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.
[X] Friendly Neighborhood Librarymare
-[X] On what must be done (finding a way to reach Princess Luna)
--[X] The Dreamlands, the realm of pony dreams, is not a part of the Mansus, and yet you can see it from the Woods, far in the horizon. Search if there is a path that leads there.
-[X] On furthering the cause
--[X] There are books that could be of use. You should start looking for them. (Will involve random expenditure of bits). All sub-choices are not suspicious.
---[X] In Ponyville, and its… great assortments of libraries? (no extra cost)
--[X] Although you are personally judicious about such habits, you are still a noble. Searching for "peculiar items" to "add to your collection" is certainly not out of place... right? Suspicion depends on how strange the item scouted is.
---[X] [Ask your servants to carry out this task.]
-[X] Your personal life, or at least the non cult-y part
--[X] Of course you love your family very much, but you could always spend a bit more time with them.
--[X] Go into town and try to meet somepony interesting, there are at least six very interesting ones who just exorcised a demigoddess.
Aight. Edits are mostly done (i suppose, from what i see) in a silent manner in order to take out typos and whatnots. But i feel that this one needs to be adressed.
Edit to "Your family might not hail from a powerful lineage, but they go to lengths to compensate in everything else..."
Just want to make sure everyone knows your family has comparatively little "blue" in its blue blood. You are undeniably nobles, but "minor nobles" have that name for a reason.
Vote tallying says its a split 3/3 between the two plans. I'll close the votes tomorrow at around this time.
If a perfect split remains like that, i'll throw a dice to determine the chosen course of action. But i really hope it doesn't come down to this.
At least everyone agrees on spending time with the family. I wonder why.
Vote tallying says its a split 3/3 between the two plans. I'll close the votes tomorrow at around this time.
If a perfect split remains like that, i'll throw a dice to determine the chosen course of action. But i really hope it doesn't come down to this.
At least everyone agrees on spending time with the family. I wonder why.
we need it to prove to ourselves that we're not a bad pony, really!
Still... a tie you say? That means that... I HAVE THE POWER!
[X] Friendly Neighborhood Librarymare
while I'd actually prefer the "boring" way to get to meet Luna, this plan comes with access to the Main 6, and going to the Ponyville Library basically means meeting Twilight. Luna might be our target, but WHO's the one that's canonically going to break through Luna's isolation? Why, but it's Twilight!
You know, funny thing is, the cult is at least a bit right. Equestria is NOT safe like it is right now. It should honestly have been destroyed 10 times over in the canon 9 seasons if it wasn't for the protagonists' plot armor.
Nightmare Moon. Discord. Chrysalis. Tirek. If the world worked on reason this 4 should have honestly won (Unless we're going with a "Celestia was holding back for X reason). I'll give Sombra a pass, I think Equestria could have handled him, if with difficulty. Even his alternate future is actually one in which he's still not fully won and there's still hope.
Weird. It seems the vote tallying was a bit off. I did the check and it did say 3/3, but it seems it interpreted some single line votings (Happerry's "Making Connections and Deals" specifically) as a... well, not as a "block" vote, if that makes sense.
As soon as i swapped to "count by line" and back to "count by block" it started counting everything again.
Are those hiccups common? Honest recent-poster question.
But as things stands, the voting is still tied, now as a 4/4.
Voting will be closed in a few hours, and ties will be decided by dice roll, as previously posted.
Adhoc vote count started by BirdBodhisattva on Aug 27, 2020 at 5:54 PM, finished with 15 posts and 8 votes.
[X] Plan Making Connections and Deals
-[X] On what must be done (finding a way to reach Princess Luna)
--[X] Perhaps the least subtle of options is the answer, and your target being royalty means that she is not hard to track. Get in touch with your contacts in Canterlot and try to get a hold of an invitation to some event. You surely won't get to her immediately, but it will be a first hoof into the city where she lives.
---[X] [Ask your servants to carry out this task.]
-[X] On furthering the cause
--[X] In all honesty, the Cult lacks an appropriate place for gatherings, at least when it comes to lesser meetings to discuss small matters, or to simply stash certain things. Scout for a suitable place, or other buildings that might be for sale.
--[X] Although you are personally judicious about such habits, you are still a noble. Searching for "peculiar items" to "add to your collection" is certainly not out of place... right?
--[X] You cannot expect to succeed working alone, that's why you are in a cult. Take some time to help one of your colleagues. Who knows, you might even learn something from them.
--[X] Help Windy Flakes, the unicorn seems to be in charge of most of the cult's physical possessions.
-[X] Your personal life, or at least the non cult-y part
--[X] Of course you love your family very much, but you could always spend a bit more time with them.
[X] Friendly Neighborhood Librarymare
-[X] On what must be done (finding a way to reach Princess Luna)
--[X] The Dreamlands, the realm of pony dreams, is not a part of the Mansus, and yet you can see it from the Woods, far in the horizon. Search if there is a path that leads there.
-[X] On furthering the cause
--[X] There are books that could be of use. You should start looking for them. (Will involve random expenditure of bits). All sub-choices are not suspicious.
---[X] In Ponyville, and its… great assortments of libraries? (no extra cost)
--[X] Although you are personally judicious about such habits, you are still a noble. Searching for "peculiar items" to "add to your collection" is certainly not out of place... right? Suspicion depends on how strange the item scouted is.
