. Which, uh… really kind of sucks unless we can abuse summons for it. On the other hand, we're running a secret police dedicated to hunting down some of the most fucked up people around, so it probably won't be hard at all to find an acceptable target.
And while the Mirror Keeping doesn't seem all that useful, a good chunk of our known rituals do use Lantern, so. Especially next turn when we were thinking of doing so many. 15 more bits might make a big difference.
EDGE Level 3 (STUDIED)
"A piece of metal, whetted by the heavens themselves. Pulverized into thick dust. Kept around the neck, in a fur-colored pouch."
Appraised cost: 200 bits.
Special properties: If a character carrying this artifact fails an "Escape" attempt during combat by a difference of 50 or less, destroy this artifact and automatically succeed at escaping.
Well, on the one hand Lantern Sacrament is a murder. Which, uh… really kind of sucks unless we can abuse summons for it. On the other hand, we're running a secret police dedicated to hunting down some of the most fucked up people around, so it probably won't be hard at all to find an acceptable target.
And while the Mirror Keeping doesn't seem all that useful, a good chunk of our known rituals do use Lantern, so. Especially next turn when we were thinking of doing so many. 15 more bits might make a big difference.
Tbf, there's also whatever Baldomare's sacrament option is. Might involve murder still, might not.
But anyway, -5 bits per Lantern ritual could add up over time, especially with how we're going to need to focus more on doing expeditions. Which means RotTs, either in scouting or locating sites. It's like one of those store punch cards, get one free RotT after six visits to Lantern R Us
Remember this book would probably have been enough to keep Baldomare around forever, so it is a small gain for the cost. Even if it is one we had to pay.
"Oh, am I early? I hope it's not a problem," the mare says, in her usual, slightly-low tone of voice. "Comet seemed to be excited to come, so I didn't want to keep him waiting."
Fluttershy, you can tell, is a mare who knows what she wants. And who simply does not give any of her time to the things she dislikes.
Even if those things are...
"Ponies are… ponies are mean… they are mean, and loud, and they don't respect you, and they… they don't care about you, and…!"
"… and they don't care about you. So I don't care about them! That's not what I do. I care about animals, and they care about me, and that has been more than enough for me my whole life!"
You also know she loves Comet Feet, or at least you think you she does. But is the feeling romantic? Or does she love him like a brother, perhaps due to something in her past?
Would she laugh if you made a joke about it? Would she become flustered? Would she grow angry and leave? Or would she just talk about her... private affairs as if it was something natural?
"Alright everypony, thank you all for coming," you say, as Rarity greets everypony and sits down next to you. "Our first order of business today is… well, you all know by now that my younger brother has moved into the estate, right? Well, Ponpon told me, after the very first week he arrived here nonetheless... that he seems to have the hots for Velvet Axe."
Your first declaration is met with a pleasantly diverse array of reactions.
Rarity spoke at length about how the coming change of seasons will affect her work, and how she has her hoofs full planning her next set of designs. Her work focusing on a mixture of making something that might uplift a pony's mood, given everything that has happened, while also remaining discreet and respectful.
Although, even the few words she said was enough to confirm several of the suspicions you and Rarity had been whispering to each other these last few weeks. (*Cough-cough*) not that either of you let it show on your faces, of course. Oh no, you and Rarity are refined ladies after all.
In fact, you even gave Fluttershy some of your manuscripts, after she showed interest in learning a little more. She hasn't had the Dream yet, but you don't see a problem in giving her an encouraging push in that direction.
… when the Sun was divided, the world became less. The sky lost its luster. And the stars stopped moving. And the paints wept as they lost their luster. But the mirrors, those touched by true light, remembered. And those old reflections of the times before were as coveted as they were hunted. The trade of mirror-keeping, oft shunned, finally rose into prominence, lest those lights be lost…
Velvet Covers has gained one scrap of LANTERN Lore. Velvet Covers' LANTERN is now Level 4.
Velvet Covers has gained the trait "Mirror Keeping Techniques".
