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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thenew said:
One thing that we could note, from this encounter, is that seeking the Flowermaker isn't entirely a bad option if we do it with care. Merely taking a look at him could help granting us one, or two scraps of lore.

He's nearly guaranteed to try to screw us over, but if we take some care and not give him too much leverage, we might come out of his lairs better then we entered.

Nobody has the aptitude in Lores that we do. Some of them hold specializations that beat our own- our resident Edgelord is better then us in Edge and so on. But exploring the Woods doesn't pay off as well as the rest of the Mansus does.
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We found a grail influence in a hole in the ground.

I wonder what shes found?
 
zxzx24 said:
Doesnt that mean she would he absolutely stacked on lores like we are?
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not if she just CAN'T learn other lores than Heart.

Remember, the fact WE gain scraps from our exploration doesn't necessarily means OTHERS do as well. And especially not as varied as ours.

thenew said:
One thing that we could note, from this encounter, is that seeking the Flowermaker isn't entirely a bad option if we do it with care. Merely taking a look at him could help granting us one, or two scraps of lore.

He's nearly guaranteed to try to screw us over, but if we take some care and not give him too much leverage, we might come out of his lairs better then we entered.
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or, in other words, nothing good comes from the Wolf, but maybe something good could from from the Flowermaker.



"'The Dark Gentleman' is the only, and rather grandiosely, identified author of this often-copied work."
~ Description
"Some pleasures,' the Formulae Voluptuous attest, 'are so intense they can corrupt the laws of the physical world'. This text catalogues some of those instances."
~ Study start text

"Birth occurs at the conjunction of pleasure and torment. So the first Forbidden Acts of the Forge birthed sparks of delight which took root in the Glory or in Nowhere: who can say? So the seeds of the Flowermaker were planted, though for long years he was nothing but an unfulfilled ache."
~ Study end text

Rewards
There exist some pleasures intense enough to corrupt the laws of the physical world. [This formula can be used in a Rite with Bitterblack Salts and a Subtle Rupture - or similar sources of power - to summon Ezeem itself.]
zxzx24 said:
We found a grail influence in a hole in the ground.

I wonder what shes found?
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influences decay no nothingness. Only knowledge survives.

And knowledge is nothing to a mind that doesn't understand it.

Even if she found anything of worth, she might just have not recognized it for what it was.

and, for all we know... well, she has to have reached her heart 3/4 somehow. She probably did it through her experiences in the woods.
 
zxzx24 said:
We know out heart specialist likes to spend a lot of time in the woods.

Even vs her time in reality.

...

Doesnt that mean she would he absolutely stacked on lores like we are?
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Not really. remember, we only get scraps from visiting a place once--and maybe when we find it, I'm not sure exactly--and after that come influences. Which can give scraps, but probably not repeatedly. And until we social her hard enough she grows as a person, Starry is stuck with just the one Lore, so she probably misses out on at least half of what's on offer.
 
So you guys don't think she learned anything useful or interesting in the Mansus? Or that we should be dismissive of that?

Or are you specifically disagreeing with her being a strong in the lores as we are?

Because she is not, but I am a firm believer that strength takes many forms.
 
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zxzx24 said:
So you guys don't think she learned anything useful or interesting in the Mansus? Or that we should be dismissive of that?

Or are you specifically disagreeing with her being a strong in the lores as we are?

Because she is not, but I am a firm believer that strength takes many forms.
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I think we're mostly stating that, whatever she may or may have not gained from her excursions in the mansus, it would NOT be in the form of not-heart scraps of lores, and that gains in terms of influences would not matter as they're, in the end, temporary.

What she's likely to have that we don't, is insight into the Master's nature, values and personality. Also knowledge of the Temple of the Wheel, another Mansus location where she often meets them (and that, I imagine, we'll discover in a turn or two).

There might be more... but I can't even guess what.
 
zxzx24 said:
So you guys don't think she learned anything useful or interesting in the Mansus? Or that we should be dismissive of that?

Or are you specifically disagreeing with her being a strong in the lores as we are?

