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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We can make magically inducing someone into a bloodline a thing.

It strikes me as sort of how names work? You become closely related to a particular hour.
 
Lopezelpesado said:
What... I may need context.

Also can't we do voodoo rituals to revive spike? I dunno sounds like a cult thing that you can do.
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We're in the middle of betraying the cult because of ethical reasons and there's a nonzero chance that if we screw up at the wrong time we're going to die via the angry Cult Master, whose primary Principle is Moth.

And unfortunately not. Things that die tend to stay dead in CS, unless they're Hours or Winter Long.
 
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Greymere said:
We're in the middle of betraying the cult because of ethical reasons and there's a nonzero chance that if we screw up at the wrong time we're going to die via the angry Cult Master, who's primary Principle is Moth.

And unfortunately not. Things that die tend to stay dead in CS, unless they're Hours or Winter Long.
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Huh... Well then. No wat the heck did you do to be tainted? I don't remember that last time i checked the character sheet.
 
Lopezelpesado said:
Huh... Well then. No wat the heck did you do to be tainted? I don't remember that last time i checked the character sheet.
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You mean the Stains? The first one was forced upon us when we stumbled upon the Wolf-Divided while exploring the Shattered Stairways, and we got the second from taking a Regrettable Action to destroy the Tribal Door (in order to avoid having to spend time looking for an earth pony and pegasus to kill to pass it the normal way).
 
I mean, if we are actively discussing fillifying people, we might as well go for broke and adopt the Master. We can then ground them if they try to commit genocide.
 
Lopezelpesado said:
Well god damn spike is dead.

I am looking to read this quest anything I should know?
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There's also the fact that we accidentally turned Luna into a Filly while attempting to break the seal on her memories about being nightmare moon—which turned out to be the result of Worm possession—and are now raising her in secret until we can restore her back to full health and power. Oh, and we're about to be hired by Celestia to form a secret police meant to take over Luna's job of protecting Equestria from subtle threats, but if she catches a hint of literally anything we've been involved in so far, she'll burn us to ashes.

Oh, we also recently broke a pillar of reality and, in the process, wrote the concept of Paranoia into ponykind's psyche, giving a universal -5 to anything ponies try to do with other ponies, except in whatever town Velvet happens to live in. And at the end of the turn we're going to be trying to break into one of our own Cult's bases, controlled by a woman who most likely hates our guts, to rescue Twilight Sparkle from her inprisonment. Which may or may not end with us having to gaslight the fuck out of her so she doesn't get us in trouble with literally everybody.
Greymere said:
We're currently walking a tightrope made of razor wire and beneath us is a bunch of Very Angry Moths.

Metaphorically speaking.
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True. If you wanted to be literal you would just mention the one very big Moth that occasionally watches us sleep. :V
Bakkasama said:
I mean, if we are actively discussing fillifying people, we might as well go for broke and adopt the Master. We can then ground them if they try to commit genocide.
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…You know, that's not a bad plan.
 
Huh... This sounds like it will be something. Amma read now, try to not break reality or summon chtulu while I catch up.
 
Greymere said:
Too late, we already did that a few turns back :V
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What'chu mean "a few turns ago"? We did it last turn. Well, technically very early this turn. Punched a hole in the fabric of reality and told an eldritch abomination to climb through. Notably, this freaked said abomination out so much they chose the much more comfortable method of crawling through a recently murdered corpse to answer our summons, and now fears that we'll curse her into a child's form if she pisses us off.
 
I know I'm really late to the argument, but I'm of the opinion that too much alcohol takes away a person's ability to consent, even if they're still otherwise conscious. I know there's tons of people who think otherwise, and who happily hop into bed after plenty of drinks and don't think much of it when there's somebody else in said bed the next morning...

But honestly, it just sort of bothers me out that people think Velvet is in a position to consent right now, let alone our new minion Rarity.

We literally have an action locked off because we're on magic drugs. My preference is to err on the side of caution... And while some people may want to see how far down the rabbit hole we can go, I have zero interest in that regarding sex of dubious consent. Not even no consent, dubious consent.

I will humbly ask for @BirdBodhisattva to mark the end of whatever scene comes up if the other vote wins. I simply have serious negative interest in reading it (regardless of how innocent it is), but would still want to try to enjoy the rest of the story around it if the thread goes that way. To each their own, but that's really not my bag.

Thanks for writing the story, Bird, and please have a pleasant day!

