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

BirdBodhisattva · Jul 9, 2021

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.

(Quote slightly edited to avoid spoilers)

Pittauro · Sep 26, 2020

permeakra said:
Um. Why?

because apparently with this option EVERYTHING until now was us acting, We're actually a villain in the making, possibly a bit of a psychopath/sociopath too.

It is admittedly an interesting twist, but not the one I want (though I'll do my best to play it straight if it wins).

Asheler said:
The point of the villainous route here isn't cackling sadism or the kind of pointless self indulgence that villain quests often dissolve into, its that the lores and ideas that working with both promote and require a fundamentally inhuman mindset. Moth is not the worst but it still pushes its disciples away from ideas of empathy to the point where even Moth 2 cultists have descriptions like "Porter plies his razor and his scissors, to the great advantage of his friends.". The attraction is in that inhuman mindset and that idea is at the heart of what makes Cultist Simulator interesting and its something unique I would like to see in this quest

also that in that path we simply want the power of the alicorns for ourselves, to add to the power of the Lores.

it wouldn't be a bad story, but this is also a mlp quest, and finding a way to work with high Lores without using one's humanity (...equinity?) seems like it should certainly be possible. Or alternatively we could learn to access Harmony as a source of power, either in place of or in addition to the Lores.

PurposefulZephyr said:
I agree with the Master. Also, his focus on first figuring stuff out is admirable.
It almost feels like a darker Lantern route. Like a moth to a light.

The Glory is a question, and the Moth always answers Yes

[x] You nod, a grim understanding coming to you: Equestria is in danger, and something must be done about it. You have not reached the point where you think a line has been crossed, not when considering what you have just seen. But you will keep that line close to your heart, for you know that you will lose something the day you cross it, and it is not something you wish to lose if you can avoid.

[x] You shake your head in denial. This, just now, was wrong: There are better ways to do this. YOU know better ways to do it. But it is undeniable that you do know no a lot, about almost everything else. Your cult has an established structure and is growing, and you have a position of power within in, but after tonight, you do not intent to stay forever.

[x] You loudly decry your master. A moment too late, a second after his presence is gone, but you are heard by everypony else: What you did tonight was wrong, and your Master either knew of the consequences, or he is not wise enough to be worth following. But regardless of what he is, you will actively oppose him.

I'm tentatively going to vote for these three, though I might change my mind later on. Villain and running away are too short-sighted for me to vote for them, and I can't offer wholehearted loyalty to the Master after what he/she did.

He might be right, but I think Moth is clouding his/her judgement. Working WITH the Alicorn Sisters and Harmony is something he's not even considering. Harmony doesn't necessarily have to be an enemy! Maybe the Fires of Friendship can be the weapon that will finally allow us to eradicate the worms from existence forever! We already saw that the elements of harmony are, at the very least, capable of destroying a worm with the power and intelligence of an Alicorn, and there are other sources of power available. Discord could be turned to our cause too maybe, I don't think he'd like the kind of chaos the Worms bring...

...damn, can you imagine a Discord possessed like Luna was? Or a Tirek that, fool that he is, tried to steal the magic from the Worms?

On a secondary note I tried Cultist Simulator again last night. I played for a bout 4 hours before I noticed how long it had been.

I have no idea what I'm doing, but somehow I went through both the White Door and the Stag Door and became a Know. I even have two cultists!

PrimalShadow · Sep 26, 2020

Pittauro said:
ok, so a bit less hostility now. also the Master is a her? I probably shouldn't be surprised, Equestria has mostly female figures as beings of power.

@BirdBodhisattva - can you confirm that this wasn't a typo?

permeakra said:
Um. Why?

I think the Villain option as presented here is basically going full sociopath - or more precisely, revealing ourselves to have been a sociopath all along, with everything else having been a front.

Basically, this is option is the one where:

When we look at Princess Luna, we don't see a person, with all the intrinsic worth that implies. We see either a puppet who just hasn't realized it yet, or an elixir to be consumed to increase our own strength. And...
Velvet Covers is herself the type of person for whom the perspective in (1) is natural and typical.

