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] Hissy Fit


no, seriously, Hissy Fit is perfect! Partial credit to @NMS for coming up with the first half of it


"hissy fit":

a sudden period of uncontrolled and silly anger like a child's:


And she's also partly snake.

It's so appropriate it hurts!
 
BirdBodhisattva said:
Daughter-of-Axes is capable of crafting THREE "Wrong Keys" to you, in a single turn. however, she is only willing to do that ONCE per summoning period.
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BirdBodhisattva said:
[UNINTERESTED]: Will refuse any gifts to stay in the Wake (however, her cooldown for re-summoning is a single full month)
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These two are a bit awkward to manage, because Wrong Keys expire after three turns. If we have her make them now, we won't be able to use them to resummon her, and there will be a coverage gap. But if we make the Keys on her second or third turn and sacrifice them to resummon her we don't have full protection on her first summon turn. Well, we do already have one key, and we can only sacrifice two in summoning anyway, so those "gaps" are really just times when we only have one Key instead of three. That's... probably okay? If we keep our whole family in one place?
 
Skelm said:
These two are a bit awkward to manage, because Wrong Keys expire after three turns.
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They expire after five, not three. So we should always have some on hand, unless the cult decides to go absolutely ham on the death rituals.

Which, we should really figure out how to make wards so we don't have to rely solely on the Keys, plus we still need to find a way to block RotT. I know making a ritual would take a while, but it might be worth it.
 
[X] Miss Violet
[X] Hissy
[X] Miss Danger Noodle
[X] Velvet Axe
[X] Velvet Scales
Greymere said:
They expire after five, not three. So we should always have some on hand, unless the cult decides to go absolutely ham on the death rituals.

Which, we should really figure out how to make wards so we don't have to rely solely on the Keys, plus we still need to find a way to block RotT. I know making a ritual would take a while, but it might be worth it.
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Ah, it looks like you're right. The Key we got last turn expires at the end of Turn 18, so a group of Keys we got this turn would expire at the end of Turn 19, which is also the first turn we could resummon Miss Danger Noodle. We can then have her immediately make more Keys to replace the ones we spent summoning her.
 
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Pittauro said:
well, not that we're going to still be around by then.
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That's what makes it extra funny.
Pittauro said:
wait, isn't that +80 (50 for expeditions + 30 from general bonus?) instead of +50?

Are you saying the two bonuses don't combine? because I think they do.
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No, this conversation has been had before, repeatedly, and not just by you or me. The math even more so. The +50 replaces the +30 in those specific situations. Names are broken, but not quite that broken.

Also, damn you, this is really fucking clever.

[x] Hissy Fit
 
[X] Velvet Daughter

Because for some reason Silky thinks the two of you are pretty similar in some way and thus must be family.

Edit.

[X] Velvet Axe
 
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Talon TigerDino said:
...You monster, look what you have made me do.

[X] Hissy Fit
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Ericwinter said:
Also, damn you, this is really fucking clever.

[x] Hissy Fit
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I only regret I can't take full credit for the idea. Still, half credit will have to do :D

Ericwinter said:
No, this conversation has been had before, repeatedly, and not just by you or me. The math even more so. The +50 replaces the +30 in those specific situations. Names are broken, but not quite that broken.
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Right, sorry. It's just been a long while. I remembered us talking about it, but I didn't remember the answer
 
Pittauro said:
Right, sorry. It's just been a long while. I remembered us talking about it, but I didn't remember the answer
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It's fine, it is a bit complicated. I just spend a lot of time with these numbers dancing in my head, so I can get a bit snappy when people try to change them. Sorry.

But hey, she can still throw a good +150 at something if she really puts her back into it, which is nice. And Velvet running along can bring that over +200. I honestly don't think we'll need that though. Probably better to put Our Attention on Moth for stealth, just in case.
 
BirdBodhisattva said:
The Wolf's Invitation: "He will give you what you desire, and you will beg for it as He does. He will give you the knowledge of what it means to End."
-Seek audience with the Wolf-Divided. (Costs one Mansus-action.)
-This action will give you both Winter AND Edge Sacraments.
-This action may be taken even if you have not reached Edge level 4, and it WILL fulfill (and lock) your Edge Sacrament.
-This action may be taken with your "free" monthly Mansus action.
-[THIS IS A REGRETTABLE ACTION]
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Called it.

Now I know you ponies have some stuff against the Wolf but look at our other options.

