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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[] Summon Mareinette, Our Lady of Wires (will cost one action from Turn 16)

[X] Do not. (Turn 16 will progress normally)

I'm being very helpful :V

(I'll take one out once I've actually settled on a decision)

Edit: I'm committing this time, I swear!
 
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Mm, I'll admit, I was really liking the Edge Artifact plan, but the idea of throwing Marinette at the Cult is really funny. I think I'll wait and see for now.
 
[X] Summon Mareinette, Our Lady of Wires (will cost one action from Turn 16)

Just have a feeling she'll excel at one Fleeting Opportunity or another.
 
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Of course, the problem with multi-turn plans, I'll note, is relying on nothing mucking them up. We, uh, heaven's had the best track record with that so far. Just to note.
 
Just to be clear, if we summon her turn 16, then she'll be bound during turns 16, 17 and 18, and by the time we will have to rebind her:

1. Doa will be in downtime (available turns 15-17 and 19-21)
2. We would be busy with final preparations for Luna's awakening, reagents and so on.

Depending on how things will go, that might be really bad timing.
 
[X] Summon Mareinette, Our Lady of Wires (will cost one action from Turn 16)
 
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One thing I would like to note about Mareinette is that despite having high Grail and a trait to cancel it out, she still have a Monstrous Appearance. Meaning that she will probably be coming into the Wake as a robed thing with a boar skull as a face and the stature of an Alicorn. Even if maintaining her binds turns out to be cheap, I feel like having her anywhere around Velvet (at least right not) is a really bad look.

[X] Do not. (Turn 16 will progress normally)
 
Limabot said:
One thing I would like to note about Mareinette is that despite having high Grail and a trait to cancel it out, she still have a Monstrous Appearance. Meaning that she will probably be coming into the Wake as a robed thing with a boar skull as a face and the stature of an Alicorn. Even if maintaining her binds turns out to be cheap, I feel like having her anywhere around Velvet (at least right not) is a really bad look.

[X] Do not. (Turn 16 will progress normally)
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Tbf even Velvet, fully aware of her true appearance, explicitly can't actually point out anything wrong with her.
 
Starlit Horizon said:
Assuming we don't mind that much if she might get noticed, can Doa use Knock instead of Moth on her theft roll, @BirdBodhisattva?
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I'll honestly cross that bridge when I get there. Application bonuses have narrow uses. Application bonuses during expeditions are more broad and narrative. I really can't answer this right now.

Limabot said:
One thing I would like to note about Mareinette is that despite having high Grail and a trait to cancel it out, she still have a Monstrous Appearance. Meaning that she will probably be coming into the Wake as a robed thing with a boar skull as a face and the stature of an Alicorn. Even if maintaining her binds turns out to be cheap, I feel like having her anywhere around Velvet (at least right not) is a really bad look.
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This dissonance is intentionally part of her mechanic as a creature, so don't worry.

Mareinette's appearance will not cause you problems.
 
Honestly, I'm less concerned about her appearance and more wondering what might happen if Cadence ends up dropping in on us again. :V
 
Summoning her now means we exchange personal AP for summon AP turn 16, +1 summon AP turn 17, +1-? AP turn 18.

Rebinding might take AP or it might not, but that is a risk, and strictly AP wise it is between 1 and 2 (or maybe 0 if rebinding will consume 2) spread over 3 turns.

They are arguably stronger actions, but less versatile as a lot of things... Don't really work so well if not done by Velvet.

Primarily learning, but also a couple other things.
 
Grail is repaint of slanesh corruption.
The blood God opposes it by principle.
In doubt, blood for the blood god.
 
So, thus far the benefits are:

Summon now:
+gives her bonus (starting turn 16) and positive AP (starting turn 17) 1 turn earlier
+maybe next turn there would be another fire we have to spend all available AP on?

Do not (and summon turn 17)
+bits are available for edge artifact search & purchase, guaranteing Selene's Edge lesson - not actually easy, the alternatives are possibly unavailable Comet lessons or search&read books (worth 2 AP)
+binding fail NOT on the turn 18; no complications when we don't have Doa and have to prepare for Luna's awakening
+takes initial summon AP from less tight turn (about 4 vs current 3)

I'm biased, but honestly "do not" looks way better to me.
 
[X] Do not. (Turn 16 will progress normally)
Please no. We've got so much stuff to do and I don't feel like we're even remotely prepared to be wrangling Mareinette. She can wait for a few turns.
 
[X] Summon Mareinette, Our Lady of Wires (will cost one action from Turn 16)

We need summons to escape our AP hell. And she is more then capable of bringing Ponyville under what amount to our direct control.
 
MrRobot said:
Just saying violence is the answer to way more things people want you to belive.
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Edge is a powerful political tool yes. I, also, think it would be in character for Velvet to be so disgusted by the idea of someone eating their own child that she'd go hard into edge to try and kill marinette rather than summon her. The fact remains that the various chaos gods do not map cleanly onto the lores of cultist sim and trying to draw parallels instead of treating them as their own thing will only lead one astray.
 
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