---[X] [Ask your servants to carry out this task.]
-[X] Your personal life, or at least the non cult-y part
--[X] Of course you love your family very much, but you could always spend a bit more time with them.
--[X] Go into town and try to meet somepony interesting, there are at least six very interesting ones who just exorcised a demigoddess.
Adhoc vote count started by Starlit Horizon on Aug 27, 2020 at 6:12 PM, finished with 17 posts and 9 votes.
[X] Plan Making Connections and Deals
-[X] On what must be done (finding a way to reach Princess Luna)
--[X] Perhaps the least subtle of options is the answer, and your target being royalty means that she is not hard to track. Get in touch with your contacts in Canterlot and try to get a hold of an invitation to some event. You surely won't get to her immediately, but it will be a first hoof into the city where she lives.
---[X] [Ask your servants to carry out this task.]
-[X] On furthering the cause
--[X] In all honesty, the Cult lacks an appropriate place for gatherings, at least when it comes to lesser meetings to discuss small matters, or to simply stash certain things. Scout for a suitable place, or other buildings that might be for sale.
--[X] Although you are personally judicious about such habits, you are still a noble. Searching for "peculiar items" to "add to your collection" is certainly not out of place... right?
--[X] You cannot expect to succeed working alone, that's why you are in a cult. Take some time to help one of your colleagues. Who knows, you might even learn something from them.
--[X] Help Windy Flakes, the unicorn seems to be in charge of most of the cult's physical possessions.
-[X] Your personal life, or at least the non cult-y part
--[X] Of course you love your family very much, but you could always spend a bit more time with them.
[X] Friendly Neighborhood Librarymare
-[X] On what must be done (finding a way to reach Princess Luna)
--[X] The Dreamlands, the realm of pony dreams, is not a part of the Mansus, and yet you can see it from the Woods, far in the horizon. Search if there is a path that leads there.
-[X] On furthering the cause
--[X] There are books that could be of use. You should start looking for them. (Will involve random expenditure of bits). All sub-choices are not suspicious.
---[X] In Ponyville, and its… great assortments of libraries? (no extra cost)
--[X] Although you are personally judicious about such habits, you are still a noble. Searching for "peculiar items" to "add to your collection" is certainly not out of place... right? Suspicion depends on how strange the item scouted is.
---[X] [Ask your servants to carry out this task.]
-[X] Your personal life, or at least the non cult-y part
--[X] Of course you love your family very much, but you could always spend a bit more time with them.
--[X] Go into town and try to meet somepony interesting, there are at least six very interesting ones who just exorcised a demigoddess.
Adhoc vote count started by Starlit Horizon on Aug 27, 2020 at 6:12 PM, finished with 17 posts and 9 votes.
[X] Plan Making Connections and Deals
-[X] On what must be done (finding a way to reach Princess Luna)
--[X] Perhaps the least subtle of options is the answer, and your target being royalty means that she is not hard to track. Get in touch with your contacts in Canterlot and try to get a hold of an invitation to some event. You surely won't get to her immediately, but it will be a first hoof into the city where she lives.
---[X] [Ask your servants to carry out this task.]
-[X] On furthering the cause
--[X] In all honesty, the Cult lacks an appropriate place for gatherings, at least when it comes to lesser meetings to discuss small matters, or to simply stash certain things. Scout for a suitable place, or other buildings that might be for sale.
--[X] Although you are personally judicious about such habits, you are still a noble. Searching for "peculiar items" to "add to your collection" is certainly not out of place... right?
--[X] You cannot expect to succeed working alone, that's why you are in a cult. Take some time to help one of your colleagues. Who knows, you might even learn something from them.
--[X] Help Windy Flakes, the unicorn seems to be in charge of most of the cult's physical possessions.
-[X] Your personal life, or at least the non cult-y part
--[X] Of course you love your family very much, but you could always spend a bit more time with them.
[X] Friendly Neighborhood Librarymare
-[X] On what must be done (finding a way to reach Princess Luna)
--[X] The Dreamlands, the realm of pony dreams, is not a part of the Mansus, and yet you can see it from the Woods, far in the horizon. Search if there is a path that leads there.
-[X] On furthering the cause
--[X] There are books that could be of use. You should start looking for them. (Will involve random expenditure of bits). All sub-choices are not suspicious.
---[X] In Ponyville, and its… great assortments of libraries? (no extra cost)
--[X] Although you are personally judicious about such habits, you are still a noble. Searching for "peculiar items" to "add to your collection" is certainly not out of place... right? Suspicion depends on how strange the item scouted is.
---[X] [Ask your servants to carry out this task.]
-[X] Your personal life, or at least the non cult-y part
--[X] Of course you love your family very much, but you could always spend a bit more time with them.
--[X] Go into town and try to meet somepony interesting, there are at least six very interesting ones who just exorcised a demigoddess.
in these cases, if after doing the tally (new tally) you click "manage votes" at the bottom you can sort them better and "fuse" similar options by dragging them below and to the right of the "parent" vote.
Like this:
Adhoc vote count started by Pittauro on Aug 27, 2020 at 8:05 PM, finished with 19 posts and 9 votes.