Because she is not, but I am a firm believer that strength takes many forms.
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Oh, she probably learned some interesting things--not too much, because there's still only so much you can learn, especially if you're just hanging around the same places because you like being there, rather than searching for new knowledge and things to do, but definitely some--but her Lore level is pretty limited. At best we've seen signs that she was Level three, and while hanging out in the Mansus could give her a similar advantage as Comet's isolation in growth, she would still basically be capped at Four, and not even zero in anything else.

Although talking of Lore levels and finding scraps, I do hope that if we continue looking around the Woods, we'll pick up a Moth, Knock, or Winter scrap. That would be really useful.
 
This does make me wonder how everyone elses development is progressing. We know comet feet reached edge 3... a while ago.
 
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zxzx24 said:
This does make me wonder how everyone elses development is progressing. We know comet feet reached edge 3... a while ago.
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In fact, we know that Comet is at level 4 4/4, with only sacrament to go:
BirdBodhisattva said:
That is to say, he is not just Edge 4, he is "Edge 4 on the cusp of 5", with that prickly "block" being the only thing that is standing on his way, whatever it is.
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As for other Inner Circle members, personally, I think that they are at level 3, and maybe some, but not all of them are at level 4.
 
zxzx24 said:
This does make me wonder how everyone elses development is progressing. We know comet feet reached edge 3... a while ago.
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and Edge 4 4/4 with only the sacrament missing not too much later.


I hope to use an action on asking him about his sacrament, see if we can find an... ethically way to help him. That would put him quite in debt to us, and Comet seems like the honorable sort, all things considered.

Starlit Horizon said:
As for other Inner Circle members, personally, I think that they are at level 3, and maybe some, but not all of them are at level 4.
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and on that note, once we reach Lantern 4 (one of the lores closest to lvl up, 2 scraps missing and we have still both the sun-in-splendour book scrap we can get, AND lessons from Baldomare

EDIT: we can teach Jade and bring her up to Lantern 4/Heart 2. That's what I meant to write :rofl:
 
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Pittauro said:
and on that note, once we reach Lantern 4 (one of the lores closest to lvl up, 2 scraps missing and we have still both the sun-in-splendour book scrap we can get, AND lessons from Baldomare

EDIT: we can teach Jade and bring her up to Lantern 4/Heart 2. That's what I meant to write :rofl:
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We probably shouldn't count Baldomare's lesson for that, since she will be in Manehattan for the next two turns and we don't know when we will be able to summon her again.
 
The (alleged) Fate of the Hours
  • Informational
    • Well, I'll try to update this as the game goes on. But by now, here's the Hours that are either confirmed to be alive or theorethically alive.

    AKA The Wound On The World, The Divided One
    "Three natures hath the Wolf Divided; he unmaketh; he unmaketh; at the last, he unmaketh."

    Alive, unquestionably. (It still wishes it wasn't, though.) Currently busy trying to kill itself on the endless depths of the Ascent of Knives. While his direct intervention is unlikely (unless we choose to follow its path to ascension), his children can be summoned to do our bidding.
    AKA The Ivory Dove, The Keener
    "We call upon the Elegiast, who calls each of the Dead by name; who cannot be deceived; from whom nothing more can be taken."

    Possibly alive. (Miss Naenia Neighnia, a Name of his is still kicking. That could mean he's still there. Or not. How Names exactly work isn't something we really know.) It is not that harmful of a power and is unlikely to be a danger. The Dove is not the kindest Hour- but it is never cruel.
    AKA The Laughingthrush, The Centipede, The Sight-Thief, The Pilgrim, yadda yadda yadda.
    'We call upon the Vagabond, who tells her tale to the willing and the unwilling; who cannot be stayed; who cannot be exhausted."

    Possibly alive. (Baldomare is still alive, and Mrs. Way-Too-Much-Masks is one of her possible masters. Again, this runs into the same issue of the Elegiast.) This one is a more direct threat should she be encountered. She's petty- killing her entire city as revenge as it punished her when she was still a portal, for trespassing into a temple- very dangerous, and very, very patient.
    AKA The Watchman, The Doorkeeper
    "We call upon the Watchman, who navigates; who illuminates; who is not compassionate."