I think point (2) is the one tied with the "-And there will be no love within you". We are making an OOC choice for Velvet to be and have always been this sort of person - and that is incompatible with love, in the sense of caring about other people as people and wanting the best for them as a terminal goal in and of itself.

Pittauro · Sep 26, 2020

PrimalShadow said:
I think the Villain option as presented here is basically going full sociopath - or more precisely, revealing ourselves to have been a sociopath all along, with everything else has been a front.

Basically, this is option is the one where:

When we look at Princess Luna, we don't see a person, with all the intrinsic worth that implies. We see either a puppet who just hasn't realized it yet, or an elixir to be consumed to increase our own strength. And...

Velvet Covers is herself the type of person for whom the perspective in (1) is natural and typical.

I think point (2) is the one tied with the "-And there will be no love within you". We are making an OOC choice for Velvet to have been this sort of person, and - and that is incompatible with love, in the sense of caring about other people as people and wanting the best for them as a terminal goal in and of itself.

exactly. It means that all the conversations we had, the worry for our daughter, our new friendship with Rarity... they're ALL lies.

It's a complete 180° turn.

This would become a quest about a search for power, where no cost is too great as long as it's OTHERS who'd pay. We'd become, no, WE WOULD HAVE BEEN a full out villain all this time, on par with Chrysalis, Tirek and Cozy Glow.

I don't want that story. Not as much as I want a story about us using the Lores to do good.

I WILL play that one if it wins, I'll enter the mindset of a "power is everything" villain, because I trust BirdBodhisattva so write an interesting story for it, and because I'm curious to learn more about the lore and background of this quest anyway... but I'd rather any of the other options won.

Well, except running away. That one sounds boring, and I want to play a Velvet that runs away in panic just slightly less than I'd want to play a sociopath villain Velvet.

RebelYell · Sep 26, 2020

I find this very fitting music for Velvet, keeping track of her moral's, having her love for her family on her mind while still making difficult choice's for what she believe's in trying to be a good pony and mother.
Help's that's a sucker for good ole Johnny.

force200 · Sep 26, 2020

[x] You shake your head in denial. This, just now, was wrong: There are better ways to do this. YOU know better ways to do it. But it is undeniable that you do know no a lot, about almost everything else. Your cult has an established structure and is growing, and you have a position of power within in, but after tonight, you do not intent to stay forever.

Kamico · Sep 26, 2020

Mmmh.

I agree that the sociopath choice is a gut punch. It even sort-of contradicts the previously established characterization (unless the mask of normalcy has been an actual face - which, fair enough, might be possible with MOTH).

I'll be fine with choices B and C, with B being preferable: out of the two, B is a perspective less used in Quests on SB/SV.

Still, I desire novelty...

Yokmakarok · Sep 26, 2020

[X] You realize that you had a smile on your face: Princess Luna is weak, but she still bears immense power. She is like a spoiled child, unaware of what she could do if she had the will to, so perhaps the term "Princess" really is fitting, after all. You will take her power, or you will take her, and then you will take what comes next. Everything between here and there will become means to those ends.

[X] You realize just how right your Master is: Your Master is right, and it is a blessing that you have met Copper Secateur and, through her, been induced into the cult. You must defend Equestria, no matter the cost, and only by furthering your cult will that be possible.

Ugh... Anything for a proper cultist experience. We finaly have a chance for a good grey/evil protagonist and I do not want to loose it. So quit pussyfooting!
There is literally no such quest! Finaly something new. And you vote - oh no, it is morally reprehensible, let us have more harmony.
What do you care about morality of ink and paper?
Middle option is too middle and eventually we will need to choose. Why wait at all?
Betrayal just booring. Again with "mc knows best" and fighting the good fight. Yeah, no.

Lord Warlock · Sep 26, 2020

Yokmakarok said:
Ugh... Anything for a proper cultist experience. We finaly have a chance for a good grey/evil protagonist and I do not want to loose it. So quit pussyfooting!