[X] Friendly Neighborhood Librarymare
-[X] On what must be done (finding a way to reach Princess Luna)
--[X] The Dreamlands, the realm of pony dreams, is not a part of the Mansus, and yet you can see it from the Woods, far in the horizon. Search if there is a path that leads there.
-[X] On furthering the cause
--[X] There are books that could be of use. You should start looking for them. (Will involve random expenditure of bits). All sub-choices are not suspicious.
---[X] In Ponyville, and its… great assortments of libraries? (no extra cost)
--[X] Although you are personally judicious about such habits, you are still a noble. Searching for "peculiar items" to "add to your collection" is certainly not out of place... right? Suspicion depends on how strange the item scouted is.
---[X] [Ask your servants to carry out this task.]
-[X] Your personal life, or at least the non cult-y part
--[X] Of course you love your family very much, but you could always spend a bit more time with them.
--[X] Go into town and try to meet somepony interesting, there are at least six very interesting ones who just exorcised a demigoddess.
[X] Plan Making Connections and Deals
-[X] On what must be done (finding a way to reach Princess Luna)
--[X] Perhaps the least subtle of options is the answer, and your target being royalty means that she is not hard to track. Get in touch with your contacts in Canterlot and try to get a hold of an invitation to some event. You surely won't get to her immediately, but it will be a first hoof into the city where she lives.
---[X] [Ask your servants to carry out this task.]
-[X] On furthering the cause
--[X] In all honesty, the Cult lacks an appropriate place for gatherings, at least when it comes to lesser meetings to discuss small matters, or to simply stash certain things. Scout for a suitable place, or other buildings that might be for sale.
--[X] Although you are personally judicious about such habits, you are still a noble. Searching for "peculiar items" to "add to your collection" is certainly not out of place... right?
--[X] You cannot expect to succeed working alone, that's why you are in a cult. Take some time to help one of your colleagues. Who knows, you might even learn something from them.
--[X] Help Windy Flakes, the unicorn seems to be in charge of most of the cult's physical possessions.
-[X] Your personal life, or at least the non cult-y part
--[X] Of course you love your family very much, but you could always spend a bit more time with them.
Maybe we'll do a gacha for low-suspicion items this time? I guess we're just asking our servants if they find anything weird or interesting at the markets.
It should be good for building up a narrative as a collector of neat stuff, though.
...you know, i heard there's this one little shop somewhere that has the Alicorn Amulet available for sale.. or the castle of the pony sisters in the everfree should have the Inspiration Manifestation book, which contains a spell that, I quote: " instantly brings ideas to life"
Also Doctor Caballeron is usually decently good at finding interesting ancient magical artifacts, even if Daring Do and Ahuizotl usually stop him from selling them to the highest bidder...
And we can't of course forget the most eldritch item of all.
Pinkie's Party Cannon. Truly an object of unfathomable power.
...you know, i heard there's this one little shop somewhere that has the Alicorn Amulet available for sale.. or the castle of the pony sisters in the everfree should have the Inspiration Manifestation book, which contains a spell that, I quote: " instantly brings ideas to life"
Also Doctor Caballeron is usually decently good at finding interesting ancient magical artifacts, even if Daring Do and Ahuizotl usually stop him from selling them to the highest bidder...
And we can't of course forget the most eldritch item of all.
Pinkie's Party Cannon. Truly an object of unfathomable power.
[ ] She spoke about life, and its unceasing energy and continuity. About how all creatures, ponies most of all, seem to be dancing a grand dance in pace with the heartbeat of Equestria itself. Neither her words nor her smile stopped for even a moment, and during the whole conversation her hoofs kept beating against her mug. The rhythm was almost hypnotizing. (HEART is the principle of life, preservation and protection, as well as of the dance that must never cease. It is known, even if subconsciously, by any creature that knows happiness and perseverance in the face of adversity, and it is put into practice by dancers.)
Known by any creature that knows happiness in the face of adversity? Her words and her smile never stopping? The constant bouncing? We could have been recruited by Pinkamena, surely.
[X] Friendly Neighborhood Librarymare
-[X] On what must be done (finding a way to reach Princess Luna)
--[X] The Dreamlands, the realm of pony dreams, is not a part of the Mansus, and yet you can see it from the Woods, far in the horizon. Search if there is a path that leads there.
-[X] On furthering the cause
--[X] There are books that could be of use. You should start looking for them. (Will involve random expenditure of bits). All sub-choices are not suspicious.
---[X] In Ponyville, and its… great assortments of libraries? (no extra cost)
--[X] Although you are personally judicious about such habits, you are still a noble. Searching for "peculiar items" to "add to your collection" is certainly not out of place... right? Suspicion depends on how strange the item scouted is.
---[X] [Ask your servants to carry out this task.]
-[X] Your personal life, or at least the non cult-y part
--[X] Of course you love your family very much, but you could always spend a bit more time with them.
--[X] Go into town and try to meet somepony interesting, there are at least six very interesting ones who just exorcised a demigoddess.
- - -
"… and much like I've written to you about this before, I will say it again. If you're going to deny my granddaughter the best possible education, and instead decide to have her raised as some backwater hillbilly then I assur-"
You rip the letter apart, not being able to read another single word from it. The paper glows in answer to your horn as you shred it in half again, and again, and again until its little more than a small pile of dull-looking confetti.