[x] "So the seeds . . . were planted, though for long years [they will be] nothing but an unfulfilled ache."
[x] Keep it in reserve (Velvet will keep the Leash to herself, and consider using it if an unexpected circumstance arises, such as Twilight Sparkle or something else.)
 
Lopezelpesado said:
Huh... This sounds like it will be something. Amma read now, try to not break reality or summon chtulu while I catch up.
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I mean, as everyone is already spoiling everything...

We already broke reality a little, and are now currently in the process of banging bagging seducing being seduced SOMETHING with Rarity :D

We also may or may not have convinced a Name (basically a Demigod) that we can curse ponies into children.

Lopezelpesado said:
If I managed to catch up with xander quest then I can catch up to anything.
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..that IS an impressive feat, yeah.
 
[X] "So the seeds . . . were planted, though for long years [they will be] nothing but an unfulfilled ache."
-Rarity will temporarily become a Minion
-Rarity will stop being a Minion as soon as her Grail level becomes equal/greater than yours, AND An Incarnadescence ends (both conditions must be met)
-Rarity will RETURN to being a Minion, should her Grail level ever become lower than yours, OR if you come under the effect of An Incarnadescence again (either condition being met will be enough for her to become a Minion again in the future

[X] keep leash in reserve.
 
Master_Fireball said:
I know I'm really late to the argument, but I'm of the opinion that too much alcohol takes away a person's ability to consent, even if they're still otherwise conscious. I know there's tons of people who think otherwise, and who happily hop into bed after plenty of drinks and don't think much of it when there's somebody else in said bed the next morning...

But honestly, it just sort of bothers me out that people think Velvet is in a position to consent right now, let alone our new minion Rarity.

We literally have an action locked off because we're on magic drugs. My preference is to err on the side of caution... And while some people may want to see how far down the rabbit hole we can go, I have zero interest in that regarding sex of dubious consent. Not even no consent, dubious consent.

I will humbly ask for @BirdBodhisattva to mark the end of whatever scene comes up if the other vote wins. I simply have serious negative interest in reading it (regardless of how innocent it is), but would still want to try to enjoy the rest of the story around it if the thread goes that way. To each their own, but that's really not my bag.

Thanks for writing the story, Bird, and please have a pleasant day!

[x] "So the seeds . . . were planted, though for long years [they will be] nothing but an unfulfilled ache."
[x] Keep it in reserve (Velvet will keep the Leash to herself, and consider using it if an unexpected circumstance arises, such as Twilight Sparkle or something else.)
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Perfectly understandable.
 
[X] "So the seeds . . . were planted, though for long years [they will be] nothing but an unfulfilled ache."
[X] Keep it in reserve (Velvet will keep the Leash to herself, and consider using it if an unexpected circumstance arises, such as Twilight Sparkle or something else.

I'm gonna go without the "Forbidden couplings" personally. At the very least until Storm Chaser is educated in the lore of the Grail. I am curious about what the ??? is with that coupling, I don't think this is aligning with the more common Grail descriptions of the game being that they become a little less every time you invite them to your chambers, but with her becoming a permanent minion it's hard to say. Most likely option I can see is her getting added to the fail condition if she is taken as a Lover, since it doesn't exactly seem like this will be a common method of Velvet obtaining Minions in the quest.

I don't think this would lead into any of the Long or Hour narratives like Soft Sweeps could have, given that there isn't really any Hours to punish such a coupling anymore, but...

As far as keeping the leash in reserve, basically what it says on the tin. Twilight is not going to be okay, and while she will probably recognize that Velvet tried to help her with the imposter princess it might be a good idea to have something to keep her quiet. Or to get her brother not to ask any awkward questions.
 
Oh. Damn.

I guess that would make a relationship with Rarity easier? I liked the dragon /:
 
Nictis said:
I don't think this would lead into any of the Long or Hour narratives like Soft Sweeps could have, given that there isn't really any Hours to punish such a coupling anymore, but...
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The coupling is not an issue on that front, at least. The Crime in the Sky is to produce a child between two immortals, so... we don't check any of the boxes.
 
Nictis said:
Oh. Damn.

I guess that would make a relationship with Rarity easier? I liked the dragon /:
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Rarity's a grown woman, and Spike—in this continuity at least—was very much a child. He had a crush on her, yes, but it was the same kind of crush a middle-schooler would have on his teacher.

Maybe, maybe after all of canon and the better part of a decade had passed and he grew up it would have been relevant, but not any time soon.
 
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