Meh, as much fun as an evil cultist experience would be, people give us a cute daughter, and we somehow turned into a caring mother of a household, there is too much feel good going on right now to feel for giving that up.

x0Nothing0x · Sep 26, 2020

[X] You nod, a grim understanding coming to you: Equestria is in danger, and something must be done about it. You have not reached the point where you think a line has been crossed, not when considering what you have just seen. But you will keep that line close to your heart, for you know that you will lose something the day you cross it, and it is not something you wish to lose if you can avoid.

[X] You realize just how right your Master is: Your Master is right, and it is a blessing that you have met Copper Secateur and, through her, been induced into the cult. You must defend Equestria, no matter the cost, and only by furthering your cult will that be possible.

Either this option or the fence sitting one. Don't really want to go betrayal route just yet because there is still so much we don't actually know... Plus the master can help us get to level 3 in all our lores so to those more goal orientated he's still useful till we get a 3 in everything. On top of me doubting being able to actually survive him and the cult should we turn against it completely and come out unscathed at this time. Also don't want to go full villain even though it provides the most immediate benefits just because I feel like it's a bit too much of a heel turn for velvet who up to this point has been more or less pretty sweat even if she's been shown to be able to read others very well and get them to think what she wants but I've always saw that as something she picked up from her family and being a noble.

and with going the loyal route I'm hoping we can learn more about the master and who he is and how he came to be who he is now. Wouldn't be surprised if we ended up running the cult at some point later down the line because of them getting hit by a "reading rainbow" by our local librarian and friends at the scholastic book fair.

PrimalShadow · Sep 26, 2020

In reverse order:

[] You left. You broke. You galloped away, screaming, and you arrived home limping, your leg cramped with debilitating pain. No more of this. No more.: You do not want to have anything to do with this anymore. The ritual was too wrong, the memories of Princess Luna too vivid. The worms were too frightening.

I'm not especially fond of this option. That said, I think it would be fascinating to read - and even if there is no chance in hell of it winning, I think it deserves better than zero votes.

[] You loudly decry your master. A moment too late, a second after his presence is gone, but you are heard by everypony else: What you did tonight was wrong, and your Master either knew of the consequences, or he is not wise enough to be worth following. But regardless of what he is, you will actively oppose him.

This seems rather risky; though to be fair, at least it offers the benefit of sincerity. I think some folks mentioned coupling this with going to Twilight and eventually Luna/Celestia with this; I could buy that being a viable track, though it is awfully risky.

This isn't what I would do in our protagonist's shoes, but I'm not Velvet Covers. And maybe Velvet is idealistic enough for this; I don't think it matches what we've seen of her so far, exactly, but then again we haven't really seen her response to anything near as nasty as what happened with Luna.

I think this option deserves a bit more support too, so I'll approval vote for this.

[] You shake your head in denial. This, just now, was wrong: There are better ways to do this. YOU know better ways to do it. But it is undeniable that you do know no a lot, about almost everything else. Your cult has an established structure and is growing, and you have a position of power within in, but after tonight, you do not intent to stay forever.

This is the vote that I would want to make, if it was me in Velvet's shoes making a decision.

[] You nod, a grim understanding coming to you: Equestria is in danger, and something must be done about it. You have not reached the point where you think a line has been crossed, not when considering what you have just seen. But you will keep that line close to your heart, for you know that you will lose something the day you cross it, and it is not something you wish to lose if you can avoid.

This is the vote that I would make, if it was me in Velvet's shoes making a decision.

[] You realize just how right your Master is: Your Master is right, and it is a blessing that you have met Copper Secateur and, through her, been induced into the cult. You must defend Equestria, no matter the cost, and only by furthering your cult will that be possible.

Blind loyalty is pretty unappealing to me. I don't think I have enough faith in the Master to decide that he knows best and to call it a day.