"Sweetheart, are you… oh, letter from Velvet Hill?" you hear your husband ask, cautiously, as he sees the offending pile of shredded letter float towards the trash bin.
"Yes Storm, dad sent me another one of his… pointed letters," you answer with a scowl, trying not to think about it and instead floating a comb towards your mane, and concentrating very hard on it.
But Stormchaser doesn't answer, of course. Instead you can feel his patient gaze on your back even as you try your hardest not to picture the expression you know he is wearing, that partly calm, partly worried look he has whenever he thinks you are…
You sigh, abandoning the doomed effort at your mane and turning towards him who is sitting patiently at the bed, morning sun slowly rising on the open window behind him.
"He just wrote that…" you start, and stop, the words stuck in your throat.
"Is it about today?" he asks gently, confirming his suspicions as soon as you cover your face with your hoofs and let out a second, longer, exasperated sigh.
"Yes, it was about today. Of course it was about today, and he might keep sending those sorts of letters every chance he gets from now on! But that's not the problem…" you say, your voice slowly going from stressed to honestly worried. "I mean… what if he is right? What if we really shouldn't be doing this and…"
You trail off as your hoofs leave your face, and you realize Stormchaser had gently taken them on his.
"Sweetheart we've been through this already," he says with a soft smile, "we can't all move to Canterlot, and we absolutely won't go with their 'suggestion' of her moving in with them."
You only realize you were gazing at the floor when he slowly raises your chin, looking you in the eyes with that optimistic smile of his.
"And besides, Ponyville is a great place isn't it? You're the one who convinced me about this in the first place. Silky Stream will be able to grow up happily here, no matter what, so you shouldn't worry about today."
A small smile slowly forms in your face, and you inch forward slightly until both your noses touch.
"Thanks…" you say, with a final sigh of honest relief, "you're right dear, everything will turn out allr-"
"Mom! Dad! Wake up! Lets go, lets go!"
You choke mid-sentence, and the two of you jump up as the topic of your conversation bursts into the room with the intensity of a small brown hurricane.
"Cmon, you promised! I already got up, and have my bag, and brushed my mane, and-!"
"Terribly sorry Mrs. Velvet, she just flew off and I-"
Your hindleg winces in pain at the sudden jump, but you nearly don't notice it, the chaos of Silky Stream trying to pull her father out of the room by the neck, and of a flustered Soft Sweeps apologizing profusely from the door, being too much for you to handle at once.
Stormchaser gives you a short laugh and a wink, before allowing himself to be dragged away by the filly. And you can see by both of your smiles that all your worries have vanished away.
- - -
"Dear, are you sure you wouldn't have preferred to come by carriage?", Stormchaser asks you the same question for the tenth time in a hushed tone, repeating the same whispered back and forth the two of you have been at since you left the estate.
"We are not taking Silky Stream to her first day in school in that blasted chariot."
"But there's still the trip back home and…" he looks towards your flank with a pained expression, making you roll your eyes at him.
"I'm not just some defenseless mare who cant even walk for…" you stop whispering, noticing for the first time that someone has been rather quiet for a while now.
The definite lack of a brown blur zipping around in your peripheral vision also tells you that something quite unusual is going on.
"Silky? Is everything okay?" you ask her, seeing that she is standing still in front of the two of you, almost frozen in place.
But of course, you chide yourself, you've been arguing with Stormchaser for so long you didn't even realize the three of you have already arrived. The Ponyville Schoolhouse stands in front of you, white picket fence with its gates wide open. The building itself has an adorable charm to it, and although it does look a bit small it is immediately obvious that the place is extremely well kept. Perhaps "lovingly so" would be a more proper way to describe it.
And besides, you had already done a bit of "research" on it. A short letter to the EEA had the school's curriculum delivered to your desk, which you read through a few weeks back, and a few words with your accountant had him subtly check that all of the school's finances were in good order.
You made absolute sure that you weren't enrolling your little filly into a whatever-someplace.
"Mom, dad…?" Silky Stream turns to face the two of you, her voice small, "can't we just... uhm…" she scrapes a hoof weakly on the ground as she tries to find her words.
"Oh, you're not about to back down on us, are you Silky?" Stormchaser scoops her up with his wings and puts her on his back before you even think of what to say, "I told you before, this will be an adventure! And think about the good side of it, you'll make new friends, no more boring tutors at home, and-"
"Maybe just a few boring tutors," you chime in, causing the two of them to shoot a grumpy expression at you, "but a lot less!", you quickly complement your saying, "and only if you fall behind on a subject."
Your husband lets out a short chuckle, and trots towards the school with a few short leaps, causing Silky to bounce on his back and start giggling.
He finally lets go of her when the three of you arrive at the school's door proper, and right on time for it to be opened by a dark-pink mare, who looks at you with a surprised expression until her eyes fall on the giggling Silky Stream, causing her to give an understanding nod.
"Good morning, I'm Cheerilee, a teacher of this school. And you must be Silky Stream, how nice to meet you!" the mare says with a kind smile.
You see the option of hiding behind her father's leg flashing through your daughter's face, but you beam at yourself when she decides not to, and instead greets her future teacher back in a shy manner.