    Possibly alive. (Exact same argument as Vagabond, but slightly more likely, as the evidence seems to point towards him being Baldy's patron rather then Vagabond.) A burning, merciless light who strips one from all shadows and whose brilliant allure could spell our doom.
    AKA The Crowned Growth, the Mare-in-the-Tree, the Applebright, the Rising Spider, the Witness
    "All the gods-from-Nowhere, like the Growth, are especially menacing out-of-context things."

    I refuse to believe they are dead.     (Zero evidence of them being around, but I'm listing them here because they are all terrifying abominations who scare even the goddamn Worms and we should always assume they are alive, working against us and always watching)

    (ADDED AS OF RESULTS OF TURN 13.3)
    AKA The Lilyking
    "The Flowermaker cannot touch you; he cannot find you; he always has what you desire."

    Possibly, very likely alive. (We found heavy evidence of his presence in a hole in the ground. I'm not fully sure if it really is him- innocent until proven guilty and all that. It could be one of his servants, like his Name, Karpellus, or his Long, St. Tryphon. Or we are massively overreacting and it's just Amaranthine Nectar some dumbass dropped on the Well.) Not really that dangerous unless we do some stupid shit, but his whole domain is getting people to do stupid shit. So... yeah. Dangerous.

    (ADDED AS OF RESULTS OF TURN 13.5)
    AKA The Tribune of Scars, The Chilliarch, The Thousandman
    "We call upon the Colonel, who is blind; who is scarred; who cannot be denied"

    Possibly alive. (He was mentioned as having taken part in the Wolf Divided's imprisonment. This was not enough evidence to put him here, but as of turn 13.5, he was evoked- in the form of scars- and thus is nearly confirmed to be present in some level... either that, or he left a mark in the world that the Edge has yet to forget.)

    As of Turn 14.4, it has been hinted, in a way, by the Baldomare, that Velvet and Soft Sweeps could have taken in the roles of the Corrivalry. Whether or not this means the original holders are gone for good is not known.

    (ADDED AS OF THE RESULTS OF THE BRAZEN STEP)
    AKA The Golden General, The Shaphur
    "The Nature of the Lionsmith is to be stronger; to be seamless; to make monsters"

    Comes together with the Colonel. (It's either both, or none. Evidence for one being alive is evidence for the other. The Corrivalry is eternity's heart- a halved heart would not beat.)

    Velvet has heard his laughter, and felt the faint echoes of his power. She has taken a step into his path. Whether or not that means anything regarding his status, his life or death... remains to be seen.

    As of Turn 14.4, it has been hinted, in a way, by the Baldomare, that Velvet and Soft Sweeps could have taken in the roles of the Corrivalry. Whether or not this means the original holders are gone for good is not known.

    (ADDED AS OF THE RESULTS OF TURN 14.5)
    AKA The Double-Edged, The Double Threshold

    "We call upon the Horned-Axe: who bears two blades; who permits passage when passage is to be permitted; who waits at the threshold."

    Possibly alive. (The Oldest of all Hours in the living Mansus, survivor of the Lithomachy, master of all Doors and a powerful Hour of Knock and Winter. One of her Names, a serpentine presence who belonged to the Mother of Ants in a time long gone, lies still in the Mansus, shackled in a valley of keys... could this mean that the oldest goddess still lives? She is a survivor, hardened by catastrophe. She had survived what left the Wheel torn, what left the Tide devoured and the Coils slain, what shattered the Flint and tore the Egg Unhatching from the skies, and more, so much more.

    ...but we do not know. Not yet.)

    (ADDED AS OF THE RESULTS OF TURN 14.5)
    AKA The Daughter of Venoms, The Key-Serpent, St. Agnes, Nagi

    "We call upon the Mother of Ants, who encircles; who opens; who arises from wounds."

    Very slightly possibly alive, though something bad has happened to her.

    (One of her Names, who was very obviously a Hooded Princess, is alive and searching for the Frangiclave, but she is not her name anymore. The Mother has done something, something meaningful, a long time ago, as the Daughter has been stuck for some time, and the Name had to leave her service. But she was mentioned, and that means her presence has been felt.)