[] You realize that you had a smile on your face: Princess Luna is weak, but she still bears immense power. She is like a spoiled child, unaware of what she could do if she had the will to, so perhaps the term "Princess" really is fitting, after all. You will take her power, or you will take her, and then you will take what comes next. Everything between here and there will become means to those ends.

I've read stories with fully amoral protagonists before. I think I'd prefer to see something else here.

Though, to be fair, I am pretty curious on what this would look like, in terms of narratively showing our previous actions as a front. Just not curious enough to give up the other possible paths of this quest.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[X] You nod, a grim understanding coming to you: Equestria is in danger, and something must be done about it. You have not reached the point where you think a line has been crossed, not when considering what you have just seen. But you will keep that line close to your heart, for you know that you will lose something the day you cross it, and it is not something you wish to lose if you can avoid.

[X] You shake your head in denial. This, just now, was wrong: There are better ways to do this. YOU know better ways to do it. But it is undeniable that you do know no a lot, about almost everything else. Your cult has an established structure and is growing, and you have a position of power within in, but after tonight, you do not intent to stay forever.

[X] You loudly decry your master. A moment too late, a second after his presence is gone, but you are heard by everypony else: What you did tonight was wrong, and your Master either knew of the consequences, or he is not wise enough to be worth following. But regardless of what he is, you will actively oppose him.

[X] You left. You broke. You galloped away, screaming, and you arrived home limping, your leg cramped with debilitating pain. No more of this. No more.: You do not want to have anything to do with this anymore. The ritual was too wrong, the memories of Princess Luna too vivid. The worms were too frightening.

Pittauro · Sep 26, 2020

Yokmakarok said:
Betrayal just booring. Again with "mc knows best" and fighting the good fight. Yeah, no.

WE are the mc. It's NORMAL that we think we know best

x0Nothing0x said:
Plus the master can help us get to level 3 in all our lores so to those more goal orientated he's still useful till we get a 3 in everything.

Two things about this

1) level 3 is actually something that we can reach from relatively common books. And if we decided to, say, go to Celestia and Luna and work for/with them we might very well get access to more advanced books, maybe even their forbidden libraries, which would likely be able to raise our lore even higher

2)Admittedly, if we stay on the Master's side it's VERY likely that he'll be willing to teach higher lores. I'd be surprised if he wasn't willing to teach Level 4 lores after this, ESPECIALLY if we go with the loyalty option.

PrimalShadow said:
This seems rather risky; though to be fair, at least it offers the benefit of sincerity. I think some folks mentioned coupling this with going to Twilight and eventually Luna/Celestia with this; I could buy that being a viable track, though it is awfully risky.

Hello, I'm some folks! I've been mentioning that idea for a while

Admittedly it IS risky, but we have a way to send messages to the princess relatively easily: Twilight. We go to her, maybe pretending to want a book from the library, maybe openly, and ask if she knows of a way to send messages to the princess quickly. THat we KNOW what happened to Luna.

We'd then be nearly immediately under the princess' protection... or in prison. Maybe both. Admittedly I doubt our master would be THAT inconvenienced by a prison, but he seems to have limited powers outside the Mansus, or he wouldn't need a cult.

Reinholdt · Sep 26, 2020

[X] You nod, a grim understanding coming to you: Equestria is in danger, and something must be done about it. You have not reached the point where you think a line has been crossed, not when considering what you have just seen. But you will keep that line close to your heart, for you know that you will lose something the day you cross it, and it is not something you wish to lose if you can avoid.

While I want to remain Loyal, it is to the idea of the Cult instead of the Master personally. I may be reading things wrong, but it seems to me that the Master learned some of what he knew was mistaken. He is not necessarily wrong, but he has proven to not be infallible. For all of their power the alicorns are effectively children seemed to be a new revelation.
While I don't necessarily want a neutral option I do not feel the character currently created is blindly loyal. They hold too much love for their family for that. Hell, before the ritual they just gave their daughter a speech about how their actions have affected others. While the pain we have caused is not a good thing, we couldn't have known that or why without the information gained from the ritual itself.
Some may find the 'fence' option boring, but it fits the Secret seeker family persona best to me. While still a true believer without being a complete fanatic. But I am a moderate person by nature.