BirdBodhisattva said:
Actions of your own: "You will only ever stop being afraid of it when you truly understand it. You cannot run from it, any longer. You must understand what it means to die. You must... understand death."
-Perform, three times, the "Investigating the End" action. (Costs 30 bits per action, rolls using your Winter level)
-This action is the equivalent of performing a "The End is Beautiful" ritual WITHOUT specifying a target.
-Each time you do so, somepony, somewhere, will die.
-No ponies in your contact list will die.
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Commiting random murders along with 3 AP and 90 bits.

We just had a massive debate in the thread about going around murdering beings. And this is not even targeted so it might end up catching foals.

I generally think that Velvet would prefer going to the Wolf over murdering babies.

It's a pity we're both leaving the cult and what is most likely our rival holds Neighnia. She could have been a option.
 
Shaper47 said:
Now I know you ponies have some stuff against the Wolf but look at our other options.
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There's the Shaper we all know and... know.

Shaper47 said:
It's a pity we're both leaving the cult and what is most likely our rival holds Neighnia. She could have been a option.
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She's still an option. We want to steal her away from the cult anyway, this just gives us extra motivation to do so. It's lot like we're going to hit Winter 4/4 anytime soon.
 
Greymere said:
She's still an option. We want to steal her away from the cult anyway, this just gives us extra motivation to do so. It's lot like we're going to hit Winter 4/4 anytime soon.
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That sounds very difficult to do. Stealing a Name would probably be quite dangerous and take a bunch of AP.

We can technically reach Winter 4/4 in 2 AP (or 3), and the Wolf only costs 1 Manus action.
 
Shaper47 said:
We can technically reach Winter 4/4 in 2 AP (or 3), and the Wolf only costs 1 Manus action.
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You do realize that would be FIVE Regrettable Actions, right? When we're at 2/7 Stains?

Nevermind that we don't even have a reason to rush for Winter 5.

Shaper47 said:
That sounds very difficult to do. Stealing a Name would probably be quite dangerous and take a bunch of AP.
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Leaving her with the cult is a terrible, terrible idea for multiple reasons. So it doesn't really matter if it's difficult or dangerous, we need to get her out of the cult's hands.
 
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I'm going to be honest, I prefer the Velvet Axe name because it definitely feels more like welcoming DoA to the family, and mildly less insulting to someone who is pretty freaking bad at social stuff. And if Baldomare can be an aunt, the Duaghter can definitely be a cousin or something.

Also, imagine for a moment the scene in which Silky is going to give her this name. On the one hand, there's the "oh, you're grumpy! I should call you Hissy Fit!" Which is, admittedly, pretty funny. On the other, there's the exceptionally more touching scene where Silky decides she's obviously part of the family now, and, most importantly, thinks to tie her new name to the object so important to DoA. Basically, I really want to our daughters to charm this very grumpy, very powerful individual with thoughtful gestures. Especially given how sensitive she seems to being embarrassed.

Also, writing Hissy or Fit regularly as a form of address is going to quickly lose its humor and feel kind of awkward, imo. It's a nice joke, but I don't want to be making fun of such a valuable person like that constantly.
 
Greymere said:
You do realize that would be FIVE Regrettable Actions, right? When we're at 2/7 Stains?

Nevermind that we don't even have a reason to rush for Winter 5.
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Why would we go to the Wolf FIVE times? Where are you getting that from?

I was thinking more a level 4 influence (2 scraps), a lesson from Master (1 scrap) and the sacrament action (1 Winter scrap).

We would only need to go to the Wolf once.
 
Shaper47 said:
Why would we go to the Wolf FIVE times? Where are you getting that from?

I was thinking more a level 4 influence (2 scraps), a lesson from Master (1 scrap) and the sacrament action (1 Winter scrap).

We would only need to go to the Wolf once.
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Getting four scraps out of two actions? Considering your obsession with the Wolf, visiting them four times with two Mansus actions seemed right up your alley. And where are you getting "our Sacrament will give us a Winter scrap" from?

Anyway, like I said, we don't have a reason to rush for Winter 5, so it doesn't really matter than we don't have Neighnia's option right at this very moment.
 
Like, Foul Mood is an okay way to comment on DoA's demeanor, even she probably wouldn't deny it and it at least sounds slightly mature, if angry. Hissy Fit, however, is basically openly accusing her of acting like a child. Which, yeah, Silky might do… but all the humor in the world doesn't change the fact that she's a fucking Name. And a touchy one at that. Let's not encourage our daughter to antagonize the very scary snake lady with an axe, even on an OOC level. And at least try to set a better tone for interactions.

She might accept it, but it would probably rankle.
 
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