    Anyone has any other possibilities, based in the evidence we've got by now?
     
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  • Informational
    • All we can say for sure is every Hour that would have fixed the mansus is either dead or (semi) permanently out of play.

    This, unfortunately, leaves quite a few unaccounted for. We know the location of one of them - the wolf divided.

    I doubt we're going to find any Hour that can return to the mansus proper still active, which means any left are either banished from it so thoroughly they still can't return or are dead/disabled. My expectation is the flowermaker is probably not intact. But that doesn't make them any less dangerous.

    Oh, or the worse scenario is the hours left are utterly mindcrushingly broken. That's worse than them being dead or out-of-play. It turns each into a trap akin to the wolf, as just reaching them would likely lead to madness.
     
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    (Logs in)
    (Threadmarks post)
    (Refuses to elaborate any further)
    (Leaves)

    Actually am studying. I'll address pings and whatnots (and update character sheets) on the weekend as usual.

    But I've been thinking about making a threadmark like that, once you learned more about the Mansus, but was worried it'd be taken as WoG. Glad to see someone decided to write this down (and though there's no pressure, I hope this post is updated or at least looked over!)

    Hope you're all doing well!
     
    Well, we know that the Lionsmith and the Colonel had a tussle that the wolf barged into. And since, I assume, the Worm museum is still standing, the Colonel is probably still kicking.
     
    The Game said:
    Well, we know that the Lionsmith and the Colonel had a tussle that the wolf barged into. And since, I assume, the Worm museum is still standing, the Colonel is probably still kicking.
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    The Colonel would not have left the mansus in this state, so he's either dead or crippled. Which, yes, means the worm museum may be breached. We haven't been there.
     
    Byzantine said:
    The Colonel would not have left the mansus in this state, so he's either dead or crippled. Which, yes, means the worm museum may be breached. We haven't been there.
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    If the Museum was breached, there would be no more Mansus. It's honestly more likely that the Colonel, much like the Wolf, basically reached a state of perpetuity in which he can only do the one thing, which would be keeping them in.

    On another note, the Master has been often suspected of being either the Vagabond or the Moth, and is almost certainly an Hour of some kind. It's a gamble on which though.
     
    Ericwinter said:
    If the Museum was breached, there would be no more Mansus. It's honestly more likely that the Colonel, much like the Wolf, basically reached a state of perpetuity in which he can only do the one thing, which would be keeping them in.
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    Ok. So, the museum is likely partially breached, and the Colonel is stuck holding the doors closed. And is therefore unable to do anything as the Mansus falls apart around him. Sheesh.
     
    The Game said:
    Well, we know that the Lionsmith and the Colonel had a tussle that the wolf barged into. And since, I assume, the Worm museum is still standing, the Colonel is probably still kicking.
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    Or the Worms got free, but are locked inside of the museum.


        • Dread I dreamt last night of the Worm Museum. The Hours have set wards about it and warnings before it, but they have left it open to mortal adepts who can prove themselves by reaching it. Perhaps they hope to inspire revulsion against the things that bred in the corpse of the Sun. Those things are here still, always dying, never dead. They came from Nowhere, the warnings say, and if they complete their work, the Mansus will be Nowhere, one day.
        • Vagabond's Map (Secret Histories 12) Size in the Mansus is negotiable, and so last night in the Worm Museum I saw one of the Worms who took Vienna, caged next to a Worm taken from the soul of a child. In dreams they are more visible than waking, smooth and dark as jewels. The walls bear stories of the First and Second Worm Wars. The Third is too recent to have passed into the Histories.
        • Perfect Frost (Winter 15) Last night I visited the Worm Museum, which is both within the Mansus (for security) and without (for safety). The Hours have charged the Colonel with its defence, and even the Lionsmith does not challenge him here. Winter is the chiefest aspect of this place. The Worms thrive where things end, but they can also be ended, and they must, if the Mansus is to endure. This morning, the chilly certainty of the Colonel's hand still lies on my shoulder.
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    The Museum is BOTH within and without the Mansus. It's possible that the Worms simply can't get from it to the Mansus proper, or that while the Colonel fell the ancient wards still stand.
     
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