NexusEye · Sep 26, 2020

Personal guesses as to the affinities of the Mane Six

Note, my only knowledge of the Principles comes from this quest and a quick wiki skim, if you think I've misunderstood a Principle please tell me, I'd love to learn more Cultist Simulator lore.

Twilight - Lantern/Secret Histories?

Lantern
- Knowledge
  - Twilight is the very definition of knowledgeable and knowledge hungry
- Unkindness
  - Terrible social skills, can be unkind accidentally or intentionally
- Devotion to Sun
  - Is a student of Princess Celestia and fiercely loyal
Secret Histories
- Secret Histories seems to be the Principle of finding stuff which certainly applies to Twilight, especially when it comes to books

Rarity - Grail/Edge

Grail
- Confirmed Affinity
- Seduction
  - She is the one most obsessed with physical appearance
- Charisma
  - Is very charismatic
- Desire
  - Is obsessed with luxury
Edge
- Competitiveness
  - Is highly competitive
  - The fashion industry is extremely cutthroat, one must be competitive to survive
- Sense of Artfulness
  - Fashion is a form of art

Rainbow - Edge/Forge

Edge
- Competitiveness
  - Rainbow Dash is competitive
- Violence/Bloodlust
  - RD probably is the most violent of the Mane 6
Forge
- Strength
  - Is the strongest of the Mane 6 aside from AJ
- Transformation
  - Transformation of body is part of Forge, and RD tries to transform herself into something faster every day

Fluttershy - Winter/Heart

Winter
- Death
  - Fluttershy is a vet, one of the main duties of a vet is to make an animals last days comfortable and to euthanize them so they don't suffer needlessly. She must know what death is and has likely witnessed it countless times
- Silence
  - She is by far the quietest of the Mane 6
- Beauty
  - She was a model once (S1E20/Green Isn't Your Color)
Heart
- Life
  - A core part of her character is the healing and protecting animals and her friends
- Protection
  - Ditto

Applejack - Forge/Edge

Forge
- Strength
  - Is the strongest of the Main 6
- Mechanical Thinking
  - Is the most mentally rigid of the Mane 6 except for maybe Twilight
- Artifice
  - Is the only one of the Mane 6 to actually build buildings (mostly barns)
Edge
- Competitiveness
  - Is the second most competitive bearer after RD
  - Runs a farm. Farms are traditionally low margin operations, agriculture is highly competitive
- Violence/Bloodlust
  - Is probably the second most violent Bearer after RD

Pinkie - Heart/Moth/Knock/Grail?/Secret Histories?

Heart
- Cheerfulness
  - Is the epitome of happiness
Moth
- Whimsy
  - Is incredibly whimsical
- Unreason
  - Pinkie's thought processes are very strange
  - Logic does not apply to Pinkie Pie as seen in Feeling Pinkie Keen
- Secrecy
  - PINKIE PROMISE
- Stealth
  - Is probably the most sneaky of the Mane 6
- Erratic Behaviour
  - Fits Pinkie to a T
Knock
- Openings/Hidden Passages
  - Has a way of getting into places she really shouldn't be able to
  - Related to her Offscreen Teleportation?
- Manual Dexterity
  - Is able to move her body like she doesn't have bones
- Disconnect with reality
  - Again, fits Pinkie to a T
- Oracles
  - Pinkie Sense
Grail?
- Charisma
  - Is incredibly charasmatic
- Thirst
  - Does thirst for parties and confectionaries count?
Secret Histories?
- If anypony knows the secrets of the universe it's the one who seems insane and can see beyond the fourth wall

BirdBodhisattva · Sep 26, 2020

zxzx24 said:
@BirdBodhisattva so we have to chose before we figure out how many ponies got killed?