"And you must be Mrs. Velvet and Mr. Stormchaser? Thank you so much for bringing in your daughter, I'm sure she will get along wonderfully well with our other students," she says, inviting you into the school as she talked, "but I have to admit that it was quite unusual to receive an admission by mail, and I don't quite recall ever seeing any of you around town. Have you just moved into Ponyville?"
"Oh, actually we are-"
"We work from home!" you interrupt Stormchaser, "I work from home, that is. My husband travels a lot," you say with a smile, making Stormchaser shoot you an interrogative expression as soon as Cheerilee turns her back.
"Oh, I see," she sets about, walking around the classroom and making some small final preparations while she talks, "well, Ponyville is a big place after all. And I don't mean to pry, but I think I recall that your address was at the east side of town, so it's a bit far from where I usually go."
"Yes, we live in a farmhouse over that part," you answer with a smile, and Stormchaser gives you another, more aggravated, curious stare.
"Really? How wonderful! We have another filly here whose family also has a farm," Cheerilee says almost to herself as she finishes laying a few books over her desk, "oh I can already see her and your daughter becoming the best of friends!"
"I really hope that happens as well," you share in her excitement.
"Well," Stormchaser chimes in, "it was a pleasure meeting you Miss Cheerilee. And just so you know, we will be taking our daughter home today, but starting tomorrow she will be brought here by one of our maid-"
"Mare!" you cut him off, almost facepalming at his denseness, "our mare friend Soft Sweeps. Who is a friend of the family and helps us with our daughter while we are working," you almost growl the last three words at your husband, who (apparently) finally gets what you are doing. Or at least seems sufficiently intimidated to stop talking.
"Very well," the smiling Cheerilee, who thankfully didn't seem to have noticed the exchange between you and Stormchaser, answers with a clap of her hoofs. "I'll be looking forward to this year then, and it was a pleasure to meet you two parents!"
You exchange a few more words before the school bell rings, and you quickly take your leave, dutifully warned by Cheerilee that the two of you would risk being overrun by a stampede of foals if you stayed.
After leaving the school, you are finally positive that this has been the correct decision. To hell with your family's letters. Cheerilee seems to be a wonderful teacher, and if all went well your daughter would make friends with everypony, something that you decidedly know that she lacks, especially since she had been taught by home tutors her whole life.
And for all of that to happen, there is no need for anypony to know if she is from a noble family or not, and there is absolutely no need for any kind of special treatment to keep her from experimenting anything she wants to do. You are going to make sure that Silky Stream has as happy a time as possible.
- - -
- - -
- - -
[Rolling encounter…]
[Oh wow]
[Rolling the 1d6 then…]
It's a beautiful day outside.
When was the last time you noticed that…?
"No, not like that", you think to yourself. There have been several beautiful days, the weather department of Ponyville is wonderful, and you're not in a contemplative mood or anything.
No, what you're wondering is when was the last time you simply looked out through the window and realized it is a beautiful day, specifically because you have absolutely nothing better to do?
You don't remember, that's the answer. For the longest time moments like this, days like these, have come and passed you by while you were busy. It was either catching up with some sort of work, maybe visiting the surrounding farms and plantations for some closer sort of inspection, or taking care of Silky Stream because she was too young. Well, even recently after she started to fly you'd spend days like these watching her learn how to fly better with her father.
But now, for the first time in what seems to be forever, you actually have time that is not only free, but that you also have no idea what to do with. Your husband is busy, your daughter is at a school picnic that she begged you to sign the permission papers for (not that you wouldn't sign them to begin with…), and you are…
Here. Looking out through the window.
Well then, taking a breather for a day is fine. But you must admit that recently you've been having certain… yearnings. But you push the memories of your dreams aside, now was not the appropriate time for that.
However, much as you aren't about to perform certain preparations and go for an afternoon nap into the Woods, you can do something else that you haven't done in a long while. At least not for "no reason", that is.
"May I help you with anything, ma'am?" you hear Ponpon's voice coming from your room's door, dressed in her maid uniform and with a feather duster on her mouth.
"Nothing in particular, thank you," you answer, eyeing two of your more discreet dresses that you have floating in front of you, "just going out for a walk."
"Very well ma'am. Shall I have your carriage ready?" she asks, her face serious. Shortly after, and as if on cue, the two of you laugh for a few moments. "Have a good day ma'am, enjoy your walk," the mare says before going back to her duties.
You settle for the yellow one, make sure it's properly covering your right hindleg, and set out to the front door.
- - -
It's peculiar, the sort of things you can usually miss when you're worried about something else.
Your husband (albeit reluctantly) and your house servants are used to you "going out for a walk" every now and then. But what they don't know is that those are not really leisure strolls, quite on the contrary. During those walks you're mostly concerned about remaining inconspicuous, with the use of a few tricks here and there that help you stick to the shadows just a little bit better, or remain hidden in plain sight for just a bit longer. So you don't quite have the calm and tranquility to notice how wide and inviting the streets are, or how some houses aren't properly "connected" in rows like in Canterlot, how each individual building seems to have a certain charm to it.
Besides, you're usually out through the front door as soon as the sun appears in the horizon, when it comes to that sort of business, both because the cult's meetings are near the darker times of the day, and because the morning sun makes for much longer shadows. You don't actually remember the last time you went out and it was properly afternoon.
