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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[X] plan DENY BALDOMARE TO CULT, SHE'S OURS! (conditional version)

Nice plan.

[X] plan DENY BALDOMARE TO CULT, SHE'S OURS!

Also nice plan.

I'm not opposed to chowing down, but I think the Baldomare is better.
 
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BirdBodhisattva said:
-[] Ask for a Lesson. (Grants you one scrap of Lore of either Lantern or Secret Histories. Write in which.]
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A thought: unlike most of her options, this gets more powerful as we grow. Right now a lesson is the equivalent of a level 3-4 book, costing 30-60 bits, and keeping her around costs a level 5 book for 3 lessons. That's an iffy trade because we get 2 scraps from (most) level 5 books, and 2 scraps right now in the right Lore can be better then 3 in Lantern and SH specifically (for example, right now we need Moth more then either).

But she can teach us even past the Sacrament (since she has level 6), so once we're at level 5 we'd get the equivalent of a 120 bit book (and 1/3 of an action reading, and however long searching) each turn, at the cost of one level 5 book every three months. That's a pretty incredible deal! I expect there will be a time, not too far in the future, when taking it makes sense. Just not right now.

(Also, both the high-level books we have right now are special. In the future we will probably have normal level 5 books)
 
[X] plan DENY BALDOMARE TO CULT, SHE'S OURS!
[X] plan DENY BALDOMARE TO CULT, SHE'S OURS! Windy
[X] Plan Great Schism Preparation v3
[X] Plan Great Schism Preparation - Selene W/M/E Lesson
[X] Plan Great Schism Preparation - Selene W/M/E Lesson, Risen
 
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Man, so many people voting for a Pittauro plan want to not bother with Windy.

And honestly, I wouldn't oppose a Pittauro variant with a free Risen tacked on, especially if we can vote Velvet to force herself to kill the Changeling. Gotta get that sweet sweet Edge somehow, after all.

I'll make that variant myself in fact, once I get back to a proper computer rather than my phone.
 
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Talon TigerDino said:
Man, so many people voting for a Pittauro plan want to not bother with Windy.

And honestly, I wouldn't oppose a Pittauro variant with a free Risen tacked on, especially if we can vote Velvet to force herself to kill the Changeling. Gotta get that sweet sweet Edge somehow, after all.

I'll make that variant myself in fact, once I get back to a proper computer rather than my phone.
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Whoops, I knew I forgot something in my approval vote!
 
Talon TigerDino said:
And honestly, I wouldn't oppose a Pittauro variant with a free Risen tacked on, especially if we can vote Velvet to force herself to kill the Changeling. Gotta get that sweet sweet Edge somehow, after all.

I'll make that variant myself in fact, once I get back to a proper computer rather than my phone.
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There is actually a plan that has that, it's called Seeking Glory.
 
You know, now that we are planning to leave the Cult, couldn't we rat them out to Dull Glass? He could serve as a distraction, if anything.

Also, updated The Fate of The Hours with a brief note on the Lionsmith.
 
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Greymere said:
tries to scry something that quite frankly we have no reason to look for, and spends more bits than we actually have. And, for some reason, has Rarity investigating Velvet.
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I wouldn't call the Mansus actions inefficient, not seeing you have any reasoning for that.

I already did this whole explanation about it but given how our Puppy Child was responsible for their half siblings being summoned to the Wake it would be a good idea to know what else they are going to do. You need to take a closer look at how many bits we have because it fits within our budget. Finally if we are going to be using our Lore Master status to influence the cult it would be a good idea to actually know what our Lore Master status is instead of going in totally bind.
 
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Shaper47 said:
I wouldn't call the Mansus actions inefficient, not seeing you have any reasoning for that.

I already did this whole explanation about it but given how our Puppy Child was responsible for their half siblings being summoned to the Wake it would be a good idea to know what else they are going to do. You need to take a closer look at how many bits we have because it fits within our budget. Finally if we are going to be using our Lore Master status to influence the cult it would be a good idea to actually know what our Lore Master status is instead of going in totally bind.
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Five of your nine Mansus actions explore already-explored areas (which might give us scraps), as opposed to new areas (which will give us stuff, scraps included). And, again, one of said actions is Regrettable.

