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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Mainly because he's good at fighting (Edge), he didn't actually kill Shining when he could've (Shining knows that, but doesn't remember his attacker), and this also ensures Comet doesn't have to worry about the Bureau falling on his face afterwards.
And also so we can get Comet to Guard us using the Bureau action.

But it got veto'd by Bird for a good reason, so...
 
[x] Plan Pittauro, All in wedding without key but with expedition.
[x] Plan Pittauro, but without the neglecting work free action
SH sacrament is supposed to be a dangerous action. Don't want to get any injures right before wedding
 
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[X] Plan: Responsible Velvet (Personal Sacrament edition)
[X] Plan: Responsible Velvet (Personal Sacrament edition) v2.
[X] Plan Pittauro, but with our SH Sacrament.
[x] Gotta do that Sacrament sometime.
[x] Gotta do that Sacrament sometime. (Marinette doing the expedition.ver)

It's important for me to start on Velvet's personal SH NOW.
 
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I'm done updating the temporary threadmark, please take a look; and consider keeping Velvet as a responsible pony, a good role model for her agents to follow?

We really don't want to set the precedent of random excuses being used to dodge work and all...
 
[x] Plan Pittauro, but without the neglecting work free action
 
Time to throw my own plan into the ring!

[X] Plan Strengthen Our Bases
-[X] [AotL] Winter, during the Sacrament Action
-[X] [FORGE] Create a Knock 2 Edge 1 Reagent. (45 Bits, Free Action)
-[X] [KNOCK] The Only Way Up
--[X] [KNOCK] Keep going up. You are so very close now. So. Very. Close.
-[X] [DETECTIVES] There are still changelings out there. Hunt them. Look for them, and for the ponies who colluded with them. (One of the chief expectations of the Bureau. Avert a future Catastrophe)
-[X] [CONSTABLES] It is less paperwork for you if they just help with the investigations. (NO ACTION from the Constables. GAIN a PERSONAL ACTION for Velvet Covers)
-[X] [COMMISSIONER] The Bureau is more than an institution, it is a gathering of dedicated ponies working towards a unified goal. Ingrain yourself with them. (Establish, increase, or salvage the loyalty of the Bureau towards you personally.)
-[X] [SOCIAL] [TEACH] Teach Rarity, and make her a Disciple. (Free Action)
-[X] A fleeting opportunity
--[X] Royal. Wedding! Royal. Wedding! Help. Plan. The Royal. Wedding! (Expand, and pick one more item from, the list of Royal Wedding opportunities)
-[X] [JADE] "You do you." Let her do whatever she wants for once. It might do her some good, both mentally and personally.
-[X] These are the skills that allow you to climb the Mansus.
--[X] Attempt, even if foolishly, to untangle the webs of the Secret Histories
---[X] Investigate your current skills. To try to understand them, if nothing else. (Current progress 0/3)
-[X] [FLUTTERSHY] Ask for a favor, from you... mutual friend. (WRITE IN a favor, that you will ask her to ask Comet Feet to do)
--[X] Guard our Family
-[X] [RARITY] Focus on your work.
-[X] [STEPPES] There is no guarantee he will be able to help you, but you will write him about… (WRITE IN)
--[X] [STEPPES] Ask him to join us on our Vacation to Cloudsdale.
-[X] Jade's house is now adequately clean. Or at least sufficiently presentable for ponies to work on it. You should…
--[X] [SERVANTS] You need a place where you can safely, and discreetly, store items. Use the upper level of her house for it.
-[X] [MAREINETTE] Act as your emissary. (Pick an action from Velvet's list. INCLUDING social actions private to Velvet)
--[X] Much to your own satisfaction, you now have a personal life outside of your maids, immediate family and business related meetings. You could choose to spend some time with…
---[X] Filthy Rich, a well-to-do and wealthy bussinespony
-[X] [BALDOMARE] [RITUAL] The Reflection of the Tapestry - Find a key that only opens. A key that would break DoA's curse. Where it is, what defends it, what stops us from simply taking it. Cost 30 bits.
--[X] At Jade's old house.
-[X] [SELENE] Go play, one last time. (Costs two actions. Goodbye, Selene.)

This has Velvet nab the maximum number of wedding actions, increasing the Bureau's loyalty to us to minimize the blowback from slacking, teaching Rarity, doing a little reagent crafting, doing a little bit of Mansus climbing, SACRAMENT ADVANCEMENT, and Mareinette getting us closer to Rich.

Rarity focuses on her work and thus, our money. Jade takes a break because she deserves it and we are forever thankful that she has found the gentlest send-off possible for Selene. Baldomare scries for the Key, because we need more DoA in our lives. Fluttershy arranges for a bit of our safety, because that is important. Mareinette improves our relations with the stallion so rich he has money in his name. Steppes will hopefully have a good time with us at Cloudsdale.

Now, I haven't bothered with finding a 3-circle this turn because I am comfortable doing a single summon next turn, and a summon is not guaranteed to generate Suspicion in the first place. Besides, the guy who would most likely report anything suspicious will be too distracted by his love's sudden return to his life. I also haven't bothered with Pride because, well, his heartbreak will be resolved by our actions anywho, whereas our dearth of bits will not. Rich can hopefully help with that, so let's focus on him. But we really, really do need bits like, all the time these days. Delicious, delicious bits, lifeblood of rituals and occultism. Also one step closer to another AP! I could be argued over to Applejack too, I suppose.

Also the AoTL: Winter is to help resist any of the mental maluses that might come from looking into alternate timelines. It's rather taxing on the sanity whenever it appears IC.
 
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Actually, question about Attention of the Laws to get a Grail influence: will Cadence think we're pregnant again, and we'll have more explaining to do? I suspect, based on what we did last time, that she just won't mention it because she knows now that we can miscarry easily. So that problem sorts itself out.

Or, maybe this is overly optimistic, but (out of character) I feel like Bird might not want to retread this old ground and will just not say anything about it.
 
Steady Gaze said:
Actually, question about Attention of the Laws to get a Grail influence: will Cadence think we're pregnant again, and we'll have more explaining to do? I suspect, based on what we did last time, that she just won't mention it because she knows now that we can miscarry easily. So that problem sorts itself out.

Or, maybe this is overly optimistic, but (out of character) I feel like Bird might not want to retread this old ground and will just not say anything about it.
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AotL does not get us an Influence, they are two different things.
 
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lurker9875 said:
You know what's better than Damage Control (of unknown effectiveness?)

Not having any fires or rumours to put out in the first place? That way we don't get the +Loyalty of this option spoiled, isn't it great?
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I think that whatever Good Things the QM promised would stem from the Wedding Actions will outweigh the +Loyalty, honestly. We can always work on improving relations with our employees, but a Royal Wedding is likely a one-time thing in this quest.
 
I should hope so. Selene is far too young to be thinking about marriage, and if Celestia hasn't had one in the last thousand years she's not going to have one now of all times.
 
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