So this is being a pleasant experience all on its own. Like hearing a secret from someone you already know, or realizing that the flowers in your garden also have a sweet smell when you just used to look at them before.
Speaking of which, you think as you stop to smell the flowers in a park, Ponyville really lives up to its earth pony legacy.
"Oh my, what have we here? I do love the idea of it, darling, but I think it would look a lot better in blue. It would have more of a modern feeling to it."
You freeze up for a moment, realizing there is somepony right behind you, and apparently talking to you. Recollecting yourself after a moment, you turn around.
"Pardon me?"
And you see a white-colored mare, well cared purple mane waving around her horn. She seems to be looking at your dress quite intently, with both an analytical gaze and a small smile that told you she meant what she was saying.
"Your dress, darling", she looks up from the dress, her azure eyes staring at yours, "the quality of it is marvelous, and the stitching is impeccable… I must say, you didn't buy this here in Ponyville, did you?"
"I think it was in Canterlot, but I'm not sure" you answer honestly, after all you have quite a few dresses...
"But of course, it has Canterlot written all over it!" she says with an elegant nod of approval, "Although..."
She circles around you, her courteous approval slowly turning into a more troubled expression as she takes in the sight of you from a few more angles.
"Although?" you ask curiously.
"Well, the dress itself is very well made, but it just doesn't do to you!" she says as she finishes walking, still looking at your dress as if she was piecing together a puzzle. "Why, a mare of your appearance and looks deserves something that highlights far more of your qualities… And this dress seems to do quite the opposite."
You can't help but to feel amused as she mumbles to herself, something about a style of cut and a complicated word that sounded like a designer's name. And she does sound extremely serious about it, as well, both on the dress part and on the way she complimented you.
"Well," she looks back to you, nodding as if she has arrived at a conclusion, "while this is most surely not a fashion emergency, by all means I'd love it if you accompanied me back to my boutique. I'm sure we can do something about it that will turn out marvelous. I'm Rarity by the way, pleased to meet you," she says, lowering her head with something akin to a small curtsy.
"Velvet Covers," you say back, a small smile coming to your lips as you answer to her refined mannerism with a curtsy of your own, "and the pleasure is all mine. But I do appreciate clothing more on the unassuming side, if it is not for some special occasion".
[Rarity's Intrigue Roll…]
"Oh, I know what you mean," Rarity agrees with a nod, "but still, I must say tha…"
Until her eyes shoot wide open, her mouth still stuck with an "aaa" sound that prolongs itself for half a second more.
The next thing you know, her gracious mannerism completely disappears, legs going straight as ramrods, and a smile that is clearly panicked appearing on her face.
"Oh, Velvet Covers! I mean, Mrs. Velvet Covers. Or is it madam? Or Dame?" her smile starts to crumble, one hoof going to her forehead as if she was about to start sweating at any moment, "Its actually Lady, isn't it? Oh no, I just did it again didn't I?!"
"Excuse me, what?", you honestly have no idea of what is going on.
"Oh, nothing at all, just being polite! I most surely didn't just say your dress is boring," she continues to talk faster and faster, "and I most surely didn't just imply that you have terrible fashion sense! Not at all!"
To be honest, you start getting nervous at her sudden… suddenness.
"And even if I did, what does it matter, right?", she nearly stammers several times, "I mean, what does my opinion matter when it comes to this sort of thing, right?"
She keeps getting more and more distressed, and you decide to-
"Hey, hey, calm down. It's all right, you're not offending anyone," you try to soothe her, although something tells you that trying to go for a hoof on her shoulder would be a bad idea, "and in fact, like I said, this dress is supposed to be more on the subtle side. It really says something that you managed to see through it. Why, I'd say that shows you have an excellent sense for fashion!"
You breathe a sigh of relief when you see that the mare is actually calming down.
"Rarity, wasn't it? I'm afraid my own sense for dresses and whatnots is not even close to sharp, so I'd love if you could give me some pointers," you say as she finishes to recollect herself.
"Well, I'd be delighted, but I'm not sure if I can rightly compete with Canterlot-chique," she says, slightly embarrassed, confidence slowly returning to her voice, "but I can say I'd love to work something up for you regardless."
You nod in agreement, "you did say something about a Boutique, right?"
"Oh, but I did, didn't I?", Rarity's eyes widen up slightly once again, as she sees where you are leading that conversation, "although it's a shame that it's… under repairs! That's right, it's in no condition to receive visitors, I'm afraid, especially one of your stature. You wouldn't be able to put a hoof in it without getting covered in paint and all that," she forces another smile.
"Oh, quite a shame then…" to which you can do nothing but agree. "But I'll be looking forward to visiting it in the future, then?"
"But surely, darling. I'll be looking forward to it if it's the case" Rarity answers back almost immediately, a strange mixture of apprehension and hope in her eyes.
"Well then, once again, it was a pleasure to meet you Rarity."
"It was all mine Velvet Covers!"
You go on your way, continuing your stroll in a direction that will lead you back home, thinking to yourself that you didn't expect a pony who had wielded an Element of Harmony to be so… well, pleasantly normal! You quite liked her, actually, and she seems to own a fashion store. It would be an honestly good pastime to go there.
It is only when you see Ponpon, holding open the front gates, that you realize you forgot to ask where her Boutique is.