I understand your reasoning, but this is explicitly an OOC vote for mindset picking, so not much of a low blow.

Pittauro said:
I bought you a one month subscription. YOu should be able to add the tags now

Holy sh*t! I don't even know how to react to this. Thanks a million! Really!!!

Lord Warlock said:
Thinking about it @BirdBodhisattva I think what makes me lean towards this option more than the neutral on is the acknowledgement that the this was wrong, and I would probably vote for a more neutral option if that was included.

I just don't really know what the exact difference in effect wold be from: (For example)

You nod, a grim understanding coming to you: Equestria is in danger, and something must be done about it. You have reached and crossed the line, for the first and only time, but the cult must not fall, not when considering what you have just seen. You will keep that line close to your heart, for you know that you lost something today and cannot bear to what to see what continuing down that path will do to you, not if its something you can avoid. (Or whatever, I am not a writer)

In comparison to the neutral option.

I agree on the psychological part, and Velvet's opinion on whether she crossed the line IS an important difference. But since mechanically this will be the same, of "remaining in the cult and be wary of the future".
I won't rightly change the text, but i'll make sure to iron out the details with you later.
Specifically, by reading the mood of the chat, and seeing if the general feeling is that a line has been crossed, and this was the last time (and though i wouldn't have problem calling a vote for this but... i don't think it warrants one)

Pittauro said:
mh.. @BirdBodhisattva , would this possibly change our focus from Moth to something else? I mean, if we OPENLY went to the princesses (assuming the Master doesn't manage to stop us first) wouldn't that go against the Teachings of Moth?

Velvet Covers is a "perfectly neutral" main character when it comes to lore affinity. Of course, i always check your current highest lore and tweak your mindset to it, slightly.
But if you start your own cult, you will pick what its focus will be. From scratch. So dont worry about that.

bobbananaville said:
also, the vote contains a typo, "know no a lot". I'm leaving it in since I don't want it to cause confusion when we tally, but I thought I'd bring it up.

Gracie. But aye for your observation as well, wont fix it until the voting is closed

Pittauro said:
On a secondary note I tried Cultist Simulator again last night. I played for a bout 4 hours before I noticed how long it had been.

I have no idea what I'm doing, but somehow I went through both the White Door and the Stag Door and became a Know. I even have two cultists!

Oh wow. It took me a lot more than that to get through that damned Name and his damned Door.

PrimalShadow said:
@BirdBodhisattva - can you confirm that this wasn't a typo?

This was most surely not a typo.
Much like how all the "he" and "it" used before were equally intentional.
Much how like you always think the Master's voice changes, waxes and wanes.
But thats just food for thought.

Demilich · Sep 26, 2020

[X] You nod, a grim understanding coming to you: Equestria is in danger, and something must be done about it. You have not reached the point where you think a line has been crossed, not when considering what you have just seen. But you will keep that line close to your heart, for you know that you will lose something the day you cross it, and it is not something you wish to lose if you can avoid.

NexusEye · Sep 26, 2020

@BirdBodhisattva, did we perceive Luna blowing up the castle or did the happen after we were disconnected?

Lord Warlock · Sep 26, 2020

BirdBodhisattva said:
I agree on the psychological part, and Velvet's opinion on whether she crossed the line IS an important difference. But since mechanically this will be the same, of "remaining in the cult and be wary of the future".
I won't rightly change the text, but i'll make sure to iron out the details with you later.
Specifically, by reading the mood of the chat, and seeing if the general feeling is that a line has been crossed, and this was the last time (and though i wouldn't have problem calling a vote for this but... i don't think it warrants one)

In that case I think i lean more towards the neutral option, was very much on the edge because I don't really wish to confirm a wish for betrayal but a line was crossed.

PrimalShadow · Sep 26, 2020

Pittauro said:
Hello, I'm some folks! I've been mentioning that idea for a while

Admittedly it IS risky, but we have a way to send messages to the princess relatively easily: Twilight. We go to her, maybe pretending to want a book from the library, maybe openly, and ask if she knows of a way to send messages to the princess quickly. THat we KNOW what happened to Luna.

