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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Windy will probably have to be put down hard, though whether we can or should do it before or after he actually kills someone and how we do it are up for debate. Might even make him the Bureau's first arrest. Copper… we can probably get Steppes to aim his organizations at hers like a loaded gun. At the least curb her influence, if not outright deal with her discretely. And Starry… I honestly don't know. She hasn't yet done anything terrible—that we know of—and we're not entirely certain she's on her path willingly. Then we would have to actually pin her down, which might be difficult since she's apparently diving into Moth.
 
Greymere said:
I can help but think systemically murdering the entire (loyal) Inner Circle in a single month would be one of those things that would motivate the Master to do a munch on our soul :V
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The obvious solutions are telling him that they were traitors, fake our death as well or train a bunch of keyring ninja.
 
A little Cultist backstabbing is to be expected. A lot of Cultist backstabbing… is also probably expected, but probably discouraged as it starts to become detrimental, and the Master would probably prefer to wipe the slate clean than deal with someone who clearly wants no rivals at all.

Or, of course, we can find ways to make it not be provably our fault, but that's a challeng and a half on a good day. Maybe if we can successfully obscure our new job as the Director of the Bureau, and just be the runaway Loremaster…
 
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Ideally we raid copper's branch of the cult to find the lore and then "get super interested in it". Which gives us an excuse to study and thus know the lores.
 
Aranfan said:
Ideally we raid copper's branch of the cult to find the lore and then "get super interested in it". Which gives us an excuse to study and thus know the lores.
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I am a bit hesitant to arrest cultists until we have a better idea about how both the arrests and the trials would be handled. Ideally we would be in charge of the operation and we would be able to minimize the chances of them identifying or incriminating us.
 
Bakkasama said:
I am a bit hesitant to arrest cultists until we have a better idea about how both the arrests and the trials would be handled. Ideally we would be in charge of the operation and we would be able to minimize the chances of them identifying or incriminating us.
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There's also the concern that we… don't actually know what her little fiefdom actually does. There was some kerfuffle with the criminal gangs in town, IIRC, and she's Grail so all sorts of illegal shit is possible, maybe even probable, but we're not actually sure. For all we know it's a perfectly legal Cult of Personality or other establishment of vice. For all we know some things in Equestria that we would normally expect to be illegal aren't.
 
Ericwinter said:
There's also the concern that we… don't actually know what her little fiefdom actually does. There was some kerfuffle with the criminal gangs in town, IIRC, and she's Grail so all sorts of illegal shit is possible, maybe even probable, but we're not actually sure. For all we know it's a perfectly legal Cult of Personality or other establishment of vice. For all we know some things in Equestria that we would normally expect to be illegal aren't.
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Tbf, if she hasn't already done something illegal, it's really only a matter of time until she does.

How unfortunate that the Bureau's Director will just so happen to be supernaturally good at digging up dirt :V

(*cough*RotT*cough*)
 
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Greymere said:
Tbf, if she hasn't already done something illegal, it's really only a matter of time until she does.

How unfortunate that the Bureau's Director will just so happen to be supernaturally good at digging up dirt :V

(*cough*RotT*cough*)
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Nah, just her primary lieutenants, Jade Whistle, Baldomare, and Velvet Axe. The Director will be too busy running around playing politics for support and managing the beauracracy to do personal investigations. (Read: socialing the fuck out of everyone important that we can get our hands on and teaching Lore lessons).
 
Ericwinter said:
Nah, just her primary lieutenants, Jade Whistle, Baldomare, and Velvet Axe. The Director will be too busy running around playing politics for support and managing the beauracracy to do personal investigations. (Read: socialing the fuck out of everyone important that we can get our hands on and teaching Lore lessons).
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We're going to have to do so much socialing. Both (non-Luna) alicorns, whoever our advisor-equivalents will be, generic influence building actions (I want our own spy network dammit :V), and the unfortunate individual selected to be metaphorically sacrificed to our Moth Sacrament (I vote Cherilee). And whatever noble(s) inevitably try to get all up in our business because they're jelly.

Edit: ...I really hope the Ruined Church gives us a Grail Summon. Raw Prophet eq. or Ezeem or w/e, I'm not picky.

...well, no. I would prefer Ezeem. But I'd be happy with any form of Grail Summon.
 
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Greymere said:
and the unfortunate individual selected to be metaphorically sacrificed to our Moth Sacrament (I vote Cherilee).
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Honestly, I rather hope we either find someone exceptionally unpleasant to do that to and just Grail bomb them into oblivion, or the Master will appreciate our elegant betrayal enough that they're still willing to provide. Moth is honestly chaotic enough that there's a decent chance. Especially after we reveal Luna…

Actually, a really dumb thought occurs. We can't really afford to go to the next Cult Meeting, but… we could send a message. We ask for just a little more time. One more turn, in which to finish off a long-prepared surprise. One worthy of their favorite little moth.

Honestly, I'm just a little sad that the timing is off. We almost had it, too. Just a little more time, and we could have brought out Luna at the perfect moment.
 
Ericwinter said:
Honestly, I rather hope we either find someone exceptionally unpleasant to do that to and just Grail bomb them into oblivion, or the Master will appreciate our elegant betrayal enough that they're still willing to provide. Moth is honestly chaotic enough that there's a decent chance. Especially after we reveal Luna…

Actually, a really dumb thought occurs. We can't really afford to go to the next Cult Meeting, but… we could send a message. We ask for just a little more time. One more turn, in which to finish off a long-prepared surprise. One worthy of their favorite little moth.