Well, looking for it might be fun as well.
(Didn't roll enough to get into her Boutique, but enough to avoid… a rather dramatic consequence. Do recall this is Season 1 Rarity (as well as Season 1 every-character-else). The Equestria-famous fashionista is still a small-town dreamer, and although you are a minor noble you are the only one in Ponyville.)
- - -
- - -
- - -
Evening is beginning to fall, and the shadows begin to lengthen. Not exactly "consuming" the world, but not rightly "covering" it either. You tried to remember when you started making that distinction, when your point of view about evenings changed so subtly. And you couldn't find any answers.
The only thing you have done, so far, is ask questions. But perhaps it is time to start working on answering them on your own.
You will be back before sunset, you decide, and before anypony can voice any questions you're already on your dress and out through the front gates. Hopefully, nopony will even notice.
[The Golden Oak Library is not the ONLY place with books in Ponyville, you know… breakpoints every +20]
You stumble upon a small bookshop at the edge of Ponyville, and enter it on a whim, the bored-looking shop owner barely looks up to acknowledge you as you enter. After sifting through a few books, you finally stumble upon two that at least partly catch your interest.
[Rolling…]
[ ] A handbook that told the tale of a thief – KNOCK Level 1, costs 7 bits
[ ] A cooking manual, with a surprisingly in-depth chapter on how to repair broken kitchen utensils – FORGE Level 1, costs 7 bits
You ponder for a while on whether to purchase them or not, and quickly go home.
(Book searching rolls are divided into levels, that get better every 20 points. And since you were out for book hunting, you'd only meet a certain somepony if you had a result of at least 60)
- - -
- - -
- - -
You look into your own eyes in the mirror, and take a deep breath.
Everything has already been taken care of and accounted for. Stormchaser is out of town for work, you have already put Silky Stream to bed, and you are pretty sure that you're going to sleep in no time as soon as your head hits the pillows.
With a final nod, you bring up the scissors, gently unfurl your mane with the help of magic, and snip a short strand of it right from the middle.
A change done deliberately, but hidden in plain sight in a place nopony would notice.
You say a few words that you know, for good measure, that you sometimes heard being whispered by your Master, or perhaps whispered into your head by the incessant buzzing that accompanies the cult's meetings. But regardless, you also know those words to be holy, or at least that they are uttered in holy places, and that is enough.
You leave the scissors on top of the cabinet, together with the cut lock of mane, right in front of the mirror. And you quickly make your way to bed.
You fall asleep.
And wake up in the crossroads, the Woods open in wide darkness before your eyes.
It is always in a crossroad, that is, in a literal cross between two of the paths of dark-blue stone. And yet, the directions they go is never the same between any two times you have been here.
But this time, you do not worry yourself in finding the path that would lead into the Woods. This time you turn your back to the Woods and look towards the horizon.
You can immediately see how simple it appears to be, and how complicated it actually will be. The whole problem is that the paths must be followed, if you step even a single hoof outside of the dark-blue stone boundary that they set you will not get anywhere, that is why it is difficult for most ponies to even arrive at the Woods to begin with. The paths will criss-cross, sometimes collide, or sometimes wander off in another direction forever, until you wake up in failure.
And there is no point in trying to map them either. You know well that the paths change while you are not looking, and sometimes change even while you are looking.
No, the only way to navigate the paths is to know certain secrets. To know what signs to look for, and which direction to follow once you reach a point where two paths become one, or three, or ten. You think deeply on that matter for a while.
You see your objective. Not directly, but you see it. On the great and far horizon there are vast chains of mountains, sure, but the world curves before it actually reaches them. But right there, right beyond the curve of the world and before the mountains, there is a hue of light. A soft arch of something that looks at the same time like mists, and aurora borealis, and perhaps the faint sheen given off by fireflies. You know that place to be the Dreamlands, as you heard from your Master, as much as even speaking about it surely displeases him… (her?)
However, you also recall that your Master said that the Dreamlands are a different world. A world made by the dreams of ponykind. A place of its own.
Making up your mind, you set forward to try and make your way through the paths.
You try to recall every single piece of Knock-related knowledge you have, guessing at what parables they could have with the shapes that the paths took, whenever they joined and separated. You press on until you find yourself on a single path that seems to lead on forever. At first you feel a bit discouraged, thinking this is a failed path that would not end until you wake up, but eventually the lights on the horizon grows just a bit stronger, and you quicken your pace in anticipation.
Finally, the path widens up until it forms a circle around itself. But your eyes are immediately drawn to what is in the middle of the circle.
A small lake, or is it just a puddle? A reflective sheen of dream-water shines faintly in the middle of the circle, the dark-blue stone path circling around it as a vein would circle an organ, or perhaps as a shackle would circle a prisoner. But that matters not, you think, as you peer more deeply into the water.
You soon realize that it does not have a shine of its own, instead it bleeds light into the world you are in. For some reason you can't help but to feel revulsion for it, several detestable comments of your Master about the Dreamlands resurfacing in your mind with that realization.
It was like a small corrupted pool, like the tip of a chimney slowly belching poison and smog. It didn't matter that the Mansus was surrounded by an infinite plane, or by the Woods, or the fact that the mountains in the far horizons had no paths that connected to them. During one brief moment, all that mattered was that the pool of water was right there, slowly spreading its essence into the air. Slowly bringing more of itself and its light and its essence into the Mansus, causing the very air around it to become itself.