Recheck your math. We have 113 bits currently. Your plan has us buying both the Heart 4 (60 bits) and the Forge 3 books (30 bits), as well as RotT (35 bits), for a total of 125 bits, 12 more than we currently have.

The Wolfspawn was not responsible for the Windigos. The Hintchasers and Velvet (by virtue of ordering the summoning) are. Did it assist with the Windigos' summoning? Maybe. But we A) don't even know that it was present IC and B) have no reason to believe it will just... what? Spawn Windigos ex nihilo?
 
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Talon TigerDino said:
Seeking Glory has that singular action, yes, but it drops a lot of other stuff I want, so I don't particularly care for it.
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Fair, personally given how the QM has been giving us steadily more blatant hints and in flat out stating it in their posts that we aren't doing enough Mansus actions to really have enough power to rule our own life I'm kinda focused on trying to fix that.

Really given how we are totally underleveled and have just picked the epic questline facing against a final boss I think that level grinding is our wisest option. Power covers a multitude of sins while weakness only grants us wounds.
 
Greymere said:
as well as RotT (35 bits), for a total of 125 bits, 12 more than we currently have.

The Wolfspawn was not responsible for the Windigos. The Hintchasers and us are. Did it assist with the Windigos' summoning? Maybe. But we A) don't even know that it was present IC and B) have no reason to believe it will just... what? Spawn Windigos ex nihilo?
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Where are you getting the over bit count from we have cult subsidies? That's not in the plan stop giving out false information.

Shaper47 said:
[X] Seeking Glory
-[X] (Book) Heart 4 (60 bits)
-[X] (Book) Forge 3 (30 bits)
-[X] (Moth Fruit) Eat it
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We have WoG from the QM that the face looking down from the ceiling in the cult summoning interlude was our Wolf Child and was doing stuff there in assistance. Please stop making up false information that directly counteracts with what the QM has said.
 
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Just a note, why is everyone trying to turn the changeling into a Risen? It's not like people will be watching the graveyard any more than usual (at night, at least, when people aren't mourning their lost family).

Edit: or we could sneak into the Everfree and get one of the corpses. Just because they aren't in Ponyville doesn't mean we can't reach them.
 
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Shaper47 said:
Where are you getting the RotT (35 bits) from? That's not in the plan stop giving out false information.



We have WoG from the QM that the face looking down from the ceiling in the cult summoning interlude was our Wolf Child and was doing stuff there in assistance. Please stop making up false information that directly counteracts with what the QM has said.
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BirdBodhisattva said:
"The Reflection of the Tapestry"
-CD: SECRET HISTORIES 60, LANTERN variable
-Cost: 35 bits on materials.
-Duration: Instantaneous/Permanent.
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Shaper47 said:
-[X] (Ritual) The Reflection of the Tapestry (Puppy Child)
--[X] (Ritual) Perform rituals on cult
---[X] Sacrifice Baldomare
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Yes it was present... while a summoning was ongoing. It did not initiate it, therefore it was not the cause, only a facilitator.

ETA: And seriously, even if we did know where it 'was', what the hell would we even do about it? It's more conceptual than a physical entity.
 
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Greymere said:
Hintchasers only pay for their own actions, if that's what you're referring to. Otherwise, there are no cult discounts; and I have no idea where you got that idea from.
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We had this whole talk with Windy about the cult helping us out bit wise for our books and he agreed to grant us some cult subsidies. I'm pretty sure we can use Hintchaser bits for rituals if we do them at the cult, its cult or their own actions only.
 
Shaper47 said:
Fair, personally given how the QM has been giving us steadily more blatant hints and in flat out stating it in their posts that we aren't doing enough Mansus actions to really have enough power to rule our own life I'm kinda focused on trying to fix that.

Really given how we are totally underleveled and have just picked the epic questline facing against a final boss I think that level grinding is our wisest option. Power covers a multitude of sins while weakness only grants us wounds.
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And yet those with far more power than us still require the efforts of others to aid in reaching their goals. That's why I want those socials that can lead to nabbing Inner Circle members; it weakens the cult and strengthens us at the same time. And with more actions comes more chances to accrue power. Especially if we nab the man making the money for the cult, because money makes the expeditions and books flow.
 
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