Honestly, I'm just a little sad that the timing is off. We almost had it, too. Just a little more time, and we could have brought out Luna at the perfect moment.
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Two months. One for Edge lesson, one for the ritual, just in time for the meeting after the next one.
 
Bakkasama said:
Two months. One for Edge lesson, one for the ritual, just in time for the meeting after the next one.
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Only if the ritual has to happen at the end of the turn. Which, admittedly, it probably would, but theoretically even if we ran out of time that would mean they start attacking the same turn we do the ritual. Which allows for an even more dramatic reveal.
 
[X] Plan Vespertine
-[X] You will do the bare minimum to get the farm running. For the benefit of your workers and your city, if nothing else.
-[X] (Servants) Find a way to reduce suspicion of at-home rituals (don't tell them that, of course)
-[X] (Hintchasers) Obtain a dead body from the cemetery
-[X] (Rarity) Focus on her work
-[X] (Jade) Scout Crepuscular Jailbreak with RotT
--[X] Sacrifice Lantern 1 reagent
--[X] At the Velvet estate
-[X] (Velvet Axe) Lead an expedition (Beneath the Royal Castle
--[X] Conditional: Drop and reassign to physically scouting Crepuscular Jailbreak if RotT fails
-[X] (Risen) Fleeting opportunity: Steal the original manuscripts from the Bright Library
-[X] Selene (Winter)
-[X] (AotL) Grail: Comet Feet
-[X] (Knock) Explore the Ruined Church
-[X] (Forge) Grail 3
-[X] (Winter) Raise a Flourishing Risen
-[X] Perform the Calling of Influence (Grail)
--[X] Sacrifice Grail 3 reagent
--[X] At the cult's gathering place
-[X] Fleeting opportunity: Comet Feet
--[X] With Fluttershy from the start
-[X] Fleeting opportunity: Soft Sweeps
-[X] Fleeting opportunity: Family Lore lessons
-[X] Fleeting opportunity: Dissociate 'Velvet Covers' from cult
--[X] Conditional: Drop and reassign to Crepuscular Jailbreak if both RotT and scouting fail
-[X] Lead an expedition (Crepuscular Jailbreak)
 
You know, Baldomare and DoA actually combo really well. Baldomare has the SH and Lantern to find and scry expedition sites, and then DoA can go clear them.

Too bad we'll have to wait until Turn 19 to have them both summoned at the same time.
 
Greymere said:
You know, Baldomare and DoA actually combo really well. Baldomare has the SH and Lantern to find and scry expedition sites, and then DoA can go clear them.

Too bad we'll have to wait until Turn 19 to have them both summoned at the same time.
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They really do. There's a reason we had vague plans to have them just Scry and die DoA's Frangiclave. Plus with DoA leading the expedition, she can drag Baldomare along for free.

But yeah, having multiple Names is a disgusting amount of firepower, especially when they combo really well. Like, a Grail Name? Would cover Axe's social failings. If we get Ezeem or another Geail Name in the Church, shit is going to get real.
 
[X] Plan Vespertine

I'm guessing the reason the DoA's cooldown is so short is because while she is disinterested she really does want to find the damn frangiclave and being stuck chained up in the Mansus is not conducive to that. But she isn't interested enough to sacrifice whatever it is she would need to to stay in the wake indefinitely.
 
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[X] Plan: Being a totally innocent mare
-[X] You will do the bare minimum to get the farm running. For the benefit of your workers and your city, if nothing else.
-[X] (Servants) Find a way to reduce suspicion of at-home rituals (don't tell them that, of course)
-[X] (Hintchasers) Obtain a dead body from the cemetery
-[X] (Rarity) Focus on her work
-[X] (Jade) Scout Crepuscular Jailbreak with RotT
--[X] Sacrifice Lantern 1 reagent
--[X] At the Velvet estate
-[X] (Velvet Axe) Lead an expedition (Beneath the Royal Castle
--[X] Conditional: Drop and reassign to physically scouting Crepuscular Jailbreak if RotT fails
-[X] (Risen) Fleeting opportunity: Steal the original manuscripts from the Bright Library
-[X] Selene (Winter)
-[X] (AotL) Grail: Comet Feet
-[X] (Knock) Explore the Ruined Church
-[X] (Forge) Grail 3
-[X] (Winter) Raise a Flourishing Risen
-[X] Perform the Calling of Influence (Grail)
--[X] Sacrifice Grail 3 reagent
--[X] At the cult's gathering place
-[X] Fleeting opportunity: Comet Feet
--[X] With Fluttershy from the start
-[X] Fleeting opportunity: Soft Sweeps
-[X] On furthering your knowledge. Read;
--[X] BOOK FORGE Level 3.
--[X] BOOK FORGE Level 3.
--[X] BOOK LANTERN Level 6.
-[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] Conditional: Drop and reassign to Crepuscular Jailbreak if both RotT and scouting fail
-[X] Lead an expedition (Crepuscular Jailbreak)

Basically plan Vespertine but doing books and SH sacrament action instead of Lore lessons and more dissociating. The idea is to books makes us a lot less sus and we actually pup some effort into cult orders and the SH sacrament might possibly help us in the Crepuscular Jailbreak due to SH shenanigans.
 
I hope we will let Jade do the Selene research options in the coming turns. I know we are being pulled every which way, but preserving Selene in Luna should be important considering how much effort we put into letting her be as normal a fully as possible.
 
We've been planning for that for quite a while now. The reason we're going for Winter now is so we can do Knock next turn and then have Jade persue the resulting investigation the turn after that without slowing down Luna's recovery.
 
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