We'd then be nearly immediately under the princess' protection... or in prison. Maybe both. Admittedly I doubt our master would be THAT inconvenienced by a prison, but he seems to have limited powers outside the Mansus, or he wouldn't need a cult.

Indeed. Sorry I didn't mention you there by name; you were the main person posting that idea.

I think it is a workable approach overall, though revealing ourselves to the princesses means putting ourselves at their mercy - and given that we are PERSONALLY responsible for enabling the ritual that hurt Luna, I'm not sure how much mercy we can count on. Not to mention the possibility that the Alicorns are hostile to Mansus Lore on general principle...

And of course even if that turns out okay, the Master is not a threat to be taken lightly. As you mention it is not clear what his restrictions on working in the Wake are, but regardless of those, unless we forswear journeying to the Mansus he can probably find us there. Maybe he is sworn to inaction (or otherwise limited) in general, but frankly I don't know if we can survive his wrath.

And of course, even if we survive both Celestia and the Master, that still leaves the fundamental problem that is THE END OF THE WORLD. And it is certainly nice to shout idealistic slogans to the world about needing to take a better way - but at the end of the day, it would be a bummer if that caused us to doom existence to being devoured by what might as well be embodiments of suffering.

I think there is a path forward here, and like I said it might be an interesting read, which is why it has my vote. But let it not be said that this path forward is a SAFE path.

Paloneia · Sep 26, 2020

[X] You nod, a grim understanding coming to you: Equestria is in danger, and something must be done about it. You have not reached the point where you think a line has been crossed, not when considering what you have just seen. But you will keep that line close to your heart, for you know that you will lose something the day you cross it, and it is not something you wish to lose if you can avoid.

zxzx24 · Sep 26, 2020

I view deciding that this is not the way as resolving to learn as much as possible and then starting our own Cult.

Make of it what you will.

CedeTheBees · Sep 26, 2020

[X] You realize just how right your Master is: Your Master is right, and it is a blessing that you have met Copper Secateur and, through her, been induced into the cult. You must defend Equestria, no matter the cost, and only by furthering your cult will that be possible.

[X] You shake your head in denial. This, just now, was wrong: There are better ways to do this. YOU know better ways to do it. But it is undeniable that you do know no a lot, about almost everything else. Your cult has an established structure and is growing, and you have a position of power within in, but after tonight, you do not intent to stay forever.

NexusEye · Sep 26, 2020

zxzx24 said:
I view deciding that this is not the way as resolving to learn as much as possible and then starting our own Cult.

Make of it what you will.

I'm gonna start my own Cult! With Applejack and (pie) cookers!

Kamico · Sep 26, 2020

So, what IS the justification to sudden change in case of Sociopath winning?

Velvet shedding her mask/cutting off her face of a family mare, like a MOTH acolyte she is?

Or simple retcon?

NexusEye · Sep 26, 2020

[X] You shake your head in denial. This, just now, was wrong: There are better ways to do this. YOU know better ways to do it. But it is undeniable that you do know no a lot, about almost everything else. Your cult has an established structure and is growing, and you have a position of power within in, but after tonight, you do not intent to stay forever.

PrimalShadow · Sep 26, 2020

Kamico said:
So, what IS the justification to sudden change in case of Sociopath winning?

Velvet shedding her mask/cutting off her face of a family mare, like a MOTH acolyte she is?

Or simple retcon?

Here is how I understand it.

Velvet wouldn't be "shedding" our mask, so much as letting the mask slip for a moment - and henceforth, letting the quest see the mare beneath the mask and not just the mask itself. That in itself would be a retcon, in the sense that it would reveal that everything we've seen so far about Velvet's motivation was actually just the mask.

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

A bodhisattva, by definition, must die to move on.

Megaspell Technician

Aspiring God

A bodhisattva, by definition, must die to move on.

Aspiring God

Probably high right now

Aspiring God

Aspiring God