And you knew during that short moment that if the Dreamlands ever had things its own way, one day it would surely turn the Mansus into itself.
But, you snap out of that idea, forgetting it as quickly as you learned it, for now this puddle is a door, and doors have but one utility.
You carefully dip your head into the dream-water, and take a peek into the other side. And when you take your head back, disoriented, you know you have achieved what you have come for.
But a sense of urgency soon reaches your mind. You know you must wake quickly, for that is the way with paths. You must return to the Wake and commit your choices and turns and twists into memory, less they are forgotten and change when you next come to visit.
You wake up in the morning, the scissor and lock of mane still exactly where you left them. Was it not for your leg you would have practically jumped out of bed, but instead, mostly due to all the practice you have had at suppressing that urge, you gently make your way down from your bed, swipe the lock of mane into the trash bin and bring out a pen and quill with the glow of your horn.
And reaching into as much of your memory as you possibly can, you draw what is the mixture of a map and a poem of how to return to the Dreamlands. Once you are done, you know you will no longer forget it, and the drawing will quickly be introduced to a candle's fire.
You have succeeded at crossing into another world, on your own, and for the first time. This feat is the providence of KNOCK, to which you have introduced yourself. Gained 1 scrap of Knock Lore.
KNOCK Lore is now level 1!
- - -
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- - -
You sit down in your office, a large stack of papers with the reports of crops, tool necessities, punctual problems, and the myriad of other things you have to address daily is piled high in front of you. You float your quill closer to you, and levitate the topmost report to the middle of your desk.
When a slight knock comes from your door, disturbing your concentration before it had even managed to sufficiently gather.
"Pardon ma'am", Ponpon walks into your office shortly after, "but you said you'd like to hear from them as soon as any correspondence arrived."
You look at Ponpon quizzically, but she excuses herself before you can ask any questions.
"Oh," you say to yourself, "I'd almost forgotten I asked them to do that."
Inside the letter is a short report, and a few pictures of…
[Artifact Search: Servants]
[Roll: 54 + 12 (learning) = 66. Level 3]
[Suspicion: 7 + 30 (level 3) = 37. Only slightly suspicious, "eccentric" is the word.]
The skin of a furred animal worked into a large blanket, or perhaps a thick carpet. Your servants also wrote that the owner insists that anyone who sleeps on (or under) it, if they are sick, will wake up feeling refreshed.
HEART artifact
Level 3
Cost: 200 bits
[ ] Buy
[ ] Keep it on hold
- - -
- - -
- - -
And this concludes your month.
On studying for scraps of Lore: During your actions you will be able to choose UP TO TWO books to study at the cost of a single action. Books are "consumable", which means that if you fail the test the book is still used up. Books can only give a scrap of Lore "if they are of your level". Meaning that a level one book can get you from Level 0 to Level 1, and from Level 1 to Level 2, but no further.
(Artifacts are something like that as well, with two differences. You may only "study" one artifact per action spent, and artifacts don't "break" upon studying. Studying an artifact will both yield an attempt at gathering scrap of Lore, as well as attempt to reveal any hidden abilities that they possess, if any. Artifacts can only be studied once for scrap of Lore, but as many times as needed to gleam their ability, if they have one. At a glance, you will only be able to gleam an artifact's Lore and its level, so as to decide whether to buy it or not. Carrying an artifact in your person will grant you its Lore level (not cumulatively, largest Lore level you have on you will apply), but physical objects may be lost, stolen or broken, or simply hard to carry around.)
(Un-bought books will "disappear", un-bought artifacts will remain "on hold", but every turn might be bought by somepony else and disappear as well)
Voting is not required yet. The shopping items will be on the next post as well.
Books and artifacts must be bought on "their" turn, so if you choose not to buy these books (on turn 1, when you have 120 bits), they disappear forever. And if you choose to buy the artifact starting next turn (once you receive your next monthly 120 bits), it will only arrive at the END of the next month, while choosing to buy it on "turn 1" (though you lack the bits) would make it arrive immediately and be available for use/study.
The skin of a furred animal worked into a large blanket, or perhaps a thick carpet. Your servants also wrote that the owner insists that anyone who sleeps on (or under) it, if they are sick, will wake up feeling refreshed.
Only slightly suspicious, and we'd get a lead on the inevitable 'our daughter is sick and no medicine can cure her' storyline which is endemic in cute daughters.
Plus, level three sounds pretty high, and we rolled single digit suspicion, so for its level it's about as risk free as artifact buying would seem to get.
I just don't know how voting to buy something when we don't have the money for it works. Is it like a commitment to purchase it when we do, or just a time abstraction for wanting to buy something and saving up for it?
Trying to build up Knock lore could help with the Dreamlands traversing. We got another scrap elsewhere, so if we use this one successfully we might be able to upgrade to Knock 2, if I've understood the system correctly?
Edit: I think that first scrap was spent leveling us to Knock 1, so we'd need +2 (for a total of three), my bad.
And even if I did, what does it matter, right?", she nearly stammers several times, "I mean, what does my opinion matter when it comes to this sort of thing, right?"