-Mirror Keeping Techniques: "Thrice clockwise, then across, till the sheen evaporates. Lay it flat on the ground, then..." (All rituals involving Lantern cost -5 bits, already applied)
...ok, nothing exceptional, but it all adds up. It will help us with using Tapestry more often at least.
oh, actually it also applies to Baldomare and the Mare-in-the-light, so in the short term we should save a good 20 bits (Baldomare, Tapestry for Frangiclave, potentially the Mare).
EDGE Level 3 (STUDIED)
"A piece of metal, whetted by the heavens themselves. Pulverized into thick dust. Kept around the neck, in a fur-colored pouch."
Appraised cost: 200 bits.
Special properties: If a character carrying this artifact fails an "Escape" attempt during combat by a difference of 50 or less, destroy this artifact and automatically succeed at escaping.
-Level 4: Knowledge is light. Its source cannot help but shine, and everything it touches cannot help but distort it. You may only trust mirrors to properly carry it. (Further +5 when attempting to learn the secrets that are within an object. Gains a single re-roll for Lantern per month/turn, to be used on the result that would benefit Velvet Covers the most.)
-Level 4: Decisiveness is crucial. Even the sharpest blade will only cut as deep as you push it into a body, and a blade that is pulled backwards only risks cutting yourself. Once you make a commitment, the only direction you can go is forward. (Further +5 to Personal Combat. One re-roll every six combat rolls during a fight.)
LANTERN
Actions of your own: "Books, much like any physical object, are immutable. Or rather, they cannot change themselves, and must be changed by an outside force such as a pony. And their immutability is what makes them so easy for your hoofs to understand. But can you apply your talents to mutable things? Do these flashes and sensations you feel every time you... touch a pony, can they possibly mean something?"
-Pick a Prisoner, or a character you have a "Minion-level" relationship with, and perform an action dedicated to "The Conversation".
-In order to succeed, "The Conversation" will require a Lantern Knowledge test of CD 100 (does not apply any other status, other than Lantern 4 (+40) and any Lantern Influence you have).
-Regardless of success or failure, "The Conversation" will destroy your prisoner of Minion without leaving a body. (But you only need to succeed once)
-You must reach 4/4 scraps of Lantern before taking this action.
EDGE
Actions of your own: "There is only one way a pony, anypony, may proceed further without an invitation from above. He must reach higher by slaying a worthy foe. That is the truth of Edge, which applies to all ponies. Since Issus they have striven so."
-You must reach at least 3/4 scraps of Edge before taking this action.
-You must kill a "worthy opponent" in battle.
-Velvet Covers will recognize a worthy opponent when she sees one, provided she is Level 4 in Edge.
-Known "worthy opponents": Princess Celestia, Princess Cadance, Mareinette, Comet Feet.
-WARNING: By definition, Velvet Covers is now also a "worthy opponent".
I see Velvet's personal Lantern sacrament is going the way of the Watchman's Marks. I assume a Mansus-spirit Minion does not suffice for this? It has to be an actual pony/contact?
Lantern Sacrament doesn't seem too difficult, at least compared to some of the others... Wonder if we could trust Mareinette to capture Copper and not just eat her.
Well, on the one hand Lantern Sacrament is a murder. Which, uh… really kind of sucks unless we can abuse summons for it. On the other hand, we're running a secret police dedicated to hunting down some of the most fucked up people around, so it probably won't be hard at all to find an acceptable target.
And while the Mirror Keeping doesn't seem all that useful, a good chunk of our known rituals do use Lantern, so. Especially next turn when we were thinking of doing so many. 15 more bits might make a big difference.
if we can somehow justify the "disappearance" of a prisoner sentenced to death we might even manage there.
...actually, it's not that hard if we're willing. We visit a prisoner sentenced to die in private, we use it on them, then we pretend they had disappeared before we reached them.
What are they gonna do, accuse us of magically making him disappear!
It would likely bring chaos and fear of the "where did they go" kind though.
I want to point out that we have a perfectly acceptable target for ritual murder in our father, we just need to set Marinette on him to lure him someplace we can deal with the clean up easily.
