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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Byzantine said:
We also know nothing about the Knock 2 or 3 rituals. If they are as simple as Childhood's end…

(Right now we are focusing on incision since we know that is explicitly a better idea than childhood's end. I doubt it will be better than the Knock 3 ritual, as that's the final stage of whatever is up with Selene/Luna.)
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that's the hope. Of course we don't know for sure that's something better, but... well, we'll be better able to theorize after this turn, when we finally get to see the second knock boon.
 
Byzantine said:
We also know nothing about the Knock 2 or 3 rituals. If they are as simple as Childhood's end…

(Right now we are focusing on incision since we know that is explicitly a better idea than childhood's end. I doubt it will be better than the Knock 3 ritual, as that's the final stage of whatever is up with Selene/Luna.)
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We already got a method of awaking Luna a bad one but a method, unlikely in the extreme their is another. More likely it stuff related to lunas spell of second childhood spell, and something related to Luna's dream abilities. Luna did not know about the Worms because her presence vaporized lesser worms instantly. Something even the Hours had problems doing.
 
Who knows? The extras thing was a special unlock from Jade regardless. She might unlock something better, but my gut says it wont.
 
Vote closed
  • Voting
    • Scheduled vote count started by BirdBodhisattva on Jan 27, 2022 at 8:21 PM, finished with 106 posts and 39 votes.
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  • Voting
    • (Checks previous posts)
    "Yeap, I did tell them Stormchaser wouldn't approve of the ritual..."
    (Re-checks previous posts)
    "Yeah, I also told them they could go around that issue by not telling him about Luna at all."
    (Looks at vote results)
    "And they still... huh... Well, I assume they are also this honest in their own personal lives, eh?"

    But the real question is. Does this make Velvet a hypocrite, for having taught Selene that "lying to protect the ones you love is okay"? Or does this make Velvet a good pony for being fully honest?

    :V

    No idea when next update will be up. Hope you're all doing well!
     
    BirdBodhisattva said:
    (Checks previous posts)
    "Yeap, I did tell them Stormchaser wouldn't approve of the ritual..."
    (Re-checks previous posts)
    "Yeah, I also told them they could go around that issue by not telling him about Luna at all."
    (Looks at vote results)
    "And they still... huh... Well, I assume they are also this honest in their own personal lives, eh?"

    But the real question is. Does this make Velvet a hypocrite, for having taught Selene that "lying to protect the ones you love is okay"? Or does this make Velvet a good pony for being fully honest?

    :V

    No idea when next update will be up. Hope you're all doing well!
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    Lying to protect the ones you love has it's place, that place is not always, nor is it forever.
     
    What Weaver said. Last resorts are, after all, the last. Especially when most of us seem to assume that it's probably going to come out eventually anyways, and you also stated that anything we keep silent here will be much worse for being revealed in the future. So it became a question of "risk having to do the ritual anyways despite his disapproval" or "be certain that he will be hurt when our last lie comes out".
     
    We are going to be the hero, and we're willing to pay a whole lot of narrative taxes to get there! Screw the darker side of Grey.
     
    I kind of assumed that we would leash Stormchaser when it came time for the ritual.
     
    Earth-Destroyer said:
    We already got a method of awaking Luna a bad one but a method, unlikely in the extreme their is another. More likely it stuff related to lunas spell of second childhood spell, and something related to Luna's dream abilities. Luna did not know about the Worms because her presence vaporized lesser worms instantly. Something even the Hours had problems doing.
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    What are you talking about? We explicitly know there are three rituals tied to Selene, and given they are tied to her knock level and the first involved awakening her it's fairly likely the other two are as well. More gentle rituals of awakening, I would assume. Given that what was done to Selene was not a thing of the Mansus, which is why the Master missed the possibility completely. Especially given the description of the ritual was effectively "this is to Awaken Luna before Selene is ready"
     
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    Byzantine said:
    What are you talking about? We explicitly know there are three rituals tied to Selene, and given they are tied to her knock level and the first involved awakening her itms fairly likely the other two are as well. More gentle rituals of awakening, I would assume. Given that what was done to Selene was not a thing of the Mansus, which is why the Master missed the possibility completely.
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    Actually, no. We know there are three times Jade can examine Selene, one for each level of Knock, but then all giving a ritual is only a theory so far. A pretty sound one, given both Bird's and CS's habits in general at making patterns, but still uncertain.
     
    Ericwinter said:
    Actually, no. We know there are three times Jade can examine Selene, one for each level of Knock, but then all giving a ritual is only a theory so far. A pretty sound one, given both Bird's and CS's habits in general at making patterns, but still uncertain.
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    I'd be pretty pleased to get more information about how this whole thing will work, but a ritual seems somewhat likely.
     
    I suppose we could always throw in another "Talk with Stormchaser" action later on, but Action Hell...

    I did already make my opinion clear before the vote opened, but by the time I got done with the RL busywork, the winning plan (and the runner-up) that went Truth-only for things I said were all-or-nothing types had way too much of a lead for me to see much hope for a turnaround.
     
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    Random thought of the day: depending on how difficult hypothetical bonus awakening rituals can be, Selene could cast it herself with her honestly impressive Lore levels, especially if she squirreled away artifacts. Would be a hell of a surprise for everyone to wake up to though.
     
    For a moment I thought Convincement-Cult and Convincmenet-Compromise won and I was about to baby rage all over this thread, but it didn't, thank Celestia.

    The plan that did win is still sort of meh, IMO. I think convincing him about Luna and the Lores while withholding information about the cult was the best idea. Purely from a safety/action-economy standpoint, because, y'know, I don't want him to die because that means a Bad End. This isn't the worst possible plan but it could have been worse, so I'm satisfied.

    It's gonna suck when we willingly violate his agency for the sake of performing on his daughter-figure though. I really question telling him about Luna without convincing him. It's implicitally putting Velvet on the path of going "Yeah I know I discussed Luna with you for the sake of giving you more agency on the situation and you said no ritual but...I'm gonna ignore your agency on the situation anyway, sorry?"

    And I very much question using a Leash on him, mostly because I very much doubt we'll have freed Twilight in 5 turns and thus have a leash _free_ for the situation. And the people who are disregarding what he can do so casually, are kind of missing the fact we have given him a massive amount of leverage over us.

    Yeah he won't use the Cult side things as leverage because we've convinced him on that but that still leaves a LOT on the table for him. We really shouldn't underestimate his ability and willingness to save his daughter, or at least that's what he would be doing in his eyes.

    Overall, it's not the worst possible History? So I guess I'm satisfied.
     
    Eh, the members of couples can disagree on stuff without everything imploding. They can fight each other on stuff. They can hit rough patches. But if Luna is awoken without destroying Selene... then that's his daughter growing up. Abruptly, yes, but such things are typically inevitable. Now if we fuck up and Selene is gone when Luna returns? Then that's some really serious shit.
     
    I'll be honest, I don't think you have considered everything that was put on the table as much as it may seems.

    Telling the truth to Stormchaser on Luna without convincing him while, at the same time, doing the same with the (TRUTH-COMPROMISE) option doesn't bode well.

    There probably will be a good chance he may think that Velvet is also going around murdering people if you do the ritual without his consent, which can completely break their relationship, and may not want to back down on Selene in fear that his wife (or even himself) is entering a slippery slope that may lead to murdering people.
     
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